I loved this escalation. It may be a bit restrictive, but we all need some variety in the game sometimes. The best part about it is it shows us different parts of the map and new holes in the swiss cheese, as all escalations should do. My fondness for Chongqing doubled after playing this.
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THIS was a great escalation !!!
Took me more than an hour to figure out level 3.
I hated the timer at first glance but I ended up appreciating the tension feeling it adds.
The flashback C47 reference was very well presented,all while wearing the absolutely stunning Dragon suit!!!
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Same here. Out of interest are you playing on Xbox?
@Generickillz: I notice that you had the same issue too. Are you on Xbox?
I have tried repeatedly and there is a waiter nearby who immediately finds the body. Iāve resorted to watching other runs now and everyone Iāve seen is either PS or PC. They take the shot and the body is never found. I really donāt like having an escalation for which I am unable to get SA. What am I missing?
Iām on PC. The waiter finds him eventually, question is how fast. I started shooting that guy last and eventually got away with it.
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Iām playing on PS4 atm.
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Just this minute I managed to get SA by making him the last shot and legging it to the exit. But it does seem to be a lot of RNG. Iād tried so many different routes. In the end I kept using the same route until I got it. I think itās related to the timing of the explosion outside. It disrupts the routine of the waiter and the guy walking the loop with the face covering on, as they run off to random spots, making a consistent run very difficult.
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@StingingVelvet @Generickillz did any of you guys come up with a solution to his body getting found? Itās starting to annoy me now I canāt seem to overcome it
I wrote my solution above, shoot him last right before exiting and hope he doesnāt get found immediately. Worked for me I think second try. Make sure itās actually him being found, thereās a trick to the guy who walks by the car to make it an accident.
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I explain in the post above your post why heās getting found. For me, I took the final shot on the rooftop where the exit is. I had to knock-out the lone guard on that roof. Just check face-covering guy isnāt approaching. He does an anti-clockwise route, so if you see him approaching from the left side, then wait until he passes-by.
Yes, apologies I saw that after I created my reply. Thatās exactly what I did left Hong still last and took him out on the rooftop exit.
Just played this escalation and I LOVE IT TO BITS!
So excited about this one. It reminds me of when I tried recreating H:C47 contracts in Miami, but obviously better executed.
All those nods to the entire Hong Kong campaign!
You have to snipe the Red Dragon. Reference to Kowloon Triads in Gang War, where thatās basically the intended way to finish it.
The Blue Lotus car is outfitted with a bomb on its front wheel. While itās better to use the accidental moped explosion for SA, this bomb and the limo are a clear nod to Wang Fou.
The police chief is Cheng Chau Fish Restaurant Massacre nod. Only this time itās not a massacre, itās a pacification.
Lee Hong is an obvious reference to the Lee Hong Assassination, but what I like most of all is the intended way to kill Mogwai, aptly renamed Mogwai Tzun in this escalation. This one goes way back to H:C47 (or Contracts too, thanks for the reminder @Hotel_Pollisya). It refers to the cool Matrix-like cutscene where 47 disguises as a waiter, serves soup to Lee Hong, Tzun intervenes and tastes, doesnāt die, puts up a fight, gets shot in the head with a gun.
You can see it here (video starts at right time)
Also gameplay-wise this escalation is top-notch. Last stage is very challenging, reminding me of difficulty levels of the good old days. Still have to get SA on that stage, but I know I can do it because I finished level 2 in under 5 minutes and thatās with the same conditions. Itās just that timer thatās stressing me out I guess. Or the sheer EXCITEMENT for this escalation.
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Wow, this escalationās references are deeper than I thought. (Plenty of these escalations might, I just donāt have any of the experience to recognize them.)
The Blue Lotus car is outfitted with a bomb on its front wheel.
Neat, I didnāt know thatā¦
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They didnāt 
you can still lethally poison the soup and the similar (or even the same) cutscene will play.
Nice work pointing out all the references 
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Oh wow, my habit of always going for Silent Assassin in Contracts probably has something to do with the memory loss. Thanks for the jolt! Iāll edit the post.
Yeah, Iām very impressed with whoever at IO conceived of and designed this escalation then 
I donāt think the other escalations have such strong references. Iāve only played Contracts once so I canāt speak for the Dartmoor escalation. But the Dubai one seemed to have no relation to the narrative of Dance with The Devil, we didnāt even get to fibre wire someone in an elevator 
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I have recently played this escalation and wow,it is great!It is definitely one of my favourite escalations from the entire triology.
Not a very difficult one(or maybe thatās because I am pretty good at sniping),but still offered enough challenge.
I loved all the Codename 47 references,the suit looks awesome and sniping was great.
@Franz Very good post presenting the C47 references,but I think there is still one more.
In Lee Hong Assassination,after delivering the jade figurine,Hong goes inside the restaurant and in the escalation Hong is in the restaurant too.However,thatās not all.In C47 you can bring a sniper rifle in that level and there is an excellent spot on the restaurant roof to snipe Hong through a glass window when he is sitting at the table.
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Anybody else noticed that the female pedestrian outside can spot every illegal action/ unconscious body upstairs in the restaurant from outside, through both walls and floors? Itās starting to bother me as I only do silent assassin runs, even on escalation missions.
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I never encountered that problem. Are you sure itās her? Thereās also a noodle chef making rounds in the restaurant who can spot Lee Hongās body if you donāt get out of the mission fast enough/if you donāt time your shot right.
The explosion tha k ills the Blue Lotus might also cause some changed NPC trajectories. Plan accordingly 
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Itās her. It was actually the noodle chef she spots after I choke him out. Nobody else in the actual restaurant noticed but she seen it through both walls and floor, turned orange in hitman vision and ran screaming for help.
ThereĀ“s actually one more reference you may have missed (very easy to miss because you stay on the rooftops all the time). Lee Hong actually has a Golden Idol on him here (i.e. Jade Figurine).
I agree that this escalation is extremely well made Only thing I donĀ“t like is the time limit on the 3rd level. Would prefer being able to replay it without it (and without having to reset the whole thing).
Oh and btw, the police chiefĀ“s name is James Gordon 
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