Kind of a shame if this isn’t after Hitman 3 but I think it’s not because of those logos. The benefits at least are more Diana time
My main worry about freelancer now is definitely the maps though now. I was concerned before this post about there not being any changes to the map and this definitely has been reaffirmed with the footage of them. The safehouse and progression system look absolutely incredible and I like the additional change of the couriers and the safes to supplement the suppliers, not to mention the additional starting locations (which is nice).
I’ve said previously I’m not ever going to get angry over a free mode that’s over 2 years after launch, however with the delays I’m hoping the maps will at least reflect the time put in. I’m not expecting the whole world to change drastically, but for it to at least feel like Targets have some variation and environmental changes to reflect their presence instead of just being a single person added all by themselves for the sake of the difficulty curve
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I too would like the locations to reflect a post-H3 World (of Assassination), but I’m starting to think this is just going to be a non-canon thing reusing the existing assets (outside the safehouse and mode specific NPCs, of course).
There isn’t anything wrong with that, especially with the mode being free, but the potential was there.
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I’m still of the opinion that I’m way more invested in potentially procedurally generated target routines than map changes - it’d still be nice but overall to be able to rerecord and refurbish nineteen maps to be on the same level as their main mission or even bonus mission counterparts would take an extra year of dev time and budgeting. Which they would have to do because otherwise just removing dialogue and people would make the maps seem barren and lifeless. I’m very interested and invested in the potential of these targets and campaigns having routines that are seeded out ala Minecraft to make Hitman one of those infinitely replayable experiences
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Right, I’m not expecting earth shattering differences, just some changes in NPC routines and the environment that at least make things feel a little different and showed some effort put into the integrity of the mode and it’s difficulty.
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Even though there are a limited number of maps to start with, it is clear that IOI has put in a lot of work into Freelancer, a much bigger effort than the 7DS DLC, and probably explains why there has been little else post launch but mostly recycled material outside the 7DS DLC, the Dartmoor Garden Show, a few ET and Ambrose Island.
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About the map : I think Caruso appearance is just a quirk of editing and used footages.
But I must say, I currently have to manage down my expectation on that side of the mode. In one hand there is a new guard near the tunnel in Sapienza, on the other hand this might be the only thing, new NPCs routine. Because frankly I was a bit taken aback by Dartmoor : the open graves, the Carlisles.
A part of me do hope that it’s just IOI not showing everything for now. Might be denial though.
In insight there is a lot that can’t really be changed : Marrakesh wouldn’t make as much sense without a riot and a military base in the school. New York level design depends on a security inquiries taking place.
I guess we will see later. For now, just looking at the gameplay mechanics, it looks very promising.
As for the ICA logos, @Heisenberg there is another option :
D) 47 is using the ICA Database to identify his targets, maybe with the help of Olivia. And that’s without going in the strange panel of DNA analysis moving around.
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If I don’t get Silent Assassin, it means something has gone horribly wrong. I have either committed mass murder or died in the blaze of glory while doing the bullet dance.
His reaction (or lack thereof) in that screenshot is actually on the mark, though. 47’s not a little bitch like most people who get shot. He’s a peak-human assassin who was likely conditioned to handle pain more effectively either as a function of his genetics or during his childhood training (or both). He may momentarily grimace in-game, yes, but then he copes with the pain almost immediately after, and much better than the average person, so as to not be distracted by it. It seems awkward because, compared to how the average person handles pain, it indeed is awkward. But that’s the point: 47 isn’t average.
Hear me out… Maybe 47 is the ICA now. That’s to say, “ICA Approved – Retirement in Progress” is him having green-lit and initiated his own hits.
How best to avoid rot in a neo-ICA? Have it headed by an ageless, largely dispassionate apex predator who only derives pleasure from earning money and killing people, who possesses the raw intelligence to concurrently organize, plan, and conduct entire campaigns of assassinations on his own if necessary.
“But the ICA got exposed after Hokkaido Chongqing!” one might say. That’s precisely why it’s the best name to use for a neo-ICA! Of all names, no one would expect a post-WoA ICA successor headed by 47 to be called… “ICA” after the blatant exposure of the previous namesake. From the ruins of itself, the ICA will be reborn anew.
(I’m just taking the piss; I have not a fucking idea why ICA logos are present if this is after WoA.)
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Highly unlikely that the ICA database is still around, and if the info within it was backed up by Diana (plausible), it would be on another system now, no need to show the ICA logo. Also unlikely that Olivia will ever be part of the series again in any capacity. Her and 47’s goodbye was pretty definitive.
If I don’t get Silent Assassin, I either wasn’t trying to get it in pursuit of some other challenge, I’m playing Codename 47, or I’m not playing a Hitman game at all.
I’ve been saying this. 
This starting location was cut from the game, some mods enable it.
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hopefully not just this map will have starts that arent in the main mission tho. like the code for this is already there but hopefully it’s not just cut starts being re-enabled and they have some uniques or even using escalation starts like the delgado basement
Damn, this looks incredible. Hopefully, it will be worth the wait. I’m gonna unlock all the furnitures.
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Noticing some details of when we were first shown the mode, particularly the basement where the weapons are stored and how that compares to what we’ve seen on the 27th. It wasn’t a lot (back then).
The first (or old) one had the display area for the guns. The sniper rifles were (to be) stored in a vertical orientation.
The latest version has them (to be) stored in a horizontal orientation.
Now I’m wondering how the old dossiers (what should they be called?) compare to the new ones. 
Edit: Looking through this topic…
Old
They have the names at the top above their symbols, the amount of Mercers paid, and 
representing difficulty.
New
The names are now below the symbols, with no indication of Mercers paid or difficulty.
You should see that some of the symbols are the same or similar (maybe rotated some). Like ‘Dark Psykonaut’ (old) and ‘Iceman’ (new).
I’m very interested in the basement… The ceiling has that grid like arrangement. I’m thinking they’re about 2 feet sections. One could make/mock-up a rough layout of where the tables and display cases are, go by the sections on the ceiling, and possibly get a rough estimate of the square footage.
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We’re hoping the ICA logo’s etc will be further explained prior to launch 
Like we’ve said, 47 washed his hands with them at the end of the story, so if Freelancer is after Hitman 3 then it’s interesting on what’s going on here 
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Same here to be honest. When I first heard Landslide’s music playing with the World of Tomorrow Lighting I thought for a second they gave Landslide a new skybox.
Honestly I’m not sure how much work it is, but maybe they could play around with random skyboxes for the Freelancer missions?
(credits to @Kevin_Rudd )
They have this old skybox from The Source lying around, I’m sure they could reuse it somewhere.
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Damn this looks cool! Im the most excited about modifying the safehouse 
A gamemode like this could make Hitman a little more challenging and engaging for me. I felt the trilogy fell on its ass after H3 launch with too much the same content. Freelancer looks almost like a completely new game which is neat. I don’t know how I feel about the gimmicks of a supplier, courier and safe though. Maybe a bit too arcade-y, but we’ll judge that at launch. So far my excitement has reached a higher level, but I (like everyone should tbh) am cautious with it. You never know how it’ll really turn out. Thats for the beta testers.
Oh and IOI randomly used the Hitman 2 model of 47 a few times. That was strange:
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…No? I saw triangle-related icons, but those are stylised to not include references to the ICA, merely just a skull and crossbones. Am I missing something?
Storytelling-wise, that’s a hell of a way to prove there’s no permanent consequences for anything, which tends be unsatisfying for the narrative, and leads to audience apathy because they know the writers don’t have the balls to kill X off permanently. Or, the “Fast and Furious” movie problem; every actor in that is immortal (bullets ALWAYS miss them, stunts always go well etc.) because they’re contractually obliged to be in the sequels, meaning the studio will never kill them off, and so there’s no stakes, no consequences, and it takes people out of the story.
Comic books have always had this problem of the consequences of characters and factions never truly going away because of reboots and various types of retcons to bring them back. I don’t think the ICA are being brought back anytime soon, and it certainly won’t be called the ICA.
Also this happened at the end of Chongqing, not Hokkaido.
Maybe:
I totally missed that until it was mentioned in here.
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Huh, that is curious. We’ll soon see what this means.
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