While I prefer medium size maps I think there are a lot of people who enjoy the huge and busy Mumbai levels. The way to go is a mix of both so everyone gets a favourite level. I don’t know if it was a creative or budget decision to not have a level like that this time, but either way I understand people who prefer that design being disappointed.
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I honestly would like real Bonus Missions more than that. It just has a unique feel to it, returning to a already known Location to a diffrent Time/Weather. I wouldn’t have nearly played Illusion of Grandeur so much if it hadn’t a diffrent Sky Box.
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…which makes it sad that the other two didnt get another time.
But I know what you mean, I almost liked the SA Mumbai and Santa Fortuna Weather more than the original ones.
And I totally get you there, I like Landslide/HboS more than the original missions.
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That so much. The Second Pack of SA’s was defenitly the weaker one even if I have to admit that A Bitter Pill offers a neat small Sandbox, if a very easy one.
I defenitly prefer the Fog in Santa Fortuna over, well no Fog. The Daytime Mumbai is also Awesome, even though the Sunset has this Magic Atmosphere, which is why I slighly prefer it when walking through the Slums.
Yes, that 100%. I even would exchange Cassidy and Vholes as Targets, since the later on is much more Fun. Wouldn’t make much sense from a Story Perspective though xD.
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I liked that they tried to build up a little story there, and also bitter pill was quite nice to toy around with.
They are just awesome, really. Both.
Yes. 
Overall, Cassidy and… I forgot his name… are the weakest targets in the whole triolgy in my opinion.
The advantage of the always online game is that IOI had all statistics from Hitman 1 and Hitman 2, monitoring what every player did, which maps that every player chose, the routes that players took in each mission, the types of kills of targets that players chose, how long that they average player took for kills of targets in each map – recording everything at all time.
Notably, IOI would have analyzed how quickly the beginner and average player fell off Hitman content and quit playing the game. To improve Hitman III sales, they would need to attract more beginner players to purchase the game.
Hitman 3 is a visual spectacle and meant to be appealing for the average player. The choice of maps and content for Hitman 3 were in large part to attract the beginner to average player, to ensure that the game was challenging enough for new player, but was not too challenging for the average player. IOI wanted to entice the beginner and average player to complete all the content. IOI moved the Master level of mastery out of the challenges so it wasn’t a necessary challenge to complete.
Harder maps like Colorado and Mumbai really grow on you when you play a lot of Hitman, but is a turn off for the beginner player.
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I’m not trying to belittle anyone when I say that I don’t really get how Hitman 1 and 2, on default settings, could be considered hard games. The mission stories walk you through everything step by step and put big flashing markers on the screwdriver you need. So the idea we needed to make screwdrivers even more easy to obtain for casual players kinda baffles me. How much easier could it be than to follow a big glowing marker? Also no one casually playing the game is going for master difficulty SASO.
Maybe I’m ignorant though, as you say they have a wealth of player data.
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I think stealth games have a high barrier entry due to the amount of mechanics need to learn from distractions, reactions from the AI. Plus add in social stealth of understanding limitations on where to go and act, disguise system mixed with an open ended level it can be quite daunting for first time players.
It does take a bit of time even when following glowing icon. I would argue that Paris for Hitman 1 might then be a poor choice for a first map when 2 mission stories are timed to further add strain to a purely new player.
I do think Hitman 3 maps are little too on the easy side(Still really enjoyed them) but Hitman does have a high barrier of entry to it with everything else. Though that can be part of the charm of messing up and adapting on the fly. Maybe if Map difficulty and set up was more in reverse order of the games might feel less hill and valley in difficulty.
Also for DLC remix maps, wouldn’t mind some remixes what focus on contracts mode by adding more roaming NPCs to maps which have like 5-10 min routes. Similar to Sapienza town NPCS.
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So no news about DLC yet
It’s been a month, give it time.
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Hitman fans are owners of GOTY H2016. By which I mean they have Patience Zero
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This is absolutely true, but I don’t think the way Hitman 3 made things easier really helps. You still need to understand the same basic ideas to succeed, such as distractions and trespassing and whatnot. Putting screwdrivers in easier to find places doesn’t help with that, and wasn’t needed for casuals who follow the markers anyway. I just don’t get how that helps with mainstream appeal.
I guess the easier SASO routes and god outfits like the detective and bikers would make more sense for what you’re saying though.
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To be honest we don’t really know yet? We’ve heard IOI will be doing content within existing locations instead of making new maps like the Bank and Haven Island. That could be just featured contracts and escalations within existing locations, or we could be getting current map variants within Hitman 3, very much like the Patient Zero campaign in the 2016 game. Again that game was a prime example of missions with different elements added such as Sapienza at night time etc.
Here’s the interview with IOI when they mention it.
I’ve mentioned this numerous times, however, I’m hoping for a snowy Whittleton Creek!! 
Other versions of H3 maps would be really cool as well. Would love to see a different take on Dartmoor and Mendoza.
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They also said that they “now have the whole content” to play around with. Imagine a Patient Zero like Campagin, but across all three games?
I still secretly hope for photographer on Haven. Or him as ET. They know we want this. Im sure they would give it to us at some point.
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I’ve been looking at some videos of elusive targets since I missed most of the H1 targets, and was reminded that there are 9 different ETs for Paris.
Combine that with the 2 targets on Holiday Hoarders and that’s 11… as many as Berlin. I’d love to have an Apex Predator style map where we can pick and choose our own targets in a big sprawling location. I can only think of two of the targets that used a similar area and would need to be rerouted.
Speaking of Paris, I’m surprised it’s never been repurposed. It’s arguably the quintessential WOA map and it takes place in a space that’s already being heavily converted for something else. If you restored it to its original purpose as a museum and removed the fashion show staging from the courtyard (as well as the roof tarp and restored it to being open-air, then changed it to daytime, that would be a whole different map. Plenty of barely used open space in the gardens and lawn, too.
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The common feature of PC and console games of high popularity (Call of Duty, GTA, Fortnite) are that they are shoot 'em ups. Instant gratification, not requiring the kind of patience of Hitman. For IOI to expand their player base, they needed to make Hitman more accessible.
A common theme of reviewers of Hitman III on YouTube, was that Hitman III really clicked for them, but many had not sunk the same number of hours into Hitman I and 2.
It may also have helped that IOI launched Hitman III during a global pandemic when more people were spending more time indoors, and during a late January launch date when no other big titles were released.
I expect that Project 007 will be a mixture of Hitman stealth, scripted linear set pieces like Uncharted 4, gun action and driving sequences. No way will Project 007 have the janky kind of shooting of Hitman.
Most on this forum would likely have preferred more challenging Hitman than was published in Hitman III.
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Trust me I know action games are more popular than stealth and immersive sim games. I have spent 25 years of PC gaming wishing it weren’t so, but alas…
I guess I just don’t see why the subtle changes Hitman 3 made would effectively combat that. It requires the same skill and patience really, the same interest in a particular gameplay style, just slightly easier. Maybe that’s the small change some needed though, a bit less trespassing and a bit less backtracking and boom, it clicks. So if IOI succeeded at thay then good for them I suppose.
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I think some of the success is that the game launched in January.
H2 launched at a way more crowded time and H2016 launched episodically and people ignored it, even ignored the physical release because it still carried the stigma.
Also some people have new consoles and are desperate for early releases.
This is all speculation but I feel like the market and new console generation did help get it into more hands.
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My partner worked at EB Games when HITMAN 2 came out and no one other than me cared. People were only talking about Red Dead 2 and Fallout 76 (lol).
I know it’s not a perfect sample size but Hitman is always niche, and it does better when it’s competing with less.
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So another Sapienza level then? 
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