Colorado has my favourite atmosphere in the first game easily.
Colombia has my favourite atmosphere in the second game easily.
But in HITMAN 3 I can’t easily choose. They really went above and beyond with the atmosphere in this game.
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Totally agree, I absolutely loved the dark tone in H3 and I’m hoping that similar tone transitions into the next instalment of the franchise. Again, I think that balance of dark/sunny missions is important because I know people like a mix of both, but that dark atmosphere really brings out the classic Hitman atmosphere 
Another variant of Berlin would be cool. To be honest I’m really looking forward to seeing what IOI do with the upcoming DLC. I’m hoping it will be existing locations with different targets along with alternate weather climate, like you said may be Berlin in the torrential rain.
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Didn’t thought of torrential in particular, so it could be. An Nuclear Plant during Rain in General would just give me great SR2 Flashbacks.
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With these new Hitman games I couldn’t pay less attention to the story beyond the dynamic storytelling of the relationship between targets in any given level.
I would be concerned about a future game getting to bogged down if it tried to lean more into the lore. Just point me towards some evil people in a cool place with interesting opportunities.
Between BM and Hitman 2016 there are 10 years of history and infinite possibilities.
I feel an important point to note when thinking about the future of Hitman is the extent to which the WOA trilogy was a pitch for the Bond license. To be clear, I don’t consider this a bad thing. The high-class, luxury tone of HITMAN has been an interesting departure from the gloomier atmosphere of previous games.
However, it’s clear they set out to make a ‘Bond’ style game. It seems the direct intention with WOA was to attract the interest of MGM. I’m delighted that IOI is working on Project 007, so I consider this a great success. But I also welcome the renewed creative freedom IOI will have for the next Hitman game.
No longer needing to demonstrate their Bond credentials, IOI can take 47 in whichever direction they please. In fact, depending on the reception Project 007 gets and the possibility of sequels, the future of Hitman might end up being defined in contrast with Bond rather than echoing the same style.
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I think it might be a bit of a stretch to suggest that it was the planned intention from the get go. I think they leaned into the spy thriller/JB fantasy from the beginning, and all the humor for that matter, more so because they needed to distance themselves a bit from the grim, sort of psychopathic, no-ethics, murder simulator kind of game (exaggerating to make a point). To fit with the times. A Contracts-type game might be too controversial by now. That is at least my suspicion, but it is just guessing.
Abrak said that the acquiring of the JB license only occurred to them once the gaming press started suggesting it. It is possible that they then intentionally leaned even harder into it with H3 to hint at the future and so fourth (the Mendoza suit, the locations etc.)
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I stand by the first part. I recently watched the Hitman Hideout podcast interview with Niels Bye Nielsen in which he talked about the early conversations he had with IOI at the start of HITMAN (2016). He was asked explicitly to compose a “Bond-like” score, so I think it’s clear they did set out to make a ‘Bond style’ game.
I must have missed this comment, so thanks for pointing it out. My theory was certainly wrong then!
EDIT: On second thoughts, this could be a case of Abrak trying to play it cool. Could be worried about looking desperate if he admitted they designed a whole trilogy as a pitch for another franchise! 
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Also, just from the very beginning of the Hitman franchise it feels as if IOI have always been subconsciously fan of James Bond (ICA logo and so on) . When it got announced it just felt extremely natural not just bc of WoA 
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I heard that too, and found it very interesting! But I’m not really disagreeing that JB was a big inspiration throughout the trilogy, but I just don’t necessarily think acquiring the license was the initial reason for it.
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It’s obviously clear that Bond had a major influence on the current trilogy and that it’s strengths have been used as a selling point towards acquiring the Bond video license. However claiming that the reason the current trilogy exists is because IO wanted to acquire the Bond License is on the grounds of absurd. It would mean that WOA trilogy is the one of the most expensive promotion material, that has nothing to do with a project you hope to make. A promotion material that almost cost IO their existence, WOA is the reason why IO is doing well now, with two new studios and a Bond license deal.
Yes Niels Bye Nielsen was asked to create a Bond inspired theme, it doesn’t mean that it was to push towards IO obtaining the Bond License. The theme simply fit the new era of Hitman that is inspired by the Craig era of Bond. WOA is far from the only Hitman games with heavy Bond inspiration.
You need to remember that Hitman have always been IO’s bread and butter, with the divisive Absolution and Square-Enix wanted to create a Hitman game that lived up to past titles as BM. It was only natural that they let themselves inspire of where spy cinema was at the time. Another thing is that when IO was developing H16 they where under Square-Enix banner, if they where actively pressuring the Bond license at this time. They would probably have taken a more direct approach and I doubt that Square-Enix would have let that license go. It’s more likely that IO began playing with idea internally and actively pressuring it after their breakup with Square-Enix and used the WOA trilogy as part of their pitch, due to their similarity.
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We’re all just speculating, Harkan could be telling a lie when he says when they started pursuing the bond licence, but this
Is the most compelling argument I have seen that it happened after Squexit. Companies keep secrets and tell lies though, so I guess we will never be sure.
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Bit strange. You’ve written a rebuttal to a point I already acknowledged was wrong 7 hours earlier. But, to be clear, my overall point was more about the future of Hitman rather than the past. I am interested in the next stylistic direction Hitman will take given that IOI are now making their own Bond.
Nonetheless, you’ve managed to misconstrue my comments in a couple of ways, so I feel the need to offer a few corrections.
Any reasonable reader of my earlier post would understand I was not claiming this. My language was hyperbolic, but I was certainly not saying that acquiring the Bond license was the only reason for making the WOA trilogy. That’s clearly absurd. HITMAN is an impressive project in its own right.
You’ve misunderstood. I quoted the Nielsen interview just to support the idea that IOI “set out to make a ‘Bond’ style game”. I was not using this as evidence that they were thinking about the Bond license pre-2016. In the exact same reply, I explicitly stated that my theory regarding the Bond license was “certainly wrong”.
Now that those clarifications are out of the way, there are a couple of other points I take issue with.
This is a very strange turn of phrase. It goes without saying that Hitman is “IO’s bread and butter”. We are on Hitman Forum. Many people here, myself included, have been playing these games for years and are well-aware of the importance of Hitman to the studio. In this context, “You need to remember” comes across as incredibly patronising, especially when followed by a statement of the bleedin’ obvious.
It may not have been your intention - and, if so, please do clarify - but I must say that I find this quite unkind and insulting because it implies a total unfamiliarity with the subject at hand (i.e. IOI & Hitman).
There is nothing ‘natural’ about it. This is an appeal to intuition with the benefit of hindsight. Hitman could have gone in any number of directions post-Absolution. It might seem like an obvious route to have taken now that we can see the finished product, but it downplays the innovation and creativity of the team to suggest these design choices were “only natural”.
This sounds like a plausible interpretation. Whenever IOI started thinking about Bond, it seems likely they kept it under their hats and did not discuss with Square-Enix. A point of agreement to end on!
First off, my comment wasn’t targeting your post directly, but as my answer to the overall misconception that WOA exists as a pitch towards acquiring the Bond licence. You are not the first I seen or probably the last I will see suggest this notion, so I apologise if you feel directly target by my earlier post.
It’s quite clear that my comment have done more harm then good, I have no intention of being condescending. I’m on the other hand very direct and can often be taken the wrong way.
This comes down to what you see as “natural”, I could also say it’s logical that IO looked towards the current trend of the spy thriller in pop-culture, which is the Craig era of Bond. Videogames being inspired by pop-culture is nothing new. It’s a safer play, when the more experimental nature of Absolutions grind house style didn’t fall in favour among the fan base that grew fond of BM.
I see no reason why IO would keep it a “secret” per say. Unless they knew that Square-Enix wanted cut their ties and from my knowledge, there isn’t anything to suggest that. I find it more likely if it was an option they where perusing back under Square-Enix’s leadership, they would have been more direct. Financially they where secure and had the backing of a big cooperation.
That said the talks of a Bond game within the studio as a wishful thinking project could have existed for the past 15 years for all we know, just like a Star Wars project could technically exist as an idea. Yet I believe that it was first something they actively began perusing after their break with Square and them creating a financial strong foundation as a independent developer.
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i doubt the entire purpose of the trilogy was to court mgm, though 3 feels very much like that in places. the trilogy’s whole “eat the rich” vibe was pretty timely/zeitgeisty, irrespective of anything else.
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I think it’s best to keep the Bond franchise and Hitman separate in my opinion. In fact I believe there is two different teams at IOI working on Bond and Hitman separately. I know some think Bond and Hitman should be the same but I don’t agree. This isn’t to say they might get one or two ideas similar to each other, but both franchises should keep their own ideas to their respective games.
I am looking forward to see where IOI take 47’s character in the next game, especially now him and Diana have gone into business together.
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Not sure why you’ve quoted me here. I haven’t said anything about Project 007 and Hitman being connected. I agree this would be a terrible idea. And I don’t think there’s any chance of it happening either.
I quoted you because I agree with your comment.
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Imagine if they tried to make the Bond game in the same universe as Hitman. Thatd be silly
The only future of Hitman that I want to know about is that A) 47 makes a special appearance in Project 007, either as an alternate skin of Bond or a playable character in a multiplayer mode; B) the ICA is revived in the next game, presumably with Diana as its chief administrator; and C) that David Bateson is, of course, attached to any future projects.
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