A return of escalations could be interesting.
Especially if they are “secondary” roadmap content. Even more if items unlocks are linked to them, and not just a challenge.
But I don’t see them the best course for the game as “primary”, “flagship” roadmap content.
The kind of escalations like The McCallister Ransack (link to the wiki for the curious).
- This sort of escalation brings a kind of gameplay you cannot do in Contract Mode, Freelancer… (here traveral, but it can be anything not “elimination of target” based)
- It is simple to produce
- It arrives with a gameplay relevant unlock (here it was the only unlockable crowbar)
I’m also really curious of what the devs could come up with.
Other examples are the The Quimby Quandary (traversal, throwing a briefcase around), The Dubious Cohabitation (bit sized, but a unique sniping nest obligation)…
Anything that doesn’t fall in the “could be remade in Contract Mode”.
But for “flagship” escalations:
- High production escalations (with map revamp) are a bit of a waste and limited by the structure of the escalations.
- The Dartmoor Garden Show is best played when made a custom contract with 5 targets present in one stage. (It being a three stage esclation comes with a mandatory run around the map to arrive a the target every time, and the loadout being refreshed meant the map and its item were useless to use)
- They would be better as bonus map.
- Halloween Escalation in Whittleton Creek is a frequent ask and would be better as a bonus mission if it comes to be.
- (almost) all escalations since Hitman 3 were made “limited loadout”, and so poor re-playability, and frankly poor gameplay.
- (I suspect it is cause by the 10 years worth of unlocks that allows to break their design without this limitation)
- The game now has evolving objectives, better suited to bonus mission or ET. Escalations are just the worst version for scenario/map/deluxe escalation now.
Honestly if IOI is looking for roadmap flagship primary content goes, I will stay with my wish of the Lessons Learned Campaign. (wink wink nudge nudge @combatglue before your meeting)
But if it’s to have some bit sized fun, enhance the unlocks condition, and give more spice to the roadmaps, I embrace it.