On the idea of the WoA, I really like having every part of the trilogy in this interconnected web.
I would even say that I would have heavily disliked to see them in separate games.
Freelancer showed what this approach could mean. It is glorious.
And some of the most recent challenges making full use of it are testament of the positive it can bring. The C47 challenge pack was legendary.
Would a menu aesthetic option be nice to have? Sure. I do miss Hitman 2 magenta.
Nonetheless:
The Items
The main game is breaking apart at the seams from its inventory.
It has since Hitman 2 in a way, and completely since Hitman 3. Not because of OP items. Because of compounding inventory.
There are 4 doses of lethal poison vials, more than can be brought. And it’s one example.
I miss what Hitman 2016 could do. Only one vial and one syringe. If you had a challenge to lethal poison all targets it could be a planning challenge.
Paris launched without the vial (it was a Sapienza unlock). It demanded to know how to procure it on-site. Colorado and its four targets was legendary for it.
I suspect that this, and the OP items, are the reason why the majority of Hitman 3 escalations used the Restricted Loadout restriction, and then abandoned.
(it’s also why I’m always wary when I see people demanding for more items in Freelancer)
It’s one reason I advocate for the main story mission to become playable in Freelancer with a special dossier and campaign. It’s a more managed selection of items.
A second reason is to bring them with the carry capacity, consumable and the payout objectives mechanic. It could have the same appeal as the Roulette has. Which I think would be well enjoyed.
The Mechanics
I miss the old Professional mode. Bought a unopened copy of Hitman 2016 to play it last November for it.
I don’t mind the new mechanic being brought in previous maps, and them losing their previous arrangements.
Foliages are great. Briefcase are well brought on, their map placement careful.
Snipers being illegal to carry even with security disguise enhanced the gameplay.
Camera tracking, accidental sedatives, and the way Silent Assassin is tracked by target witnesses made the game more nuanced and more playful.
That one Paris enforcer can sod off though.
Options would always be good.
I’m more frustrated by later mechanics that never made the retroactive jump:
- the keypad for safes could be implemented in Bangkok and Sapienza among others.
- the modern bartending mechanic from Hitman 2 (serve prompt to anyone in the area) never came to Hitman 2016 map. The Paris bar still looks like a prototype, Bangkok and its half a dozen bar hotel is here too, the sushi bar is also old school.
I get not implementing it in the main mission due to fear of breaking them. But I had great hope for the Freelancer versions of the map when we learned they were reworked to be more apt for the game mode.
The Camera
A bit out of topic, but since it was talked about.
And it has some larger point about the trilogy in its conclusion
The hacking camera is interesting.
I think the core idea of it can be good, but its execution is janky.
- On level design:
- Hacking from a distance can be good and interesting. Opening the windows in Dubai to make the NPCs in a smoke break go away, or darkening a window panel to block of the vision cone of a camera or an NPC in Chongqing are legitimately great ideas well created.
- The doors in the ICA Facility are frustrating and disturb the flow of the map so much that it put this whole level down. Same in some of Mendoza. At least a prompt could have been added in addition to it. It can be done with screwdrivers, for the ventilation. So why not the doors if one has the right dongle?
- It’s great in the Freelancer showdown with the suspect camera mechanic.
- On its user experience:
- Selecting the camera always break the gameplay flow. Open the inventory, select the camera, using it, re-opening the inventory to reselect your previous item… Especially bad during the first run of the maps, when you are discovering and don’t know when to have it or not. Same in showdown and its crowd of suspect to observe and categorize while navigating.
- It could have an alternate shortcut. Like hold the up button of the D-pad on a controller. Equip and unequip it fluidly. Or hit both bumpers at once as other game use for photo mode.
It’s the same issue as Hitman 2 had when they created the hiding in crowd mechanic. They made too many mandatory incentives for it.
Mumbai is too artfully made and pretty to never have had a map version without the suit enforcer.