I’m quite curious to know what everyone spends most of their time doing when they fire up the game for a session.
Please only answer if you’ve tried all of the relevant game modes listed in the poll. You should choose multiple options if you feel your time is split evenly between them.
What about new challenges? Every once and while there are some new ones. I usually will complete them when I check and notice my completion for one location drop from 100% to 99%.
I’d consider those ancilliary - the vast majority of new challenges require you to either play storyline or contracts. In many cases, it’s free choice between those two in terms of how you’d like to complete it. Typically, contracts are the easiest way to get things done since invariably, someone will create one that selects target(s) that give you the quickest path to completion.
Nowadays I mostly boot the game just to play Freelancer and the monthly Elusive Targets/Featured Contracts, and whenever they add new challenges with unlockable rewards. Freelancer is still fresh to me and still lots of fun to do so that’s the bulk of my playtime for now, and while I’ve eliminated all ETs a million times by now I still get the kick of seeing them come back every once in a while.
The story missions and the sniper maps, I barely touch them anymore as I’ve played them to death already so there’s not much there besides a few challenges still left incomplete.
I’ve done almost all Escalations too, including the ones in the ET Arcade so I rarely play them. I have only played the 7DS escalations a couple times each though, and haven’t done all the challenges in them yet, so that’s something I gotta go back to eventually.
I haven’t bought any of the DLC ET packs just yet so that’s also something to do in the future.
Crazy how I’ve been playing this trilogy for 8 years by now and there’s still quite a bit of stuff for me to do in the game lol
That’s correct, challenges is my main reason why I’m still playing it. I’m missing only 5 challenges in Freelancer. I really really reaaaaly need another new Map/mission or Hitman 4 based on this engine badly
I don’t have enough this game after over 2200 hours (inc. H1-H3). But when I reach all achievements the fun for me is over.
For the past 2 years it’s been because of Freelancer. Love that mode and I’m excited to see what they’ll add to it this year
I’m all set up to Prestige a third time but I’m waiting until a major update comes before I do that.
So lately I’ve been playing the main missions to unlock every challenge which I completed yesterday. So now I’m going through all the escalations.
I like the gameplay variety from the payout objective in Freelancer, but find it exhausting for its length and lack of stressfree gameplay…
I like the mastery and knowledge rewarded of the story mission, but by now aimless.
Sniper Assassin is frequent treat.
Now if Freelancer payout objectives and Story Mission targets could be somehow linked together… (wink wink nudge nudge IOI)
I guess if we’re taking Challenges as Main Missions (since lately additional challenges have been able to/required to finish with main mission targets) then I usually play Hitman in 3 ways.
Freelancer. Still love that roguelite mode and trying to get the perfect setup for kills despite things going wrong or getting too sloppy/cocky.
Main Missions for Challenges. More items good. Feed Caveman Brain. Collection of stuff oog oogh.
Elusive Targets, usually just the new ones these days. From 2016 to 2020, I was an avid Hitman fan and player, playing all ETs I could, though missing a few reactivations due to timing or forgetfulness.
But I’ve had my fill. I’ve seen these targets again and again usually in the same order/batch. Not much incentive to me to play them just for ET challenges that keep rotating in and out. The new stuff is nice though.
I only check for live content and new challenges these days, to be honest.
Before that it was probably Freelancer, because I went for 100% completion in the main game first.
Freelancer is my go to now and has been since it launched to be fair. I also play all the Elusive Targets when they reactive, play new Featured Contracts and complete new challenges for unlocks when they arrive
I’m not a fan of it either. Between the grind, the no saving or restarting at all, the unjustified loss of items, the behavior changes, and so on, I never got into it.
I really like the puzzle-solving aspect of Hitman, and a “one try no restarts” mode doesn’t leave any room for trying different approaches. ETs are also somewhat annoying in that respect, although it’s a bit better with the Arcade and the ability to restart.
It’s a fun enjoyable game mode, brings a fresh perspective to the game and it has plenty of replay value by having fresh targets/syndicates every time you play. Also, it’s cool to explore and change around 47’s Safehouse to your play style and preferences
I know it’s aimed more at veteran/experienced players, but once you get your head around it and find out your own routine and play style, it’s really cool.
Truth be told, I don’t play Hitman as much as I used to. I still visit it often, but other games have took its throne.
Unsurprisingly, Freelancer is my main playtime sink nowadays. I hop on and play a syndicate or two if I want to just play something, but feel too mentally strained for other games.
Second place are story missions. Usually to do a playthrough with some specific arbitrary goals/restrictions, looking for/experimenting with mission story/scripted interactions, or just realising it’s been a long while since I played a level and could refresh my memory on target routines.
I should probably say that I don’t really play Freelancer any more. I boot the safehouse up to test mods and/ or when I need to grab video footage for videos. That’s pretty much it.
Sorry @Lewisnic1, but I really don’t think it has all that much replay value at present. It’s too grindy mastery-wise to motivate me in playing it for long periods of time, too punishing for failing, not enough is done to make me care about why we kill the targets, and it just feels…samey after a while.
Just because it’s replayable doesn’t mean it has replay value, if that makes sense.
The main game still has replay value as the targets have significantly more backstory and interesting aspects to them that make it more fun to assassinate and take out in new ways. Freelancer…just doesn’t have that. Nobody in the syndicate has a name or backstory other than the contract blurb, or even voice lines. Heck, the couriers have more voice lines!
Its main achievements to me are removing S/A and incentivising loud gameplay, as well as the customisable safehouse. Outside of that, I’ll just stick to the main campaign locations. I find them more fun to mess about in.