Back in 2016, Hitman fans were pleasantly surprised when the soft reboot arrived and delivered a new take on the series. The games have since focused upon making the maps come to life, with expansive missions available where you have hundreds of different choices to carry out contracts.
Hitman 2 delivered almost exactly the same thing when it was released last year, making fans believe it might be time for the series to diversify once more. With that in mind, here are 10 things that Hitman 3 should take into account in order to pleasantly surprise fans once more.
10 47 And Diana Confrontation
The series has enjoyed pitting these two against one another in varying degrees as far back as Hitman: Blood Money, but there’s always been some sort of a catch that denies a big confrontation between the two.
The last two games have brought about the tension high once more, and it’s time this angle is wrapped up by having 47 and Diana confront whatever their problems are. It could go either way and we’ll be fine; 47 could finally execute Diana, or he could align with her permanently.
9 Return Of Victoria
Hitman: Abslolution’s story was much maligned by fans for being too action-oriented and bringing around the character of Victoria, whose uneven characterization meant we weren’t sure what to make of her special abilities.
However, continuity should be kept in mind and we’d like to see a grown-up Victoria back in the next game. The best scenario would be to see her in action as an able assassin in her own right, but any reference to keep up the continuity from Absolution would be welcome.
8 Commandeering Helicopters
Helicopters have been used by 47 to escape from missions, but these have been useless within the missions themselves, as all we see is a shot of 47 flying away with the helicopter rather than us steering it.
It’s time for the Hitman series to diversify a bit more and have the player be at the helm of some helicopter flying sequences. We’re not saying we want to fly them away in the manner that Grand Theft Auto makes them out to be a joke, but using these helicopters to complete getaways and assassinations would be a wonderful addition.
7 A Mission In A Moving Train
It’s a surprise to realize that Hitman places the player in many different environments, but these are all in locked-in locations. We’ve seen games like Uncharted pull off some remarkable levels where the action takes place on moving vehicles and locomotives, and there’s nothing stopping Hitman from doing the same.
The most creative mission would be one where 47 enters a train to assassinate someone, with there being a mystery behind this kill along the lines of Murder on the Orient Express. This would provide the assassination aspect and a twist where players have to figure out a way to escape without being outed as the killer.
6 Playing As Another Character
Sure, 47 is the main character of the series and we wouldn’t have it any other way. However, it would shake things up a bit if we have the point of view of another assassin. Devil May Cry had a similar idea where we played as Dante’s nephew Nero, and Hitman 3 can bring in a character from 47’s past with the player guiding them.
It would add in significant interest over this new turn of events and would instantly make the latest character someone the player would be invested in. Even better would be if we were to interact with 47 during gameplay while using the new character.
5 Using Explosive Firearms
Having the option of using explosive guns like bazookas carry the risk of taking away the identity of the Hitman series, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea entirely. Occasional missions can have these firearms hidden that only expert players can locate.
This could be seen as a reward for figuring out the location of these weapons, and give the player an option to go out and finish the mission in a bang or proceed the traditional way as a silent assassin.
4 Horror As A Theme
There have been a few levels in the past where we had some missions that made us uneasy, but this was last seen back in Hitman: Blood Money, with the recent ones being straightforward covert types.
Adding in a new genre for certain missions would inject in some personality in the series, especially considering the previous two games have carried the exact same tone. It wouldn’t be too big of a challenge to pull off either, as having the player enter missions with dark and dreary atmospheres would be enough to make them wary over what’s lurking around the corner.
3 First-Person Mode Sequences
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard revitalized the franchise by doing away with the third-person shooter feature and becoming a first-person game; the X-factor here was the fact that we felt like we were the ones in a haunted house, not the character.
In the same way, having the player feel as if they are the assassin would give the series room to explore further over how the gameplay experience might diversify. It shouldn’t be in every mission, but certain parts would benefit from having us see through the eyes of 47 and really feel the assassination taking place.
2 Larger Variety For Missions
A common criticism toward Hitman 2 was the lack of missions for players to choose from. As was the case from 2016’s Hitman, there were only a handful of missions to immerse oneself in, and the novelty behind them doesn’t last long.
After all, no matter how rich the developers could make content within these levels, the fact remains that there are very few of them to play through. For this reason, Hitman 3 needs to have a longer list of maps to choose from, somewhere along the lines of what we saw in Hitman: Blood Money.
1 A Beautiful Soundtrack
“Ave Maria” has been the signature song for Hitman ever since it made its impact in Blood Money, but the series has tried to shy away from embracing music as part of the experience. However, it’s better that Hitman dives straight in the practice of utilizing a soundtrack that complements the story.
Blood Money compelled the player to continue with the plot, mainly because “Ave Maria” tugged on our heart strings over 47’s supposed death. Now, with the current storyline becoming personal for 47 once again, the best course would be to have a beautiful soundtrack that signals big things to come within the game.