Hitman 3 (PlayStation 5) Review

Hitman 3 has some of the most gorgeous environments of the entire series. Within its levels, there are not only throwbacks to previous entries but also to some great Hollywood blockbusters that immediately instill a sense of awe not seen before in these games.

To start off, Hitman 3 easily has the most plot in any of the recent Hitman games, but that's kind of expected with it being the last of the World of Assassination trilogy. The story continues with Agent 47’s and Diana Burnwood’s attempt at finishing off the Constantine, a shadowy organization that they unknowingly were hired by in Hitman 2016. If none of that sounds familiar that is okay, Hitman 3 is one of those games that no matter what your knowledge of the trilogy or series may be, you can jump right in and have fun. IO Interactive does do a fantastic job of making this easy by allowing an importing of the maps and campaigns of the other modern Hitman games as long as you already own them. If not, they are kinda high priced still on the PSN store with both still priced at $59.99 for each one but I'm sure that'll change soon.

Weirdly enough, I've never really come to the Hitman series for the overarching story but for the smaller stories told in each level and Hitman 3 makes it even easier to come across those stories. Not only that, but the overarching story of the entire series is at its strongest here. There are moments in Hitman 3 that I have wanted to happen since Hitman Contracts and they played out so incredibly well.

The only gameplay element addition here is the camera which you can use to get more information about your environment and to hack locks by zooming in on these little pads beside most of the doors. Mostly there are just overall improvements over what IO has been working on since Hitman 2016. If you have played either of the other games in this trilogy, Hitman 3 plays the exact same. The incredibly dumb AI is back but for the kind of game Hitman is it is welcome and I never found myself frustrated with the NPCs.

This is really the pinnacle of making the player feel like a professional assassin and in a way, this is one of the best action spy games since Perfect Dark or GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64. The level layouts are even more open than ever and they feel absolutely gigantic. From the opening tower in Dubai, a Knives Out style level, a Vineyard that feels like a true successor to the vineyard in Blood Money these levels are huge with multiple ways to take out targets. I've yet to do it the same way twice except that Knives Out level because it really is the best level in a Hitman game especially if you follow the detective storyline.

The sound design in the Hitman games has also been great, especially when it comes to the background noise of the environments. That doesn't change here in Hitman 3. The club level is absolutely insane; there is a point while walking through the dance floor where you get absolutely overcome by the sounds. It gets harder to hear your surroundings and if you take the DJs spot, you yourself can drop the bass in what is weirdly a fun moment that I will not forget anytime soon.

There is a certain sense of awe you feel when starting each level, especially the first two. Having to climb the tower of Dubai, starting from the outside, gives you a sense of verticality that Hitman just hasn't really done before and it looks gorgeous. Then, to bring you back to solid ground, the second mission sees you come up to a mansion with a typical evil rich family at the helm. While approaching the gates, you get the sense of impending dread and that's all through how the environment looks and feels. Hitman 3 is running on the same engine as Hitman and Hitman 2 so there isn't a big leap forward in how it looks but, and this may just be because of the PlayStation 5, the number of people on screen, and the brilliant vistas are breathtaking. That being said, the cutscenes in the game do feel a little lacking in the looks department; everything just looks dated and stiff. When it comes to controls, there have been small improvements over the previous games. Agent 47 really feels like how I remember him feeling in Hitman 2. Although, if they do come back to 47 after their Bond game, I would like them to stick to this control scheme and the general smoothness that’s been established.

This new generation of Hitman has based itself on its replayability by adding what boils down to a checklist of things to do in each level and, with the fact that you can import the levels from Hitman 1 and 2, this is a game that is going to be installed on my PlayStation 5 for a long time. I've been through the game twice already and I plan on going through it again and again. Once they add the elusive targets as they did in the rest of the trilogy, I think the replayability will only skyrocket, giving players a reason to load the game and play through certain levels every month to take on unique contracts and get new rewards. I can't wait.

This is the pinnacle of Hitman, giving us the best levels a Hitman game has given us yet along with some of the most ludicrous ways to eliminate targets. IO Interactive has not only made, in my opinion, the best Hitman game but also the best spy game in a long, long time. With this studio being behind the new James Bond game, I'm ecstatic for what that shapes up to be. If you enjoy Hitman this needs to be in your library. Just avoid the VR mode on the PlayStation 4, it doesn't feel great and it is the first VR game to make me feel nauseous in a long time. The fact that you can't use the Move controllers and only use a DualShock 4 is a missed opportunity. That being said, if it ever comes to the Valve Index I will gladly hop in again.

SCORES

GAMEPLAY - 10/10

VISUALS - 7/10

SOUND - 8/10

CONTROLS - 8/10

REPLAY VALUE - 10/10

OVERALL - 8.6/10

More information about Hitman 3 can be found on the official PlayStation Store listing. A copy was purchased by the reviewer. Screenshots were captured using native PS5 software. The featured image is an official screenshot from the listing.

Read more PS5 reviews like my take on the Demon’s Souls remake from Bluepoint Games. I also took a tour around the world of Resident Evil Village in the Maiden demo that is exclusive to PS5. For more stunning visuals and visceral action, read Joe’s review of The Last of Us Part II on PS4.