I think every gamer has gone through several phases in their life where not much happened except spending hours upon hours in the world of a video game and basically not wanting to do anything else. When a friend strongly recommended I try "HITMAN" not too many years ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. For a few weeks (more like days), the three main installments of the series completely captivated me, so much so that for a short time, not much else happened in my life except for assassinations in suits and with shaved heads.
HITMAN: Where it all began and ended
It was "Hitman: Codename 47" in 2000 that first brought the Danish studio to the forefront of the franchise. Smaller sequels followed, but the studio also tried to ride the wave of success with other titles like "Kane & Lynch." In 2009, Square Enix acquired the studio and announced in 2013 that it would refocus entirely on "Hitman." As a result, Square Enix, in collaboration with IO Interactive, released two more games: the less successful spin-off "Hitman: Absolution" in 2012, and, of course, the sixth installment in the main series, simply titled "Hitman."
The selection of this name for the first part of the so-called “World of Assassination” trilogy Back in 2016, it already felt like a reboot and functioned exactly as such. "HITMAN" was a huge success and, albeit without Square Enix, spawned two more installments, which since 2021 have created what is now an iconic trilogy. One question remains, however: what was it that captivated me and countless other players for so long across three games?
What makes HITMAN so special
A full review of one or even all of the games isn't going to follow, of course. Nevertheless, it's easy to briefly outline what always made these games so special. Firstly, there's the graphics, which were always state-of-the-art for their release year. Then there's the music, which couldn't be more exciting and perfectly suited to the "secret agent" setting, paired with a dramatic narration in the background. But it was probably the gameplay that ultimately made the difference. Together with Agent 47, we travel to various locations in these three installments, each representing a chapter. These locations are always incredibly detailed, authentic, and completely different from one another, where we receive missions.
Most missions revolve around murders, often interspersed with smaller side quests involving theft or sabotage. The map design is fantastic, transporting you to every corner of the world: a fashion show in Paris, a picturesque small town in America, a cartel outpost deep in the jungle, a skyscraper high above the clouds of Dubai, or the heart of bustling Mumbai – each time I felt truly immersed, as if every mission could easily be released as a standalone game. The sandbox gameplay offers almost endless variety. How you complete the missions is entirely up to you; the maps truly offer a wealth of choices. You can decide from location to location whether to execute the murders meticulously planned and intelligently or spontaneously and somewhat bluntly. Furthermore, you can replay the missions again and again, solving them in a completely different way each time.
Story: Was that it, or is there more to come?
Sure, there's a story that runs through all three parts. As far as I remember, it makes sense, but it was so secondary to me that I've forgotten most of it and don't really have any interest in a refresher. Something about a large organization that wants to control the world... or something like that. I think the problem with the story was that it was told across three games and several years, which is simply impossible to piece together after so much time. Aside from rebooting the "World of Assassination" trilogy, there aren't many options.
What I and many other fans are really interested in is when we'll get a new installment in the successful series. The answer may be coming soon. While IO Interactive did deliver another mission about a year after "Hitman 3," it's far from sufficient. The crucial thing here is that they don't try to reinvent the wheel again. The Hitman trilogy, with its take on stealth missions, perfectly captured the hearts of countless players, both in its core concept and its fantastic execution. One can only hope that, aside from the maps and missions, they do something that's always a bit of a gamble with other studios: simply recreate everything exactly as it was before.
Is this really the end? Not quite! In just a few days, the “Season of Undying“, which initially sees the return of a legendary Elusive Target to “HITMAN”, plus additional missions in the coming weeks.
