The Top 10 Games Of 2021: Hitman 3

How do you reinvent a franchise that's already undergone more revamps than we've had hot dinners? This was the struggle IO Interactive faced when it delivered Hitman 3 in 2021. Thankfully, this was one entry that was on target.

Much like Tomb Raider, Hitman has been given a popular retcon, with 2016's Hitman being a reimagining of the story that started back in 2000 with Hitman: Codename 47. Hitman 3 was poised as a fitting end to the World of Assassination Trilogy, but does it fulfil that wish or leave players feeling like there's a bounty over their head?

A Shot In The Dark

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By now, we're more than used to Hitman's stealth mechanics and hiding in the unlikeliest of spaces ready to pull off that final kill. It's a tried and tested formula that's worked well for a while, with this rinse and repeat formula being welcomed in Hitman 3. 

There's a new crop of cities to explore in Hitman 3, and locales like Dubai, Dartmoor, and Berlin feel right at home. Our personal highlight is the epilogue in Romania's Carpathian Mountains - but we'll get onto that in a minute.

Few stories have as many twists and turns as Hitman 3, with Agent 47's apparent swansong playing out like a Mission: Impossible and James Bond hybrid. Picking up with the cliffhanger of 2018's Hitman 2, the story once again follows the genetically engineered Agent 47.

Teaming up with handler Diana Burnwood and rogue mercenary Lucas Grey, Agent 47 tried to take out his former overlords at the International Contract Agency while also hiding the fact he's responsible for the death of Diana's parents. 

Hitman 3 reminds us a lot of those beloved 007 games from the '00s, giving players Nightfire and Agent Under Fire vibes. Few stories are quite as immersive as Hitman 3, and we've got to love the alternate ending choice that ties directly into the OG game from all those years ago.

Hit Or Miss?

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There's an admittedly small number of games that fit into the stealth trilogy category, but Hitman 3 should be proud that it's continued to deliver on the legacy IO Interactive started.

The devs still managed to stay one step ahead, and particularly praise has to go to the electro nightclub scene in Berlin. How many games can you feel your eardrums rumble with bass and take out targets at the same time? 

Pushing the limit of your hitman skills, it isn't just a case of acquiring a target and blowing their brain over a crowd of unsuspecting party guests. Some targets require you to locate an enemy's earpiece to find the target in question. This is effectively Hitman 2.0 as your rivals are as easily signposted as previous entries.

If you didn't think Hitman 3 already sang, how about a new-gen upgrade to fully cement it as one of 2021's best games? There's already the VR version on PSVR, but with the same capabilities coming to PC in 2022, even more of us will be able to fully throw ourselves into the life of Agent 47.

There's a sense that IO knows it's the final Hitman (for now), with the rulebook largely going out the window. Then again, there's still a core of classic Hitman running underneath.

Finally, Hitman 3 feels like a great jumping-off point for the team showing us what they can do with the upcoming Project 007. Will we see Agent 47 again? Let's not close his case file just yet.