Thought there are some automatic saves, they aren’t nearly frequent enough. One thing I will note is the game encourages you to save often. In one playthrough you can have it set to kill the main target, and in another have it changed so that you’re trying to kill a different target with a specific weapon. Missions can be replayed with different objectives as well. I haven’t unlocked all of them and I’ve dumped a sizable amount of time into each mission. These shortcuts come in the form of doors, access points and ladders. For instance, there’s a mission on a train where certain freight doors are locked, but if you find the way to unlock them in your run, when you replay it they’ll already be unlocked, giving you a new way to navigate the level. This will aid you in completing missions a different way.Īnother thing about these missions are shortcuts that can be unlocked permanently so that they’re available in other runs. Masteries unlock new starting locations, starting items, and the ability to hide items within a level. It encourages multiple playthroughs, exploration, and creativity to kill people in ways that you wouldn’t necessarily think of. Challenges reward experience for doing something specific in a level, like breaking into a safe and retrieving a case file, killing someone a certain way, or spying on someone. In addition to stories, missions have challenges and masteries. In addition to giving more plot, they give new opportunities for you to get close to your target for a different approach to a kill. You can set which of the stories you want to be active and will be guided through the steps to progress the story. What adds to the replay value of these missions are mission stories - guided plot lines that give you more information about the characters involved. I spent at least two hours in my first play-through of Dartmoor, just because the story and characters were so great. It’s a sprawling countryside mansion and property that features multiple stories, tons of intrigue about a who-dun-it murder, and a lot of different paths to assassination to uncover. Missions are able to be completed within minutes, or you can take your time and really explore every nook and cranny of a level, enjoying hours in a single run of a level.Īn example I’ll use is the Dartmoor mission. Stealth gameplay is king and hiding bodies, swapping between costumes, and distracting guards are still rewarding experiences. The shooting is still not amazing, but you shouldn’t (although it’s viable to do so) go in guns blazing. It’s polished, still features hilarious moments and dialogue, and let’s you get as creative or as straightforward as you want in eliminating your targets. The gameplay of Hitman 3 is the best I’ve experienced in the series.