How Hitman World of Assassination Trilogy redefined the stealth series

IO Interactive's Hitman series is one of the most iconic stealth franchises out there. Through multiple games, the franchise, which started with PC-exclusive Hitman: Codename 47, has evolved into a massive globe-trotting adventure featuring Agent 47.

Although IO Interactive has somewhat fumbled with a few titles, they have more than redeemed themselves and the Hitman franchise with the recent World of Assassination Trilogy.

Despite being a stealth title, Hitman does things differently from other games in the genre. Unlike the Metal Gear Solid and Thief games, the stealth elements in Hitman are rather sophisticated.

These games are more akin to Bond movies, where players, despite taking on the role of an assassin, rarely rely on hiding in the shadows or sneaking around corners. Instead, they are encouraged to hide in plain sight and even interact with their targets before executing the kill.

Over the years, many revisions have been made to Agent 47, the methods he employs to assassinate targets, and the areas he visits. The sandbox levels in Hitman have expanded with each subsequent title in the series, giving players a wealth of options to interact with the NPCs and formulate ingenious ways to kill.

Stealth games were really popular in the early days of the seventh console generation, with titles like Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell, Deus Ex, Assassin's Creed and even action titles like Far Cry. Even mainstream action titles like Call of Duty used to employ mandatory stealth sequences in their single-player campaigns.

However, over the the years, the stealth genre seemed to have stagnated, with only a few titles bolstering its existence. Right around this time, IO Interactive released their new Hitman titles, dubbed the World of Assassination Trilogy, which not only delivered on fans' expectations but also redefined the entire series.

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The World of Assassination Trilogy is the culmination of everything IO Interactive has learned about what makes a good Hitman game

IO Interactive tried to move the series into a more linear format with Hitman Absolution, but it didn't work in favor of the franchise.

With Absolution, IOI tried to steer the series towards a more action-oriented gameplay. It took inspiration from popular third-person shooters like Gears of War, even though the Hitman games never work as a traditional action title.

Most of the signature mechanics of the series, such as large and sprawling levels, unique kill opportunities, and an effective disguise system, were reduced to a shell of their former selves in Absolution. Although the game did bring some interesting new ideas to the table, such as the instinct mechanic and contracts, it failed to deliver a compelling Hitman experience to fans of the series.

Fortunately, the developers took player feedback to heart and went straight to the drawing board to once again reinvent the Hitman formula. They brought back the open-ended sandbox level design while also implementing the few great ideas brought to the series by Absolution.

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Hitman (2016) - The beginning of something new yet familiar

2016's Hitman was easily the best direction that IO Interactive chose to take the series. Although there were a few missteps, such as the episodic release and narrative continuity, it was the revitalization the series needed after the poor reception of Absolution.

The 2016 title was structured like the classic Hitman games. It had huge sprawling sandbox levels, multiple targets, and the freedom to move and interact with the world and its inhabitants.

The game felt like a true continuation of Blood Money, which is considered the pinnacle of the Hitman experience.

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Return of the signature disguise system

The old disguise system was back with the new title, but with slight alterations to make the game much more challenging and fun.

Absolution butchered the disguise system since any NPC with the same outfit as Agent 47 instantly became suspicious of him. This discouraged players from using disguises.

With the new game, however, IOI implemented the series' old disguise system, allowing players to sneak past groups of enemies by masquerading as one of them. However, there is a catch.

There are a few enemies across the map, including the targets, that are called enforcers. They have the ability to see through Agent 47's disguise, adding an extra layer of challenge for players.

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The huge and sprawling levels

The biggest and most impressive addition to the new title is the huge open levels. Built on an improved Glacier Engine, the levels look incredibly detailed and borderline photorealistic at times. The lighting, textures, and even the shadow maps are all fine-tuned to deliver the most authentic-looking levels that players can explore.

Hitman (2016) also has some of the most impressive and expansive maps of the series. Paris, Sapienza, Morocco, and Hokkaido are hands down the best maps in the franchise to date. Nothing comes close to the sheer scale and scope of these locations and the amount of freedom and opportunities they provide players.

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The episodic nature of the game

One big complaint that players have had with Hitman (2016), however, was its episodic release, which saw IO Interactive release one map every other month.

This gave the developers time and monetary incentive to work on future maps without having to rush the entire product and compromise IOI's vision for the expansive levels.

Additionally, this gave players ample time to go through a map multiple times, complete mastery challenges, and witness all the unique assassination opportunities. IO Interactive also added "Ilusive Targets" for every map, providing players with a single shot at assassinating a target without any retries.

Hitman (2016) did eventually get a complete release a year later, bundling all the maps in one single package.

The title is the start of the World of Assassination Trilogy, which spans multiple games in one interconnected narrative that sees Agent 47 taking on powerful elites while searching for answers about his own past.

Given the game's overwhelmingly positive reception, IO Interactive was quick to work on the next title in the series called Hitman 2 (not to be confused with Hitman 2: Silent Assassin).

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Hitman 2 - A great game, marred by a rough development cycle

Hitman 2 came out at a very crucial point in IO Interactive's life. It was the first title that the developer released after separating from parent company Eidos and Square Enix.

Since Squaresoft's acquisition of Eidos Montreal, IO Interactive has been developing its projects under the umbrella of the Japanese publisher.

However, in 2017, IOI announced that it was looking for a publisher for its upcoming project after cutting ties with Square Enix.

Yosuke Matsuda, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix at the time, stated that the publisher decided to separate itself from IO Interactive, alongside Hitman. According to him, the company felt that the series needed to continue but would be in better hands with another publishing partner or with IO Interactive itself.

Warner Bros. Games eventually ended up becoming the publisher for IO Interactive's new project, allowing the developers full control over the game's development. However, due to the switching of publishers mid-development, they had to compromise on their upcoming game's narrative and presentation.

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Compromises made with the game's presentation

The original game in the World of Assassination Trilogy was lauded for its spectacular cutscenes and production values behind each of the cinematic pieces.

However, due to budgetary constraints and internal changes due to the shift of publishing partners, IO Interactive could not create a similar narrative presentation for the sequel.

Instead of motion-captured CGI cutscenes, the developers had to resort to animated stills and voiceovers to convey the story of the game. Although the voice work and the animation for each of these sequences were beautifully done, it felt jarring, especially for players who have played the previous title.

Apart from the cutscenes, Hitman 2 was basically an improved version of its predecessor in every conceivable way. The game had the same open and huge sandbox levels with multiple assassination opportunities and challenges for players to discover and take advantage of.

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New gameplay systems

The sequel introduced some minor adjustments to the gameplay system. Among them were an improved AI and more social stealth options (including an Assassin's Creed-like social stealth element allowing players to blend in large crowds).

The game also had a new reflection system that allowed NPCs to be alerted to Agent 47's presence from his reflections on mirrors and other reflective surfaces.

Additionally, the title introduced great maps, such as Miami and Colombia. They might not have topped the spectacular maps of the previous game but were still impressive and enjoyable to play through.

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Carry over progression from the previous title and mandatory online connectivity

IO Interactive allows players who own the previous title in the World of Assassination Trilogy to play all the maps from the game within the sequel itself. However, it includes all the improvements made to the new game's gameplay system and AI.

This system also allows players to carry over all their progression from the previous title. This includes location mastery, weapons and starting point unlocks, as well as outfits for Agent 47.

The system, however, requires players to be connected to IO Interactive's servers at all times. The World of Assassination Trilogy's reliance on players always being online to make their progression count has been a major point of contention. This is because the Hitman titles are primarily single-player experiences and should not require any mandatory online connectivity to account for players' progression.

However, IO Interactive regularly posts new content for the game, such as new contracts, ilusive targets, and more. Players will completely miss out on them if they are not connected to the online servers. Tying the progression to the IOI account and online services also allows players to smoothly transfer progression across games.

IO Interactive also doubled down on the post-launch support for Hitman 2, with multiple maps added to the game that players can access via the expansion pass. Although the new maps are fairly small compared to the levels in the base game, they still provide players with hours of fun and exciting content.

After dispatching the final map for the sequel, IO quickly began working on the third and final installment of the World of Assassination Trilogy. The game would mark the conclusion of Agent 47's story, at least for a while.

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Hitman 3 - The triumphant conclusion of the World of Assassination Trilogy

Hitman 3 is built like a direct continuation of the last two games rather than a standalone experience. However, players can still jump onto the game's new maps without having any prior experience in the series and still have a great time.

The third and final chapter caps off Agent 47's story as he eliminates the final and biggest players of the Providence.

The gameplay remains identical to the previous two titles. However, it does have minor additions, such as a camera tool that allows Agent 47 to hack certain electronic locks and take pictures of important intel.

The main standout feature of the third entry in the World of Assassination Trilogy are the new locations, which are easily some of the most mesmerizing maps in the series. Dubai and Dartmoor are among the most creative and impressive-looking maps that IO Interactive has ever created.

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Dubai - The best opening sequence in the entire trilogy

Dubai is the first (and starting) location of the game, where Agent 47 skydives from a high-rise building that reaches up to the clouds.

The newly added ray-tracing capabilities and improved lighting engine are on full display at this level. While the mission offers nothing new, it sure does work as a spectacular introduction to the finale of the series.

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Dartmoor - One of the most innovative levels in the series

The Dartmoor map, on the other hand, offers an entirely new gameplay opportunity, which, by the way, is entirely optional.

In this mission, players are tasked with taking out Alexa Carlisle, who is one of the key members of Providence. However, there's been a mysterious death of a family member, which prompted Alexa to hire a private investigator.

Players have a chance of incapacitating the private investigator before he enters the manor and taking his place to solve the elaborate murder mystery. In private investigator disguise, players can talk to various family members and search the manor for clues to find out the real culprit behind the death.

Completing the investigation grants players an audience with the target herself, who players can then choose to eliminate however they see fit.

While the murder mystery aspect of the mission loses its charm after a couple of playthroughs, it is still one of the most creative assassination opportunities in the World of Assassination Trilogy.

Apart from these two levels, there are a few more locations, such as Chongquing, Mendoza and Carpathian Mountains. Unfortunately, they aren't as memorable as Dubai and Dartmoor.

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Post-launch support with new game modes and maps

Much like the previous title, Hitman 3 also allows players to carry over progression and maps from previous titles. This effectively makes the third entry the definitive way to experience the entire trilogy.

IO Interactive has also announced its plans to support the title with new maps and game modes in future updates.

At the time of writing this article, IOI has already released a new map for Hitman 3, called Ambrose Island. It is a rather enjoyable, bite-sized location with new targets, assassination opportunities, and mastery challenges.

IO Interactive also brought the series to virtual reality with the third title for PC and PlayStation consoles, allowing players to experience the game from an entirely new perspective.

There are plans to add new game modes, such as Hitman Freelancer, which is a single-player mode that introduces rogue-like elements, strategic planning, and a customizable safehouse.

The Freelancer mode will essentially provide players with an infinitely replayable campaign mode, with its own rewards and unlocks, which sounds really cool on paper.

Hitman 3, even with its base game content, is still one of the best stealth titles out there. Stealth games are a dime a dozen nowadays, especially in the AAA landscape.

IO Interactive could easily have abandoned the Hitman series in favor of an action-heavy title. However, they dedicated their talent and passion to the series and evolved it with every other iteration, which is really commendable.

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The World of Assassination Trilogy has completely revamped the entire Hitman formula without changing the core aspects of the series.

After Absolution left fans with a sour taste in their mouths, it seemed impossible for IO Interactive to redeem the aging franchise. However, the developers managed to pull it off with the new Hitman titles.

The World of Assassination Trilogy essentially improved every aspect of the already stellar stealth series, making it undoubtedly the best title in the entire franchise.