At first,theHitmanseriescan seem intimidating to new players with its huge levels that have a considerable amount of depth and content. Truly learning the ins and outs of aHitmanlevel can take a lot of time and effort. This includes learning a target’s patterns and routines, the depth that comes with the map’s mission stories, and how much gathering Intel plays into the game’s world-building.
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The seriesrecent entryHitman 3continues this trend and all the skills and mechanics from the first two games in the series translate to this newest entry too. As a result, seasoned players of the first two games will have something of an advantage in this new title. So going intoHitman 3with a few already well-established tips and tricks that the pros use to speed-run and take out targets as efficiently as possible is a great way to get started. Naturally, these tips apply tothe Legacy contentfrom the previous two games too.
Updated on the 26th January 2022 by Michael Llewellyn:2021 was a big year for the Hitman franchise with the third and final part of the World of Assassination trilogy ending a story arc that began with the episodic 2016 hit, Hitman. Thankfully, the developers at IO Interactive seem to be far from done with the third entry as they have announced more content, a new map, and a freelancer mode for 2022.
Furthermore, thanks to the full trilogy being made available on the Xbox Game Pass the series is now more readily available and accessible than ever before. However, despite this accessibility, it can be an intimidating series to get into thanks to its sandbox mechanics. This guide has been updated with more tips and tricks for players to use to help them be as professional as Agent 47 himself.
13Grab As Many Tools As Possible
Explore the huge sandbox maps inHitman 3, andit won’t take long before one finds an abundance of tools and items scattered throughout the game. Of course, items like screwdrivers and wrenches make great easily accessible weapons for Agent 47 to use.
However, their uses can expand far beyond being a rather gruesome and effective way to take out a target or an enemy. As an example, wrenches can be used to sabotage machinery and cause mechanical defects in sprinklers and other objects connected with pipes to distract NPCs and targets or cause a diversion. The same goes for screwdrivers and crowbars these are incredibly useful everyday items that will make 47’s job a lot easier.
12Use Instinct Mode To Pinpoint Targets
Instinct mode in theWorld of Assassinationtrilogy is Agent 47’s version Spider-Man’s spider-sense or Batman’s Detective mode. Using the 47’s heightened senses is invaluable for pinpointing his targets and assessing any threats in the area.
Agent 47’s targets main or dangerous targets are often highlighted in red while police officers are highlighted in blue and armed NPCs like bodyguards will be represented in different colors like black. The maps are huge, so using the detective mode will make it a lot easier for the player to locate their intended targets. It’s worth noting, however, that Instinct mode does not work in the game’s Elusive Targets missions as the entire point of those missions is discovering the targets for themselves.
11Save As Often As Possible
Being able to save during a mission is invaluable inHitman 3and theWorld of Assassinationtrilogy as a whole. It’s almost overwhelming how many options and opportunities will be available for the player and since the game is designed with missions intended to be replayed it’s impossible to do everything in one go.
Using the save feature as often as possible will allow the player more legroom to explore and try out different methods and side missions. Furthermore, it’s useful to save often because of how easy it is to make a mistake or get discovered by an NPC when one least expects it. The save feature isn’t available to players looking to complete the game on Master difficulty, but one should know the maps inside and out before attempting such a feat anyway.
10Use Cover To Slip Past Guards/Civilians
The guards and civilians with the white dots above their heads in theHitmangames are usually very aware of others they don’t recognize or are suspicious of. The best way to avoid them is to try one’s best to avoid their line of sight.
However, this can be tricky especially if there is more than one guard or vigilant civilian around. Surprisingly, there’s a way for players to slip past guards even they are looking right at Agent 47 when he is taking cover. Swapping cover, even when in a guard’s line of sight is possible, and he will remain unnoticed which is especially useful for speedrunners.
9Hold Down The Subdue Button In Cover
Using cover as often as possible when trying to remain undetected is an absolute must. As mentioned above, it will allowthe protagonist Agent 47to avoid a guard’s line of sight even when directly in front of them.
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However, the guards that make their way towards 47 will often need to be subdued silently as they will notice him if they walk past. A quick and easy way to make sure a threat is subdued is to hold down the square button (or the X on the Xbox) as they’re approaching this will cut down on the time it takes to take down an opponent.
8Use Leg Shots For Quick Takedowns
More often than not, monitoring an NPC’s movement and patterns are key to getting past them or into a guarded room. However, for players that want to be as fast as possible using the silencer to get a leg shot is a far more effective method.
Making sure that the NPC isn’t facing Agent 47, the player can quickly rush an opponent shoot them in the leg, and either knockout orkill the downed target or NPC. If one is quick enough, this won’t affect the player’s rating at the end of the mission.
7Pay Attention To An NPC’s Line Of Sight
Mastering Agent 47’s movement and getting a grasp of his spatial awareness will massively pay off in theHitmantrilogy. This is especially so for players that need to avoid an NPC with a dot above their head’s line of sight.
Staying behind an enemy and avoiding their line of sight mean that 47 will be able to slip by an NPC and remain unnoticed. However, players will need to make sure that Agent 47 doesn’t accidentally bump into the NPC by getting too close.
6Create Distance Between Bodyguards And Targets
Some major targets in theHitmanseries will often have a highly trained and efficient bodyguard following them around and watching their every move. Naturally, this can prove difficult for players that want to defeat a target without being detected or getting penalized for killing an NPC that’s not on the target list.
However, players can create distance between their target and the bodyguard in some rather amusing ways. All one needs to do is simply get in between the bodyguard and the target and block their path this way the bodyguard and the target will lose each other creating opportunities for 47 to get rid of his target without being spotted.
5Create A Panic At The Right Times
Getting through crowded areas like the ones in the Paris mission or the nightclub in Berlin can create problems for Agent 47 because there’s always going to be an NPC that will immediately become suspicious.
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As a result, getting through these areas can be time-consuming and tricky for speed-runners. However, a carefully placed explosive or setting off a fire alarm will cause mass panic which will allow 47 to cut through an area without getting noticed. On some occasions, this will also lock down a target meaning that 47 has an opportunity to find his target without them wandering off.
4Use Coins To Direct NPCs
The coins in theHitmanseries are some of the most useful tools in Agent 47’s arsenal. Thankfully, they can be found in their abundance and scattered all over the map so 47 very rarely needs to equip them as a loadout.
Agent 47 can use the coins to direct and lure NPCs and targets to where ever he wants. Once 47 has thrown a coin to the ground the NPC will go and investigate it. However, if the player is quick enough, and they collect the coin first they can throw it again in another direction leading the NPC even further away from their post or their scripted routines.
