Among other locales, Hitman 3 will send famed assassin Agent 47 to jolly old England, and he'll take part in a murder most foul that might seem familiar to movie fans. Hitman 3 was announced back in June as part of Sony's PlayStation 5-centric State of Play showcase. The new game will support three games worth of maps and unlockables for those who have followed the entire World of Assassination trilogy. In addition, the new game will launch with six new maps for Agent 47 to explore, including a previously announced Dubai level and now England.
In addition to the reveal of Hitman 3's English manor, the developers at IO Interactive also revealed that Hitman 3's PC release would be exclusive to the Epic Games Store at launch. The studio is one in a long line of developers to shift from Steam to Epic, and the move doubly makes more sense considering that IO is self-publishing the title. For those who haven't yet sampled the latest Hitman games, the first entry in the new trilogy, 2016's aptly titled Hitman, will be free on the Epic Games Store from August 27 to September 3 as part of the promotion.
In a twist many Knives Out fans didn't see coming, the upcoming Hitman 3 could be their best bet for playing through a video gaming version of the popular detective story. In a new trailer released by IO Interactive promoting Hitman 3's England level, the developers detail The Thornbridge Mystery, a storyline within the level that players out extremely similarly to Rian Johnson's old-school mystery flick. A man has been murdered in his own locked bedroom, his family has a dark history with plenty of nuances to explore, and every member has their own personal reasons for wanting the victim dead. Add in an old school manner full of false walls and hidden passages and it provides the perfect whodunit backdrop for a Hitman stage.
The Hitman franchise has never been shy about its tendency to mock popular culture in its levels. In 2016's Hitman, a Christmas themed stage featured a mission to murder two would-be burglars, a pretty direct reference to the Wet Bandits from the first two Home Alone films. Celebrities have also appeared as themselves in Hitman's Elusive Target missions, including a memorable quest to take out Gary Busey and a follow-up in Hitman 2 where the first Elusive Target was played by Sean Bean.
Knives Out was a surprise hit in the land of movies last year, and it provides a scenario too perfect for Hitman 3 to pass up. While it's not an official crossover with the world of Benoit Blanc, it will provide a great avenue to experience a video game adaption of the story without getting into a battle of lawyers with their legal knives out. Players will have to wait until 2021 to see both if the developers have slipped in even more overt references to the film, and if the mystery can play out into multiple humorous scenarios when all is said and done.
Hitman 3 will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, and PC in January 2021.
Source: HITMAN - YouTube
