Agent 47 will have access to persistent shortcuts in Hitman 3, which appear to be similar to those that are scattered throughout titles like Dark Souls and Bloodborne. With the newest entry serving as the end to IO Interactive's World of Assassination Trilogy, it seems the team is doing all it can to ensure this outing leaves off on a high note.
Since the project's announcement last summer at Sony's first PlayStation 5 event, IO Interactive has showcased plenty of what Agent 47's latest adventure will offer players. For one, Hitman 3 is set to boast some of the franchise's most beautiful vistas yet. And the missions seem as though they'll be as inventive as ever, evidenced by a previous look at a Knives Out-inspired level.
A newer glimpse at gameplay via Game Informer indicates IO Interactive's level design is even more intricate this time around, thanks to the addition of persistent shortcuts á la Dark Souls and Bloodborne. Shortcuts sprinkled around Hitman 3 will only be accessible from one direction, IO Interactive told the publication. They were implemented in an effort to "encourage exploration, reward curiosity, and incentivize replayability." Once unlocked, players will get to use the various shortcuts in subsequent playthroughs to more quickly navigate levels and find their targets.
Shortcuts seem a small touch when taking the game's full scope into consideration, especially since they'll mostly prove useful when replaying levels. Still, if implemented well, they could serve as quite the game-changer for the Hitman formula. (Of course, nothing will be as transformative as the introduction of feather duster kills.)
Hitman 3 is receiving a host of other new features, as well. PlayStation VR players can look forward to virtual reality support. Locations from the series' previous two entries are also expected to receive VR functionality. IO Interactive recently teased its plans for DualSense support on the PlayStation 5, too, which will see Hitman 3 take advantage of the controller's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Once 47 takes his final bow, at least for a while, the crew at IOI will dive head first into their next ambitious endeavor - an original game based on the James Bond property that's tentatively titled Project 007.
Hitman 3 will be available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia on January 20, 2021, and it will release on Nintendo Switch at an unannounced date.
Source: Game Informer, GameInformer/YouTube