Developed By: IO-Interactive
Published By: Square Enix
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PS4 (Reviewed)
Release Date: 05/31/2016
Say arrivederci to Italy and say مرحبا to Morocco.
After sending Agent 47 to a coastal town known as Sapienza, IO-Interactive is back with episode three of Hitman. Instead of sun-baked beaches and coastal weather, Marrakesh consists of rooftop bars, narrow alleyways, and a full-on bazaar. The overall map may seem more confined than the open city of Sapienza, but this new level is quite diverse and entertaining to explore.
Just like the first two episodes, Hitman: Episode 3 brings two targets for 47 to eliminate–a banker named Claus Strandbrerg and a general named Reza Zaydan. Both targets have reasons for death, and neither one is particularly easy to eliminate. The perfect challenge.
Strandrerg spends most of his time in a Consulate building, surrounded by security guards and private security. Just outside the building stands a throng of violent protesters with the sole goal of seeing the banker dead. Not the easiest place to infiltrate in search of a target, but 47 has seen much worse. Plus, the dynamic assassin always has a backup plan, and Marrakesh is no different. There are myriad opportunities for 47 to take advantage of, including ones that actually take the banker to new areas. Try out the Massage Therapist opportunity.
More peaceful citizens.
Zaydan is just as difficult to take out in this latest episode with a vastly different environment. The villainous leader of a private army has taken over an abandoned school and created a military outpost. Getting inside is no easy task thanks to the mass amounts of roaming guards and checkpoints. Unfortunately, breaking into the school doesn’t make the job any easier. Guards are just as wary, bordering on paranoia, so trying to take out their boss is a tall task. Thankfully, there are just as many opportunities available to eliminate Zaydan, so the hit never gets truly boring.
Taking out guards is important for success
It sure seems like IO-Interactive made the perfect choice when deciding to release Hitman episodically. Each episode is mostly an improvement over the last, and the new dual hits are a great way to break up the monotony of earlier games. Last generation’s Hitman: Absolution was weighed down by some confined levels late in the game, but so far Hitman hasn’t run into the same problem. Each level has been drastically different than the last and all are enjoyable in different ways. Marrakesh may be a smaller (horizontally) and darker level than Sapienza but that’s not a bad thing because of the areas to explore. Rooftops are a great vantage point for finding new opportunities.
Looking for opportunities
Who knows, maybe the extra development time between each episode is giving IO ample opportunity to fine tune before release.
If you haven’t paid for the full experience of Hitman yet, please remedy this. IO-Interactive has crafted a super-enjoyable experience for stealth fans, and Marrakesh is just the latest example. Sure, it’s a little strange that all of the Arabic-speaking citizens have American and British accents, but that’s not the point. What truly matters is that Hitman: Episode 3 is loads of fun.
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