Hitman 3: reviews, release date, new locations - and when the game is coming out for PS4, PS5 and Xbox One

The new game will give players a chance to collect all of their Hitman games from the last few years under one umbrella
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It's one of the first highly anticipated games of 2021, and Hitman 3 looks set to kick gamers’ years off in style.

The latest in the long-running Hitman franchise of stealth-based video games, Hitman 3 is actually the eighth game in the series, though it is the third in the World of Assassination trilogy developed by Danish studio IO Interactive.

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That trilogy began in 2016 with the release of Hitman, which was released ‘episodically’, with new missions and locations added to the game on a regular basis.

In Hitman 3, you'll be sneaking through the shadows as the iconic Agent 47 (Image: IO Interactive)In Hitman 3, you'll be sneaking through the shadows as the iconic Agent 47 (Image: IO Interactive)
In Hitman 3, you'll be sneaking through the shadows as the iconic Agent 47 (Image: IO Interactive)

Here is everything you need to know about it.

What is Hitman 3?

Hitman 3 is the latest in the long-running Hitman franchise of stealth-based video games.

The series has been around for over 20 years (its first game, Hitman: Codename 47 released in November 2000), and has produced some top quality stealth adventures, becoming a reliable name in the sub-genre of video games.

The new game will jet players off to six new locations, including Dubai (Image: IO Interactive)The new game will jet players off to six new locations, including Dubai (Image: IO Interactive)
The new game will jet players off to six new locations, including Dubai (Image: IO Interactive)

The Hitman games see you playing as Agent 47 – a top assassin recogniseable for his bald head and sharp suits – who is tasked with taking out high-profile targets in a variety of locations.

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The games favour a stealthy approach, with sneaking around, avoiding detection and alarms and making use of some often humorous disguises the name of the game.

Hitman 3 brings six new locations to the series, and players who own 2016’s Hitman and its 2018 sequel Hitman 2 (2018) will be able to import maps, levels and their progress into Hitman 3, taking advantage of all the new features and graphical upgrades the latest game brings.

What will happen in Hitman 3?

According to its developers, Hitman 3 is “the dramatic conclusion” to their World of Assassination trilogy, and will take players “around the world on a globetrotting adventure to sprawling sandbox locations, with Agent 47 returning for the most important contracts of his career.

"Supported by his Agency handler, Diana Burnwood, Agent 47 joins forces with his long-lost friend Lucas Grey. Their ultimate mission is to eliminate the partners of Providence, but they are forced to adapt as their hunt intensifies.”

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Mattias Engström, Game Director, said: “Hitman 3 has a much darker tone than the previous games in the trilogy. On top of the core Hitman experience, we are mixing in some surprise elements, an evocative atmosphere and a very real sense of closure."

In Hitman 3, players will be able to travel to six new locations to take on increasingly complex missions: Dubai, Dartmoor, Berlin, Chongqing, Mendoza, and Romania.

On next-generation consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox's Series X console, the new game will support 4k visuals, 60 frames per second gameplay, high dynamic range visuals,and faster loading times. It will also benefit from refinements to interaction animation and AI behaviour.

Hitman 3 will also come with a virtual reality mode for players on PlayStation players, meaning you’ll be able to experience the new locations – as well as those imported in from the older games – as if you were really there.

What are the reviews saying?

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After much waiting, the review embargo for Hitman 3 has finally been lifted, so we can start to get an idea of what critics think of the new game.

IGN gave the game a whopping nine out of 10, saying Hitman 3 is “rich, rewarding, and highly replayable” and a “refined, reliable, and robust curtain-closer to the current Hitman trilogy.

PC Gamer gave Hitman 3 the same big score, saying the game “is a magnificent video game and a perfect swansong for Agent 47”, while NME called it “absurd international assassination at its absolute finest.”

"This is a great end to the trilogy,” says GamesRadar’s write up, “with a satisfying conclusion made from enjoyable and endlessly entertaining levels.”

When can I play it?

Hitman 3 will be released on Wednesday 20 January 2021.

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It will be available to play on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

The game will make use of Xbox’s Smart Delivery system, meaning those who purchase the game and play it on the older, last generation consoles will be able to take advantage of the upgraded version of the game when they make the jump to the next generation machines free of charge.

A similar system is being implemented for PlayStation players, too.

It will also be available through Google’s Stadia streaming service, where it will go by the title Hitman: World of Assassination.