Debuting to a lot of excitement for the franchise’s diehard fanbase, Hitman 3 made a huge splash at the PlayStation 5 reveal event last month, with the game’s cinematic trailer and subsequent gameplay showcase seeing Agent 47 at his very best. The announcement that it will be the final chapter in the World of Assassination trilogy that IO Interactive has been weaving since 2016 was a big surprise too, with many assuming it’ll be the very peak of the gameplay the team has been refining for the last four years.
A recent feature in the Official PlayStation Magazine appears to confirm that could well be the case, with the creative director behind the game, Mattias Engstrom, discussing how one major new development has enhanced the sequel. According to the director, the PlayStation 5’s SSD has welcomed the most experimental version of the franchise to date, with the dramatically improved loading times feeling fundamental to the series’ next entry.
“Hitman is a game about experimentation. We invite the player into a sandbox, and we let them experiment the way they want,” Engstrom tells the publication, highlighting how the hardware feels custom-built for the experience Hitman 3 is trying to convey. “Therefore, we see the save/load as an important feature to encourage just that. The blitz-fast load times we are seeing on the PS5 makes it the perfect home for the Hitman trilogy, encouraging experimentation more than ever.” According to the creative director, “Hitman 3 is going to mark yet another big leap forward for our technology, driven and inspired by the capabilities of the PS5.”
Considering how the previous games in the trilogy have mostly looked at levels as huge playgrounds for chaos and mayhem, the next generation’s SSD feels like the natural next step for Hitman’s seminal gameplay. Allowing players to try out new opportunities without the penalty of having to wait through a loading screen honors the exact philosophy that makes the series such a hit, and players will surely appreciate it when the game launches next year.
For those who haven’t caught the trailer, Hitman 3 is the culmination of the previous two Hitman games published by IO Interactive. The title will hit stores next January and will utilize next-generation technology to provide some of the most striking locations the series has seen to date. The game’s trailer showed this off perfectly, with Agent 47 traveling to the beautiful vistas of Dubai to show off just how beautiful his next adventure will be.
Hitman 3 will be available in January 2021, for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: OPM UK Issue 178 (via: PSU.com)
