IO Interactive has announced in a livestream earlier today all of the new features coming to Hitman 3 when Year 2 begins next week.
The major new feature coming to Hitman 3 is the roguelike mode “Freelance.” In this mode, players will take control of their own Agent 47, complete with a customisable safehouse, as revealed in a post.
“You can configure and customise the safehouse to your exact specifications and spend as much time as you want there. Whether you want to pick out a new suit, browse and test your weapons at the firing range or make changes to your décor, it’s all possible.”
In Hitman Freelancer, players will choose missions from a hub, with each one representing a criminal organisation to take down. All gear taken into missions is at risk, with items left behind being lost forever. In this mode, equipment comes from suppliers or is brought back from missions and must be managed carefully.
“Consumables, such as explosives or poison syringes, will also need to be restocked, since there’s no supply from the ICA in Freelancer.”
Another new feature coming to Hitman 3 is the exclusive contract arcade. The mode takes the well known Exclusive Contract formula but changes things up for both new and veteran players.
Recommended
Exclusive Contracts were limited-time missions that would give you one chance to take down a target with extra difficulty. If a player died after killing the target, they would fail the contract and wouldn’t be able to try again.
“Each Arcade Contract now tasks you with taking down consecutive Elusive Targets, one contract after the other. Each one must be completed to proceed to the next – and there are additional complications added to the contract as well.
“If you fail an Arcade Contract at any point, there will be a 12-hour lockout before you can retry the contract again from the start. This lockout enables us to keep the high-stakes gameplay that is a hallmark of Elusive Targets, whilst also giving players a clear indication of when they are able to play a particular Elusive Target again.” The contracts added to the arcade will be available permanently instead of the time-limited version used previously.
The stream also revealed that Hitman 3’s PC VR mode would be released simultaneously as the Year 2 update. The system also extends to both previous games, allowing the entire trilogy to be played in VR.
Finally, IO Interactive also announced the Hitman Trilogy. “Now that the trilogy is complete, we’re excited to unveil Hitman Trilogy as a way for new players to get started in the World of Assassination. This collection brings together Hitman 1, Hitman 2 and Hitman 3 into a single package, making it easier than ever to take your first steps to becoming Agent 47.”
Hitman Trilogy will be available digitally on January 20 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Epic Games Store, as well as Steam and Xbox Game Pass.
In other news, Pokémon Legends: Arceus extended gameplay shares a new look at the open-world, including mechanics such as crafting. Players will have to contend with various wild Pokémon with several moods. Mild Pokémon will ignore players as they walk by; others will try and flee. Aggressive Pokémon will actively attack the player.