Well this is interesting. A new feature for the upcoming Hitman 3 was revealed by Game Informer, following their reveal of gameplay, and it involves a feature that was popularised by a certain From Software game we are trying really hard not to say.
Developers IO Interactive are calling these “persistent shortcuts”, alternate paths that only open from one direction but once opened, will remain so for subsequent playthroughs.
The World Of Assassination Hitman titles (Hitman 2016, Hitman 2, and Hitman 3) are designed with replayability in mind. So these shortcuts are meant to “encourage exploration, reward curiosity, and incentivize replayability.”
The example shown is from the Dubai map, where Agent 47 uses a crowbar to bring down a ladder. The video didn’t show exactly how to get there (so it’s spoiler-free) but it does involve going the long-way around.
It’s just like… you know. That game.
The comments on the reveal video are a little mixed right now. Some feel this is “dumbing down” the game by making next runs more simple while others welcome the nifty new addition to the game.
From what we can tell in the info drips so far, Hitman 3 feels like more Hitman- so at least now we know there are some new mechanics for the final piece of this trilogy. And taking a page from the soulslike, that also has you exploring every nook and cranny of a location and memorising enemy location and patterns, makes a lot of sense.
Hitman 3 will be out on January 21 on the PS4, PS5, PC (Epic Games Store), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Stadia.