STACK #195 Jan 2021

GAMING FEATURE

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– and has a few different uses besides letting you take photos. I also think that ‘Playstyles’ are great. They’re post-mission ratings or rankings that you earn based on how you completed the mission. Of course, we have the classic ‘Silent Assassin’, but there’s a ton of other cool ones to earn if you want to branch out in different styles. We always say that Hitman is a game that lets you play however you want, and now the game will acknowledge that too. You might end up as a Hired Gun, Henchman or Sharpshooter amongst many others. It all depends on how you choose to play. For a game that’s built on replayability, it’s the perfect addition. Have the new generation consoles allowed you to add anything really special? The next generation consoles have allowed us to push the limits and make the game look, sound and play better than before. We’re able to support 4K visuals, 60 fps and HDR as well as doing some really cool things with the PS5 DualSense controller.

Hitman III sees Agent 47 return for his biggest outing yet, in the conclusion of the ‘World of Assassination’ trilogy.We were briefed of his exploits by IO Interactive’s communications manager,Travis Barbour. Words Amy Flower THE HIT MACHINE!

For example, we’re using the adaptive triggers to simulate firing weapons and the haptic feedback will give

and now Hitman III is the conclusion to everything that came before it. There’s a real sense of closure and finality about the game, in many different aspects, including the story. We want players to get a lot

So, what has Agent 47 been up to while we’ve awaited his next assignments? 47 is a man of many skills. We’ve previously seen him master playing the drums, practice yoga, earning a living as a barber – and even top the leader boards of dancing rhythm games. He’s probably also been learning a few new tricks in case he needs them in the near future… You’ve claimed that Hitman III will be "a lot more mature, serious and darker".With this in mind, what’s in store? Hitman I was all about introducing the world and characters, Hitman II was about building on the foundations and expanding the story,

The next generation consoles have allowed us to push the limits and make the game look, sound and play better than before

you precise vibrations and rumble for each individual gun. On all platforms,

loading times will be very fast, which is ideal when you want to save and load frequently to perfect your playthrough. Of course, it’ll also get you into the game faster too. That’s always good!

closer to targets and get to know their motivations and intentions more than in the past. Every action that 47 takes will

It’s the conclusion of the ‘World of Assassination” trilogy, so will Agent 47 be retiring to a nice beach somewhere? You could say that we tried that at the end of Hitman II by sending him to a luxurious resort in the Maldives where they specialise in forging new identities. Instead of taking his chance to retire there, 47 insisted on shutting down the entire operation. For the end of Hitman III , you’ll have to wait and see…

have an impact and, as it’s the last game in the trilogy, every open narrative needs to reach a conclusion. What’s your favourite new feature introduced in Hitman III ? I really like the new camera, which 47 now has with him as a default item in his inventory

• Hitman III is out Jan 20

VIRTUAL INSANITY PS VR owners are in for a treat, as Hitman III goes first-person. It introduces things that just can’t be done in normal play – for example, you can lean around a corner to check where your target might be, stick your hand out to fire your pistol and then quickly throw it away before calmly walking away. Barbour also promises that it’ll test our constitutions: “The first level of the game takes place at the very top of a skyscraper in Dubai, and the sense of vertigo is very, very real in VR. You can only imagine…”

66 JANUARY 2021

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