Hitman 3 Freelancer Closed Test Impressions

Hitman 3 Freelancer Closed Test Impressions

Click the image to see the video.

So, the Closed Test of the Freelancer mode is over, IOI is getting feedback, and the steam community board for the Test is, rather chock full of similar sentiments. And I'm one of those that got to play it. I'm currently uploading a video of it to YouTube, so if you want to see One Whole Hour of me wandering around the safehouse and some gameplay, click the image above, or here. It took a while to upload it!

Overall, I rather liked it. It's all basically very much the same Hitman 3 we know in terms of game mechanics, for both good and bad. Bad being things like 47's strangely slow running speed, some button prompts for certain actions being a bit too close to other items (even vanishing if you got too close to an exit for example), the gunplay being far too restrictive and some odd choices to make sure he stays in a crouch after vaulting over things rather than going back to his previous stance. Then there's the inability to change the over the camera view unless you are not aiming, they changed that in Hitman 3 and that continues to be a bit annoying and could benefit from being reimplemented.

But as for Freelancer itself? I think it's very good. There's some rather well thought out ideas executed very well. There are some glitches however. When you die on a mission, you lose any equipped items. That's fine, that I've no issue with. But also losing all equipment left in your Freelancer kit inside the safehouse makes no sense at all. This also happens if you exited if you weren't able to take out your targets and seems to be far too harsh a punishment. Quitting the game and loading it back up also caused the same vanishing issue. That cannot be right at all and I can't see that being an intended design. I found some of the prestige options appeared to be bugged. Silent Assassin No Guns seemed to fail if 47 picked up a dropped gun, or if he took someone out as the body seemed to be discovered... by the person being knocked out? Also some of the prestige options offered seemed a bit odd. i.e. being offered to Assassinate using an EPIC gun I didn't have, or take out 3 guards with a gun type I lacked and the level guards didn't have, or blowing up a safe when there was no safe on any of the levels on offer. Taking out the leader on the final section of a campaign did prove to be a worthy challenge, although the Assassins and Look Outs never seemed to offer much of a challenge. I got a warning they were there, and the ones tailing their clients were always easy to spot, but they never seemed to do anything but following them. The Merces currency option is a welcome addition and again, die on a mission, loose some Meces on you as a result is fine by me, but I do wish that 47 had a way to save the Merces in his safehouse. Maybe that was the point of the vault but I didn't get a chance to open that place up. Being able to take out couriers was always interesting as some were in very open public places and proved hard to get their Merces, but the pay out seemed low for the risk both they and 47 were taking. The Merchants are a welcome addition and seemed to work very well, but I do find it odd that everyday regular items I grabbed on missions don't come back to the safehouse with me to fill up the Kit. Obviously there are specialised versions that fill up these slots, but I'm also in favour of any regular, uncollectable gear you bring back being broken up into parts to upgrade or craft new items. But the oddest thing regarding weapons, any I picked up on missions that I already owned in the armoury, needed to be returned to an empty spot in the armoury. But I already own one of those? I'm not sure if failing a mission and losing all your equipped gear means you lose the original armoury gun. I also think it should be possible to buy items while in the safehouse. Just go to the empty slot, and hit a button to buy,. If you have the Merces of course.

I did like the safehouse and the ability to modify it. I did find it a bit silly that 47 doesn't have access to the Safehouse from the get go. Given he's inside the Bunker at the modes start with no way out, this does seem a bit odd. Also, he can't get into his bedroom till what Mastery Level? I am however very curious what he has in that shed he can paint and what is going on with those ruins of what appears to be a church behind it. I can safely say though I'm very much look forward to playing the mode when it's properly released. I think it will be very worth it.