5/5 ★ – ClintDriftwood's review of HITMAN 3.

Hitman 3 is the pinnacle of the current trilogy, and sits alongside Blood Money in the pantheon of legendary Hitman games. It did focus slightly more upon the story this time, but instead of deviating from the sandbox world, it really tied together the disparate parts of the prior games. Hitman 2's biggest disappointment were the cutscenes - while appreciated, it felt like a missed opportunity. Here, they return to fully animated cutscenes, with some great twists and turns that make you genuinely invested. In most games, say Call of Duty, you play as the protagonist being dragged through certain excellently crafted worlds. In Hitman, Agent 47 is the driving force of the mayhem that is released upon the protagonist's in this world: the maps. The first five all have a different backdrop and undertone - be it action, murder-mystery, horror, sci-fi or thriller. Yet, you can totally ignore this if you choose. Without spoiling, the events and tonal shift at the start of the "Apex Predator" mission is absolutely sublime, and my favourite all-time Hitman level. Suffice to say, for the first time in franchise history it makes 47 appear to be anything but an apex predator. The 'Knives Out' inspired second-mission just put a smile on my face throughout and the few gameplay additions such as permanent shortcuts and digital access points add all new layers to what is already ostensibly the most difficult puzzle game in recent generations. Ghost Mode is taken out this time, and the UI is largely merely a palette change from previous iterations. Reviewers have fairly criticised this, perhaps they could have introduced a new multiplayer mode, or updated the aesthetic. But for us WOA Trilogy purists, it is perfect. The final mission, spoilers aside, is far too linear and easy. While fascinating and very imaginative, it is far from what has made this series great. I expect DLC to add an addendum to 47's story, but man that secret ending is amazingly cyclical. I cannot wait to see what these guys do with Project 007.