Best Of 2021: Hitman’s Berlin Level 3 Is The Best Creative Carnage In The Game

IO Interactive’s recent Hitman game trilogy isn’t just a collection of devilishly delicious levels in which Agent 47 hones his knack for murdering billionaires and secret society socialites. It’s digital tourism, a world tour in 80 kills that hides secrets, opportunities and macabre moments to ensure that karma catches up with people who think their wealth makes them untouchable by the long arm of the law . And one Hitman Level 3 in particular stands out from the rest.

Each level is a complex puzzle to solve, usually by seeing which method of completing your target works best. From Hitman’s sunny Sapienza to Hitman 2’s resplendent Sgail Island, it’s easy to get lost in the glitz, glamor and grime of these locations spread across the globe.

And then there is Berlin. On paper, a sandbox that houses a secret rave warehouse, smuggling drug bikers, and an impressive level of verticality are already ambitious things, but IO’s Interactive’s attention to detail turns this scene into a highlight for Agent 47 and his deadly talents. .

The first time is the charm, because 47 starts the level with nothing but her wit and a trendy turtleneck sweater. Outnumbered and outnumbered by several blood-seeking agents, Hitman’s Berlin level 3 requires you to use everything you’ve learned so far to survive and thrive in hostile territory. For a game that emphasizes stealth rather than obvious brute strength, rare moments like this deliver wonderful catharsis that feels deserved.

That sense of urgency, of experimenting with Hitman’s chameleonic skills and making your way through a series of targets more alert than the usual, blissfully oblivious Illuminati members, is one of the best gameplay in Hitman 3. and moments. Have you ever thought that you would start the year killing secret agents with an EDM laser light show when you were in the front row of the DJ booth? How about pancaking an enemy using nothing but a construction crane, bait, and a gigantic concrete pipe?

There’s even a moment in the game that’s conceptually at odds with the very nature of Hitman, and yet it’s a perfect example of Berlin’s aggressive architecture. Disguised as the owner of the club, 47 are seated with their backs to the wall and a collection of CIA agents from all sides who believe they have cornered the legend. Too bad they didn’t think about looking for a shotgun hidden in the room and preparing for a shootout that would make John Woo proud, right? And that’s just the tip of the iceberg in this gloriously detailed level.

As you’d expect, repeated games reveal more optimal avenues for you to explore, but it’s the amount of grim opportunities present in this level that makes it so memorable. Dressing up in 2000s rave-era clothing just so you can smash a brick of powdered California corn flakes into someone’s face, the sheer joy of pushing an inattentive agent off a scaffold, or the foreshadowing that goes off right before unleashing twin barrels of buckshot into the chest of an overconfident Special Forces operative – they all combine to create some of the best moments not only from Hitman 3, but from around the world in the series. ‘assassinations.

It’s CIA Agents vs. Predator, a delightful booster of 47’s murderous imagination is a force to be reckoned with. Hitman 3 is undoubtedly the pinnacle of the series, with each location offering awe-inspiring, sweeping vistas in which to trade in ’47, but Berlin is the exceptional level that sums up all that is fantastic about the recent trilogy in a bin. layered sand and deadly creative carnage.