Hitman (World of Assassination Trilogy)

Versions and Always Online

This page refers to the Hitman "World of Assassination" trilogy, encompassing a first game released in 2016 and two sequels released in 2018 and 2021 that "consumed" the content of the previous games. Content from the earlier entries is generally less complete and some systems are now disabled - just get Hitman 3.

As a headsup, Hitman is always online- you need to be connected to the IoI servers to do just about anything. The servers are generally reliable, fwiw.

DLC

Hitman has a lot of its content available in a confusing mix of game of the year, season and episode formats; you will get all of the core game content from the trilogy and a fair amount of bonus stuff with the "World of Assassination" pack. Several other DLC are also available; many of these provide content for additional game modes, which are explained further down this page.

The Sarajevo Six Campaign Pack are six very old missions with unique targets in Hitman 1 levels, with a unifying plot. Because they're so old, these missions have pretty limited special features, and are probably only interesting if you're a hardcore fan.

The World of Assassination Deluxe Pack includes two entire additional maps with missions from Hitman 2, two sniper mode maps, several "special assignment" missions with new targets in somewhat modified Hitman 2 maps, the Seven Deadly Sins collection (see below) and several added "Deluxe Escalations." Also a boatload of cosmetics. This is worth getting if you get the base game and find you like what it has to offer.

The Seven Deadly Sins Collection is a set of seven gimmick-based escalations that use the maps from Hitman 3 to try radically unusual, experimental gameplay approaches. These tend to be more weird than fun, though they come with a handful of nice unlockable items.

Hitman 3 Trinity Pack is entirely cosmetic variants of items you can get elsewhere ingame.

The Street Art and Makeshift Packs provide cosmetic variants of weapons and cosmetics intended for the Freelancer game mode. If you are considering trying to 100% this mode (you crazy person), do not get these until you have done so. For complicated reasons, having these DLC significantly increases the grind needed to complete this mode's challenges.

Game Modes

Featured and Live just promote recent additions or stuff that's available for a limited time.

Campaigns gives you the main story of the game in linear order. This is mostly useful for your very first playthrough. Additional mini-campaign expansions are also available from this menu, but you can find all of this more conveniently in...

Destinations, which organizes all the main stuff in Hitman by map location. Hitman is all about trying different things; after you play through a story mission once, you're expected to jump around between missions you've already cleared and unlock new equipment to broaden your options. Since almost everything in the core game is here, this is usually the best way to navigate the game.

Escalations (available from the "Destinations" interface) are multi-level special assassination challenges in mission settings from the main game. Beating one level of an escalation will unlock the next, which will add or change the requirements needed to beat the next. Escalations vary from straightforward ways to learn about a map to bone-crunchingly hard to weird gimmick play. They're generally recommended only after you have gotten comfortable with the main game and have earned a lot of useful equipment.

Elusive Targets (ETs) are assassination targets that are available for a limited time and on a cycling basis. These targets appear in special mini-scenarios in existing mission maps, and if you fail in killing them, that's it- no more chances until they come back around again. You can safely and freely exit an ET attempt until you complete any objective (including picking up items), at which point you are locked in. Alt-F4 remains an option, though.

Other ways to play the game are under Game Modes:

Contract Mode lets you create new custom assassination contracts in mission settings from the main game, as well as play the creations of other players. This mode offers a lot of options, but be aware that many custom contracts (especially ones "featured" by IoI) are made by expert players and may require all sorts of special game knowledge.

Elusive Target Arcade lets you practice going after Elusive Targets in sequential sets, with an added optional condition. Beating these sets will unlock a different set of rewards from mainline Elusive Targets. Beware- failing an ET in one of these sets will still make you start from the beginning, and will lock you out of the set for a day.

Freelancer is a sort of endless roguelike mode involving randomized missions, conditions, limited inventory, a lot of additional difficulty, and a horrendous grind for challenge completion. It's recommended for people who have mastered and gotten bored of the normal game.

Sniper Assassin is a mode where you snipe targets from a fixed position in one of three new maps. If you want to complete this mode fully, be ready to use an online guide and spend a lot of time. This mode used to have co-op multiplayer in Hitman 2, but it's now offline.

Ghost Mode was a multiplayer competitive mode in Hitman 2. It's now offline.

Gameplay Tips

The Basics

Do the tutorial missions in the Prologue first. They're well-made and genuinely very helpful.

There will be a dot over the heads of people that will see through your disguise. Some "enforcer" characters will always have a dot, because they'll alerted off of you no matter what you're wearing.

Mission Stories will lead you through fairly scripted target kill opportunities, but other options abound. Get creative! You can use the options menu to increase or decrease how handhold-y these are.

The normal difficulty mode is Professional and is suitable for most purposes. Master mode makes play much harder, adding cameras and guards (especially on missions from the first Hitman), increasing detection speed and generally making the game a pain to play. There's very little reason to ever touch it.

Other than some extremely minor interactions, a couple easter eggs, and some NPC comments, there is no difference between the different starting suits you can choose from.

The game autosaves frequently which can be a lifesaver, but it's a good idea to make a manual save before you try something that seems risky- or when you've set up a scripted event that can be resolved in several ways.

47's movement is silent even when running, except in Master Mode where people will investigate footsteps. Running also isn't suspicious, so don't waste time going slower than you have to.

Hitting Mans

Experimentation is fundamental to Hitman. Doing missions over again and completing more challenges unlocks more tools, weapons, starting points, etc by gaining "mastery" over that location. Unlocked items can be taken into other missions; some of these items, such as poisons, subsonic pistols, crowbars, breaching charges and lockpicks, are extremely useful in many settings and worth prioritizing.

All waiter/servant/cook disguises allow you to poison any food or drink without raising suspicion. Similarly, tech and maintenance-related outfits often allow you to freely sabotage some things. Look for a red icon to show what's still suspicious.

In most maps, sniper rifles are illegal to carry while wearing almost any disguise. Use a briefcase.

Agility actions such as hanging from railings or climbing drain pipes are very noticeable, but they aren't illegal unless you're doing so in an area you're not allowed to be in.

Most challenges don't require finishing the mission unless they explicitly state otherwise, meaning you can save, drop a chandelier on someone's head to complete the challenge, then load your save without losing credit.

Becoming a Silent Assassin

Silent Assassin rank (SA) requires completing a mission without killing nontarget NPCs and without any living witnesses to any illegal activity, including being caught trespassing. It's okay to be spotted doing something illegal by a target, as long as they die before they can tell anyone.

Targets killed in accidents or by poison will not break Silent Assassin, and people knocked out by something that's plausibly an accident (like a sedative or a banana peel) will not break Silent Assassin. Just don't try to move them, or people will realize something is up when they're found!

Being recorded by a camera and not erasing the footage from a security room server rack will void your Silent Assassin rank when you leave the mission. Breaking the server rack (whether by using it, shooting it, shocking it, etc) erases the footage and disables all cameras in the map.

There is an option to turn on a "Silent Assassin indicator" in your HUD. It's the pair of pistols next to the minimap-if it's green, you will get SA upon leaving the map. Red means you've blown it by killing a nontarget or by being spotted (though if you were spotted by a target, you may be able to salvage things). Yellow means SA is disabled, but the situation is salvageable- usually, you were recorded by a camera.

"Suit only" means clearing the mission without changing out of your starting outfit at any time. You cannot start from a position that puts you in disguise and clear a mission suit only. Silent Assassin Suit Only is generally the pinnacle of restricted, tryhard completion for a given mission.

Advanced Manhitting

Propane gas tanks can be used as "portable accidents"; death to an exploding gas tank will always be considered an accident kill, allowing for "silent" assassinations even in public areas. Explosions from these or fire extinguishers can also blow locked doors open.

The Haven Island environment is very tricky for a hidden reason- all NPCs have much longer vision range on this map.

Unlike other maps, there are no disguises in the New York map that will let you safely poison things.

You can place items in suitcases to carry them without attracting attention, or to let another NPC carry them somewhere useful. A favorite tactic is to use an emetic bomb in a suitcase to cropdust a target who is otherwise in too public a place.

All default non-disguise outfits count for Suit Only -challenges, meaning you can (and probably should) do them dressed up as a clown or Santa Claus.