Hitman 3 Reveals Changes Coming to Freelancer Mode on Release

a year ago

IO Interactive goes over the long list of changes that Hitman 3's Freelancer Mode will get during its transition from closed beta to the full release.

Hitman 3's long-awaited Freelancer Mode is due to launch on January 26. The developer IO Interactive has now gone over all the major changes it will make thanks to feedback collected from the mode's closed beta. With the final testing phase now wrapped up as a success, it does seem that Freelancer Mode is going to be the next big thing for the franchise, and a stellar sendoff for the new trilogy of titles.

While Hitman 3 did feature content from both of its immediate predecessors from the very start, IO Interactive is using the launch of Freelancer Mode as an opportunity to unify the entire trilogy to a greater extent than ever before. With Freelancer leveraging the games' entire library of content all at once, this is a necessary change, and it's a very good sign for fans of the franchise.

As exciting and glamorous as Hitman 3's Freelancer trailers have made the mode out to be, IO Interactive still had to get into the nitty-gritty of its new economy to explain all the key changes being made compared to its closed beta version. Players can expect a fairer playing ground with fewer ways for auto-fail states to trigger, for example, as well as a better risk-reward balance across the board. There will be fewer gear stashes strewn across the levels, too, but the devs have increased the amount of loot they hold. As a result, they should be far more interesting and valuable to the player.

Interestingly, there will now be a way for players to unlock permanent and persistent gear for their Hideout. Certain weapons and gadgets will be available in "Collectors' Edition," meaning that they won't be permanently gone should the player fail the mission they've taken them on. More broadly, numerous exploits will be fixed as well, such as the Showdown missions' suspect NPCs. Overall, it does appear that Hitman 3's Freelancer Mode pushbacks served a purpose and that the end product will be a fun and polished experience. Some players might not be interested in playing a comprehensive rogue-lite mode just for the heck of it, of course. For them, the good news is that Hitman 3's Freelancer will have exclusive suits and gadgets to serve as long-term objectives, though given that they've only been shown as part of an early leak, it remains to be seen how they're implemented in the final version of the mode.

It's easy to see the appeal of a completely unified Hitman trilogy, now that it's being bundled into the World of Assassination package. Newcomers should have an easier time getting into the game in the first place, while veteran Hitman players will get to enjoy a first-ever set of randomly generated assassination campaigns. So far, experiences have been rather positive, and with the mode launching very soon, everyone will be able to test it out for themselves.

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