Hitman: Hitting Men

I heard him mention the van and went looking for it, but I couldn't figure out an easy way to get into the car park. There's a guard leaning on the left-hand wall that I'm pretty certain wasn't there in the regular mission…

Hence the reason I needed the Merc suit. He ignores you, even when you're hopping over the railing.

Ohhhhh there's a hidden fourth mission story in Mendoza! That's why my achievement isn't working. Not a bug at all.

J'ACCUSE.

Not the smoothest run, but SA is SA.

Spoiler - click to showStarted in the sniper nest to make the van easier to reach, which turns out to be a disguise even better than the waiter, as nobody in the cinema sees through it. Dropped an emetic mine next to the guard, took out one of the other NPCs who spotted me Doing Crime on a previous run. Handed the scrapbook to one of the clients when they were on the stairs, detonated the emetic to get rid of the guard, choked out the target while he was moping and stashed him in the box on stage. Exit via the vineyard.

I think you have a 'making people vomit' fetish.

I am having such fun in Sapienza rattling off challenges and working out where things are. Not sure why everyone's fine with a therapist running around the mansion aimlessly, dropping chandeliers to see where they land and snooping in every corner, but hey.

It's probably THE classic Hitman level, there's so much to do and see there. Shame the virus stuff drags it down a bit but even with that there are more approaches to take than you'd initially think.

Don't forget The Icon and Landslide, too, two surprisingly satisfying bonus missions that remix parts of the level into something quite new.

Also The Author, which is part of the Patient Zero campaign. There's tons of Sapienza.

I spent some time in Sapienza last night as well. It really is a fantastic level, but the virus stuff is a chore.

I think the thing with Hitman is that you only ever really need to "complete" the level once for story reasons. And maybe once more if you are going for SASO, but that's its own thing really.

Outside of that, you can (and should) reload saves as much as you like to trigger different challenges. So you shouldn't really need to do the virus stuff more than once if you don't want to, and it's actually pretty good first time through - after that you can concentrate on the far more fun stuff that surrounds the other two targets.

Definitely. Outside of time-sensitive mission stories or loadout changes, I hardly ever restart a run fresh in a single session, in any mission.

I restart missions constantly, but only because I completely forget to save.

Well, yeah, that too.

Dartmoor Flower Show landed today - a escalation and re-dressing of the Dartmoor mansion as a sunny outdoor event, with target progression assigned based on a random selection in Level 1.

As always, there's presumably a lot of interesting interactions possible, but the easiest way usually seems to involve cheating sight-lines with a silenced pistol; and alas, assassination challenges (and indeed, challenges in general) are disappointingly thin on the ground. It's a free update, so can't really complain overmuch, though - plus, the variant setting is available for Contracts mode, though, if anyone ever ventures into that?

If anyone has managed to find Spoiler - click to showall the frogs let me know - the last one is evading me.

It's a shame it seems they're only going to be doing escalations for Hitman 3, it feels like they're not making the most of the game's potential. The bonus missions from Hitman 1 are infinitely more replayable; even the special targets from Hitman 2 are better, I think. There are still some genuinely great ideas there, especially in some of the Deluxe escalations and the Deadly Sins, but the escalation format (especially the restriction on saving) makes them less fun than they could have been.

the escalation format (especially the restriction on saving) makes them less fun than they could have been

I started the Lust escalation and it's a nightmare not being able to save. You've got to find six safes, each with its own key, before you can even identify the target – and I get the impression you've also got to find a specific murder implement for them as well? But you can't save, so if you're spotted at all that's basically game over, because there are still several other pieces of the puzzle to get to.

The Berlin escalation where you wake up in the straitjacket actually uses this to good effect, it makes for an exceptionally tense stealth experience that's been one of my favourite bits of the game so far. But mostly it's just a nuisance: they're constantly trying out new mechanics but doing it in the most restrictive format the game offers so you can't play around with them as much as you'd like.

The Berlin escalation where you wake up in the straitjacket actually uses this to good effect, it makes for an exceptionally tense stealth experience that's been one of my favourite bits of the game so far.

It's quite focused and linear, though. This Lust one is a sprawling nightmare.

Garden Show done, though I can't seem to activate the Deterministic Mode version - when I reset the escalation, it appears to just be giving me the same stuff as before.

It's a bit odd, but Deterministic Mode is activated as an alternative starting location.

Got to level 10 mastery on Haven Island last night in order to unlock the emetic dart gun - which surely has to be the most overpowered weapon in the entire game?

Had fun doing so, though - there's a lot more going on in that level than I originally thought.

World of Tomorrow 100% done! Fun times.

Going to try The Icon and Landslide next, while the level is still fresh in my head. Then the escalation stuff, maybe? Patient Zero is telling me I should do something else first, so I guess I'll come back to that later.

The Icon is great - haven’t tried Landslide yet.

I really like Landslide. It ties into the World of Tomorrow plot, too:
Spoiler - click to showThe mission is a flashback, canonically 47's first time in Sapienza. The target is a guy named Marco Abiatti, a politician and former adversary of Caruso's, who gets mentioned as having died mysteriously by NPCs in WoT - and it's implied that Caruso is the client for Landslide.
It's a really nice re-dressing of the location, and has some excellent sound design, with music echoing through the streets.

Spoiler - click to showIt's not implied that it's Caruso, he's literally in the briefing.

Oh, is it? It's been a very long time since I watched that. I know it's implied by the WoT dialogue.

https://twitter.com/martTM2/status/1426076324171550722

Managed to get all four Classics done simultaneously on Landslide this morning before work. Don't think I've ever done a quadruple dunk before. Very happy with that (though, to be fair, it's not that hard).

Wow, it never occurred to me to even try to SASO Sniper Assassin…

I'm fairly sure I did it once, but I can't remember which level. It probably involved getting the target(s) alone and a point-blank shot, though.

I should probably play A House Built On Sand next, given that the next elusive target is set there. That's Marrakesh at night, right?

Wow, it never occurred to me to even try to SASO Sniper Assassin…

Spoiler - click to showSince the Cheat Sheet story told me where his handler was in a previous attempt, I just went straight for that location to move the target into the graveyard. Getting the sniper rifle from the safe house was a pain, because the front door's locked… if you lockpick it quickly before the two guys outside stop talking though, you don't get spotted. I thought I might be able to shoot the target from the handler's balcony, but sadly the church gets in the way. In the end, I snuck through the sewer from the beach (distracting the gardener in there with a coin before bapping him in the back of the head with a soda can), took out the target with a headshot from the exit when he was taking a piss on the grave, then backtracked and left. Surprisingly not that hard.

Landslide done 100%, Icon done 100% (which was far easier). First Sapienza Escalation down, very easily. Moved onto the second… I might actually be getting the hang of this game again. Will be in Marrakesh in no time.

Still going to hold off on Patient Zero stuff, I don't want to do it out of order.

ELUSIVE TARGET KLAXON

And I've literally just got to Marrakesh too (polished off the last of the Paris and Sapienza escalations this morning). Off we go…

Marrakesh is probably my least favourite of the Hitman 1 levels, but it’s also the one I’ve played the least. The lack of local accents really kills the atmosphere, and it’s a “two fortresses” level like Chongqing which isn’t a type of level I like very much.

There are a few interesting interactions you can set up, but for the most part, yes - the Golden Cage mission is strictly bifurcated.

A House Built On Sand (the night mission) is a little better - it's entirely set in the market and cafe, so there's less legwork involved, and the two targets are supposed to have a meeting, so getting them to that point is A. more obvious, and B. easier.

Plus, the night look for Maarakesh is way cooler than the day.

That was… easy? Maybe?

Spoiler - click to showTurns out I'd already played Marrakesh a bit, since one of you told me the best sniper rifle in the game unlocks from one of the escalations. And wouldn't you believe it, the guy you're meant to kill is on the exact same rooftop where the escalation plays out. So… yay?
Spoiler - click to showThe only real challenge was finding the client list, since it's in an area I hadn't explored. But even that, once I found a way in, was easy because the person carrying it a) is the only one walking around on a loop and b) doesn't have a problem announcing to the world very loudly while on the phone that they're the mark.

Knowing that two Elusive goals could be tricky (complete one and you're locked in to completing the other or dying trying), I did the client list stuff first and just left it on the floor, then set up the sequence for Mr Giggles (!) before going back. As soon as he died, I picked up the list, made like a tree and got outta there. Not bad for a level I've only played three times.

The lack of local accents really kills the atmosphere

Jesus, you're right. Everyone's either American or very British (except the Swedish guy, who sounds like an Englishman putting on a vaguely Scandinavian accent). It's really jarring.

Another problem: subduing the cameraman, putting on his disguise and immediately seeing Agent 47's skin go from white to brown. Blacking up is a thing we do now, huh. Huh.

Jesus, you're right. Everyone's either American or very British (except the Swedish guy, who sounds like an Englishman putting on a vaguely Scandinavian accent). It's really jarring.

To be fair, they clearly realised this and did better. Hitman 2 and 3 use local accents really well. Mumbai is a particular highlight.

Shame the budget clearly didn’t stretch to going back and redoing Marrakesh though. It’s the only level where it’s an issue: Paris, Bangkok and Hokkaido are all hotels or resorts, so it’s not so jarring there.

Went to do the Elusive but got a bit sidetracked by playing the House Built of Sand mission: it's excellent. Much better than the original Marrakesh mission.

I'm actually enjoying A Gilded Cage. Sure, I can see the complaint of it essentially being two separate areas stuck together, and both need separate approaches. But even so, it kind of works? Felt very proud of getting the SASO done, now I'm just on Challenge clean-up before tackling the bonus mission.

Mr. Giggles done, SASO. Emetic Dart Gun invaluable, as ever; almost feels like cheating, sometimes.

Having a surprising amount of trouble with this one:

Spoiler - click to showMr Giggles himself is easy to find but I can't find the guy with the client list at all. I assume from the dialogue that he is in the cafe but I can't see anyone obvious in either the public or private areas. I'm going to have to poke around a bit more, I think. It's not helped by the fact that this is all taking place at the same time as A House Built On Sand, so I keep hearing snippets of dialogue then realising, oh wait, it's that guy from the other mission.

Also

Spoiler - click to showI randomly got a "non-target killed" message while wandering around - I assume that's the hapless NPC that's offed by Giggles? In which case that means there is also a time limit if you want to go for SA.

Spoiler - click to showMr Giggles himself is easy to find but I can't find the guy with the client list at all. I assume from the dialogue that he is in the cafe but I can't see anyone obvious in either the public or private areas.

Spoiler - click to showSo sexist.

Also

Spoiler - click to showI randomly got a "non-target killed" message while wandering around - I assume that's the hapless NPC that's offed by Giggles? In which case that means there is also a time limit if you want to go for SA.

No idea, though there is a guy he poisons on the rooftop… maybe it's him?

I'm currently having issues getting the two targets in Marrakesh to meet. It's not that I can't trigger the meeting, but rather that even if I'm going as quickly as possible, one always gets to the meeting point first, hangs around a bit and then buggers off before the other arrives. Very annoying. At this rate, I might just have to KO everyone in the room and set them on fire manually…

Gahhhh…. prepared for that Elusive Target meticulously and then basically fucked it up. Still completed it but got spotted along the way so no SA for me. Still, never mind, managed to unlock two new suits for completing that so I'm pleased.

I'm currently having issues getting the two targets in Marrakesh to meet. It's not that I can't trigger the meeting, but rather that even if I'm going as quickly as possible, one always gets to the meeting point first, hangs around a bit and then buggers off before the other arrives. Very annoying. At this rate, I might just have to KO everyone in the room and set them on fire manually…

Yeah, I remember the timing on that one being a bit of a pain.

I'm currently having issues getting the two targets in Marrakesh to meet. It's not that I can't trigger the meeting, but rather that even if I'm going as quickly as possible, one always gets to the meeting point first, hangs around a bit and then buggers off before the other arrives. Very annoying. At this rate, I might just have to KO everyone in the room and set them on fire manually…

Yeah, I remember the timing on that one being a bit of a pain.

I had it at lunch today where the conman was standing in the meeting area and then tried to leave. I stood in front of him and kept 'bumping' him to make him show the ? over his head. He wasn't even ten feet from the meeting place. And yet, when the other guy showed up and literally YELLED HIS NAME, the Swede just acted like he should leave. What a crock.

I'll work it out, it's just… annoying. Current plan, as I said: KO everyone in sight with a hammer, drag the two targets together by the barrel and blow the fucker up.