Hitman 3 beginner’s guide: Best tips and tricks for mastering each level

Hitman 3 marks the final chapter in IO Interactive’s world of assassination trilogy, before they set focus on their upcoming James Bond project.

The third instalment, while not the best jumping on point in terms of story, allows you to carry over all the levels from previous titles - so it’s essentially a definitive edition if you’re willing to splash the cash on past maps.

If you’re new to Hitman however, there’s some things worth knowing before you start choking with fibre wire. Here’s the essential beginner’s tips for Hitman 3. 

• Read more: How to import levels and progression into Hitman 3

Target the Mission Stories

Hitman has Mission Stories to guide you 

Hitman levels are comprised of multiple Mission Stories - which are essentially pathways into assassinating your targets through set pieces each level has to offer. These can range from strutting down the runway undercover as a fashion model in Paris, or setting off a faulty microphone to explode in someone’s face in Bangkok.

These are opened up to you through a variety of ways, whether overhearing conversations which will allow you to track that mission, or by picking up a piece of intel scattered around. You can tell if something’s connected to a Mission Story if you see a green marker on the map.

Going after and successfully completing these Mission Stories however should be your main aim from the outset. These will open up the easiest pathways to getting near targets or putting them in an isolated location, and also offer the most amount of XP to boost your ranking.

Often the game will encourage you to complete certain Mission Stories before progressing to the next. While not always essential, you’ll get the most out of Hitman by repeating levels and tackling them in different ways to complete challenges which will contribute towards your level mastery. In another words, it’s worth taking the time to appreciate what each map has to offer. 

Save a lot

Hitman is pretty great in automatically saving throughout each level, although it’s worth manually saving before you decide to experiment with an idea. 

This allows you to load up previous save states if things go awry. This is especially useful before you plan to kill, in case you’re spotted by a guard or camera which makes your life difficult. 

We’d also recommend saving when gain access to specific areas which require certain clothing or keycards, so you can easily jump back to having a certain outfit if needed. 

Don’t be afraid to make a mess, you can always restart

Hitman is all about experimentation

By saving a lot, you’ll be more likely to try out crazy experiments. As it’s sold as a stealth game, you might initially play Hitman by being as sneaky and discrete as possible. While you’re certainly rewarded more for playing stealthily, some of the best Hitman moments are fighting your way out of a sticky situation. 

You can rack up bodies and still return to a stealth mode to complete objectives, which can be more rewarding in some respects. So don’t be afraid to get messy and concoct your own brand of chaos.

Bathrooms and closets are your best friend

If you want to stay stealthy, assassinations require to isolate targets in private areas with easy ways to dispose of bodies. One of the most reliable places for easy kills is bathrooms, whether drowning in toilets or incapacitating someone and throwing them in a cubicle. 

Any room with a closet is also an ideal location, although considering every level has some form of bathroom - they’re the best place to execute after distracting someone, or poisoning a target’s drink or food, which leads them to throw up in the nearest toilet. 

Look out for distraction opportunities

Try out new ways to kill and distract

Throughout each level, there’s opportunities to distract enemies - whether turning on TVs, cranking up radios or fiddling with lighting. These are often the best way to isolate enemies, especially when you’re looking to attain a certain disguise.

To easily find nearly opportunities, it’s always best to trigger your Instinct Mode (where you can see interactive objects and enemies). Hitman purists may scoff at the mechanic, but it’s an easy way to discover what’s at your disposal. 

Dive back into levels from different angles

Once you first complete a level, you’ll unlock new entry points to start from, the ability to stash pick-up weapons and new outfits from the get-go to easily access VIP areas.

To complete challenges and attain level mastery, you have to approach and finish levels in different ways. Starting out in new locations, disguising yourself as different people, alternate methods of assassination, and escaping via different exits, are all of greater benefit than repeating the same tried and tested path. 

Don’t forget to try out different loadouts

Once you’ve completed a level for the first time, you can also unlock new weapons and gear to start with. This is especially useful when trying to complete certain storylines, when you know you’ll need a lockpick to enter a certain door, or if you want to stash a sniper rifle somewhere to complete a Sniper Assassin challenge. 

The first time through Hitman levels should largely be considered an introduction, with later playthroughs allowing you to customise and experiment with what’s on offer. 

You can purchase Hitman 3 on Amazon.