Hitman Freelancer for hire

Ok, I’m available as a Hitman Freelancer. Enquire within…

Do you need a rush job on a local crime syndicate? Happy to set some obscure objectives, only for them to be ignored/mess up? Good! I get the job done anyway, and who cares about meeting specific requirements? I’m a Hitman Freelancer and I’ll get things sorted.

My credentials? I have a swanky hideout that’s paid for by my clients. Heck, I just unlocked a toilet, and I have a wardrobe of classy suits and outfits. So yeah, my experience is…..erm……improving day by day! One day I hope to have an upstairs or a garage.

Being a Hitman Freelancer isn’t easy.

Hitman Freelancer

So, yeah the latest free update (and last) from IO Interactive for Hitman Worl of Assassination is here! Hitman Freelancer mode.

I wrote a little about the closed alpha test last year which I loved. Now it’s here fully realised and there for the taking.

What is it? Is it worth playing? Is Agent 47 taking on freelance jobs now?

I’ll answer these to the best of my ability. But just know, it’s just a free addition to the game, a new mode at no cost. So if you don’t fancy it, it’s no issue, you can carry on with Hitman as much as you like.

What’s worth saying before we go into any details, is that the updates and maintenance cycle of Hitman 3 (now just part of “Hitman World of Assassination”) has been phenomenal. Some paid DLC, but loads of updates, post-launch content for free and a regular dev update to keep everyone in the loop.

If this is the end of the World of Assassination updates and development. Hitman Freelancer is IO Interactive’s swansong, and it is a cherry on top of a wonderful gaming sundae. Hats off to IOI and may more developers take note. This is how you support and build a game after launch.

What is it?

Hitman Freelancer is a new roguelike mode that gives players a persistent and infinitely replayable experience. Having to configure and strategically plan for campaigns. Choosing an approach, with all of your gear on the line.

Campaigns are made up of four Syndicates of increasing difficulty. For each Syndicate, the player works their way through three to six missions in whichever order they desire, eliminating Syndicate Members. After each mission, 47 returns to the Safehouse to restock and resupply.

The Destination left until last will become a “Showdown” with the Syndicate Leader, who must be identified from a number of different Suspects.

Campaign missions have been reworked to fit the Freelancer mode. Each destination features new NPC types that can either help or hinder the player’s progress:

• Suppliers offer a selection of weapons and tools for purchase;
• Lookouts will see through disguises and raise the alarm;
• Undercover Assassins will protect targets.

Locations can now include hidden Caches with rare items, and Safes that can be unlocked by gathering nearby intel (or with explosives).

My stuff!

Unlike the main Hitman campaign, the player’s gear in Freelancer is not persistent. Anything brought on a mission and not brought back to the Safehouse will be lost. For example, if a player has an ICA-19 Silverballer, and it is left behind in Dartmoor, it is gone for good.

Gear can be purchased from Suppliers while on a mission to restock the player’s inventory or replace a lost treasure. Consumables, such as explosives or poison syringes, will also need to be restocked once used.

The player’s collection of suits carries over to Freelancer. Once the wardrobe area is unlocked, the player can don any of the suits from their inventory and wear them around the Safehouse or when starting a mission.

Change of pace

So yeah, Hitman Freelancer is an absolute game-changer for anyone that plays the series. You have to throw caution to the wind, a little. Knowing that I could be started in a hostile area without the right attire, no weapons, an objective to do things in a specific way without the gear to do so…..It makes me nervous.

I like the look of my collection of weapons in the glass cases in the safe house, so I rarely take any with me, for fear of losing them. Permanent loss is a bitter pill to swallow after a couple of hours of meticulously (panicking) taking out these new random targets.

Hitman Freelancer takes what you know and mixes it up. All the classic gameplay is there, but now you’re reliant on randomness and hopefully your previous knowledge of maps.

It makes every attempt a fresh approach. A whirlwind of action and stealth. It’s helping me become far more experimental and less safe because I need that XP to upgrade my safe house!

Worth a look?

What more could you want? If you already have Hitman 3, you have Hitman Freelancer. It’s a free mode that gives countless hours of extended gameplay in a game that offers significant replayability anyway.

Challenging, chaotic and fun. What a sign-off from IOI. Dive in and enjoy, because there’s a whole safehouse you need to unlock and decorate!

For even more content like this, check out our Opinion Pieces section.