Hitman: World of Assassination – Signature Edition Review

There was an era where it seemed like just about every other developer was pushing unnecessary stealth mechanics into their games. Outside of franchises that put this type of gameplay at the forefront, such as Metal Gear Solid, Assassin’s Creed, or Splinter Cell, rarely are there examples of forced sneaking segments in non-stealth games that feel warranted or enjoyable.

No doubt the dedicated stealth series Hitman was one of those that was studied by companies shoehorning these elements in, but it lost its way once the sandbox levels of past entries were ditched in Hitman: Absolution. The 2016 reboot brought back a huge part of what fans loved about the games, and it was successfully followed up with two more titles. Joining a stellar third-party launch line-up, IO Interactive has now slid that full trilogy onto Nintendo Switch 2 in the shape of Hitman: World of Assassination.

It is fair to assume that many Nintendo console owners miss out on playing quite a few critically acclaimed games. The Japanese manufacturer’s systems are traditionally underpowered compared to the competition, and developers are not always willing to go the extra mile in “downporting” their titles to run on Nintendo hardware. Although Switch 2 may not be able to deliver PlayStation 5 levels of quality in a portable form factor, Nintendo’s newest system bridges the gap closer than ever, enabling it to play a wealth of big budget games.

With the likes of Street Fighter 6, Cyberpunk 2077, Yakuza 0, and Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess to name but a few games that didn’t appear on the original Switch but are now readily available on the latest console, it is already quite clear that Nintendo fans are going to be enjoying much more variety and more opportunities to experience high profile third party gems this generation.

Although Hitman 3 was available to play on Switch through streaming technology, this was not the preferred method to experience this game, and of course it was missing the first two entries that now make up what has become one cohesive exploit. After all the praise that has been attributed to Hitman: World of Assassination, this was one for Switch 2 owners to get excited about…

What a massive shame it is, then, to read a screen after immediately booting up the game that says this title should be played with an online connection. The text goes on to say that World of Assassination can be played offline, but only the campaign is available, and save data will not transfer between online and offline modes. It puts an immediate blemish on everything and places a big question mark over whether to tackle the story while connected to the internet or not.

Perhaps there is some fortune that there is an option to play the story offline at all, but it begs the question as to why two separate saves are created for playing online and offline in the first place. There is no doubt that the online path is being pushed hard.

The main menu is an overwhelming network of all kinds of user-created levels and live service modes featuring targets that must be assassinated within a set number of days. Fun diversions once the main campaign is done and dusted, to be sure, although one wonders if any of these will become playable offline once the servers shut forever.

Patience becomes a necessity as resuming from the system home menu or sleep mode causes the game to reconnect to the internet, with sometimes negative results. Crashes are somewhat common when playing online, further impacting the experience.

However, when Hitman: World of Assassination works, it lives up to expectations. Many Switch 2 players are going to be here for the solo campaign, and with all three games of this reimagined stealth romp included, there is a meaty adventure here that will last a good long while.

The story may not hold too much weight, but that was always going to be secondary to an over-the-top stealth game that sees Agent 47, Mr. Hitman himself, travelling country to country and contractually taking out some of the slimiest good-for-nothings in the world. What makes this such a compelling title is the many ways in which players can complete their objectives. There are usually at least two targets required to assassinate per level, but how that is done is irrelevant. As long as they are terminated and 47 escapes scot-free, the job’s a good ‘un.

Agent 47 starts out with little more than his own disguise, and there is immediate free reign on how to proceed once the stage begins. Getting inside an area where a target is located is usually a key goal, as that will naturally allow players to get up close and personal. Perhaps find an employee, knock them out, chuck them in a bin and put on their outfit. Maybe toss a coin or two to distract a security guard (because who doesn’t love a few pennies for the slot machine?) and sneak on in.

Feeling dangerous? There is always the option of just winging it, punching and shooting your way through, and then hiding to a safe place in the hopes you can switch disguises somewhere down the road. That last suggestion isn’t really encouraged, though. This is a stealth game, after all, and everything is built around that. Going gung-ho is a recipe for disaster, but those up for a challenge are welcome to try!

Key non-playable characters, including the prime targets, go about their routines, following assigned walk paths and engaging with certain citizens once specific actions have been triggered. One example is a target due for an interview with a journalist, only the camera man is running late. Agent 47 smells an opportunity. Find Mr. Camerman, deal with him in the friendliest of unfriendly manners, and slip his gear on. Meet up with the journalist, walk right on into the building, and it’s lights, camera, action!

The possibilities are almost endless in how to tackle any given scenario, and although the narrative somewhat takes itself seriously, the juxtaposition of the madness that 47 can create delivers hilarious results that make for a captivating time for both players and viewers gathering around the TV. Feasibly, one can take as long as they like by goading enemies close, putting them to sleep and then disposing of their bodies, while time-sensitive assassins may risk it all, snapping necks on the fly, before legging it to safety.

Indeed, optional challenges encourage all kinds of experimentation, with tasks that include taking targets out under very specific circumstances, dressed in certain outfits, and using particular weapons or furniture to your advantage. Yes, that includes drowning people in toilets.

The sandbox nature of levels means every room is unlikely to be explored on a first run, or even a second or third run, with part of the treat being in discovering how to access off-limits areas and using these newfound locations to gain the upper hand. The training level alone begged to be replayed in excess of four times just because even that has scope for all sorts of alternate ways of getting the desired outcome. The satisfaction comes from performing better, faster, and in more amusing ways than the last.

There may be some performance hiccups that IO Interactive has acknowledged and hopes to address this summer, but it doesn’t detract from the sheer entertainment this game provides. Just why, oh why did online requirements have to be embedded to the extent that they did? Plenty of other games allow for leaderboards and stat comparisons with others while having separate online modes, but the push down the path to keep the game in a constant online state was not necessary, and only negatively impacts the gameplay experience. Windows should not be popping up to go online if wanting to play in airplane mode in peace. There is also the added killjoy of paid download content already being on the eShop, so even this version isn’t the full package.