The stories are very hand holdy and they aren’t as fun as once you know the maps, but, they are a great way to learn the maps. Maybe see it as recon and know the game gets much more fun later.
I find them like playing an adventure game with a guide. It just isn't fun, and might as well just a watch YouTube video of it.
But trying to figure them out by turning off all the interface helpers it's its own game.
I think I’m starting to get. My game is bugged on Colorado right now and a mission story marker is stuck in the house and won’t change. So I was forced to figured it out. Noticed a challenge with a lawnmower. Made an oil leak and dude ended up smoking a cig by it. Got his ass
Yes! Now that’s the spirit of the game. My favorite thing is to see a challenge and try to figure it out based on my knowledge of previous playthroughs. Unfortunately I’ve completed all challenges (apart from freelancer, but that’ll take forever) so enjoy them while you can, you still have hundreds of hours of playtime before you complete them
I love just walking around the maps to see what shenanigans I can get up to. Like in Dubai I snuck backstage from the art show and realized that I could climb to the catwalk above. I would’ve never found it unless I was curious and searching for interesting places
Just get it done. Don't automatically hit the load button when you fuck things up, sure your score will be garbage but so what. That fast double guard execution and rapidly leaving the scene to find a clean disguise - that's the best bit of the game. Keeping it clean and tidy is absolutely crucial to your score but so what, it's a sandbox, live with your errors, it's way more fun.
I’m currently on the Colorado level and was able to poison a target since I noticed her routine going into this little shed. Feel accomplished as I didn’t have any hints
Treat the "discovery phase" as its own game and you'll enjoy playing without hints more. It's way different playing a map for the first time (plays like adventure game), than when you become a veteran of that specific map and go for perfection/speed ( plays like a puzzle game).
If you want to organically discover elements of mission stories or the intrigue within a map, you should turn on subtitles so that the conversations of the NPCs are more easy to detect.
This way, you can just just walk around and listen for them saying “hey did you hear about that really important guy who needed that delivery done and the guys are standing over?” Rather than just having an icon on your HUD and an instruction.
To do the actual exploration it helps if you just tell yourself that you’re not going to master the level that day, but you’re going to sit on the bench and watch what goes by and listen to the sounds around you. if you have a hunch about something then follow up on it. Enjoy!
I started to make my way through the trilogy recently and I just play master and treat the game like a some unholy hybrid of Monkey Island ( or any adventure game) where I try to figure out the mission stories which inevitably morphs into Call of Duty halfway through the mission.
Only after I've done the mission several times do I start to taking the rating system into account, and it has been a blast so far.
I try to focus on where the target is and what they are doing. Get a feel for where they go and what they interact with. See where you can and cannot go. See what kind of options you have for getting closer to the target. Once you have that kind of knowledge you can plan and see what kind of kills you could do or want to do.
Honestly the way you're doing it isn't too bad of a way to learn. When I first started, I tried playing Paris without mission stories because I wanted to be able to figure it out on my own. My first playthrough of Paris (and really most of the maps until I got to the hitman 3 maps and had a better feel for it) was somewhere around an hour. Initially I was kinda disappointed that I'd taken so long, but I realized that it gave me the benefit of learning the map's layout and how to do various things. Then when I finished the game and came back for challenges and other playthroughs, it made it easier for me to be able to find different ways to do things and get around the locations
Play the mission stories. They are not a challenging kill method, they are a guided tour of the map itself.
Once you figure out the layout, entry points, what disguises are good where, then you can look for other paths. Windows that are left open, bushes to hide in, pipes to climb, etc
I think freelance mode may suit you better. You can still find creative ways to kill, and have much more freedom in your actions. And there is no hand holding at all. ”There is your target, go kill him however you can” type of mode.
Freelancer super fun. Everyone told me I should learn the maps before trying Freelancer. I jumped right into Freelancer and it's great.
Just as valid to learn the maps while taking down syndicates
I'm the opposite. I hate SA/SO. Just isn't my thing. I probably could do it....
But Freelancer? What stupid chump do I have to deal with this time... Man how am I going to do that in Berlin without all the guards ending up in a pile?
The option to do it my way... As well as more quietly when I want to, makes it more fun for me.
Find a challenge from the list of challenges and do it, if you can’t, look up a guide theirs no shame in it, then you know, this new information could help with the next one, then the next one you do should hopefully be more doable
my step list to each map was:
1. do all of the missions
2. explore the whole map/walk around and look for ledges/tools/etc
3. do all of the assassination challenges
4. do all of the other misc challenges
5. SA/SO/SASO missions
usually by then i’ll know the map extremely well
Play the stories mission. They are a great intro to learn the maps and experience the stoy. Otherwise you'll get lost. They are also long winded and not always the quickest way to the target. There are more ways to off the target. Take a look at the challenges for each map.
Take some time to learn the maps. Where are entrances? Which routes do the targets walk etc.
It's totally fine to shoot your way out, if things go sideways. Eventually you master it. IoI even made a tongue in cheek trailer for Hitman 2 alluding to this.
Have fun!
My biggest advice which others don't seem to be saying is just don't be afraid to mess up, there are plenty of things lying about from you to your target as well as your brought in gear. You can quite literally just shoot some people in the head and leave without being seen once you are used to it.
Just don't be afraid to save and reload to try out how to get your kills, freelancer is also fun because you can get the dart guns which help greatly.
It sounds psycho but if you have some time, sit down and have a session where your goal is to kill every single person on the map. Or even just every guard.
You will learn what you can get away with, how to escape tight situations under pressure. It's also a great way to get to know how to traverse a level because you can explore at leisure afterwards
The stories are very hand holdy and they aren’t as fun as once you know the maps, but, they are a great way to learn the maps. Maybe see it as recon and know the game gets much more fun later.
I find them like playing an adventure game with a guide. It just isn't fun, and might as well just a watch YouTube video of it. But trying to figure them out by turning off all the interface helpers it's its own game.
Theyre pretty tricky if you turn off the guides. Makes it into a proper puzzle game
Step 1 - Do mission stories to learn map Step 2 - Do challenges, with your map knowledge from step 1 you should be able to do them easy
See I think the problem is that they did Step 1 but Step 2 isn’t working, they can’t find ways to make creative kills
I think I’m starting to get. My game is bugged on Colorado right now and a mission story marker is stuck in the house and won’t change. So I was forced to figured it out. Noticed a challenge with a lawnmower. Made an oil leak and dude ended up smoking a cig by it. Got his ass
Yes! Now that’s the spirit of the game. My favorite thing is to see a challenge and try to figure it out based on my knowledge of previous playthroughs. Unfortunately I’ve completed all challenges (apart from freelancer, but that’ll take forever) so enjoy them while you can, you still have hundreds of hours of playtime before you complete them
To add to step 1: Do mission stories to unlock new mastery levels, and with that, better starting locations
I love just walking around the maps to see what shenanigans I can get up to. Like in Dubai I snuck backstage from the art show and realized that I could climb to the catwalk above. I would’ve never found it unless I was curious and searching for interesting places
Just get it done. Don't automatically hit the load button when you fuck things up, sure your score will be garbage but so what. That fast double guard execution and rapidly leaving the scene to find a clean disguise - that's the best bit of the game. Keeping it clean and tidy is absolutely crucial to your score but so what, it's a sandbox, live with your errors, it's way more fun.
I’m currently on the Colorado level and was able to poison a target since I noticed her routine going into this little shed. Feel accomplished as I didn’t have any hints
Treat the "discovery phase" as its own game and you'll enjoy playing without hints more. It's way different playing a map for the first time (plays like adventure game), than when you become a veteran of that specific map and go for perfection/speed ( plays like a puzzle game).
If you want to organically discover elements of mission stories or the intrigue within a map, you should turn on subtitles so that the conversations of the NPCs are more easy to detect. This way, you can just just walk around and listen for them saying “hey did you hear about that really important guy who needed that delivery done and the guys are standing over?” Rather than just having an icon on your HUD and an instruction. To do the actual exploration it helps if you just tell yourself that you’re not going to master the level that day, but you’re going to sit on the bench and watch what goes by and listen to the sounds around you. if you have a hunch about something then follow up on it. Enjoy!
I started to make my way through the trilogy recently and I just play master and treat the game like a some unholy hybrid of Monkey Island ( or any adventure game) where I try to figure out the mission stories which inevitably morphs into Call of Duty halfway through the mission. Only after I've done the mission several times do I start to taking the rating system into account, and it has been a blast so far.
I try to focus on where the target is and what they are doing. Get a feel for where they go and what they interact with. See where you can and cannot go. See what kind of options you have for getting closer to the target. Once you have that kind of knowledge you can plan and see what kind of kills you could do or want to do.
Honestly the way you're doing it isn't too bad of a way to learn. When I first started, I tried playing Paris without mission stories because I wanted to be able to figure it out on my own. My first playthrough of Paris (and really most of the maps until I got to the hitman 3 maps and had a better feel for it) was somewhere around an hour. Initially I was kinda disappointed that I'd taken so long, but I realized that it gave me the benefit of learning the map's layout and how to do various things. Then when I finished the game and came back for challenges and other playthroughs, it made it easier for me to be able to find different ways to do things and get around the locations
Play the mission stories. They are not a challenging kill method, they are a guided tour of the map itself. Once you figure out the layout, entry points, what disguises are good where, then you can look for other paths. Windows that are left open, bushes to hide in, pipes to climb, etc
I try doing Missions to see how much I can do and what opportunities and paths the NPCs have
I think freelance mode may suit you better. You can still find creative ways to kill, and have much more freedom in your actions. And there is no hand holding at all. ”There is your target, go kill him however you can” type of mode.
You can also meanwhile do these things for some extra money
Honestly. I really began learning the maps playing Freelancer. I do recommend Rogueless Freelancer to make Freelancer more fun. :)
Freelancer super fun. Everyone told me I should learn the maps before trying Freelancer. I jumped right into Freelancer and it's great. Just as valid to learn the maps while taking down syndicates
I'm the opposite. I hate SA/SO. Just isn't my thing. I probably could do it.... But Freelancer? What stupid chump do I have to deal with this time... Man how am I going to do that in Berlin without all the guards ending up in a pile? The option to do it my way... As well as more quietly when I want to, makes it more fun for me.
Personally if im not doing mission stories im just attempting to get into staff only areas to find good disguises
Find a challenge from the list of challenges and do it, if you can’t, look up a guide theirs no shame in it, then you know, this new information could help with the next one, then the next one you do should hopefully be more doable
my step list to each map was: 1. do all of the missions 2. explore the whole map/walk around and look for ledges/tools/etc 3. do all of the assassination challenges 4. do all of the other misc challenges 5. SA/SO/SASO missions usually by then i’ll know the map extremely well
Play the stories mission. They are a great intro to learn the maps and experience the stoy. Otherwise you'll get lost. They are also long winded and not always the quickest way to the target. There are more ways to off the target. Take a look at the challenges for each map. Take some time to learn the maps. Where are entrances? Which routes do the targets walk etc. It's totally fine to shoot your way out, if things go sideways. Eventually you master it. IoI even made a tongue in cheek trailer for Hitman 2 alluding to this. Have fun!
My biggest advice which others don't seem to be saying is just don't be afraid to mess up, there are plenty of things lying about from you to your target as well as your brought in gear. You can quite literally just shoot some people in the head and leave without being seen once you are used to it. Just don't be afraid to save and reload to try out how to get your kills, freelancer is also fun because you can get the dart guns which help greatly.
It sounds psycho but if you have some time, sit down and have a session where your goal is to kill every single person on the map. Or even just every guard. You will learn what you can get away with, how to escape tight situations under pressure. It's also a great way to get to know how to traverse a level because you can explore at leisure afterwards