Do I need to play Hitman 1 and 2 before 3? Many players are wondering the same and in this article, we will share our thoughts about it. IO Interactive has concluded their World of Assassination Storyline by the final entry in the trilogy, Hitman 3. Agent 47 is set on a mission to destroy the powerful secret society Providence and its leaders. The trilogy collectively tells a major arc in the life of Agent 47. It starts from Hitman 1, by solving disconnected assassinations worldwide till Agent 47 learning some dark secrets and finally decides to stand up against those who played him (no pun intended).
From the USA to Japan & Russia to New Zealand, it spans all continents apart from missions in Antarctica. Also, IOI is allowing players with Hitman 1 and 2 to carry over their progress and stats to Hitman 3. All this can make you doubt if you need to play Hitman 1 and 2 before playing 3. Keep reading to know. Also, buying Hitman 3 does not include Hitman 1 and 2.
Should I Play Hitman 1 And 2 Before 3? / Play Hitman Trilogy?
It’s complicated but the short answer is no because you will be given a cinematic recap of the story so far in Hitman 3. So, you don’t have to really play Hitman 1 and 2 before 3. But there are a few things you can do to make your Hitman 3 experience more elevated and we will detail them below.
If you haven’t played Hitman 1 and Hitman 2 before, then you can buy add-ons for Hitman 3 in form of Access Passes. By buying this you can bring all the maps and levels from previous both games in the trilogy and play them all together inside Hitman 3.
Story-wise you won’t lose anything important as Hitman 3 will make you catch you up with the story in the beginning. Also, by getting the Access Passes, you can enjoy the entire experience in Hitman 3 together. But we strongly suggest you play the entire Hitman Trilogy if possible as World of Assassination Trilogy is considered the best in the franchise by some critics.
But if you can get your hands on any special deals or used game versions for consoles, you should pick them up. That’s because, in consoles, the game will automatically detect the previous versions then redeem and install the Access Passes at no additional cost.
For PC players, at the time of writing, there are some issues happening at IOI’s end. Also note that first, you need to open Hitman 2 and redeem Hitman Legacy Pack there, in order to transfer both Hitman 1 and Hitman 2 together to Hitman 3. We have covered the PC carryover issues in our linked article.
Should I Buy Access Passes For Hitman 3?
Depending on the amount of gameplay and maps you require, there are different types of Add-Ons available for Hitman 3. For your convenience, we have explained about various Hitman 3 Access Passes available right now below:
- HITMAN 1 GOTY Edition: You get access to locations from ‘HITMAN 1-GOTY Edition’ in HITMAN 3
- HITMAN 2 Standard: You will obtain locations from ‘HITMAN2-Standard Edition’ in HITMAN 3
- HITMAN 2 Expansion Pass: This gives you locations from ‘HITMAN2-Expansion Pass’ in HITMAN 3
- HITMAN 2 Gold: You get the locations from ‘HITMAN 2 – Gold Edition’ in HITMAN 3
Should I Buy Hitman 3 Deluxe Edition For Pre Order Bonuses?
Apart from Access Passes, you can also buy the Deluxe Edition for Hitman 3 pre order bonus. If you are confused about which edition should you buy, then we are noting down the benefits you can get in the Deluxe Edition.
Also note that even if you got the Hitman 3 Standard Version, you can upgrade to the Deluxe Edition by buying the extra add-on HITMAN 3 – Deluxe Pack for few additional bucks. Deluxe Pack adds extra content to further up your experience as the Silent Assassin.
HITMAN 3 Deluxe Pack adds below contents to your base game:
- Director Commentary (Mission Introduction)
- Deluxe Suits and Items
- Deluxe Escalation Contracts
- Digital Soundtrack
- Digital “World of HITMAN” Book
That’s everything you need to know to decide on how you want to shape your Hitman World of Assassination Trilogy experience. Also, if you want to know how to get all mastery level rewards in Hitman 3, read more about it in our article on Gamer Tweak. And if you need any more hidden secrets or tricks to complete missions, head over to our Hitman 3 guides.