A Different Type Of Quarantine
HIGH The laser beam section.
LOW The music.
WTF Agent 47’s immune system.
Hitman’s latest DLC takes a page out of Resident Evil, starring actress Milla Jovovich and introducing a sick new elusive target mission.
The player, controlling the iconic Agent 47, is dropped off at a mansion and tasked to kill pharmaceutical mogul Lilith Devereux. At first, it seems like another infiltrate-and-eliminate mission, but the story quickly branches off in a new direction. Secretly, Lilith is intent on releasing a deadly world-ending pathogen, her own version of Capcom’s classic T-Virus.
The core mechanic of this level is the virus and how it spreads. After Lilith releases the disease, random NPCs are infected periodically. Not only must the player eliminate the main target, but they now need to contain the virus by assassinating or curing those infected. This creates abundant chaos in the level, but hey, the more the merrier right?
Aside from the special virus, Requiem plays like a standard mission. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining. Hitman’s sworn formula of sneaking, spying, and disguise never fails to impress. I spent embarrassing amounts of time (and stress) crouching past guards and perfecting my coin tosses, a testament to Requiem‘s complexity. Pleasantly, all of this stealth gave me a good opportunity to explore the map, which in my opinion is one of the best in the Hitman franchise. A secret room on the basic Dartmoor map is transformed into an underground laboratory reminiscent of Sapienza, creating a nice contrast between the elaborate Victorian mansion and the sinister facility hiding beneath it.
I also appreciated the various Resident Evil easter eggs. First and foremost, Milla Jovovich does a great job voicing Lilith, perfectly capturing the persona of a cold and calculating CEO. Throughout the level, there were other noticeable references, from the green and blue herbs of Resident Evil‘s healing system to the lasers from the 2002 movie. These details were well integrated into the objectives, enhancing the experience without feeling unnatural.
However, true to my tagline, my big gripe about the Requiem DLC is its music.
During the latter part of the mission, the soundtrack tries to create a mix of tension and urgency. Unfortunately, it delivers none of those, instead sounding more like a chorus of annoying buzzes. It became rather distracting for me, especially during stealth sequences.
Another problem I have is one that applies to other levels as well. For some reason, IO Interactive removes the “save game” mechanic from elusive missions (which this DLC is a part of). This means that every mistake forces a restart, which made me so cautious that it partly killed my curiosity.
Moving away from the mission itself, Requiem also grants the player a few exclusive items. It contains a stylish new suit, a custom Bartoli pistol skin, and a sickle melee weapon. Additionally, it unlocks the manypass, an electronic scrambler which can bypass keycard-locked doors. Although I’ve never tested it out, I imagine this would be useful on tech heavy maps like Hokkaido or Chongqing.
Honestly, for only $4.99, the Requiem DLC brings a novel new mechanic that makes it wildly worth it. I might as well have been playing as Leon Kennedy with the amount of thematic easter eggs, and the experience felt wholly satisfying.
Rating: 9 out of 10
— Eddie Guo
Disclosures: This game is developed and published by IO Interactive. It is currently available on PC/PS4/PS5 and iOS. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on PC. Approximately 2.5 hours of play was devoted to the single-player mode, and the mission was completed.
Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated M and contains Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, and Use of Drugs and Alcohol. The official description reads: This is a stealth action game in which players assume the role of an assassin tasked with eliminating human targets. Players use pistols, machine guns, and sniper rifles; players can also eliminate characters more discreetly by sneaking up on them to stab/strangle them or by using other methods/tools (e.g., poisoned drinks or darts, disguises). Blood-splatter effects occur frequently; blood pooling is depicted under corpses. Players have the ability to kill civilians and non-adversary characters. Curse words sometimes appear in the dialogue.
Colorblind Modes: Colorblind modes are present.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game offers subtitles which can be resized. However, the subtitles only show one voice if multiple conversations are happening simultaneously. The “subtitle speaker indicator” toggle improves this by placing a speaker box above any characters talking. There are no audio cues required to complete the level.
Remappable Controls: The game has fully remappable controls.
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