Hitman 3 Details the Game's Persistent Shortcut System

When Hitman 3 releases later this month, the game will feature persistent shortcuts that players can discover and take advantage of. The franchise has always encouraged players to seek out different ways to complete each stage, but it seems that the next game will take things a step further. A new video released by Game Informer shows a couple glimpses at some of the persistent shortcuts that can be found in Hitman 3, and the ways that Agent 47 can unlock them. After these shortcuts are unlocked on the first playthrough, subsequent efforts will allow players to use them to follow different paths.

The video from Game Informer can be found embedded below.

The way these persistent shortcuts will work is that levels will feature pathways that can only be accessed from one direction on the first playthrough. However, the player's actions have a permanent impact on the map, allowing these new paths to be explored later. In the video, we can see Agent 47 using a crowbar to access a previously locked ladder. When the player revisits the level later on, that ladder will now be accessible from a different direction. It remains to be seen just how intricate this feature will be, but it definitely sounds promising, so far!

It will be interesting to see what impact these shortcuts have on the game's replay value! The Hitman series has always offered strong replay value for players, and it seems that this entry will be no exception. It's not hard to imagine how beneficial persistent shortcuts could be to the franchise as a whole, and how searching for them could quickly prove compelling for fans. According to IO Interactive, Hitman 3 will feature some of the biggest contracts the series has ever featured, so players will need all the help they can get in order to finish each stage in record time. Thanks to the game's new shortcuts, that just might be a little bit more manageable!

Hitman 3 will release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on January 20th, 2021. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the game right here.

Do you plan on checking out Hitman 3? What do you think about the concept of persistent shortcuts? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!