Hitman 3

Now that Hitman 3 is here, Agent 47 fans can play the entire World of Assassination trilogy inside of a single game. It’s really an incredible time to be alive, folks.

Since I now have access to all of the World of Assassination content, I figured it’s time to rank all of the maps in the three most recent Hitman games from best to worst.

I should point out that I’m only going with the main mission versions of the maps, though I’ll mention some of the alternative mission content if that alters my opinion at all. I am including the DLC maps from Hitman 2 as well, though I’m going to skip the Prologue missions (which are kind of mediocre) and the Sniper missions (which, in my opinion, are super boring). That means there are a total of 20 maps to go through (six maps per game, with two additional DLC maps).

And, this shouldn’t have to be said, but these are simply my opinions after having played every single map in the World of Assassination trilogy multiple times. The Hitman games offer enormous, detailed sandboxes to tinker around in, which means my experiences are going to be quite different from yours. This is not an objective list, but a subjective one. If you disagree with any of my choices, let me know about it in the comments.

So here we go! Here are all of Hitman World of Assassination maps ranked from best to worst.

Death in the Family (Dartmoor) – Hitman 3

Hitman 3 - Dartmoor

Hitman 3‘s second map takes place in a secluded mansion in the English countryside. While there are only three mission stories here, the core mission story is a real doozy. You can take the role of a private investigator who’s trying to solve a murder mystery. The solution is painfully obvious early on, but it’s impressive how hard IO Interactive committed to this story. There are witnesses to question, clues to discover, and even some optional misdirection so you can toss in your own plot twist (if you choose to do so).

It’s a surprisingly replayable map, partially because the location has a really great layout (with secret passageways and alternate routes up the side of the building), but mostly because there are items stashed in just about every corner, giving you an overwhelming amount of options for those silent takedowns.

I’ve played this map tons of times now, and instead of getting old it just feels like it keeps getting better. Dartmoor might very well be the best map in the World of Assassination trilogy.

As a side note, The Percival Passage content (for those who bought the Deluxe Edition of Hitman 3) is really fun.

The Golden Handshake (New York) – Hitman 2 DLC

Hitman 2 - New York

The Golden Handshake is an incredible mission that gives you a single target. The caveat, however, is that you also need to acquire some data. One of your options for acquiring said data is by pulling off a bank heist.

While the location feels simple and ordinary at first, it eventually becomes a really versatile playground for stealth shenanigans. For example, you can step into the shoes of someone who’s getting fired, play out that whole scenario, then actually go in for a job interview to get hired as a replacement. You can also open a bank account while you’re there. Plus, the location is loaded with back corners and tiny little rooms to explore, and there’s some really fun stuff to discover. I’m especially fond of the little IT hideout (which seems to have deliberate references to The IT Crowd), and I think it’s really cool that Athena Savalas (the mission target) has an office behind the giant clock face.

There’s just so much about this mission that I love.

On Top of the World (Dubai) – Hitman 3

Hitman 3 - Dubai

The first stages in Hitman games are usually among their best, and Hitman 3 doesn’t disappoint. Dubai features a bit of everything: wall-climbing precariously up the side of the world’s tallest building, a second assassin who’s trying to sneak in some poison pills (which you can confiscate), a very deadly art exhibit, exploitable security measures, and even some side missions that have a Rube Goldberg level of complexity.

Dubai is one of the levels I come back to over and over again because it’s so much fun, and there’s so much to see and do here. Sometimes, consecutive runs can feel like I’m playing entirely different maps.

Oh, and it’s possible to beat this mission in nine seconds, if you’re really, really fast at the trigger.

The Showstopper (Paris) – Hitman

Hitman - Paris

Another brilliant opening stage, Paris takes place in a fashion show. The place is crowded, but there are back rooms and mazes of side passages to explore. It’s a big map that feels even bigger on subsequent playthroughs. I should point out that this is partially because it does feature a lot of unused space, but that also makes it a good map to tool around with in Custom Contracts.

One thing I really admire about the Paris map is that there are so many little side stories happening, even stories that have nothing to do with your mission objectives. So many random NPCs have their own stories, and if you follow them around you can piece together the larger story — which gets to the core of why you’re there in the first place. The Paris map is one of the best examples of environmental storytelling in the entire World of Assassination trilogy.

Oh, and the Helmut Kruger side mission is an absolute blast. Who doesn’t love Helmut Kruger?

Chasing a Ghost (Mumbai) – Hitman 2

Hitman 2 - Mumbai

In Chasing a Ghost, you have three targets, one of which requires a bit of detective work (which is quite fun). But the location is the real star of this show.

Mumbai is an incredible map, filled with twisting back alleys, secret hideouts, tiny shops, and even a pretty sizeable construction site. It’s also enormous, with a ton of variety in its different locales. Exploration-wise, this is by far the most enjoyable map in Hitman 2, and all three assassinations are extremely satisfying no matter how you choose to go about them.

I really like maps in which you can manipulate your targets into meeting up with each other, and there are multiple ways to arrange meetings in this map. Oh, and the Sniper Assassin challenge is super fun here.

Situs Inversus (Hokkaido) – Hitman

Hitman - Hokkaido

Hitman 1 ends almost as brilliantly as it begins, with the Situs Inversus mission in Hokkaido, Japan. Agent 47 has been checked into an isolated elite hospital (under an alias), which means you’ll have to acquire everything you need onsite. But holy smokes, are there a lot of options here. This map features some of the most brutal takedowns in the series, which are extremely satisfying to pull off. And on top of everything, this is an incredibly beautiful facility with some astonishing views over the mountains.

I will also say that the Patient Zero mission on this map is absolutely bonkers.

Three-Headed Serpent (Santa Fortuna) – Hitman 2

Hitman 2 - Santa Fortuna

The first time I played the Santa Fortuna map, I blasted through it in like 20 minutes (it’s really easy if you bring a lockpick). So when I returned for a replay, I was surprised to see just how much stuff I had missed. This map is enormous, packed with little details that are really fun.

There’s a live band (which you can infiltrate), a secret drug operation in a cave (which you can also infiltrate), and swaths of coca fields that make losing guards a cinch if they spot you. There are plenty of options for taking out your targets, from poisoning their cocaine to running them over with a submarine to knocking a statue on top of them. You might not notice any of this, however, because the targets here are actually not all that careful about making sure their security detail is paying attention.

Santa Fortuna is a map that seems like it opens up more and more on multiple replays.

Oh, and you can feed your targets (as well as innocent bystanders) to piranhas, which never stops being hilarious.

A Gilded Cage (Marrakesh) – Hitman

Hitman - Marrakesh

All of the action in this map takes place in two somewhat small spaces, the school and the consulate. While you’re traversing between the two, wearing military garb makes you virtually invisible. While you’re not in the two main buildings, there’s still a lot to see, but none of it feels all that necessary (until you’re doing challenge cleanup, that is). Still, the mission has a simplicity to it that makes it kind of enjoyable, and it has a feel to it that other map in the World of Assassination trilogy shares.

Plus, there’s a nighttime variant if you do the A House Built on Sand mission, and with a late-night street festival, Marrakesh becomes absolutely gorgeous.

End of an Era (Chongqing) – Hitman 3

Hitman 3 - Chongqing

This map has a cyberpunk feel to it, with its dreary skies, neon billboards, and security drones. There’s even a lab where highly unethical mindhack experiments are happening. The atmosphere alone makes Chongqing an incredible map.

But on top of that, there’s a lot of really neat stuff to do here. This is another mission where you can set up a meeting between your targets, and I’m always a sucker for doing that. Here, though, the targets hate each other, and there’s some pretty amusing dialogue when they meet. Plus, manipulating Imogen Royce’s employees to incinerate her is good fun.

Initially, I had this map ranked higher, but on repeat playthroughs, the part where you have to get to the data can get kind of obnoxious. I’m also not a fan of how far apart the targets are. Yes, you can draw them both out, but if this is the only method you use to get through the level, it can start getting repetitive very quickly.

World of Tomorrow (Sapienza) – Hitman

Hitman - Sapienza

I originally had Sapienza lower on the list, but after multiple replays, I’ve really come to admire this map.

The location is absolutely gorgeous, with multicolor buildings and beautiful views of the Mediterranean. The assassination targets can be challenging, but through experimentation, you’ll eventually figure out simple ways to take out both — as well as destroying the virus, which is your third objective here.

There’s also a nighttime variant of this map, as well as a version where they’re filming a superhero movie. The Icon mission (the superhero one) is especially tedious, though.

I actually really enjoy the Landslide mission, which has you take out an up-and-coming corrupt politician, but it crashes a lot when imported into Hitman 3.

Still, Sapienza has a lot to offer for anyone willing to invest the time.

The Last Resort (Haven Island) – Hitman 2 DLC

Hitman 2 - Haven Island

The Last Resort feels like Hitman 2‘s answer to Situs Inversus, allowing the game to end with a stay in a high-end facility. Haven Island is a tropical paradise, and it’s kind of lovely to just be hanging out there. Agent 47 checks into a room under an alias and is able to roam around most of the island as he chooses. Of course, there are some locations that require a disguise to get into. More importantly, there are three targets here, and as you plan out your assassination, you’ll start to piece together some of the drama of island life in a resort full of high-class criminals.

Now, I will point out that this one can get a little tedious. While there are a ton of interesting ways to take out your targets here, some of them require a level of patience and precision that so many of the other maps don’t ask of you. This is one case where multiple replays make the stage wear out its welcome, when so many other stages get better the more you play them.

Nightcall (Hawke’s Bay) – Hitman 2

Hitman 2 - Hawke's Bay

Nightcall has you gathering intel in a luxury beach home at first, which can be really tedious in the beginning. It actually reminds me of Osborne’s apartment from Marvel’s Spider-Man (which is probably my least favorite part of that entire game).

However, eventually the target shows up, and by that point you should have gathered a veritable armory of assassination tools. The assassination is incredibly easy, but then you must create a distraction and escape. All in all, it’s an alright mission, but certainly not a great one. It’s also really, really short. If you know what you’re doing, you should be able to clear it in just a few minutes.

But replaying the Nightcall mission is actually really fun. If you know where to gather the intel, you can zip through the first part and get to the good stuff. Because this mission is so easy, there’s a lot of opportunity to just play around with various strategies to hone your stealth (or all-out kill-machine) gameplay skills.

The Ark Society (Isle of Sgàil) – Hitman 2

Hitman 2 - Isle of Sgail

This map takes place at a party thrown by a cult-like secret society inside a medieval castle. It’s an incredible location, with super creepy architecture and a bazillion places to explore. The secret society element means that everyone is dressed up in robes and masks and whatnot, lending the whole thing a bit of an Eyes Wide Shut vibe.

The actual assassinations are pretty tricky, though there are some really fun ways to isolate each target. There’s also a tower, which can be used as a sniper roost if you manage to get yourself up there.

As cool as the location is, however, doing absolutely anything on this map feels like a chore. Even the side stories force you into seemingly impossible situations. There’s a lot of fun stuff to see and do here, but trying to experience any of it can be a little bit of a grind.

Like Haven Island, this is a map that doesn’t seem to get better on multiple revisits.

Apex Predator (Berlin) – Hitman 3

Hitman 3 - Berlin

Berlin is such a cool map layout, with a multilevel disco club next to a biker gang’s hideout. And on paper, the premise is actually pretty cool. Agent 47 is being hunted by 12 ICA agents, and he must wipe out at least five of them to get them to call off the hunt.

But in practice, having to uncover and hunt down so many marked targets can feel like a drag. If this had the same basic formula as a standard Hitman map, it would actually be way more fun.

When you go back to replay this map, all of your targets are marked from the beginning (as long as you pick a different starting location than the default one). That makes the map more fun, but I still struggle to enjoy this one as much as I’d like to.

Don’t get me wrong, there are things I really like about this map. The atmosphere is great and there’s some really fun stuff tucked away in it, but its format and its lack of guided story missions cause it to be so much less fun than it could have been. (There are story missions on the Berlin map, but you’ll have to keep your eye on your Intel menu and work them out for yourself instead of having them explained and narrated.)

Another Life (Whittleton Creek) – Hitman 2

Hitman 2 - Whittleton Creek

Whittleton Creek is your average suburban American neighborhood on the surface, but once you look beyond the white picket fences, you’ll discover that there’s a lot more shady business going on here than you might expect.

This is a decent sandbox that lets you break into people’s homes and rummage through their stuff. I think the assassinations are all fine and good (and there are actually some really fun ways to bring these guys down).

But on multiple replays, I find myself liking this map less and less. Part of it is that I prefer globetrotting and attending fancy events to sneaking around Suburbia. But the real kicker is that the intel-gathering phase just drags and drags. I think if it were just one clue that you needed to find, it would be much more bearable, but you need three, and some of the clues have multiple parts. Find a security tape? Cool. Now you need to find a VCR so you can view it. On top of that, one of the clues is a robe that for some reason needs to be worn in order to count, which would void a Suit Only run.

With better pacing, I think this would have been a standout map for the series, but as is, it starts out as a really fun mission that slows to a crawl by the end.

It also bothers me a little that almost every house has the same layout. And why do so many NPCs in the American maps have such British accents?

Freedom Fighters (Colorado) – Hitman

Hitman - Colorado

This map features four targets, and when you’re done with that, you need to get into the basement of a house and unlock a secret room to gather intel. That’s a pretty big to-do list, and it does sort of wear down your patience by the end.

Colorado is generally hated by the Hitman community, and I can see why. It sometimes feels like it asks you to do the impossible, and the various side stories just aren’t as much fun as in the better Hitman maps.

Still, it’s not without its positives. I really like how the layout is so chaotic, and there are random things to use as weapons pretty much everywhere. Without spoiling anything, I also adore the final puzzle and the various super-creative ways you can actually solve it.

The Farewell (Mendoza) – Hitman 3

Hitman 3 - Mendoza

The Farewell is the penultimate level in Hitman 3, and by this point, the game is prioritizing story over its sandbox elements. That makes the later stages in the game feel more like a story-based action game rather than a stealth game, and the Hitman formula is kind of diluted as a result (though it’s still definitely present).

Mendoza features some fun little gimmicks (like overflowing wine vats to cause chaos), but this map is mostly memorable for its story sequences (which are admittedly quite good). Subsequent replays feel much less interesting, though, and this is one of the maps that I really struggle to go back to, even though there are some great unlocks here, like the tranquilizer gun and the tuxedo.

I will say that there’s a secret story mission in Mendoza, and it’s possibly the best part of The Farewell.

The Finish Line (Miami) Hitman 2

Hitman 2 - Miami

The Finish Line has you take down a race car driver and her mega-wealthy tech-mogul father. Even though the flamingo mascot suit is one of my favorite disguises in the series, and you can actually program an android to kill one of your targets (which is awesome), Miami just isn’t very much fun.

The mission area has too many enormous stretches that only exist to make the racetrack environment feel believable rather than as a playground to hide secrets and distractions and things. There are huge crowds and security gates everywhere, which makes your assassinations kind of frustrating. The racetrack runs straight down the center of the map, which makes traversal from one side of the map to the other feel unnecessarily tedious.

I don’t know. Maybe my hatred for actual Florida is coloring my impression of this map, but I’ve played it several times now and I just can’t make myself like it.

Club 27 (Bangkok) – Hitman

Hitman - Bangkok

The premise here is that you’re killing an indie rock star on his 27th birthday. The visuals are gorgeous, but there’s so much wasted space. The map is crowded with people, but there’s not really all that much to see or do here. There’s not a lot of interesting gear scattered around, and your options for creative play seem a lot more limited than the average Hitman map.

If you play the Patient Zero side campaign, there’s a nighttime variant of this map, which is pretty cool. Still, I hate the layout, and I hate how spread out pick-ups are. This map has potential, but I think it needs a little something extra to bring it up to the quality level of so many of Hitman‘s better maps.

Untouchable (Carpathian Mountains) – Hitman 3

Hitman 3

The final map in Hitman 3 starts off with an unnecessary hallucination sequence before going into a mostly linear walk from the back to the front of a train.

Don’t get me wrong, as a story-heavy cap for the World of Assassination trilogy that you’ll play through one time to see the conclusion, I actually really like this mission. It even reminds me a bit of Uncharted 2. But it lacks the replayability of every other map on this list. There’s not a lot of room for experimentation or exploration here — it’s so straightforward that this map feels like a completely different game.

I managed to complete every challenge on this map, and reach maximum Location Mastery (which is just Level 5) after two playthroughs, and I really don’t see any reason to go back, unless at some point in the future I want to do a complete story replay of the series. I might actually do that at some point, but until then, I’m putting Carpathian Mountains back on the shelf.

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