Hitman: Patient Zero Review - 47 is back for a final piece in some very famous locations.

IO Interactive was recently released by the previous owner, Square Enix, with the Hitman studio standing by itself after the moderate commercial reception of the last, episodic adventures of Agent 47. The studio is preparing for a second season of content that the events from the first, but in the meantime the company released a new (latest?) version of Hitman on the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, this time completely with a second narrative campaign. (Incidentally, we played the Xbox One X version and it looks great with 4K graphics, although it sometimes took several attempts to start the game for unclear reasons).

A narrative campaign might be a bit exaggerated to be honest, because we are talking about four missions that each play on a reused 'map' - just as IOI did with other dlc, where the existing sandboxes have been updated with new additions. Although this same trick is done again, Patient Zero offers a bit more content with short, but slick film clips and a coherent story that binds the whole together. It is accessible as part of the Game of the Year Edition update (which also contains some 'character packs'), so you can purchase this content separately if you already have the full first season via separate purchases or The Complete First Season.

It is an upgrade of 20 euros, so these new missions are not exactly cheap. Luckily there are four of them and despite a slow start, IOI is able to slightly refresh a bit by introducing strange tempo changes to keep players sharp. However, if you have played the first season extensively, it can start to feel somewhat 'tiring' and in combination with the price that would be enough to keep you away from it.

However, if you decide to take the plunge, you will take 47 on four missions in a few known locations. Patient Zero's story is completely loose and if you look at it that way, it certainly works. That is also how you should deal with this bonus content, otherwise it will be no longer necessary to visit these locations again. Like the title, this must be placed in isolation and remain.

The first of the four missions is fairly standard. Once again we are at the hotel in Bangkok from Episode 4 and we have to eliminate two cultists with plans to spread a terrible global plague. Although the 'level' starts with an interesting story, it was actually not very special in most other elements. The effect was not only very average, but there were also some strange noise problems that returned the entire mission. This allowed us to capture fragments of conversations between two characters that were on a different floor. Because of this we were afraid that without Square Enix we had surrendered to the quality control, but fortunately this changed afterwards.

The second mission allows us to return to Sapienza for the third time (the main story the first and the Summer Bonus Episode the second time), but the most action takes place this time near the pier and not the main areas on the other side of the town. Because of this we had little trouble with déjà vu. The mission itself was not very original, although we had to wait for a certain event before we could proceed, adding a new dimension to the whole.

The third mission took us to the Colorado farm, where the dynamics changed again. This time we took our shots from a distance, we identify targets by using a description that Diana gives - to switch them off with a 'sniper rifle'. Some of the descriptions were somewhat vague and IOI uses some 'cheap' tricks to keep 47 sharp, but on the other hand this was a relatively quick mission that was very straightforward and again a welcome change in the game tempo. to offer.

The fourth is one that really throws the bat into the henhouse, although we do not want to give it away by telling too much about it. There is an elegant solution for the murder puzzle IOI offers, but if everything goes completely wrong we advise you to let this happen and see what happens next - and from then on you have to act and think quickly. A tip of the veil: you will play Hitman , as you may have done in the past, but which is normally not encouraged. It is an interesting conclusion to the story and the gameplay variation it adds completes the new campaign.

In its entirety it is a solid campaign with four missions and we enjoyed a last look at the maps. Now it is time for us and IOI to move on and take Hitman to new locations, instead of re-using old 'assets' that were already a very good game. The price is on the high side because of the reuse, but if you have now reached that far with 47 and want to experience one last adventure in the game then the gameplay variation in Patient Zero makes it worth considering.

➕ Fine gameplay variation in certain missions; cutscenes underline a largely finished mini-campaign.

➖ Some noise problems in the first level; the maps are now too well known; not all missions are brilliant.

Thanks for reading.

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