Hitman, Episode 3 – Marrakesh, PS4 and Xbox One review: ‘a much more serious chapter’

Another month, another episode of Hitman. This third episode sees Agent 47 head to sunny Marrakesh. His mission: assassinate two targets.

The first is a banker, taking refuge in the Swedish embassy, after embezzling several billion dollars and on the verge of causing a civil war in the process.

The second is a general who's looking to capitalise on the unrest and stage a coup d'etas. The country is hanging in the balance.

What's immediately noticeable is a change of pace and tone. Whereas the Parisian fashion show had plenty of comical moments and dark humour – such as being able to don makeup and prance up and down a catwalk – Marrakesh is a much more serious chapter, and it suffers slightly as a result.

That's not to say the map isn't stunning. You'll be walking through the bustling souk and shisha bars one minute, and wading through hundred-strong crowds the next, as armed helicopters patrol the skies.

When it all comes together, Marrakesh is easily the most technically impressive episode so far. Look closer, though, and cracks start to appear. While the confined corridors of the Parisian mansion and winding Sapienza side-streets masked NPC repetition, Marrakesh's more open areas make this trick much easier to spot. Some NPCs – especially those who Agent 47 cannot steal 'disguises' from – are incredibly ugly up close. One couple sat at a table boasted horrific googly eyes and lip syncing on par with Punch and Judy.

The larger expanse also reveals inconsistent AI. An NPC might chase Agent 47 down the street for switching off a fan in a shisha bar, but at other points you can walk straight into a stranger's house, steal a key, and stroll out again without anyone batting an eyelid. Even the conversations between them seem more scripted and contrived than before.

Still, eavesdropping usually provides useful intel to take down the targets. As always, these are best left discovered for yourself, but there are multiple ways to approach assassinations. Some you'll stumble across through exploration, others may come about through more careful thought.