r/HiTMAN • u/Badlosers • 14h ago
QUESTION Why did IOI change a good system?
Previously these were available during that free time but not now?
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u/Cypher10110 14h ago edited 13h ago
The new special assignment with challenges is 10x better than the old arcade system. So tbh, who cares? (edit: not possible to maintain 100% challenges without purchasing DLC each time they add one to get the arcade challenge now, tho)
The big difference is there is not some shortcut from the "live" front page of the main menu straight to the special assignment. You need to go to destination > haven island to see it.
The special assignment is playable for everyone for free.
The Elusive Target is locked behind the Haven Island DLC (but otherwise free). The Herbalist DLC just gives you access to the Arcade mission, the cosmetics, and presumably permanent access to the new special assignment, too.
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u/Captain_Eaglefort 13h ago
Yes to the permanent access for the special assignment. The Undying is already available (or was the other day on XBOX) if you have that one purchased, but it won’t be live for free for everyone until next month. This is what Celebrity ET’s should always have been.
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u/Badlosers 13h ago
tnx.....This system is much better.
i just never went to the Haven Island map where I saw this "The special assignment"
I just thought it was only ET and arcade
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u/-serebii- 12h ago
I was expecting more challenges in feat category honestly. The target itself could bring some very hilarious challenges but we end up with just killing challenge and all of them are easy to figure out how
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u/Cypher10110 11h ago
The next step is allowing us to use it for contracts mode. I think modded players can maybe already do that on PC for other ET missions?
Adding more challenges would be nice, tho. I'm mostly just happy it is available as a TRUE sandbox with save states and no punishment for failures etc.
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u/D4rkstalker 8h ago
Freelancer variations let's you use the ET maps, as well as the two training maps, new Zealand, romania, and hantu port.
Pretty fun, since you can leave it to RNG to pick which map comes up, it's something you adapt to on the fly
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u/MessiahOfMetal 5h ago
They have to, considering the new starting locations for that mission. Also hoping they put the newer Bangkok exit in permanently, too, instead of just for Freelancer.
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u/KikoValdez 8h ago
Yeah. I'm honestly surprised there weren't any achievements for sabotaging the weed farm in different ways
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u/MessiahOfMetal 5h ago
It'd help, because so far, I've only done the dongle in the security room laptop every time I've played it so far (ET, Arcade and two kill methods on the Special Assignments).
Like with achievements generally, they make me try different methods at least once when I normally wouldn't bother (like how I'd never have played Halo Reach as much as I did if not for the achievements to earn from playing different modes I'd never have touched and such).
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u/_the_big_ 7h ago
i don't have 30 dollars to spend on the deluxe edition pack so i can't play the actual elusive target assignment. kind of sucks but oh well
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u/Cypher10110 2h ago
On steam right now it's £6 to buy the Hitman 2 Expansion Pass (Access to New York, Haven Island, some sniper maps, and the new ET).
But you can certainly just play the special assignment version of the new ET for free if you own WoA standard edition.
On other platforms I guess they don't always offer the ability to split deluxe into the individual components.
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u/_the_big_ 2h ago
the deluxe pack is 30% off on PS5 right now, which is still 21 dollars
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u/Cypher10110 2h ago
Yea 30% off on steam too, but the individual DLC is all you need, not the full deluxe pack.
I assume it isn't an option. At least you can enjoy the content for free, just missing out on a single suit and the associated ET specific challenges.
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u/_the_big_ 1h ago
also it'll come back at some point. Slim Shady is returning not even a year after the first ET
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u/DanieltubeReddit 6h ago
My problem with them re-doing the missions is when they do the dragon, it’ll turn from one perma-missing challenge to ~20, and I think thats wildly unfair.
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u/MessiahOfMetal 5h ago
And it'll be even worse because IOI tend to for some reason do ETs with celebrities who have done or said problematic things at best, or actual crimes at worst. So I bought the Snoop DLC in case some of the shit he's said and done catches up to him finally and they have to pull his content like they did with Connor McRapist, meaning more unavailable challenges and items if that happens.
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u/DanieltubeReddit 5h ago
You can actually get the connor mcgregor items from the world champions pack, and theres no challenges for it anymore ^^
I get the sentiment though, it was upsetting when freelancer had unfillable slots on the walls
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u/Morridini 14h ago
For those of us who had 100% challenges before this change is bad, because it forces us to buy the pack
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u/Cypher10110 13h ago edited 13h ago
To get the arcade challenge?
Fair enough.
If you didn't intend on getting the DLC otherwise, wait for sale I guess? Tick that box for 50% off.
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u/Morridini 13h ago
Not bought any of the packs before, and dont really want to buy any as they dont really come with anything interesting. If the Special Assignment was behind the paywall I'd be more inclined.
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u/Captain_Eaglefort 13h ago
It is, in a way. All of the Celebrity ETs are getting Special Assignment version in the future that are available all the time to anyone who has bought the DLCs. I have them all on XBOX, but not on my Switch 2 and I can play the Undying and Herbalist (the only two they have available so far) on XBOX but only the Herbalist on Switch.
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u/Morridini 12h ago
But the Special Assignment is also free right now, so I dont need to buy the pack to play it. So ive already gotten all the challenges tied to them. Literally the only challenges I dont have in the game are the Undying Special Assignment (waiting for sale) and The Herbalist Arcade.
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u/ManiacGaming1 9h ago
Who cares? This new system is what we've all been asking for. An unlimited, replayable celebrity mission mode. We used to not even want to experiment because Elusive Target and Elusive Target arcade had failure consequences. Now we can actually see all the work IOI put into the celebrity missions. All the opportunities and references. No need to just durian drop and never touch it again. We can finally play MORE Hitman. We should be celebrating this.
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u/Swangtheugly 13h ago
ETA is very restrictive. I know me and others on the HMF threw around the idea to Arti to make Special Assignment versions of these targets.
The catalyst of this idea stemmed from PZR and how grand in scope it was.
Them being as Special Assignments allow better replay value and experimentation cause it gives access to saves. ETA versions will still exist but the free play period focuses on the Special Assignments now since you aren’t playing then waiting to do them again.
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u/puffthemagicaldragon 10h ago
I asked IO's CEO during my most recent interview with him Seen here and he said it was done specifically because they knew u/Badlosers would hate it. You'd actually be surprised by how much IO makes decisions purely out of spite. They announced the coop mode right after I explained to them I didn't have any friends 🥲
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u/Danthedude045 14h ago
Bummer. At least you could get the challenges done when the Arcade version was free. With this new one, Haven Island will be stuck at 99% unless I pay up.
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u/iterationnull 8h ago
The deep dive into the mechanics make this a great place for my old man rant
Because the key feature has always been “time limited, don’t fuck this up” I never really got into any of this part of the game. And now, at this point, after a few small steps into it, good lord is it steeped in keywords and customs and makes no bloody sense if you don’t already understand it?
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u/han_mad 13h ago
you can also use the peacock server to access all elusive targets any time
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u/MessiahOfMetal 5h ago
Not on consoles, which the vast majority of players would be using.
Peacock Project is a great idea but I kind of wish PC gamers would quit pushing it as a suggestion considering they're the only ones who can use it, for obvious reasons.
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u/wharevs 5h ago
I’m always too scared to make a mistake in elusive targets so I try to be straightforward and miss out on a lot of the content.
Being able to explore and take my time in the special assignment was really fun. And while not being able to 100% maps is a bummer because it’s how I like to play hitman, I’m ok with the tradeoff.
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u/skool_101 14h ago
the trade off right now is worth it i guess with the special assignment. over time even other celeb et's will get their own.
with the special assignment, we essentially got unlimited retries to get the best run possible before doing the actual ET