IO Interactive has addressed complaints about the difficulty in Hitman: World of Assassination’s new Freelancer mode. While a few clarifying changes are coming, the developer has explained its choices and why the difficulty of Freelancer is staying the same.
On a blog post on the Hitman official website, the developers explain the logic behind how the Freelancer mode works and what it frustration points are. Some frustration comes from the possibility of losing a campaign, upon which progress restarts. Some players felt that this was too hardcore, but IO wanted to make sure winning a campaign feels like a big deal and that the “adrenaline rush” from mistakes or failure in certain missions is preserved.
Another frustration comes from losing Freelancer Tools. These tools are objects like poisons, lockpicks, and explosives. You lose these items if you don’t bring them back from a mission, but all tools are also lost upon campaign failure (or when you end it). IO states that lack of clarity, as well as confusion about the difference between Freelancer Tools and other items, has made the loss of these tools feel unfair. A new label, which can be seen in the weapon wheel, will mark items as Freelancer Tools.