Agent 47 is not the deadliest force in nature Hitman 3. Covid-19 is. Yes, the killer sandbox of IO Interactive is the latest video game that recognizes the pandemic that has become infected nearly 100 million people, killed more than 2 million and ended life as we know it.
At the first level of the game, the Dubai set “At the top of the world“One of your targets, Carl Ingram, may say a line that indicates he’s clearly not happy to be there.” I bet people with coronavirus get more peace of mind than that, “he says.
Okay, on the one hand, what a towed and rude observation.
But we also take a second to acknowledge the broad implications of this observation. The people of Hitman 3 don’t follow exactly the guidelines basically recommended by all official public health experts on the planet. “At the Top of the World” takes place during a function held in a sumptuous supermarket with several bars, a sea of high tables and a whole freakin ’art exhibition. A later level, “Apex Predator”, sends Agent 47 to a radish on the outskirts of Berlin.
In both stages, you will not see any mask. No one practices social distancing. People crowd in narrow circles and sink to the bars without caring about the world. They pile up in tight spaces, shoulder to shoulder. Do these people not read the news? Are they all vaccinated? Given how the release continues,or not—In the real world, the latter seems unlikely.
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Hitman 3 it is not the only game in which covid-19 exists in the universe. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla includes a series of emails between the meta-character, Layla Hassan, and a concerned family member. “I don’t have Covid, no,” Layla writes. “And I’m very isolated.” You can see this correspondence by interacting with the game’s laptop when you’re out of the animus.
Last fall Pro Skater 1 + 2 by Tony Hawk does not explicitly mention covid-19, but a number of environmental clues in the “School” stage mention working towards a “new normal”, parades for front-line workers and the difficulties involved in working from home. There is also a desire for good health and safety. Again, there is no explicit call, but this messaging sounds a lot like the messaging surrounding covid-19.
Hitman 3 it is not the first game covid-19 recognizes. I doubt it will be the last.