Concluding the story arc started in 2016's Hitman, the game follows genetically engineered assassin Agent 47 and his allies as they hunt down the leaders of the secretive organization Providence, which controls global affairs and was partially responsible for 47's creation and upbringing.

Like its two predecessors, the game is structured around six levels, five of which are large sandbox locations that players can freely explore to find opportunities to eliminate their targets.

After years of working on Hitman games, the team was more willing to experiment with its mission design, shaking up the existing gameplay loop and realizing ideas that they had been unable or afraid to implement in the past, such as framing assassination opportunities within a murder-mystery in the Dartmoor level.

Hitman 3 was the most commercially successful in the series, and was extensively supported by IO with several releases of downloadable content and free updates that added features, game modes, and a location.

[5] As with previous games in the series, each location (with the exception of the Romania mission), is a large, complex sandbox environment that the player can freely explore for infiltration and assassination opportunities.

[25][29] During the events of Hitman 2, Agent 47 and his handler, Diana Burnwood, defect from the International Contract Agency (ICA) and join forces with rogue mercenary Lucas Grey to track down Providence, a secretive alliance of corporate executives, politicians, and industrialists collectively wielding political, military, and economic influence.

Working together, 47 and Grey eliminate Ingram and Stuyvesant in Dubai during the inauguration of the Sceptre (modeled after the Burj Khalifa), the world's tallest skyscraper, and Carlisle at her ancestral manor in Dartmoor.

A year later, 47 reconnects with Diana and the pair return to their former roles as assassin and handler, respectively, to keep the global elites in check, albeit now working freelance.

For instance, the Dubai level, which is set during the inauguration of the Scepter, the world's tallest skyscraper, is immediately followed by Dartmoor, which features a historic mansion.

The team had frequent meetings to discuss changing target's behaviour, and spent a significant amount of time ensuring that the system and the simulation would not break, even if the player performs unconventional actions.

[33] IO Interactive's art director and lead environment artist visited Dubai early in development to gather reference material.

[30] The mansion setting was decided quite early on in development and features a gothic design inspired by detective fiction, such as Agatha Christie novels.

[34] The linear structure of a murder-mystery caused IO to rework some of the mechanics and narrative paths, as they clashed with the design principles of replayibility and player freedom.

The company went to great lengths to create a fictional location with authentic-looking terrain and vegetation, to show the winemaking process, and to accurately portray aspects of Argentine culture, such as tango and the drinking of mate.

Live game director Kevin Goyon said that the team wanted to create a "pirate fantasy" and "to make a location that felt dangerous – but where 47 would belong".

Throughout all three games, Agent 47 is undergoing a period of self-discovery: learning about his past, rebuilding his relationships with other characters, and realizing his ability to exercise his free will.

The Berlin level, in which 47 refuses one of his allies' advice to leave the compound and instead opts to eliminate the ICA agents sent to hunt him, was considered to be an important "character moment" for him, as it represents the first instance in which he must make a choice.

[41] The game's cast includes David Bateson as Agent 47, Jane Perry as Diana Burnwood, John Hopkins as Lucas Grey, Isaura Barbé-Brown as Olivia Hall, and Phillip Rosch as Arthur Edwards.

[47][48] More high-end CPU features were added to the game on 24 May 2022, including real-time raytracing and adaptive supersampling when using Nvidia DLSS or AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution.

People at the office "couldn't stop playing" the game Firewall: Zero Hour, which inspired the developers to make their own VR mode for Hitman 3.

A commemorative passport celebrating the 20th anniversary of the franchise is available for players who preordered the physical version of Hitman 3 Deluxe Edition, which was released with Limited Run Games.

[96] Nick Statt from The Verge praised Hitman 3 for being a cohesive and accessible experience, stating that "IOI has meticulously crafted ways to teach even the most bumbling, haphazard players how to become Agent 47 in mind and body".

He compared the game's level to puzzles, writing that often invites players to understand its gameplay systems and exploit them in order to find success.

[97] Edwin Evans-Thirlwell from Eurogamer wrote that Hitman 3 was most rewarding when observing the patterns of the game's systems and strategising novel plans, although he was disappointed that it does not react to the player's actions in a significant way after a target has been killed.

[90] Russ Frushtick from Polygon wrote that Hitman 3 frequently contrasted "predictable assassin-y stuff with true nonsense", and that the pairing of both seriousness and absurdity resulted in "high comedy".

Reily wrote that the maps in Hitman 3 were among the best IO had created, praising each location's complex layout and verticality and the wealth of assassination opportunities within them.

[90] Jeff Cork from Game Informer praised the levels for their consistent quality, and noted that despite the fixed gameplay loop, IO Interactive was able to introduce variety to mission design.

[87] Writing for VG 247, Alex Donaldson stated that the experience was more "directed", and that IO's attempt to turn Hitman 3 into an "epic story" largely succeeded, noting that it was significantly less silly than its predecessors.

[105] The PlayStation VR mode received mostly positive reviews and was praised for its immersion, impressive visuals for a PSVR title and for supporting all of the maps in the trilogy.

[154][155] Christian Elverdam, IO Interactive's chief creative officer, stated that walking away from the Hitman franchise for the time being and closing the door on this chapter of Agent 47's story "feels fitting".