Published , by Bill Lavoy
Published , by Bill Lavoy
Hitman: Freelancer has been out for a little while and players are starting to develop some best practices. This includes finding the right maps to hold Showdowns on. Taking on the leader of a syndicate in the right setting can make all the difference in the world, so here are the maps you should target and a detailed explanation of what they offer that other maps don’t.
Okay, so hear me out. Colorado can be tough to get into when you spawn in your suit on the outskirts of the map, but it does offer some very good disguises and a killer vantage point. If you’re lucky enough to spawn in the water tower you can deal with the two guards on the rooftop, then grab the Militia Spec Ops disguise from the limping soldier in the building below. From there it’s a matter of identifying the leader. Use your camera to find a visual match, then climb into the tower so you can observe your potential target for their tells. If you have a sniper rifle, take the shot. The advantage here is that if you’re wrong the leader will try to escape, and you’ve got a killer view of the entire compound to follow up with more shots. Just be sure to get out fast before you’re pinned in that water tower.
Whittleton Creek is a relaxing map in terms of number of NPCs and moving around. You can roam in your suit without worrying too much about being caught trespassing. Sure, you could have lookouts and assassins to deal with, but it’s easy enough to get around, and the majority of the houses are mostly empty. Your suspects are almost certainly going to be walking out in the open at some point, and there are lots of second story windows to shoot out of or bushes to hide in. You don’t have the same sniper nest opportunities of some of the other maps on this list, which is a point against Whittleton Creek, but you’re also less likely to be caught off guard by a wandering suspect or lookout that you don’t see coming in a herd of NPCs. My play here is careful verification of the leader, then a suppressed pistol shot from inside a house with a crate nearby to hide in.
I think I’ll get some pushback here, but Marrakesh is a fine map to hold a Showdown on. You’ll probably want a lockpick just in case you get a school spawn, but if you spawn in the parking garage or on the carpet shops rooftop, you’re in good shape. There’s a Military Officer disguise (or two) on the rooftop that will give you easy access to the embassy and is only subject to a few enforcers out in public. Once the carpet shops rooftop is clear, you can get a great view of the suspects walking around the busy streets of Marrakesh. My play here is to head into the crowds to identify the leader (watch out for lookouts), then go back to the carpet shops rooftop to either snipe them, or just take them out with a suppressed pistol if they’re close enough. There’s also an exit very close by in case you’re in a big hurry to leave after your shot.
Sapienza is one of the best maps for holding a Showdown. This location features no less than five vantage points for a sniper to do their work, providing an extensive view of roaming suspects. Stash a sniper rifle in the ICA safehouse, then head into the streets to identify the leader. Go back and grab your rifle and choose the location from where you want to take your shot, factoring in your escape route and ability to hide or defend if things go south. The Observatory rooftop is a great spot, as you can see the entire waterfront and there are only three guards (all easily dealt with) to worry about. The Biolab Security outfit is my favorite here, as this lets you access most of the map without worrying. The Mansion Security disguise is also good and it's far easier to get your hands on.
If you get Mendoza in your list of locations when taking on a syndicate, and it’s not on high alert, that should be the spot you choose for your Showdown. It has an actual sniper nest, and an even better sniper position just off the parking lot on a path not far from where you first talk to Diana in the story mission. Head into the event and identify your suspect, then go back to the cliff and watch your primary suspect through your sniper scope. Verify their tells, then take them out when you’re ready. If you get the wrong person and the actual leader begins to flee, you have an incredible vantage point to take more shots to save the run, and there’s an exit just a few feet away up the path. I like to go with a Mercenary disguise for this map, but it is much easier to get your hands on a Bodyguard disguise.
As you can see, this list is mostly about open maps that offer great views for sniping. The reason for this is that if you try to kill a leader up close and get it wrong, you have to run through the map to catch the actual leader before they escape. When you take a sniper rifle, you have much more wiggle room to make a mistake and recover, without being swarmed by NPCs.
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