The Snail Structure of Hitman’s Levels

Hitman became a real fresh start for the series, which sort of lost its way a couple of years ago. The success of this puzzle action murder spree simulator sort of relies on a combination of game mechanics and clever level design.

In a recent interview with Rock, Paper, Shotgun (via Gamasutra) lead level designer at  IO Interactive Torbjørn Christensen discussed a littlest how the levels in the game are being designed. Talking about Sapienza and Hokkaido (two of the most elaborate levels in the game), Torbjørn mentioned that they were built like snail house spirals: ‘They wrap around themselves, with their layers interconnected with slopes and stairways’.

These levels also feel bigger than they really are. There are no borders or backtracking – you just go about your killing business and explore this magic place. If you’re interested in level design, make sure to read this amazing interview about Hitman.