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Hitman 3’s Dartmoor benchmark is delicious, destructive funIts interactive map should be the future of all benchmarks, too
Its interactive map should be the future of all benchmarks, too
The recent Hitman games have traditionally come with some pretty good benchmarking tools on PC, butHitman 3’s benchmark tests (yes, tests) are arguably the best yet. The first is pretty standard Hitman fare - a glossy visual showcase that runs through the sweeping, shining interiors of the game’s opening Dubai level - but the second Dartmoor benchmark is pure chaos. Everything, and I meaneverything, gets shot to pieces in this benchmark, from its pristine libraries to its marble columns and statues and sparkling chandeliers. It’s properly glorious. Painful (think of all those poor books!), but glorious. If you ever wanted a secret taster of what IOI’supcoming Bond gamemight look like, you should definitely give it a watch.
You can watch the full Dartmoor sequence below to see what I mean. It’s a demanding benchmark. Even with an Intel Core i5-10600K processor, 16GB of RAM and anNvidia GeForce RTX 3070inside my PC, there are several moments near the start of the benchmark where it stutters and grinds to a halt due to the sheer amount of exploding furniture flying around - and that’s at a 1920x1080 resolution, too. Indeed, so far my Dartmoor benchmark results have seen frame rates get pretty much chopped in half compared to the infinitely more sedate Dubai benchmark, with my RTX 3070 averaging a massive 160fps in Dubai on max settings at 1080p, but only 80fps in Dartmoor.
Hitman 3 Dartmoor Benchmark (PC)Watch on YouTube
Hitman 3 Dartmoor Benchmark (PC)
But the Dartmoor sequence is definitely a worse case scenario for Hitman 3, and something would have to go very wrong for a mission to descend into this kind of frenzied disasterzone. After all, Hitman is meant to be a stealth game, not a set piece from the latest Call Of Duty campaign, so I wouldn’t worry too much if your PC can’t handle it. It’s a stress test, pure and simple, although the mind-boggling levels of carnage involved does make it great fun to watch. It’s effectively that bit from the end of Skyfall whereJames Bond blows up his childhood mansion housein miniature, and it makes me excited to think about where IOI will take 007 in their new game.
I particularly like the security guards that occasionally wander into shot looking confused as they search for the trigger-happy culprit. Also, RIP the bloke who’s unfortunate enough to be sitting under that chandelier eating his dinner when this all kicks off. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It’s a great little test, and I think more games should include these sorts of interactive sandboxes going forward. Indeed, as I’ve said many times before in my CPU reviews, some PC benchmarks simply aren’t very accurate when all’s said and done, and our friends atDigital Foundryhave a great in-depth explainer on what makes a good / bad benchmark test it if you want to read more.
It’s also just quite fun to be able to play Hitman in this ultra-aggressive style when doing so in an actual mission would probably instantly result in a game over. It’s cathartic, although destroying all those lovely books is an act of violence I will never, ever forgive. I’m all for blowing holes in globes, chandeliers and fancy pants chairs, but desecrating such a beautiful library fills me with intense physical pain.
