My Hitman 3 bullet journal helps me learn to play the game

I’m not someone who usually uses stealth strategies to play video games, not even in the games where I want to. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. I would rather arm my character with heavy melee weapons and blow through a shallow, which is why the Hitman series never really appealed to me. I learned very quickly when I started Hitman 3 Friday that my preferred approach was absolute not go to work. I will be forced to play crook as the developer IO Interactive designed it.

Initially, I was lost. I was not sure where to go, or what to do. I heard conversations and immediately forgot about them. I acted suspiciously and kept getting caught. My mind immediately went to another hobby that helps me work through problems during the pandemic: journal. (And then I also opened Polygon’s Beginner’s Guide.)

I have a diary that is a diary, and one for work notes. Then I have another one with notes and thoughts on books I read – a way to keep track of complicated stories. (I also have a few more magazines, but I do not want you to think that I am stranger than you already think.)

So I started a similar journal, one specifically for Hitman 3 notes. At least it’s not a new idea for other video games. A lot of people do it – and there is a whole community that has flocked to journalism and Animal crossing: new horizons. There are many different reasons why people do this; some want to manage and locate collections or items found – to look down on fish and bugs – and others want to honor their island in a creative way.

Me Hitman 3 journal is a bit of both. I use it to track down story missions and challenges that I have completed (or eventually want to complete), but it is also a place where I write down essentials to remember – little bits of the story that I would otherwise forget , such as security codes or floorboards. While playing the game, I learn the ‘language’ of Hitman 3, to pay attention to small details that are colossally important – things that seasoned Hitman players can pick up automatically.

lying flat from a hitman 3 journal with a fountain pen

Image: Nicole Carpenter / Polygon

It’s functional, but it was equally important to make it cute. In my magazines, I usually use stickers and washi tape to decorate, but I quickly realized that I would never find a crowbar sticker, so I had to sign. Functionally, I created the boxes and space to write in pencil before adding any drawings; this is so I can quickly take notes in the pen while playing.

It was really nice, after playing a bit Hitman 3, to go back to the journal and fill the space with doodles and thoughts. Hitman 3 is so different from what I usually play, and it’s a way the “language” of the game can stay. This was especially handy when I was approaching the third level in Berlin, where developer IO Interactive dropped the story missions and blindly steered Agent 47 – and I. I used the space to track target routes and other areas of interest.

Without the story missions of the previous two levels to guide me, the Berlin level forces me to rely only on my learned understanding Hitman 3their language. These are the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) ways IO Interactive directs the player in the direction of a hint, such as what makes a person stand out or what kind of things to avoid. I regularly write myself into the little things information picked up from overheard conversations, some of which came in very handy to guide me on a future path. So much of that language is learned through slow observation and listening skills; Hitman 3 feels slow to play, so it feels nice to take the extra time to write down information gathered in a simple (and somewhat extra) way.

If you are interested in starting your own, I have some tips:

  • Use a quick-drying pen / ink – I like fountain pens, but if I scratch notes quickly while playing a game, I do not want to risk it. I used a Uni Jetstream and a Pilot Acro, both with great tips, in an insert from Traveler’s Traveler’s Notebook. For the gray highlights, I used a Tombow Dual brush pen.
  • Doodle and decorate! This is just delicious. But do not worry about this while playing; just do it after.
  • Follow challenges and collectibles so you do not have to constantly walk through the menus.
  • Write down ‘memories’ or memorable moments in the game – especially conversations that are heard.
  • Do not worry about spilling. I waste a lot, but I like to think it gives my magazines character.

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