When Ambrose first dropped, I was a little disappointed that a dark, difficult, uncharted pirate island was the big DLC mission reveal, not just in concept and design, but because it felt like an offshoot of the past militia-oriented levels.
Though I’ve since warmed to it, and appreciated that it helped fill in the two-month gap between Whittleton Creek and Isle of Sgàil, I can’t help but feel IOI had a couple missed opportunities with 2 “canon” locales foreshadowed in Whittleton’s GNN report: Kiruna, Sweden, and Barcelona, Spain, both of which, at the very least, would’ve provided HITMAN™ 2 with its first European country (“North Atlantic” notwithstanding). The GNN news reports seen throughout the game often reported on or foreshadowed targets, places, and events, so I felt Kiruna and Barcelona would fit right in.
LOCATION 1: KIRUNA, SWEDEN
VENUE: CLIMATE SUMMIT
Pam Kingsley reports that a climate summit between scientists, environmental NGOs and other officials is to take place in Kiruna in October (between the events of Another Life in September and The Ark Society on November 13), with a landmark climate treaty expected. This foreshadows The Ark Society, as the actual “rigged” treaty signed by the Original Five can be found in the penthouse.
The setting would focus on a conference center, but Kiruna is an interesting place and very much a winter wonderland town, so it could finally fulfill the “proper snow level" Hokkaido never gave us. Cameos could include one of the Society’s representatives, or maybe Swedish consul Erik Olander from Marrakesh.
The Ambrose narrative could remain largely the same—with Grey wanting to eliminate a version of Noel Crest who is planning an attack on the conference—or could somehow further the team’s interest in infilitrating the Ark Society a different way.
(Pictured is concept art of the real Kiruna downtown!)
LOCATION 2: BARCELONA, SPAIN
VENUE: GORKA INSTITUTE
In the same news report, Kingsley reports that Emil Gorka’s “The Artist as a Blank Canvas,” held at the Gorka Institute in Barcelona, was revealed to be a fake. This also foreshadows dialogue in The Ark Society stating that they secretly acquired the real one. It may also be implied in The Appraiser ET that Miranda Jamison, head of the Institute with ties to the Ark Society, is involved.
The setting would probably be limited to the Institute itself, which is described as an “art authentication facility” but is probably a museum or gallery with the facility embedded; I imagined it to look like Barcelona’s impressive Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, pictured.
Noel Crest, described as a thief, would fit in with a “stolen artwork” theme, maybe in cahoots with Jamison’s hired art thief, Alfredo Bianchi. Again, the Ambrose narrative could remain largely the same here, though may not feel as solid.
