When IO Interactive dropped its Eminem vs. Slim Shady mission in Hitman World of Assassination, we did what any self-respecting fan would do: we downloaded right away. And yes, we hit record. The full playthrough video is below. Beware of spoilers.
Because even if you do not usually play, this one is special. This is a fever dream built from Shady lore, Detroit myth-making, and Hitman’s sleek stealth design.
Stepping into Popsomp Hills
Right from the briefing, it feels different. Diana handles the intro. Then Eminem’s real voice cuts in. Suddenly, the mission becomes strangely intimate, like we’ve been invited into his subconscious.
The familiar Hokkaido map now hosts Popsomp Hills Asylum, the institution from the Relapse era. Once inside, the level hits you with hyper-stylised lighting, distorted sound design and the faint echo of Houdini circling through the corridors.
And, because this is Slim Shady, nothing behaves quite the way it should.
Facing Slim Shady
The premise is simple: Slim Shady has escaped after a failed attempt on his life. Now he runs the asylum. Moreover, he is making scientists work on “weaponising music”.
Yet his words carry more meaning than the rant of a deranged maniac should: “I want people to face the music and see the world as I do”.
During the run, you see mirrors everywhere. They are part of the story and the mechanics, blurring the lines between the target, the reflection, and the narrator. Between the spaces and between the worlds. It feels like a hallucination with objectives.
At one point, Slim Shady storms into Mom’s Spaghetti demanding a spaghetti sandwich. Naturally, you can throw Mom’s Spaghetti sauce jar at him. Yes, you can, it is a legit projectile weapon in this mission.
The final confrontation is not what you would expect from this game. It follows the dream logic where reality is folding into memory, memory folding into lore.
In fact, the showdown is not really between 47 and a target. It is between Eminem and the reflection he has been battling for years. The symbolism of the mission should be easy to read by this point, it is spelt in neon letters.
And the final cutscene mirrors The Death of Slim Shady album art almost exactly, snapping back to reality that we can recognise. But is it the same reality?
The mission is brief, weird, and kind of brilliant.
Additional items
The Eminem vs. Slim Shady Pack includes:
Mom’s Spaghetti
Mr. Chainsaw Jr.
The Prank Pistol
MC Fit outfit
Shady-themed cosmetics for the Freelancer safehouse
They’re absurd in the best possible way.
You will recognise Shady’s chainsaw, but now it is a bloodthirsty and very chatty explosive with googly eyes.
The Prank Pistol refers to a handgun from the Encore art. You will see the “Bang” sticker, but now it is a functional pistol that spews deadly bullets.
You will see them through the game, or you can buy a pack that contains the items.
A gift to two fandoms
In truth, not much here feels canonical to Hitman. But everything feels personal to Eminem. The tone, the references, the jokes, and sudden serious revelations all point to an artist who enjoys his own mythology as much as his fans do.
By the way, the mission is free all December. With the Hitman World of Assassination Free Starter Pack on the PlayStation Store, you don’t need the full game to play this strange little crossover. Meanwhile, on Steam, you will need the base game installed before you can play.
So, after running it start to finish several times, we can confirm: this is the most unexpectedly delightful Eminem drop of the year.
Over the course of this year, we had an excellent close-up documentary, surprise live performances, an interview, and fan interactions. But this one venture shows a new side of Eminem. Being a fan of the Hitman himself, he worked on creating the mission together with the IOI game designers.
It’s short, yes. But it stays with you. Also, it proves that Marshall Mathers is not done playing.
