Considering the six-year gap between releases, new fans of Hitman that came onboard with last year’s Absolution might be surprised to find that the series has deep roots on the Xbox platform. Enter the Hitman HD Trilogy, a two-disc bundle containing remastered versions of original-Xbox releases Hitman 2: Silent Assassin and Hitman: Contracts, along with an as-is copy of Xbox 360 entry Hitman: Blood Money.
Blood Money’s split-screen interludes add cinematic punch while offering hints.As with most such revivals, the HD re-releases of both Silent Assassin and Contracts bump the original-Xbox visuals into high definition and widescreen, giving a crisper look to the still-lastgen graphics, which thankfully run at a solid clip here. Aside from the addition of Achievements (both games share a pool of 1,000 points) and necessary interface tweaks, the games are essentially identical to their original versions — for better and for worse.
It’s intriguing to see the evolution of Agent 47’s murderous tactics across these seminal entries, but much as Silent Assassin was lauded upon release for its many kill options, it’s a startlingly clunky experience nowadays. Awkward controls are a big hang-up, due to a scheme that hides the game map within menus and defaults the walking speed to a snail’s pace, but the game also feels limited in scope compared to the wider strategic opportunities of later Hitmans.
A disguise that also insulates you from chilly winds? Handy! (From Hitman: Contracts)Luckily, Contracts is an improvement in both controls and content, offering a more useful button layout while featuring a larger array of items and opportunities for executing each mission. Both games still feel plain compared to the newer releases, and the enemy A.I. is spotty throughout, but fond fans will appreciate the HD recap, original warts and all. Newer players are likely to struggle with the dated mechanics, but it’s interesting all the same to retrace 47’s steps. .
What’s odd is the inclusion of Blood Money, which remains quite good despite feeling rugged in comparison to the more polished Absolution It’s the same version of the 2006 game — which was already in HD, of course — that aficionados no doubt already own. An updated port of the PC-only Hitman: Codename 47 would have made the HD Trilogy fully worthwhile for everyone, but while some fans may grimace at rebuying Blood Money, there’s still plenty of satisfying stealth play to be found here. .
A scene from Silent Assassin.PUBLISHER: Square Enix • DEVELOPER: IO Interactive • ESRB: Mature • MULTIPLAYER: None • ACHIEVEMENTS: Bountiful • COST: $40 • RELEASE DATE: January 29, 2013
+ Both original-Xbox games now in HD with Achievements.
+ Blood Money is the best older entry, although it’s unchanged since its 2006 Xbox 360 release.
– Hitman 2 and Contracts have limited scope and clunky mechanics.
? Will Xbox ever get a port of Hitman: Codename 47?
