Hitman: Absolution is apparently a hit. Many gamers, however, are experiencing the escapades of Agent 47 for the first time. There’s a lot of backstory that’s lost on them. Square Enix is fixing that with an HD collection.
It was announced today that the Hitman HD Trilogy will be launching in the US on February 29 on the PS3 and Xbox 360. The game will include hi-def remakes of Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Hitman: Contracts and Hitman: Blood Money. Funny enough, Hitman: Blood Money was already released on current generation consoles back in 2006. It’s unknown if this version will include any enhancements, or if it will be the same game that was released six years ago.
The HD collection will retail for the standard $39.99 when it releases early next year. Joystiq points to an Amazon page that says there’s a Premium edition of the game on the way as well. This edition will include an art book with new interpretations Agent 47 from top artists.
The Hitman HD Trilogy is just the latest attempt to cash in on a franchise’s past with cheap HD ports. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but most publishers usually release these sets before a new game comes out to get new players acquainted with the games. It’s odd that this collection would release a few months after the newest title hit stores.
Regardless, fans of Hitman: Absolution are in for a treat if they never got a chance to play the earlier games in the franchise. Hitman has some of the most satisfying stealth gameplay of the last console generation, and these earlier games reveled in it. Be prepared for a challenge if you haven’t had the chance to play through these earlier games yet.