The video game industry is currently infatuated with its own past. Over the last few years we've seen countless re-releases of entire collections of games released in previous generations. The latest to get the new paint treatment is the Hitman series from IO Interactive and Square-Enix, and while the games no doubt benefit from the touch-ups, some of the content - especially the earlier games do not hold-up well and as a result you're just reminded of the nagging issues that plagued the series for years. Those who loved the original games will find much to love here, and those who dug last year's Hitman: Absolution may want to check out the series routes, just prepare to be frustrated all over again.

The Hitman HD Collection consists of Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Hitman: Contracts and Hitman: Blood Money. The previously PC-only original is noticeably absent, but much of that game's best content was re-imagined into Contracts, so you're not missing much of anything. The more recently released games like Contracts and Blood Money got the best of the HD touchup, as they needed it the least, being released at the end of the last generation and the beginning of this generation respectively.

"...the game features some noticeably dated graphics."

The same can't be said for Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. The game, which was originally released in 2002 shows its age, and it's not pretty. Unlike other recently re-released games like Ocarina of Time and The Sly Collection, time has not been nice to it, and the game features some noticeably dated graphics. Sure, that's the point, and the game obviously looks better than it did years ago; no one is going to confuse it for a modern day game by any stretch of the imagination.

The Hitman Collection has always been about devising a plan and achieving your goal by any means necessary, and these games still hold up as the best example of this. Those new to the series may be enticed to jump into this collection after checking out last year's Hitman: Absolution, which changed up the formula into a more structured and linear game. These earlier games though play much more like Absolution's Contracts mode, which drops the player into an open-world setting and allows them to achieve their objectives by any means necessary. This often means improvising after the plan falls apart, but that's half the fun of the game - at least most times.

"...these games were painstakingly difficult and at times unfair..."

Let's not beat around the bush - these games were painstakingly difficult and at times unfair, and that hasn't really changed. It's still very frustrating to wait and wait, then take out someone perfectly, assuming their identity by taking their costume, only to have the guards figure out your disguise for no apparent reason two minutes later. What? Am I marching differently than the other guards? Wearing the wrong deodorant? These games are made on the strengths of these dramatic situations, but all the air is taken out of them when they are spoiled for no apparent reason.

When it comes to HD remakes like this, I love to see extra content bundled. Not necessarily extra in game content but documentaries, making of featurettes - the kind of stuff that the fans will really appreciate. Though Hitman does come with some of this, it's all been available before, and it seems like Square did the bare minimum to get the game out.

The Hitman series has always been niche one, and the HD Collection is even more so. If you had a great time with these games in their original release, or dug Absolution last year, you'll find something to really like here, but be warned - the HD treatment does little to the nagging issues you may remember from these games.