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BATMAN AND HIS ROGUES GALLERY INVADES LINEAGE 2: REVOLUTION IN NEW NETMARBLE, DC COLLABORATION

BATMAN AND HIS ROGUES GALLERY INVADES LINEAGE 2: REVOLUTION IN NEW NETMARBLE, DC COLLABORATION
 
The Fastest-Growing Mobile Game Company Celebrates First Anniversary of One of the Most Popular MMORPG Games

LOS ANGELES – November 14, 2018 – Today, Netmarble Corp. revealed a new collaboration with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, on behalf of DC, involving the popular mobile massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), Lineage 2: Revolution. In celebration of the game’s first anniversary, Super Heroes and Super-Villains from the Batman family are now available in Lineage 2: Revolution for a limited time.

Following the game’s incredible success in South Korea and Asian territories, Lineage 2: Revolution was launched in 56 countries across North America, Europe, Oceania and the Middle East in November 2017. One year later, the game continues to be one of the most popular mobile MMORPGs due to its groundbreaking fantasy elements that bring top-quality visuals, a massive open-world and large-scale PvP battles to life. The game has also accumulated more than 30 million registered players around the world.

Further enhancing gameplay, the collaboration with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC will bring iconic Batman elements to Lineage 2: Revolution, granting players new opportunities for exciting interactions in open-world combat.

All Batman-themed content is available for a limited time only and includes the following additions:

BATMAN COSTUMES AND MOUNTS

Characters from the Batman family will make their way into the world of Lineage 2: Revolution with designated Batman character costumes for each of the five in-game races:

  • Human Race – Batman costume
  • Dark Elf Race – The Joker costume
  • Elf Race – Catwoman costume
  • Dwarf Race – Harley Quinn costume
  • Orc Race – Mr. Freeze costume

Five new Batman-themed mounts and ten weapon costumes will also accompany each of the character costumes.

BATMAN DUNGEON AND BOSSES
Select Batman characters will be presented as bosses and also appear in the new Temporal Rift Dungeon “Castle of Terror.” Poison Ivy and Bane will appear as boss monsters in “Castle of Terror”, while the Riddler and Scarecrow will be added in the near future as Field Boss and World Boss, respectively.

ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS

Bonus Batman-themed features include:

  • New Monster Codex: Poison Ivy, Bane, Scarecrow and the Riddler
  • New Soul Crystals: Poison Ivy (Penetration), Bane (Attack), Scarecrow (Defense) and the Riddler (HP)
  • New Artifacts: A Brand New Feature! 16 Artifacts with DC characters, villains, dungeon monsters, non-player characters and more.

Lineage 2: Revolution is available on iOS and Android. For more information regarding Lineage 2: Revolution, visit the game information website (http://l2.netmarble.com) and the official Facebook page (https://facebook.com/OfficialLineage2Revolution/).

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About Netmarble Corporation
Netmarble Corp. strives to entertain audiences of all ages around the world by providing great mobile gaming experiences. Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble is the fastest-growing mobile game company and consistently ranks as a top mobile developer and publisher worldwide. With more than 5,000 employees, Netmarble has been producing and servicing some of the most successful mobile games including Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Everybody’s Marble, and Seven Knights. As a parent company to Kabam, a top mobile game developer in massively multiplayer free-to-play games, and the largest shareholder to Jam City, a leading casual social game developer, Netmarble has a strategic partnership with CJ ENM Corporation, Asia’s largest entertainment company, Tencent Holdings, Asia’s largest internet company, and NCsoft, a prominent MMORPG company. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com.

About DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, the Flash), DC Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and WarnerMedia. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is one of the largest English-language publishers of comics in the world.

About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc., is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all platforms, including console, handheld, mobile and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.

UBISOFT® & HYPERX® RENEW THEIR PARTNERSHIP FOR Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Pro League and Majors

UBISOFT® & HYPERX® RENEW THEIR PARTNERSHIP FOR Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Pro League and Majors

HyperX support continues next in Rio de Janeiro for the Pro League Season 8 Finals

SYDNEY, Australia — November 14, 2018 — Ubisoft® has announced that the global partnership with – HyperX®, the gaming division of Kingston® Technology Company, Inc., regarding sponsorship of the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® 2018 Majors is extended both in time and scope of activations. HyperX is the official and exclusive Mice, Keyboards and Internals partner from November 2018 to August 2019 including the Pro League online seasons and Worldwide Finals as well as the two next Major events: Six Invitational 2018 next February and the second Six Major, this summer. HyperX has been a significant member of the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six gaming community since 2016 and this extended partnership illustrates this mutual trust in the title’s maturing esports scene.

“We have been working with HyperX since the beginning of the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six esports scene”, said Geoffroy Sardin, vice president sales & marketing Ubisoft EMEA. “It’s only logical and with great pleasure that we extend our partnership to the year to come.”

“HyperX enjoys being part of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six esports scene, and supporting its gaming community,” said Daniel Kelley, global director of marketing, HyperX. “Cloud series gaming headsets are designed to perform for many hours of comfortable gaming, and are great while playing Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six.”

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Pro League, please visit http://www.rainbow6.com/esports and follow us at https://twitter.com/R6ProLeague.

About Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege
Inspired by real-world counter-terrorist organisations, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege puts players in the middle of lethal close-quarter confrontations. For the first time in a Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six game, players will engage in sieges, a new style of assault where enemies have the means to transform their environments into modern strongholds while Rainbow Six teams lead the assault to breach the enemy’s position. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege gives players unprecedented control over their ability to fortify their position by reinforcing walls and floors, using barbed wire and deployable shields, laying mines and more, or to breach the enemies’ position using observation drones, setting charges, rappelling and more. The fast pace and uniqueness of each siege sets a new bar for intense firefights, strategic gameplay and competitive gaming.

 About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2017–18 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,732 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoft.com.

About HyperX
HyperX was born from Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the world’s largest independent memory manufacturer, with the goal of providing gamers, PC builders, and power users with high-performance components. For 15 years, the HyperX mission has been to develop gaming products for gamers – high-speed memory, solid state drives, headsets, keyboards, mice, USB flash drives, and mouse pads – to the gaming community and beyond. The award-winning HyperX brand has carved its name atop the leaderboard by consistently delivering products that deliver superior comfort, aesthetics, performance, and reliability. HyperX gear is the choice of pro gamers, tech enthusiasts, and overclockers worldwide because it meets the most stringent product specifications and is built with best-in-class components. HyperX has shipped over 4 million headsets worldwide.

SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER’S FIRST DLC “THE FORGE” IS OUT NOW

SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER’S FIRST DLC “THE FORGE” IS OUT NOW

Lara’s Adventure Continues with Co-op, Score Attack, and Time Attack Modes

SYDNEY, 14th November 2018 – Square Enix®, Eidos-Montréal™, and Crystal Dynamics® are pleased to announce “The Forge,” the first of seven new DLC adventures for Shadow of the Tomb Raider™, is available now. Out as a free download to all Season Pass holders, and sold separately, “The Forge” is available for the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X, the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC/Steam®.

In “The Forge,” Lara must brave the lava-flooded Forge of the fallen gods to uncover the secrets of Kuwaq Yaku. Throughout her journey, Lara will uncover details about a friend’s ancient legacy, and overcome a danger long thought to be lost in flame. “The Forge” delivers a brand-new challenge tomb, playable in both solo and co-op. Players who complete the challenge tomb will be rewarded with the Grenadier skill, Brocken outfit, and Umbrage 3-80 weapon.

A completely new adventure, “The Forge” is the first of seven monthly DLC adventures available through the Season Pass, providing players with an abundance of new content, challenge tombs, co-op experiences, weapons and outfits, gameplay modes, and new narrative side missions.

If you own Shadow of the Tomb Raider and you purchase the DLC content, you can invite a friend who also owns Shadow of the Tomb Raider to join your play session for co-op tomb raiding. Players can look forward to the second DLC release, “The Pillar,” arriving this December.

Additionally, two tombs from the main game, “Court of Death” and “Gate of Xibalba,” will be playable in Score Attack and Time Attack. “Court of Death” will be playable in those modes on Nov. 13, and “Gate of Xibalba” will be playable on Nov. 27.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is available now worldwide on Xbox One, PlayStation®4, and Windows PC/Steam.

Related Links
Official Homepage: www.TOMBRAIDER.com
Official Twitter: @TOMBRAIDER
Official Facebook page: http://facebook.com/TOMBRAIDER
Official YouTube Channel: http://youtube.com/TOMBRAIDER

NETMARBLE CORP. REPORTS THIRD QUARTER 2018 FINANCIAL RESULTS

NETMARBLE CORP. REPORTS THIRD QUARTER 2018 FINANCIAL RESULTS

SOUTH KOREA – NOV. 13, 2018 – Netmarble Corp. reported financial results for the third quarter of 2018. Net revenue for 2018 increased 5.0% to 526 billion South Korean won [$467 million] in the third quarter and decreased 9.6% year-over-year (YoY). In addition, thanks to the steady global market performance of Netmarble’s mobile games such as Lineage 2: Revolution, Marvel Future Fight, The King of Fighters All-Star’s Japanese launch and Netmarble’s subsidiary games such as Marvel Contest of Champions (Kabam), and Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Jam City), revenue outside of South Korea in the third quarter accounted for 382 billion won [$340 million] – 73% of all total revenue – which is the highest proportion of revenue achieved in the global market this quarter. Accumulated revenue recorded outside of Korea for the first three quarters in 2018 totaled 1.1 trillion won ($1.3 billion), which is a 19.9% increase YoY.

“We believe that recent changes in the labor related environment in Korea have had an impact on our operational performance in Q3. However, Netmarble have dedicated to readjust accordingly, and now the company is solidly equipped to cope with the new environment.” said Seungwon Lee, Chief Global Officer of Netmarble Corp.

Other third quarter 2018 financial results for Netmarble Corp. include:

  • An operating profit of 67 billion won [$60 million], yielding a 39.8% decrease YoY and an 8.2% increase quarter-over-quarter (QoQ).
  • A net profit of 55 billion won [$49 million], yielding a 34.6% decrease YoY and a 16.9% decrease QoQ.
  • An EBITDA of 87 billion won [$77 million], yielding a 33.0% decrease YoY and a 6.4% increase QoQ.

To prepare for 2018’s fourth quarter and the 2019 fiscal year, Netmarble is set to launch the highly anticipated mobile MMORPG Blade & Soul Revolution in South Korea on December 6th, 2018. It will be showcased at G-Star 2018, a global game exhibition held at Busan, Korea from November 15-18th, along with other upcoming titles including Seven Knights 2, The King of Fighters All Star, and A3: Still Alive. Additional upcoming lineup for the global market include BTS World, Rich Wars, Yokai Watch: Medal Wars and unannounced projects code-named “Project M” and “Seven Deadly Sins RPG.”

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About Netmarble Corporation

Netmarble Corp. strives to entertain audiences of all ages around the world by providing great mobile gaming experiences. Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble is the fastest-growing mobile game company and consistently ranks as the top mobile developer and publisher worldwide. With more than 5,000 employees, Netmarble has been producing and servicing some of the most successful mobile games including Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Everybody’s Marble, and Seven Knights. As a parent company to Kabam, a top mobile game developer in massively multiplayer free-to-play games, and the largest shareholder to Jam City, a leading casual social game developer, Netmarble has a strategic partnership with CJ ENM Corporation, Asia’s largest entertainment company, Tencent Holdings, Asia’s largest internet company, and NCsoft, a prominent MMORPG company. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com.

GET READY TO CLUTCH, DEADBAIT, CHUM AND MORE IN FISHING BARENTS SEA SIMULATOR NEW ADVENTURE KING CRAB DLC

GET READY TO CLUTCH, DEADBAIT, CHUM AND MORE IN FISHING BARENTS SEA SIMULATOR NEW ADVENTURE KING CRAB DLC
BARENTS SEA : KING CRAB DLC OUT NOW ON STEAM

Moenchengladbach/Germany, November 13, 2018 – The long wait of future crab fishers is over! Today is the release of the extensive King Crab expansion from astragon Entertainment and developer Misc Games. Aside from two brand new ships the DLC also offers catch mechanics with two entertaining mini games that have never been included before. All of these innovations serve the catching of the long yearned and now availbale species: the lucrative king crabs.

https://youtu.be/F2EBpp3LxZ8

The King Crab DLC is the perfect addition for adventurous seafarers to expand their fishing equipment and ship fleet for the exciting world of a real king crab catcher. The Selfy which is based on the ship models of boat manufacturer Arctic AS and the huge and powerful Svalbard are the two brand new ships to lead the player to success on the vast high seas. They are able to reliably locate the king crab grounds of the Barents Sea and provide the player with necessary equipment to make a name for themselves in Northern Norway.

Challenging mini games test the skills of the newbie crustacean hunters. The hauling of the crab pots works manually on the small Selfy. In contrast the pots on the deck of Svalbard are so huge and enormous that a strong crane is needed to lift them. Here a tricky mini game starts in which the player needs to coordinate the hauling of the pots to place the freshly caught crabs next to the sorting table. Afterwards the crab cages need to be reloaded with fresh bait and hauled back onto the seabed.

The next mini game follows the successful catch of the valuable prey. Now the fisher needs to sort the crabs by gender. As in real life also the virtual seaman needs to stick to the legal requirements. Only the male crabs are allowed to be caught and sold. The female crabs need to get thrown back into the ocean to produce plenty of offspring.

After the crab fishing newbie became a master in using the new catch mechanics there is nothing else standing in the way of conquering the king crab market in and around Hammerfest!

The King Crab DLC for Fishing: Barents Sea is now available on Steam™ for 9.99 Euro/11.99 USD/8.99 GBP (RRP). The main game Fishing: Barents Sea for PC also is available in retail or as a digital download for 19.99 Euro/19.99 USD/16.99 GBP (RRP).

More information on Fishing: Barents Sea:
www.fbsgame.net
www.facebook.com/FishingBarents
http://store.steampowered.com/app/501080/Fishing_Barents_Sea/

All titles, content, publisher names, trademarks, artwork, and associated imagery are trademarks and/or copyright material of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Unreal Engine, the circle-U logo and the Powered by Unreal Engine logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States and elsewhere.

___________________

astragon Entertainment GmbH
astragon Entertainment (founded in 2000) ranks among the leading independent games publishers in Germany. Our versatile product portfolio focuses on high-quality technical simulation games such as Construction Simulator, Farming Simulator or Bus Simulator, but also covers complex economic simulations and strategy games. The distribution of the Big Fish franchise (Mystery Case Files, Dark Parables, Grim Tales) completes our exciting product range. Games by astragon are available world-wide on many different platforms such as consoles, smartphones, tablets and PC. Please visit us for more information at http://www.astragon.de/en/.

ARK: EXTINCTION EXPANSION PACK LAUNCHES TODAY ONTO PLAYSTATION 4 AND XBOX ONE

ARK: EXTINCTION EXPANSION PACK LAUNCHES TODAY ONTO PLAYSTATION 4 AND XBOX ONE

Survivors Return Now to Earth and Finish Your Conquest of the ARK Universe!

Redmond, WA – November 13, 2018 – Players of the dinosaur survival action-adventure game ARK: Survival Evolved can return to Earth today as the game’s third expansion pack “Extinction” is available now on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. ARK: Extinction contains a new map and story line to explore, dozens of new creatures to tame, and challenges even for veteran ARK Survivors who have conquered all previous obstacles – can you defeat the gigantic roaming Titans which dominate the Element-infested, ravaged planet, and complete the ARK cycle to save Earth’s future?

Visit the ruined world that’s rampant with Element-corrupted creatures! At the heart of Extinction is a towering but decaying metropolis, protected by a force of robotic guards known as the Scouts and Enforcers. Discover and explore long abandoned micro-biospheres which served as the early prototypes for the ARKs of today. Scour the land for Orbital Supply Drops, tame exotic creatures, and build a Mek powerful enough to defeat the colossal, tameable Titans dominating the landscape.

Extinction is free to ARK season pass owners and $19.99 as a standalone add-on for Xbox One, PS4, and PC/Steam. Haven’t yet ridden a dinosaur? ARK base game is on sale this week on all platforms.

ARK: Extinction Key Features:
With new mutated creatures to tame, players will have to rely on Extinction’s latest additions in order to stay alive and reap the rewards.

  • As a veteran survivor who has conquered all previous obstacles, the ultimate challenge awaits: take on and TAME the massive roaming Titans — dungeon dwelling bosses that are powerful enough to make even the mightiest T-Rex whimper! Gather your friends, all of your dinos, and your entire arsenal of weapons if you want to survive and complete the ARK cycle to save Earth’s future.
  • Launch through the air and leap great distances with air-inhaling Gasbags, freeze your enemies into icy statues with the majestic gliding Managarmr, unleash a barrage of spiny projectiles with the Velonasaur, and discover many more fantastic new creatures among the ruins of Earth!
  • Store creatures in your inventory with Cryopods. Capture them into small cubes, then pop them out from your inventory unexpectedly at enemies! Send your items back to home base using the new aerial item balloons, cross giant chasms with the extendable Tek Bridge, along with an arsenal of all-new items and weapons to aid your survival.
  • Venture into the harsh Wasteland to intercept Orbital Supply Drops filled with gear and resources – but watch out! Element-corrupted dinosaurs will try to stop you in this team-based defense challenge.
  • The all new map has a long abandoned Metropolis, humanity’s last bastion, to explore! Metropolis is now overgrown and decayed but still under surveillance by a protective army of robotic creatures.
  • Proto-ARKs, prototype areas built as early simulations of the three predominant ecosystems: the Crater Forest, the Desert and the Tundra.
  • Build and pilot advanced Meks loaded with customizable weaponry to take on the toughest enemies, including the gigantic End Boss guarding the ultimate secret of the ARK!

ARK: Extinction is now available today on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam as a standalone expansion pack ($19.99) and as part of the ARK: Explorer’s Edition (Game + Season Pass), joining the desert-themed Scorched Earth and the underground, derelict biome Aberration, in continuing to unravel the mysteries of ARK’s story.

For the latest updates follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, visit the Website at playark.com and watch us tame and train leviathan dinosaurs on Twitch.TV.

ARK: Survival Evolved is rated “T” for Teen (Violence, Blood, Crude Humor, Use of Alcohol) by the ESRB.

Feel like riding a dinosaur? Join the ARK growing band of survivors in the community forums HERE: survivetheark.com/forums/
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ABOUT STUDIO WILDCARD
Studio Wildcard was co-founded in 2014 by industry veteran Jeremy Stieglitz and Jesse Rapczak, former Technical Art Director at Microsoft Game Studios, with the mission of bringing AAA quality to ambitious indie productions that are designed for core gamers. With combined 25 years of industry experience across multiple independent and studio-backed titles, Jeremy and Jesse have teamed up with other veteran developers for Seattle, WA-based and Gainesville, FL-based development studios that also include distributed team members across multiple continents. Wherever talented, driven developers may reside, Studio Wildcard intends to seek out and work with them!

Mutant Year Zero to Launch on Xbox Game Pass on December 4th

Funcom and The Bearded Ladies announced their XCOM-like tactical game Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden will launch on Xbox Game Pass on December 4th alongside the game’s general release on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Subscribers to Xbox Game Pass pay a monthly fee for unlimited access to over 100 games in the library along with a discount on the Xbox store. Funcom CEO Rui Casais said:

“We are absolutely thrilled about bringing Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden to XBOX Game Pass. This is certainly not your standard console game and we think that XBOX Game Pass subscribers will find a unique and highly entertaining experience with Mutant Year Zero that they might not have discovered otherwise. We are very happy with the XBOX version of the game and the whole team is excited about Game Pass allowing us to reach an even wider audience on the console.”

Additionally, Funcom released a brand new walkthrough video introducing players to the Scraplands. The area is packed with valuable resources within the wreck of human civilization, but it is also crawling with others doing the same thing.

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is based on the Swedish pen and paper RPG Mutant. The game stars Bormin the boar and Dux the duck. Players will explore the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Sweden in real time as they scavenge for supplies. Players will need to use stealth to get into the best position to ambush enemies, before swinging into turn based combat.

Just Cause 4 Eye of the Storm Cinematic Trailer Released

In case you missed the special X018 episode of Inside Xbox, Square Enix and Avalanche Studios have released a brand spankin’ new cinematic trailer for Just Cause 4. The trailer kicks off with an adrenaline packed sequence before introducing viewers to the fictional South American world of Solis and the Black Hand militia, the game’s main antagonist.

The trailer is a collaboration with Director’s Duo. The trailer faetures a special remix of “I’m Just” by Artizan. The track is available now at digital retailers and will be part of the Just Cause album that will launch on December 4th alongside the game.

Just Cause 4 will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows on December 4 2018.

HITMAN 2 Review

HITMAN 2

Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment
FormatPlayStation 4Xbox OnePC (Reviewed)
Release Date: 13 Nov 2018
Price: $59.99USD – Available Here

Overview

I can’t think of many games reboots that managed to get things right. There is always a slippery slope of derailing too much from the original or dumbing things down to appeal to the broader audience. The previous HITMAN didn’t fall into any of those traps, offering balanced difficulty, freedom of exploration and a competent AI for a well-rounded experience. For its sequel, lO Interactive promised us new gameplay features, locations and more of that enticing story (which ended up on a cliffhanger last time). Well, HITMAN 2 is here and I had access to the Gold Edition which enabled me to play it 4 days earlier before the official release. In a hindsight, it was a bad idea since I  now have 23 hours clocked since Saturday, my weekend went absolutely nowhere except for playing HITMAN 2 but as they say “time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time”.

Story

For those who missed out on the previous game, the story follows an elite assassin for hire, Agent 47, and his recruitment into the ICA (International Contract Agency). Not much is known about 47 except for his exceptional aptitude as an assassin. Even though the first few assassination contracts appear to be unrelated, it is later revealed that someone from the shadows, only referred to as a “shadow client”, has been using and manipulating ICA in order to attack and bring down a secret organization called Providence. In HITMAN 2, we follow the trail leading to the shadow client”, before finally meeting him face to face and forming an alliance to take down Providence. Aside from that, more is revealed about 47’s past and shadow client’s connection to him.

Gameplay

The previous game offered us a multitude of ways to eliminate our targets, either by following mission stories or improvising, stalking and doing things our way. One of the best things in the game was discovering more ways to assassinate a target than the choices were initially offered. All of that is expanded in HITMAN 2, along with some new gimmicks. You can now hide in a foliage, blend into a crowd à la Assassins Creed (super useful when being tailed by someone who is highly suspicious of you) and a fan-favorite briefcase is back! The briefcase allows you to smuggle one item into a level (my usual choice was a sniper rifle) and it can also be used as a throwing object or a way to knock someone nearby unconscious. You can now see the field view of surveillance cameras in instinct mode and disable them with a well-placed shot.  The best part of these new gameplay features is that they can also be used in the previous game. How is that possible, you ask? Well, for anyone who owns the previous game, IO Interactive generously gave us the option to revisit all those levels in the sequel. So you might as well delete that first HITMAN install since now you have two games in one. All of the levels have received a noticeable facelift and any tools or weapons you earn in HITMAN 2 can also be used in levels from the first game.

Visuals

Speaking of the facelift, the first thing I noticed after starting up the game is how everything looks clearer now, with vibrant colors. I remember disliking the overall brightness in the first game, so much that I had to turn down the gamma all the way down so I don’t end up blind after a couple of hours. That foggy filter (mostly noticeable in Sapienza and in bright open levels) is gone now. In other words, HITMAN 2 managed this time to get its color settings right. Another praise should go to the level design in HITMAN 2. From sunny walkways of Miami to the jungle of Santa Fortuna, there is so much to explore and observe. NPCs feel more natural this time and they’re actually doing meaningful interactions with each other, instead of just aimlessly wandering around. You can also find something new or get a hint on how to have access to a specific location by eavesdropping on them.

Audio

Not much to say about the sound design, except that it’s superb. The audio follows whatever is happening on the screen and it will change according to you being attacked, hiding or stalking a target. Each weapon sounds different and soon enough you will be able to correctly guess what rifle enemies are carrying (if you mess up and have all of the cartel raining bullets on you). There is so much attention to the detail in ambient noise that it won’t take long before feeling overwhelmed in the crowded streets of Mumbai. You might even forget who are you supposed to assassinate and just enjoy spending some time on a pier in Miami, watching seagulls and enjoying the sun.

Overall

I guess my 23 hours of playtime (so far) should be a testament to the game’s quality and polish but aside from that, I could go on and on. HITMAN 2 follows up on everything that made the previous game great, adding some new stuff into the mix and expanding the story. As expected, the replay value is huge and incredibly satisfying, half of the fun is in revisiting levels and finding new ways to take someone down. Strangle, shoot, poison, push off a cliff or slap them with a fish as much as you like – the choice is yours. I don’t care what else is releasing this year, I’m being busy in HITMAN 2 from now until Christmas.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

HIDE YOUR SHEEP, SPYRO HAS LANDED — THE SPYRO REIGNITED TRILOGY IS NOW AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE!

HIDE YOUR SHEEP, SPYRO HAS LANDED — THE SPYRO REIGNITED TRILOGY IS NOW AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE!

Remastered Collection Features a New Track From Original Game Composer Stewart Copeland, Plus the Return of Iconic Voice Actor Tom Kenny as Spyro

Videogame Commemorates Spyro’s 20th Anniversary with Fiery Cross-Country Launch

SANTA MONICA, Calif.Nov. 13, 2018 – Spyro, the iconic purple dragon that entertained living rooms worldwide in the late ‘90s, is making an epic return today with the release of Spyro™ Reignited Trilogy. Spyro Reignited Trilogy introduces players to a fully remastered game collection with a re-imagined cast of characters, animations, environments, brand-new lighting and recreated cinematics—all in stunning HD. Now fans can glide to new heights and explore more than 100+ lush environments filled with new detail that brings the Dragon Realms and Avalar to life like never-before. The trilogy is available now for PlayStation® 4, PlayStation® 4 Pro and the family of Xbox One devices from Microsoft, including the Xbox One X, for the suggested retail price of $39.99.

In Spyro Reignited Trilogy, lead developer Toys For Bob is giving fans an all scaled-up version of the original three Spyro games that started it all, Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon, but with a modern-day feel that makes it fresh and fun for today’s player. Adding to the fun, voice actor Tom Kenny is returning to the franchise as the voice of Spyro in all three remastered games. Longtime fans will be treated to Toys For Bob’s reimagined version of the classic soundtracks, in addition to an all-new title-screen theme from original soundtrack composer Stewart Copeland. Additionally, the new game brings an in-game audio feature that allows players to switch between the original and the newly remastered soundtracks, for those who want a more classic gameplay experience. Players can simply fly in to the “options menu” at any time during gameplay, unleash their preferred nostalgic or scaled-up groove, and glide right back into the Spyro action without losing saved data.

“It’s been a real pleasure to bring back one of most iconic video game characters of all time through the Spyro Reignited Trilogy,” said Paul Yan, Co-Studio Head at Toys For Bob. “We’ve poured everything we’ve got into making sure every detail was done right to deliver a great Spyro experience for fans. We hope players will have as much fun revisiting the Spyro world and characters as we did remastering them.”

In the road up to the official release of Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), created a first-of-its-kind, life-sized, fire-breathing and talking Spyro Dragon drone. The drone took off from “Stone Hill” castle near New York City, spreading his wings across the U.S. to explore the cities and iconic landscapes that resemble levels and themes from the original Spyro games. As part of the tour, the Spyro drone chased sheep, fired up some BBQ and delivered an early copy of Spyro Reignited Trilogy to fellow O.G. and entertainment icon, Snoop Dogg. Highlights from the Spyro drone’s delivery to Snoop Dogg can be found here.

“Fans have been asking Activision to bring Spyro back for some time now. The response to Spyro Reignited Trilogy has been great thus far, and we’re absolutely thrilled that we’re able to continue to reimagine and reinvigorate some of the most iconic videogames and characters of all time with our remastered experiences,” said Steve Young, Chief Revenue Officer at Activision. “With this year being the 20th anniversary of Spyro, there’s no better time to pay homage to everyone’s favorite purple dragon.”

The Spyro community is invited to geek out and elevate their fandom even further through the elite global partnerships from the Activision Blizzard Consumer Products Group (ABCPG). Collaborations with Funko, Traly Pins, Exquisite Gaming, KidRobot, USAopoly, Trends International, Rubber Road, and Changes have created new avenues for fans to share their love for the return of Spyro, the original roast master. Spyro consumer products across apparel, collectibles, figurines and more are now available at retailers worldwide. Fans can also take advantage of the GameStop exclusive Spyro TOTAKU Collection.

More information about Spyro Reignited Trilogy can be found at www.SpyroTheDragon.com. Fans are also invited to follow @SpyroTheDragon on Twitter and @Spyro on Facebook and Instagram, as well as subscribe to the YouTube channel at YouTube.com/SpyroTheDragon.

About Activision
Headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., Activision is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment. Activision maintains operations throughout the world and is a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), an S&P 500 company. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com or by following @Activision.