Techmash

Tag: #FeralInteractive

  • The Silent Assassin Goes Portable: A Review of Hitman: Absolution on Nintendo Switch

    The Silent Assassin Goes Portable: A Review of Hitman: Absolution on Nintendo Switch

    Agent 47 has donned his gloves, checked his fibre wire, and is ready for his next mission—on the go! Following the successful port of Hitman: Blood Money – Reprisal, Feral Interactive has brought the dramatic, narrative-driven stealth of Hitman: Absolution to the Nintendo Switch. For fans of the iconic bald assassin, the question isn’t if it should be played, but how this older, story-heavy entry holds up on Nintendo’s hybrid console.

    The good news? The hit is successful.

    The Betrayal and the Run: Absolution’s Story

    Unlike the sprawling sandboxes of the later World of Assassination trilogy, Absolution is a more focused, character-driven story. Agent 47 is betrayed by the Agency he served, becoming a hunted man as he works to protect a mysterious teenage girl. This narrative intensity provides a different, more linear flavour of stealth, with some missions feeling more like a desperate escape than a calculated assassination.

    This shift was controversial upon its original 2012 release, but it offers a unique, cinematic experience. On the Switch, this tighter structure translates well, making it perfect for dedicated, mission-by-mission play, whether you’re docked at home or in handheld mode on a commute.

    Gameplay: Stealth, Style, and Switch-Specifics

    Absolution retains the core mechanics of disguise, distraction, and decisive elimination, but it introduced key elements that set the stage for future titles, like the Instinct Mode—which allows 47 to see enemy patrol paths and points of interest—and Point Shooting, a slow-motion targeting system.

    Key Port Features:

    • Visual Enhancements: The port is noticeably cleaner and visually improved over the original console versions, with better character models and enhanced lighting effects that make the dark, gritty atmosphere feel suitably moody on the Switch screen.
    • Gyro Aiming: This is the killer feature for a handheld stealth shooter. Optional gyro controls add a new layer of precision, allowing for fine-tuning your aim when going for that crucial headshot or discreetly placing a non-lethal object. This quality-of-life upgrade makes the combat feel perfectly tailored to the system.
    • Replay Value: The game features over 20 missions, and while some are more linear, the best levels are still intricate assassination playgrounds. High scores, mission ratings, and numerous challenges push players to perfect their approach.

    The Verdict on the Port

    Feral Interactive has delivered a robust and well-optimised version of Absolution. It continues the trend of bringing a steady stream of the Hitman legacy to the Switch. The ability to play such a polished stealth-action title anywhere is genuinely compelling.

    While the famous Contracts Mode is slated to arrive as a free update in early 2026, the main campaign offers plenty to sink your teeth into right now.

    If you’re a newcomer to Agent 47, this is a fantastic (and different) entry point. If you’re a seasoned player, it’s a brilliant way to revisit the game that bridged the gap between the classic sandboxes and the modern World of Assassination trilogy, complete with smart, modern control updates.

    Hitman: Absolution on Nintendo Switch proves that a cold-blooded assassin can still operate with deadly efficiency, even in the palm of your hand.

    Hitman: Absolution – https://feral.in/hitmanabsolution/eshop

    #HitmanAbsolution #Hitman #agent47 #assassin #mission #nintendoswitch #FeralInteractive #agency #contracts #IOInteractive #weapons #gaming #gamers #games #videogames

  • Total War: NAPOLEON is Marching onto Mobile! The Grand Strategy Classic Goes Portable

    Total War: NAPOLEON is Marching onto Mobile! The Grand Strategy Classic Goes Portable

    Get ready, Generals. The era of gunpowder and emperors is officially coming to your pocket. Feral Interactive, the studio responsible for the stellar mobile ports of ROME: Total War and Total War: MEDIEVAL II, has confirmed that Total War: NAPOLEON is making the leap to iOS and Android devices, set for release on December 2nd.

    This isn’t just a simple port; it’s a chance to rewrite history and command the massive, visceral battles of the 19th century wherever you are. For strategy fans, this is monumental news.

    Command the Epoch-Shaping Campaigns

    Total War: NAPOLEON narrows the scope of the massive Total War formula to focus on the military career of one of history’s most compelling figures: Napoleon Bonaparte.

    What to Expect on Mobile:

    • The Complete Experience: The mobile version is set to launch with the entire game and all the original desktop DLC included. That means you get the core campaigns following Napoleon’s early years, the Egyptian campaign, and the final push for European dominance.
    • Included DLC: The game will include the major expansions, such as the Peninsular Campaign, which focuses on the brutal conflict in Spain and Portugal, and the Coalition Battle Pack, featuring pivotal battles like Friedland. This is a complete package right out of the gate.
    • The Signature Blend: You’ll manage the turn-based grand strategy on the campaign map—handling diplomacy, research, and resource management—before diving into massive, real-time tactical battles where you directly command your line infantry, cavalry, and artillery.

    Designed for the Touchscreen Battlefield

    One of the biggest questions with any PC-to-mobile port is control. How do you manage hundreds of units and complex strategy interfaces on a smaller screen? Feral Interactive has a strong track record here, and they’ve promised some key features to ensure a smooth transition:

    • Customised UI and Refined Controls: The user interface has been completely adapted for touchscreens, offering intuitive controls for commanding your units in battle and navigating the detailed campaign map.
    • Quality-of-Life Improvements: Look forward to new Help Systems and other quality-of-life adjustments to make the complex mechanics of diplomacy and battlefield tactics manageable on the go.
    • Keyboard and Mouse Support: For those on supported iPads or Android tablets who prefer a more traditional PC feel, the game will also feature full keyboard and mouse support.

    More Explosive Than Ever

    NAPOLEON was a visual and technical step up for the Total War series at its original launch, showcasing the destructive power of 19th-century warfare.

    The mobile version promises to be the “most explosive and visually impressive mobile Total War to date,” featuring new particle effects to capture the chaos and smoke of gunpowder battles. Seeing squares of line infantry hold the line against a cavalry charge or watching a cannonball tear through a formation will be a visually stunning (and strategically tense!) experience on modern mobile hardware.

    The Ultimate Portable Strategy Challenge

    Whether you choose to lead Napoleon to glory across Europe and the Middle East, or you take command of the great Coalition powers (Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, or Russia) to crush the French Empire, Total War: NAPOLEON offers an unparalleled grand strategy challenge.

    Mark your calendars for December 2nd. The cost of entry will be a premium price of $14.99 / £9.99 / €12.49 (regional prices may vary), offering a complete, ad-free experience that mirrors the Definitive Edition on PC. If you’re an existing fan or a newcomer looking for a deep, historical strategy game on your phone or tablet, this is one release you won’t want to miss.

    En avant! Your campaign is about to begin.

    Total War: NAPOLEON – https://www.totalwar.com/

    #TotalWarNAPOLEON #TotalWar #NAPOLEON #pcgames #ios #android #mobilegames #FeralInteractive #strategy #battles #CreativeAssembly #SEGAEuropeLimited #games #gaming #gamers #videogames

  • Master the Seas, Embrace the Excess, and Betray All: Total War: Warhammer III’s Tides of Torment DLC Arrives!

    Master the Seas, Embrace the Excess, and Betray All: Total War: Warhammer III’s Tides of Torment DLC Arrives!

    The battle for the fate of the Warhammer world continues to rage, and Creative Assembly has unleashed a fresh wave of chaos, elegance, and brute strength with the latest DLC for Total War: Warhammer III: Tides of Torment.

    This content pack delivers three utterly unique Legendary Lords, each bringing their own twisted mechanics and powerful new units to the sprawling Immortal Empires campaign map. Get ready to sail with the High Elves, feast on decadence with Slaanesh, and master the art of betrayal with Norsca.

    The Sea Lord’s Command: Aislinn and the High Elves

    The coasts of Ulthuan have a new, ruthless guardian: Sea Lord Aislinn. This peerless naval tactician takes the High Elves in a radical new direction, focusing on sea-based power and coastal assaults.

    • Unique Mechanic: Dragonship Fleets: Forget traditional settlement management! Aislinn commands self-sufficient Dragonships, which act as massive, mobile cities. These ships serve as your primary bases, supporting nearby fleets and allowing for recruitment and building, letting you take the fight to any distant shore.
    • Asur Occupation: Instead of occupying most settlements, Aislinn dedicates them to his High Elf allies, earning powerful boons and keeping the focus on his naval strength while establishing strategic Sea Patrol Outposts and Elven Colonies.
    • New Units: Aislinn’s roster is dripping with nautical might, including the fearsome Merwyrm monster, the monstrous Oceanids and Sea Elementals, and the versatile, eagle-powered Lothern Skycutters. A true master of the oceans, he is also joined by the Legendary Hero Caradryan.

    Aislinn offers a refreshingly aggressive and mobile campaign for the Asur, rewarding daring strikes and true mastery of the campaign map’s waterways.

    The Serpentine Scourge: Dechala the Denied One (Slaanesh)

    For the followers of the Prince of Pleasure, Dechala the Denied One embodies the perfect fusion of beauty and brutality. This serpentine warlord focuses on conquest and the accumulation of Decadence to fuel her ever-growing obsession.

    • Unique Mechanic: Pillars of Cruelty: Dechala doesn’t just conquer; she converts. Conquered settlements can be turned into Thrall Camps (for economic gain), Tormentor’s Holds (for military and defence), or extravagant Pleasure Palaces (for advanced buildings and boons).
    • Decadence & Power: By waging her campaign of excess, Dechala gains the unique currency of Decadence, which is essential for expanding her Pleasure Palaces and unlocking dark, powerful abilities on the campaign and battlefield.
    • New Units: Dechala’s armies are a terrifying spectacle of excess, introducing new units like the monstrous flying Preyton, the frenzied Slaangors, and powerful new Slaaneshi Infantry variants like Pleasureseekers and Devotees of Slaanesh.

    Dechala’s campaign is a whirlwind of swift conquest and macabre resource management, perfect for players who enjoy a fast-paced, high-risk, high-reward playstyle.

    The Master Schemer: Sayl the Faithless (Norsca)

    Rounding out the trio is the treacherous Sorcerer, Sayl the Faithless, bringing a whole new level of cunning and manipulation to the brutal Norsca faction.

    • Unique Mechanic: Manipulations: Sayl is a master schemer, using his insidious Manipulations to sow chaos among his enemies. These powerful actions can disrupt army logistics, damage settlements, and even sever diplomatic ties between your foes! But be wary—too much trickery can attract Dark Attention with painful consequences.
    • Dark Ritual: Ever-thirsty for sorcerous power, Sayl builds Chaos Altars to charge his Dark Ritual. This questline involves bespoke battles, dilemmas, and events, all leading to the ultimate arcane prize.
    • New Units: Sayl brings some truly monstrous additions to Norsca’s roster, including the two-headed giant Curs’d Ettin, the terrifying Dread Maw, and armoured infantry variants like the Marauder Bearmen. He is also accompanied by the Legendary Hero Beorg Bearstruck.

    Sayl offers a more cerebral Norscan campaign, blending classic raiding with a sophisticated, Machiavellian political game.

    More than Just DLC: Free Update 7.0 Content

    The Tides of Torment release is accompanied by a massive free update for all players, Update 7.0, which introduces significant reworks and free Legendary Lords:

    • Free Legendary Lord: The Masque of Slaanesh: All players will be able to take command of The Masque, whose unique campaign mechanic, The Eternal Dance, rewards aggressive and constant movement across the map with escalating bonuses.
    • High Elf & Norsca Overhauls: The update includes sweeping changes for both races. High Elves gain the new Patrons of the Realm feature to vie for influence, while Norsca receives a much-anticipated overhaul, including a new Pillaging faction feature.

    Tides of Torment promises to deliver some of the most unique and distinctive campaigns in the entire trilogy. Whether you seek glorious battle, decadent indulgence, or the thrill of betrayal, there’s a new Legendary Lord waiting to lead your legions to victory!

    Which Legendary Lord are you most excited to start your next Immortal Empires campaign with? Let me know in the comments!

    Total War: Warhammer III – https://warhammer3.totalwar.com/

    #TotalWarWarhammerIIITidesofTorment #TotalWar #combat #tactics #warhammer #WarhammerIII #TidesofTorment #CREATIVEASSEMBLY #FeralInteractive #SEGA #games #gaming #gamers #videogames

  • Total War: Empire – A Flawed Masterpiece in an Age of Muskets and Sails

    Total War: Empire – A Flawed Masterpiece in an Age of Muskets and Sails

    The year is 1700. The world is on the cusp of a new era defined by gunpowder, colonial expansion, and radical political change. For strategy enthusiasts, this is the perfect playground, and in 2009, Creative Assembly delivered a game that, for better or worse, aimed to capture it all: Empire: Total War.

    More than a decade and a half later, Empire remains a unique entry in the Total War series. It’s a game of immense ambition, a sprawling grand campaign that stretches across three continents and the vast, untamed oceans in between. It was the first Total War to truly embrace the global scale of empire-building, and in doing so, it introduced some of the series’ most iconic and revolutionary features.

    The Grand Campaign: A World of Opportunity

    The core of Empire is its Grand Campaign, a turn-based strategic map that lets you guide one of the great powers of the 18th century. You can choose to lead Great Britain, France, Spain, or any of the other playable factions, each with its own unique challenges and starting positions. The scope is breathtaking. You’ll manage your economy, navigate a complex web of diplomacy, research new technologies, and, of course, build and command your armies and navies.

    The campaign map introduced a new level of complexity. Regions were no longer just single provinces; they now included sub-settlements like farms, mines, and colleges that could be developed and, crucially, raided by enemy forces. This decentralised system of infrastructure added a new layer of strategy, forcing players to protect not just their capital cities, but the entire countryside.

    The Rise of Gunpowder and Naval Warfare

    What truly sets Empire apart are its real-time battles. The shift from sword and shield to musket and cannon fundamentally changed the tactical gameplay. Line infantry, artillery, and cavalry all had to be used in new and innovative ways. Gone were the days of massed charges and flanking manoeuvres of earlier titles; now, victory belonged to the general who could maintain a steady line of fire, utilise terrain to their advantage, and master the new formations required for gunpowder warfare.

    But the biggest leap forward was the introduction of true 3D naval combat. For the first time, players could command vast fleets of sailing ships, engaging in epic broadside duels on beautifully rendered seas. The physics-based sailing, the devastating cannon fire, and the ability to grapple and board enemy ships created a spectacle that was, and in many ways still is, unmatched in the series.

    The Legacy and The Flaws

    Empire: Total War was a landmark game, but its ambition came with significant flaws. The launch was notoriously buggy, and while patches have addressed many of the initial issues, the game still has its quirks. The campaign AI can be frustratingly poor at times, and some of the game’s mechanics, like the simplified regional settlement system, have been criticised for their lack of depth.

    Yet, despite its problems, Empire holds a special place in the hearts of many Total War veterans. It’s a game that dared to be different, to tackle a complex and fascinating period of history with a scale never before seen. The feeling of marching a disciplined line of redcoats into battle, the roar of cannon fire across a battlefield, and the satisfaction of building a global trade empire is an experience that few other games can replicate.

    Is It Still Worth Playing?

    So, is Empire: Total War worth playing in 2025? The answer is a resounding “yes,” but with a caveat. If you’re looking for a perfectly polished, bug-free experience, you might be better served by its spiritual successor, Napoleon: Total War, or a more modern title. However, if you’re a fan of the time period and are willing to embrace its flaws, Empire offers a grand strategic sandbox unlike any other.

    The modding community has also worked wonders on the game, with mods like DarthMod providing significant overhauls to the AI, gameplay, and historical accuracy. These community-driven projects have transformed Empire from a flawed gem into a truly great game, breathing new life into a title that many felt was abandoned too soon.

    Empire: Total War is a monument to what the series is capable of. It’s a testament to the fact that ambition and scope, even when imperfectly executed, can create a truly memorable and enduring gaming experience. It’s a game that lets you rewrite history on a truly global scale, and for that, it will always be a masterwork in the pantheon of grand strategy.

    Total War: Empire https://www.feralinteractive.com/

    #TotalWarEmpire #TotalWar #Empire #FeralInteractive #games #gaming #gamers #history #gunpowder #navalcombat #iOS #Android #strategy #tactics

  • Hitman: Blood Money Reprisal first mission free

    Hitman: Blood Money Reprisal first mission free

    A mysterious agency is looking for new talent and you have been tagged as a prime candidate. Download the Hitman: Blood Money Reprisal app to your mobile device and take on the first mission for free. This is a great way to see if this game is for you and if you want to play it on your smartphone on the commute to work or any other spare time that you may have. Try the game before you buy it, if you choose to buy it will cost you $14.99/£9.99/€12,49.

    To find out more about the Hitman: Blood Money Reprisal game, check out the links below;

    The official game website http://www.hitman.com/

    App Store here https://shorturl.at/kITbj

    Google Play here https://shorturl.at/cKg9B

    #HitmanBloodMoneyReprisal #Hitman #BloodMoney #Reprisal #games #gaming #mobilegames #android #ios #demogame #gametrailer #IOInteractive #FeralInteractive #gameplay