Today at Ubisoft Forward, Ubisoft announced that Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction, the next mainline instalment in the Rainbow Six franchise.

Formerly titled Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Quarantine, Rainbow Six Extraction is being led by a seasoned team of veterans at Ubisoft Montreal.

Inspired by the long-standing legacy of co-op Rainbow Six shooters, Rainbow Six Extraction is a brand new tactical co-op PvE experience bringing operators together to fight against a mysterious threat.

Three years ago, in the quaint town of Truth and Consequences, a meteor crashed down on a New Mexico community, releasing an unknown parasite.

A handful of operators from Rainbow Six Siege seemingly contained the initial outbreak – until the Chimera parasite reappeared in multiple sites across the U.S., deadlier than ever.

To take on this threat, the Rainbow Exogenous Analysis & Containment Team (REACT), a highly specialized and outfitted organisation was formed by Eliza “Ash” Cohen, Dr. Elena “Mira” Álvarez, and Jordan “Thermite” Trace.

In Extraction, players will join the REACT Team and assemble a one to three-player squad of well-known and beloved operators from Rainbow Six Siege to confront mysterious alien creatures known as the Archæans.

After completing each objective, players must make a difficult choice: extract and collect their rewards or push deeper to face tougher enemies and earn greater rewards in a chaotic and intense experience. This gamble could mean temporarily losing one of their operators who are caught Missing in Action (MIA) within the containment zone.

To recover an MIA operator, players must squad up and risk it all in a rescue mission.

Choose from 18 Rainbow Six operators, each equipped with specialised REACT gear, weapons, gadgets, and abilities to learn and master, lending to highly replayable and immersive gameplay.

The uniqueness and different playstyle of each operator allows for limitless options in customising a roster; striking the right balance on each REACT squad will be the key to success. Deploying into unpredictable containment zones with strategic loadouts will be integral to gathering the intel needed to stop the alien threat.

Set in four regions across the U.S., containment zones are aggressively dominated by the parasite, creating an evolving and unstable ecosystem within their walls.

With a selection of 12 uniquely designed maps featuring plenty of challenges, infestations, and enemies who increase in difficulty, the dangers are constantly evolving. The deeper players go into each map, the richer the rewards, but greater the risks their squad will face.

Players who own and play both Rainbow Six Siege and Rainbow Six Extraction will instantly unlock the entire roster of 18 operators in Rainbow Six Siege, and players will receive the elite United Front cosmetic bundles in both games.

The Standard Edition and Deluxe Edition of Rainbow Six Extraction are available for pre-order now. Players who pre-order Rainbow Six Extraction will receive the Orbital Decay bundle with exclusive Epic items including the Orion uniform and headgear for Finka and Lion, the universal Vaporised weapon skin and the Crashlander charm. Rainbow Six Extraction will also include live service support.

Tom Clancy Rainbow Six Extraction will release worldwide with full cross-play, cross-save, and cross-progression on September 16th, 2021 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Amazon Luna, Stadia, the Ubisoft Store on Windows PC and Ubisoft+, the Ubisoft subscription service.

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During Facebook Connect, Ubisoft announced that it is developing two new games exclusively for the Oculus platform. Based on the Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell franchises, both games deliver the signature fantasy of each brand through the unique immersive experience of VR.

Development of Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell for VR will be led by Ubisoft’s Red Storm Entertainment, in collaboration with Ubisoft Reflections, Ubisoft Düsseldorf and Ubisoft Mumbai. Both games will be created from the ground up specifically for the Oculus platform, and each will include elements from the franchises that fans know and love. By bringing Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell to VR, Ubisoft is continuing to innovate in this growing sector. A pioneer of new technology, Ubisoft has been developing VR experiences since 2016, with titles like Eagle Flight, Werewolves Within, and Star Trek Bridge Crew — all of which are available on the Oculus platform.

“We are always exploring new ways we can leverage technology to help us create memorable gaming experiences,” said Elizabeth Loverso, Vice President of Product Development, Ubisoft’s Red Storm Entertainment. “Oculus’s state-of-the-art hardware will enable us to bring the worlds of Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell to life for fans in a new way. These games will take full advantage of Oculus’s technology to deliver immersive, visceral experiences that players won’t be able to find anywhere else.”

“We’re thrilled to work with Ubisoft in bringing two of their AAA franchises to VR. They’re an exceptional partner consistently creating ground-breaking content, and Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell on the Oculus platform will be no different. Players will have dramatic, immersive experiences inside beloved worlds previously only available in 2D, and we’re so eager to bring these made-for-VR games to franchise fans and new audiences alike,” said Mike Verdu, VP of Content, Facebook Reality Labs.

Both titles are scheduled to release in the next couple of months.

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Today, during the Ubisoft Forward digital conference, Ubisoft announced that Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad, a free-to-play mobile RPG featuring iconic characters from the Tom Clancy‘s universe, will release worldwide on August 27th, 2020 for iOS and Android devices.

Players can pre-register now from the App Store and on Google Play to unlock an exclusive in-game reward, a weapon for Montagne, the iconic operator from Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege.

Developed by Ubisoft Owlient, Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad is a military mobile RPG based on the lore of Tom Clancy’s video game series including Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, The Division and Rainbow Six. For the first time, players will be able to assemble a team of legendary characters from the Tom Clancy’s universe, including Caveira, Sam Fisher, El Sueño, Montagne, Nomad and more.

Players have access to 70 iconic characters along with countless weapons, gear pieces and unique abilities to upgrade and build the deadliest squad. As commander, players will lead their squad in dynamic 5×5 shooting battles on the most epic battlefields, including the Base of Operations from Tom Clancy’s The Division and Valletta, Malta, from Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction. Players will need to activate game-changing orders at the perfect moment during battle to come out on top and defeat their opponent’s squad.

Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad includes a thrilling campaign mode, introducing a brand-new Tom Clancy’s storyline where players will have to face a new threat to save the world. The campaign will feature multiple chapters, with a variety of unlockable soldiers and unique narrative scenes.

Along with the campaign, players can challenge other squads in the arena for intense PvP battles or even join forces in epic guild wars for an immersive and competitive experience.

Players can pre-register from the App Store and on Google Play to get their exclusive reward when the game releases worldwide.

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The Ghost are back, this time trapped on a hi-tech island under siege by a one of their own, gone bad.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint is the follow up to 2017’s Ghost Recon Wildlands. The new game swaps the drug-fuelled warzone of Bolivia for the far less contentious fictional island of Auroa, the South Pacific Island paradise of tech billionaire, Jace Skell.

Unfortunately, the island has been taken over by Skell’s security company, Sentinel. They, in turn, have drafted in rogue Ghost, Lieutenant Colonel Cole D. Walker, who you may remember from the recent Wildlands Operation Oracle DLC mission. Walker is played by The Punisher, himself, Jon Bernthal. Yep, this time it’s personal.

The game starts with the Ghosts getting dispatched to Auroa following the mysterious sinking of the USS Seay, off the coast of the island. As the platoon approaches their helicopters are attacked by a drone swarm. Injured, alone and behind enemy lines the player has to find and make contact with the surviving members of the team.

Once again, players take on the role of Lieutenant Colonel Anthony “Nomad” Perryman. You can play as a male or female character, Anthony being an interesting name for a woman, though.

Ubisoft have long been privy to the game creation algorithms that make them work. Like digital MSG, adding tried and tested game mechanics to an otherwise bland idea makes for a better, if still slightly unfulfilling gaming experience.

And that’s what we have here.

Ubisoft have really thrown the kitchen sink at this one. They’ve stuffed in every game mechanic they could find. I wouldn’t be surprise if there weren’t some Rabbids lurking in the code, somewhere.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice having lots to do. But Breakpoint has an overwhelming amount of side-quests, missions, crafting and activities held together by such a nose-bleed inducing menu system.

When carefully curated, Ubisoft’s open-world game mechanics work amazingly well in the likes of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, The Division 2, and even Ghost Recon Wildlands. The Breakpoint development team seems to have lacked the restraint or just run out of time to coherently meld these gaming components together.

Breakpoint borrows Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s exploration mode, which makes players search for locations using clues rather than just highlighting the next location on the map. It works well in Assassin’s Creed and kind-of works here. It’s just that the map and menus are so busy it’s easy to get lost in it all.

Even though the visuals were crisp and the game ran buttery smooth, it was rather unstable running on the review rig: an Intel i9 9900K, Asus ROG Z370 and an Nvidia RTX 2080ti. I experienced quite a few crashes to desktop as well as a few BSODs. Very unusual for me with the review rig, which is otherwise solid as a rock. I’m sure this sort of thing will get patched out, as it is after all, part and parcel with PC gaming.

As part of the review I revisited Ghost Recon Wildlands. Despite its technical advances, the 2017 game shows up Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Bolivia looks stunning and real in Wildlands, whilst the island of Auroa is comparatively bland and very generic-looking. That’s not to say that Breakpoint doesn’t look nice, it does. The environment just doesn’t feel as authentic. It looks superficial, especially compared to Wildlands. The mission structure and user interface in Wildlands is refined and easy to follow, rather than the more comprehensive, but messy affair in Breakpoint.

On the plus side, though, the game’s gunsmith mechanic is very good, an improvement on the last game, enabling players to customise their weaponry with interchangeable sights, stocks and barrels. Technically, Breakpoint does build upon Wildlands across the board, but it just doesn’t quite fit together properly.

Even if the landscape does live up to Wildlands’ Bolivia, the island of Auroa is vast and packed with installations and interesting places. The use of a fictional location has enabled the designers the freedom to craft the island’s own history and explore its culture with better world-building and dramatic effect. This time the world fits the story and not the other way around.

There are loads of collectables, weapon parts and clothing upgrades scattered about. Whilst there’s no pause, you can pop on for just a few minutes to hunt down a stash of take out a few bad guys just for the XP. The game has a comprehensive skill tree that includes class specific specialisations.

With a play area so vast, even in a helicopter it takes a while to cross the map, thankfully help is at hand. The games, fast-travel network is handled by bivouac locations. Not only can players quickly travel between these. Building a temporary shelter enables players to apply buffs, retrieve vehicles and skip time.

The world features many advance technologies. The theme of the game is that technology designed for the good of humanity, to enable Skell’s utopian dream has been subverted for use as weaponry. To this end the island is covered with patrol and attack drones, autonomous walking weapons platforms and security robots. The island is also routinely overflown by a predator drone that, if it spots you, will send a platoon of Walker’s elite troops, The Wolves, to hunt you. The Wolves are a formidable enemy, best avoided until you are a high enough level and/or part of a decent multiplayer fireteam.

Whilst the AI teammates from Wildlands sometimes provided more comedy than help (the way used to just appear in your chopper or alongside you out of thin air, for instance), their omission does leave a vacuum. You play Breakpoint alone or with other online players. Apparently, due to fan backlash they are looking to reincorporate your AI teammates in a post-launch patch.

Breakpoint, like its predecessor, is a game designed with multiplayer in mind. There’s a hub area at Mount Hodgson that also acts as a lobby with other players visible, similar to the safe houses in The Division 2. Here you can meet other players and form teams of up to four to experience the game together. There’s also a Ghost War PvP mode, with missions of its own and a raid mode that send your team to Gollum Island. It’s good to see PvP avialble at launch this time, rather than having to wait as we did with Wildlands.

I found Ghost Recon Breakpoint to be a good, fun game. But it’s not really Ghost Recon– having moved so far away from the series’ original concept that it’s practically unrecognisable. The stealth aspect has been whittled away to the point of being inconsequential. Running and gunning will often prevail.

As it stands, Ghost Recon Breakout does its job, it’s entertaining enough. I’ve no doubt that Ubisoft will refine the game into something very special over the next few months. But until then, we are left with a game that a good as it is, has plenty of untapped potential. Despite my reservations, I still had a lot of fun reviewing the game, there’s loads to do, and I’m still enjoying playing it.

The post Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint (PC) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Today, during the E3 press conference, Ubisoft revealed Tom Clancy Rainbow Six Quarantine, the latest installment in the best-selling Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six franchise.

Developed by a new dedicated team at Ubisoft Montreal, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Quarantine is set several years in the future of the Rainbow Six Universe. The Rainbow Operators will face off against a highly lethal new breed of mutated alien parasite infecting human hosts and their surroundings.

“We set out to create a radically re-designed co-op experience built on the foundations of one of the best shooters of this generation. What Siege is to the PVP shooter genre, we want Quarantine to be to co-op.” said Bio Jade Adam-Granger, Lead Game Designer.

Players can prepare to launch into tense, chaotic and totally unpredictable missions as they will risk everything with their squad, every time they step into Quarantine.

This brand-new three-player, tactical co-op shooter will be available early 2020 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC. The game will also be available on Uplay+, Ubisoft’s subscription service for Windows PC.

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Today Ubisoft announced Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint, the latest instalment in the Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon franchise, will be available October 4th, 2019 on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC.

After successfully rebooting the Ghost Recon formula with Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands, Ubisoft Paris has created an entirely new adventure, putting players back in the boots of the Ghosts, an Elite US Special Operations Unit. But this time they are stranded behind enemy lines, facing their toughest enemy to date.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint is a military shooter set in a diverse and hostile open world entirely playable solo or in up to four-player co-op. Players will discover Auroa, a mysterious island where the most technically advanced facilities meet wild and untamed nature. Home to drone creators, tech giant Skell Technology, Auroa has fallen into the wrong hands and all contact has been lost.

The Wolves, a lethal ex–US Military unit of former Ghosts gone rogue, have taken over the island. Led by Nomad’s ex-brother-in-arms, Lt. Colonel Cole D. Walker, portrayed by Jon Bernthal, they have reprogrammed Skell’s drones into killing machines and are ready to use them, no matter the casualties. Nomad and the Ghosts are sent in on a recon mission, but their helicopters are shot down. Injured, without support, and hunted down, players will live an intense military experience as they fight to survive, take down the Wolves and regain control of Auroa.

Steep slopes, accumulating injuries, and fatigue are new challenges for players to tackle as they test their survival skills in the varied terrains of Auroa. To overcome adversity, players will enjoy total freedom to accomplish their missions and have plenty of tactical options and tools at their disposal, including a set of new military features. They will be able to carry enemies and teammates’ bodies, blend into their environment with prone camo and set up camp with teammates in the bivouac to manage equipment, change classes, and fine-tune their strategies.

They will also be able to choose among thousands of customization combinations to create their perfect Ghost, and keep their character and progression through the game in both the main campaign and Player-versus-player (PvP), available at launch.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint will include a robust post-launch content support plan, with regular updates after launch. New story arcs, classes and features will be continuously added, and for the first time in a Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon game, a new type of endgame content: Raids.

Additionally, Ubisoft announced the Gold, Ultimate and Wolves Collector’s Editions of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint as well as the standalone Ubicollectibles figurine of Nomad.

Fans who purchase the Gold, Ultimate, or Collector’s edition will have access to the game up to three days early. Fans who pre-order Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint will receive access to the Ghost Recon Breakpoint Beta closer to launch, as well as the Sentinel Corp. pack which includes exclusive gear.

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The Division 2 is another of Ubisoft’s military shooter to posthumously carry the Tom Clancy name. As with the first game the late novelist had zero input with this post-apocalyptic looter-shooter. But that doesn’t necessarily make it bad. In fact, The Division 2 takes what was good about the first game and makes it a whole lot better.

Seven months have passed since the Black Friday terrorist attack that released the smallpox virus via infected banknotes. Whilst the virus has been contained, America’s leadership is no more. Washington D.C. is in the middle of a civil war between the criminal Hyenas, the fanatical Outcasts and the paramilitary True Sons.

The game starts with the player’s Division agent having journeyed to Washington to aid the Joint Task Force who have set up their base of operations in the White House. Players get straight into the action, unlike many games that force the player to endure twenty minutes of painful exposition at the start. The Division 2 has players create their character and get dropped straight into a sunny summer morning in post-apocalyptic Washington D.C.

And what a glorious backdrop Ubisoft have given us for this third-person sandbox looter-shooter. The US capital has been meticulously modelled at one-to-one scale. Not all of the city is available, but it’s still a sizeable map. The attention to detail is incredible.

The city has seen better days. The streets are littered with faded and torn Christmas decorations. This all looks disturbingly out-of-place in the summer sun. It’s stark reminder that just a few short months ago everything was OK, and now things have gone to hell.

It’s not just the streets that Ubisoft have modelled with intricate detail. Interior locations like the National Aeronautical Museum and the National Museum of American History look absolutely jaw-droppingly good.

The game looks stunning on PS4, but on PC the environment comes alive. The game has a day / night cycle with weather, as well, affecting visibility. It’s very easy to accidentally wander pasts a group of enemies, if you are not careful, and having all hell break loose.

The basic gameplay is identical to the first game. Players inhabit a local instance of the city, effectively a solo experience. The whole campaign game can be played this way. This is the backbone of the game. The player’s agent has arrived in Washington to aid the local population against the enemy elements vying to take over the city.

Starting with the White House as the base of operations, other settlements are unlocked as the game progresses, each with their own missions. As missions are completed, the settlements upgrade opening up new characters and opportunities.

Interactions with other players are 100% down to player choice. If you want to play on your own, you can. You can take on missions solo, or matchmake to find a team. If things get tricky, you can call for support and have other players drop into your game. Similarly, you can respond to other agents’ calls for help and join their game. This makes for a very believable multiplayer scenario that doesn’t break the game’s narrative. It’s entirely logical that Division agents would come to each other’s aid.

Even if you choose to play alone, you can still get non-player character assistance when liberating command posts. Firing the flare gun signals to the local militia that you request assistance, but at the same time alerts the enemy that they are about to be attacked. Liberated command points unlock supply rooms and fast travel points.

Main story missions radiate out from the settlements, with increasing difficulty. The map is divided up into zones corresponding to different level ranges. A low-level player chancing a shortcut though an area with higher level enemies risks certain death. Unlocking safe houses and traversing between fast travel points is the best way to quickly (and safety) get about.

The game features plenty of side missions, enemy encounters- such as disrupting executions, and SHC tech crates to collect. There’s plenty of these little jobs to do between some of the more involved missions, that make it easy to jump on for a quick go without getting tied up for too long. This is handy, as the persistent nature of the game means that there’s no pause button.

Whilst the campaign propels the story, the game is really all about obtaining and maintaining your gear and weapons as you advance your character to the current level 30 cap. Upgrading equipment and provides a satisfying sense of achievement that also alters your character’s look.

Weapons can be modded as you unlock these abilities progressing the game. Adding a reflex sight to a rifle increase accuracy in the middle distance, whilst adding an optical zoom to a sniper rifle allows for some spectacular long-distance one-shot kills. Division agencies also have a fair amount of tech available to them such as automated armed drones and automatic-targeting turrets. All this tech, like everything else can be upgraded allowing players the ability to customise their characters in the way that they want to play.

Players wanting to go up against other players will be pleased to know that there are two Dark Zones in The Division 2. In these multiplayer shared-world areas the kid gloves are off anyone and everyone, other Division agents included, may well be after you. Unlike in the last game, this time players get a tutorial, neatly disguised as an introductory recon mission.

All this would be for nought if the actual gunplay sucked. Well, it doesn’t. In fact (especially on the Nvidia RTX-powered PC version running at 144hz) the firefights are smooth, fun and very rewarding. Enemies duck for cover, flank and try to out manoeuvre you. Unlike many other games, I never once found the AI to be anything but superb. The different enemies in each faction allow for some variety. It’s even not unusual to come across two factions fighting each other. The Division 2 is all about gunfights, so it’s good that they’ve got this aspect licked.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is one of the most superb tactical shooters that I’ve played. Without a doubt, it’s the best looter-shooter I’ve experienced. The subtle way it blends a solo campaign with an optional multiplayer experience is how all multiplayer games should be.

And with a year’s worth of free content updates ahead of us and plenty of endgame activities, The Division 2 is a game that I’ll be returning to in the months ahead.

The post Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 (PS4 / PC) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Ubisoft, in collaboration with DDB Paris and Make Me Pulse, revealed to us here at STG The Division 2 Echo Experience, a unique digital and immersive experience leveraging augmented reality and geolocation technologies, that will embark users into the world of The Division 2.

Accessible through a dedicated experience available exclusively on Messenger, The Division 2 Echo Experience allows fans to dig deeper into the game narrative. Through more than 50 different stories users will discover the everyday lives of the civilians of Washington D.C. seven months after the virus outbreak that hit New York City. Multiple Points of Interest such as grocery stores, schools, gas stations or banks, can be found in each of the cities integrating the experience. Users will be provided their location coordinates thanks to an integrated GPS. While users unlock the Echo stories they will collect rewards and in-game items that will automatically be unlocked when The Division 2 launches via the Ubisoft Club.

Led by Massive Entertainment in collaboration with seven other studios around the world, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is the next evolution in the open-world online shooter RPG genre that the first game helped establish. Set seven months after a deadly virus was released in New York City, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 will bring players into a fractured and collapsing Washington D.C.

The world is on the brink, its people living through the biggest crisis ever faced in human history. As veteran Division agents, players are the last hope against the complete fall of society as enemy factions vie for control of the city. If Washington D.C. is lost, the entire nation falls. Building upon more than two years of listening to and learnings from The Division community, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 will offer a substantial campaign that organically flows into a robust endgame, to create a cohesive and meaningful experience for all types of players.

Users can access The Division 2 Echo Experience on their mobile HERE.

The post The Echo Experience appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

What a year it has been for Xbox gamers.

Getting lost in the open ocean with Sea of Thieves, burning rubber in Forza Motorsport 7 and the added subscription based service of Games Pass which allows exclusive Triple AAA titles to be downloaded and played for free. Xbox also did a honourable nod to gamers with special needs with their Adaptive Controller.

With the next year just around the corner, let’s see what’s in store for the world’s most powerful games console as it leads us in to 2019.

Anthem is a shared-world action-RPG, where Freelancers challenge the wilds past the wall, exploring a vast world filled with savage beasts and ruthless marauders, but also teeming with amazing technology and forgotten treasures. Players will be able to join with their friends to unravel the world’s mysteries and defeat the forces plotting to conquer humanity. Throughout their journeys, players can outfit their Freelancers with powerful Javelin exosuits, each of which are equipped with unique weapons and abilities.

Freelancers can customize their Javelin with gear they earn and craft throughout the adventure, and leave a lasting mark on the world. Anthem is due for release from EA Games in 2019.

From the creators of ARK: Survival Evolved comes ATLAS – a massively multiplayer first-and-third-person fantasy pirate adventure. “ATLAS” will host up to 40,000 players exploring the same Globe simultaneously, with an unprecedented scale of cooperation and conflict. Join an endless adventure of piracy & sailing, exploration & combat, roleplaying & progression, settlement & civilization-building, in one of the largest game worlds ever! Explore, Build, Conquer!

This coming February experience the next gen of Crackdown. It’s time to step up your boom and stop crime as a super-powered Agent in Crackdown 3’s sandbox of cooperative mayhem and destruction, plus an all-new multiplayer mode where destruction is your ultimate weapon. “Crackdown 3” is available at launch on February 15^th with Xbox Game Pass and globally on Xbox One and Windows 10.

One of the hotly anticipated games on my list for 2019 is Devil May Cry 5 from Capcom.  brand-new entry in the legendary over-the-top action series comes to Xbox One in spring 2019, complete with its signature blend of high-octane stylized action and otherworldly and original characters the series is known for. Years have passed since the legions of hell have set foot in this world, but now a new demonic invasion has begun, and humanity’s last hope will rest in the hands of three lone demon hunters, each offering a radically different play style. United by fate and a thirst for vengeance, these demon hunters will have to face their demons if they hope to survive.

Also, Ubisoft will have you diving into a transformed vibrant post apocalyptic Hope County, Montana, 17 years after a global nuclear catastrophe in Far Cry New Dawn. Join fellow survivors from Hope County and lead the fight against the dangerous new threat known as the Highwaymen, and their ruthless leaders The Twins, as they seek to destroy and take over the last remaining resources by any means necessary.

Perhaps one of the more intriguing is the expected 2019 release of Gears of War 5, with Gears of War 4 still one of my go to games, having completed it several times over.

As Kait, journey across the biggest, most beautiful Gears world ever created. Play solo or with a friend in local split-screen co-op, or online co-op and experience every mode in 4K Ultra HD resolution with stunning HDR at a smooth 60 frames per second. Called Gears 5 it will be coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 in 2019 and will be available day and date to Xbox Game Pass members.

Keeping in tune with Gears 5 – perhaps the lighter and weirder announcement from Microsoft Studios is their upcoming Gears Pop, a new Arena Brawler mobile game that brings together iconic Gears characters in the distinctive Funko Pop! style. The game is being developed in partnership with Funko and inspired by the Gears of War vinyl collectible figures. It’s the perfect slice of mobile mayhem, available on iOS and Android in 2019.

Jump Force, which we have covered in a news piece before is slated, also for a 2019 release. This BandaiNamco title sees the greatest heroes and villains from the 50-year history of Shueisha’s influential Japanese Weekly Jump manga will battle against each other across iconic locations across Earth in this anime fan’s dream come true! Featuring the world’s most popular and classic manga and anime franchises including DRAGON BALL Z, ONE PIECE, NARUTO, and many others, players will be able to compete in hyper-stylish arena brawls set against familiar backdrops of famous landmarks around the world, including New York City’s Times Square and the Matterhorn.

Then – we have the juggernaut of fantasy cross-over titles; Kingdom Hearts III. Set in a vast array of Disney worlds, Kingdom Hearts follows the journey of Sora, a young boy and unknowing heir to a spectacular power. Sora is joined by Donald and Goofy to stop an evil force known as the Heartless from invading and overtaking the universe. Through the power of positivity and friendship, Sora, Donald and Goofy unite with iconic Disney-Pixar characters old and new to overcome tremendous challenges and persevere against the darkness threatening their worlds.

Next year is also going to see a reprise of the Metro series. Metro Exodus is an epic, story-driven first person shooter from 4A Games that blends deadly combat and stealth with exploration and survival horror in one of the most immersive game worlds ever created. Explore the Russian wilderness across vast, nonlinear Levels and follow a thrilling storyline that spans an entire year through spring, summer and autumn to the depths of nuclear winter. Inspired by the novels of Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro Exodus continues Artyom’s story in the greatest Metro adventure yet.

If all of the above is not to your liking, there’s always Minecraft.

Minecraft: Dungeons is an action adventure game in the classic dungeon crawler style, where up to four players can fight together to defeat a relentless swarm of new mobs in a quest to save the villagers and take down the evil Arch-Illager. As an all new passion project for PC from a small, dedicated team at Mojang, Minecraft: Dungeons will be the first new title in the Minecraft universe when it releases in 2019.

Another one I am excited for, having loved the first Ori, is Ori and the Will of the Wisps. From the creators of Ori and the Blind Forest, winner of over 50 awards and nominations, comes the highly anticipated sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Embark on an adventure with all-new combat and customization options while exploring a vast and exotic world, encountering larger-than-life enemies and challenging puzzles on your path to unravel Ori’s true destiny. “Ori and the Will of the Wisps” will be launching exclusively on Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs in 2019 and will be available day and date to Xbox Game Pass members.

The oceans of Sea of Thieves will continue to wash over the Xbox gaming landscape in 2019. Sea of Thieves is changing in a big way with its fifth free content update since launch, ‘The Arena.’ Releasing in early 2019, ‘The Arena’ is an all-new competitive game mode that allows players to test their pirating skills in fast-paced matches against rival crews. Each match is a fun, frenetic and action-packed race to find treasure that brings together all the most exciting elements of “Sea of Thieves” – on demand. “Sea of Thieves” is available with Xbox Game Pass and globally on Xbox One and Windows 10 as an Xbox Play Anywhere title.

The Artful Escape of Francis Vendetti is a video game about great expectations, famous folk singers, lingering shadows, space Gods, hallucinogens, individuality, reptile shops, and wild imaginations. It’s an action, adventure, exploration, narrative driven, musical-laser-light-battle kind of game and is the debut release from BEETHOVEN & DINOSAUR.

Kick in some sci-fi action, The Outer Worlds is a new single-player first-person RPG from Obsidian Entertainment and Private Division. Lost in transit while on a colonist ship bound for the furthest edge of the galaxy, you awake decades later only to find yourself in the midst of a deep conspiracy threatening to destroy the Halcyon colony. As you explore the furthest reaches of space and encounter various factions, all vying for power, the character you decide to become will determine how this player-driven story unfolds. In the corporate equation for the colony, you are the unplanned variable.

Tom Clancy’s: The Division 2 will explode in to 2019. Developed by Ubisoft Massive and the same teams that brought you Tom Clancy’s The Division, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is an online open-world, action-shooter RPG experience set in a collapsing and fractured Washington, D.C. This rich new setting combines a wide variety of beautiful, iconic and realistic environments where the player will experience the series’ trademark for authenticity in world- building, rich RPG systems, and fast-paced action like never before. Play solo or co-op with a team of up to four players to complete a wide range of activities, from the main campaign and adversarial PvP matches to the Dark Zone — where anything can happen.

Throwing a bit of indie goodness in, Tunic from devs Finji is an isometric action adventure about a tiny fox in a big world. Embark on an adventuresome quest-about set in that place just beyond the farthest you’ve ever been! Explore ancient ruins, fight monsters and uncover mysterious secrets. The world is big and scary — so be brave, little one!

And finally in this 2019 Xbox round up is from the creators of Wasteland 2 and Torment: Tides of Numenera comes Wasteland 3! Following the critically acclaimed releases of 2014’s Wasteland 2 and 2015’s Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut, fans have been clamoring for a direct sequel.

Wasteland 3 will feature a deep and engaging story utilizing a newly-revamped dialog tree system from the celebrated writers of Torment: Tides of Numenera, along with a renewed focus on our trademark complex story reactivity and strategic combat that evolves on Wasteland 2’s deep tactical turn-based combat and unique encounter design. Play by yourself or with a friend in story-driven synchronous or asynchronous multiplayer to face difficult moral choices and make sacrifices that will change the game world.

So there we have it Xbox One gamers – here’s what’s in store for the next 12 months from Xbox. A couple of first party surprises and alot of third party goodness to welcome in another year.

The post Xbox to take you in to 2019 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

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.”

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.

The post Ubisoft & HyperX Renew Their Partnership appeared first on Shane the Gamer.