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First Impressions -- Art of Murder: FBI Confidential

by: Randy -
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Polish-based game developer and publisher, City Interactive, shipped both the first-person shooter, Code of Honor 2: Conspiracy Island, and point-and-click adventure, Art of Murder: FBI Confidential, to US and Canadian retailers yesterday.

I've pessimistically touched on the opening chapter of Art of Murder -- wondering exactly when the Sun Tzu inference in the title will become relevant -- but have found a thus-far competent-minded adventure.  The pants-suited Nicole Bonnet, a straight-laced rookie, has a rough first day on the job.  Her dry-wit partner sends her immediately out on a coffee run, only to have her return to the scene and find a fatal bullet buried in her partner's gut.  "Take Nick the message," he says.  It's a cryptic but not excitingly cryptic hook for a point-and-click game that's already getting tripped up on some unimportant details.  (Oh, I have to put the paper in the laserjet before I can print out my report.  Oh, I accidentally set the paper down in front of the tray, blocking my ability to put the paper into the tray, so that I can print out my report.  Wow, kids.  Just like real life.) 

The crisp visuals ensconce characters that are fleshing themselves out at a breakneck pace, and so far Art of Murder is aiming for a dark, contemporary, no-frills setup, as opposed to a Raymond Chandler-esque noir, or a hyper color-saturated CSI: Miami vibe.  Puzzling through rooms makes enough sense so far, which is a good start, but strangely plops you right into the least-gripping part of any investigator's day:  Filing.  Hopefully this won't become a staple set of actions to carry on with throughout the adventure, which will put Agent Bonnet on the trail of a macabre, ritual murderer that's killing rich New York citizens.

CODE OF HONOR 2: CONSPIRACY ISLAND PC GAME SHOOTS INTO RETAILERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

 

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., July 29, 2008 -- International game developer and publisher City Interactive is thrilled to announce it has shipped its new first-person shooter PC game Code of Honor 2: Conspiracy Island into U.S. and Canadian retailers. One of the first titles the Polish-based company will release in the North American markets, Code of Honor 2 is competitively priced at $19.99, offering gamers a great game and a great value.

 

Code of Honor 2: Conspiracy Island features nine exciting game levels that allow the player to experience rousing action as they try to save the region of Guiana after a terrorist group gains control of an experimental nuclear reactor.

 

Harnessing the JupiterEX engine, the next-gen engine creating astonishing graphics and intense special effects, Code of Honor 2: Conspiracy Island offers players heart-pounding first-person shooter action, as well as a dramatic storyline.

 

“The JupiterEx engine allows players to have a more realistic gaming experience. Combined with our suspense-creating soundtrack, players will immediately feel immersed in the experience,” said Mark S. Rudolph, Marketing & Operations Manager, City Interactive. “Shooter fans will not be disappointed as they accept the challenge to test their military gaming skills in this intense new game -- and at a competitive price point of $19.99, Code of Honor 2 offers a great game for the money.”

 

Game features include:

 

·         Nine different missions filled with a dramatic storyline – as a member of the Foreign Legion, players must fight to regain command of a nuclear reactor after a rebel army assumes control

·         Players must travel through rugged terrain including a labyrinth of caves, a 19th century prison, research facilities and more to stop the enemy and obtain the nuclear reactor

·         The modified JupiterEX Engine delivers dazing graphics that immerses the player in a realistic world of stunning detail, dynamic

lighting and breathtaking effects; the engine also provides outstanding AI

·         Special effects new to the series include a covert firing system that allows the player to “blind fire” from behind walls or low obstacles; a new “bullet penetration” special effect, allowing the player to shoot enemies taking cover behind thin walls or barriers; and weapon modification features so the player can modify his main firearm for maximum results (sniper mode to assault mode at any time during the game)

·         Two totally different endings to extend gameplay

 

Quick Facts:

Developed and published by City Interactive

Suggested Retail Price: $19.99

Rating: XX

 

Minimum System Requirements: Windows 98 SE/ME/2000/XP(SP2), DirectX 8.1, CPU 1 GHz, 512 MB RAM, video card Nvidia GeForce or ATI Radeon 32 MB RAM, DirectX 8.1 compatible, 1 GB of free HDD, DVD-ROM 4x or faster, mouse, keyboard, sound card compatible with Direct 8.1

 

About City Interactive: City Interactive is an international video game publisher and developer. With a broad range of high quality products for the PC, Handhelds and Next-Gen consoles, City Interactive has secured a strong position on the entertainment map. With a presence in more than 40 markets on four continents, City Interactive is one of the world’s fastest growing electronic entertainment companies with four in-house development studios located across Poland and Peru. Headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, the company operates through offices in Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and Peru. Since November 2007, City Interactive has been publicly listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

 

THE MYSTERY BEGINS AS CITY INTERACTIVE SHIPS ART OF MURDER: FBI CONFIDENTIAL PC GAME INTO  U.S. AND CANADIAN RETAILERS NATIONWIDE

 

Players will experience the thrill of becoming the lead FBI agent in a murder case and solve puzzles in order to catch a psychotic killer

 

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., July 29, 2008 -- International game developer and publisher City Interactive is proud to announce that its first North American PC game, the award-wining, classic point-and-click adventure, Art of Murder: FBI Confidential, ships to retailers today.  Designed by the creators of the popular PC adventure games Schizm, Art of Murder: FBI Confidential offers players a dark and intriguing storyline enhanced by stunning 3D graphics and realistic sound effects.

 

In Art of Murder: FBI Confidential players become rookie FBI agent Nicole Bonnet who must solve puzzles and combine facts to solve the mystery behind a series of macabre ritual murders that are targeting wealthy New York citizens.

 

“In the past, point and click games have been slow paced with poor graphics -- we believe that Art of Murder changes everything about this game format,” said Mark S. Rudolph, Marketing & Operations Manager, City Interactive. “With realistic graphics and fast-paced gameplay, Art of Murder is designed in a way that will invite players to indulge themselves in the mystery.”

 

Game features include:

 

·         A dark and intriguing storyline full of unexpected plot twists, unique characters, interesting dialogue, and well-designed puzzles.

·         An atmosphere packed with tension, resulting from a combination of an exceptional storyline with beautiful visuals, original music, and realistic sound effects.

·         Nearly 20 in-game characters, 100 puzzles, 15 main locations (200 pre-rendered images in total), and 5,000 dialogue lines.

·         Amazingly detailed and varied pre-rendered images, enhanced with background animations.  The graphics were designed by some of the best graphic artists and the art directors in Poland.

·         Three-dimensional characters, which move in a natural way, and cast realistic shadows.

·         High-quality video cut-scenes.

 

Quick Facts:

Published by City Interactive

UPC Code: 5-906961-198860

Suggested Retail Price: $19.99

ESRB Rating: T

 

Minimum System Requirements: Windows 98 SE/ME/2000/XP(SP2), DirectX 8.1, CPU 1 GHz, 512 MB RAM, video card Nvidia GeForce or ATI Radeon 32 MB RAM, DirectX 8.1 compatible, 1 GB of free HDD, DVD-ROM 4x or faster, mouse, keyboard, sound card compatible with Direct 8.1, laptop compatible.

 

About City Interactive:

City Interactive is an international video game publisher and developer. With a broad range of high quality products for the PC, Handhelds and Next-Gen consoles, City Interactive has secured a strong position on the entertainment map. With a presence in more than 40 markets on four continents, City Interactive is one of the world’s fastest growing electronic entertainment companies with four in-house development studios located across Poland and Peru. Headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, the company operates through offices in Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Peru and soon in Brazil. Since November 2007, City Interactive has been publicly listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.