Hypnotize

***Hypnotize*** is an original fighting game created by Illusion Works exclusively for the Pacifico platform as a launch title to be released sometime in summer 2016. It features a group of new characters in a parallel world where they are competing for the title of Hypnotize Extraordinaire, but in order to do so, they will need to defeat every other player who is competing in the tournament alongside them.

Hypnotize's story is very complex and very detailed. The game is set in an open world, which you can travel through at your own pace. However, some of your actions during the free-time can change the story drastically. As the story revolves around knocking other players out of the tournament, the order of players being knocked out can drastically revolutionise the story, making your odds bigger or smaller based on the player knocked out.

The game has been rated "M" by ESRB and "18" by PEGI respectively, as the game has violence, fearful scenes and drug references. The game has been praised for combining a lot of elements into one title, without the elements feeling out of place or not really fitting into the game. The combat system shares a lot of similarities to the likes of *Mortal Kombat*, *Dead or Alive* and *Street Fighter*, but with some different tweaks to make the game seem like less of a carbon copy of a fighting game.

## Plot

The game focuses on the cast of fourteen characters who have been specifically selected for the fighting tournament to end all fighting tournaments. All of the fighters are very experienced and are some of the best fighters in the world, making this tournament a very intense competition to compete in. The participants have to dwell on an island resort until the competition is over, and live in each other's company.

## Gameplay

Hypnotize plays similarly to a standard one versus one fighter game, like *Street Fighter*, *Mortal Kombat* and *Dead or Alive*, where the biggest aim of the game is to defeat your opponent by using a bewildering combination of moves which deal different percentages of damage. Once their health reaches zero, the match finishes and the winner is declared.

Hypnotize puts some unique twists on this standard though, as you can level up moves to make them more powerful. You gain money from defeating enemies and training, which you can invest in levelling up your moves to make the damage they deal per hit increase. This can help you to gain an edge over other players in the tournament, since some are really strong.

### Aura Burst

Aura Burst is the first of three special moves exclusive to the characters of Hypnotize. Aura Burst occurs when a character achieves enough power in order to unleash it in a special move. Every character has one Aura Burst, which reflects their personalities.

## Game Modes

### Hypnotize Extraordinaire

Hypnotize Extraordinaire is the main mode of the game, and the story mode of the game. In this mode, you play through a story of the game where you follow the paths of the fighters as they strive to become the best fighter they can be.

### Hypnotize Towers

Hypnotize Towers are ladder-like fights that you can participate in. You will face off against rapid-fire battles against other characters generated by the AI, and you must defeat the previous one to move onto the next one. Towers can range in the amount of opponents, but the more opponents you must defeat, the more rewards you gain.

Some Towers also reset if you lose a battle, which makes the stakes even higher when playing those harder Towers. Some Towers also include online fights which leaves the door wide open to how difficult the fight will be.

## Characters

In Hypnotize, there are fourteen planned playable characters to choose from in the default roster. They all specialise in one aspect of life, which gives them the title of "Deity". Their title heavily impacts them as a character, and other things about them like their attitude, personality, and move set in the game.

* **May 19, 2016:** *Aruna* revealed as the first playable character.
* **June 15, 2016:** *Freia*, *Saber* and *Agrona* revealed.
* **July 12, 2016:** *Carme*, *Bellatrix*, *Kaiser*, *Saizo*, *Diarmaid* and *West* revealed.
* **July 31, 2016:** West's design was revealed.

## Stages

There are a ton of stages in Hypnotize. A lot of them relate to real life environments, which overall makes the game appear more realistic to view. There is currently an undetermined amount of stages playable in the game, as well as unlocked stages and downloadable stages which will be added after the game's release. So far, there are a total of 40 stages, comprised of 35 default stages, 5 unlocked stages, and 0 downloadable stages.

## Reception

Hypnotize has been positively received thus far.

## Trivia

* Hypnotize has a very flexible storyline, making its replay value very high in terms of content.
* Numerous sequels have been theorized, but they seem unlikely at this point.

PROJECTS:  ※ Ziama Prime ※
Beorn to Die · Born Again · Carpe Diem · DESPAIR · Diamond Days · Dimensional Destruction (Darkest Days) · Dreamcatchers: Burn Wild · Dreamscape · Empire · Fun House · Hymns of Helios · Hypnotic Shrines: Freaks of Nature · **Hypnotize** · Lemonade · Maui Morph · Parvati: Written in the Stars · Queen of Liars · Silhouettes (Fading Silhouettes) · Shrines · Tessellate · The Temple of Paradise

CHARACTERS:
Aaliyah · Adair · Agent Shadow · Aiden · Aloe · Arachnid · Aruna · Ash · Ashanti · Aveira · Black Beauty · Bleak · Blur · Britt · Caoimhe · Charity · Chrysalis · Dailos · Dimitri · Dreamcatchers · Elle Mist · Erisi · Esme · Freia · Georgina Adams · Hattie · Illysia · Ivory · Keke Adara · Kimiko · Kodiak · Laurent · Lecha · Leire · Liana · Lotus · Lucie · Maloha · Maui · Meadow · Mercielle · Mischa · Mneme · Nicome · Osias · Parvati · Phuse · Prudence · Raina · Ramsay · Redd · Roze · Ryoko · Saskia · Sorin · Sovereign · Syron · Tess · Tiffany · Vaughn · Vermilion · Violet · West · Zara · Zvette · Zwei · Zxene