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IO Interactive announces James Bond origin story Project 007
IO Interactive, the creative force behind the wildly-successful Hitman franchise, has found a new espionage-adjacent sandbox to play in. This morning, the developer announced that they’ve reached an agreement with MGM and Eon Productions to create Project 007, the next video game starring James Bond.
James Bond has a long and (mostly) storied legacy when it comes to game adaptations, but Activision bowed out of the spy game in 2012 after the release of 007 Legends, which resigned the Bond license to a state of semi-retirement (much like the character himself in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, License to Kill, Skyfall, and the upcoming No Time To Die).
However, IO Interactive isn’t interested in the end of Bond’s career, but rather the beginning. Project 007 will serve as a “James Bond origin story,” and it won’t just follow the beats of Daniel Craig’s Casino Royale either. The game is said to be “a wholly original Bond story” that will be told “exclusively” as a video game.
“It’s true that once in a while, the stars do align in our industry,” said Hakan Abrak, the CEO of IO Interactive, “Creating an original Bond game is a monumental undertaking and I truly believe that IO Interactive, working closely with our creative partners at EON and MGM, can deliver something extremely special for our players and communities. Our passionate team is excited to unleash their creativity into the iconic James Bond universe and craft the most ambitious game in the history of our studio.”
Project 007 is currently in development for “consoles and computer screens,” and a Teaser Trailer has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Project 007
Pac-Man is the latest retro icon to get his own battle royale with Pac-Man: Mega Tunnel Battle
Somewhere deep in the heart of Silicon Valley lies the Battle Royale Wheel. However, this metaphorical apparatus doesn’t sit on the stage of any game show. Instead, gaming’s greatest minds periodically spin it and award a new battle royale game to some classic franchise.
We saw it with Tetris 99. We saw it with Super Mario Bros. 35. And now the wheel spins again and lands on Pac-Man: Mega Tunnel Battle.
Announced earlier today by Bandai Namco, Pac-Man: Mega Tunnel Battle will appear “First On Stadia,” and it’ll drop 64 players into a series of interconnected mazes until only one Pac is left standing:
Spread across an interconnected grid of Pac-Man mazes, each player will need to outwit and outlast their competition to be the last Pac-Man standing in this unique take on the battle-royale genre, playable on PCs, laptops, tablets, phones, and TVs through Stadia. In addition to being larger than ever, Pac-Man: Mega Tunnel Battle introduces new power-ups that can change the tide of battle, fun cosmetic unlocks to customize Pac-Man, and a Spectator Mode that allows viewers to become an influential part of the game. Created to celebrate Pac-Man’s 40th anniversary, Pac-Man: Mega Tunnel Battle leverages Google’s cloud gaming platform to create the largest multiplayer Pac-Man game ever developed, enabling up to 64 players to play together.
Pac-Man: Mega Tunnel Battle was developed by Heavy Iron Studios and a free demo is now available to play on Stadia through October 27. The full game will launch for $19.99 on November 17, and will likely make it’s way to additional platforms at a later date.
But first, be sure to chomp down on the Announcement Trailer for Pac-Man: Mega Tunnel Battle that’s been embedded above.
Kombat Pack 2 will add Rambo, Rain, and Mileena to Mortal Kombat 11
“Nothing is over! Nothing! You just don’t turn it off!”
Rambo has been waging his own personal war on the silver screen for almost 40 years, but he’ll take the fight to Mortal Kombat 11 this Fall thanks to his inclusion in the game’s next expansion. Fully voiced by Sylvester Stallone, Rambo’s appearance in Kombat Pack 2 will be flanked by two additional kombatants… franchise favorites Mileena and Rain.
In addition to confirming the existence of a second Kombat Pack, WB Games and NetherRealm Studios also announced that Mortal Kombat 11 is in development for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The new package will be known as Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, and it’ll include all previously-released content, as well as “4K dynamic resolution, enhanced visuals, improved loading times, and cross-generation console compatibility for select mode.” Thankfully, if you already own Mortal Kombat 11 for the PS4 or Xbox One, you’ll receive a free upgrade to the next-gen version of the game.
But if you’re not ready to make the generational jump just yet, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate will also be available for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Kombat Pack 2 and Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate will be released on November 17. In the meantime, be sure to check out the DLC’s first trailer, which has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Tagged Mortal Kombat 11
First Gameplay Trailer for Transformers: Battlegrounds confirms October 23 launch date
Outright Games has unveiled the first Gameplay Trailer for Transformers: Battlegrounds, giving us our first glimpse at a tactical strategy game that’s more than meets the eye.
Featuring the voice cast and character designs from Transformers: Cyberverse, players will take control of an Autobot squadron and fight to keep Megatron and the Decepticons away from the powerful Allspark:
As evil Megatron closes in on the Allspark, Bumblebee and the Autobots need a new commander to help save Earth – you! Assemble your squad and roll out for a battle that will rage from Central City to Cybertron… and even to the local multiplayer arcade!
Transformers: Battlegrounds is currently in development at Coatsink, and will be available on store shelves on October 23 for the PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and as a digital download for the PC through Steam. The developer is also preparing a Digital Deluxe Edition that’ll add four Autobot Skin Packs and the Cube game mode to the standard package.
Nintendo confirms Hades will launch for Switch on September 16
It was just three weeks ago when Supergiant Games announced that “Version 1.0” of Hades would launch for the PC and Switch sometime this Fall.
But it looks like that was a bit of a misdirection as Nintendo confirmed today that the Switch launch for Hades will actually happen next week (which is still technically Summer) on Wednesday, September 16. Presumably, the PC launch for “Version 1.0” will happen on the same day or shortly thereafter.
If you missed out on Hades during its Early Access period, the developer describes it as a roguelike dungeon crawler that builds on concepts from their three previous projects. Supergiant further elaborated on exactly what players can expect from the game in its Nintendo eShop listing:
Hades is a god-like roguelike dungeon crawler that combines the best aspects of Supergiant’s critically acclaimed titles, including the fast-paced action of Bastion, the rich atmosphere and depth of Transistor, and the character-driven storytelling of Pyre.
Battle Out of Hell
As the immortal Prince of the Underworld, you’ll wield the powers and mythic weapons of Olympus to break free from the clutches of the god of the dead himself, while growing stronger and unraveling more of the story with each unique escape attempt.Unleash the Fury of Olympus
The Olympians have your back! Meet Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, and many more, and choose from their dozens of powerful Boons that enhance your abilities. There are thousands of viable character builds to discover as you go.Befriend Gods, Ghosts, and Monsters
A fully-voiced cast of colorful, larger-than-life characters is waiting to meet you! Grow your relationships with them, and experience thousands of unique story events as you learn about what’s really at stake for this big, dysfunctional family.Built For Replayability
New surprises await each time you delve into the ever-shifting Underworld, whose guardian bosses will remember you. Use the powerful Mirror of Night to grow permanently stronger, and give yourself a leg up the next time you run away from home.Nothing Is Impossible
Permanent upgrades mean you don’t have to be a god yourself to experience the exciting combat and gripping story. Though, if you happen to be one, crank up the challenge and get ready for some white-knuckle action that will put your well-practiced skills to the test.Signature Supergiant Style
The rich, atmospheric presentation and unique melding of gameplay and narrative that’s been core to Supergiant’s games is here in full force: spectacular hand-painted environments and a blood-pumping original score bring the Underworld to life.
Hades is widely expected to launch for other platforms in the future, though no official announcement has been made by Supergiant as of yet.
UPDATE #1 (September 10 @ 5:00 PM): Nintendo just resent this week’s “Nintendo Download” announcement with a corrected release date for Hades.
The launch date for Supergiant’s procedurally-generated game in the press release is now listed as “Fall 2020.” However, it’s also still included among a list of games that are “new this week” on the Nintendo eShop. So while its inclusion was likely a mistake, I guess we’re just going to have to wait until September 16th and see what happens.
UPDATE #2 (September 17 @ 7:00 AM): September 16th has come and gone, and Hades is currently unavailable on the Nintendo eShop.
UPDATE #3 (September 17 @ 10:15 AM): The latest Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase has confirmed that Hades will launch for the Switch later today (and a quick check of Steam and the Epic Games Store shows that the “Version 1.0” update is now available for PC). I think we’re finally done here!
Rise of the Triad Remastered will be released for PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One in 2021
3D Realms might seem like a name from another era, especially after Duke Nukem Forever‘s protracted development seemingly doomed the company to obscurity. But its output from 1996 through 2001 (which includes Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior, and Max Payne) was groundbreaking at the time, and is still fondly remembered today.
So it shouldn’t be surprising that while its a bit smaller nowadays, the publishing house has continuously kept the lights on since its founding in 1987 as Apogee Software.
It’s true, 3D Realms never really went away, and they’re even looking to expand in 2020. As part of this plan, they hosted Realms Deep, a virtual convention dedicated to their current projects. Possibly the biggest announcement to come out of Realms Deep this weekend was the reveal of Rise of the Triad Remastered.
Rise of the Triad was originally conceived as a sequel to id Software’s Wolfenstein 3D, but the developer canceled the contract in 1993 to keep players focused on Doom, which launched that December. So 3D Realms rebuilt Rise of the Triad into an original title and released it on their own in 1995. In the years since, the game has developed a loyal (but very small) cult following.
Frederik Schreiber, the current Vice President of 3D Realms, introduced the Remastered re-release in the trailer embedded above, and promised that it’ll be a “brand new source port” for the PC, PlayStation (presumably the PS4), Switch, and Xbox (presumably the Xbox One). The game will also include widescreen support, mouse look, and a revamped multiplayer mode.
Rise of the Triad Remastered will be co-developed by 3D Realms and Destructive Creations, and it’ll be available in 2021.
The Video Game Canon’s 2020 Update is Here
The Video Game Canon is a statistical meta-ranking of dozens of “Best Video Games of All Time” lists that began in 2017 with Version 1.0, and the ranking has been updated several times since then. Which game is #1? There’s only one way to find out…
The latest update to the Video Game Canon, Version 4.0, has arrived!
The Video Game Canon now includes a total of 1,232 games, which were pulled from 59 “Best Video Games of All Time” lists published between 1995 and 2020. Each game was ranked against the rest of the field using the C-Score, a formula that takes into account a game’s “Average Ranking” and the complementary percentage of its “Appearance Frequency” across all lists.
Finally, games released after December 31, 2016 were excluded from the ranking because of their newness.
Three brand new lists were added to Version 4.0 of the Video Game Canon, including “The 100 Best Video Games in History” from GQ Spain, a “Top 100 Video Games of All Time” ranking from Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture, and a massive look back at “The Best Video Game the Year You Were Born” from Popular Mechanics. Alongside these new additions, updates to IGN‘s “Top 100 Video Games of All Time,” Popular Mechanics‘s “The 100 Greatest Video Games of All Time,” and Slant Magazine‘s “The 100 Best Video Games of All Time” were also added to the calculation. Thanks to reader CriticalCid for providing research assistance with some of these new lists.
But even with all this new data, there was surprisingly very little movement near the top of the Video Game Canon, and the Top 3 was once again represented by Alexey Pajitnov’s Tetris (#1), Valve’s Half-Life 2, and Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 (#3). There was some slight shuffling in the rest of the Top 10, but no new titles were able to crack the highest tier. Nintendo’s classic quartet of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (#4), Super Mario 64 (#5), The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (#6), and Super Metroid (#10) all hung around, as did Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us (#7), Irrational’s BioShock (#8), and Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption (#9).
Things get more interesting as you move further down the Top 100, especially for the 2015 and 2016 releases that now qualify for inclusion in the Video Game Canon.
Visit VideoGameCanon.com to learn more about this year’s update to the big list and to explore the rest of the Top 1000.
See the first trailer for Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part One
Gas up your chainsaw and sharpen your Doomblade, Bethesda and id Software have announced that Doom Eternal‘s first expansion will arrive on October 20.
Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part One will bring players back to Urdak to fight “fierce new demons” as the Doom Slayer travels through a variety of “never-before-seen locations in the Doom universe”:
Your war is not over… slaying the Khan Maykr left an imbalance of power that threatens all of creation. With the aid of an old ally, battle your way back to Urdak and decide the fate of the cosmos. Your mission is now your own.
The Ancient Gods Part One will be released as one half of Doom Eternal’s Year One Pass, and the story will conclude in The Ancient Gods Part Two, which is expected to follow sometime in late 2020 or early 2021, though no official announcement about its launch has been made.
And in a surprising twist, Bethesda also announced that players interested in the expansion won’t need to own Doom Eternal to play it. In addition to its inclusion in the Year One Pass, The Ancient Gods will also launch as a standalone game.
But for now, the first trailer for Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part One has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Tagged Doom Eternal