Monthly Archives: April 2015
German retailer reveals box art, August release for Disney Infinity: Star Wars
Ever since Disney Interactive added Lightsabers to Disney Infinity, fans have been waiting for the first full expansion that takes place in a galaxy far, far away. Today, a product listing on Saturn, a German retailer, seems to confirm we’ll actually get to play it this year.
According to Saturn, Disney Infinity 3.0: Star Wars will be released for the PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on August 20. An image of the box shows that Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, will be the two pack-in figures. Other characters depicted on the packaging include Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Princess Leia, C-3PO, and R2-D2.
It’s unlikely this product listing will stay active for very long, but Disney Interactive will probably make an announcement officially confirming the existence of Disney Infinity: Star Wars in the lead-up to this year’s E3 Expo.
Dead Island 2 will now be released in 2016
Deep Silver originally planned to unleash Dead Island 2 on the world in Spring 2015. But with the end of Spring rapidly approaching, that seemed less and less likely by the day. And today, the publisher made it official, announcing on Twitter that the game has been delayed into 2016.
Elaborating on their decision in a TwitLonger post, Deep Silver said: “We have been looking at the game long and hard, and we have decided we didn’t reach that goal we set out to achieve quite yet. This is why we have decided to delay Dead Island 2 to 2016. Right now we are focusing purely on development, and we will have more info to share at a later stage.”
Deep Silver also said they’ll share more about Dead Island 2, which is in development with Yager for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, at “a later stage.”
White Night Review: This Old House
I’m a real sucker for horror games. Ever since I played Shadowgate for the NES, scary and macabre games really struck a chord with me. One of the things I love most about horror games is that there is so much variety. I can paint a wall with zombie brains in one game, outrun a silent killer in the woods in another, and avoid an unstoppable space creature in a third. In the case of the recently-released downloadable title White Night, I found myself in one of my favorite horror settings: the haunted house. Nothing spooks me more than being stalked by an unseen entity. Add in a dark, decrepit mansion and an ever-dwindling supply of light, and you’ve got all the makings of a real fright fest. But where White Night shines in style, the substance makes you feel a bit like you’ve been left in the dark. (more…)
Playtonic’s Project Ukulele becomes Yooka-Laylee as Kickstarter launches tomorrow
Back in February, Playtonic Games announced they were developing Project Ukulele, a spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie. The developer might just have the chops to back up its boast as many former members of Rare, including Steve Mayles, the Character Artist behind the bird-and-bear duo, now call Playtonic home.
Today, Playtonic revealed that Project Ukulele will officially be known as Yooka-Laylee. As expected, the ridiculously great pun hiding in the title is also proof that Yooka-Laylee will also star a pair of animal friends. Yooka is a chameleon with a grapple tongue, while Laylee is a bat with a sonar blast. Both characters will have to work together to traverse their massive world, which you can get a taste of in the gameplay trailer embedded above.
Playtonic wants to bring Yooka-Laylee to “your platform of choice,” but we don’t know yet where the duo will take their platforming act. However, Playtonic plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign for the game tomorrow, and presumably, it’ll reveal quite a bit more about the game.
Daily Scoop: April 30, 2015 – Tons of Saints Row
I’m exhausted today, partially because I spent a good portion of my night doing motion capture for my friend’s video game. My death animation is a little weak, but hopefully with practice I’ll get better!
There’s a brand new Weekly Bundle at Humble, and this one’s all about Indie Game Magazine. Pay what you want for FarSky, Race the Sun, and early access to Arena: Cyler Evolution – Founder’s Pack. Beat the average to unlock Fenix Rage and Wrack. And finally, pay $13 or more to unlock early access to Brawlhalla – Founder’s Pack and Freedom Planet.
The Weekend Deal over at Steam is the Saints Row sale. Saints Row: Gat out of Hell is $13.39, and Saints Row IV: Game of the Century Edition is $7.49. You can also get the Saints Row Ultimate Franchise Pack, which includes 49 items. That’s a lot of Saints Row! The Daily Deal at Steam is Volharr the Viking, which is just $1.99.
Let’s check out today’s batch of t-shirts! (more…)
Nintendo Download: Amiibo Tap, Paper Mario, Karous: The Beast of ReEden, more
It’s another mix of new and old on the Nintendo eShop this week.
Paper Mario was originally released for the N64 in 2001, so it officially qualifies as “old.” But the RPG is still well-loved by fans and will surely be well-loved again as it makes its way to the Wii U eShop today. But if you’re looking for something “new,” Circle Entertainment has added Karous: The Beast of ReEden to the 3DS eShop this week. A vertically-scrolling shooter, The Beast of ReEden is a sequel to Karous, the final game officially released for the Dreamcast.
On the third hand, Amiibo Tap: Nintendo’s Greatest Bits encompasses the best bits of new and old. It’s “old” in that its a randomized collection of scenes from a variety of Nintendo-published NES and Super NES games currently available on the Wii U eShop. The “new” bit comes into play in how you access these scenes. Tapping any Amiibo figure to the Wii U GamePad will unlock a random scene from a game, and tapping a second time will spin the wheel again for a different random scene. Repeat until you’ve gorged on a ton of classic 8-bit and 16-bit games. Best of all, Amiibo Tap is available as a free download.
Also available this week is Heart Beaten. A minigame collection that asks players to literally destroy the heart of an unwanted paramour through a series of retro-styled levels. If you’ve ever wanted to punch a heart right in its heart, now’s your chance.
More information on all of these games (and a few others) can be found after the break. (more…)
N++ will kill you dead with Rockets and Deathballs in these new trailers
Metanet Software is nearing completion on N++, but first they’d like to introduce the game’s enemies to prospective players through a series of trailers. This week, the Rocket takes center stage as the obstacle between N++’s ninja and the gold he seeks. Oh little ninja man, is your side-scrolling pursuit of gold really worth the Rocket-aided obliteration that will surely follow?
In last week’s video, our ninja took on a devilish machine known as a Deathball… and didn’t fare much better. It’s been embedded after the break if you need another dose of brutal stick figure death. And be on the lookout for N++, which will be released for the PS4 sometime this Spring/Summer. (more…)
Overkill’s The Walking Dead is coming to the PC, PS4, Xbox One
Overkill’s The Walking Dead, a cooperative shooter based on the popular comic series, was announced last year from the developers of Payday and Payday 2. Today, Overkill announced they’re partnering with 505 Games to publish the title for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Bo Andersson Klint, the CEO of Overkill’s parent company, Starbreeze Studios, said: “Partnering with 505 Games on the console publishing for Overkill’s The Walking Dead will streamline the distribution and marketing of the title in the traditional space and on the digital console marketplace. Having worked together before on the successful Payday franchise, we are certain this will be a fruitful collaboration.”
Overkill’s The Walking Dead will be released sometime in 2016.