Monthly Archives: June 2017

Square Enix will bring Dissidia Final Fantasy NT to the PS4 in Early 2018

Posted on June 7, 2017 by John Scalzo

The third game in the Dissidia Final Fantasy series has been available in Japanese arcades since 2015, but this morning, Square Enix confirmed it’ll be released for the PS4 in Early 2018 as Dissidia Final Fantasy NT. In development at Team Ninja, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is a team-based brawler that “pits legendary heroes and villains from the Final Fantasy franchise together in epic and strategic battles”:

Offering strategic online and offline play, players can select from over 20 legendary characters and familiar summons, including Ifrit, Shiva and Odin, to bring into three versus three battles. The game also brings back the Dissidia series’ unique “bravery combat system,” alongside unparalleled visuals and seamless gameplay.

The first trailer for Dissidia Final Fantasy NT has been embedded above, and Square Enix has announced plans to further unveil the game at this year’s E3 Expo. Geoff Keighley’s E3 Coliseum will host a panel for the game featuring Producer Ichiro Hazama, Director Takeo Kujiraoka, Echo Fox’s Justin Wong, and Kenneth “K-Brad” Bradley on Tuesday, June 13, at 6:15 PM (Eastern Time).

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Wipeout Omega Collection, Perception, Elder Scrolls Online Morrowind, more added to PS Store this week

Posted on June 7, 2017 by John Scalzo

The PlayStation Store is racing for the future with this week’s update…

First up is the Wipeout: Omega Collection, a new PS4 compilation featuring the last two games in the series. The futuristic racing franchise may have faded away in 2012, but Sony is hoping that fans will want to replay Wipeout HD, its Fury expansion, and Wipeout 2048 one more time with enhanced graphics and sound.

Also available to download this week is a different kind of racing game from Codemasters. The publisher has relaunched its off-road racing series with Dirt 4 for the PS4. Including more than 50 vehicles and an almost unlimited number of routes, Dirt 4 will keep fans busy for quite a while. And speaking of dedicated fans, Bethesda is returning to the island of Vvardenfell for new adventures in The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind for the PS4.

Finally this week, PS4 players will get the chance to download the Diablo-like Victor Vran and Perception, a first-person narrative adventure created by a team of developers who previously worked on BioShock and Dead Space. Telltale will also launch Guardians of the Galaxy – Episode 2: Under Pressure, the newest episode in their Marvel adaptation.

You can learn more about all of these games (and nearly a dozen other new releases) after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PS4, Vita | Tagged , , , , ,

Gears of War 4’s “Rise of the Horde” update adds new Skills, Achievements, Inconceivable difficulty, and more

Posted on June 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Rise of the Horde, the biggest update yet for Gears of War 4, is now available to download for free. The update features a massive update to Horde Mode, along with new difficulty modes, maps, and Achievements. But before you jump in, the Xbox Wire has a complete rundown of what’s included in Rise of the Horde:

Horde is getting a massive shakeup with the arrival of Rise of the Horde, with 15 brand new Horde Skills (three per Class) to collect, Level 6 skills, Loot Drops, tuning changes and new difficulty levels!

Microsoft will also add an “Inconceivable” difficulty level to Horde Mode and the Campaign, as well as an Ironman option for players that want to complete Gears of War 4 without dying. Once again, Xbox Wire delivered the details:

In Horde, Inconceivable is a direct step up from Insane – you’ll be even weaker, and your enemies will be even stronger. Level up your skills to their new Level 6 peak and maximize the bonuses of your classes if you want to get through all 50 Waves of Inconceivable.

In Campaign, Inconceivable takes a more Survival based twist, giving you less health than Insane difficulty but also less health to your enemies. That’s because surviving on Inconceivable is all about effectiveness – weapons and crates drop significantly less ammunition, so you’ll have to make every shot count with whatever pickups you can find on the battlefield.

The Rise of the Horde update also includes remakes of two classic Gears maps (“Avalanche” from Gears of War 2 and “Rust Lung” from Gears of War 3), along with 30 new Achievements worth 500 Gamerscore.

Finally, if you haven’t had a chance to play Gears of War 4 yet, Microsoft also announced plans to offer a free demo of the game through the Xbox Games Store between June 9th and June 15th.

Posted in News, PC, Xbox One | Tagged

Daily Scoop: June 6, 2017 – It’s Not A Lie… If You Believe It

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Holly Scalzo

It is Tuesday, and I am still here sitting in for Nicole. And still sorry about that. Anyway, I’m sure you’d like the update I have on her mysterious whereabouts. Her last message, which spurred me to find her, was in email form, and detailed finding what seemed to be interconnected caverns leading underground in the Andes. She had been exploring these dark grottoes at length and wrote this cryptic missive:

I now understand the folly of humanity. I sought to unmask these ancient ones but I was naive. What hideous things would recede into underground cities and hibernate for eons. You will think me mad — and perhaps I am, but I have written everything down in my journal lest I do not make it back after venturing into the labyrinthine nether realm. But my notes…what I have detailed…the horror… Are these notes an elegy to the past or a warning to the future? Send Bawls.

More tomorrow, my friends. And now, to the sales.

Steam’s “Midweek Madness Sale” has The Evil Within for 50% off (sale good until Friday at 1:00 PM Eastern Time). Until June 13th, they also have 25% off of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series.

The PlayStation Store has a couple EA Sports titles on discount including 60% off FIFA 17 (Standard Edition) for the PS3 and PS4, 60% off FIFA 17 (Deluxe PS4 Bundle), and 35% off FIFA 17 (Super Deluxe PS4 Bundle). That’s a lot of soccer! They also have NHL 17 Standard and Deluxe editions on sale.

There’s also a “Degica Week Sale” happening at the Humble Store, with many titles from the Japanese publisher up to 80% off, so check them out!

Now for the shirts. (more…)

Posted in Daily Scoop |

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice will be released on August 8

Posted on June 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Ninja Theory has announced that Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, their “Independent AAA” action-adventure game, will be released for the PC and PS4 on August 8.

In a brand new post on the PlayStation Blog, Ninja Theory’s “Product Development Ninja,” Dominic Matthews, revealed exactly what the team is trying to accomplish by creating an “Independent AAA” game:

In Hellblade, we are aiming to revive the lost space between indie and AAA gaming. Where creatively diverse experiences made with AAA values can thrive once again.

We’ve taken a small team of around 20 people and created a focused and rich experience that looks and feels as good as any blockbuster title. Hellblade is about half the length of a regular AAA game and priced at about half the cost. A price that we think is fair to both you and us.

Our hope is that if we make our Independent AAA work with Hellblade, other developers will follow, leading to a more creative and diverse gaming world for developers and players alike.

Matthews also reiterated Hellblade’s plot, which focuses on the trauma and psycosis experienced by a Celtic warrior named Senua:

For those new to Hellblade, the game is the story of Senua, a traumatized Celtic warrior journeying into the Viking underworld of Hel. We have created the game in collaboration with neuroscientists as well as people who live with psychosis. We hope Hellblade is an experience like no other.

You can get a short taste of Ninja Theory’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice in the new trailer embedded above.

Posted in News, PC, PS4 | Tagged

Natsume will bring several Harvest Moon and River City games to E3 2017

Posted on June 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Natsume has announced their lineup of games for this year’s E3 Expo, and fans of Harvest Moon and River City Ransom should be very happy with what they have to announce. During next week’s industry showcase, the publisher plans to fully unveil Harvest Moon: Light of Hope (which is coming to the PC, PS4, and Switch), River City: Knights of Justice, River City: Rival Showdown, and more:

Natsume’s E3 2017 Lineup

Harvest Moon: Light of Hope (PC, PS4, Switch)
In Harvest Moon: Light of Hope, players begin the game as they set out looking for a fresh start and new surroundings. During their voyage, their ship is hit by a monsoon and goes down. As they drift into a small harbor town, now in a shambles from the storm, it will be up to the player to help rebuild the town and save the lighthouse…but it won’t be easy! Nevertheless, with some hard work growing crops, tending livestock, and gathering materials for repairs, players will be able to make new friends, start a family, revive the lighthouse, and save the town!

Wild Guns Reloaded (PC)
In Wild Guns Reloaded, Annie has tracked down the famed bounty hunter Clint to get revenge on the Kid Gang. With eight stages, each with three zones, there’s plenty of bad robots to blast away. With a true arcade game feel, Wild Guns was the first sci-fi western to arrive on home consoles, and to this day, there really isn’t any other game like Wild Guns!

River City: Knights of Justice (3DS)
River City: Knights of Justice (known in Japan as Nekketsu Mahou Monogatari), is scheduled to launch as a 3DS eShop exclusive this Summer. Kunio and his friends go medieval in this unique entry to the River City series, as they are transformed into heroes and villains that would be home in any RPG! Players will use swords, staves, and even magic to bring peace back to Riverandia!

River City: Rival Showdown (3DS)
River City: Rival Showdown (known in Japan as Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari SP), will launch this Fall for the Nintendo 3DS. One night, Kunio is attacked by two mysterious individuals. On top of that, Riki’s girlfriend has disappeared, and it’s up to Kunio to find out the truth! Kunio has just 3 days to unravel the mystery, and he’ll need your help to take down all who stand in his way! Take on some familiar faces from the River City games and meet new ones in this fast-paced beat-’em-up RPG.

Harvest Moon 20th Anniversary
Natsume’s European publishing partner, Rising Star Games, will be showing titles in the booth as well, including Harvest Moon: Lil’ Farmers (Android, iOS) and the European version of Harvest Moon: Skytree Village. As part of the year-long 20th anniversary celebration, Natsume has also unveiled a re-release of Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life – Special Edition and Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland for the PlayStation 4, both of which will be available to play at the show.

The 2017 E3 Expo kicks off on Tuesday, July 13.

Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Switch | Tagged ,

Here’s a Launch Trailer for Telltale’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Episode 2: Under Pressure

Posted on June 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Star-Lord comes back from the dead… Drax wants to kill someone… and Rocket reminisces about his part… just your average afternoon for the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Marvel’s cosmic superteam has returned this week for Under Pressure, the second chapter in Telltale’s episodic adventure series, and Telltale has released a brand new Launch Trailer for the add-on:

The Guardians just can’t seem to outrun the past (or their tab), but if they figure out how to control the untold power of their mysterious new relic, they might not have to. With help from dubious old friends and unwilling new allies, Star-Lord and company scour the galaxy for answers. But how long can they elude the genocidal maniac hunting them? And will simmering tensions finally tear the team apart?

Guardians of the Galaxy – Episode 2: Under Pressure should be available to download for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile devices beginning today.

Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

Nintendo announces Pokken Tournament DX for Switch, as well as Pokemon UltraSun/UltraMoon and Gold/Silver for 3DS

Posted on June 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Nintendo hosted a special Pokemon Direct livestream this morning, and they revealed that three games from the massive franchise will be re-released in new editions (and on new platforms) this Fall.

First up, Pokken Tournament will make the leap to the Nintendo on September 22 as Pokken Tournament DX. The expanded re-release will include five new Pokemon (Darkrai, Scizor, Empoleon, Croagunk, and Decidueye), as well as 3v3 Team Battles, Daily Challenges, and Friends-only Group Matches.

Also on September 22, Nintendo will add Pokemon Gold and Silver to the Virtual Console section of the 3DS eShop. Originally released for the Game Boy Color in 2000, Pokemon Gold and Silver introduced the Johto region and the franchise’s internal clock.

Finally, Nintendo announced plans to re-release Pokemon Sun and Moon on the 3DS as Pokemon UltraSun and UltraMoon. The expanded RPG will launch on November 17, and include an alternate storyline and new Pokemon not seen in Sun and Moon.

Sadly, the heavily-rumored Pokemon Stars was not announced for the Nintendo Switch… perhaps it’ll be included in Nintendo’s E3 2017 festivities. But the consolemaker did promise that we’ll hear more about Pokken Tournament DX, Pokemon UltraSun and UltraMoon, and Pokemon Gold and Silver next week during the industry’s annual showcase.

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