Author: John Scalzo

John Scalzo is Warp Zoned's Editor-In-Chief and resident retro gaming expert. You can email him at john AT warpzoned DOT com.

The Lost Child, Clannad, The Exorcist: Legion VR, more coming to PS Store this week

Posted on June 20, 2018 by John Scalzo

Just eight new games can be found in this week’s PlayStation Store update, but there’s still a few titles that might be of interest…

NIS America will bring The Lost Child to the PS4 and PS Vita this week. The RPG takes place in modern-day Tokyo, and follows an occult journalist, Hayato Ibuki, as he deals with a massive conflict between “angels, demons, and fallen angels.” Clannad, a classic in the visual novel genre, is also available to download this week for the PS4 in a brand new high definition remaster.

Finally this week, PS4 owners can immerse themselves in the VR-powered thrills and chills of William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist film franchise in The Exorcist: Legion VR.

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the PlayStation Store after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PS4, Vita |

Slime-san: Superslime Edition, Anima: Gate of Memories – The Nameless Chronicles, more coming to Xbox Store this week

Posted on June 20, 2018 by John Scalzo

There’s only a handful of new titles coming to the Xbox Games Store this week, so if you’re still recovering from last week’s E3 Expo, you might get a chance to rest over the next seven days…

This week, Xbox One owners will be get the chance to download Slime-san: Superslime Edition, a “fast-paced” platformer from Fabraz, and Anima: Gate of Memories – The Nameless Chronicles, a new Action RPG based on the popular tabletop game.

You can learn more about all of this week’s additions to the Xbox Games Store (which also includes Haimrik, Grab the Bottle, Yet Another Zombie Defense HD, and more) after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox One |

E3 2018 Aftermath: Nobody “Won” This Year’s Expo Because It’s Obvious That Everybody Did

Posted on June 19, 2018 by John Scalzo

I don’t want to speak for the entire world, but I think it’s pretty safe to say that there’s no point in arguing about who “won” this year’s E3 Expo. Looking back at what each consolemaker and third-party publisher unveiled during their press conferences, it almost felt like Oprah had commandeered hosting duties for the entire week… you get a sequel… and you get a sequel… they get sequels… everybody gets a sequel!

Though I add that even though exciting new entries from nearly every long-running franchise dominated this year’s E3 Expo, there was also still plenty of new and unique stuff announced.

And while the three consolemakers spent the week firing on all cylinders, Nintendo especially drove this point home with their reveal of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. After it became clear that every character from the franchise would be making a reappearance in Ultimate, Nintendo stopped on Solid Snake and threw a meme-ready “Everyone Is Here!” caption up on the screen.

For me, that’s what the entire Expo felt like this year. Like Tangina, the diminutive medium from Poltergeist, publishers and developers of all stripes let the world know that all are welcome… (more…)

Posted in Features, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One | Tagged

Activision reveals Call of Duty: WWII’s United Front DLC Pack… which launches for PS4 on on June 26

Posted on June 19, 2018 by John Scalzo

Earlier today, Activision gave Call of Duty fans a first look at the next downloadable expansion for Call of Duty: WWII, the United Front DLC Pack. Available to download for the PS4 on June 26, the pack contains three new multiplayer maps, a new War Mode scenario, and a new Nazi Zombies episode.

In addition to the trailer embedded above, more information about the maps can be found on the PlayStation Blog:

Multiplayer Map – Market Garden
The Market Garden in Call of Duty: WWII is set against the backdrop of Operation Market Garden, one of the largest airborne operations in the European Theatre. This is where you will fight off the Axis advances to try and maintain control of an Allied mansion base.

Set in the Netherlands, this map brings intense tight-quarters combat with gunfights waiting around every corner. What was once an opulent mansion is now in war-torn shambles as flames begin to overtake the structure. In the distance, you can see and hear bombs dropping, while all around you is the evidence of the war.
From the Allied fighter plane downed in the river, to the makeshift field hospital in one of the outbuildings, the team at Sledgehammer Games has put extra care and detail in immersing players into an authentic scene from this moment in the War.

Multiplayer Map – Monte Cassino
Join the Italian campaign in Monte Cassino. Nestled below a mountaintop monastery, this war-torn village offers rich verticality with rooftop vantage points and sneaky flank paths along the cliffs.

Multiplayer Map – Stalingrad
Stalingrad, based on the largest confrontation in World War II history, features two main bases located on opposite sides of a war-torn city. Snipers can focus on securing key perches to control the map’s center, while run-and-gunners can sneak through the underground sewers to flank behind enemy lines.

War Mode – Operation Supercharge
Named after the Second Battle of El Alamein, Field Marshal Montgomery and the Allied Forces pushed the Germans and Italians to retreat from their last significant defensive position in southern Tunisia. In this all new mission, the Allies airdrop into Tunisia and push into a Nazi-occupied village to capture key supplies, then cripple the enemy by detonating a key transport bridge. They then make the final knock-out blow by capturing entrenched Axis fortifications.

Nazi Zombies – The Tortured Path
The Allied forces are crumbling under the relentless advance of the Final Reich. General Rideau decides to take one last, dangerous gambit: to personally lead a small, unmarked caravan across the 2,000 miles of smoldering, infested land that stand between Berlin and the Allied-controlled port of Malaga. From there, he and his crew face a treacherous voyage across icy southern waters and U-boat blockades.

His mission? Transport the remaining pieces of Emperor Barbarossa’s legendary sword to the edge of the world. Uncover the lost forges of ancient Thule. Make the sword whole again… and deliver a final death to the Undying.

Call of Duty: WWII’s United Front DLC Pack is also in the works for the PC and Xbox One, and should make its debut on those two platforms sometime in July.

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

WWE 2K19 will be released on October 9 with AJ Styles on the cover

Posted on June 18, 2018 by John Scalzo

Rather than get lost in last week’s E3 scrum, 2K Games waited a week to announce that WWE 2K19 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. This year, the wrestling sim will feature current WWE Champion AJ Styles on the cover.

“As a hardcore gamer and ambassador of everything it means to ‘Never Say Never’ in both my professional and personal life, it is a dream come true to be selected as the WWE 2K19 cover Superstar,” said AJ Styles. “From Seth Rollins last year to Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, John Cena, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Brock Lesnar, I am honored to join this incredible list of past WWE 2K cover Superstars and put my own unique stamp on the franchise.”

The publisher also confirmed that WWE 2K19 will be available in a Deluxe Edition om the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The Deluxe Edition will include special packaging, and access to the Season Pass and other exclusive in-game content. Players who purchase the Deluxe Edition will also be able to begin playing the game on October 5.

A separate Collector’s Edition will also be released for the PS4 and Xbox One, and it’ll include everything from the Deluxe Edition (including the October 5 launch date), as well as “Premium Packaging,” exclusive and rare physical collectibles, and “Limited Edition” content for WWE SuperCard.

More information about the in-game content and physical collectibles found in the Deluxe Edition and Collector’s Edition will be announced later this Summer.

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

Runbow races onto the PS4 and Switch on July 3

Posted on June 18, 2018 by John Scalzo

Publisher Headup Games and developer 13AM Games have announced that Runbow will make its way to the PS4 and Switch on July 3.

The wild multiplayer runner features online play for up to nine players online, with local play for up to eight on the Switch (PS4 local play is limited to four). It also includes an Adventure Mode with over 140 single-player levels and much more:

Runbow, and all its multiplayer madness, is coming to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4! The world of Runbow changes with each swipe of the background, so you’ll have to stay on your toes as platforms and obstacles disappear… if you can’t see it, it doesn’t exist. Fast, frantic, and fun for up to nine players, Runbow is filled with tons of modes and content to keep you running back for more.

Features

  • Save Poster District from the evil Satura in Adventure, and choose your own path through a massive map of over 140 single player levels.
  • Go head to head with your friends, locally or online, in Run, Arena, or King of the Hill, for a colorful, crazy competition. Host a Private Game for you or your friends, or hop into an Open Party and take on the world!
  • Take on The Bowhemoth, a single, ultra-difficult challenge in the belly of a colossal beast. On your own or with friends, it’s sure to test the skills of even the toughest platforming veterans.
  • Tons of Costumes and Indie Guest Characters are waiting for you to unlock, including Shovel Knight, CommanderVideo, Shantae, Lilac, and many more.
  • Hundreds of pieces of unlockable Gallery content await you, from concept art to characters, and even some hidden secrets…

Runbow will also be available on retail shelves for both platforms as a Deluxe Edition later this Summer. The Deluxe Edition will include the full game and all previously-released downloadable content.

In the meantime, a PS4/Switch-centric trailer for Runbow has been embedded above.

Posted in News, PS4, Switch | Tagged

New Retail Releases: Mario Tennis Aces, Minecraft Switch Edition, New Gundam Breaker, More

Posted on June 18, 2018 by John Scalzo

It’s another week for new releases and Nintendo is leading the way with two new Switch games (and other publishers are getting in on the fun as well)…

Mario returns to the tennis court this week in Mario Tennis Aces for the Switch. Aces includes local and online multplayer, as well as a brand new Story Mode.

Nintendo is also teaming up with Mojang to release a Retail Edition of Minecraft for the Switch this week. Already available to download through the Nintendo eShop, Minecraft’s Retail Edition includes the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack expansion and cross-platform play.

Sliding over to the PS4 side of the store, Bandai Namco will launch New Gundam Breaker this week. Based on the Gunpla series of collectibles, players will build their own toy Gundam and do battle with other toy Gundams in a single-player Story Mode or a 3v3 Co-Op Mode.

Coming to the PS4 and the Switch this week is NIS America’s latest RPG, The Lost Child. Developed by Kadokawa Games, The Lost Child follows “occult journalist” Hayato Ibuki as he uses a mysterious device to capture horrific monsters and arcane creatures in Tokyo.

Finally this week, Image & Form will release a Retail Edition for the PS4 and Switch of their acclaimed “MetroidVania,” SteamWorld Dig 2. And Villa Gorilla will do the same on the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One for their “pinball platformer,” Yoku’s Island Express.

That’s all for now, but we’ll be back later this week with a look at all the new additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.

Posted in News, PS4, Switch, Xbox One | Tagged , , ,

Sony showed off the first gameplay trailer for The Last of Us Part II at E3 2018

Posted on June 15, 2018 by John Scalzo

The 2018 E3 Expo may be over, but we’re still digging through all the huge announcements and trailers that dropped during the big show… like the first Gameplay Trailer for The Last of Us Part II.

Developer Naughty Dog has previously shown that the world of The Last of Us Part II can be a harsh place, and this bleakness is still very much present in the 12-minute Gameplay Trailer, but there’s also a bit of hope as Ellie is shown living something of a normal life in Jackson (and possibly even falling in love with a young woman named Dina). Oh, and the developer also squashed the “Joel is dead” rumors with a quick bit of dialogue at the beginning of the trailer.

Director Neil Druckmann talked a bit about what fans can expect to see in the trailer (and the full game) at the PlayStation Blog:

In The Last of Us Part II, Ellie is now 19 and has found a semblance of peace and normality living in Jackson. She’s had a chance to be a teenager and forge lasting relationships. When that peace is disrupted by a violent act, Ellie is thrust into a brutal journey of retribution, fueled by a need to bring those that have wronged her to justice, pushing her to her very limits.

From the way Ellie plays to the way she navigates through this hostile world, you’re going to feel her physical, emotional, and mental state expressed through every facet of gameplay. We’ve completely overhauled our engine, developed new combat mechanics, created a new analog stealth system, and revamped our animation system to fully express Ellie’s desperation, resourcefulness, and unique agility.

We’re also upping the stakes and tension of the world. Our environments are broader, more complex, and more detailed–bringing unprecedented realism, verticality, and player choice to the world of The Last of Us. The human enemies you’ll encounter are now more threatening and capable, using sophisticated communication and environmental awareness to create intense, more dynamic stealth and head-on combat encounters.

The Last of Us Part II is currently in development exclusively for the PS4, but a release date has yet to be announced.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged ,