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.

Supergiant’s Pyre is out this Tuesday… so here’s a Launch Trailer

Posted on July 22, 2017 by John Scalzo

Supergiant Games will launch Pyre for the PC and PS4 this Tuesday, July 25. In addition to confirming that Pyre will be playable in 4K at frames per second on the PS4 Pro, the developer also unveiled a Launch Trailer for their party-based action RPG, which has been embedded above.

Speaking to the PlayStation Blog, Supergiant’s Greg Kasavin revealed he’s particularly proud of the number of characters they were able to cram into the trailer:

My favorite part of this trailer is, it has more characters in its 90 second running time than you meet over the entire course of our first two games. And, it’s really only scratching the surface — you’ll see what I mean once you play the full game! For example, the trailer doesn’t reveal one of the most unique aspects of Pyre’s campaign, which is that there’s no Game Over — the story moves forward no matter whether you prevail or you fail in any of the game’s high-stakes ritual competitions, where the freedom of your fellow exiles hangs in the balance.

Finally, Supergiant announced that If you decide to pre-order Pyre through the PlayStation Store or Steam, you’ll receive a 10% discount.

Posted in News, PC, PS4 | Tagged

Injustice 2 heats up Comic-Con 2017 with Starfire’s debut trailer

Posted on July 22, 2017 by John Scalzo

Injustice 2 chilled out earlier this month with the addition of Sub-Zero to the game’s character roster, but we’re looking ahead to a heatwave as NetherRealm Studios will release Starfire as the game’s next downloadable character in August.

In addition to confirming Starfire’s launch month, NetherRealm also released a new trailer for the alien princess during this weekend’s San Diego Comic-Con. Watch as she pounds the DC Universe with deadly Energy Beams to, as well as Celestial Projectiles, and an out-of-this-world “Supernova” Super Move.

Starfire is slated to be the final addition to Injustice 2 as part of Fighter Pack 1, which also includes Red Hood and Sub-Zero. A new series of downloadable characters that comprise Fighter Pack 2 will be available beginning this Fall.

Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Xbox Store Today: Fortnite, Zed Blade, Conga Master

Posted on July 21, 2017 by John Scalzo

A trio of new games were added to the Xbox Games Store today…

First up is Fortnite, an “Action Building” game from Epic that’s been in development for more than five years. But it’s now available to download for the Xbox One, and it gives players the chance to defend their base from attack. After building a series of traps and walls, Fortnite’s can venture out into the world and go on the offensive against the mutant horde.

Also available to download for the Xbox One today is Zed Blade, a horizontally-scrolling shooter that was originally released for the NeoGeo in 1994; and Conga Master, an arcade dancing game from Undercoders.

You can learn more about all of these games after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged

Doomfist will be added to Overwatch for all players on July 27

Posted on July 21, 2017 by John Scalzo

Doomfist is currently available as part of Overwatch’s Public Test Region, but Blizzard has announced the villainous character join the game’s regular lineup on July 27.

To celebrate, they’ve released a new behind-the-scenes video exploring Doomfist’s origin… from his mention in Overwatch’s original cinematic trailer… all the way to the present and the influences of the fighting game genre on the character.

The full “New Hero Preview” for Doomfirst has been embedded above.

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Activision unveils the return of Nazi Zombies in new Call of Duty: WWII trailer

Posted on July 21, 2017 by John Scalzo

As promised, Activision and Sledgehammer unveiled the brand new Nazi Zombies cooperative mode for Call of Duty: WWII during the first day of Comic-Con 2017.

The terrifying trailer includes voicework from a clearly-insane Udo Kier, but no appearances from the player-characters, who will be portrayed by David Tennant, Elodie Yung, Katheryn Winnick, and Ving Rhames:

Call of Duty: WWII – Nazi Zombies is a terrifying, new zombies cooperative experience that transports players into a labyrinth of chilling occult Nazi zombies experiments, and monstrous creations set mythically in World War II. The story unfolds as an international team peels back the vile layers of a malevolent plot masterminded by the Axis powers to harness unimaginable occult forces and create an invincible undead army. Featuring voices and likenesses, the global cast features David Tennant, Elodie Yung, Katheryn Winnick, Udo Kier, and Ving Rhames.

“With Nazi Zombies, we’re creating a frightening world full of terrifying characters and events that will make you jump and look over your shoulder. There’s an incredible amount of myth and lore, which our team has poured through in our development,” said Glen Schofield, a Studio Head at Sledgehammer Games. “This is unlike anything before, we’re taking players to some very dark, grim places in Nazi Zombies. This is one hell of a horror experience.”

Michael Condrey, another Studio Head at Sledgehammer Games added, “We couldn’t be more excited to showcase our reveal of Nazi Zombies here at San Diego Comic Con. It’s been great to return to creating a horror-based experience, and with Call of Duty, head back to the Nazi Zombies roots. The team at the studio is proud of the opportunity to deliver something special for the fans.”

Call of Duty: WWII will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 3.

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The Wolf Among Us Season 2 will huff and puff its way into your house in 2018

Posted on July 21, 2017 by John Scalzo

The last of Telltale’s “Summer 2017/Comic-Con 2017” announcements earlier this week was the highly-anticipated reveal of The Wolf Among Us Season 2. Set to launch sometime in the second half of 2018 for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile devices, The Wolf Among Us Season 2 will feature the return of Bigby Wolf and Snow White in a new adventure based on Bill Willingham’s Fables:

With overwhelming popular demand from fans since the series concluded in 2014, Telltale surprised their fans today in an announcement video from the cast and crew confirming that the project is coming in the year ahead. Though this new season has not yet been officially titled, it will debut in the second half of 2018 across all major gaming consoles and mobile gaming devices. This new season will begin a fresh story arc for its returning cast of characters, featuring the return of Adam Harrington as Bigby Wolf and Erin Yvette as Snow White.

The Wolf Among Us came to an end in 2014, and it looked like the end for the residents of Fabletown, but thanks to the “overwhelming popular demand from fans,” Telltale is finally moving ahead with a sequel.

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

The 1-2 punch of Tekken 7 and Injustice 2 sit atop the best-selling games list for June 2017

Posted on July 20, 2017 by John Scalzo

Fighting game fans have proven, once again, that the genre is alive and well. According to the NPD Group’s recounting of the best-selling games in June, Tekken 7 (#1) and Injustice 2 (#2) took the top two spots. Nintendo’s bizarro take on the genre, Arms, also made a strong debut in the #5 spot.

Speaking of the Switch, Nintendo’s newest console continued to push the game industry to new heights in June, as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#6) and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (#7) stayed in the top ten.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, NPD Analyst Mat Piscatella said: “The Nintendo Switch has been the catalyst for year-to-date growth. Year-to-date, hardware spending has grown 19% versus 2016 to $1.4 billion.”

However, older titles also performed well in June, including Grand Theft Auto V (#3), Overwatch (#9), and Minecraft (#17). 2015’s Call of Duty: Black Ops III (#12) even managed to outsell 2016’s Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (#15).

A complete look at the Top 20 for June 2017 can be found after the break. (more…)

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Square Enix will bring Final Fantasy, Lost Sphear, Life Is Strange: Before the Storm to Comic-Con 2017

Posted on July 20, 2017 by John Scalzo

The San Diego Comic-Con kicked off today, and Square Enix brought a handful of upcoming games to the Summer’s biggest convention for fans to test out. While attendees won’t get the chance to play Kingdom Hearts III or the Final Fantasy VII Remake on the show floor, there will be plenty of demo stations in the publisher’s booth featuring these titles:

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (Now Available)
Platform: PS4
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age improves upon the 2006 classic Final Fantasy XII, now more beautiful and easier to play than ever. The HD remaster introduces a reconstructed battle design and the new Zodiac Job System, a 12-job character progression system first introduced in the 2007 title, Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System. With updated trophies and share functionalities, as well as stark visual and sound improvements, players both new and returning will experience the ultimate grand adventure through the world of Ivalice in an entirely new and improved way.

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT (Early 2018)
Platform: PS4
Developed in partnership with Team Ninja from Koei Tecmo, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is the newly announced team-based brawler. The game pits legendary heroes and villains from Final Fantasy’s 30-year history against each other in epic and strategic 3 vs. 3 battles. Players will choose a team from a roster of more than 20 beloved Final Fantasy characters across ten iconic battle arenas and call forth fan-favorite summons. With a deep customization and progression system, players will gain experience points and unlock EX skills, weapons, skins, and more as they develop their favorite Final Fantasy characters, their way.

Lost Sphear (TBA 2018)
Platform: PC, PS4, Switch
Expanding on the beloved I Am Setsuna, the Lost Sphear adventure begins in a remote town where a young man, Kanata, awakens from a devastating dream to find his hometown disappearing. To stop the world from being Lost forever, Kanata and his comrades set out to rebuild the world around them with the power of Memory by manifesting thoughts into matter.

Square Enix will also invite the “key creative minds” behind Life Is Strange: Before the Storm to San Diego for a panel on Friday, July 21. The speakers will reveal “brand new information and insights about their game for the first time,” as well as lead the audience in a live playthrough of the game.

But in case you are on the lookout for new Kingdom Hearts III information, Square Enix unveiled a new trailer (and a 2018 release date) for their hotly-anticipated action RPG during Disney’s annual D23 Expo last week.

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