Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books Gets a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
- GDC Awards: All the Winners from 1996 to Today
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins “Game of the Year” at 2025-2026 GDC Awards
- Silent Hill, Dragon Quest, Skyrim, and More Announced as Finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- We Pitched a Museum a 1993 Game Hint Line (And They Actually Said Yes) – Yarn Spinner (2026)
- The History Of The Word “Metroidvania” And How It Spread – A Critical Hit (2025)
- Creator of Hit Game Shovel Knight Is at a ‘Make or Break’ Moment – Bloomberg (2025)
- Shadow of the Colossus: An oral history – Design Room (2025)
- In 2005, games started rewiring our brains – The AV Club (2025)
Author: John Scalzo
Iron Galaxy will add Thunder’s brother Eagle to Killer Instinct in June
Killer Instinct was part of this weekend’s Combo Breaker 2017 event, and Microsoft used the opportunity to announce that Eagle, Chief Thunder’s older brother, will be added to the game in June. Aside from the short teaser trailer’s promise of epic archery skills, that’s about all we know about the character.
Developer Iron Galaxy closed the book on Killer Instinct’s third season last July, but since the start of 2017, they’ve added several “remix” characters to the game including Kilgore and Shin Hisako. It’s unknown if the team considers Eagle an original character or yet another remix.
Finally, congratulations to Rob “Valoraxe” Doherty, the winner of this year’s Combo Breaker Finals.
Posted in News, PC, Xbox One
Tagged Killer Instinct
Say hello to Red Hood in a trailer for Injustice 2’s first downloadable character
Injustice 2 is barely two weeks old, and NetherRealm Studios is already planning to release the game’s first downloadable character next month. DC Comics fans may have voted to kill off Jason Todd’s Robin in the 80s, but the character has gained a second life as Red Hood, and he’ll join the Injustice 2 cast in June:
Jason Todd once served as Batman’s second protégé “Robin” before being brutally murdered by The Joker. Years later, the powerful healing waters of the Lazarus Pit brought Jason Todd back to life. However the power of the Pit comes at a cost, and a change takes hold in Jason. He now uses the mantle of the Red Hood to wage a lethal war on crime.
Red Hood’s “Introducing” trailer showcases his dual handguns, and Mortal Kombat X fans should instantly notice his similarity to Erron Black. But like all former Robins, Red Hood looks slightly more acrobatic than that old gunslinger ever was.
NetherRealm is offering several options to add Red Hood to Injustice 2. The violent vigilante will be a free download for those who purchased the Ultimate Edition or the Digital Deluxe Edition, but he’s also set to be included in the Fighter Pack #1 expansion alongside Starfire and Sub-Zero.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Injustice 2
New Retail Releases: Tekken 7, Star Trek Bridge Crew, Victor Vran, More
Bandai Namco’s convoluted tale of corporate intrigue, sentient bears, multi-generational demonic possession, and a martial arts tournament is coming to a close this week with the release of Tekken 7 on the PS4 and Xbox One (a PC download will also be available). If you’ve ever wanted to know how the “Devil Gene” changed the Mishima clan, this is your chance.
Also new on store shelves this week is Star Trek: Bridge Crew, a PlayStation VR-powered simulation that asks players to pilot their own Federation starship. Like Tekken 7, it too will also be available as a PC download, in versions compatible with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
Returning to Earth, THQ Nordic and Haemimont Games will release Victor Vran: Overkill Edition, a Diablo-like overhead action RPG, for the PS4 and Xbox One. In addition to the original PC game, the Overkill Edition will also come packaged with the Motorhead: Through the Ages and Fractured Worlds expansions.
THQ Nordic will also bring Lock’s Quest to the PS4 and Xbox One this week. Originally released for the DS in 2008, this new version of Lock’s Quest includes revamped graphics and sound.
Finally this week, Kalypso will release Tropico 5: Complete Collection for the Xbox One. The colonial city builder will include the original game as well as all ten expansions (The Big Cheese, Mad World, Generalissimo, Joint Venture, Surf’s Up, Gone Green, Supervillian, Inquisition, Super Computer, and T-Day).
That’s it for the New Retail Releases report, but we’ll be back throughout the week with a look at the latest additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Get a look at Far Cry 5’s creepy cult in the game’s first trailer
As foretold, Ubisoft fully unveiled Far Cry 5 today, and confirmed the game will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on February 27, 2018. The first trailer for the first Far Cry game set on US soil introduces us to the residents of Hope County, Montana, and the “fanatical doomsday cult” that has infiltrated the town:
As the new junior deputy of fictional Hope County, Montana, players will find that their arrival accelerates a years-long silent coup by a fanatical doomsday cult, the Project at Eden’s Gate, igniting a violent takeover of the county. Caught off guard and drawn into a power struggle, players must disrupt the carefully laid plans of the Project at Eden’s Gate and fan the fires of resistance to help liberate the Hope County community and themselves.
Taking control of unique and customizable character, players will attempt to take down the cult alongside a large cast of characters, and an even larger arsenal of vehicles and weapons:
Under siege and cut off from the rest of the world, players will join forces with residents of Hope County and form The Resistance. The fight against the cult will take players to unique locations throughout Hope County that provide different gameplay experiences. During their journey, players can fly planes to engage cult forces in aerial dogfights across Big Sky Country. While tracking down cult members and gathering resources for survival across farmland, forests, mountains, and rivers, players can get behind the wheel of iconic American muscle cars, big rigs, ATVs and boats. Vehicles also provide refuge when under attack by animals or as a way to quickly escape when things don’t go as planned.
Like previous games in the Far Cry franchise, players will have total freedom to tackle the each situation as they seen fit. But Far Cry 5 will also introduce a cooperative element for the first time, and players will be able to team up with a friend to experience the entire story together.
To further introduce players to the residents of Hope County, Ubisoft also released a series of “Character Vignette” trailers for three members of The Resistance. You can find them after the break. And we can expect to hear more about Far Cry 5 during this year’s E3 Expo. (more…)
Xbox Store Today: Friday the 13th, Rime, World Heroes 2
Three new games were added to the Xbox Games Store today, and one of them is sure to make fans of 80s slasher movies very happy…
It’s a bit surprising, but Jason Voorhees has only appeared in a handful of games since his theatrical debut in 1981. But Gun Media and Illfonic have been working hard to change that with Friday the 13th: The Game, which is now available to download for the Xbox One. Featuring contributions from creator Sean Cunningham, composer Harry Manfredini, and special effects artist Tom Savini, Friday the 13th: The Game is a multiplayer game that gives Jason’s machete to one player, and casts the rest as camp counselors hoping to survive the night (spoiler alert… they probably won’t).
Also available to download for the Xbox One today is Rime, the new puzzle platformer from Tequila Works. Taking place on a “beautiful yet rugged world,” Rime stars a young boy who is forced to explore a mysterious island if he ever hopes to return home.
Finally this week, Hamster Corporation is back with another NeoGeo re-release. This time, they’re bringing World Heroes 2, a fighting game originally released in 1993, to the Xbox One.
You can learn more about all of these games after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged Friday the 13th, Rime
Telltale will release Guardians of the Galaxy: Episode 2 on June 6
Telltale Games has announced that their Guardians of the Galaxy series will continue on June 6 with the release of Episode 2: Under Pressure. It looks like the Guardians are still being pursued by Thanos in this episode, but we’ll also get a flashback to Rocket’s early life:
In “Under Pressure,” 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?
And get ready to delve into a certain Rocket Raccoon’s past…
Guardians of the Galaxy: Episode 2 – Under Pressure will be available to download for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile devices.
Giant pillbugs and new vehicles roll into the latest Earth Defense Force 5 trailer
It must be hard to host a lightweight morning show during an alien invasion. Can you even do feel-good puff pieces if giant monsters are trying to eat your interview subjects? D3 Publisher answered this question with the newest trailer for Earth Defense Force 5.
Fictional reporter Kusuriteru Himekawa is going to get her scoop, even if that means going in to the warzone itself. Thankfully, her intrepid interview skills have given fans a new look at some of Earth Defense Force 5’s ferocious fighting, as well as new vehicles including motorcycles, tanks, helicopters, mechs, and tiny walking tanks. Ms. Himekawa also uncovered a brand new alien bug… giant pillbugs known as Rollers. So keep a can of Raid handy, and be sure to check out the latest Earth Defense Force 5 trailer embedded above.
Earth Defense Force 5 will be released in Japan sometime this year, exclusively for the PS4. A North American launch seems likely, but no official announcement has been made by D3 Publisher.
Posted in News, PS4
Tagged Earth Defense Force 5
Sqaure Enix: Kingdom Hearts III, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Avengers Project will be released “in the next three years or so”
A few months ago, Square Enix told their European investors that it was likely Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy VII Remake wouldn’t be released until 2018 at the earliest. Today, the publisher has revealed that even that forecast might be too optimistic.
During Square Enix’s most recent quarterly financial report, President Yosuke Matsuda discussed the company’s upcoming lineup and once again stated that Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy VII Remake, as well as The Avengers Project, wouldn’t launch in 2017. But then he went on to add, “We plan to launch each of these upcoming titles in the next three years or so.”
Yikes. That means there’s a very real possibility that some combination of Kingdom Hearts III, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and/or The Avengers Project could be pushed back all the way to 2019.
Hopefully Square Enix has better news about their 2017 release schedule at this year’s E3 Expo, which kicks off on June 13, just a little over two weeks from now.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts III, The Avengers Project