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
Brainiac invades in Injustice 2’s “Shattered Alliances Part 5” trailer
The heroes are trying to pick up the pieces of a broken world as Injustice 2 opens, and we’ve gotten a glimpse of their progress thanks to NetherRealm’s “Shattered Alliances” series of trailers. But Part 5 takes things a step further with the introduction of Brainiac.
Brainiac will likely serve as the final boss to Injustice 2, and his goal for Earth is nothing less than total destruction… starting with Superman. Can the Man of Steel be redeemed? And will he be able to fight alongside Batman to protect the Earth? We’ll all find out together when Injustice 2 launches in less than a month (on May 16) for the PS4 and Xbox One.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Injustice 2
New trailer confirms an April 25 launch date for The Walking Dead: A New Frontier – Episode 4
Fresh off the release of Guardians of the Galaxy: Episode 1 – Tangled Up In Blue, Telltale Games is back with a new entry in their other ongoing episodic series.
Thanks to a new trailer that dropped this morning, we now know that The Walking Dead: A New Frontier – Episode 4: Thicker Than Water will be available to download for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile devices on April 25. The episode continues to ramp up the pressure on Javier, who will “”decide the shape and nature of [his] chosen family”:
Upon discovering the true nature of the New Frontier’s leadership, relationships within the Garcia family have come to a head. As Javier, you will decide the shape and nature of your chosen family. All the while, a herd of walkers moves ever closer to Richmond, putting pressure on allies and enemies alike. With distrust running rampant, you’ll have to determine if blood is thicker than water…
The conclusion to The Walking Dead: A New Frontier, Episode 5: From the Gallows, is expected to be available sometime in May or June.
Xbox Store Today: Voodoo Vince Remastered, Guardians of the Galaxy, Flinthook, more
Microsoft is taking us back to the early days of the original Xbox with today’s Xbox Games Store update.
Vince, the “plucky Voodoo doll” that starred in 2003’s Voodoo Vince, is back at it in Voodoo Vince Remastered. The Louisiana-set platformer has received a high definition makeover for its Xbox One debut, and as an Xbox Play Anywhere title, fans will also receive access to the game on Windows 10 with a single purchase.
Xbox One owners with a nostalgic streak actually have a lot to choose from in today’s Xbox Games Store update. Telltale will spin some classic tunes in Guardians of the Galaxy: Episode 1 – Tangled Up In Blue… Tribute Games will launch a side-scrolling platformer starring an adorable space pirate in Flinthook… and Capcom will bring back six classic NES-era Disney games in The Disney Afternoon Collection.
You can learn more about all of these games (and the rest of this week’s new releases) after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, Xbox One
Tagged Flinthook, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Disney Afternoon Collection, Voodoo Vince
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment campaign update dated for 3DS and Wii U
Yacht Club Games has announced that Shovel Knight fans will soon be able to play the Specter of Torment campaign on the Wii U and 3DS.
Specter of Torment won’t be released as a standalone download on either platform, but the campaign will be available to download as a free update on April 21 (on the Wii U) and April 25 (on the 3DS):
Darkness looms! Specter of Torment will arrive as a free update to Shovel Knight on the North American eShop
Wii U-April 21st
3DS-April 25th pic.twitter.com/rMyq4vD397— Yacht Club Games (@YachtClubGames) April 19, 2017
Yacht Club Games previously broke ground on Shovel Knight’s Specter of Torment campaign for Nintendo’s Switch (March 3) and the PC (April 5). It’ll also be available later this month for the PS4 and Xbox One (as a standalone download), and the PS3, PS4, Xbox One, and Vita (as a free update to Shovel Knight).
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Shovel Knight
Galena the Unholy Paladin wants to punch the Devil in the latest Quake Champions trailer
Aside from the medieval themes found in the first entry, id Software has always taken great pride in the Quake franchise’s heavy metal aesthetic. And the latest character trailer for Quake Champions puts it on full display once again with the reveal of Galena the Unholy Paladin.
But don’t let her ashen skin and bloody tunic fool you, this priestess is no servant of Satan. Need further proof? She roars, “Even the Devil fears me,” at her fallen opponents:
Galena (Unholy Paladin)
She was four years old when given as an offering to the Celebrants of Volkerh. The talon-priests weaned her on ash-milk and consulted the Gaunt Shepherd to learn her fate. She would live as we do, it whispered, and in so doing would shape herself by the gloaming will of He Who Walks In Blood. Like all children, she watched and imitated. She learned that crying and laughing were no different, so she stopped. She learned that blood is judgment and penance is sacrament. She has grown powerful and grateful. She does not dream of her mother’s world.Active Ability – Unholy Totem: In the heat of combat, throw down Galena’s Unholy Totem to heal yourself and your allies, or cause devastating damage to your foes. Deadly in Deathmatch and a critical tool in team games to help control pathways and power-ups, the Unholy Totem is a vital weapon in Galena’s wicked arsenal.
Passive Ability – Channeling: Want to get that totem back even faster? Galena’s Passive Ability, Channeling, allows her to eliminate 5% of her Active Ability cooldown every time she picks up a health bubble. Strike down the unbelievers.
Quake Champions is a free-to-play shooter for the PC, and the full version will be available later this year. For now, fans are encouraged to sign up for the Closed Beta, and id Software will send out additional invitations soon.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Quake Champions
Ubisoft’s new Berlin studio begins work on “unannounced AAA project”
Ubisoft is expanding once again.
The megapublisher has announced plans to open a new studio in Berlin, which will join the well-established Ubisoft Blue Byte in the German capital. Ubisoft Blue Byte is best known as the creator of the Anno series of strategy games, and they will work alongside the newly-created Ubisoft Berlin on an “unannounced AAA project.”
Ubisoft didn’t reveal any more information about this “unannounced AAA project,” but they did mention a few more details about the plan for Ubisoft Berlin on the UbiBlog:
Ubisoft Berlin
Germany is home to Blue Byte, one of the most established names in German gaming and an industry leader in PC strategy games. The team in Berlin will work closely with the BlueByte teams in both Düsseldorf and Mainz on an unannounced AAA project, and will help Ubisoft establish a presence in the German capital. The studio is looking for newcomers and industry veterans alike, as they plan to grow to around 50 people within their first 12 months. Keep up with the latest news from the BlueByte team and check job openings locally at http://jobs.ubisoft.com.
Ubisoft also announced that they’re opening a satellite studio in Bordeaux, France. Ubisoft Bordeaux will collaborate with other Ubisoft studios on franchises like Just Dance, Steep, and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands.
PS Store Today: Full Throttle Remastered, Flinthook, Guardians of the Galaxy, more
The PlayStation Store is flying a retro-themed flag once again this week, and we start things off with Full Throttle Remastered, which is now available to download for the PS4 and Vita as a Cross-Buy purchase.
Originally released in 1995, and developed by Tim Schafer, Full Throttle is a point-and-click adventure where players get mixed up in the high octane world of “Motorcycles, Mayhem, and Murder.” The Remastered version of the game includes full Trophy support, optional high resolution artwork, and a commentary track with the game’s creators.
Also availabe to download this week is another blast from the mid 90s… The Disney Afternoon Collection for the PS4. All six games in The Disney Afternoon Collection (Chip ‘N Dale Rescue Rangers, Chip ‘N Dale Rescue Rangers 2, Darkwing Duck, DuckTales, DuckTales 2, and TaleSpin) were originally released for the NES, and this new compilation includes Boss Rush and Time Attack modes, retro-themed graphical filters, and Trophy support.
The third game in this week’s retro parade is Flinthook, a prodcedurally-generated side-scroller from Tribute Games. Available to download for the PS4, Flinthook stars a space pirate who loves his handy grappling hook and stealing booty from rival pirates.
Goichi “Suda51” Suda is no stranger to a wild and wacky adventure, and that’s true of The Silver Case, which can be downloaded for the PS4 this week. The remastered re-release of Suda’s visual novel (which was never-before-available in North America) includes an “intricate story” and remade high definition visuals.
Finally this week, Telltale Games will kick off their Guardians of the Galaxy series with Episode 1 – Tangled Up In Blue. The Nova Corps has tasked the Guardians with stopping Thanos… and that goes about as well as you’d expect. It’s available to download now for the PS4, and all five episodes in the series will be released by the end of the year.
You can learn more about all of this week’s additions to the PlayStation Store after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PS4, Vita
Tagged Flinthook, Full Throttle, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Disney Afternoon Collection
Reservoir Dogs: Bloody Days will be available on Steam on May 18
Big Star Games has announced that their prequel to Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, Reservoir Dogs: Bloody Days, will be available to download through Steam on May 18.
Reservoir Dogs: Bloody Days is an overhead strategic shooter, and while Mr. White, Mr. Pink, Mr. Brown, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Orange, and Mr. Blue may not resemble their cinematic counterparts, the game will reveal what happened to the characters before the iconic film. Players will need to use the game’s “Time-Rewind” mechanic to erase their mistakes and plan out the perfect heist (and hopefully escape unscathed). You can get a taste of how all this works in the brand new “Cinematic Trailer” embedded above.
Reservoir Dogs: Bloody Days is also in development for the Xbox One and will be released for Microsoft’s console sometime this year.