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.

Get Battlefield 1 before anybody else with the Early Enlister Edition or Amazon-exclusive Collector’s Edition

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As is the norm nowadays, Electronic Arts will release Battlefield 1 in three different editions this October. However, two of those packages will be available to players three days before the standard edition. But we’ll get to them in a minute.

If you opt for the standard edition, it’ll set you back $59.99 and be available on October 21 for the PC, PS4, or Xbox One. Players who pre-order the standard edition will receive the Hellfighters Pack, which will include several in-game bonus items (Hellfighters Trench Shotgun, Hellfighters M1911, Hellfighters Bolo Knife, Hellfighters Insignia) inspired by the famed regiment.

Going up a tier, players who purchase the Early Enlister Deluxe Edition for the PC, PS4, or Xbox One will receive the game on October 18, three days before anybody else. You’ll have to pay $79.99 for this privilege, but you’ll also receive the Hellfighters Pack and two additional sets of in-game items. The Red Baron Pack will take to the skies with a Red Baron P08 Sidearm, a Red Baron Flyer Pin, and his famous Triplane. Meanwhile, the Lawrence of Arabia Pack will include T.E. Lawrence’s Black Stallion, as well as an SMLE Rifle, Jambiya Sidearm, and Emblem.

But to get everything, you’ll need to drop $219.99 on the Amazon-exclusive Collector’s Edition, which will include everything from the Early Enlister Deluxe Edition (including its October 18 release date) and a foot locker full of cool stuff:

Battlefield 1: Early Enlister Deluxe Edition

  • Exclusive Steelbook
  • Collector’s Edition Statue (14″ Tall)
  • Exclusive Cloth Propaganda Poster
  • Deck of Concept Art Playing Cards
  • Messenger Pigeon Tube with Exclusive DLC Content
  • Exclusive Patch

The Collector’s Edition will only be available for the PS4 and Xbox One, but you can get a closer look at it after the break. (more…)

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

Battlefield 1 takes the franchise back in time to World War I this October

While the Call of Duty franchise continues to push further and further into the future, EA and DICE are taking the Battlefield series back to the dawn of modern warfare. Battlefield 1 was announced in a blowout reveal yesterday and it’ll be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on October 21.

Battlefield 1 takes you across multiple and varied locations in a bid to fight your way through immersive battles. From tight urban fights in a besieged French city, to big open spaces in the Italian Alps and frantic combats in the deserts of Arabia, discover a world at war through an adventure-filled campaign.

Set against the backdrop of World War 1, witness the birth of modern warfare, as the Great War saw a furious arms race with new machines and weapons created to get the upper hand during the most technologically divergent war of all time. Feel the intensity and immersion as Battlefield 1 takes advantage of this modern arsenal to deliver the experience fans love, but with a fresh and modern twist.

Battlefield 1’s single-player campaign will follow the 369th Infantry Regiment, better known as the “Harlem Hellfighters,” the first entirely African-American regiment to fight overseas. A fictionalized version of the Hellfighters’s story was also recently recounted in a graphic novel by Max Brooks. The debut trailer embedded above hits on plenty of other well-known moments from the Great War including biplane dogfights, zeppelins, Lawrence of Arabia’s desert battles, and a certain German tank that should be very familiar to fans of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

On the multiplayer front, Battlefield 1 will offer 64-player battles within a “sandbox experience” of land, sea, and air options. Alongside traditional ground fighting, players will be able to pilot a fighter plane in “high-octane dogfights” or command a battleship and a deliver a ship-to-shore bombardment of bombs.

EA and DICE will offer a public beta for Battlefield 1 later this year and prospective players are encouraged to sign up for the Battlefield Insider to receive early access to the beta, along with in-game rewards and other exclusive content.

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

See The Legend of Zelda get transformed into a Hong Kong crime drama in this fan film

Girard Tecson of Dayside Productions really loves The Legend of Zelda and Hong Kong crime dramas starring Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen. One day, the New York-based filmmaker began to wonder what it would look like if you combined those two things.

Tecson doesn’t have to wonder any longer, because he recently completed Chinese Legend of Zelda, a fan film that answers that very question. It’s a little goofy, but Tecson put quite a lot of work into the project, and it’s certainly fun in a Friday afternoon sort of way to see “Officer Link” take on Ganon’s underworld operation.

The filmmaker isn’t done mixing together classic video games and Hong Kong crime dramas, as he also revealed he plans to tackle Chinese Mega Man next.

Posted in Etcetera, News | Tagged

Xbox Store Today: Coffin Dodgers, Mystery Castle, Azkend 2: The World Beneath

xboxgamesstore-logoIn Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, the titular pair battled Death for their very souls in game-after-game of Battleship, Clue, Electric Football, and Twister. If it were made a few years later, I’d like to think the filmmakers might have thrown Super Mario Kart into the mix.

I think that’s the idea behind Coffin Dodgers, a kart racer where seven quirky retirees challenge the Grim Reaper to a kart racing competition to win a little more time on Earth. Coffin Dodgers is the latest addition to the Xbox Games Store, and beginning today, it’s now available to download for the Xbox One.

Also available as part of today’s Xbox Games Store update is Mystery Castle, an overhead puzzle adventure for the Xbox One that stars a gray-haired sorcerer named Monty the Wizard; and Azkend 2: The World Beneath, a match-3 puzzler for the Xbox One that also throws in a few hidden object minigames.

More information about all three of these games can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox One |

PC, Xbox One owners will be able to buy CoD: Black Ops III Eclipse DLC Pack on May 19

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As expected, Activision and Treyarch will bring the Eclipse DLC Pack to the PC and Xbox One exactly 30 days after its PS4 debut. The Call of Duty: Black Ops III expansion will add four new competetive multiplayer maps to the game, along with the next episode in the cooperative Zombies saga:

  • Spire: Spire takes Multiplayer combat to a futuristic sub-orbital airport terminal set high in the clouds. Multiple levels and open areas promote intense, mid-range combat around a clean, high-tech civilian environment. Watch your step, because one wrong move could send you plummeting back through the stratosphere.
  • Rift: Head to the core of a harsh futuristic military complex, set high above an active caldera. Rift funnels and forces tight, intense engagements, where the only way through is forward. Utilize the unique core movement opportunities to outsmart and outplay enemies as you traverse the suspended rail system.
  • Knockout: Housed in a traditional Shaolin Temple with a retro twist, Knockout sets the stage for a bloody Kung Fu tournament. This mid-sized map showcases a sharp contrast between the mid-range engagements of the traditional exterior architecture and the tight close-quarters of an eclectic 1970’s styled interior.
  • Verge: In this re-imagination of the classic Call of Duty: World At War map, “Banzai,” Verge drops Multiplayer combat into the center of a distant post-apocalyptic future, where two warring factions are entrenched in constant battle. Take control of the key bridge, fortresses, tunnel systems and waterfalls as you engage in high-speed action through this medium-sized map.

Eclipse also sets the stage for “Zetsubou No Shima,” the highly-anticipated, all-new entry in the Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies storyline that spans the four DLC Map Packs for Black Ops III this year. The Origins characters continue on their mission to stop the zombie apocalypse not only in this universe but in all universes. Our heroes find themselves stranded on a remote Pacific island which is home to the Division 9 facility: a secret biological research lab whose experiments with Element 115 and its effects on human, animal, and plant biology has created horrors beyond belief. “Zetsubou No Shima” features a foliage rich island map including new terrifying zombie enemies, a variety of innovative transport mechanics, more devastating traps and classic Zombies side quests.

The Eclipse DLC Pack will be available to download as part of Black Ops III’s Season Pass (for $49.99) or as a standalone purchase (for $14.99). Two more DLC Packs will be released over the Summer ahead of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare‘s launch this November.

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

Splatoon will hold a big party for its first truly global Splatfest

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Throughout the year, Nintendo has been trying to bring the global Splatoon community closer together with Splatfests that involve all three regions.

Back in February, a Pokemon-themed contest gave players in North America, Europe, and Japan the same choice for the first time… though matches were restricted to players within the same region. But last month, European and North American players were finally able to directly compete against each other in a Splatfest celebrating SpongeBob SquarePants.

Today, Nintendo announced that the upcoming Splatfest will invite players from all three regions to be matched against each other for the first time. And what will they be fighting over? Miitomo, of course.

Taking a cue from the communication app, this Splatfest will ask players to choose between a “Fancy Party” or a “Costume Party.” It’s not The Beatles versus The Rolling Stones, but it’s a start. The Splatfest Kiosk is now available in Inkopolis Plaza to make your choice, and the contest will begin on Friday, May 13 at 11:00 PM (Eastern Time). Players will be able to battle it out all day Saturday before a winner is crowned on Sunday, May 15, at 6:00 AM.

Good luck and don’t get inked!

Posted in News, Wii U | Tagged

Turtle Rock Studios is developing an original narrative-driven game

turtlerocklogoTurtle Rock Studios is moving on from Evolve. The 4v1 shooter definitely has its fans, but the developer has announced their next project will be an original property unconnected to Evolve or Left 4 Dead (which is owned by Valve, anyway). While the big details of the game are being kept under wraps for now, Turtle Rock divulged a few small tidbits of information about the title through several job listings on their Careers page.

First, and most important, we know it’s in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. And according to a job description for a Narrative Director, it’ll be heavily “narrative-driven”:

We are searching for a Narrative Director to help shape the entire narrative structure of our upcoming new AAA game for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The Narrative Director will work closely with our Creative Director and Head Writer to create and oversee compelling stories, characters, and content that form the backbone of the game’s story.

And thanks to the listing for an Animation Programmer, we know that it’ll also include “unique and stunning characters”:

We are searching for an exceptional programmer to help us in developing unique and stunning characters for an unannounced, cutting edge game targeting next generation hardware. Join us and be a part of an incredible studio and project!

So let’s recap… Turtle Rock’s next game isn’t going to be Evolve 2, but it will feature characters and a story. Yup, that’s what we know so far.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One |

Nintendo Download: Pocket Card Jockey, Super Punch-Out!!, Style Savvy, more

Lovers of the Sweet Science, the Sport of Kings, and the World of Fashion will want to take a look at this week’s Nintendo Download.

It all starts on the 3DS where Game Freak, the developer behind the Pokemon franchise, is back with a wacky new game. Pocket Card Jockey is a horse racing game that includes puzzle-solving elements and a built-in Solitaire game to make the horses run faster. Also, if the Launch Trailer is to be believed, there might even be a “Stud” minigame.

3DS owners will also get to dabble in an outlandish adaptation of the Sweet Science this week in Nintendo’s Super Punch-Out!!. Originally released for the Super NES in 1994, Super Punch-Out!! isn’t as well-known as its NES predecessor, but it’s still a cartoony blast of boxing fun.

Finally this week, fashionistas will get to strut their stuff on the Wii U with the addition of Style Savvy to the console’s Virtual Console service. Originally released for the DS, players will be able to “dream up dazzling outfits” as they run a chic boutique.

More information on all these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U |