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.

More CoD: Infinite Warfare details announced… story, special editions, Zombies Mode, more

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After dropping the debut trailer this morning, Activision has announced a few more details about Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. In development at Infinity Ward, Infinite Warfare will “break new ground” by giving players command of their warship:

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare puts storytelling front and center in a rich, immersive narrative. Infinity Ward breaks new ground by exploring the weight of leadership and its responsibilities. In a desperate time of overwhelming adversity, the player, as Captain of their own warship, must take command against a relentless enemy. Experienced soldiers are thrust into extraordinary circumstances that will test their training and reveal their true character as they learn to lead and to make the hard decisions necessary to achieve victory. The game also introduces stunning, never before seen environments, new weaponry, and inventive player abilities to Call of Duty. The entire campaign – from boots-on-ground combat to piloting high speed space-fighters – occurs as a near seamless experience with few visible loading times, and delivers the hallmark, blockbuster franchise moments that fans love.

We’ve also learned that Infinite Warfare’s competitive multiplayer modes will include an emphasis on “front-line engagement,” and that players who love to play cooperatively can look forward to an all-new Zombies Mode. More details about Infinite Warfare’s multiplayer component will be available at a later date.

Infinity Ward will host a Twitch livestream at 1:30 PM (Eastern Time) to talk more about Infinite Warfare.

Activision also revealed a bit more about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered this morning. The game will be rebuilt by Raven Software to include “vibrant current generation visuals,” along with “fully improved texture resolution and detail, high-dynamic range lighting, lit and shadowing VFX particles, […] and much more.” The game will also include a selection of ten multiplayer maps including favorites such as “Crash,” “Backlot” and “Crossfire.” However, there’s still word on if Modern Warfare Remastered will be available as a standalone download.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered will be available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 4. In addition to the previously-announced Legacy Edition and Digital Legacy Edition, the games will also be bundled together with a Season Pass in the Digital Deluxe Edition (Retail Price: $99.99). An even pricier Legacy Pro Edition (Retail Price: $129.99) will include both games, the Season Pass, a Soundtrack, and other digital items, all housed in a Steelbook case.

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Super Meat Boy will finally come to the Wii U on May 12

It looks like Team Meat’s brutally difficult platformer, Super Meat Boy, will finally make it’s way to the Wii U eShop on May 12:

To commemorate the launch, the developers got together to produce a new trailer, which has been embedded above. If you’ve never played Super Meat Boy before, this two-minute clip will certainly give you a taste of just how sadistic the game can be. And if you are thinking of picking it up, allow me to suggest playing with a Pro Controller. Smashing a Wii U GamePad in frustration would be an expensive mistake.

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Activision officially announces Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Modern Warfare remaster

Activision and Infinity Ward have finally made it official… Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare will be launch this November alongside a remastered re-release of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Players who purchase the retail-only Legacy Edition or download-only Digital Legacy Edition of Infinite Warfare (both are priced at $79.99) will receive a free download code for Modern Warfare. Presumably, Activision will also offer Modern Warfare Remastered as a standalone purchase at some point.

As for Infinite Warfare, players will indeed take a trip to space as a new enemy known as the Settlement Defense Front has invaded Earth from their orbiting space station. The near-future setting will also include battle robots, outer space dogfights, and a zero-gravity raid on the space station.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered will both be available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 4.

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Conan O’Brien lets it all hang out after playing Mario Kart 8 with Seth Rogen and Zac Efron

Neighbors 2 opens in theaters on May 20, so Seth Rogen and Zac Efron decided that challenging Conan O’Brien to a Mario Kart 8 tournament was the best way to promote their R-rated comedy sequel. Sadly, even after sharing his green tea keg and an e-cigarette, losing round after round of the family-friendly game lead to a very NSFW (and pretty funny) punishment for Conan.

I know Nintendo needs the money, but I’m actually a little shocked they said “Let’s-a go!” to this skit.

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Alicia Vikander will play Lara Croft in the next Tomb Raider movie

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Angelina Jolie followed up her Oscar win for Girl, Interuppted by taking on the role of Lara Croft in 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. After attempting to restart the game-to-film franchise for a few years now, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that producers are finally ready to christen another Oscar-winning Lara Croft.

Alicia Vikander, who won Best Supporting Actress this year for her performance in The Danish Girl, will soon slip on the character’s signature accent for the untitled reboot. And like 2013’s Tomb Raider, the new film will depict a young and inexperienced Lara on her first adventure. Roar Uthaug, who recently helmed the Norwegian disaster flick The Wave, will direct Vikander for her first tomb raid.

Daisy Ridley, the previous frontrunner for the role of Lara Croft, will have to be content with her starring role in Star Wars Episode VIII, which is now filming at Pinewood Studios in England.

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Weekly Warp-Up: PAX East 2016 Aftermath

No, that’s not a typo. Welcome to the Weekly Warp-Up, your weekly wrap-up of the biggest and the best articles posted at Warp Zoned this week…

The eyes of the gaming world were pointed at Boston last weekend for the annual PAX East convention. And with another knockout show, publisher and developers did not disappoint. Over the weekend, we saw Mira take a bite out of Killer Instinct Season 3, Jason deliver the coup de grace in Friday the 13th: The Game, and Deathstate begin its journey towards a PS4 and Xbox One launch.

Our PAX East 2016 coverage also included a Hands-On Preview of the bouncy Cuphead and a rundown of our favorite games from the show floor with The PAXpocalypse List.

But the biggest news from the week may be that Nintendo will launch their mysterious NX console in March 2017. Not only that, but The Legend of Zelda Wii U will also receive a simultaneous release on the new console.

PAX East is always a good time, but you can find more news from the rest of the week after the break. (more…)

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New Retail Releases: Battleborn

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Year after year, the month of May is usually flooded with big new releases, but the taps might be running a little dry in 2016. Sure, there are several intriguing new titles scheduled for the next four weeks, but that is probably all we’re getting.

Which brings us to Gearbox’s Battleborn, the sole new release that’ll be available on store shelves this week. Taking a break from the Borderlands universe, Gearbox developed Battleborn as a “Hero Shooter,” and they plan to offer players the chance to choose from dozens of heroes in both single-player and multiplayer modes. Also, expect to hear the word “Badass” quite a bit.

Battleborn will be available in stores this week on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

We’ll be back later in the week with an update on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.

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Activision begins teasing Call of Duty 2016 with a new video

There have been so many Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare leaks over the past few days that it’s hard to keep them all straight. But it looks like Activision is finally getting ready to reveal the game that’s still officially known as “Call of Duty 2016.”

A new video, titled “Know Your Enemy,” was uploaded to Call of Duty’s YouTube account just an hour ago. In it, a man delivers this monologue while images of the “Ghost” balaclava from Modern Warfare 2 occasionally interrupts the feed:

“Make no mistake, we will rip you from the history books. Every last trace of you, gone. You will know loss. We will be the architects of your pain. We will build monuments to your destruction. The whole world will bear witness to this: our ascension. We will blot out the skies, we will bury you in darkness. Know this, and know us. We are your enemy. We are the Settlement Defense Front.”

I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare will be announced sometime soon, and it’ll be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One this November.

UPDATE: A second teaser trailer, available after the break, has been released by Activision. In the video, a Lieutenant Reyes hacks the feed and tells viewers to visit M.me/CODMessenger for more information, because it’s “the only secure comms channel.” (more…)

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