Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- BAFTA Games Awards: All the Winners from 2003 to Today
- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books to Get 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
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
EA will add an Offline Mode to Star Wars: Battlefront this Spring
While Star Wars: Battlefront has been massively successful for Electronic Arts, many players were disappointed it continues to require an Internet connection to play as an “online only” game. Thankfully, it looks like EA plans to remedy that mistake in an upcoming Spring update.
According to the official Battlefront Blog, developer DICE will release a free update in “the next few months” that’ll add new in-game events, new Hutt Contracts, special May the 4th (AKA “Star Wars Day”) activities, and some kind of offline content to the game:
- New In-Game Events – More double score weekends, community missions and Special Login Events are coming for players to earn more experience, credits and items.
- New Hutt Contracts – Unlock powerful Star Cards like the Berserker Trait, Bacta Bomb, and Ion Neutralizer.
- More New Content – We also have a couple of surprises in store that we know our fans have been looking for, especially those who have been clamoring for ways to have more options to enjoy Star Wars Battlefront offline. More to come soon.
- Specific for May the 4th – In celebration of Star Wars Day we have cool activities planned that we’ll announce soon.
In other Battlefront news, the Bespin expansion will be released this June, and include four new maps set in and around Cloud City. The expansion will also include new Blasters and Star Cards, along with two new Heroes… Lando Calrissian and the bounty hunter Dengar. While the lack of Lobot is a blow to Star Wars fans everywhere, Dengar’s ability to look extra schlubby while standing next to Darth Vader in Empire Strikes Back has made him a beloved part of the franchise’s lore.
Actually, no, that’s not true, not even a little bit.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Star Wars: Battlefront
Disasterpeace’s soundtrack to Hyper Light Drifter is now available to download
The haunting music of Hyper Light Drifter has captivated prospective players ever since the game’s first trailer was released way back in 2013. Of course, I wouldn’t expect anything less from Richard “Disasterpeace” Vreeland, the maestro behind Mini Metro, Fez, and It Follows.
Yesterday, the composer released the full soundtrack to Hyper Light Drifter through his official website. You can listen to the entire album, which clocks in at just over two hours, in your browser or you can download it via Bandcamp for $5.
Hyper Light Drifter, a Zelda-like adventure in a heavily pixelated world, was released for the PC on March 31. A PS4, Vita, Wii U, and Xbox One release is planned for later this year.
The Hunstman: Winter’s Curse is an RPG based on the film… and its coming next week
Mirror, Mirror on the wall… someone is releasing a game based on The Huntsman: Winter’s War to surprise us all…
Desert Owl Games has teamed up with Universal Pictures and will release The Hunstman: Winter’s Curse for the PC on April 20. The Hunstman: Winter’s Curse is a card-based RPG and players will collect equipment cards to take into battle against the game’s many beasts and monsters. Featuring graphics styled like a storybook, the game will be offered as a free download through Steam, though the developer plans to release additional episodes to further expand the story:
The story begins with the game’s protagonist, Elisabeth, vowing to her dying father to locate and reunite with her long-lost brothers. At the start of her journey, she partners with a young man with mysterious magical powers named Marcus, who likewise wants to find Elisabeth’s siblings, but his motives are less than pure.
Players guide Elisabeth and Marcus through the enchanted world of The Huntsman: Winter’s Curse, outwitting foes and directing the narrative through choose-your-own-adventure style decisions. As the story progresses, the party will sometimes be joined by a third member, including fellow humans, dwarves and supernatural beings.
The Hunstman: Winter’s Curse will also be available for the PS4 later this year. And don’t forget, The Huntsman: Winter’s War, starring Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, and Emily Blunt, will open in theaters next Friday, April 22.
Rumor: Zelda Wii U, Smash Bros 4, Splatoon, Mario Maker remasters in the works for NX
Hold on to your (red) hats… a new rumor is claiming that remasters of The Legend of Zelda Wii U, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, Splatoon, and Super Mario Maker are in the works for Nintendo’s NX console. Nintendo insider “Emily Rogers” (via Nintendo Ethusiast) is reporting that Nintendo is currently hard at work on the remasters, but there’s a possibility that not all of them will make it onto store shelves:
The following Wii U ports in development for NX: Zelda, Smash Bros, Mario Maker, Splatoon. But…and yes there’s a “But”… Just because something is in development doesn’t mean it’ll be released. So either all four of these ports will come…or only two of them. I spoke with at least 10 people regarding these four ports. Splatoon is up in the air. Zelda / Smash Bros sound like guarantees.
While these rumored remasters are far from a guarantee, I’m sure that many lapsed Nintendo fans would be thrilled to see some of the Wii U’s best titles on the company’s next console. Nintendo is widely expected to unveil the NX console later this year, but when that is is anybody’s guess.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Splatoon 2, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Xbox Store Today: Dark Souls III
Just a single new game was added to the Xbox Games Store today… but it’s a doozy.
Said doozy is Dark Souls III, the first game in the series built from the ground up for the Xbox One, and possibly the concluding chapter in an absolutely captivating trilogy. Publisher Bandai Namco won’t say whether the Souls will still burn, but Director Hidetaka Miyazaki has strongly hinted that this is the end. Renowned for its relentless difficulty, grotesque bosses, and gothic atmosphere, does the Dark Souls franchise go out with a bang? Well, there’s only one way to find out…
Xbox One Games
Dark Souls III ($59.99)
Dark Souls III continues to push the boundaries with the latest, ambitious chapter in the critically-acclaimed and genre-defining series. Players will be immersed into a world of epic atmosphere and darkness through faster gameplay and amplified combat intensity. Fans and newcomers alike will get lost in the game hallmark rewarding gameplay and immersive graphics.
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged Dark Souls III
NBA 2K17: Legend Edition will feature Kobe Bryant on the cover
Kobe Bryant will suit up for his final NBA game tonight, and 2K Games has decided to honor the legendary basketball player as the cover athlete of the NBA 2K17: Legend Edition.
NBA 2K17’s Legend Edition is a special bundle that’ll be available this September for the PS4 and Xbox One for $79.99. Prospective purchasers will receive a boxful of bonus items (a Limited Edition Kobe Poster, Two Kobe Panini Trading Cards, and a “Black Mamba” Game Controller Skin), along with various bits of in-game content (30,000 Virtual Currency, MyTeam Bundle+ with a Kobe Limited-Use Card, Nike Kobe 11 Retirement Shoes, Kobe #8 Mitchell and Ness Jersey, Kobe Hoodie, and more).
According to 2K, Kobe is part of an elite (and tiny) fraternity of players to appear in every game in the NBA 2K franchise. So as another tribute, developer Visual Concepts put together a special video showing the evolution of Kobe’s video game alter ego through the years. It’s been embedded after the break.
The cover athlete for the standard edition of NBA 2K17, which is also in development for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, will be announced this June. (more…)
Dark Souls III, Ratchet & Clank, Stories: The Path of Destinies, more added to PS Store
The fires of the Dark Souls saga might go dim after the release of Dark Souls III, but PS4 owners will still be able to venture into Hidetaka Miyazaki’s gothic nightmare one last time beginning today. The remainder of this week’s PlayStation Store update is a bit on the short side, but there’s still plenty to play just ahead of Tax Day…
PS4 owners will also be able to download the rebooted rendition of Ratchet & Clank, which will “take a deeper look at the characters’ origin stories.” Insomniac has also added more planets, more bosses, new Clank gameplay, new flight sequences, and “completely new visuals.” All these new features will tie in to the Ratchet & Clank animated adaptation, which will open in theaters on April 29.
Elsewhere on Sony’s digital storefront, players will be able try out Koei Tecmo’s strategy-centric Samurai Warriors 4: Empires (PS4) and Hopoo’s roguelike action platformer Risk of Rain (PS4 + PS Vita Cross-Buy). Finally, Stories: The Path of Destinies (PS4) is this week’s Launch Party selection, and it’s an action RPG from Spearhead Games.
More information on all of these title can be found after the break. And, as always, a complete rundown of this week’s new game add-ons is available at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)
Posted in News, PS4, Vita
Tagged Dark Souls III, Ratchet & Clank
Atlus will publish The King of Fighters XIV for the PS4 later this year
Atlus and SNK Playmore have announced they’ve joined forces to bring The King of Fighters XIV to North America later this year. Fully rendered in 3D for the first time, and available exclusively for the PS4, the latest game in the long-running fighting franchise will include a number of new features:
3D Evolution: All 50 fighters, movesets and more are rendered in full 3D graphics that preserves the essence of KOF’s visual style but updates it with a whole new dimension.
The Best Refinement since KOF ’98: Through extensive playtesting and balancing, the controls have been streamlined, and the Combo and Max Mode mechanics have been overhauled to create the most competitive fighter in SNK’s history.The KOF Saga Continues: There’s a robust single-player storyline where several years have passed since the previous KOF tournament. Now a worldwide business, the global KOF will decide who is the strongest as both individuals and companies with their own ambitions have come to compete. Players compete against CPU-controlled opponents to unlock the storyline.
The Best Roster Yet: There are 50 fighters total, with 31 returning from previous entries into the KOF series, and 19 brand new characters. All 50 characters will be available at the game’s launch.
Revamped Online Experience: The King of Fighters XIV has devoted a lot of development time to improving the game’s netcode for vastly improved online gameplay. KOF XIV uses the PS4’s online architecture to have a whole host of online conveniences, from spectating to saving replay/battle data, and having a single online KOF XIV profile to connect with friends.
Other new features on tap for The King of Fighters XIV include the Rush system, “which adds simplified combo inputs for novices,” and “Party Battle,” an online mode “which pits two teams of three human players each against each other in a cooperative team fight.”
And finally, a new trailer starring Muimui and Kukri has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PS4
Tagged The King of Fighters XIV