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
Watch every Fatality from all ten Mortal Kombat games right here
What are you doing for the next two hours? Wait, don’t answer that yet. First, I want to draw your attention to the video embedded above, which features a replay of every Fatality ever performed in a Mortal Kombat game.
Compiled by YouTube user IZUNIY, the video includes hundreds of blood-soaked finishers, like Sub-Zero’s controversial “Spine Rip” from 1992’s Mortal Kombat, from the very beginning. From there, we jump through the many sequels, and all the Stage Fatalities, Animalities, Friendships, and Brutalities that were added to the franchise over the years. The compilation even includes the much gorier Fatalities from the four newest kombatants from the Mortal Kombat XL re-release.
So I ask again, what are you doing for the next two hours?
Posted in News, PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, Retro, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection, Mortal Kombat X
Pre-production on The Last of Us 2 will begin after release of Uncharted 4 DLC
It’s no secret that Naughty Dog wants to make a sequel to The Last of Us, but development on The Last of Us 2 was put on the back burner as the studio completed their next adventure with Nathan Drake. But now that Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is finished, Naughty Dog is ready to start pre-production work on a sequel to Joel and Ellie’s cross-country trek. But first, the team will have to complete work on Uncharted 4’s single-player downloadable content.
Naughty Dog’s Creative Director, Neil Druckmann, told GamesRadar about the studio’s current timetable earlier today:
“Before my partner, Bruce [Straley] and I, my directing partner, came on to Uncharted 4 we were working on prototypes for different ideas within The Last of Us universe,” says Druckmann. He also teases that “without going into specific genres [there were] ideas outside the The Last of Us,” as well.
However, according to Druckmann, “all those things were left on hold when we had to come onto Uncharted 4 to direct the project.” Which obviously leaves the question: when will he and Bruce get back to thinking about clickers? “Our next focus is the single player [Uncharted 4] DLC and then, once we have enough resources, resurrect all those prototypes; see where we’re at, see where the teams at, what they’re excited for and go from there.”
Because of the nature of prototypes, it’s important to remember that Druckmann and his team might never give the green light to The Last of Us 2. And as he eludes to above, the developer could move on to a brand new intellectual property after the completion of Uncharted 4’s DLC. Whatever happens, I’m sure we’re all eager to find out what Naughty Dog is up to next.
Posted in News, PS4
Tagged The Last of Us Part II, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness will be released on June 28 in a Day One Edition and a Collector’s Edition
Square Enix has announced that Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness will make its PS4 debut on June 28. According to Square Enix, the latest entry in the Star Ocean franchise will be released “just in time for the Summer Blockbuster Season.” While I’m not sure the video game industry has anything close to a “Summer Blockbuster Season,” the new Story Trailer embedded above gives us a closer look into the lives of Fidel and his crew.
Players who are interested in purchasing Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness on June 28 will be able to choose from two different packages. The Day One Edition, priced at $59.99, will be available at retailers everywhere and include a copy of the game, two bonus background battle themes (from Valkyrie Profile and Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria), and several downloadable bonus items (The Ring of the Valkyries, Gold Bunny Statue, Bushybrume Cincture, Wristlet of the Stars, and Secret Sthalian Tome).
Meanwhile, the Collector’s Edition will sold exclusively through the Square Enix Online Store (for $109.99) and it’ll include a copy of the game and quite a bit of bonus content:
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness Collector’s Edition
- Collector’s Edition Steelbook Case containing the game and The Sounds of Star Ocean, a CD sampler soundtrack featuring 16 tracks from famed composer Motoi Sakuraba.
- The Art of Star Oceana an 80-page hardcover art book featuring art from the Star Ocean series.
- Eight exclusive Art Cards featuring illustrations from character designer “Akiman.”
- Pangalactic Federation ID Card
- Six Background Battle Music Themes from Valkyrie Profile, Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria, and previous Star Ocean titles that fans can play during battle
- Download Code for In-Game Items (The Ring of the Valkyries, Gold Bunny Statue, Bushybrume Cincture, Wristlet of the Stars and, Secret Sthalian Tome) that will aid Fidel and the crew on their journey
A closer look at the Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness Collector’s Edition is available after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PS4
Tagged Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness
Shadow of the Beast remake will be released for PS4 on May 17
Sony’s Shadow of the Beast remake has flown pretty far under the radar since its unveiling at Gamescom 2013. That could be because the original game, which was released for the Amiga in 1989, never found much success in North America. Whatever the reason, Sony announced earlier this week that the brutally difficult side-scroller will be released for the PS4 on May 17.
The consolemaker also uploaded a behind-the-scenes video for the game starring Matt Birch, the founder of Heavy Spectrum Games. Birch dives into the history of the franchise and story at the center of the game as he details the reasons behind Aarbron’s quest for revenge against the beast lord.
Posted in News, PS4
Tagged Shadow of the Beast
Blizzard’s first animated short for Overwatch focuses on Winston the Gorilla
Excuse me… that should be Winston the Scientist. But the great thinker is also a great ape and he’s the star of “Recall,” Blizzard’s first animated short for Overwatch:
“Recall” tells the story of Winston—a genetically engineered gorilla and brilliant scientist who longs for the days of heroism to return. In this episode, we explore Winston’s thoughts and memories as he wrestles with the decision to recall the agents of Overwatch, all while the forces of Talon stage an attack on his laboratory in the abandoned Watchpoint: Gibraltar.
The short perfectly captures that Disney/Pixar vibe that Blizzard has cultivated for Overwatch all along. And could there be a better way to spend a lazy Sunday than to watch a genetically engineered gorilla fight back against a hit squad with a banana peel?
Overwatch will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on May 24. And the second animated short, which will focus on Talon operative Widowmaker, should be available sometime today.
Best Buds vs Bad Guys throws your favorite side-scrolling shooters into a blender
Best Buds vs Bad Guys is an upcoming side-scrolling shooter that references the greats of the genre including Contra, Ghosts N Goblins, and Mega Man. Set to be released for the PC this Spring, the game is in the works at Super Icon under the supervision of a father-and-son development team… oh, and the son is ten years old.
The trailer embedded above gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect from Best Buds vs Bad Guys. Retro-styled 16-bit graphics propel the story forward as players fight back against hundreds of different enemy types with a wide variety of wild weapons. Super Icon’s official website has even more screenshots of the action, including a quick look at a level built entirely out of Legos.
Best Buds vs Bad Guys will also be released for the PS4, Vita, Wii U, and Xbox One sometime this year.
Insert Quarter: Inside the (Probable) Failure of Apple TV
Insert Quarter is our showcase for some of the best and most interesting writing about video games on the Internet.
Frustration gripped stock market analysts and game journalists alike as Apple seemed to be uninterested in producing an Apple TV set-top box that could play console-style games. For years, members from each group argued that a gaming-capable microconsole from Apple would be a massive hit. Some went so far as to claim it could possibly topple the console market served by Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo.
These same predictions were spread far and wide when Apple released their revamped Apple TV microconsole last year. With full controller support and a wide array of console-quality titles, the new Apple TV seemed destined for big sales and wide acceptance. But along the way, something happened that made the Apple TV more irrelevant than ever.
With developers dropping support for the device in droves (including Disney Infinity 3.0, the biggest game available at the Apple TV’s launch), Ars Technica’s Kyle Orland thinks the microconsole may never find an audience:
But momentum certainly isn’t on Apple’s side as far as that argument goes. Back in September, in an overall bearish analysis of Apple TV’s gaming potential, I gamely offered that “for a parent with a young child begging to get into the Disney Infinity universe… an Apple TV with its intuitive remote, its suite of easy-to-use media apps, its relatively low $150 price, and its familiar Apple name could look more appealing than the likes of the Xbox One or the PS4.” So far, it seems that even that limited use case has failed to make much of an impact in the marketplace.
The full article is available for your perusal at Ars Technica.
Posted in Insert Quarter, Mobile
Weekly Warp-Up: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Final Fantasy XV…
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…
Square Enix held their big “Uncovered” event for Final Fantasy XV earlier this week, so now we know much more about the upcoming RPG than we did a week ago. The big news is that the game will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on September 30. However, if you absolutely can’t wait to play it, the “Platinum Demo” is now available to download through the PlayStation Store and Xbox Games Store.
But the game isn’t the only piece of Final Fantasy XV merchandise we’ll get this year. Square Enix also plans to release a prequel anime series (Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV) and a feature-length animated film (Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV) based on the game. A pinball game for mobile devices, Justice Monsters Five, will also be available soon.
Finally, Square Enix recruited Florence Welch, of Florence + The Machine, to record a cover of “Stand By Me” for Final Fantasy XV.
Elsewhere around Warp Zoned this week, we reviewed the purr-fectly fun Catlateral Damage.
More news from the rest of the week that was can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News