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.

Killer Instinct Season 3 will kick off in March with Rash (of Battletoads fame) as guest fighter

Posted on August 4, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Microsoft has announced that Killer Instinct Season 3 will kick off in March 2016, which is good news for all the fighting game fanatics out there. The previously-announced PC edition, featuring characters from all three seasons, will also be available beginning in March.

Killer Instinct Season 3 will once again feature eight new characters, including Rash, one of the tubular toads from Battletoads. Best of all, you won’t have to wait until March to try him out. Everyone who has purchased the 30-game Rare Replay compilation will be able to download an early beta version of Rash starting today.

The Rash beta is expected to be available until sometime in September.

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

Crackdown 3 crashes onto the Xbox One with Multiplayer Beta in Summer 2016

Posted on August 4, 2015 by John Scalzo

The Crackdown series is coming back in a big way next year with Crackdown 3. Re-announced as part of Microsoft’s 2015 Gamescom Briefing, the open world action game will include “100% destructible environments” and a “criminal hierarchy to be dismantled any way you choose.”

The developers at Reagent Games have created a new behind-the-scenes trailer, embedded above, which gives us our first look at some gameplay. Reagent will use Microsoft’s Cloud service to funnel additional computing power into Crackdown 3’s four-player co-op campaign and its competitive multiplayer mode.

Unfortunately, we still have no idea when Crackdown 3 will be released. A Multiplayer Beta will take place in Summer 2016, but a final release date for the Xbox One-exclusive is still a mystery. Hopefully an Agent of Justice is on the case…

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Microsoft unveils first gameplay trailer of Scalebound at Gamescom 2015

Posted on August 4, 2015 by John Scalzo

Announced during last year’s E3 Expo, Microsoft has finally pulled back a scaly curtain and gave us our first look at Scalebound during their Gamescom 2015 Briefing.

In Scalebound, your dragon is your brother and you’ll be able to customize him in a variety of different ways. Here’s what the Xbox Wire had to say about the game’s story and it’s use of Platinum Games’s trademark action style:

In Scalebound, you will experience the journey of a young loner named Drew, who is pulled into the strange, beautiful, and dangerous world of Draconis – where he is bonded to a fearsome and noble dragon, Thuban, the last of his kind. These two lone-wolf heroes, thrown together by fate, must learn to fight as one to defeat the powerful enemies that threaten Draconis, Earth, and a vast universe of parallel worlds.

You’ll explore the beautiful and dangerous world of Draconis, as you and your dragon companion work to defeat legions of enemy soldiers and epic scale beasts. Scalebound’s accessible-yet-deep (and very stylish and over-the-top!) gameplay gives you the power to fluidly chain attacks with your dragon too, creating devastating combos to unleash upon your foes.

In development under the direction of Hideki Kamiya (Devil May Cry, Bayonetta), Scalebound will be released exclusively for the Xbox One in 2016.

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Quantum Break will perform its time travel magic on April 5, 2016

Posted on August 4, 2015 by John Scalzo

Remedy made their bones with Max Payne‘s “Bullet Time” mechanic, so it’s no surprise that they’re dipping back into temporal trickery with next year’s Quantum Break. During their Gamescom Briefing today, Microsoft announced that the Xbox One-exclusive will be released on April 5, 2016.

The publisher unveiled a brand new trailer for Quantum Break, which highlights a lot of the time-bending powers employed by the game’s main character, Jack Joyce. The trailer also serves as an introduction to the game’s star-studded cast, which features Shawn Ashmore (X-Men‘s Iceman) as Jack and Dominic Monaghan (Lost‘s Charlie) as his brother William. Other cast members include:

  • Aidan Gillen as Paul Serene
  • Lance Reddick as Martin Hatch
  • Marshall Allman as Charlie Wincott
  • Patrick Heusinger as Liam Burke
  • Mimi Michaels as Fiona Miller
  • Amelia Rose Blaire as Amy Ferraro
  • Brooke Nevin as Emily Burke
  • Courtney Hope as Beth Wilder
  • Jacqueline Pinol as Sofia Amaral
  • Jeannie Bolet as Kate Ogawa
  • Sean Durrie as Nick Marsters

All of these actors will also play a role in Quantum Break’s companion live-action TV series, which will tell the game’s story from the villain’s perspective.

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Video Game Release Calendar Changelog: Pre-Gamescom 2015 Update

Posted on August 4, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Don’t Forget! This is just a changelog of recently announced release dates. Warp Zoned’s complete Video Game Release Calendar includes every title we could find that’s scheduled for release in 2015, 2016, 2017, or beyond.

The 2015 Gamescom expo is kicking off… right about now… in Germany, but first, we’ve got a quick rundown of some of the latest release date announcements from the world’s game publishers. Most companies have been using this lazy Summer to solidify their Fall 2015 calendar, but a few 2016 games have snuck in there as well (and a few have snuck into 2016).

Some of the biggest names that we’ve tracked in this edition of the Video Game Release Calendar Changelog include Disney Infinity: Star Wars on August 30, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 on September 29, and Rise of the Tomb Raider on November 10 (also, it’ll launch for the PC and PS4 in 2016).

Also announced in the weeks since E3 is Dragon Quest XI: In Search of the Departed Time. The next game in Square Enix’s long-running RPG series and the first game to officially be announced for Nintendo’s NX system doesn’t have a release date as of yet, and it may not even come to America. But it is, without a doubt, the biggest recent announcement. Unless the rest of Gamescom bowls us over, which it just might.

Even more new release dates from this edition of the Video Game Release Calendar Changelog can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One |

Star Wars: Battlefront has captured the most nominations at 2015 Gamescom Awards

Posted on August 3, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Germany’s Digital Gaming Culture Foundation (Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur) has announced the nominees for this year’s Gamescom Awards… and Star Wars: Battlefront has Force Pushed its way to the top of the pack. DICE’s shooter sequel was able to collection four nominations including “Best Console Game – PlayStation 4,” “Best PC Game,” “Best Action Game,” and “Best Online Multiplayer Game.”

Battlefront was able to move slightly ahead of the pack, as a small handful of games received three nominations apiece. Final Fantasy XV, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Super Mario Maker, Skylanders SuperChargers, and Guitar Hero Live are all up for three awards.

Even if you’re not one of the jury members for the Gamescom Awards, you can have an influence on the results. The general public can vote for any game on display at the expo for a Most Wanted Consumer Award using the Gamescom app.

The winners of this year’s Gamescom Awards will be announced on August 7. The full list of nominees can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Vega claws his way into Street Fighter V and is playable at Gamescom 2015

Posted on August 3, 2015 by John Scalzo

Vega’s vain and dandyish style are on full display in his debut trailer, as Capcom has confirmed the character has officially joined the ranks of Street Fighter V‘s roster. Announced as part of the publisher’s pre-Gamescom activities, Capcom has even given “The Spanish Ninja” a no-claw fight style for the first in the franchise’s history:

Vega brings with him a brand new set of tricks, as well as a new appearance. Still possessing his trademark speed and quickness, he now has access to two distinct fighting modes: claw or no-claw. With the no-claw style giving him access to command grabs as well as new attack properties, players will need to toggle between both styles to pull off that winning KO at the end of the fight. Vega’s powerful V-Trigger is the Bloody Kiss, which sees him throw a rose at high velocity towards his opponent, before he charges at full speed right behind it, delivering a series of brutal attacks. This Spanish matador is definitely a fighter to keep your eye on, if you can.

Vega will be part of Street Fighter V’s playable Gamescom demo, which is available at Sony’s booth (C-020) in Hall 7. We’ll all get a chance to play the game when its released for the PC and PS4 in Spring 2016.

Posted in News, PC, PS4 | Tagged ,

If you buy Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, you’ll get Gears 1-3 + Judgment on Xbox 360 for free

Posted on August 3, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Before Microsoft officially revealed Gears of War: Ultimate Edition at this year’s E3 Expo, there was a rumor floating around that the publisher was actually working on a multi-game Marcus Fenix Collection. That rumor was quickly shot down by The Coalition’s Rod Fergusson, but today’s announcement might be the next best thing.

Writing on the Xbox Wire, Microsoft has announced that everyone who purchases Gears of War: Ultimate Edition before December 31, 2015 will receive Gears of War, Gears of War 2, Gears of War 3, and Gears of War: Judgment for the Xbox 360 for free. And with the Xbox One’s upcoming backwards compatibility update, all four games will be playable on the publisher’s newest console this Fall:

All Gears of War titles will be supported on Backward Compatibility when it launches publicly this fall. This means if you own Gears of War, Gears of War 2, Gears of War 3 or Gears of War: Judgment on Xbox 360, you’ll be able to play them on your Xbox One and utilize some of your favorite next-gen features like Game DVR, Snap, screenshots and more. You can even keep all your previously-saved files, game add-ons, Achievements and play with friends on Xbox Live no matter which Xbox console they’re on. For those of you in the Xbox One preview program who just can’t wait, the original Gears of War is available today in Backward Compatibility.

This is just the first of many Gamescom announcements Microsoft has on tap for this week, so stay tuned for more.

Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , ,