Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books Gets 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
- Silent Hill, Dragon Quest, Skyrim, and More Announced as Finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
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
New Retail Releases: Resident Evil 2, More
The Resident Evil franchise will rise again this week with the launch of Resident Evil 2 for the PS4 and Xbox One (it’ll also be available as a digital download for the PC). More than a simple re-release, Capcom has taken the already-popular second entry in the series and given it the full remake treatment. Players will be able to play through Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield’s fight for survival with a new “over-the-shoulder” camera and a modernized control scheme.
Also available this week is a pair of smaller re-releases that are bound for new platforms. Senran Kagura Burst ReNewal is a new Director’s Cut of the 2012 beat ’em up for the PS4. And The Raven Remastered is a point-and-click adventure game from 2013 that’ll be making its way to the Switch after a re-release on other platforms last year.
That’s it for now, but we’ll be back later this week with a look at every new game coming to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Posted in News, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Resident Evil 2
Overkill’s The Walking Dead has been indefinitely postponed on PS4 and Xbox One
Overkill’s The Walking Dead, a team-based shooter set within Robert Kirkman’s vast comic universe, was originally released for the PC back in November. At the time, it was expected that a console launch would follow on the PS4 and Xbox One in February. But according to publisher Starbreeze, that’s no longer the plan.
In a press release, Starbreeze said they’re going to postpone the console launch for Overkill’s The Walking Dead:
Starbreeze is currently evaluating and reviewing the performance of the game Overkill’s The Walking Dead on consoles.
Starbreeze has decided to postpone the release date from its original February 2019 date, further information regarding the future release will be announced at a later date.
No new release date was given, but prospective players will receive further information on Overkill’s The Walking Dead future “at a later date.”
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Overkill's The Walking Dead
Power Rangers: Battle For the Grid fighting game will be released this April
Today has been a big day for fighting game fans. Not only did NetherRealm Studios unveil the first details for Mortal Kombat 11, but nWay has announced they will release Power Rangers: Battle For the Grid for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One this April. A PC launch will follow later in 2019.
According to nWay, Battle For the Grid will feature Rangers from multiple eras of the show, as well as an “easy to learn but hard to master” control scheme:
Power Ranger: Battle for the Grid is an easy to learn but hard to master fighting game that delivers a modern take on the Power Rangers franchise. The game features stunning graphics with vivid details and pits new and classic Rangers and villains against each other in team battles. Featuring a streamlined combat system, the game welcomes newcomers to the genre with simplified controls, while maintaining depth and detail for more intense and experienced competitors. Players will be challenged to test their skills online against friends and other players around the world, providing endless replayability. With new content and game modes releasing throughout the year, the game will continuously offer the community new ways to play and compete.
A special Digital Collector’s Edition of Power Rangers: Battle For the Grid will also be available for purchase, and it’ll include the full game, a Season One Pass, and two exclusive character skins (Lord Drakkon Evo II and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Pink Ranger).
The first trailer for Power Rangers: Battle For the Grid has been embedded above.
NetherRealm officially reveals a ton of new trailers and information about Mortal Kombat 11
Today was the day. NetherRealm Studios officially pulled back the blood-soaked curtain on Mortal Kombat 11 in a massive livestream that featured a ton of new information and a handful of new trailers.
You might be disappointed if you were expecting something radically different from the eleventh game in the long-running series, but fans of the franchise got exactly what they wanted out of this first look at Mortal Kombat 11. That includes a “time-bending” new storyline that picks up directly where Mortal Kombat X left off, as well as a glimpse at some gruesome new Fatalities, seven confirmed kombatants (Baraka, Raiden, Skarlet, Scorpion, Sonya Blade, Sub-Zero, and new fighter Geras), and an Injustice-inspired Gear System:
The Story Mode [is an] all-new, time-bending narrative, featuring Kronika, the first female boss character in Mortal Kombat history, who is the Keeper of Time and creator of existence. New fighter Geras [is] a powerful and loyal servant of Kronika, who is able to manipulate time.
Mortal Kombat 11 will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on April 23. PS4 and Xbox One owners who pre-order the game will receive access to a Private Beta that begins on March 28, and players who pre-order the game on any platform will be able to play as Shao Kahn at launch.
Seven new trailers for Mortal Kombat 11 can be found after the break, including Reveal Trailers for Geras and Sonya Blade (who will be voiced by WWE’s Ronda Rousey), a Story Trailer, a Gameplay Trailer, a Fatalities Trailer, a walkthrough for the new Gear System, and a Behind-The-Scenes Trailer filmed at NetherRealm. (more…)
Nintendo will drop the price of Super Mario Maker 3DS, Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D, and Star Fox 64 3D on February 4
Nintendo has announced that three games for the 3DS will be getting a price cut on February 4. Super Mario Maker For Nintendo 3DS, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D, and Star Fox 64 3D will all get a more wallet-friendly price of $19.99 as part of the consolemaker’s Nintendo Selects program:
In Super Mario Maker For Nintendo 3DS, build, play and share your own side-scrolling Super Mario levels using a wide variety of tools. Want to make your cannons shoot coins or have Bowser fly? With the intuitive touch-screen controls of the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, creating levels is easy and fun. Plus, you can take on 100 built-in courses as you tackle the Super Mario Challenge.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D brings Link’s classic adventure to Nintendo 3DS. This remastered and enhanced version features a cast of memorable characters, unforgettable gameplay and a dark and mysterious story. With control of time itself, Link must save the world of Termina from destruction by helping citizens, battling bosses and solving challenging puzzles.
Join ace pilot Fox McCloud in Star Fox 64 3D, an action-packed space shooter that puts you in the control of the classic Arwing ship as you blast, warp and barrel roll across space. Each mission in the game takes you through a different planet of the Lylat system as you face off against enemies, collect power-ups and fight powerful bosses on the way to the final battle against the evil Dr. Andross.
More than a dozen 3DS games are currently available through the Nintendo Selects program. You can find the full list at Nintendo’s official website.
Posted in News
Tagged 3DS, Star Fox 64 3D, Super Mario Maker, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s Blackout Free Trial will be available on January 17-24
It’s easy to assume that Fortnite owes quite a bit of its massive popularity to the fact that it’s free to download on all platforms. And now it looks like Activision will attempt to entice gamers to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 with a similar trick later this week.
The “Blackout Free Trial” will open up Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s battle royale mode to all PC, PS4, and Xbox One owners beginning on January 17th. The gratis game will be available for one week and will shut down on January 24th.
A new trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s Blackout Free Trial has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Pinkerton Detective Agency wants Rockstar Games to pay up for using name in Red Dead Redemption 2
Quick, let’s do some free association. If I say the name “Pinkerton,” what do you think of? If you’re in your 30s or 40s, your mind probably instantly went to Weezer’s 1996 album of the same name. But fans of Red Dead Redemption 2 might also be reminded of Andrew Milton and Edgar Ross, two Pinkerton Detectives that are constantly hounding the Van Der Linde Gang.
The Pinkerton Detective Agency was an actual private police force in the late 1800s and early 1900s, though they continue to operate as a security company to this day. In their heyday, Pinkerton Detectives were often hired by industrialists to stomp on unions and used extreme measures when hunting outlaws. According to The Verge, the current incarnation of the Pinkerton Detective Agency (which is owned by a Swedish company) has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Rockstar over the use of their name, and they’re seeking a royalty payment for all sales since the game’s October launch.
Rockstar has responded by suing Pinkerton, claiming their use of the name is accurate to the historical record. The publisher also cites a variety of media that has referenced Pinkerton agents over the years including Deadwood, Titanic, and the video game BioShock: Infinite (which was published by Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company).
While Rockstar’s legal fight with Pinkerton has just started, the detective agency has a pretty steep hill to climb. As Rockstar’s suit shows, using trademarks in a work of fiction is a common practice, and it rarely results in any kind of penalty for the publisher.
On top of that, Rockstar is no stranger to these types of legal proceedings and how to win them. Just ask Lindsay Lohan.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Red Dead Redemption 2
New Retail Releases: Ace Combat 7, Travis Strikes Again, Onimusha Warlords
Game publishers are once again going with quality over quantity with this week’s new retail releases.
Bandai Namco is leading things off with Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, which will be available in stores for the PS4 and Xbox One. The seventh entry in the dogfighting franchise will offer players “highly detailed aircraft and photorealistic scenery,” as well as virtual reality support through PlayStation VR.
Also set to launch this week is the long-awaited return of Travis Touchdown in No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again. This minigame-focused spinoff will be available exclusively for the Switch, and fans who purchase the Retail Edition will receive a Season Pass that includes access to all future downloadable content.
Finally this week, Capcom is partying like its 2001 and bring an enhanced re-release of Onimusha: Warlords to the PS4 and Xbox One (it’ll also be available as a digital download for the Switch). This new version of the game features updated visuals (and a new 16:9 widescreen mode), improved controls, and an Easy Mode.
That’s all for now, but we’ll be back later this week with a look at all the new additions coming to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Posted in News, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again