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.

Frictional announces Soma for PC, PS4

Frictional Games found a worldwide audience and a loyal legion of fans after the release of their PC-exclusive horror title Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Now, the Swedish development team is back with a first look at their next project, a horrific sci-fi tale known as Soma.

The radio has gone silent on PATHOS-2. As isolation bears down on the staff of the remote research facility, strange things are happening.

Machines are taking on human traits and alien constructions have started to interfere with routine. The world around them is turning into a nightmare.

The only way out is to do something unimaginable.

If you’re a fan of body horror, Soma’s first trailer (embedded above) should be mandatory viewing. Thomas Grip, the Creative Director at Frictional Games, told the PlayStation Blog that thought and consciousness will play a big part in the finished product: “Personally, I find it the most profound questions that it is possible to ask. “How can the feeling of subjective experience arise from a chunk of flesh?” Exploring this further takes us to questions such as “Can machines be conscious?” and “Do we have free will?” It quickly gets very disturbing, and is ideal for a futuristic horror setting. It is the kind of sci-fi that we want to make.”

Soma is in the development for the PC and PS4 and it will be released sometime in 2015.

Posted in News, PC, PS4 | Tagged

Nintendo Download: Tennis, Golf, Pokemon X/Y (Saturday), more

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Pokemon X and Pokemon Y are coming. Not only will they be available on store shelves this Saturday, October 12, but they will also be available to download on day one from the 3DS eShop.

However, if you’d rather know what’s available in this week’s Nintendo Download that you can play today, I’m happy to oblige. Sticking with the 3DS eShop, Nintendo will add Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked, a well-liked RPG from Atlus, to their online store today. And skipping over to the Wii U eShop, Golf and Tennis, two Virtual Console titles, are now available to download.

More information on these games, and a few other new releases, can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, DS, News, Wii U | Tagged ,

Apparently, the kid who snuck on a plane was inspired by Grand Theft Auto

grandtheftautologoHey, did you hear about that 9-year-old boy who snuck onto a plane in Minnesota and flew to Las Vegas? According to the kid, he did it because he thought he was “playing” Grand Theft Auto. MSN/Reuters has posted a video interview with the boy’s father where he admits that he thought his son was at a friend’s house during his cross-country trip and that he told police he did what he did because of Grand Theft Auto.

As it turns out, in addition to sneaking past a TSA agent and boarding a plane, the boy in question was actually arrested for committing grand theft auto after he took a car for a joy ride. He was also recently caught sneaking into a water park.

Who knows why the kid actually did what he did, but if he’s smart enough to fool airport security, he probably also knows that “video games made me do it” is a popular excuse.

Posted in Etcetera, News |

Composer Cliff Martinez claims he’s working on Far Cry 4

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Ubisoft hasn’t been shy about telling the world that some form of pre-production work has begun on Far Cry 4. But a recent interview has given a good idea what the game will sound like.

Speaking to Lost in the Multiplex (via Joystiq), composer Cliff Martinez (the music man behind the Drive soundtrack) said he is “working on a video game called Far Cry 4.” Obviously, this news doesn’t give us any idea what the game will be like, but we do know it’ll have funky background music that’ll set the perfect mood for a little ultra-violence.

Posted in News | Tagged

XBLA Today: Orc Attack, Let’s Sing and Dance

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Two new games were added to the Xbox Live Arcade today. Orc Attack: Flatulent Rebellion ($9.99) is a third-person hack and slash that involves orcs and more than a little farting. Meanwhile, Let’s Sing and Dance ($9.99) is a Kinect-powered music game that features… wait for it… singing and dancing.

More details on both games can be found right here:

Orc Attack: Flatulent Rebellion
Fart or die in this hack-and-slash action game, where fun-loving Orcs battle pollution loving Humans in a humorous fantasy setting. Orcs have become victims of brutal Human expansion, as they are carelessly poisoning the environment. Now, four trained Orc heroes are retaliating with a Not-So-Silent yet very deadly plan. In either single-player or up to four-player co-op, you will take on the role of Orcs, each wielding a unique gaseous ability, and then take the fight to the Humans in a stinky, fart-filled romp. Hilarious enemies and highly tuned combat make for a joyous experience that really is worth sharing. While the comedic storyline and the striking 3D world make it even more memoragle. Gross but charming protagonists add the final flourish with flatullent group attacks and nasty killer moves for up to four players.

Let’s Sing and Dance
Let’s Sing and Dance for Xbox 360 (Kinect for Xbox 360 compatible) brings music games to the next level. For the first time ever, a game combines singing and dancing at the same time. Using Kinect for Xbox 360, Let’s Sing and Dance scores the players’ dance moves as well as their singing performances. Unlimited number of players can take the stage at the same time and chose between 12 hits from major artists, including Lady Gaga, LMFAO, Flo Rida, Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus, Maroon 5.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 |

Disgaea D2, Just Dance 2014, F1 2013, more added to PS Store

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It’s another big day for the PlayStation Store as Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness, Just Dance 2014, and F1 2013 are now available to download… on the same day as they’re available in stores. Interstingly, Sony’s biggest October release for the PS3, Beyond: Two Souls, is not available on the PSN in conjunction with its physical debut.

Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness is a strategy RPG and the first direct sequel to the PS2 cult classic Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (a PS2 game that is also available through the PlayStation Store). Meanwhile, Just Dance 2014 and F1 2013 are the latest games in the annual dancing and racing franchises.

A ton of other games are available to download today, and you can get all the details on them after the break. And don’t forget, the PlayStation Blog has a complete rundown of this week’s new game add-ons. (more…)

Posted in News, PS3, Vita | Tagged ,

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z also coming to PC in early 2014

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Tecmo Koei has announced that Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, the zombified Ninja Gaiden spinoff that stars a robot, will also be available for the PC (through Steam) in early 2014. Originally announced for the PS3 and Xbox 360, Yaiba is in development at three studios: Team Ninja, Splash Damage, and Keiji Inafune’s Comcept.

In case you were worried that a game from the creators of Dead or Alive, Quake Wars, and Dead Rising would be tame, a statement from Tecmo Koei is here to calm your fears:

Players all called to battle fierce zombies as Yaiba, a cyborg ninja who will do anything to get revenge and stay alive. Cleaved in two, he is brought back to life with cyber-technology. Brandishing his ninja sword and the mecha weapons in his cyborg arm, he slaughters zombies with brutal, over-the-top abandon.

Step inside a stylised, living comic book where stunning graphics depict a world gone mad. Hordes of undead can only be stopped by Yaiba’s willingness to use any means necessary to get the job done. Will he kill by turning his cyborg arm into a razor chainsaw for slicing up undead… or just rip off an opponent’s arms to use as zombie nunchucks? Both possibilities fill Yaiba’s heart with twisted laughter—and the desire to kill more and more zombies!

Zombie nunchucks! Shut up and take my money!

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Watch Dogs requires 64-bit OS on PC

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After Watch Dogs made its debut at E3 2012, there were more than a few whispers online that the game looked “next generation.” Ubisoft was quitck to put down these rumors and assured gamers that Watch Dogs would be available for the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii U. However, earlier this year, Watch Dogs was indeed revealed to be in development for the PS4 and Xbox One.

Of course, all of this is just a roundabout way of saying that those early whispers were correct and that the hardware requirements for the PC version are very steep. Like, requires a 64-bit operating system steep:

Minimum Requirements

  • Supported OS: Windows Vista SP2 64-bit, Windows 7 SP1 64-bit, Windows 8 64-bit (This product supports 64-bit operating systems ONLY)
  • Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 @ 2.66Ghz or AMD Phenom II X4 940 @ 3.0Ghz
  • RAM: 6 GB
  • Video Card: 1024 VRAM DirectX 11 with Shader Model 5.0
  • Sound Card: DirectX 9 compatible Sound Card

Recommended Requirements

  • Processor: Core i7 3770 @ 3.5Ghz or AMD FX-8350 @ 4.0Ghz
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • Video Card: 2048 VRAM DirectX 11 with Shader Model 5.0 or higher
  • Sound Card: Surround Sound 5.1 capable sound card
  • Supported Video Cards at Time of Release: Nvidia GeForce GTX460 or better, GT500, GT600, GT700 series, AMD Radeon HD5850 or better, HD6000, HD7000, R7 and R9 series, Intel Iris Pro HD 5200.

Watch Dogs will be released for the PC (and the PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360, PS4, and Xbox One) on November 19.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged