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.

Halo: Spartan Assault is a top-down shooter coming to Windows 8, Windows Phone

Posted on June 4, 2013 by John Scalzo

Microsoft is bringing the Halo franchise back to the PC this Summer with Halo: Spartan Assault, a top-down shooter available exclusively for Windows 8 and Windows Phone devices. Spartan Assault is being developed by Vanguard Games and Microsoft’s Halo studio, 343 Industries, and will be available this July.

Set between the events of Halo 3 and Halo 4, Halo: Spartan Assault is a new chapter of the award-winning Halo universe that explores the first missions of the Spartan Ops program and dives deeper into the backstory of Human-Covenant wars. Play through the eyes of either Commander Sarah Palmer or Spartan Davis stationed aboard the UNSC Infinity as they fight never-before-seen battles against Covenant forces.

Hey Microsoft! Doesn’t the Xbox 360 controller have the twin sticks necessary to play a top-down shooter? Hopefully Halo: Spartan Assault also makes it to Microsoft’s current console (or the Xbox One) someday.

Posted in Mobile, News, PC | Tagged

Free-To-Play Plants vs Zombies 2 launches for iOS devices on July 18

Posted on June 3, 2013 by John Scalzo

PopCap Games has finally revealed the first Plants vs Zombies 2 details and there’s a very good chance this new information will make the people who originally fell in love with the series on the PC a bit mad. Are you sitting down? Plants vs Zombies 2 will be released as a free-to-play title exclusively on the iOS App Store on July 18.

Designed from the ground up as a live service, the ever-expanding universe of Plants vs. Zombies 2 continues the epic struggle of plants defending your brainz against zombies from your backyard through the vast reaches of time, both past and future. New worlds with new levels, plants, zombies and new ways to play will be released on an ongoing basis. Leveraging the touch interface of Apple’s popular mobile devices, Plants vs. Zombies 2 includes all-new touch-screen power-ups that enable players to “break the fourth wall” and interact with zombies directly, as well as via plant defenses.

Patient players will be able to experience the entirety of Plants vs Zombies 2 for free. But for those who are looking for an edge, the game’s “free-to-play” nature will allow players to purchase upgrades and other in-game items.

PopCap will be hosting a special invitation-only preview of Plants vs Zombies 2 at next week’s E3 Expo. So we can expect to learn more about the game then.

Posted in Mobile, News | Tagged ,

Eidos Montreal wants to know if you’re ready for “Deus Ex: The Fall”

Posted on June 3, 2013 by John Scalzo

eidosmontreal

Back in March, Square Enix registered several domains related to a Deus Ex project known as “Deus Ex: The Fall.” Today, Deus Ex developer Eidos Montreal tweeted a cryptic message asking fans if they’re ready for “The Fall.” Hmm, I wonder if they’re connected?

With the 2013 E3 Expo kicking off next week in Los Angeles, I’d say it’s likely we’ll learn more about Deus Ex: The Fall very soon.

Posted in News | Tagged

Injustice to Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion: “Get over here!”

Posted on June 3, 2013 by John Scalzo

Crossovers are a comic book creator’s best friend. So when it was rumored that Scorpion would be coming to Injustice: Gods Among Us as a DLC character, everyone just assumed it was the real deal. This morning, NetherRealm Studios officially announced that Scorpion (redesigned by DC Entertainment’s Jim Lee) will soon be joining the fight.

Scorpion’s brand new redesign looks fantastic, but his Injustice moveset looks very similar to the attacks he used in the Mortal Kombat reboot. Like the other DLC characters before him, Scorpion has been priced at $5/400 Microsoft Points on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace.

Finally, after Scorpion sends Blackest Night Superman to Hell, the trailer ends with a stinger hinting at the fourth DLC character: Martian Manhunter.

Posted in News, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Dark Souls II will have a banner year next year beginning with its March 2014 release

Posted on June 3, 2013 by John Scalzo

darksoulsii-date

Namco Bandai has erected a giant banner on top of the Los Angeles Convention Center (the site of next week’s E3 Expo) promoting Dark Souls II. In addition to the game’s title, two scary dudes, and the PC/PS3/Xbox 360 logos, the banner also comes complete with a release date: March 2014. While the publisher hasn’t confirmed an official release date for Dark Souls II through a press release yet, a banner atop E3 is the next best thing.

Thanks to NeoGAF user Gribbix for the picture.

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

Metro: Last Light outsells Metro 2033 after one week

Posted on June 3, 2013 by John Scalzo

metrolastlight-logoMetro 2033 built up a devoted fan following after its release in 2010. The game had captured the attention of gamers so thoroughly that when a sequel, Metro: Last Light, was finally released earlier this month, it had become one of the Spring’s most anticipated titles. But Last Light didn’t require a similar span of time to become a success as it’s already outsold Metro 2033 after a single week.

Sales figures weren’t announced by Deep Silver, but the publisher did reveal that developer 4A Games is hard at work on a series of DLC expansion packs for Last Light:

  • The Faction Pack and the Chronicles Pack, featuring new, original single-player gameplay that expands on the Metro: Last Light universe and story
  • The mysterious Tower Pack, a unique solo challenge to Metro veterans
  • The Developer Pack, giving creative players some interesting tools with which to explore the world of Metro.

“4A Games are honored by the reception our latest project has received,” said Andrew Prokhorov, Creative Director at 4A Games. “We are a small but dedicated team who are lucky to have been given the creative freedom and support to make the kind of experience we dream, as gamers, of playing. Our work on Metro: Last Light continues with new single player DLC, and we look forward to revealing future projects from the team. We want to thank all the Metro fans for support we have received.”

The DLC packs will be available for purchased separately or as part of a Season Pass, which can be pre-ordered now for $14.99 (or 1200 Microsoft Points).

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

Tales of Symphonia collection coming to PS3 in 2014

Posted on June 3, 2013 by John Scalzo

Namco Bandai and Hideo Baba, the Producer of the Tales series, have announced that Tales of Symphonia Chronicles, a two-game Tales collection, will be released for the PS3 in early 2014. The Chronicles collection will include Tales of Symphonia, originally released for the GameCube in 2004, and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, originally released for the Wii in 2008. Both games will feature additional content and a high definition makeover.

Baba also announced that Tales of Symphonia Chronicles is currently a working title, so it may be known as something else when its released next week.

Posted in News, PS3 | Tagged

Weekly Warp-Up: E3 2013 Countdown Edition

Posted on June 2, 2013 by John Scalzo

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…

We’re a week away from E3 2013 and the pre-E3 news is filling up our inboxes and RSS feeds. So have a gander at what Aksys Games, Tecmo Koei, and Ubisoft have planned for the big show. In addition to those companies, Best Buy and Nintendo have released the list of Best Buy locations that will host Nintendo’s E3 2013 demo stations if you want to take a few upcoming Wii U games for a spin yourself.

Also this week, Mike Ryan took a trip back in time by strolling the aisles of The Galloping Ghost Arcade, the largest arcade in the country. And John Scalzo asked “What Did I Just See?” as he examined 5 Surprising Moments From Classic Video Games. Finally, the entire staff got together to talk about What We Played in May 2013.

You can find more great news from the week that was after the break. (more…)

Posted in News |