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.

Blizzard officially announces that “multiple” Diablo projects are currently in development

Posted on August 8, 2018 by John Scalzo

Blizzard has been hiring new employees for their “Unannounced Diablo Project” for more than two years now. While we still don’t know anything concrete about where the developer is taking the famed franchise, they did officially (and finally) announce that “multiple” Diablo projects are currently in the works.

The news was delivered this morning during a short video address from Associate Community Manager Brandy “Nevalistis” Camel. According to Camel, we might get a glimpse at what Blizzard’s working on later this year… presumably at BlizzCon in November.

What could Blizzard be working on? It seems likely that Diablo 4 is one of their long-term goals for the franchise, and we know the developer is teaming up with Titan Comics to produce a comic miniseries later this year. But the rumored Switch launch for Diablo III also remains a possibility.

For now, Camel directed current Diablo III players to the game’s 14th Season, the “Season of Greed.” Treasure Goblins will appear twice as often in Season 14, and players will be able to earn new Seasonal Items and rewards. Additional themed Seasons are planned for 2018 and 2019.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged , ,

Sega’s Gamescom 2018 lineup includes Team Sonic Racing, Valkyria Chronicles 4, Persona 3: Dancing, Persona 5: Dancing, and more

Posted on August 7, 2018 by John Scalzo

Sega has big plans for this year’s Gamescom show, and the publisher will give attendees the chance to try out six playable demos, as well as give gamers their first look at the soccer-centric skills needed for Football Manager 2019.

Strategic planning is at the center of several of Sega’s Gamescom offerings, including “epic strategy RPG” Valkyria Chronicles 4 and team-based racer Team Sonic Racing. But if you want to kick off your shoes and dance, the publisher will also have kiosks available for Persona 3: Dancing in the Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in the Starlight.

Here’s a look at their complete Gamescom 2018 lineup:

Team Sonic Racing, developed by award-winning studio Sumo Digital, is the ultimate arcade and fast-paced competitive style racing experience, featuring your favourite characters from across the Sonic Universe. Visitors to the stand will have the opportunity to race on an all new track, Ice Mountain, and experience two brand new playable teams.

Creative Assembly’s Total War: Three Kingdoms will also showcase never-seen-before content and consumers will get the chance to go hands-on with the game for the very first time. Players will witness an exclusive look at the exotic lands of ancient China in a campaign map flythrough before being thrust into the midst of a night-time ambush battle. Sun Jian’s army, led by Sun Ren and Sun Quan, must defend against waves of incoming heroes and warriors or choose to make a break for freedom.

As if that wasn’t enough, epic strategy RPG Valkyria Chronicles 4, frantic action/adventure Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise, and the hugely anticipated rhythm games Persona 3: Dancing in the Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in the Starlight will feature on the stand in a collection of some of the hottest unreleased Japanese IP on the planet. Make sure you leave yourself enough time to play everything!

Football Manager 2019 will make its Gamescom debut this year as an official partner of the Bundesliga, with an activation that will put football fans in the firing line for questioning from renowned ESPN Football Journalist, Raphael Honigstein. After they’ve been grilled, they’ll get to line-up in front of a Football Manager themed step and repeat for an authentic Football Manager photo and leave with a Football Manager notebook. A must have for would-be managers! The game itself will not be playable.

Gamescom 2018 will take place, as always, in Cologne, Germany. This year’s show will open its doors beginning on Tuesday, August 21.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Vita, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , ,

NIS America will bring The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince to the PS4 and Switch in 2019

Posted on August 7, 2018 by John Scalzo

NIS America is back with another visually inventive game from across the Pacific. This time around, the prolific publisher’s in-house development team is ready to announce The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince.

The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince is a puzzle platformer that’s currently in the works for the PS4 and Switch. It’s also an “enchantingly dark fairy tale” about the friendship and love between the two titular characters:

Alone in the forest, a wolf sings her song. Mesmerized by this beautiful voice, a little prince from a nearby kingdom wanders into the dark forest every night to find its source. However, the little prince startles the wolf during one of his visits, and she swipes her long claws in fear and blinds him.

Now, the blind prince must trek through the dangerous forest to find a cure and restore his sight. The wolf, transformed into a beautiful princess, shall be his guide. With her ability to transform at will, she will protect the little prince at all cost. But can a blind prince survive in an all-seeing forest?

The first trailer for The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince has been embedded above, and fans of the game’s gorgeous visuals can expect to see it on store shelves sometime in 2019.

Posted in News, PS4, Switch | Tagged

Square Enix will bring Dragon Quest XI, Life Is Strange 2, Kingdom Hearts III, and more to Gamescom 2018

Posted on August 7, 2018 by John Scalzo

Germany’s annual Gamescom event is the biggest gaming show in Europe, and organizers are getting ready to host the 2018 edition from August 21st through the 25th. As usual, Square Enix will have a big presence in Cologne, and the publisher has unveiled their slate of playable demos coming to Gamescom this year.

RPG fans will no doubt be drawn to Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age and Kingdom Hearts III, while gamers looking for something a little more action-packed will be able to try out Avalanche Studios’s Just Cause 4 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Dontnod Entertainment will also be on hand to showcase their upcoming narrative adventure, Life Is Strange 2.

More information about all the demos set to be available within Square Enix’s Gamescom booth can be found after the break. (more…)

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The World Ends With You: Final Remix will be released for Switch on October 12

Posted on August 7, 2018 by John Scalzo

The waiting is almost over, as Nintendo and Square Enix have announced that The World Ends With You: Final Remix will be released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on October 12.

The World Ends With You was originally released for the DS in 2008, and it’s quirky story about Japanese youth culture and demonic spirits resonated with critics and fans alike. The Final Remix will add a new scenario to the game, as well as “HD visuals, enhanced gameplay, and some killer, new remixed music”:

Complete the mission… or face erasure. That’s all Neku knows after regaining consciousness in the middle of a busy intersection without his memories. Now he and his partner must fight to survive a life-or-death game in this twisted tale with more turns than the urban labyrinth of Tokyo they’re trapped in. This definitive version of Square Enix’s RPG classic brings the dark story to life on the Nintendo Switch system along with a new scenario and some new remixed music.

Vibrant themes of Japanese youth culture, food and fashion are seamlessly integrated into the gameplay and storyline. Players can join rhythmic battles using either Joy-Con controllers or the Nintendo Switch touch screen. In two-player co-op mode, players can battle Noise and challenge the Reapers’ Game together.

A new trailer for The World Ends With You: Final Remix has been embedded above.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

Octopath Traveler sells one million copies and gets a new Accolades Trailer

Posted on August 6, 2018 by John Scalzo

It looks like Square Enix has another hit on their hands. Over the weekend, Nintendo of America confirmed that Octopath Traveler, a Switch exclusive, has sold more than one million copies worldwide:

Nintendo also put together a new “Accolades Trailer” for Octopath Traveler that includes new gameplay footage, as well as a recap of the excellent critical response to the game.

Octopath Traveler is now available to download through the Nintendo eShop, and a retail package is available in stores (if you can find it).

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

Tekken 7’s Season Pass 2 includes Anna Williams, Lei Wulong, and Negan from The Walking Dead

Posted on August 6, 2018 by John Scalzo

Tekken 7‘s first Season Pass featured Eliza, Geese Howard, and Final Fantasy XV‘s Noctis, but it looks like Bandai Namco has plans to add even more characters to the game. Season Pass 2 was announced yesterday during Evo 2018, and it’ll include six new characters. So far, Tekken series mainstays Anna Williams and Lei Wulong have been revealed… as well as Negan from AMC’s adaptation of The Walking Dead.

Your eyes do not deceive you, your pounding heart does not betray you; Negan from AMC’s The Walking Dead is making his way into Tekken 7 to deal a world of pain in the Tekken universe. Negan, beloved by fans of The Walking Dead for his charismatic yet sinister demeanor, is ready to destroy all challengers, regardless of their stature in the Tekken universe.

Lei Wulong makes his long-awaited return to Tekken, this time sporting some new threads, new attitude, and his deadly Tiger, Crane, Leopard, Snake, and Dragon styles. True Lei Wulong fans will also enjoy the return of Lei’s Drunken Master style to the Tekken 7 arena!

Anna Williams returns to wreak havoc in Tekken 7 and to drive her sister, Nina Williams, crazy! As the personal bodyguard of Kazuya Mishima and the second-in-command of the G Corporation, Anna doesn’t only have the intelligence to run circles around her opponents, she’s got the deadly fighting skill to back-up her killer looks as well.

Some fans might scoff at Negan’s inclusion, but you have to admit, he seems downright normal when you’re talking about a franchise that also features a “bodyguard bear” that knows karate.

The first trailer for Tekken 7’s Season Pass 2 has been embedded above, and according to the publisher, the characters will be available to download “soon.”

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

New Retail Releases: Madden NFL 19, Overcooked 2, We Happy Few

Posted on August 6, 2018 by John Scalzo

A trio of new games will be available on retail shelves this week, and each one will provide a unique experience for players looking for something different.

If you’re looking for a new entry in a tried-and-true franchise, you can never go wrong with John Madden Football. EA Sports’s annual football simulation is back this week with the release of Madden NFL 19, and Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown is on the cover. Set to launch for the PS4 and Xbox One, the development team is touting a new animation system known as Real Player Motion this time around, as well as a continuation of last year’s “Longshot” Story Mode

Also available this week is Overcooked! 2, Ghost Town’s multiplayer cooking simulation sequel for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. Though we use the word “simulation” pretty loosely, as players will have to deal with “teleporters, moving platforms, dynamic kitchens that shift and evolve, and magic.”

Finally this week, Compulsion Games is ready to release We Happy Few, their whacked-out tale of drug-fueled denial in a “retrofuturistic” alternate take on 1960s England. Featuring three interwoven storylines, We Happy Few will be available for the PS4 and Xbox One.

All three games will also be available to download for the PC in the coming days.

And speaking of digital downloads, we’ll be back later this week with a complete rundown of this week’s new additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.

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