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Quadrilateral Cowboy won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the 2017 IGF Awards

Posted on March 2, 2017 by John Scalzo

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Quadrilateral Cowboy, Blendo’s hacking-based heist game, took home the “Seumas McNally Grand Prize” last night during the 2017 Independent Games Festival Awards. Its 1980s-inspired world also helped Quadrilateral Cowboy capture the “Excellence in Design” category.

The other big winner last night was Heart Machine’s Hyper Light Drifter, which was also the recipient of two statuettes. The action RPG’s glitchy 16-bit graphics were rewarded with a win in the “Excellence In Visual Art” category, and its mass appeal ensured an “Audience Award” victory.

The Independent Games Festival Awards are awarded annually in conjunction with the Game Developers Conference, and you can view a replay of the entire ceremony through the GDC’s Twitch channel.

But if you’re in a hurry, a list of all the winners can be found after the break. (more…)

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Orisa, a robotic Tank, will be the next character added to Overwatch

Posted on March 2, 2017 by John Scalzo

Every good hero needs a name… which is why “OR-15” wasn’t a worthy moniker for the latest creation from robotics prodigy Efi Oladele. Instead, she rechristened her new companion as “Orisa,” and the robotic Tank will be the next playable character added to Overwatch.

Orisa is now available for testing in the game’s Public Test Region, and will be added to the full game at a later date. But in the meantime, you can learn more about the character at PlayOverwatch.com:

Orisa serves as the central anchor of her team, and defends her teammates from the frontline with a protective barrier. She can attack from long range, fortify her own defenses, launch graviton charges to slow and move enemies, and deploy a Supercharger to boost the damage output of multiple allies at once.

Overwatch’s Game Director, Jeff Kaplan, further delved into what makes Orisa tick in a new Developer Update video, which can be found after the break. (more…)

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NetherRealm adds some magic to Injustice 2 with addition of Doctor Fate to game’s roster

Posted on March 2, 2017 by John Scalzo

NetherRealm Studios continues to dig deep for new additions to Injustice 2, and today’s announcement that Doctor Fate will be joining the roster of playable characters is just further proof of their quest to explore the darker corners of the DC Universe.

Doctor Fate is actually Kent Nelson, a young archaeologist who learned the arcane secrets of sorcery from Nabu the Wise. You can watch him deliver a magical beatdown on Superman in the trailer embedded above.

Injustice 2 will offer a wide variety of character customization options thanks to its brand new Gear System, and NetherRealm showed it off to Sid Shuman of the PlayStation Blog at this week’s Game Developers Conference. If you’ve ever wanted to build Batman’s anti-Superman suit, Injustice 2 might just give you the chance:

Gear revolves around four main body parts — head, chest, arms, and legs — plus an “accessory” (think Harley Quinn’s pistols). Most gear you collect will buff at least one of your four base stats: Strength and Ability determine the offensive power of basic attacks and special moves, while Defense and Health dictate how much damage your superhero can absorb.

More exotic effects — resistance to environmental damage, earning XP more quickly — come via “augmentations” found on some higher-tier items. Full gear sets, such as Batman’s kryptonite-infused outfit, are likely to be especially prized because they can grant dramatic bonuses when fully assembled.

After playing dress-up, you can apply shaders to alter your hero’s color schemes in some striking ways. A purple-clad Superman? Why not! I’m expecting to see some seriously creative designs here come May.

Injustice 2 will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on May 16.

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Xbox Store Today: Torment Tides of Numenera, A King’s Tale Final Fantasy XV, Ghost Blade HD

Posted on March 1, 2017 by John Scalzo

A trio of new games are now available to download through the Xbox Games Store…

InXile Entertainment was the beneficiary of one of the biggest Kickstarter campaigns ever when they first began developing Torment: Tides of Numenera, but now their spiritual successor to the beloved Planescape: Torment is ready for release on the Xbox One. Taking place a billion years in the future, the RPG asks players to explore a “extinct, hyper-advanced civilizations” as they seek the answer to life’s ultimate question.

A slightly less heady story is at the center of A King’s Tale: Final Fantasy XV, a retro-styled brawler set 30 years before the events of Final Fantasy XV. A King’s Tale is now available to download on the Xbox One for free, and this bedtime story stars King Regis as he battles monsters in a mysterious cave.

Finally today, Ghost Blade HD is a “bullet hell” shooter that was originally released for the Dreamcast in 2015. Redesigned for the Xbox One with a “modern graphic style and special effects,” the game also feature a two-player mode and “addictive score-based gameplay.”

You can learn more about all of these games after the break. (more…)

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The biggest Beta in Ubisoft’s history belongs to Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Brittney Williams

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Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands just made history for Ubisoft, as it recently hosted the largest Beta phase in the company’s history. According to the UbiBlog, over 6.8 million players joined in on the fun during the Closed and Open Betas for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, marking the largest player engagement that Ubisoft has ever seen during a beta phase.

Ubisoft compiled several other staggering statistical records in the infographic embedded to your right. Beta participants played more than two billion minutes of Wildlands, and over 60% of players teamed up with their friends to test out four-player co-op for the first time in the Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon franchise.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands takes place in a future narco-state version of Bolivia, overrun by the Santa Blanca drug cartel. Players must eliminate the drug cartel using deadly force and a combination of playstyles, including four-player co-op or solo play… both of which were playable during the Beta phase. However, Beta participants only scratched the surface of the game, as the Closed and Open Beta allowed players to only explore two of the 21 provinces in the game (Itacua and Montuyoc).

Participants of the Closed Beta, Open Beta, and Technical Test will all be treated to the Unidad Conspiracy Pack. The Unidad Conspiracy Pack will feature three exclusive missions, which will be located in the Media Luna region. Players will also receive one of the Unidad Strongholds. The Unidad Conspiracy Pack will be available for download post launch.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands goes on sale on March 7, 2017 for the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

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Microsoft brought a bunch of upcoming ID@Xbox games to GDC 2017

Posted on March 1, 2017 by John Scalzo

The 2017 Game Developers Conference is in full swing, and Microsoft is promoting their upcoming ID@Xbox lineup in a special area known as the Xbox Lobby Bar. While taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the convention, attendees will be able to play more than 20 games that’ll soon be available for the Xbox One and Windows 10.

The ID@Xbox display at GDC 2017 includes newly-announced titles from Cellar Door Games (Full Metal Furies), Lazy Bears Games (Graveyard Keeper), and Wizard Fu (Songbringer), as well as highly-anticipated games like Cities: Skylines, Tacoma, The Church in Darkness, and Mages of Mystralia.

You can learn more about Microsoft’s presence at GDC 2017 at the Xbox Wire, and you can find the complete list of games playable at the Xbox Lobby Bar after the break. (more…)

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Ultra Street Fighter II will be released for the Switch on May 26

Posted on March 1, 2017 by John Scalzo

Capcom just announced that Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers will be released for the Nintendo Switch on May 26.

Like 2008’s Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, The Final Challengers gives players the option to use the fighting game’s original 16-bit graphics or redesigned high definition sprites from Udon Entertainment. Players will also be able to select two new characters (Evil Ryu and Violent Ken), and compete in the first-person “Way of the Hado” mode using the Joy-Con Controllers.

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers will be priced at $39.99.

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Horizon Zero Dawn, Torment Tides of Numenera, Suikoden IV, more added to PS Store

Posted on March 1, 2017 by John Scalzo

It’s time to venture into a new kind of post-apocalyptic world as Sony and Guerrilla Games will release Horizon: Zero Dawn exclusively for the PS4 this week. Now available to download from the PlayStation Store, join Aloy as she explores an Earth that has left humanity behind. Between the robotic wildlife that roam the remnants of the world and the tribal warfare that threatens to snuff out the last of mankind, there are sure to be many secrets to discover in Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Several other epic adventures are available to download this week through the PlayStation Store, including Torment: Tides of Numenera, a sci-fi RPG for the PS4. Built from the ground up as a spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment, Tides of Numenera takes place one billion years in the future and asks players to explore a world “built on the bones of extinct, hyper-advanced civilizations.”

Also available this week is Suikoden IV, an RPG that was originally released for the PS2 in 2004. PS3 owners can now purchase Suikoden IV as part of the PS2 Classics program, and discover the origins of the Rune of Punishment.

Finally this week, Square Enix will give PS4 owners the chance to download A King’s Tale: Final Fantasy XV for free. Previously available as a pre-order bonus for Final Fantasy XV, A King’s Tale is a retro-styled 2D brawler that takes place 30 years before the events of the main game.

You can learn more about all of these games (and a few other new releases) after the break. (more…)

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