Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Angry Birds, Dragon Quest, FIFA Soccer, and Silent Hill are the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
- BAFTA Games Awards: All the Winners from 2003 to Today
- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books to Get a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
- GDC Awards: All the Winners from 1996 to Today
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- Spore: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- 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)
Most Recent: News
Samurai Sword VR slashes it’s way to Steam today
There’s no denying it, VR is what’s hot right now! While some of us have chosen to stay away, instead watching the market to see where virtual reality will wind up and waiting for some of the peripherals to receive a price drop, early adopters have opted to jump head first into what is arguably the next step in gaming. But every new innovation comes with a price… for early VR adopters, that price is a limited access to quality games.
In comes Samurai Sword VR, the latest of a slow but steady trickle of VR games hitting the market. Based off of the trailer alone, Samurai Sword VR doesn’t feature the same high-end graphics you’d find in a AAA release. But its developer, Degica Games, has a pretty good track record with many of their releases receiving stellar reviews.
So what is Samurai Sword VR? Samurai Sword VR is a new virtual reality experience featuring seven stages with an authentic ancient Japanese aesthetic, epic boss battles, kunai and shuriken levels, multiple sword choices, and a soothing traditional Japanese soundtrack. Sadly, if you don’t already own an HTC Vive (one of the more expensive virtual reality headsets), and a PC capable of running the game, for the time being, you’re going to have to sit this one out. Though support for additional headsets could be added down the line.
Samurai Sword VR releases today, January 30, although it doesn’t officially drop for a few more hours. In the meantime, you can watch the Launch Trailer embedded above and check the game out for yourself.
Weekly Warp-Up: The Avengers Will Reassemble for Square Enix…
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…
Ever since WB Games released Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009, everyone has been wondering when Marvel would hire a quality developer to adapt their beloved characters (even though the excellent X-Men Origins: Wolverine was released a few months earlier). But the “True Believers” won’t have to wait much longer, as Square Enix and Marvel have teamed up for a multi-game Avengers Project that’ll be developed by Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal.
And speaking of past Marvel successes, we reviewed the PS4 re-release of Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 earlier this week.
While the Avengers Project is at least a year away, we can still celebrate the best games from last year with the 2017 SXSW Gaming Awards. Dishonored 2, Doom, Overwatch, Titanfall 2, and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will compete for the “Video Game of the Year” award at the annual ceremony.
Finally this week, our latest essay looking at the history behind “The Scientifically Proven Best Video Games of All Time” focused on Resident Evil and how its popularity helped resurrect the zombie genre.
We hope all our readers at PAX South are having fun in San Antonio, and more news from the past seven days can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News
New Retail Releases: Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World, Hitman Season One, Digimon World Next Order, More
Yarn Yoshi is is back, and as adorable as ever, in Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World for the 3DS. Nintendo will re-release the side-scrolling platformer for the 3DS this week, and players can expect to find the complete Wii U experience along with new levels starring Yoshi’s pal Poochy.
Another re-release will also be available on store shelves this week as Square Enix will collect Hitman‘s “Complete First Season” in a retail package for the PS4 and Xbox One. In addition to all of Agent 47’s previously-released missions, Hitman: The Complete First Season will also include a trio of bonus missions and the Requiem Blood Money Pack, which includes “the signature Blood Money White Suit, White Rubber Duck, and Chrome ICA Pistol.”
Switching gears entirely, anime fans will find a pair of new games on stores including Digimon World: Next Order for the PS4 and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 – Road to Boruto for the PS4 and Xbox One.
Finally this week, 505 Games and Giant Squid will bring the oceanic exploration of Abzu to the PS4 and Xbox One. Originally released through the PlayStation Store and Xbox Games Store in August, this retail re-release will give the public a second chance to check it out.
That’s it for now, but we’ll be back later this week with a look at the latest digital releases on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Hitman, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, Yoshi's Woolly World
8-Bit Cinema reimagines Star Wars: Rogue One as a simplistic 8-bit shooter
You knew it was only a matter of time until Rogue One: A Star Wars Story received the 8-Bit Cinema treatment… and here it is… reimagined as a budget-priced NES shooter by Cinefix.
I’m not going to lie, even though it’s a pretty simplistic-looking adaptation, I teared up again after K-2SO’s death. That droid was definitely a leaf on the wind.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has earned more than $516 million at the US box office since it was released on December 16, and it recently pushed past Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace to capture 7th place on the list of highest-grossing movies of all time. There’s still time to catch it in theaters for a second (or third or fourth) viewing, but Lucasfilm is also expected to release the first “Star Wars Anthology” film as a DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital Download this Spring.
Nintendo’s Mario Kart 8 Deluxe commercial wants you to play the Switch on the toilet
Nintendo is using the tagline “Play Anytime, Anywhere” to sell their upcoming Switch console in Europe. And they mean it too. A recently-released commercial for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe opens with a disheveled-looking man enjoying some Mushroom Kingdom kart racing while also partaking in his morning bowel movement.
Now, to be fair, the advertisement also showcases the portability of the Switch with an intense Battle Mode contest in a living room and an impromptu multiplayer session on a college campus. Still… eww.
The Nintendo Switch will launch worldwide on March 3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will be available on April 28. And if you take your Switch with you into the bathroom, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, never tell me.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Mario Kart 8
Xbox Store Today: The Sun and Moon, Subterrain, Doodle God Ultimate Edition
A minimalist platformer, an overhead survival shooter, and a divine puzzle game make up today’s additions to the Xbox Games Store.
The platforming action of The Sun and Moon, which first gained fame as the winning entry from Ludum Dare 29, is now available to download for the Xbox One. Developed by Digerati Distribution, players will attempt to complete the game’s minimalist levels by flinging themselves high into the air or burrowing deep beneath the surface.
Today’s second new Xbox One release, Subterrain, also delves deep into events that happen beneath the surface. Players will take control of Dr. West as he battles Martian mutants and gathers resources to survive within the bowels of the red planet in this overhead shooter.
Finally today, Xbox One owners will be able to download Doodle God: Ultimate Edition, a puzzle game where players combine elements to build their universe, that originally launched for mobile devices in 2010.
More information about all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)
Obsidian announces Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire… and its already fully-funded on Fig
Obsidian Entertainment was well-known for working as a hired gun for publishers such as LucasArts, Sega, Ubisoft, and Bethesda during the 2000s. But after dealing with some financial struggles in 2012, the developer turned to Kickstarter to self-fund their next project, Pillars of Eternity. The crowdfunding campaign was a massive success and eventually launched to near-universal acclaim in 2015.
Yesterday, Obsidian announced that Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is officially in the works, and kicked off a new crowdfunding campaign on Fig. Obsidian is seeking $1.1 million to finish development, but if you’re worried that lightning won’t be able to strike twice, you can relax. More than 10,000 backers have banded together to pledge the full amount needed for Pillars of Eternity II’s development over the last 24 hours.
So with the hard part out of the way, let’s see where Obsidian wants to take the sequel:
Eothas has returned. The god of light and rebirth was thought dead, but he now inhabits the stone titan that sat buried under your keep, Caed Nua, for millennia. Ripping his way out of the ground, he destroyed your stronghold and left you at the brink of death. To save your soul, you must track down the wayward god and demand answers – answers which could throw mortals and the gods themselves into chaos.
Your hunt takes you to the Deadfire Archipelago. Located even farther east than the colonies of the Eastern Reach, Deadfire comprises hundreds of islands spanning thousands of miles – ranging from lush tropics to barren deserts. Many of these lands have never been charted, while others are inhabited by rich native cultures and a new wave of colonial settlers.
You can learn more about Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire with the Fig campaign page and the trailer embedded above. If all goes well, Obsidian plans to release the RPG exclusively for the PC in Early 2018.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
The Elder Scrolls Online Dro-M’Athra Crafting Style is available this weekend only
Been looking for a reason to jump back in to the world of The Elder Scrolls Online, or just need a new outfit to spice things up? Well, we’ve got good news!
For a limited time only, Elder Scrolls Online players can visit the game’s Crown Store to purchase the Dro-M’Athra Crafting Motif. According to Bethesda…
“It is said that deep in the Dark Behind the World, there are grim forges and bent benches where Lost Cats arm and armor themselves. To save you a trek to this afterlife, the Crown Store merchants have bought the Dro-m’Athra Style Crafting Motif to a store near you.”
But remember, this is a limited time offer that ends Monday, January 30. The Dro-M’Athra Crafting Motif is priced at 6,000 Crowns which translates roughly to about $49.99… give or take seeing as a pack of 3,000 Crowns will run you $24.99.
Admittedly, one could argue that $49.99 is a steep price for a Crafting Motif, limited edition or not. However, for hardcore Elder Scrolls Online players looking to make their characters more unique and to ensure they always standout in the middle of a rescue mission in the depths of Cold Harbor or while perusing the merchants center in the deserts of Stros M’kai, the investment might be worth it. Besides, who wants to wear basic armor when they can clothe themselves with armor that glows?
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged The Elder Scrolls Online