Most Recent: News

Next Assassin’s Creed game will “revolutionize” the franchise

Posted on September 23, 2016 by John Scalzo

assassinscreed-logo

Not all “annualized” franchises are created equal, as Ubisoft announced earlier this year that Assassin’s Creed would be skipping 2016 to give the development team more time to work on the next entry in the series. With the Assassin’s Creed film penciled in for a December release (and the subsequent announcement of The Ezio Collection), perhaps the publisher was afraid of a backlash from fans.

But in a new interview with GameSpot, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has confirmed that Ubisoft actually gave the Assassin’s Creed series a bit more time to breath so the development team could “revolutionize” the franchise with the next one:

GameSpot: This is the first year in a long time where we don’t have an Assassin’s Creed. Why was now the right time to take it out of rotation?

Guillemot: What we saw in the development of the next [Assassin’s Creed] was that we had an opportunity to take it to another level. So we said we’ll take all the time it takes to make the experience fantastic. It was feasible because we have other games. There’s a huge potential in this game to revolutionize the IP, so we said, “Let’s make sure we change our model so we have more time and that we can bring back a greater experience.”

GameSpot: When you say, “Let’s give it the time it needs,” does that mean you haven’t set a time for it to make its return? Most people are expecting it’ll be back next year, is that the case or will it be back when it’s ready?

Guillemot: It will be back when it’s ready. That’s when we feel we have something there.

Obviously, your idea of a revolutionary leap forward for the Assassin’s Creed franchise might differ from Ubisoft’s. But it looks like the publisher has no plans to just coast along with their biggest franchise, and I’m sure many are glad that Guillemot is so passionate about creating a “greater experience.”

An all new Assassin’s Creed game is expected to be released sometime in 2017, though Guillemot refused to commit to that timeline with GameSpot.

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

Rocksteady officially “breaks up” with Batman to begin work on their dream game

Posted on September 23, 2016 by John Scalzo

batmanarkhamasylumanimatedWay back in December, Rocksteady’s Sefton Hill hinted that the developer wasn’t completely done with the Dark Knight. Fast forward to this year’s E3 Expo, and we now know that Hill was talking about Batman: Arkham VR, which will launch alongside the PlayStation VR headset this October.

But now it looks like it really is the end for Rocksteady’s pairing with the Caped Crusader. Speaking to Eurogamer, Rocksteady’s Dax Ginn has confirmed that Arkham VR has “gone gold” and that the developer is looking forward to a Batman-less future:

“We submitted [Batman VR to Sony] last week which was an awesome experience,” Ginn said. One of the developers celebrated the game ‘going gold’ by dressing up in a gold spandex suit and bringing in a golden boom box.

“I think there’s a little bit of sadness on the team,” Ginn concludes. “It feels like… breaking up? [The mood] is really split – there’s a feeling in the office like, it’s definitely time to do something else – we all accept that. But we all know Batman so well – we all feel comfortable in the Arkhamverse.”

With Batman officially in the rearview window, WB Games has decided to give Rocksteady the time and space to work on their “dream game,” which Ginn is looing forward to:

“To be honest I don’t really know,” Ginn says, although I’m not sure I entirely believe him. “We’re in a very enviable position where we have some time and space to decide what we’re doing next,” he continues. “We can sit back and think what our dream game would be, and we have Warner Bros.’ support to do that.”

“We’re definitely letting go of that comfort blanket and putting ourselves in the position where whatever we do next is going to feel very different. There’s always an anxiety associated with change and that’s where we want to be. We want to feel uncomfortable because we want to make awesome stuff.”

Batman: Arkham VR will be released exclusively for the PS4 on October 11.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged

Nintendo Download: Severed, SMT4 Apocalypse, River City Tokyo Rumble, more

Posted on September 22, 2016 by John Scalzo

Summer might be over, but the Nindies Summer Jam rolls on with today’s selection… Severed. Available to download now for the Wii U, Severed is a touchscreen-based game from DrinkBox Studios where players take control of “a one-armed warrior named Sasha who wields a living sword” as she goes on a journey through “a nightmare world” in search of her family. Also available to download through the Wii U Shop this week is the slightly-more-normal Donkey Kong Country Returns, a side-scrolling platformer that was originally released for the Wii in 2010.

But “normal” is definitely not the word to describe Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, an RPG now available to download for the 3DS. Players take control of a novice demon hunter who must battle for the very soul of humanity in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo… as one does.

Finally this week, a trio of beat ’em ups prove the genre is alive and well on the 3DS. First up, Final Fight 2 and Final Fight 3 made the jump from the Super NES to the handheld’s Virtual Console service. And River City: Tokyo Rumble will resurrect the famed franchise in a brand new adventure beginning on September 27.

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

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

WWE 2K17 downloadable content and Season Pass revealed

Posted on September 22, 2016 by John Scalzo

wwe2k17-header

We’re a little less than three weeks out from WWE 2K17‘s launch, but 2K Games wants everyone to start thinking about the content that comes after, including an extensive collection of downloadable content and a Season Pass.

All of WWE 2K17’s DLC will be released later this year or during the early weeks of 2017, and most of it will be included in the Season Pass, which will be priced at $29.99. The full contents of each pack, which players also have the option to purchase individually, can be found right here:

Accelerator ($4.99)

  • Players will gain access to all unlockable content available at launch in the game’s VC Purchasable section (excluding downloadable content)
  • Players can also decide the overall rankings and attribute levels for all playable characters throughout the life of the product

Future Stars Pack ($8.99)
Playable WWE and NXT Superstars: Austin Aries, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Mojo Rawley, and Tye Dillinger

Hall of Fame Showcase ($9.99)

  • Cactus Jack and Diamond Dallas Page vs. The Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin and Michael “PS” Hayes) (WCW Saturday Night 1992)
  • The Fabulous Freebirds (Buddy Roberts and Michael “PS” Hayes) vs. Kerry and Kevin Von Erich (WCCW 1986)
  • Ivory vs. Jacqueline (SmackDown 2000)
  • Sting (Gold and Black Tights) vs. Ric Flair (Clash of Champions 1988)
  • Sting (n.W.o. Wolfpac ring gear) vs. Bret Hart (WCW Halloween Havoc 1998)
  • Papa Shango vs. The Godfather (Dream Match)
  • Big Boss Man (with Albert) vs. The Big Show (Armageddon 1999)

Legends Pack ($8.99)
Playable WWE Legends: Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Eddie Guerrero, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Sycho Sid, and Tatanka

New Moves Pack ($3.99)
Explore a wide variety of new in-game moves, including the Swingout Neckbreaker (made popular by current WWE Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte), the Elbro Drop (made popular by WWE Superstar Zack Ryder), the Face Wash Combo (made popular by NXT Superstar Samoa Joe), and the TJP Clutch (made popular by current WWE Cruiserweight Champion T.J. Perkins)

In addition to the Season Pass content, 2K also plans to offer several other downloadable packs that include even more characters boosts:

MyPlayer Kick Start ($9.99)

  • PS4 and Xbox One Exclusive
  • Players will gain access to unlock and boost created Superstar ratings and attributes made available at launch as part of the game’s MyCareer mode
  • Players can also unlock all clothing made available at launch that provides attribute boosts in MyCareer

NXT Enhancement Pack ($9.99)

  • PS4 and Xbox One Exclusive
  • Playable NXT Superstars: Apollo Crews, Nia Jax, and Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Players will earn a 50 percent boost in points while competing at NXT during MyCareer

NXT Legacy Pack ($4.99)

  • PS3 and Xbox 360 Exclusive
  • Playable NXT Superstars: Apollo Crews, Nia Jax, and Shinsuke Nakamura

WWE 2K17 will be released for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on October 11.

Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Who wants some new details and screenshots for Duke Nukem 3D’s new episode…

Posted on September 22, 2016 by John Scalzo

dukenukem3dworldtour-header

Duke Nukem will return to kick ass and chew bubblegum this October in Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour, but Gearbox has bigger plans for the re-release, including a brand new episode crafted by the game’s original developers. Over on the Gearbox Blog, the company has published comments about all eight new map from Allen H. Blum III and Richard “Levelord” Gray, along with a handful of new screenshots:

In addition to developer commentary and a new True3D rendering tool that allows you to switch between classic Duke Nukem 3D visuals and an updated 3D render on the fly, World Tour brings fans a brand-new episode, Alien World Order, which will send Duke around the globe to iconic locations to save babes and kick alien ass. “Richard ‘Levelord’ Gray came up with the premise of Duke traveling around the world fighting aliens,” said Blum. “So we picked locations that you might expect Duke would want to visit if he went on a vacation.”

But instead of relaxing on a vacation, Duke is on the job stopping a global alien invasion. Using his trademark bravado and an arsenal of weapons worthy of The King, Nukem goes from city to city, blasting aliens in the face and sending what’s left of them back home. Fans of the classic game will be right at home as the new levels fit right in with the rest of good ol’ Duke Nukem 3D, and are also larger than life – just like the real-world locations they represent.

Gray added that their primary goal was “making fun maps,” just as it was 20 years ago. We’ll all see if they succeeded when Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour launches for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on October 11.

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

Bandai Namco releases first gameplay trailer for Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel

Posted on September 22, 2016 by John Scalzo

Here’s your first gameplay trailer for Ashes of Ariandel, the first downloadable expansion to Dark Souls III. So take a gander as the Ashen One ventures into a frozen wasteland to battle demons, monsters, and a massive giant. Thankfully, players will also discover new weapons, armor sets, and magic to battle the forces of evil.

Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel will be available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on October 25. A second expansion is also in the works and will be released in Early 2017.

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

From Software has three games in development including next Armored Core

Posted on September 22, 2016 by John Scalzo

fromsoftware-header

The Dark Souls franchise has come to an end (barring the previously-announced DLC plans for Dark Souls III), but the developers at From Software are ready to move on with a trio of new projects. President Hidetaka Miyazaki elaborated on his team’s future during a discussion with IGN at this year’s Tokyo Game Show:

“So there are several titles that we are currently working on […] Some of those are dark fantasy, some of those could be a mech [game] – that’s one thing. The second thing is that one of the new titles I’ve been working on will probably comply with the expectations from the fans in straightforward manner.”

“The last thing is that another title will probably be a little bit weird. When we actually announce the title, probably fans will react with ‘oh, what the hell is this very weird game that Miyazaki has created?'”

If you perked up at Miyazaki’s mention of a “mech game,” don’t worry, the famed developer assured IGN that he was referring to the next entry in the Armored Core franchise. While this is great news for fans looking for a followup to 2013’s Armored Core: Verdict Day, Miyazaki was especially excited about his “weird” new project:

As for what that ‘weird’ game could be, Miyazaki offered only this: “So when I say weird, I mean that the genre we’re trying to try might be a little bit weird. Not only that, but all the other actual game content might be a little bit weird, yes.” Weirdness confirmed, everyone.

Miyazaki was less willing to share when any of these projects would be released, but From Software typically launches at least one new game a year, so we should expect to learn something more by 2017 at the latest.

Posted in News | Tagged

Xbox Store Today: Firewatch, Destiny Rise of Iron, Batman Episode 2, more

Posted on September 21, 2016 by John Scalzo

firewatch-header

Two influential titles from the new wave of first-person exploration games are now available to download for the Xbox One through the Xbox Games Store.

Firewatch comes from developer Campo Santo, and it takes place in the Wyoming wilderness. “You are a man named Henry who has retreated from your messy life to work as a fire lookout,” but as players scan the skies for smoke, a strange mystery draws them out of their tower and into the world. Firewatch is joined on the Xbox Games Store this week by Dear Esther: Landmark Edition, the first game from The Chinese Room. Players will explore beautiful environments on a deserted island as “a powerful story of love, loss, guilt, and redemption” unfolds before them.

An entirely different (but much more familiar) first-person game is also new to the Xbox Games Store this week. Bungie’s Destiny: Rise of Iron (Xbox One) will be the final expansion to the multiplayer shooter, and it asks players to fight back against Fallen mutants who “now scavenge the tombs of the Golden Age.”

And elsewhere on the Xbox Games Store… Batman and Bruce Wayne will continue their crusade to clean up Gotham City in Batman: The Telltale Series – Episode 2: Children of Arkham (Xbox One), while Microsoft collected the first three seasons of content for their free-to-play fighter in Killer Instinct: Definitive Edition (Xbox One).

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

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged , , ,