Most Recent: Articles

Square Enix taps Tales producer Hideo Baba to develop Project Prelude Rune

Posted on February 21, 2017 by John Scalzo

Square Enix will collaborate with Hideo Baba, one of the driving forces behind Bandai Namco’s Tales series beginning with 2006’s Tales of Destiny, to establish Studio Istolia. Wholly owned by Square Enix, Studio Istolia is hard at work on their first game, an RPG currently known as Project Prelude Rune:

The project aims to build a new RPG with a new fantasy: unfolding across a vast land teeming with life. Nurtured by the earth, the many peoples of this land dare to dream, fighting for what is just—and this is their tale.

For now, that’s all Square Enix and Studio Istolia were willing to share about Project Prelude Rune. However, they did reveal that “Istolia” is derived from the Greek for “Story,” adding, “The aim of the studio is to provide unforgettable stories that will inspire players in their own lives, and bring new game experiences to everyone around the world.”

Posted in News |

Chroma Squad will be available for PS4 and Xbox One this May

Posted on February 20, 2017 by John Scalzo

Bandai Namco has announced that Chroma Squad, a tactical RPG inspired by Power Rangers that’s currently available through Steam, will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One in May.

Developed by Brazilian-based Behold Studios, Chroma Squad features “five high-flying stunt actors who decide to quit their day jobs and create their own Power Rangers TV show.” But somewhere along the way, they stumble into a real alien invasion and make it their job to save the Earth.

Bandai Namco had previously announced that Chroma Squad was also in development for the Vita, but the portable rendition of the game was officially canceled by the publisher today.

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

Get a quick glimpse at Tom Savini’s “Custom Jason” in Friday the 13th: The Game

Posted on February 20, 2017 by John Scalzo

Friday the 13th: The Game will feature several incarnations of Jason Voorhees (including “Burlap Sack Jason” from Part 2, “Original Hockey Mask Jason” from Part 3, and “Zombie Jason” from Jason Lives), but fans who pre-order the game will also receive access to a “Custom Jason” created by special effects wizard Tom Savini.

The trailer for Savini’s “Custom Jason” doesn’t reveal much about the character’s redesign, but the glowing eyes are fairly terrifying. As is the way his tattered costume seems to show a ridgeline of spikes across his shoulders and the claw-like design of his hands. The master at work, ladies and gentlemen.

Savini is best known as the make-up artist behind the original Friday the 13th, as well as Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. As one of the most in-demand names in the business in the 70s and 80s, he also contributed gory make-up effects to Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Creepshow, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and many others.

If you’re interested in playing as Savini’s “Custom Jason” in Friday the 13th: The Game, you’ll need to pre-order it now from the game’s official website.

Friday the 13th: The Game will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One sometime in the Winter/Spring portion of the 2017 calendar. But if you can’t wait that long, developers from Gun Media and Illfonic will host a panel at this year’s PAX East convention that’ll contain “brutal kills, massive reveals, and an in-depth Q/A session.”

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

Daily Scoop: February 20, 2017 – Last day for Star Wars Humble Bundle III

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Nicole Kline

I skipped out on Dreamation this weekend, which was a huge bummer for me, as I really wanted to hang out with friends and play games. But I did get through almost all of my homework, got a huge chunk of laundry done, played a lot of video games, and slept a ton! And I’m feeling more human today than I’ve felt in weeks. So all in all, it felt successful!

Let’s talk about games, shall we? You’ve got less than a day for the Star Wars Humble Bundle III. Pay what you want for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance, Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter – Balance of Power Campaigns, and Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds Saga. Beat the average to unlock Star Wars: Battlefront II, Star Wars: Jedi Knight II – Jedi Outcast, Star Wars: Starfighter, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords, and Star Wars: Rebel Assault I + II. Pay $14 or more to unlock Star Wars: The Force Unleashed – Ultimate Sith Edition, Star Wars: The Force Unleased II, Star Wars: Rogue Squadtron 3D, Star Wars: Empire at War Gold Pack, and the debut of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. Plus, at $35, you get an amazing X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter t-shirt.

There are 430 brand new Weeklong Deals happening at Steam. Get Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition for $19.99, Injustice: Gods Among Us – Ultimate Edition for $4.99, and Plants vs. Zombies GOTY Edition for $0.99, among many others.

Hit the jump to see all of today’s awesome shirts! (more…)

Posted in Daily Scoop |

Tokyo Tattoo Girls will arrive on PS Vita and Steam in 2017

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Brittney Williams

At their 2017 Press Event this weekend, NIS America announced that Tokyo Tattoo Girls will make its way to the PC (via Steam) and PS Vita in both North America and Europe. In addition to confirming the game’s western release, the publisher also provided us with a little information about its story, plus a trailer and some screenshots.

After a calamity befalls Tokyo, some of the city’s survivors find themselves with powerful abilities bestowed on them by colorful tattoos. The city is cordoned off from the world, its inhabitants isolated. To create peace, the city has been divided into 23 wards, each controlled by a powerful group known as “Kumi.” Together, these Kumi form the “Union.” It’s rumored that escape from the devastated city is possible, but only for the person who manages to defeat all 23 Kumi…

Tattoos are, as indicated by the title, a key feature in Tokyo Tattoo Girls. So much so that Japanese tattoo artist Koji Tanaka was tasked with designing unique, but traditionally-inspired, art for the game. In the game, players will choose a companion, and power them up with special abilities by giving them new tattoos. And in order to beat the game and escape the city, players must conquer all 23 of Tokyo’s wards by defeating the Union located there. With 23 wards, making up 23 levels, that should provide players with an ample amount of gameplay.

Tokyo Tattoo Girls will be released for the PC and PS Vita sometime in 2017. You can find the first four screenshots after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC, Vita |

Bethesda’s Todd Howard said the developer has SEVEN projects in the works

Posted on February 20, 2017 by John Scalzo

Bethesda has always been one of the busiest studios in the business. In addition to producing multiple games at the same time, Bethesda is well known for producing each sprawling entry in the Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises. But they’ve taken things up a notch with their current workload.

Speaking to IGN, Director Todd Howard has confirmed the company is currently working on seven different projects, though some of these games have been discussed before.

Howard specifically cited the upcoming Switch launch of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4 VR as two projects that were previously announced. The developer was extremely excited about Fallout 4 VR, adding that the game is playable “start to finish in VR” and is shaping up nicely:

“There’s no content that we removed or changed [for VR],” Howard explained, noting that the current work being done on it is related to how players actually interact with the experience.

“It’s interface work, it’s other things,” he said. “There are issues with locomotion, how you traverse that much space, and we’re hoping to support as many modes as possible… It’s not done yet, there’s work to do, but the parts that are there, I’m biased but it’s pretty incredible.”

Betehsda’s Director also reiterated the company is working on another mobile title that “would follow in the successful footsteps of Fallout Shelter,” though he didn’t say if it would be an original title or based on an existing franchise.

The seventh project remained a mystery, but with a final flourish, Howard told IGN that Bethesda’s two “big and crazy” projects announced during the 2016 DICE Summit are still in development, as is The Elder Scrolls VI, which was first mentioned at E3 2016 as being “a very long way off.”

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

Uncharted 4 wins “Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing” from WGA

Posted on February 20, 2017 by John Scalzo

The Writers Guild of America continued their love affair with Naughty Dog last night, picking the developer as the recipient of a Writers Guild Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing” for their work on Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.

The credited writers on Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End are Neil Druckmann, Josh Scherr, Tom Bissell, and Ryan James, and each can stake a claim on the treasure that is this Writers Guild Award.

This is the fourth Writers Guild Award for the narrative team at Naughty Dog. The developer also came out on top of the “Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing” category in 2015 (The Last of Us: Left Behind), 2014 (2014 The Last of Us), and 2012 (Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception).

Naughty Dog triumphed over three other highly-qualified nominees this year including Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Ubisoft’s Far Cry: Primal, and Night School Studio’s Mr. Robot: 1.51exfiltratiOn.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged

Activision Blizzard to help veterans with Brass Personalization Pack for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered

Posted on February 19, 2017 by Andrew Rainnie

Activision Blizzard has made a lot of money from its highly successful Call of Duty series, but behind the dramatic stories and Hollywood villains, a lot of real men and women have lived through what players only see.

That is why it is nice to see the company launch the Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Brass Personalization Pack for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Priced at $4.99, the pack contains in-game items such as a Player Card, Universal Weapon Camo, Universal Reticle, and Emblem. Activision will donate 100% of the profits from the sale of this pack to the Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit set up by the game company to help veterans find high quality jobs after their military service has ended.

The Endowment’s Executive Direct, Dan Goldenberg, revealed the impact that previous packs have made on veteran’s lives and livelihoods:

Through our previous Personalization Pack and Calling Card programs, the Call of Duty community contributed over $2.1 million to help 3,400 veterans secure good jobs. Employment is vital to providing stability when transitioning from military to civilian life. Raven, Infinity Ward, Treyarch, Sledgehammer Games, Sony, and Microsoft continue to be indispensable partners in this effort, as the in-game program would not be possible without their generosity and commitment. We are grateful for their continued support.

To date, the Call of Duty Endowment has managed to find full time jobs for over 31,000 veterans, and aims to raise this number to 50,000 by 2019.

Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged ,