Most Recent: Articles

Nintendo Download: Tank Troopers, Ogre Battle 64, more

Posted on February 16, 2017 by John Scalzo

It’s war in this week’s Nintendo eShop update!

First up is Tank Troopers, a tank battling game for the 3DS published and developed by Nintendo. Players will choose their tank, customize it, and then go into battle against their friends in six-player local multiplayer battles. But if you’d rather go it alone, Tank Troopers also includes a single-player mode with 30 unique stages.

Also available to download this week is Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber, a tactical RPG originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. Wii U owners will be able to take control of Magnus Gallant, a nobleman who has to decide whether to desert his kingdom and fight with the rebellion, or “turn a blind eye to the evils of his rotten society.”

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

Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U |

Crash Banidicoot N. Sane Trilogy will be released for PS4 on June 30

Posted on February 16, 2017 by John Scalzo

Activision and Vicarious Visions have announced that the Crash Banidicoot N. Sane Trilogy will be released for the PS4 on June 30.

The publisher, working with Sony, plans to include the first three games from the franchise (Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot: Warped) in the compilation, and each game will get a complete makeover with remade graphics and audio:

This is a AAA remaster. We’re giving this the love and attention to detail that we pay to all of our AAA games. We’re building it using the original level geometry so that it plays as close to the original as possible. We’ve also referred to this as a remaster plus, as we are adding new features that we think the fans are going to love!

Members of the Vicarious Visions team also stopped by the PlayStation Blog today to discuss some of the development choices they made with the Crash Banidicoot N. Sane Trilogy.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged , ,

Kickstart This! Apocalypse Now

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Andrew Rainnie

I ummed and awwed over whether to cover Apocalypse Now as part of Kickstart This! I try to steer the column towards games that may be overlooked and are desperately seeking funds, but the film, and by close association this game, feel more relevant than ever.

All is fair in love and war, but crowdfunding campaigns are the perfect analogy for Vietnam. And in its day, re-imagining Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness served as a masterful allegory for the souls of the men sent to fight in a war that history has shown to be a massive mistake. Though this is not the first time Heart of Darkness has graced the gaming world. 2K’s third person shooter, Spec Ops: The Line, also used the book as a basis for its story, and is worth checking out.

Apocalypse Now seemed to strike a chord with many backers, but with each passing day it looked less and less likely that development studio Erebus was going to reach its lofty target of $900,000. And then what happened? The developer cancelled the Kickstarter campaign after reaching less than 20% of their goal.

This is the message they delivered to fans as the last Update on their now defunct Kickstarter page:

When we launched this campaign, we made a mistake. We forgot that many of you have been disappointed by overreaching games and overreaching promises. We had stopped paying attention to the Kickstarter world, when we put our heads down and went to work on this full-steam about 18 months ago — first with documents and then with prototypes. Because we went upriver, we did not remember that those of you who love games and those of you who love Apocalypse Now would immediately treat the announcement not with excitement, but with concern.

But the men and women behind the game have not given up. No sir. They have relocated the crowdfunding campaign to the official Apocalypse Now website, and issued a rallying call to all those who want to see this game happen. It will be done on their terms… and with a much larger funding target.

Queue Ride of the Valkyries… (more…)

Posted in Features, PC, PS4, Top Story, Xbox One |

New I Am Setsuna trailer released today ahead of Switch’s March 3 launch

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Brittney Williams

Today, Square Enix released a new trailer for the upcoming Switch launch of I Am Setsuna.

I Am Setsuna is a JRPG that was inspired by the genre’s 90s-era classics, such as Chrono Trigger. As you can see in the “Accolades Trailer” embedded above, the game was positively received by critics and gamers alike, with both praising it for its atmospheric soundtrack, old school style, and dramatic storytelling.

I Am Setsuna tells the tale of a young lady named… you guessed it, Setsuna. Her journey is one of sacrifice for the sake of others, and we mean that literally. Setsuna has been charged with the burdensome task of delivering herself over to be a ceremonial human sacrifice in order to appease a violent fiend who has oppressed her people for decades. The game also features character customization, a complex combat system that incorporates the use of tech combos, and an in-game strategy guide called the Snow Chronicles.

Currently, I Am Setsuna is available for download on the PlayStation 4 and Steam. The game is also available for the PS Vita in Japan, but its portable counterpart never made it to North America because developer Tokyo RPG Factory wanted to target the larger audience available on the PS4 and PC.

I Am Setsuna will also be available to download through the Nintendo Switch’s eShop on March 3, the same day that Nintendo’s next console will be released to the masses. If you’re a fan of classic-style JRPG titles, and you’re going to pick up a Switch in just a little more than two weeks, then it should probably be on your radar.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

Daily Scoop: February 16, 2017 – Devil May Cry 4 Sale at Steam

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Nicole Kline

Well, it’s been nothing but work and homework for me the last two days, which is a huge bummer, especially with the big Pokemon Go update! I just want to catch new Pokemon, people. Is that so wrong?

Anyway, let’s talk about deals, shall we? The Daily Deal at the Humble Store is Darkest Dungeon, which is on sale for $12.49. There’s also the Tales of Bundle, which includes Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Zestiria, and Tales of Berseria for $65.98.

Over at Steam, the Free Weekend is Sunless Sea. Play the game for free all weekend, and if you like it, buy it for just $6.45. The Deal of the Day is Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition. Get it for just $12.49, or grab the Demon Hunter Bundle for $24.87.

Check out today’s t-shirts after the jump! (more…)

Posted in Daily Scoop |

Cities: Skylines will be released for Xbox One and Windows 10 this Spring

Posted on February 16, 2017 by John Scalzo

Last month, Paradox Interactive teased that Cities: Skylines would soon be available for the Xbox One and Windows 10, and that it would be playable at this year’s Game Developers Conference. This morning, the publisher confirmed that the city builder will make its console debut this Spring.

Tantalus Media is in charge of the port, and they’ve optimized Cities: Skylines for use with a controller. In addition to providing a new way to play Cities: Skylines, both the Xbox One Edition and the Windows 10 Edition will come packed with the After Dark expansion.

Other features players can expect to find in Cities: Skylines include:

  • Build the City of Your Dreams: Plan road networks, bus lines and parks. Bring on a smog-filled industrial revolution or create a quiet beach town ideal for tourists powered by renewable energy. Bring education, healthcare and safety to your citizens. Build it your way!
  • Multi-Tiered and Challenging Simulation: Playing as the mayor of your city, you’ll be faced with balancing essential requirements such as education, water electricity, police, firefighting, healthcare and much more, along with your city’s economy. Citizens within your city react fluidly, keeping you on your toes with ever-evolving demands.
  • Extensive Local Traffic Simulation: Managing traffic and the needs of your citizens to work and play will require the use of several interactive transport systems… use careful road planning alongside buses, trains, subways, and much more.
  • Districts and Policies: Be more than just another city hall official! Create a car-free downtown area, assign free public transport to your waterfront, or ban pets in suburbia.

Paradox also released a new trailer for Cities: Skylines, and its been embedded above.

Posted in News, PC, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Inversus will be released for Xbox One later this year alongside 1.5 Update

Posted on February 16, 2017 by John Scalzo

Hypersect has announced plans to bring their monochromatic shooter, Inversus, to the Xbox One later this year.

In addition to launching the game on a new platform, the developer also announced that an updated version of Inversus with new Maps, Levels, and AI Bots will soon be available for the PC and PS4:

New Features Planned For Inversus 1.5

  • Compete on 12 New Maps in Versus Mode.
  • Master 3 New Levels in Arcade Mode.
  • Collect New Split-Shot Ammo that can fork into multiple bullets.
  • Sharpen your skills against the community’s most requested feature against AI Controlled Bots in Versus Mode.

“Supporting Inversus with regular updates has been a great experience and I really wanted to do something special for the 1.5 Edition.” said Hypersect’s Ryan Juckett. “I think the new Versus Mode Bots are where the value really shines. They are great for training against and add yet another local game mode for solo players to enjoy while in queue for matchmaking.”

A new trailer for Inversus’s upcoming update has been embedded above.

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

Xbox Store Today: Sniper Elite 4, For Honor, Ride 2, more

Posted on February 15, 2017 by John Scalzo

Not every developer has left World War II behind, and Rebellion returns to that massive conflict between the Allies and the Axis in Sniper Elite 4, which is now available to download for the Xbox One. Players will once again take control of Karl Fairburne, an American sniper who has been moved to the Italian front. There, he’ll “fight alongside the brave men and women of the Italian Resistance and defeat a terrifying new threat with the potential to halt the Allied fightback in Europe before it’s even begun.”

Also available to download for the Xbox One today is For Honor, Ubisoft’s medieval combat game that pits Knights, Viking, and Samurai against each other in a three-way battle royale. Players will be able to choose a Faction and then fight it out in the game’s single-player Story Mode and online multiplayer modes.

Finally today, racing fans will be able to download Ride 2 for the Xbox One. Developed by Milestone, Ride 2 is a motorcycle racing simulation more than 170 bikes and over 30 tracks.

You can learn more about all of these games (and the rest of today’s additions to the Xbox Games Store) after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged ,