Most Recent: PC

Quake’s Ranger enters the Arena in the latest Quake Champions trailer

Posted on May 3, 2017 by John Scalzo

Doomguy is the instantly recognizable face of id Software’s Doom franchise, but Quake‘s Ranger has also built quite the reputation for himself as part developer’s other shooter series.

Today, id Software unveiled their latest character trailer for Quake Champions, and reintroduced fans to Ranger:

Ranger (Slipgate Marine)
From his origins in the original Quake, to his time spent in the bloody halls of Quake III Arena, Ranger is a legendary character who’s returning to once again wreak havoc in the arenas of Quake Champions. With his Dire Orb active ability Ranger can teleport to impossible ledges, dodge incoming attacks and much more.

Active Ability – Dire Orb: Ranger battled waves upon waves of Death Knights and Shamblers to get the Dire Orb. It was worth keeping. Now he uses it to teleport around the Arenas, reaching ledges, dodging rockets, and telefragging unsuspecting enemies dumb enough to stand in his way. The Dire Orb also does damage when it hits an enemy and if left unused, it will explode, damaging foes in the immediate area.

Passive Ability – Son of a Gun: Ranger’s a veteran – he’s knows all the tricks of the Arenas. His Son of a Gun passive ability reduces the amount of self-damage he takes by 25%, meaning he can Rocket Jump with less penalty to get the drop on unsuspecting foes.

A Closed Beta is currently underway for Quake Champions, and the free-to-play shooter will receive a full release on the PC later this year. You can register for a chance to receive a beta invitation at the game’s official website.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged

Piece of Cake Studios will launch a Closed Beta for Hacktag on May 11

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Brittney Williams

Hacktag is an online and local multiplayer stealth game, centered around an anthropomorphic mercenary in the year 2029. The game challenges players to complete missions by either physically infiltrating corporations, or by virtually hacking the level. Aside from cooperative gameplay, Hacktag also offers procedurally-generated levels, online rankings and leaderboards, character customization, a unique Story Mode, and multiple minigames.

These features have helped Hacktag win number awards for developer Piece of Cake Studios including the Indie Prize at Casual Connect 2017 and the Audience Choice Award at IndieCade Europe 2016.

But before Hacktag enters via Steam Early Access on May 18th, players will be able to sign up for a Closed Beta, which begins on Thursday, May 11. Interested players can sign up now at the game’s official website.

But in the meantime, why not enjoy a few awesome screenshots from Hacktag after the break… (more…)

Posted in News, PC |

First trailer for Bandai Namco’s Code Vein shows off its post-apocalyptic world

Posted on May 2, 2017 by John Scalzo

The Dark Souls trilogy may have come to a close, but Bandai Namco is back with Code Vein, an action RPG that looks to carry on its legacy. After an official announcement last week, the publisher unveiled its first trailer earlier today.

In Code Vein, players will take control of vampire-like creatures known as Revenants. These monsters have traded their memories in exchange for “Gifts of power” and “a thirst for blood,” but they’ll need to use both to unlock the secrets at the center of the game’s story:

In the not too distant future, a mysterious disaster has brought collapse to the world as we know it. Towering skyscrapers, once symbols of prosperity, are now lifeless graves of humanity’s past pierced by the Thorns of Judgment. At the center of the destruction lies a hidden society of Revenants called Vein. This final stronghold is where the remaining few fight to survive, blessed with Gifts of power in exchange for their memories and a thirst for blood. Give into the bloodlust fully and risk becoming one of the Lost, fiendish ghouls devoid of any remaining humanity.

Code Vein will be released in 2018 for “major home consoles.”

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

THQ Nordic is officially bringing Darksiders III to the PC, PS4, Xbox One in 2018

Posted on May 2, 2017 by John Scalzo

Amazon might have spilled the beans a few hours ago, but the official “Reveal Trailer” for Darksiders III is still a sight to behold.

As expected, the sequel is in the works at Gunfire Games, a development team that split off from Vigil Games (the original creator of Darksiders and Darksiders II) after it closed down in 2013. Players will take control of Fury, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and battle with physical manifestations of the Seven Deadly Sins:

Return to an apocalyptic Earth in Darksiders III, a hack-n-slash Action Adventure where players assume the role of Fury in her quest to hunt down and dispose of the Seven Deadly Sins. The most unpredictable and enigmatic of the Four Horsemen, Fury must succeed where many have failed – to bring balance to the forces that now ravage Earth. Darksiders III is the long-anticipated, third chapter in the critically-acclaimed Darksiders franchise.

The earlier leak, which we now know is completely legitimate, also includes a handful of screenshots and a list of features expected to be included in Darksiders III.

Darksiders III will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One in 2018.

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

GameFly listing points to standalone release for CoD: Modern Warfare Remastered next month

Posted on May 2, 2017 by John Scalzo

Back when it was first announced, Activision said that fans would only be able to obtain Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered if they purchased Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare‘s Legacy Edition. At the time, many of us assumed that Activision would cave and eventually release Modern Warfare Remastered as a standalone game.

It looks like that day is coming soon.

A new post on Charlie Intel, a Call of Duty fansite, has uncovered PS4 and Xbox One pages for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered on GameFly. According to the game rental service, the game will be released for the PS4 on June 20, and an Xbox One launch will follow on July 20. It might seem strange, but these separate release dates mirror the 30-day exclusivity window that all Call of Duty downloadable content has operated under since 2015.

GameFly has since removed both pages from their database, and Activision has yet to make an official announcement about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered’s future, but it makes sense that the popular remaster will receive a standalone release someday. It’s really only a matter of when.

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

Darksiders III screenshots, plot details leaked in new Amazon listing

Posted on May 2, 2017 by John Scalzo

THQ Nordic (back when they were still known as Nordic Games) confirmed that Darksiders III was in development nearly three years ago. The continuation of Vigil’s apocalyptic saga was always a high priority for the publishing company, but they wanted to do it right, and even released a Deathinitive Edition of Darksiders II and a Warmastered Edition of the original Darksiders for current-generation platforms.

But since then, the publisher hasn’t been in any rush to make further announcements about the sequel… so I guess Amazon has to do it for them.

This morning, a listing for Darksiders III appeared on the retailer’s site for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. But rather than post a simple placeholder page, Amazon revealed a full plot description for the game:

Return to an apocalyptic Earth in Darksiders III, a hack-n-slash Action Adventure where players assume the role of FURY in her quest to hunt down and dispose of the Seven Deadly Sins. The most unpredictable and enigmatic of the Four Horsemen, FURY must succeed where many have failed – to bring balance to the forces that now ravage Earth. Darksiders III is the long-anticipated, third chapter in the critically-acclaimed Darksiders franchise.

A feature list, detailing Fury’s powers and her primary opponent, was also revealed:

  • Play as FURY – a mage who must rely on her whip and magic to restore the balance between good and evil on Earth!
  • Harness FURY’s magic to unleash her various forms – each granting her access to new weapons, moves and traversal abilities
  • Explore an open-ended, living, free-form game world in which FURY moves back and forth between environments to uncover secrets while advancing the story
  • Defeat the Seven Deadly Sins and their servants who range from mystical creatures to degenerated beings
  • Darksiders signature art style – expansive post-apocalyptic environments that take the player from the heights of heaven to the depths of hell, dilapidated by war and decay and overrun by nature

Finally, the Amazon listing teases Gunfire Games as the developer. You may not have ever heard of Gunfire, but they helped THQ Nordic develop the Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition, and they’re one of the many teams to emerge from the ashes of Vigil.

Unless this is a massively well done hoax, I think THQ Nordic will officially unveil Darksiders III any day now (or possibly at this year’s E3 Expo). In the meantime, you can view a batch of leaked screenshots and concept art after the break. (more…)

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

Grand Theft Auto IV: Nine Years Later

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Brittney Williams

The highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV hit store shelves on April 29, 2008.

I was a sophomore in high school, and I remember it quite well. My mother totally disapproved, so if I wanted to play violent games, I’d have to ask my dad or grandfather to purchase them for me. In the months leading up to Grand Theft Auto IV’s release, I practically drooled over the latest news coverage and store ads (especially the Special Edition with its neat duffel bag, art book, soundtrack CD, and safe deposit box). I never did get the Special Edition, but my dad did purchase Grand Theft Auto IV for me.

My mother had relocated for work, so I had moved in with my father and grandfather in order to finish out the school year. A few months prior, my dad had made the jump from PlayStation 2 to Xbox 360. So on most days, I’d spend the evenings holed up in my grandfather’s basement, with an extra large bag of Peanut M&M’s in my lap, a bottle of Coke at my feet, and a bulky white Xbox 360 controller nestled between my slender teenaged hands. I’d sift through my dad’s video games, randomly popping in anything that appeared interesting, playing until either my dad came home from the NIH Power Plant, or my grandfather yelled down the stairs for me to turn off the TV and go to bed.

But on that Tuesday in April, my dad came home with a surprise… he’d purchased Grand Theft Auto IV! I finished my dinner, grabbed my go-to gaming snacks, and headed for the basement. I’ll never forget those opening scenes of Niko Bellic stepping off of the Platypus, waiting for his cousin Roman to arrive and indoctrinate him into the American way of life. (more…)

Posted in Features, PC, PS3, Top Story, Xbox 360 |

Retro-styled Breath of the Wild fangame will remove Zelda characters after takedown notice from Nintendo

Posted on May 1, 2017 by John Scalzo

As expected, Nintendo has dropped the hammer on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of a NES, a retro-styled reimagining of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The takedown notice was issued to developer Winter Drake by Nintendo’s lawyers over the weekend, and it’s available for public viewing on Twitter.

Even though this is a huge setback for Winter Drake, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of a NES will continue in an altered form. The developer has vowed to remove every reference to Nintendo’s franchise, and replace them with original characters and designs. Winter Drake even posted this encouraging message on the game’s Itch.io this morning: “Nintendo has asked me to take stop hosting the game. The project will live on, just not with Zelda characters.”

And speaking to Kotaku, Winter Drake revealed that the new vision for Breath of the NES will include “32-bit sprites” and “a rich soundtrack”:

As for what Breath of the NES’s spiritual successor will look like, Winter is planning on 32-bit sprites working with musicians to put together a rich soundtrack. Substituting improved gameplay and originality for the 8-bit nostalgia powering the original project won’t be easy though, meaning we probably won’t see a new trailer or playable demo for some time. “Ideally I’d like to make the final game a big cross-platform release on Steam,” Winter said. “I may even start a Kickstarter once I can show off what the new game will have to offer.”

As before, Winter Drake will be providing additional updates on the progress of Breath of the NES’s successor on Twitter.

Posted in News, PC, Switch, Wii U | Tagged