Most Recent: PC

First Middle-Earth: Shadow of War gameplay walkthrough introduces improved Nemesis System

Posted on March 9, 2017 by John Scalzo

As foretold in last week’s announcement, WB Games and Monolith Productions have released the first gameplay walkthrough for Middle-Earth: Shadow of War.

The 16-minute video features a raid on a fortress in the mountain valley of Seregost, and reintroduces players to the Nemesis System. We also get our first look at Shadow of War’s personalized Orc army and how players can recruit followers to wage war against Sauron and his Overlords:

Witness firsthand the next generation of the innovative Nemesis System… featuring the addition of Nemesis Fortresses… where players must utilize different strategies to conquer dynamic strongholds and forge their personalized Orc army. In this video, Talion and Celebrimbor have used the power of the New Ring to recruit Followers in their assault on a fortress in the mountain valley of Seregost. This is just one of the millions of possibilities that players will experience in Middle-Earth: Shadow of War.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is currently in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and will be released on August 22.

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Tribute Games will release Flinthook on April 18

Posted on March 9, 2017 by John Scalzo

Tribute Games has announced they’ll release Flinthook for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on April 18. Like their name implies, Tribute frequently looks to the past for inspiration, which has allowed them to create a procedurally-generated side-scroller where players take control of a zippy little space pirate with a blaster and a grapple gun:

In a galaxy filled with scoundrels and miscreants, everyone seeks treasure and riches! But when a malevolent treasure hunter hatches a sinister plan to unleash an ancient evil threatening the cosmos itself, Flinthook, the galaxy’s smallest but toughest pirate zips into action! Be ready to jump, zip and blast around the meanest fleets the galaxy has to offer! Whether using time-slowing powers or his trusty blasma pistol, Flinthook is ready to take on all pirates, steal treasure and save the galaxy itself!

A new trailer for Flinthook has been embedded above, and if you’re attending this year’s PAX East convention (which begins tomorrow in Boston), you’ll be able to play Flinthook on the show floor at Tribute’s booth (#17116).

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Activision will release Variety Map Pack for CoD: Modern Warfare Remastered on PS4 on March 21

Posted on March 8, 2017 by John Scalzo

Activision has announced plans to expand Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered with four additional multiplayer maps later this month. Available to download for the PS4 on March 21, the Variety Map Pack will be priced at $14.99 and also include 10 Rare Supply Drops. PC and Xbox One owners interested in the Variety Map Pack will likely get a chance to download it beginning sometime next month.

If the previous nine years have dulled your memories of the Variety Map Pack, don’t worry, Activision revealed a few more details about the expansion’s four multiplayer maps on the Activision Games Blog:

Multiplayer Maps in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered’s Variety Map Pack

  • Broadcast: Based on the TV station from the campaign mission “Charlie Don’t Surf”, this map provides a unique blend of confined corridors and wide-open spaces. Outside the station, the parking lot contains long sightlines, but once inside, cramped hallways and a computer-cluttered broadcast room provide ample close-range combat opportunities.

  • Chinatown: Set in a foggy downtown district, this nighttime map is lit up by flickering neon signs and a full moon. A re-imagining of the original Call of Duty multiplayer map “Carentan”, players will need to be careful on these streets, as almost every building in the map can be occupied, providing perfect cover for enemies waiting for a chance to line you up in their sights.

  • Creek: Set in a wide-open village ravaged by combat where concealment is the difference between life and death, a gaping ravine divides this map into two. Open clearings with sheer cliff faces and ample forested cover make this map ideal for snipers and long-range firefights.

  • Killhouse: A small training warehouse filled with various building mock ups that feature soft and hard cover points. Expect fast-paced and fierce firefights for maximum close-quarters chaos.

Access to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered was included as a bonus in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare‘s Legacy Edition, and it remains to be seen if Activision will ever release the remake as a standalone game in the future.

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Outlast II will be released on April 25 alongside a retail collection of both games

Posted on March 7, 2017 by John Scalzo

Red Barrels announced yesterday that Outlast II will be available to download through digital storefronts on April 25. The developer also revealed that they’re partnering with WB Games on Outlast Trinity, a special retail collection for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One that includes the original Outlast, its Whistleblower expansion, and the sequel.

The original Outlast was absolutely terrifying, and Red Barrels has been working hard to make sure Outlast II is just as scary. But the developer is also taking the survival horror sequel in a new direction with a new protagonist and a new locale:

The sequel to the original critically acclaimed game, Outlast II is a twisted new journey into the depths of the human mind and its dark secrets. Blake Langermann, a cameraman working with his wife Lynn, must take risks and dig deep to uncover the stories no one else will dare touch. As the two follow a trail of clues that started with the seemingly impossible murder of a pregnant woman known only as Jane Doe, the investigation leads them miles into the Arizona desert to a darkness so deep that no one could shed light upon it, and a corruption so profound that going mad may be the only sane thing to do.

“We’ve been lucky to have such an amazing fan base, and none of this would have been possible without their support,” said Philippe Morin, a Co-Founder of Red Barrels. “Ever since we released Outlast in 2013, a physical version has been one of the top requests, so we’re obviously thrilled to finally give people the entire series in one bundle of terror.”

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Voodoo Vince Remastered will be released for the Xbox One and Windows 10 on April 18

Posted on March 7, 2017 by John Scalzo

Even though gamers immediately embraced Halo: Combat Evolved, the Xbox struggled to find an identity in the early 2000s. Microsoft released a mish-mash of titles for their first console over the years, and even tried to challenge Mario with several different mascot platformers. None of them stuck the landing, but oddities like Blinx: The Time Sweeper and Grabbed By the Ghoulies still have fans today.

Voodoo Vince was also part of this fraternity, and Microsoft announced today they’re going to re-release the puzzle platformer for the Xbox One and Windows 10 on April 18 as Voodoo Vince Remastered. Originally developed by Beep Industries, Voodoo Vince’s 2003 debut was a quirky adventure that took the title character through the “magical underbelly of New Orleans.” You can reacquaint yourself with the wisecracking voodoo doll in the Announcement Trailer embedded above.

Voodoo Vince Remastered will receive a full graphical makeover, running in 60 FPS at 1080p resolution with 16:9 aspect ratio. The game will also include an updated soundtrack from original composer Steve Kirk, as well as Xbox Play Anywhere support.

If you can’t wait until April, Voodoo Vince Remastered will be available for fans to try out at this weekend’s PAX East convention in the ID@Xbox booth.

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Sign up now for the Quake Champions Closed Beta… and play it this weekend at PAX East

Posted on March 7, 2017 by John Scalzo

Bethesda and id Software have announced that a Closed Beta for Quake Champions will begin “in the coming weeks.” So if you’re interested in re-entering the Arena, head over to Quake.com right now and sign up for the chance to participate.

However, if you’re shipping up to Boston to attend this weekend’s PAX East convention, you’ll also get a chance to play the game in Bethesda’s booth (#18007 and #20007).

To celebrate the Closed Beta, Bethesda has released a brand new gameplay trailer, and they plan to unveil two more gameplay videos (one focusing on a Champion named Nyx and another featuring the “Blood Covenant” Arena) later this week.

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Developer Boomfire Games goes for nostalgia with Furwind

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Brittney Williams

A surefire way to grab the attention of a retro gaming enthusiast is by presenting them with either a new way to play their classic games, or a new game designed with old school graphics and gameplay in mind. Development studio Boomfire Games attempted to do the latter when they announced Furwind, their latest game.

Furwind was recently added to Steam Greenlight, and Boomfire described the game as “a very classic approach, with colorful pixel art and a gameplay for everyone.”

Inspired by Rayman and Super Mario Bros., Furwind has an interesting premise, with a cute fox protagonist on a quest to defeat an evil menace who has been awakened by a diabolical cult that aims to disrupt the balance of nature. Along the way, Furwind must appease his ancestors in order to unlock additional powers that he can use on his journey to restore the worlds balance.

Truth be told, developers latching onto the nostalgia of those who grew up during the 8-bit and 16-bit eras are a-dime-a-dozen these days. A developer who creates a retro-styled game has to find that certain… hook… that reels the prospective player in, and converts them to a paying and playing customer.

Furwind is currently in development, and Boomfire expects to release it for the PC later this year. In the meantime, check out some adorable screenshots after the break. (more…)

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New Retail Releases: Nier Automata, Ghost Recon Wildlands, Lego Worlds, More

Posted on March 5, 2017 by John Scalzo

It’s official… Nintendo’s Switch definitely sparked a stampede on retail stores last week. There’s nothing quite so dramatic happening in this week’s New Retail Releases report, but we do hry a new action RPG from Square Enix/Platinum, a new shooter from Ubisoft, an open-world Lego game, and the latest RPG in Koei Tecmo’s Atelier series.

Square Enix and Platinum Games named up for Nier: Automata, a followup to 2010’s Nier. Available exclusively for the PS4, the action RPG follows a team of Androids who’ve been sent to Earth to repel an alien invasion.

Also set to be released this week is Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, which will be available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Players will join a team of Ghosts that are waging war against the Santa Blanca drug cartel. Promising players that “[they] decide how to play” and “every decision affects the world around you,” Ghost Recon: Wildlands promises to be a unique new entry in the universe of open-world shooters.

WB’s Lego Worlds is a tad more family-friendly, but it too offers a wide-open world for players to explore on the PS4 and Xbox One. Taking a cue from Minecraft, Lego Worlds features a prodcedurally-generated game world that’s made up entirely of Lego Bricks. Players can build unique creations brick-by-brick, but those with bigger visions will be able to drop in pre-built models to remake the entire landscape.

Finally this week, Koei Tecmo and Gust will release Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey for the PS4. The RPG is the 18th entry in the long-running Atelier series and serves as a direct followup to last year’s Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book.

That’s all for now, but we’ll be back throughout the week with a look at all the latest additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.

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