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20th Century Fox used Alien: Isolation’s cutscenes and “new animations” to create a brand new Alien movie

Sega and The Creative Assembly have teamed up with 20th Century Fox to give Alien: Isolation a second lease on life. The 2014 game, which took place between Alien and Aliens, has been reedited into a feature-length digital series that gives fans another chance to experience the story of Amanda Ripley’s search for her missing mother:

Fifteen years after her mother disappeared on the deep space towing ship Nostromo, Amanda Ripley travels to a remote space station that may hold clues to her mother’s fate. But disaster strikes as she arrives at her destination.

The series will be available exclusively through IGN and will feature “a combination of new animations and original cinematic cutscenes from the game.” As part of this partnership, the website spoke to the animators about the extensive lengths they went to to create these new animations:

“[We knew] that we would need to change the POV from first person, where the player is the character, to one where you are now watching Amanda Ripley navigate within the world,” [Fabien DuBois, a Director at animation studio DVgroup] said. “We then made storytelling choices based on the idea that we would be going deeper into Amanda Ripley’s psychology – to discover her demons, her fears, her motivations. The final series is comprised of three types of scenes: brand-new scenes that are rendered from scratch, cinematics taken directly from the game, and first-person scenes from the game we re-shot, edited and inserted a CG model of Amanda Ripley. Viewers will get to enjoy an exciting narrative that doesn’t repeat the Alien: Isolation story, but completes it.”

All seven episodes of the Alien: Isolation digital series are now available, and the first episode has been embedded above.

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New reveals from Gearbox Software promised at their PAX East 2019 panel

Gearbox Software has announced they will once again take the stage at PAX East to host their annual “Gearbox Main Theater Show.” The developer is a regular presence at the Boston-based event, and this year they’ve promised to shower fans with “never-before-seen reveals, exclusives, and surprises” on Thursday, March 28:

This is your opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at Gearbox Software and Gearbox Publishing, along with the latest news and updates from the makers of Borderlands, Battleborn, Brothers in Arms, and more! We will have never-before-seen reveals, exclusives, and surprises, so don’t miss out!

Will Gearbox use this opportunity to unveil Borderlands 3 or the oft-delayed next entry in the Brothers In Arms franchise? Your guess is as good as mine, but if history is any guide, they’re sure to put on a good show regardless.

If you’d like to explore the rest of the panel schedule for PAX East 2019, you should head over to PAXSite.com right now.

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NetherRealm announces the next fighter coming to Mortal Kombat 11… Johnny Cage

Mortal Kombat 11 is heading to Hollywood! Thanks to an exclusive new video from IGN, we’ve learned that Johnny Cage will join the game’s roster at launch.

Fans of the flamboyant actor/martial artist will be pleased to see that his Shadow Kick and Shadow Uppercut will both be available in Mortal Kombat 11, as will a variety of Fireball attacks. He’s also got an amazing Fatality that just might be a callback to one of Mortal Kombat II‘s finest glitches.

Mortal Kombat 11 will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on April 23.

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Macaulay Culkin worked as an Executive Producer on ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove

Dear reader, before you dive into this news report, I have a few questions…

Were you aware that the star of Home Alone and The Good Son, Macaulay Culkin, loves ToeJam & Earl? And did you know the actor now runs a comedy website known as Bunny Ears?

Finally, could you have guessed that he would combine both of these passions as an Executive Producer on the upcoming ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove? It’s true, HumaNature Studios announced today that Culkin lent some of his comedic expertise to the development of the game:

Bunny Ears’s wry wit and penchant for satire provided crucial input to ensure the game is a hella good time. Growing up playing the original game on Sega Genesis, Culkin knew exactly what would – and wouldn’t – appeal to the thousands of Kickstarter backers that funded the sequel.

“I’m honored to be producing the new ToeJam & Earl because it is literally my favorite video game of all time,” Culkin said. Plus, Greg Johnson is the tits!”

“Macaulay Culkin is an Uber Fan of the ToeJam games,” said Greg Johnson, the founder of Humanature Studios. “He totally gets the vibe and humor of the new game, and his involvement has made the game even crazier and more fun.”

I’m not sure this isn’t just some elaborate joke, but fans can get a taste of the game’s vibe and humor with the new “Not A Musical” Trailer, which has been embedded above. ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One this Friday, March 1.

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Blizzard reveals a new Hero coming soon to Overwatch… Baptiste the Combat Medic

Blizzard has unveiled the next Hero coming to Overwatch. It looks he’s a combat medic, and his name is Baptiste:

Mobilize alongside the combat medic who made the shrewd decision to make the world a better place, one bandage… or bullet at a time: Baptiste.

Baptiste’s Origin Story Trailer has been embedded above, and PC players can him out now through Overwatch’s Public Test Region. Hopefully we’ll learn more about his official addition to the game on all platforms soon.

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Super Crome: Bullet Purgatory will be released through Steam Early Access on March 19

The graphical style of Stumphead Games’s Super Crome: Bullet Purgatory owes a huge debt to early 80s classics such as Asteroids, and shooter fans will be able to bask in its vector-inspired visuals for the first time when it launches in Steam Early Access on March 19:

As mankind’s only hope for survival, Crome must eliminate dozens of waves of cosmic beasts and ships to escape the dark abyss. Thankfully, his sleek ship comes equipped with devastating weapons and a precise dashing ability; a perfect combination for slaying alien scum. Take control of Crome as he hunts down hordes of galactic monstrosities and bring back peace in this retro-inspired bullet hell.

“Whether you’re feeling nostalgic for retro high score chasing or seeking a modern shooter with tight controls, there is an adventure here waiting for you,” said Josh Jacobs, the founder of Stumphead Games. “Super Crome has been carefully crafted to pay homage to SNES classics and combining that feeling with modern mechanics.”

A Release Date Trailer for Super Crome: Bullet Purgatory has been embedded above.

Posted in News, PC |

An Interview With PizWiz, the Developer Behind Warp’s Hand-Drawn World

Although there have been many games over the years that use a hand-drawn style, none have managed to encapsulate the sheer sense of creative doodleness of Warp. The game’s developer, PizWiz, is currently seeking $7,000 on Kickstarter, and you can read a bit more about it in our latest edition of Kickstart This!

We chatted with the New Orleans-based developer and artist to find out more about the project, what he has in store for the future, and how to “become cow.” (more…)

Posted in Features, Interviews, PC, Top Story | Tagged

Kingdom Hearts III, Resident Evil 2, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe unsurprisingly lead NPD’s list of best-selling games from January 2019

Kingdom Hearts fans were kept waiting more than a decade for the third game in the franchise, but Square Enix finally rewarded their patience with the launch of Kingdom Hearts III last month. As you might have guessed, fans purchased the game in droves, pushing it all the way to the top of The NPD Group’s list of best-selling games from January 2019.

Two highly-anticipated re-releases, Resident Evil 2 (#2) and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (#3) were close behind, and Bandai Namco’s Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (#7) and Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition (#12) also cracked the top 20.

However, while several games had strong starts on the sales chart, the industry overall suffered a decline last month versus January 2018. All together, GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that total sales (hardware, software, and accessories) were down 19% to $893 million.

You can find a full list of best-selling games from January 2019 after the break. (more…)

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