Most Recent: PC

Goro lives in this new Mortal Kombat X trailer

Posted on April 4, 2015 by John Scalzo

NetherRealm Studios has been teasing Goro’s inclusion in Mortal Kombat X for more than six months, but today we finally got our first look at the four-armed Shokan Prince in action. The trailer is a bit on the short side, but stick with it until the end to have a peek at one of Goro’s awesome fatalities. Sometimes, four arms come in handy.

Fans will be able to play as Goro if they pre-order Mortal Kombat X before its release for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on April 14. Goro will also be playable in the PS3 and Xbox 360 editions of Mortal Kombat X, which will be released in the Summer.

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Insert Quarter: Axiom Verge’s Creator Talks About the Journey From Idea to Finished Game

Posted on April 3, 2015 by John Scalzo

insertquarter-header

Insert Quarter is our showcase for some of the best and most interesting writing about video games on the Internet.

Axiom Verge is Tom Happ’s baby. The developer is the Programmer/Artist/Designer/Composer on the title and he essentially put the whole thing together by himself over the last five years. Happ’s persistence paid off as the PS4 launch earlier this week was met with enthusiastic reviews (including our own) and great sales. But what was the journey from scrap of an idea to finished game like? Happ wrote about this recently on the PlayStation Blog:

I didn’t start off with Axiom Verge fully designed in my head. It really more started off as an exercise in game design. I wanted to deconstruct my favorite games from my youth and see what would happen if I took the best elements of each and put them together. The Yo-Yo weapon of Rygar and the grapple hook of Bionic Commando in the setting of Blaster Master and Shatterhand. What would fit together? What wouldn’t work?

The full article is available for your perusal at the PlayStation Blog.

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Say hello to the Briggs family in this new Mortal Kombat X trailer

Posted on April 2, 2015 by John Scalzo

A few weeks ago, NetherRealm Studios invited us to a Cage Family Reunion. Today, the latest Mortal Kombat X trailer wants to reintroduce fans to “The Briggs Family.”

“The Briggs Family” trailer gives us our first proper look at Jax, and the Special Forces agent appears to have shaken his zombie problem. The trailer also seems to confirm that Jax will get to deliver some payback to Ermac (the demon who took his arms) and Quan Chi (the sorcerer who zombified him). Jax’s daughter, Jacqueline Briggs, also plays a small part in the trailer, but it didn’t look like anything we haven’t seen before.

Mortal Kombat X will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One in less than two weeks time on April 14. NetherRealm will also release a PS3/Xbox 360 edition of the game this Summer.

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4/1: Dying Light players WILL get superpowers today only

Posted on April 1, 2015 by John Scalzo

The best April Fool’s Day gags are the ones that turn out to be true. Such is the case with Techland’s Dying Light prank. Today, and today only, every player in the game will be able to obtain a vial of tainted Antizin (the anti-zombie drug players find in the game) that’s packed with a superheroic punch. This medication will cause a variety of side effects including a stamina boost, increased agility, and super strength. Players may also suffer from “uncontrollable fits of violence.” Thankfully, smashing the nearest zombie in the face and sending that undead ghoul flying across the screen in a bloody explosion is the perfect therapy.

But remember! This Antizin upgrade will only be available for one day and the first batch of untainted Antizin will be delivered at midnight tonight (Pacific Time). So take it away, Mr. David Bowie…

“We can be Heroes, just for one day…“

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Google adds playable Pac-Man Street View to Google Maps

Posted on March 31, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Google loves April Fool’s Day. But I think today’s early April Fool’s prank even tops the time Google Maps added a Dragon Warrior-inspired Quest Filter.

Going to Google Maps today (and for “a little while” longer) will give users the option to load up a playable Pac-Man Street View. Not every street can be transformed into a Pac-Man playground, but once you find one that does, you can duck down boulevards and avenues to collect dots while avoiding the ghosts on real streets. Here’s Times Square, that’s a good one to start with. Other locales recommended by Google include the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, Niagara Falls, the Batu Caves of Kuala Lumpur, and a few others.

The streets around the Bandai Namco offices in the the Shinagawa neighborhood of Tokyo, better known as the birthplace of Pac-Man, also work quite well.

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Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China will launch April 21; India and Russia will follow in Fall

Posted on March 31, 2015 by John Scalzo

Ubisoft has announced the Climax Studios-developed Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China, a side-scrolling spinoff in the Assassin’s Creed series, will be released on April 21. Now only that, but Ubisoft also plans to release two additional Chronicles games. Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India and Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia will both be released by this Fall.

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China will star Shao Jun, who was first seen in the Assassin’s Creed: Embers short film, as she fights for vengeance in her homeland. For Chronicles: China, Ubisoft and Climax will use Chinese brush paintings as the basis for the game’s look. In fact, each entry in the Chronicles trilogy will feature its own unique art style that evokes it’s setting.

The artistic signature of Chronicles: India will be based on the bright colors that bathe India during the Holi celebration. The game will star Arbaaz Mir, who must steal a mysterious item from a Master Templar. Mir previously appeared in the Assassin’s Creed: Brahman graphic novel.

Finally, Chronicles: Russia will take place just after the Russian Revolution, basing its look on the propaganda posters that were common in the USSR. Nikolai Orelov (of Assassin’s Creed: The Fall and The Chain) has been asked to break into the tsar’s palace, where he eventually crosses paths with Anastasia.

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China will be available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One by itself (priced at $9.99) or as part of the Assassin’s Creed: Unity Season Pass. Future Chronicles installments will be sold separately. An in-depth overview of Chronicles: China can be found at the UbiBlog. Ubisoft’s official site also has an early look at Chronicles: India and Chronicles: Russia.

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Evolve: Behemoth and four new Hunters now available to download

Posted on March 31, 2015 by John Scalzo

A new Monster (Behemoth) and four new Hunters are now available to download in Turtle Rock’s 4v1 shooter, Evolve.

Behemoth is a massive rock beast that can also turn into a rolling ball of death to crush any Hunters that remain in his path. But the four new Hunters aren’t just going to lie down and die. The tattooed Torvald (Assault), enigmatic Crow (Trapper), psychotic Sunny (Support), and extraterrestrial Slim (Medic) all bring new weapons and abilities to the battle:

Torvald (Assault)
Punch through your enemies with the Assault character Torvald. His loadout includes a Mortar Cannon, Autofire Shotgun, and Shrapnel Grenades.

Crow (Trapper)
Ensnare your enemies with the Trapper character Crow. His loadout includes a Kinetic Long Rifle, Stasis Gun, and a Pet Batray.

Sunny (Support)
Give your teammates a boost with the Support character Sunny. Her loadout includes a Mininuke Grenade Launcher, Jetpack Booster, and a Shield Drone.

Slim (Medic)
Protect your fellow Hunters with the Medic character Slim. His loadout includes a Leech Gun, Spore Cloud Launcher, and Healing Drone.

Players looking to expand Evolve will find that these add-on characters don’t come cheap. Each Hunter has been priced at $7.49 apiece, while Behemoth carries a $14.99 price tag. A new trailer showcasing all five new additions to the game has been embedded above.

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Ubisoft unveils Operator System in Rainbow Six: Siege with new trailer, dev diary

Posted on March 30, 2015 by John Scalzo

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege has mostly kept to the shadows since its debut at the 2014 E3 Expo. But today, Ubisoft was ready to reveal a bit more about the game’s “Operator” character selection system.

Each of the game’s 20 Operators will serve as unique classes during multiplayer matches. Some are designed for offensive maneuvers while others are better at holding defensive positions. Each character will have their own individual style, including a variety of different skills and weapons. Players will have to figure out which Operators will work best together for Siege’s heavily team-based play.

PC players will be able to get a crack at the first ten Operators by registering for the PC-exclusive Closed Alpha at the official Rainbow Six site. The rest of us will have to read up on each Operator at the UbiBlog, watch an Operator-focused developer diary embedded after the break, or join the Closed Beta, which is scheduled for later this year. Every PC, PS4, and Xbox One player who pre-orders Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege will be able to take part in the Closed Beta.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege is expected to launch in late 2015. (more…)

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