Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- BAFTA Games Awards: All the Winners from 2003 to Today
- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books to Get a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
- GDC Awards: All the Winners from 1996 to Today
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins “Game of the Year” at 2025-2026 GDC Awards
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- We Pitched a Museum a 1993 Game Hint Line (And They Actually Said Yes) – Yarn Spinner (2026)
- The History Of The Word “Metroidvania” And How It Spread – A Critical Hit (2025)
- Creator of Hit Game Shovel Knight Is at a ‘Make or Break’ Moment – Bloomberg (2025)
- Shadow of the Colossus: An oral history – Design Room (2025)
- In 2005, games started rewiring our brains – The AV Club (2025)
Most Recent: PC
Koei Tecmo will release Dead Or Alive 6 in Early 2019
IGN has the scoop that Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja are returning to the ring in 2019 with Dead Or Alive 6.
Described as “cool and mature” by Director Yohei Shimbori, the new Dead Or Alive is ditching the oversexed costumes from previous entries for a more realistic look. And this push for realism can definitely be seen in the E3 Trailer, which gives fans a quick glimpse at several characters who will return for the sixth installment, including Kasumi, Ryu Hayabusa, Hayate, Helena, Jann Lee, and Zack.
Shimbori also revealed that Dead Or Alive 6 will feature a new Special Button (which offers up instant combos) and a super meter known as the Break Gauge (a first for the franchise):
[W]hen we started using the new Special button (R1 on a PS4 controller, RB on an Xbox One controller), which Shimbori calls the “rescue button for beginners”, Dead or Alive 6 started to feel like a different beast.
Simply mashing the Special button allows players to execute a Fatal Rush, which is a powerful combo attack. A series of up to four neatly animated punches and kicks make even a first-time player look like an expert. The Break Gauge – the first super meter ever for the series – gets charged with every attack landed or taken, and by blocking. Once it is full, players can perform either the Break Blow, which is a flashy and highly destructive special attack, or the Break Hold, a useful counter attack that deals low damage but works against high, low and mid attacks. Both are executed with the Special button; for Break Blow you simultaneously press forward, and backward if you want to perform the Break Hold. That’s really all there is to it!
Dead Or Alive 6 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One in Early 2019. And Koei Tecmo has promised to reveal more information about the game on June 11th… which is only a day away.
Madden NFL 19’s E3 Trailer confirms the franchise is coming back to PC on August 10
It’s been more than a decade since EA Sports released a game in the Madden franchise for the PC. But that all changes this year, as the publisher revealed today that Madden NFL 19 will be available for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC this August.
The E3 Trailer embedded above, which was created using “Game Engine Footage,” gives us our first look at the new Real Player Motion system. The Real Player Motion system is “designed to deliver hyper-realistic animations with a higher level of gameplay,” and according to EA Sports, these “elevated animations” add more control to ball carrying.
In addition to on-field improvements, Madden NFL 19 will expand on Madden NFL 18‘s Story Mode in “Longshot Homecoming,” which continues the story of Devin (JR Lemon) and Colt (Scott Porter).
And speaking of longshots, EA Sports must have a lot of faith in the Cleveland Browns this year, because the trailer ends with a shot of rookie QB Baker Mayfield breaking a tackle and tossing a really long pass for a game-winning touchdown.
Hey, it could happen.
EA just surprise-released Unravel 2 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One
More than two years ago, Electronic Arts quietly admitted that Coldwood had begun development on Unravel 2. Earlier today, the publisher fully unveiled the game during their E3-opening EA Play event… and announced that it’s now available to download for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
The sequel continues Yarny’s emotional journey, but this time around, Coldwood upped the ante by adding a drop-in/drop-out cooperative mode to the puzzle-platformer:
Unravel Two features an evocative story filled with energy, intrigue, and inspiration, as well as ominous threats. Players can customize their own Yarnys by helping others in Unravel Two, as they jump, slide, swing and run along their adventure with two Yarnys side-by-side or joined together, always.
The two Yarnys will need to support one another as they work through tricky trials and traverse between beautiful natural landscapes and intricate urban environments, with the surroundings blossoming into new life as they embark on an adventure together.
The engaging and lighthearted story of Unravel Two demonstrates the power of positivity in the face of uncertainty.
A trailer for Unravel 2 has been embedded above.
Microsoft delays Crackdown 3 to February… but it will make an appearance at E3 2018
It looks like Crackdown 3 won’t be released for the PC and Xbox One this Fall as originally planned. Earlier today, a Microsoft spokesperson told Windows Central that the game will now launch in February 2019, giving the team at Sumo Digital more time to polish the “signature antics and explosive gameplay” the franchise is known for:
Our fans’ response to the signature antics and explosive gameplay of “Crackdown 3” has been incredible. To ensure we deliver the experience they deserve, “Crackdown 3” will be launching in Feb 2019.
However, it also looks like we won’t have to wait long to learn more about the game, as Microsoft’s spokesman confirmed that Crackdown 3 will make an appearance at the consolemaker’s E3 press conference this weekend. Fans can tune in to the Xbox E3 Briefing on Sunday, June 10, at 1:00 PM (Pacific Time).
Posted in News, PC, Xbox One
Tagged Crackdown 3, E3 2018
WB Games and IO Interactive will release Hitman 2 on November 13
Confirming rumors we started hearing earlier this month, WB Games and IO Interactive have announced that Hitman 2 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 13. The seventh game in the franchise will serve as a direct sequel to 2016’s Hitman, however, it won’t feature the episodic release schedule of its predecessor.
But not to worry, Hitman 2 will still take Agent 47 to various locales around the world, including a mission that takes place at a racetrack in Miami:
Hitman 2 takes players on a global adventure across a mix of bustling international locations, including a vibrant Miami setting with the colorful ambience of an in-progress motorsport race bringing a new backdrop to the series. From sun-drenched streets to dark and dangerous rainforests, each intricate location provides multiple paths to discover and unparalleled game depth.
Continuing the ultimate spy thriller story, Hitman 2 allows players to take on the role of the masterful Agent 47 and embark on a mission to hunt the elusive Shadow Client and unravel his militia once and for all. However, when 47 learns the hidden truth about his past, nothing will ever be the same.
The Miami mission is on full display in the E3 Trailer embedded above, but WB Games and IO Interactive also confirmed that Hitman 2 will feature a cooperative mode for the first time:
Hitman 2 introduces new ways to play with the Sniper Assassin mode, a standalone feature that brings a co-op experience to the Hitman series for the first time, allowing two players to work together online to take down their targets. Sniper Assassin can also be enjoyed in a single player mode for those who want to play as Agent 47.
Players who pre-order Hitman 2 will receive early access to Sniper Assassin mode beginning today. And you can find a second trailer, with a closer look at the cooperative mode, after the break.
But speaking of pre-order offers, four different purchasing options will be available for Hitman 2. The Standard Edition ($59.99) will contain just the game, while a digital-only Silver Edition ($79.99) will also include access to the game’s first expansion. A second expansion, and other in-game goodies, will be included with the Gold Edition ($99.99).
Fans who opt for the Collector’s Edition ($149.99), which will be sold exclusively through GameStop, will receive the game, both expansions, several other in-game bonuses, a rubber ducky, a bullet-shaped keychain, and a Signature Coin, all packaged in a replica of Agent 47’s gun case. Details on all four purchasing options can be found at the game’s official website.
We’ll likely learn more about Hitman 2 during next week’s E3 Expo. (more…)
Telltale unveils E3 Trailer and August 14 launch date for The Walking Dead’s Final Season
The end is nigh! And that’s because Telltale Games has announced that The Walking Dead: The Final Season will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on August 14.
The Final Season will consist of four episodes, and the developer added that players who pre-order it on the PS4 or Xbox One will receive a free digital download of The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series Collection (which includes Season 1, Season 2, A New Frontier, and the Michonne spinoff). PC players who pre-order The Final Season on Steam, GOG, GamersGate, or the Humble Store will receive a 10% discount off the retail price, while Windows Store shoppers will receive a free download of Season 1.
In addition to a release date announcement, Telltale talked a bit about fans can expect from the game on their official site:
Clementine, now a fierce and capable survivor, has reached the final chapter in her journey. After years on the road facing threats both living and dead, a secluded school might finally be her chance for a home. But protecting it will mean sacrifice. Clem must build a life and become a leader while still watching over AJ, an orphaned boy and the closest thing to family she has left. In this gripping, emotional final season, you will define your relationships, fight the undead, and determine how Clementine’s story ends.
The Walking Dead: The Final Season will also feature a “new over-the-shoulder camera system, greater freedom to explore detailed environments, and scenes with unscripted combat” that the developer hopes will create “the most engaging The Walking Dead game yet.”
Telltale Games will also bring The Walking Dead: The Final Season to the E3 Expo next week, but for now, be sure to check out the E3 Trailer embedded above.
Pocket Rumble’s Switch launch will happen sometime before the end of July
Pocket Rumble is a retro-styled fighting game from Cardboard Robot Games that was originally expected to launch for the Switch in March 2017… just after the console’s debut. Obviously, that didn’t happen. But the developer is still hard at work on the game, which was inspired by the litany of SNK fighters originally released for the Neo Geo Pocket Color around the turn of the millennium.
In a new “Developer Update,” Cardboard Robot has revealed that Pocket Rumble will finally be released for the Switch sometime between now and the end of July. They also confirmed that everyone who backed the game on Kickstarter will receive a free download code for the Switch version.
For fans of Pocket Rumble, this won’t be the end. Cardboard Robot said that additional content will be added to the game on Steam as it’s completed. After it’s perfected through several rounds of testing and feedback, all of this content will be added to the Switch in one big update (“Version 2.0”) at a later date.
For now, you can check out the “Developer Update” video for Pocket Rumble that’s been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, Switch
Tagged Pocket Rumble
Code Vein will sink its teeth into PC, PS4, and Xbox One on September 28
Bandai Namco has announced that Code Vein, their upcoming vampire-centric action RPG, will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on September 28. In addition to the launch date confirmation, the publisher also unveiled a very stylized new trailer, which has been embedded above.
Venture into the land of Code Vein and uncover its secrets. Players will be able to craft their own unique character and customize their experience by equipping numerous weapons, items, skills and gifts to accommodate their favorite fighting style or gain a competitive advantage against impossible odds. Various A.I. controlled partners will also be on-hand to explore the interconnected world with their own specialized attributes and personalities.
If you want to get your hands on Code Vein before its released, and you’re attending next week’s E3 Expo, you’ll want to stop by the Bandai Namco in South Hall (#1647). A playable demo of Code Vein will be available, alongside the publisher’s other upcoming games.