Most Recent: PC

New Retail Releases: Rick & Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, South Park: Fractured But Whole, More

It’s another slow week for the employees at your local game store, but a handful of new releases will make their way to retail shops this week…

First up is Rick & Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, a PS4 adaptation of the hit animated show. Previously available to download through the PlayStation Store, the developer has promised that players will explore the insane multiverse of Rick & Morty with a PlayStation VR headset and “solve puzzles, step through portals into strange dimensions, get yelled at by Rick, fight aliens, drink detergent,” and “press buttons.”

And speaking of animation for adults… South Park: The Fractured But Whole launched last year for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, but Switch owners will finally get a chance to purchase the superhero RPG from Ubisoft. Switch owners will also be able to buy Red Hook’s ultra-challenging RPG, Darkest Dungeon: Ancestral Edition this week.

Continuing the “For Adults” theme, PQube will release Gal*Gun 2 this week for the PS4 and Switch. The shooter sequel asks players to help a pack of possessed teenagers by shooting them with a “love gun.” Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly, another Japanese oddity from Aksys Games, will be available for the Vita this week.

Elsewhere on store shelves, Big Ben will bring a pair of extreme racing games to the Switch (Aqua Moto Racing Utopia and Snow Moto Racing Freedom), and they’ll be joined by Max: The Curse of Brotherhood from Flashbulb Games.

Finally this week, the GameStop-exclusive mystery game The Invisible Hours will make its Xbox One debut.

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

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Vita | Tagged ,

Phantom Trigger, Samurai Shodown IV, more added to Xbox Store

It’s Friday, and Microsoft has added a handful of new games to the Xbox Games Store…

First up is Phantom Trigger, a “neon slasher” with RPG and roguelike elements from TinyBuild and Bread Team. Xbox One owners who purchase Phantom Trigger will also receive a copy for their Windows 10 PC through the Xbox Play Anywhere program. Also available to download today for the Xbox One is Samurai Shodown IV, yet another one-on-one fighting game that originally appeared on the NeoGeo.

You can learn more about all of today’s additions to the Xbox Games Store after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC, Xbox One |

Super Mega Baseball 2 slides into home on the PC, PS4, Xbox One on May 1

Metalhead Software has announced that Super Mega Baseball 2 is getting “The Call” in just a few weeks, and it’ll be available to download for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on May 1. A trio of DLC Packs featuring “additional cosmetic customization content” will also be available on the same day.

Super Mega Baseball 2 will add the much-requested new feature of competitive and cooperative online play, as well as a revamped graphical presentation and expanded customization options:

Super Mega Baseball 2 Features

  • Overhauled Presentation including eight stadiums built from the ground up, more realistically scaled character models, and new, more athletic player animations
  • Comprehensive Customization of leagues, team logos and uniforms, and player gear
  • New Competitive and Co-Operative Online Modes, utilizing dedicated servers
  • Cross-Platform Play between PC and Xbox One, and between PC and PS4
  • Refined Baseball Simulation with visceral physics and realistic play outcomes
  • Enhanced Image Quality on Xbox One X and PS4 Pro

“With Super Mega Baseball 2 we’ve put together a more sophisticated baseball simulation for the baseball purists, but we’ve also been careful to maintain the pick-up-and-play nature that made the original as accessible as it was,” said Scott Drader, Metalhead’s Co-Founder. “Community feedback massively influenced our design choices for the sequel and we’ll be listening carefully to the community again this time when we’re considering further changes and additional content.”

To get a closer look at all the changes Metalhead made to the sequel, a massively in-depth Gameplay Trailer has been embedded above.

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Rumor: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 won’t include a single-player campaign

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 might look a little different when it launches this Fall… if you believe a recent rumor reported by Polygon. According to several unnamed sources “with knowledge of the project’s status,” the next entry in the shooter series will ship without a single-player campaign for the first time in its history.

Instead, Activision and Treyarch will release a Call of Duty game that focuses solely on competitive multiplayer maps and the cooperative Zombies Mode:

The sources, who asked for anonymity, said that as Black Ops 4’s release date approached, it became evident that development on the single-player campaign wouldn’t be completed. One source said Treyarch has since focused Black Ops 4’s development on expanding multiplayer and the series’ popular Zombies mode. The source described an emphasis on cooperative modes as a potential stand-in for the typical single-player campaign experience.

Representatives from Activision refused to comment on the rumor, instead asking fans to stay tuned for the game’s “Community Reveal Event” on Thursday, May 17. Further details about Black Ops 4 are expected to be unveiled at this year’s E3 Expo. If the game is missing a single-player campaign, we’ll likely know by then.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on October 12.

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DC Comics will publish an Injustice Vs He-Man crossover in July

With an Evil Superman and a Heroic Harley Quinn, the Injustice universe has already traveled pretty far off the beaten path for readers used to the mainstream DC Universe. But the comics publisher wants to make it even nuttier this Summer, as they’ve announced plans to publish an Injustice Vs He-Man and the Masters of the Universe miniseries.

YOU… HAVE… THE… POWER… to read a plot description of Injustice Vs He-Man and the Masters of the Universe right here:

Believing He-Man and the Masters of the Universe defeated, a robotic impostor has seized control of Eternia… but not for long! After freeing his kingdom from this strongman’s rule, Prince Adam learns not everyone is pleased to see the pretender deposed… but Adam knows the value of freedom. So when heroes from another dimension ask his aid in deposing a super-hero turned dictator, he agrees. Teaming up with Batman against the Superman of the Injustice Universe, He-Man and his new allies face dangerous and familiar enemies in a battle where no world is safe!

Injustice Vs He-Man and the Masters of the Universe will be written by Tim Seeley, with art by Freddie E. Williams II. Hopefully the two of them will be able to explain why Prince Adam’s heroic alter ego looks so mopey on the cover.

The first issue of Injustice Vs He-Man and the Masters of the Universe will go on sale on July 18, and you can learn more about it at DCComics.com.

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NBA Playgrounds 2 will be released sometime this year for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch

Saber Interactive has announced that the arcade-y action of the NBA Playgrounds franchise will return later this year on the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch in NBA Playgrounds 2.

According to the developer, NBA Playgrounds 2 will feature “new moves and power-ups, improved AI, and new player models and animations.” Players can also expect to find a new “worldwide ranked league system,” as well as a new single-player Season Mode, and four-player online matches:

Playgrounds Championship mode introduces a new worldwide ranked league system, featuring multiple competitive solo and co-op division ladders for players to climb. Season Mode is a new single-player experience that recreates the feeling of leading a team through the regular season, playoffs, and, ultimately, the NBA Championship itself. There’s also improved matchmaking with dedicated servers, the arrival of four-player online matches, the return of Three-Point Contests, Custom Matches, and more – pick your team and play without limits!

Like last time, NBA Playgrounds 2 will include more than 200 current and retired NBA players, including Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Giannis “The Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, DeMar DeRozan, Damian Lillard, Karl-Anthony Towns, Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, “Dr. J.” Julius Erving, Allen Iverson, and Larry Bird.

The first trailer for NBA Playgrounds 2 has been embedded above.

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M. Bison clone Falke will be available to download in Street Fighter V on April 24

Send in the clones…

Capcom has announced Falke, yet another clone of M. Bison, will be the next downloadable character added to Street Fighter V. Falke will be available to download on April 24, and like Gambit, she has “the unique ability to infuse Psycho Power into objects and release it through them”:

Character Overview
Falke was built to be an alternative clone for M. Bison. She was heavily experimented on by Shadaloo and was forced to train day in, day out to achieve perfection. Falke has the unique ability to infuse Psycho Power into objects and release it through them, mainly through her staff, which she named Harmony. Years of harsh training went by, causing Falke to spiral deep into despair, wishing for it all to end. Finally, Ed came to her rescue and they both were able to escape Shadaloo. Now, the two have a sibling-like bond and are searching for others like them in need of help.

Be sure to check out the trailer embedded above for your first look at Falke, and also head over to the Capcom-Unity blog for a ridiculously in-depth look at her fighting style:

V-Skill: Psycho Trombe
Falke extends one arm and spins her staff in front of her. Psycho Trombe on its own can be cancelled into by a variety of normal moves and can also be used to absorb projectiles.

V-Trigger I: Staerken
In this two-block V-Trigger, Falke powers up her ability to infuse and release Psycho Power from her staff and will allow her to use additional versions of her special moves without needing to charge up in advance.

Pressing HP+HK again during this V-Trigger will cause Falke to use Psycho Shrot, a powered up version of Psycho Kugel that emits three bullets and travels further. Pressing down and HP+HK will see Falke using Psycho Panzer, a powered up version of Psycho Kanonen that deals more damage. Finally, pressing HP+HK in the air will cause Falke to use Psycho Jaeger, a stronger Psycho Feder that can ricochet off the ground. Psycho Shrot and Kanonen can be cancelled into each other and can leave the opponent prone to a Critical Art.

V-Trigger II: Psycho Angriff
In this three-block V-Trigger, Falke increases her ability to utilize her staff in various ways. Upon activation, Falke will immediately twirl around hitting the opponent into the air, which she then follows up with a surge of Psycho Power.

Pressing HP+HK during this V-Trigger will result in Falke using Psycho Sturm, a sweeping hit with her staff that can be cancelled into to extend combos. Pressing down and HP+HK will see Falke using Psycho Klinge, where she jumps diagonally into the air before slamming her staff down on the opponent and can be followed up with normal moves. Falke’s V-Skill, Psycho Trombe, can also reflect projectiles during Psycho Angriff.

Finally, each of the new moves Falke gains during Psycho Angriff can be cancelled into from special moves like Psycho Schneide and Katapult, increasing her combo potential and damage.

Critical Art: Psycho Fluegel
With a Psycho Power-charged staff, Falke launches opponents into the air. She then pole vaults up to meet her opponent, whacks them sideways with her staff, then slams them down with a final overhead swing.

Falke will be available to download in Street Fighter V individually for $5.99, or as part of the Season 3 Character Pass. Players who’ve accumulated enough playtime can also unlock the character for free using 100,000 Fight Money, Street Fighter V’s in-game currency.

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Shenmue I & II will be released for PC, PS4, Xbox One in 2018

Fans have been asking Sega to release modern remakes of Shenmue and Shenmue II for more than a decade now, but it looks like the publisher will finally acquiesce to those demands later this year.

Earlier today, Sega confirmed that a Shenmue I & II bundle will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One sometime in 2018. Shenmue I & II will “stay true” to Yu Suzuki’s original vision for the franchise, but the re-release package will also include “fully scalable screen resolution, choice of modern or classic control schemes, PC graphics options, an updated user interface, and the option to enjoy either the original Japanese or English voiceovers”:

Since their original release, Shenmue I & II have established a passionate following and are revered as one of gaming’s greatest series of all time. These revolutionary masterpieces deliver a gripping story of retribution as Ryo Hazuki sets out to avenge his father’s death and attempts to unravel the secrets behind a mysterious artefact known as the Dragon Mirror.

Shenmue I & II comes complete with the original feature set that defined modern gaming, including enthralling jujitsu combat, investigative sleuthing, and RPG elements in addition to memorable mini-games. Shenmue I & II is set within engrossing real-time open worlds that feel truly alive thanks to day-to-night cycles and weather changes, with a population of civilians who follow their own schedules.

The first trailer for Shenmue I & II has been embedded above.

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