Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Angry Birds, Dragon Quest, FIFA Soccer, and Silent Hill are the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
- 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
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: PS4
Capcom unveils a trailer for Ed, Street Fighter V’s next downloadable fighter
Street Fighter V‘s 2017 Season Pass continues to roll on with the reveal of Ed, the young commander of Bison’s Shadaloo forces. Raised by Balrog, Ed’s boxing prowess is augmented by Bison’s Psycho Power, which you can see in his embedded debut trailer.
Introduced to the franchise in Street Fighter IV, Ed is a rather unique character in that his special moves are performed with “simultaneous button presses, repeatedly pressing a button, or holding down a button.” A lengthy rundown of Ed’s fighting style was posted on the Capcom-Unity blog this morning:
Character Overview
At a young age, Ed was kidnapped and experimented on by S.I.N., a division of Shadaloo, in order to become a replacement body for M. Bison. Many of you might remember a young Ed appearing in Rose’s Street Fighter IV story and Balrog’s story in Super Street Fighter IV. Due to the experiments, Ed’s body ages faster than normal humans until they are old enough to be suited for battle. Since Balrog raised Ed, his fighting is centered on boxing but since he carries M. Bison’s genes, his fighting style is enhanced by Psycho Power.Night after night he is troubled by Bison’s ghost, and struggles desperately to prevent M. Bison from possessing his body.
V-Skill: Psycho Snatcher
Ed releases Psycho Power from his palm, pulling himself or opponents depending on how long he charges it up.V-Trigger: Psycho Cannon
With a full V-meter, Ed releases an enormous amount of Psycho Power. He can follow alongside it, allowing him to pepper in shots when it connects with the opponent.Critical Art: Psycho Barrage
Ed lunges forward with a series of punches. If at any point he connects, he’ll continue weaving around the opponent, slipping in quick combinations of Psycho-punches ending with a powerful uppercut.
Street Fighter V fans will get their first chance to go toe-to-toe with Ed this weekend during the next Capcom Fighters Network beta test. The test includes access to all previously-released characters, and it’ll run from Thursday, May 11, through Sunday, May 14, on the PC and PS4.
A final release date for Ed will be announced “in the coming weeks.”
Posted in News, PC, PS4
Tagged Street Fighter V
Zombies Chronicles DLC will bring classic Zombies maps to CoD: Black Ops III on May 16
Activision and Treyarch have announced plans to bring even more Zombies action to Call of Duty: Black Ops III later this month. The Zombies Chronicles expansion will include eight classic Zombies maps, all of which have been “completely remastered from the ground-up” by Treyarch with “vibrant current-generation visuals, enhanced lighting, revamped character models and environments, and updated AI and audio systems”:
Maps Originally Included in Call of Duty: World at War
“Nacht der Untoten” (Abandoned Bunker), “Verruckt” (Wittenau Sanitorium), and “Shi No Numa” (Jungle Swamp)Maps Originally Included in Call of Duty: Black Ops
“Kino Der Toten” (Theater of the Dead), “Ascension” (Soviet Cosmodrome), “Shangri-La” (Exotic Jungle Shrine), and “Moon” (Lunar Base)Maps Originally Included in Call of Duty: Black Ops II
“Origins” (WWI France)Zombies Chronicles Bonus Content
- 20 Vials of Liquid Divinium
- 2 All-New Whimsical GobbleGums
- Exclusive Zombies Pack-A-Punch Weapon Camo
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Zombies Chronicles Dynamic System Theme (PS4 Only)
“Zombies Chronicles is really about the community that made Zombies what it has become today,” said Jason Blundell, the Co-Studio Head at Treyarch. “Together, we’ve been slaying the undead for nearly ten years, across different game consoles, and Zombies Chronicles is really about bringing all of those fans together. If you played these maps before on previous consoles, you’re getting a new, stunning and challenging experience – if it’s your first time, this is eight definitive experiences of our Zombies storyline, all in one place.”
As usual, PS4 players will get first crack at Zombies Chronicles, and it’ll be available to purchase through the PlayStation Store on May 16 for $29.99. PC and Xbox One owners will likely have to wait at least a month for their chance to download Zombies Chronicles.
Finally, Activision and Treyarch will celebrate the launch of the Zombies Chronicles expansion with “8 Days of the Undead,” an in-game event that offers players the chance to earn double XP rewards and engage in community challenges.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops III
Dead Island 2 is still in development at Deep Silver and Sumo Digital
It’s been more than a year since Deep Silver provided an update on Dead Island 2, and Eurogamer was worried the game had shambled off this mortal coil. But according to a new statement from the publisher, it looks like the zombie sequel is still very much alive:
“Dead Island 2 is in development at Sumo Digital, and we are excited by the progress the team are making with Deep Silver’s most successful IP. When we are ready to share more information, we will.”
Dead Island 2 made its public debut at E3 2014, and was expected to launch in Spring 2015. Things seemed to be going fine, but after its release was delayed several times, Deep Silver took Dead Island 2 away from Yager and handed it over to Sumo Digital.
But that’s about all we know. As of now, we still have no idea when Dead Island 2 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Dead Island 2
NBA 2K18 Legend Edition will feature Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal will crash NBA 2K’s “Legend Edition” fraternity this Fall, joining previous honorees Michael Jordan (NBA 2K16) and Kobe Bryant (NBA 2K17). Scottie Pippen continues to wonder when it’ll be his time to shine.
“Shaq” was a larger-than-life player for the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers, but O’Neal’s post-basketball life has seen him transform into an even bigger pitchman and NBA commentator. Naturally, 2K Games is creating a Legend Edition and a Gold Legend Edition for NBA 2K18 that befits his stature.
Set to launch on September 15, the Legend Edition ($99.99) will include a limited-edition poster, five Panini trading cards, exclusive stickers, and a variety of in-game content. The Gold Legend Edition ($149.99) will add five more trading cards, a lenticular poster, and more in-game content.
2K Games will release the Legend Edition and the Gold Legend Edition for the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The Legend Edition will be available at a wide array of retailers, but fans will need to visit their local GameStop if they’re interested in purchasing the Gold Legend Edition.
“I want to thank NBA 2K for their continuous support of my basketball and broadcast career,” O’Neal said. “I’m excited to be on the cover of the NBA 2K18 Legend Edition and I hope my fans have a blast playing it up big man style and re-creating my most legendary in-game moments!”
The Standard Edition of NBA 2K18 will be available for the PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on September 19. A closer look at the contents from the Legend Edition and the Gold Legend Edition can be seen after the break. (more…)
The launch date for Overkill’s The Walking Dead shambles into 2018
Starbreeze announced that Overkill’s The Walking Dead, a team-based shooter based on Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic, won’t be released in the second half of 2017 as orginally planned. The publisher has pushed the game’s launch date back a year, and it’ll now make its PC, PS4, and Xbox One debut in the Summer/Fall of 2018.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first delay for Overkill’s The Walking Dead. The game was originally announced more than two years ago and, at the time, Starbreeze expected to release it in 2016. In a statement, CEO Bo Andersson Klint said this most recent delay is needed so the game can reach its “full potential”:
“We, together with the developer of Overkill’s The Walking Dead, decided to extend the production schedule to pursue our original vision a step further and so that the title will reach its full potential. Together with Skybound Entertainment, we are fully dedicated to releasing an unforgettable experience for fans throughout the world and then continuing to support it with high quality content in the coming years.”
Starbreeze plans give fans their first real look at Overkill’s The Walking Dead next week during StarStream, a livestreamed showcase of the company’s upcoming titles. StarStream will broadcast this coming Wednesday, May 10, at 12:00 noon (Eastern Time), and you can view it on Twitch.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Overkill's The Walking Dead
New Retail Releases: Birthdays the Beginning
Just one new game will grace retail shelves this week and it’s Birthdays the Beginning, a life simulation from NIS America and Toybox Games. Created by Yasuhiro Wada (best known for his work with the Harvest Moon franchise), Birthdays the Beginning features cube-shaped worlds that give players the chance to shape and mold an entire ecosystem:
From legendary creator Yasuhiro Wada comes Birthdays the Beginning, a new sandbox game in which players create cube-shaped worlds that give rise to diverse and unique life forms. With careful experimentation, players can shape the geography and alter the temperature of each world to create the conditions for life and witness the birth of an entire ecosystem.
Birthdays the Beginning will be released for the PS4 on Tuesday. The game will also be available as a digital download through Steam on the same day.
That’s all for now, but we’ll be back later this week with a look at the newest additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Injustice 2’s Fighter Pack 1 will include Sub-Zero, Starfire, and Red Hood
Injustice 2 will launch in less than two weeks on the PS4 and Xbox One, but NetherRealm Studios decided to reveal the first three post-launch downloadable characters this morning.
Fans of the Teen Titans will be thrilled to learn that Starfire will join the fighting game as part of Fighter Pack 1. She’ll fight alongside Red Hood, the rather violent alterego of Jason Todd, and originally a Robin that was killed by The Joker in the famous A Death in the Family storyline (he was later resurrected because… comic books).
These hot-headed characters will have a chance to chill out with Fighter Pack 1’s third character, Sub-Zero. The Mortal Kombat mainstay will be added to Injustice 2 as the game’s first guest character, and his monstrous new appearance fits in well with the DC Universe.
Injustice 2 owners will have the chance to purchase Fighter Pack 1 as a standalone download, or they can receive access to it for free through the game’s Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99). Fighter Pack 1 will also be included with the Ultimate Edition ($99.99), which will come packed with a download code to unlock an additional six characters (presumably as part of Fighter Pack 2 and Fighter Pack 3).
And speaking of future Fighter Packs, the very end of the Fighter Pack 1 trailer includes silhouettes of the remaining downloadable characters and eagle-eyed viewers will easily be able to make out Black Manta (on the left) and Raiden (on the right).
Injustice 2 will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on May 16.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Injustice 2
I Couldn’t Give Two Loots About Destiny 2
Destiny 2 will probably be upon us this year, assuming there are no delays like most AAA game these days. Bungie recently released the first teaser trailer alongside a rather naff logo. Seriously, the new logo looks like it was thrown together in Photoshop by a bored cat. I even managed to cook up some alternate designs while thinking about this opinion piece. The “2” just seems totally out of place. It could be more flush, using Roman numerals to match the Destiny font, or behind it, using a destroyed font to convey that war is coming, or is here already.
The trailer reveals very little about the game itself, beyond the fact that the Guardian Tower has fallen. It’s a clever story device, similar to Shepherd being resurrected at the start of Mass Effect 2, and it allows the game to shirk off aspects of the original, starting afresh with new adventures not constrained by the previous generation.
One issue Destiny fans never had to deal with was its graphics, as it is one of the prettiest first person shooters to grace the a console. The game’s problems lay in what was promised, or what fans hoped for, versus what was actually delivered. Even with The Taken King expansion, which is where I was introduced to the series, the game failed to truly dig into its own mythology, worlds, and threats, and became more of a slog, forcing players to revisit locations for the hundredth time all in the name of loot.
Yet, I don’t want to rant about failed promises of the original game. There is already an excellent post on Bungie’s Community Forums by “TrueMadnessNinja” that delves into the unfulfilled promises of the first entry. This is more of a wish list of things I wish had been in the first game, and I hope Bungie takes a look and can change my mind about picking up the sequel. (more…)