Most Recent: PS4

Nier: Automata transports us to the future with a new trailer

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Brittney Williams

Androids, swords, mech-suits, and platinum blonde hair abound in the latest Nier: Automata trailer.

The latest trailer for the PlatinumGames-developed RPG takes us to a post-apocalyptic, war-torn setting, in the extremely distant year of 11945 AD. 2B and 9S, members of an elite android squad, are tasked with saving the human race, and they’re fighting against the likes of other androids, titan-sized robots, and a host of other enemies during the 14th Machine War.

Nier: Automata is a sequel to 2010’s Nier, which was itself a somewhat polarizing spinoff of the Drakengard series. But if you’re unfamiliar with the action RPG, Square Enix is here to help with a quick primer of the game’s plot:

Invaders from another world attack without warning, unleashing their secret weapon: the machines. In the face of this insurmountable threat, the human race is driven from the earth and takes refuge on the moon.

The humans develop an army of android soldiers to fight back against the mechanical horde, but succeed only in slowing its advance. To break the deadlock, a new breed of android infantry is sent into the fray: the YoRHa squad.

In the forsaken wasteland below, the war between the machines and the androids rages on. A war that is soon to unveil the long-forgotten truth of this world…

Fans who have been anxiously awaiting Nier: Automata’s North American release for PlayStation 4 and Steam on March 7 can download and play a demo of the game right now. And for those of us who haven’t been eagerly awaiting for the latest arrival in the Nier franchise, the demo is still worth checking out. You never know, you might actually find that you like it.

All that being said, after seeing the above trailer (and a brand new 25-minute walkthrough from the PlayStation Blog, which is available after the break), it’s pretty clear that Nier: Automata is one to add to your wishlist. I mean, who doesn’t love swords and mech-suits? (more…)

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Bandai Namco has posted a 4-minute gameplay trailer for Dark Souls III: The Ringed City

Posted on February 13, 2017 by John Scalzo

From Software’s Hidetaka Miyazaki has said that Dark Souls III will be the final game in the Souls series, but the developer plans to extend the action RPG with a pair of downloadable expansions to close out the story. Ashes of Ariandel, the first expansions, was released in October. And the second, The Ringed City, is set to launch this Spring.

Late last week, publisher Bandai Namco gave fans a better look at The Ringed City with a new gameplay trailer that runs nearly four minutes. The video includes a look at several of the bosses found in the expansion, including a nasty-looking winged fire demon. Obviously, if you’re worried about spoilers, turn away now.

The Dark Souls: The Ringed City expansion will be available to download for the PC, PS4, and Xbox one on March 28 .

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Swamp Thing emerges from the muck as the latest playable character in Injustice 2

Posted on February 13, 2017 by John Scalzo

Swamp Thing is one of the stranger characters in DC’s stable of superheroes, but he’s had a surprisingly varied second life in movies, television, and video games. It looks like that legacy will continue this May, as NetherRealm Studios has announced the muck monster will appear as a playable character in Injustice 2.

Swamp Thing is a lumbering brawler, and the gameplay trailer embedded above gives us a glimpse at his superhuman strength. However, the creature also has the ability to teleport in and out of battle, stretch out his arms to grab opponents, and clone himself for double damage. Swamp Thing is the second nature-based character to be announced for Injustice 2, and it’ll be interesting to compare him to Poison Ivy once she’s unveiled.

Injustice 2 will be available for the PS4 and Xbox One on May 16.

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Sega will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at Sonic Mania and Project Sonic at SXSW 2017

Posted on February 13, 2017 by John Scalzo

Sega has been unusually quiet about the future of Sonic the Hedgehog since announcing Sonic Mania and Project Sonic at Comic-Con 2016. That’ll all change next month, when the publisher hosts “Gotta Go Fast: The Official Panel of Sonic the Hedgehog” at South by Southwest 2017 on Thursday, March 16.

Takashi Iizuka, the Head of Sonic Team, Aaron Webber, Sonic’s Community Manager, and Roger Craig Smith and Mike Pollock, the voice actors behind Sonic and Dr. Eggman, will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at both games, along with unveiling a few “other surprises”:

Dive into the world of Sonic the Hedgehog in this exclusive behind-the-scenes look at both Sonic Mania and the upcoming Sonic 2017! With presenters from Sega and Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka, this panel will answer questions about both games, showcase a new reveal for each title, and will discuss Sonic’s resurgence in the world of gaming since the reveal of both games. Of course, with Sonic involved, who knows what other surprises might be in store?

Sonic Mania is a side-scrolling platformer that’s an homage to Sonic’s past, and it’ll be available this Spring. Project Sonic is a new 3D game that’ll launch this Fall, and it features many of the same time-bending shenanigans as Sonic Generations. Both games are currently in the works for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

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New Earth Defense Force 5 trailer introduces Grey Aliens

Posted on February 13, 2017 by John Scalzo

The goofy sci-fi charms and decidedly old school gameplay of the Earth Defense Force series have thrilled fans since Earth Defense Force 2017 made its North American debut in 2007. The fifth entry in the series will be released sometime this year in Japan, and D3 Publisher released a brand new trailer for Earth Defense Force 5 over the weekend.

The new trailer reintroduces fans to the giant ants and spiders that have become the franchise’s trademark. But Earth Defense Force 5 will also include new enemies such as bipedal frogs and armored Grey Aliens. Thankfully, the welcome party is being thrown by the Earth Defense Force, and three soldier classes (Ranger infantry, flying Wing Divers, and heavily armored Fencers) are ready to battle back the Invaders.

Earth Defense Force 5 is in development exclusively for the PS4, and will be released sometime this year in Japan. Hopefully, a North American launch date will be announced soon.

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Focus Home Interactive will release Call of Cthulhu and Vampyr in Fall 2017

Posted on February 13, 2017 by John Scalzo

Previously penciled in for “TBA 2017” release dates, Focus Home Interactive updated their official website over the weekend and confirmed that Call of Cthulhu and Vampyr will both launch in Fall 2017.

Call of Cthulhu, based on the tabletop RPG of the same name from Chaosium, is an adventure game from Cyanide Studio. Players will guide a detective in his search for a missing woman on a mysterious island, but things aren’t what they seem, and one of Lovecraft’s most famous creations, Cthulhu, lurks in the shadows.

Vampyr is in development at Dontnod, and is an action RPG set against the backdrop of a Spanish Flu outbreak in London in the early 20th century. As Dr. Jonathan Reid, players will be tested by their vampiric bloodlust, and characters they choose to feed on will “impact in a meaningful way the world that surrounds you.”

Call of Cthulhu and Vampyr are both currently in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

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New Retail Releases: For Honor, Sniper Elite 4, Halo Wars 2 Ultimate Edition, More

Posted on February 12, 2017 by John Scalzo

Five new games will be available on store shelves this week, and three of them will ask players to study the art of war…

The combat-heavy For Honor certainly fits the theme, and Ubisoft’s action game will pit some of history’s strongest warriors against each other. Coming to the PC, PS4, and Xbox One this week, For Honor asks players to choose their Faction (Knights, Vikings, or Samurai) and take them into battle in a single-player Campaign and an online Multiplayer Mode.

Another historical skirmish will be waged on the PS4 and Xbox One this week in Sniper Elite 4. Once again developed by Rebellion, Sniper Elite 4 transports players back to World War II and provides them with a series of missions for the Allies on the Italian front. The Day One Edition will also give early adopters the chance to kill Hitler in the “Target: Fuhrer” bonus mission.

It’s unlikely that future conflicts will play out like they do in science fiction, but Halo Wars 2: Ultimate Edition will give fans of the franchise a chance to try out 21st century tactics against Atriox and his Banished followers. The real time strategy game will be available for the Xbox One and as an Windows 10 Digital Code (which also includes an Xbox One download thanks to the Xbox Play Anywhere program), and the Ultimate Edition will be bundled with the Season Pass and a digital copy of Halo Wars: Definitive Edition.

And speaking of bundles, an Xbox One S 1TB + Halo Wars 2: Ultimate Edition Bundle will also launch this week, alongside a brand new Xbox One S 500GB + Forza Horizon 3 Bundle.

A different kind of war will take place on the racetracks of Ride 2, which will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One this week. The hyperrealistic motorcycle racing sim will include more than 230 licensed bikes, as well as 1,200 real-world parts, 800 accessories, and over 30 tracks.

Finally, a special Retail Edition of Earthlock: Festvial of Magic will be released for the PS4. Currently available to download from the PlayStation Store, Earthlock is a turn-based RPG that features a very retro sensibility.

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The Deep End’s Perception is officially coming to the Xbox One too

Posted on February 11, 2017 by John Scalzo

After previously revealing that Perception, a survival horror game starring a young woman named Cassie, would be released for the PC and PS4, developer The Deep End Games has now confirmed it’ll also be available for the Xbox One.

If you’re unfamiliar with Perception, The Deep End has released a new trailer, as well as posted a detailed description about the game to the Xbox Wire:

Perception is a narrative-based first-person horror game where you play as Cassie, a blind woman whose nightmares about a haunted mansion have plagued her for months. She finally decides to go to the mansion to solve the mystery, but there’s more to this estate than she ever dreamed. She must use her wits, her smartphone, and her echolocation abilities to unravel the tortured history of the place and escape with her life.

Sound is a major element to playing Perception. Every sound becomes a visual cue for the player, whether it be a hissing pipe or an alarm clock going off at an inopportune time — the more sound you make while exploring Echo Bluff, the greater your chance of grabbing the attention of the malevolent force inside the house.

As you continue to play, you’ll travel back through the decades and see the house’s many iterations, along with the generations tormented by the forces at play. As Cassie solves each mystery, the house dwindles slowly toward its original form, to the beginning of its horrors.

Perception doesn’t currently have an official release date, but there’s a possibility it could launch sometime in 2017.

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