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
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age will be released exclusively for the PS4 on July 11
Square Enix kicked off a year-long “Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary” celebration in Tokyo last night, and one of the first things they did was announce a release date for Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age. Set to launch exclusively on the PS4, the remake will be available as a digital download and on store shelves on July 11.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age will be the first time that the game’s “International Edition” will be released outside of Japan. The updated RPG will include a high definition graphical makeover, along with 7.1 surround sound, a remastered soundtrack, a brand new Trial Mode where players can battle for survival against the game’s monsters, and full Trophy support. Western players in North America and Europe will also be able to play the game using the Zodiac Job System, which was exclusive to the “International Edition,” for the first time.
To mark this momentous occasion, Square Enix released a new piece of artwork from Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age by famed Character Designer Akihiko Yoshida. The publisher also opened the official website for the “Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary” celebration last night. Fans can view a calendar of upcoming events, as well as share their Final Fantasy memories with the developers.
Posted in News, PS4
Tagged Final Fantasy XII
Knee Deep is out this week on the PS4 and Xbox One… so here’s a Launch Trailer
Knee Deep arrives today on PlayStation 4 and for those of you looking for a choice-driven narrative akin to one of Telltale’s games, Knee Deep and its intriguing noir plotline might be just the thing for you.
Knee Deep centers around three characters… a tabloid blogger, a local reporter, and a private investigator… all working to uncover the truth behind the mysterious death of a washed-up actor. Located in the town of Cypress Knee in the suspense-inducing Florida swamplands, Knee Deep features three acts (“Wonderland,” “Festival,” and “Boomtown”), 30+ fully-voiced supporting characters, and a dynamic narrative whose progression is entirely dependent upon the quality of your choices.
Knee Deep will also make its way to the Xbox One this Friday, February 3. For gamers planning to pick up Knee Deep on PlayStation 4, the game is currently priced at $14.99, with PlayStation Plus members receiving an additional 20% discount all throughout February.
You can find some additional info in the Launch Trailer embedded above.
Catch up with the story for Double Dragon IV… which is now available for PC and PS4
Double Dragon IV is now available to download for the PC (through Steam) and the PS4, and developer Arc System Works has unveiled a new trailer detailing the story and enemies found in the retro reboot.
This time around, the Black Warriors are still causing trouble for Billy and Jimmy Lee, but now they’re joined by a motorcycle gang known as The Renegades and a mysterious group in Japan that’s pulling all the strings. And even though she was gunned down in Double Dragon II: The Revenge, Marian might somehow still be alive.
Double Dragon IV was created to celebrate the franchise’s 30th anniversary, and several members of the original development team from 1987 (including Planner Yoshihisa Kishimoto, Designer Koji Ogata, and Composer Kazunaka Yamane) helped bring the game to life.
Posted in News, PC, PS4
Tagged Double Dragon IV
CoD: Infinite Warfare Sabotage Pack launches tomorrow… preview the new maps in this trailer
PS4 owners will be able to purchase the first downloadable expansion for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare beginning tomorrow. Like every other downloadable addition to the Call of Duty canon, the Sabotage DLC Pack will contain four new multiplayer maps and a new chapter for Zombies Mode.
Activision released a trailer for the next entry in Infinite Warfare’s Zombies Mode, “Rave in the Redwoods,” last week. So it seems fighting that today they’ve given fans their first look at the four new multiplayer maps available in the Sabotage DLC Pack.
Believe it or not… the Beastie Boys don’t make an appearance on the soundtrack.
Multiplayer Maps in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’s Sabotage DLC Pack
- Noir – A dark, grimy city map inspired by futuristic Brooklyn at night, Noir is a classic three-lane map set against a backdrop of a dystopian future, filled with cafes and parks surrounding a brutal downtown warzone.
- Neon – A virtual training center designed for urban warfare, Neon is a unique, digitized battle arena where cars and other structures spawn out of thin air and enemies dissolve into hundreds of pixels when defeated. Middle lane sightlines will cater to long-range players while the outsides of the map allow for quick counter-attacks in close-quarter action.
- Renaissance – Set in Northern Italy, Renaissance pits players against each other on the narrow streets of Venice surrounded by classic architecture and buildings that promote continuous action through the canals and neighborhoods of this iconic city.
- Dominion – A re-imagining of the classic Afghan map from Modern Warfare 2, now set on Mars, Dominion retains all the memorable landmarks and gameplay of the original, anchored by the crashed ship in the center, with a few enhancements designed to take advantage of the new movement system.
The Sabotage DLC Pack is part of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’s Season Pass, or it can be purchased separately for $15. The expansion will also be released for the PC and Xbox One sometime in late February or early March.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
New Retail Releases: Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World, Hitman Season One, Digimon World Next Order, More
Yarn Yoshi is is back, and as adorable as ever, in Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World for the 3DS. Nintendo will re-release the side-scrolling platformer for the 3DS this week, and players can expect to find the complete Wii U experience along with new levels starring Yoshi’s pal Poochy.
Another re-release will also be available on store shelves this week as Square Enix will collect Hitman‘s “Complete First Season” in a retail package for the PS4 and Xbox One. In addition to all of Agent 47’s previously-released missions, Hitman: The Complete First Season will also include a trio of bonus missions and the Requiem Blood Money Pack, which includes “the signature Blood Money White Suit, White Rubber Duck, and Chrome ICA Pistol.”
Switching gears entirely, anime fans will find a pair of new games on stores including Digimon World: Next Order for the PS4 and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 – Road to Boruto for the PS4 and Xbox One.
Finally this week, 505 Games and Giant Squid will bring the oceanic exploration of Abzu to the PS4 and Xbox One. Originally released through the PlayStation Store and Xbox Games Store in August, this retail re-release will give the public a second chance to check it out.
That’s it for now, but we’ll be back later this week with a look at the latest digital releases on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Hitman, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, Yoshi's Woolly World
The Video Game Canon – Resident Evil
Dig deeper into the Video Game Canon with a look at how Resident Evil brought the then-moribund zombie genre back to life. Here’s a teaser…
If a Bizarro Universe doppelganger of Jerry Seinfeld was a hacky comedian who worked the nerd belt, I have a feeling he’d start off every set with, “What’s the deal with all the zombies?” And he wouldn’t be wrong. Zombies are everywhere. Just absolutely everywhere. But why? And why now? If you trace the epidemic all the way back to patient zero, it leads to a publisher named Capcom and their desire to create a scary game with zombies known as Resident Evil.
George A. Romero is rightly considered the godfather of the modern zombie movie. Starting with 1968’s Night of the Living Dead, his first film inspired a horde of filmmakers and lead to a pair of sequels in 1978 and 1985. But after the release of Day of the Dead and Dan O’Bannon’s Return of the Living Dead, the genre fell out of favor with the moviegoing public and was reanimated only when some low-budget film studio wanted to add something to the direct-to-video slush pile. Not even Romero himself, who helped visual effects master Tom Savini remake Night of the Living Dead in 1990, could bring it back to life.
Six years later, Capcom brought the zed menace back in a big way with Resident Evil. First released on Sony’s fledgling PlayStation console (and eventually re-released 12 times over the next 20 years), the game’s amateurish acting and stiff tank-like controls never obscured the terrifying zombie tale underneath. You might say that exploring Spencer Mansion and delving deeper into the story behind the T-Virus infected players in a way that few games ever had before.
Visit VideoGameCanon.com to continue reading this article and to explore the complete Top 1000.
The Elder Scrolls Online Dro-M’Athra Crafting Style is available this weekend only
Been looking for a reason to jump back in to the world of The Elder Scrolls Online, or just need a new outfit to spice things up? Well, we’ve got good news!
For a limited time only, Elder Scrolls Online players can visit the game’s Crown Store to purchase the Dro-M’Athra Crafting Motif. According to Bethesda…
“It is said that deep in the Dark Behind the World, there are grim forges and bent benches where Lost Cats arm and armor themselves. To save you a trek to this afterlife, the Crown Store merchants have bought the Dro-m’Athra Style Crafting Motif to a store near you.”
But remember, this is a limited time offer that ends Monday, January 30. The Dro-M’Athra Crafting Motif is priced at 6,000 Crowns which translates roughly to about $49.99… give or take seeing as a pack of 3,000 Crowns will run you $24.99.
Admittedly, one could argue that $49.99 is a steep price for a Crafting Motif, limited edition or not. However, for hardcore Elder Scrolls Online players looking to make their characters more unique and to ensure they always standout in the middle of a rescue mission in the depths of Cold Harbor or while perusing the merchants center in the deserts of Stros M’kai, the investment might be worth it. Besides, who wants to wear basic armor when they can clothe themselves with armor that glows?
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged The Elder Scrolls Online
Dirt 4 will race onto the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on June 6
Codemasters connected with their sizable fanbase offer incremental updates to Dirt Rally through the Early Access platform back in 2015. But they’re taking a more direct route with the upcoming Dirt 4, and have announced plans to release it for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on June 6.
According to the developer, their plan for Dirt 4 is to “combine the levels of thrill and realism” from Dirt Rally with the “fearless excitement, accessibility, and adrenalin-fueled contests” from 2009’s Dirt 2 and 2011’s Dirt 3. Part of this plan includes an all-new track creation system known as Your Stage:
Dirt 4 sports an all-new system called Your Stage, an innovative rally route creation tool that allows you to produce a near infinite number of unique stages at the touch of a button. Choosing your location and setting the route parameters, Your Stage does the hard work to create a unique rally stage that you can race, share with your friends and then challenge them to beat your time. Your Stage allows experienced rally players to create longer, more technical routes, whilst newcomers can create simpler shorter routes as they hone their skills.
Codemasters also plans to pack Dirt 4 with a number of new and returning features that are sure to impress rally racing fans the world over:
Dirt 4 Features
- Over 50 of the Most Breath-Taking Off-Road Cars Ever Built – Including Ford Fiesta R5, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI, Subaru WRX STI NR4, and Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2
- 5 Incredible Rally Locations With Millions of Routes – Australia, Spain, Michigan, Sweden, and Wales
- The Official Game of the FIA World RallyCross Championship – Race at Montalegre, Lohéac Bretagne, Hell, Holjes, and Lydden Hill in a multitude of different series
- Landrush – Short-course dirt track racing in Pro Buggies, Pro-2 Trucks, Pro-4 Trucks, and Crosskart vehicles in California, Nevada, and Mexico
- Joyride> –Dirt Academy – Taking place at the DirtFish Rally School in Washington, USA. Learn the skills, techniques, and practice to become the best!
- Career Mode – create your driver, compete across the disciplines, gain sponsors, and build your team with clear goals and rewards
- Competitive Gaming – Daily, Weekly, and Month-Long Challenges against fellow players from around the world
- Next Generation of RaceNet – Live ladder, leagues, and tournaments. Cross-platform leaderboards and enhanced CREST telemetry system
- Tuning – Tweak your set-up based on vehicle, track, and weather conditions to best suit your racing style
- Damage and Repairs – Wear and tear is faithfully recreated with an improved and realistic damage model. Damage can be repaired by hiring engineers to work in the team’s Service Area between stages but with a finite amount of time available.
Codemasters has promised to release more details about Dirt 4 between now and its June 6th launch date. For now, a teaser trailer for the game has been embedded above.