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
- 2025 GOTY Scoreboard: In Progress
- 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”
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- With Grand Theft Auto 6 poised to take over the world, I reached out to Jack Thompson and it did not go well – PC Gamer (2026)
- Vib-Ribbon: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- How a Second-Grade Teacher Revived a Beloved Video Game – The New York Times (2026)
- Spore: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- Diablo IV PC Cooled With Real Human Blood Is Still Going Strong Two Years Later, Says Guy Who Won It – Aftermath (2026)
Most Recent: PS4
Hellblade’s first gameplay trailer gives us a glimpse at the game’s focus on mental illness
Ninja Theory has pulled the curtain back on the first gameplay trailer for Hellblade, their Celtic swordfighting game, a few days ahead of this year’s E3 Expo. The developers also revealed that Senua, Hellblade’s main character, isn’t just fighting back against a viking invasion, she’s also battling mental demons in her own personal Hell:
The Hell in question is no ordinary Hell, but is in fact a Hell that is the manifestation of Senua’s mental illness. Senua experiences psychosis, including hallucinations and delusions, as well as suffering from anxiety and depression. As a player you will witness Senua’s living nightmare through her own eyes.
The developers from Ninja Theory believe they are approaching this subject with the respect it deserves. To that end, Ninja Theory has secured the services of Professor Paul Fletcher, a professor of Health Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, to guarantee the accuracy of their portrayal. They’ve also teamed with the Wellcome Trust, “a global charitable foundation which aims to build a greater public understanding of science and in particular health.” The final piece of the puzzle will be a series of interviews with individuals suffering from mental illness. Ninja Theory will use their experiences to help shape Senua’s personality and actions.
Hellblade will be available for the PC and PS4 sometime in 2016. A Developer Diary discussing their work with Professor Fletcher can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS4
Tagged E3 2015, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition announced as publisher continues to tease Darksiders III
Nordic Games has officially announced that Darksiders II will get the remaster treatment this Winter and be re-released as Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition for the PS4 and Xbox One.
Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition is in development at Gunfire Games, one of the studios founded in the wake of Vigil’s closure. If you remember, Vigil Games created both Darksiders games for THQ before the publisher declared bankruptcy. While the developer is well-versed in how the game originally looked, they do plan to offer some improvements as part of the Deathinitive Edition. The PS4/Xbox One version of the game will include all of the previously-released downloadable content, as well as tuned game balancing and reworked loot distribution. Naturally for any remaster, the Deathinitive Edition will also feature an improved graphical engine for better lighting and shadows with visuals rendered in 1080p resolution.
But while announcing their new project, Nordic couldn’t stop themselves from teasing Darksiders III one more time. Reinhard Pollice, the company’s Business & Product Development Director, said: “We took over the franchise roughly two years ago and thought about the next chapter for Darksiders ever since then. Naturally (and extremely excitedly!), there will be a large-scale project based on Darksiders, but for now it is very important for us to take care of the existing games and make those available to a broader audience.”
Obviously, any official announcement regarding Darksiders III is still a very long way in the future.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Darksiders II, Darksiders III
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst unveiled with new art; prequel comic series on the way
The 2015 E3 Expo beckons and Electronic Arts is getting the show started a bit early with a glimpse at Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst. The new artwork displays the game’s protagonist, Faith, doing what she does best… clinging to the side of a futuristic building. Hyper-modern skyscrapers pierce the horizon while the watchful eyes of a squad of surveillance helicopters hover at the edge of the scene.
We’ll learn more about Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst next week, but for now, Senior Producer Sara Jansson discussed the development team’s vision on the game’s official website:
The team has spent a lot of time re-evaluating every aspect of the game and making it a new experience. This is not a sequel, this is not Mirror’s Edge 2. We have landed on a vision that honors the first game — pushing the boundaries of first person movement and diving deeper into the story behind our heroine Faith — but also brings a lot of great new, interesting gameplay and features to the experience for our players.
In addition to next week’s E3 reveal, fans will get another look at that vision in Mirror’s Edge: Exordium, a prequel comic series which will be published by Dark Horse. The first issue, which will be written by Narrative Director Christofer Emgard, will be available on September 9. The six-issue series will also feature art from some of DICE’s in-house artists including Mattias Haggstrom, Robert Sammelin, Henrik Sahlström, Erik Persson, and Emgard himself. You can sneak a peek at the cover of Exordium‘s #1 at the Dark Horse Blog.
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst is currently in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One at DICE. It is expected to be released sometime next Spring.
Toy Soldiers: War Chest will add He-Man, GI Joe, two other licensed armies
Signal Studios and Ubisoft have announced that Toy Soldiers: War Chest will include a quartet of licensed armies when it launches for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One this Summer.
Two licensed armies remain under wraps, but Ubisoft and Signal were ready to reveal that G.I. Joe (with Duke leading the charge) and the Masters of the Universe (naturally lead by He-Man) will join the fight in Toy Soldiers: War Chest. This pair of 1980s stalwarts will do battle with the game’s four standard armies, which will all include their own unique offensive and defensive units:
- Kaiser Wilhelm and the German army from World War I.
- Starbright (who looks like a cross between Sailor Moon and Rainbow Brite) and her Star Power army of Bunny Bears, Ponies, and Pixies.
- Ghost Company, a futuristic army lead by the power armor-clad Phantom.
- Black Dragon, a feudal force lead by Darklord.
Toy Soldiers: War Chest will be available in two distinct versions when it launches this Summer. The Hall of Fame Edition, which will be available as both a digital download and a retail disc for $29.99, will include all four licensed armies as well as the four standard armies. Meanwhile, the standard edition of the game will only be available as a digital download (priced at $14.99) and will only include the four standard armies. However, players who purchase the standard edition will be able to add the four licensed armies by purchasing them separately (for $4.99 apiece) or as part of the Legendary Heroes Pack (for $14.99).
Now you know… and knowing is half the battle!
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Toy Soldiers: War Chest
Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 officially announced with “Full Reveal” scheduled for June 12
Konami may be slowly inching themselves away from console development, but a new Pro Evolution Soccer title is in the cards for 2015 as the publisher announced Pro Evolution Soccer 2016. The Pro Evolution Soccer franchise will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year, making it almost as old as the 23-year old selected to grace the game’s cover, Brazilian soccer star Neymar. For now, the teaser trailer above is all we’ve got, but a “Full Reveal” is planned for this Friday, June 12.
“This is a real honor for me to be cover star for PES 2016,” Neymar said. “The series has long been praised for its sheer level of control and utter realism and I am delighted to be working with such a talented team as Konami. I am fascinated by the huge amount of work involved in putting together the game and ensuring the world’s top players look and play just like the real things, and cannot wait to see myself in action as soon as possible.”
“Neymar is a player that perfectly fits the PES brand, and what we want to achieve” added Erik Bladinieres, Konami’s European Brand Director of Football. “His unique qualities and the ability to surprise goes hand in hand with the gameplay experience in PES 2016. In our anniversary year we want to celebrate the past, while look forward to the exciting future of the brand. We’ll do this with Neymar leading our campaign.”
We’ll have to wait for the “Full Reveal” to know for sure, but Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 is expected to be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One sometime this Fall.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Pro Evolution Soccer 2016
Lego Avengers is coming this Winter… and here’s the first trailer
Are you ready to recreate the Battle of New York using Legos? Well, you’re in luck, because the first trailer for Lego Avengers is here and it lets us all see how the finale of The Avengers would have looked using the famous toy bricks. In addition to the first film, a series of stages based on this Summer’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron will also be included in the game.
Lego Avengers, in development at TT Games and scheduled to be published by WB Games, will be available this Fall/Winter for the 3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
PS Store Today: The Elder Scrolls Online, Lego Jurassic World, Gradius, more
Only a small number of new releases were added to the PlayStation Store today, but they include a pair of games that are both big in their own way.
The Elder Scrolls Online is Bethesda’s first attempt at creating an Elder Scrolls MMO. First released for the PC last year, The Elder Scrolls Online makes its PS4 debut today without any of those pesky subscription costs usually associated with MMOs. Players will be able to make a one-time purchase and then dive in to all the game has to offer including adventurous quests or crafting quality goods.
This week’s second big game will be available Friday and its Lego Jurassic World for the PS3, PS4, and Vita. In addition to including Lego-ized versions of all four films, Lego Jurassic World also gives players the opportunity to play as the massive Tyrannosaurus Rex… with its itty-bitty arms.
In other new release news, Gradius joins the PS4’s Arcade Archives line and Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy is out for the Vita. Gradius is, of course, one of the forerunners of the space shooter genre and Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy is the latest JRPG from NIS America, so you can expect plenty of superheroic high schoolers, evil demons, and an alternate dimension full of bad goings-on.
Yup, goings-on. More information on all of these games can be found after the break and a full rundown of this week’s new game add-ons and discounts can be found at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Vita
Tagged Lego Jurassic World, Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy, The Elder Scrolls Online
Here’s a short look at the GameStop-exclusive Red Hood DLC for Batman: Arkham Knight
Pre-ordering Batman: Arkham Knight from GameStop will get you the Red Hood Story Pack, a retailer-exclusive expansion to Arkham Knight’s story that stars the Red Hood, one of Gotham City’s angrier vigilantes. The Red Hood is Jason Todd, a former Robin, and a character who was killed off in 1988 after fans requested his demise during a call-in vote.
Resurrected ten years ago in the comics, the Red Hood has discarded Batman’s “no guns” policy and is willing to use lethal force on the villains of Gotham… as you’ll see in the brand new trailer embedded above. Like most other retailer exclusives, the Red Hood Story Pack will be available to download by all players sometime after the launch of Arkham Knight.
Speaking of its launch, Batman: Arkham Knight is in development at Rocksteady Studios and will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on June 23. Hey, that’s just two weeks from today!
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Batman: Arkham Knight