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
Earth Defense Force 5’s Launch Trailer crawls into view
EDF! EDF! EDF!
Earth Defense Force 5 is now available to download from the PlayStation Store for the PS4, and D3 Publisher has unleashed a nasty new Launch Trailer starring the franchise’s signature creepy-crawlies. In addition to the game’s four character classes, prospective players will get a good look at the game’s collapsing skyscrapers, gigantic frog-bats, rampaging kaiju, and a lot of bugs… just so many bugs:
Packed with tons of content and high replay value, Earth Defense Force 5 delivers over 100 missions with more than 1,000 weapons and armaments to unlock and master.
It also offers players four unique classes to master, allowing players to approach mission goals and objectives in a variety of ways. Classes include the Ranger, a well-rounded infantry soldier, the Wing Diver, a highly mobile air unit, the Fencer, a heavy weapons unit with thick armor, and the Air Raider, a support focused class with the ability to drive vehicles.
With multiple options for multiplayer, Earth Defense Force 5 also offers up to four-player online co-op as well as offline couch co-op, supporting up to two players via split-screen.
According to D3 Publisher, Earth Defense Force 5 will also be available to purchase in a Deluxe Edition, which includes additional weaponry and two post-launch Mission Packs.
Posted in News, PS4
Tagged Earth Defense Force 5
Skybound will launch Episode 3 of The Walking Dead: The Final Season on January 15
There’s not much that’s funny about an undead apocalypse (unless Bill Murray or Simon Pegg is involved, I suppose), but Skybound Games took the stage during the Kinda Funny Games Showcase earlier today and announced a release date for The Walking Dead: The Final Season – Episode 3: Broken Toys anyway.
According to the developer (and the semi-new trailer embedded above), Episode 3: Broken Toys will be available to download for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on January 15.
In addition to completing work on The Final Season after Telltale’s unexpected closure, Skybound also announced that they’ve restored previous seasons of The Walking Dead to the digital storefronts for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Mortal Kombat 11 will be released for PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One on April 23
NetherRealm Studios has worked on a pretty steady schedule since the release of Mortal Kombat in 2011. Thankfully, they’re not breaking the pattern in 2019.
Last night at the Game Awards, the developer confirmed that Mortal Kombat 11 will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on April 23. The launch will be preceded by a “Community Reveal Event” on January 17, and fans who pre-order the game will receive a bonus fighter (Shao Kahn) and access to Mortal Kombat 11’s upcoming Beta.
NetherRealm will also meld the Character Variations mechanic from Mortal Kombat X with Injustice 2‘s Gear System to allow players to create Custom Character Variations in Mortal Kombat 11:
The all new Custom Character Variations give you unprecedented control to customize the fighters and make them your own. The new graphics engine showcasing every skull-shattering, eye-popping moment, brings you so close to the fight you can feel it. And featuring a roster of new and returning Klassic Fighters, Mortal Kombat’s best in class cinematic story mode continues the epic saga over 25 years in the making.
The goretastic first trailer for Mortal Kombat 11 has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Game Awards 2018, Mortal Kombat 11
Sony Santa Monica’s God of War wins “Game of the Year” at 2018 Game Awards
In what is surely to be the first of many accolades, Sony Santa Monica’s God of War won “Game of the Year” at the 2018 Game Awards. Kratos’s latest adventure also picked up statuettes for “Best Game Direction” and “Best Action/Adventure Game.”
But the biggest winner of the night was Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2, which picked up four wins last night. The publisher’s “Cowboy Game” collected some shiny hardware for “Best Narrative,” “Best Score/Music,” “Best Audio Design,” and “Best Performance” (for Roger Clark’s work as Arthur Morgan).
The all-mighty Fortnite picked up two awards, “Best Ongoing Game” and “Best Multiplayer,” but the most surprising news of the night might be that Insomniac’s Spider-Man was completely shut out. Best of luck next time to the ol’ webhead.
More than a dozen different games went home as winners at the 2018 Game Awards, and you can find them all after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, Celeste, Dead Cells, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Florence, Fortnite, Forza Horizon 4, Game Awards 2018, God of War 4, Into the Breach, Monster Hunter: World, Overcooked 2, Overwatch, Red Dead Redemption 2, Return of Obra Dinn, The Messenger
The Games of December 2018
The New Releases shelf is usually a barren wasteland in December as game publishers want their hot new titles out before Black Friday. But that is definitely not the case this year, and players looking for new games to play during the next four weeks will have a healthy selection to choose from. Especially if you’re the sort of person who loves retro revivals or the slightly goofier side of gaming.
Thankfully, we here at Warp Zoned love those types of games, and you can find out exactly what we’re looking forward to this month after the break. (more…)
New Retail Releases: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Just Cause 4, PUBG PS4, More
The Nintendo Switch’s first year was jam-packed with dozens of new games, but Nintendo may have saved the biggest for the last few weeks of its second. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be available on store shelves this week, and it’ll include every character from the previous four games, as well as newcomers Incineroar, Simon Belmont, the Inklings, and Ridley.
The Smash Bros. series is known for its over-the-top action, as is Square Enix’s Just Cause franchise, which will also receive a new entry this week. Just Cause 4 (PS4 and Xbox One) will take the fearless Rico Rodriguez to the fictional country of Solis, a land of “conflict, oppression, and extreme weather conditions.” Just Cause 4 will also be available to download for the PC. Speaking of high-flying adventurers, you’ll also find the PS4 debut of PUBG Corporation’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on store shelves this week. The battle royale shooter comes complete with all three maps currently available for the PC and Xbox One, as well as a few PS4-exclusive cosmetic items.
However, this week’s biggest new release will require a trip down to GameStop, and that’s because Bandai Namco is re-releasing Katamari Damacy for the Switch (with a visual upgrade) as Katamari Damacy Reroll.
Elsewhere on the New Releases shelf, you’ll find a pair of PS4 rhythm games from Atlus (Persona 3: Dancing In Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing In Starlight), a retail re-release for Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (PS4 and Xbox One), and the Switch debut of Sega’s massive Sega Genesis Classics compilation.
Finally this week, Sony will break into the microconsole business with the PlayStation Classic. Containing two replica PlayStation controllers and 20 games (including Final Fantasy VII, Twisted Metal, Grand Theft Auto, and more), the microconsole is HDMI-ready and priced at $100.
A complete look at the rest of this week’s new retail releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Life Is Strange 2: Episode 2 will be released this January
Square Enix and Dontnod Entertainment released Life Is Strange 2‘s first episode this past September. Players have been eagerly awaiting the second episode, but both entities have kept quiet about when fans can expect to dive back into the world of Life Is Strange 2.
Today, Dontnod reappeared with an update to their official website, and confirmed that Episode 2: Rules will be available to download for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One this January. The four-month gap between episodes is longer than the developer originally intended, but it looks like they chose to delay Episode 2 to “meet the quality of play and storytelling that our vision for a game like this demands”:
The Life is Strange series is a project close to all of our hearts and one for which we do not want to rush development and thereby fail to meet the benchmark of quality and emotional impact that you, our players, deserve. This is why we so far have not announced an official release date – we want to ensure that we will be in a position to release something that we are proud of and that you will enjoy and remember forever.
We understand that there are certain expectations that episodes will be released at a similar cadence as previous Life is Strange games have. The ambition of Life is Strange 2, however, means that the previous frameworks no longer apply if we are to meet the quality of play and storytelling that our vision for a game like this demands and that you deserve.
Dontnod also promised that more information about Life Is Strange 2 – Episode 2: Rules will be made available sometime in mid-December.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Life Is Strange 2
Online Beta for Red Dead Redemption 2’s Red Dead Online mode is now available
Red Dead Redemption 2‘s sprawling story has taken the gaming community by storm, but Rockstar Games wanted to take a little bit more time for the game’s multiplayer-focused Red Dead Online mode. Earlier today, the prestigious publisher confirmed that the Online Beta for Red Dead Online will beginning rolling out this week.
Owners of Red Dead Redemption 2’s Ultimate Edition will get the first crack at the Online Beta, and more players will be added to the population all week:
Red Dead Redemption 2 – Online Beta Schedule
- Tuesday, November 27: All Red Dead Redemption 2: Ultimate Edition owners.
- Wednesday, November 28: All players who played Red Dead Redemption 2 on October 26th.
- Thursday, November 29: All players who played Red Dead Redemption 2 between October 26th to October 29th.
- Friday, November 30: All players who own Red Dead Redemption 2.
Over on their official website, a Rockstar spokesman has detailed what players can expect from Red Dead Online in its earliest form:
The world of Red Dead Online will be a continually expanding experience. There will also be some additions and updates throughout the Beta period. Starting this week, you can ride with friends in a Posse, set up your Camp, embark on cooperative story-based missions or go head-to-head in competitive series, find strangers throughout the world to help (or hurt), tackle spontaneous Free Roam challenges, go hunting, fishing, bond with your horse, explore with friends or on your own (but look out for ambushes), and much more.
All the while, you’ll accumulate XP through your explorations and encounters that counts towards your rank and provides added bonuses. Unlock items and improve your attributes while you progress. You can also take on Award challenges throughout your open-world experiences to earn Awards in 12 categories like combat, hunting, sharpshooter and survivalist.
Red Dead Online begins with creating your character. Detail your appearance and attributes before you set out on your journey from Sisika Penitentiary where you’ll acquire a horse, set up a Camp, hunt down a treasure, equip your first Ability Card and meet some fateful characters with a larger story to tell; one that involves chasing truth, revenge, and honor.
After creating a character, players will be able to earn (or lose) Honor through two types of missions:
Free Roam Missions: Head over to the Stranger icons throughout the map alone or with your Posse to embark on Free Roam Missions. You’ll see some familiar faces along the way, and these missions can vary based on how noble or nefarious you are – for example, an honorable gunslinger may be asked to help escort a convoy, defending it from attacking gangs or even other players’ Posses, whereas a dishonorable outlaw may be asked to help spring a felon from the law.
A Land of Opportunities: Honor also plays into this deeper cooperative strand for two to four players that we will continually build upon. In A Land of Opportunities, you’ll be faced with a multi-part series of missions, with some parts changing as your honor changes on a larger journey to seek truth and justice, or revenge.
But if you’d rather mix it up with rival gangs, Red Dead Online will also include five different modes in the Showdown Series:
Shootout & Team Shootout: Classic gunfight modes with unlimited lives. Compete to rack up the most kills before the timer runs out. Sudden death will trigger in the event of a tie: whoever gets the first kill wins.
Make It Count: A true test of resourcefulness in two game modes: use nothing but a bow and a handful of arrows or throwing knives to be the last one standing. With a gradually shrinking player area, there’s nowhere to run.
Most Wanted: A tactical race to the top. Every kill pushes you up the scoreboard, but watch out: the closer to the top you are, the more points everyone else gets for killing you.
Hostile Territory: Work in teams to control the land. Capture a territory to start racking up points: the team with most points wins – or you can win outright by capturing every territory.
Name Your Weapon: Demonstrate your personal specialty in this free-for-all or team based match: the trickier the weapon you use to land the killing blow, the more points you get.
Rockstar is planning to add a wide variety of new features to Red Dead Online over the coming weeks and months, and players will be able to keep track of all the updates at RedDeadOnline.com.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Red Dead Redemption 2