Most Recent: PS4

Titan Books will publish a God of War novelization on August 28

Posted on August 1, 2018 by John Scalzo

Sony Santa Monica jettisoned the over-the-top gore and gratuitous minigames from the newest entry in the God of War franchise, and they were rewarded with huge sales and stellar reviews. This time, the developers chose to focus on a (relatively) kinder and gentler Kratos to tell a more grounded story about fatherhood and responsibility.

So it’s only fitting that Titan Books has selected J.M. Barlog (the father of Game Director Cory Barlog) to pen an official novelization of God of War:

His vengeance against the Gods of Olympus years behind him, Kratos now lives as a man in the realm of Norse gods and monsters. It is in this harsh, unforgiving world that he must fight to survive… and teach his son to do the same. This startling reimagining of God of War deconstructs the core elements that defined the series—satisfying combat; breathtaking scale; and a powerful narrative—and fuses them anew.

The God of War novelization will be available in bookstores on August 28.

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Chasm, 1979 Revolution, Pixel Ripped 1989, more coming to PS Store this week

Posted on August 1, 2018 by John Scalzo

Step back into history with this week’s PlayStation Store update…

First up, PS4 and PS Vita owners will finally get the chance to download Chasm, a medieval MetroidVania designed and developed by Bit Kid. In development for more than five years, the procedurally-generated adventure asks players to explore a dungeon teeming with monsters and mayhem.

Also available to download for the PS4 this week is 1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive adventure that takes place during the Iranian Revolution.

Finally this week, Pixel Ripped 1989 is a PSVR-powered trip back to the earliest days of gaming, and players will need to travel inside the games themselves to save the real world in this “wacky multi-dimensional homage.”

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the PlayStation Store after the break. (more…)

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In a first for the franchise, you’ll be able to create female players in NBA Live 19’s Create-A-Player mode

Posted on July 28, 2018 by John Scalzo

With the WNBA season winding down, EA Sports has announced that NBA Live 19‘s Create-A-Player mode will give players the option to create female players for the first time. Players will be able to select their position, height, and weight, as well as add their own face to the game using a companion face scanning app.

According to a post from EA Sports’s Rahul Lal on Xbox Wire, the women will be able to play in WNBA games and in NBA Live 19’s career mode:

Inclusion. It’s more than just recognizing everybody. Instead, inclusion puts together the best of equality, representation, and integration. In NBA Live 19, you’ll get the chance to see female created players for the first time in NBA Live’s history. Not only will you be able to create your own player, but women will now also be included in the game and can embark on their own career mode in The Rise.

Players will be mentored by Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks as they progress through NBA Live 19’s career mode, and she can also be recruited to join your Squad in The Streets portion of the mode. You can sneak a peek at NBA Live 19’s Create-A-Player mode, and hear directly from Parker about her role in the game, in the trailer embedded above.

NBA Live 19 will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on September 7. And a free demo is set to launch on August 24… just in time for the WNBA Playoffs.

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Nickelodeon Kart Racers puts characters from SpongeBob, Ninja Turtles, Rugrats, Hey Arnold, and more in driver’s seat this Fall

Posted on July 26, 2018 by John Scalzo

Characters from Nickelodeon’s massive stable of animated shows will soon get the chance to race for the checkered flag. That’s because the children’s channel has announced a partnership with GameMill Entertainment to launch Nickelodeon Kart Racers this Fall.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Rugrats, SpongeBob, Hey Arnold, and many other Nickelodeon characters will be available to pick in the games. Fans of all ages will also be able to partake in four-player local play, along with 24 different tracks, customizable karts, multiple power-ups and special attacks, and a Team Racing Mode:

Select a racer from one of your favorite Nickelodeon series, including SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy from SpongeBob SquarePants, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Arnold and Helga from Hey Arnold!, and Angelica, Tommy and Reptar from Rugrats. Race your friends in up to four-player local multiplayer or check out the Battle Arena for a variety of challenges.

Nickelodeon Kart Racers is in development at Bamtang, and will be released for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on October 23.

Posted in News, PS4, Switch, Xbox One | Tagged

2K and WWE honor Ric Flair with the WWE 2K19 Wooooo! Edition

Posted on July 26, 2018 by John Scalzo

I guess we finally know how many Os are officially in Ric Flair’s signature shout, as 2K Games has announced that WWE 2K19 will also be released this Fall in a very special (and very limited) Wooooo! Edition.

WWE 2K19’s Wooooo! Edition is limited to 30,000 copies worldwide, and it’ll come packaged with an impressive array of physical collector’s items and in-game bonuses featuring The Nature Boy. Priced at $129.99, the Wooooo! Edition will include:

WWE 2K19 Wooooo! Edition Contents

  • Copy of WWE 2K19 Deluxe Edition, which includes the following items:
    • Exclusive Playable WWE Hall of Famers (’80s-inspired): “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
    • Exclusive Playable Characters: “Macho Man” Randy Savage (WrestleMania VIII) and Undertaker (2002)
    • Exclusive Playable Arena: Starrcade 1983
    • Exclusive In-Game Attire: Ric Flair (WrestleMania 24 Robe) and Charlotte Flair (WrestleMania 32 Robe)
    • Pre-Order Bonus Playable Characters: Rey Mysterio (Royal Rumble 2018) and Ronda Rousey (WrestleMania 34/”Rowdy” Rousey)
    • WWE SuperCard Limited Edition Cards: Featuring WWE 2K19 cover superstar AJ Styles, as well as an AJ-themed WWE 2K19 cardback
    • WWE 2K19 Season Pass: Details announced this Summer
  • Exclusive Premium Packaging
  • Exclusive WWE Hall of Fame Replica Ring: Individually numbered
  • Exclusive “Nature Boy” Ric Flair Funko Pop! Figurine
  • Fanatics Limited Edition Commemorative Plaque: Featuring a fabric piece from Ric’s iconic pink or purple robe
  • WWE SuperCard Limited Edition Cards: Featuring Ric and Charlotte Flair, as well as a Ric-themed WWE 2K19 cardback

You can get a closer look at the contents of the Wooooo! Edition in the trailer embedded above.

“For all of my fans around the world, it’s exciting and humbling to see my career immortalized through the power of video games,” said Flair. “This is going to be one stylin’, profilin’, limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin’ and dealin’ son of a collector’s edition, and you don’t want to miss out. Wooooo!”

WWE 2K19’s Wooooo! Edition will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on October 5. The Standard Edition, which will also be available for the PC, will be released four days later on October 9.

Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2, The Banner Saga 3, more coming to PS Store this week

Posted on July 25, 2018 by John Scalzo

Travel to a far-flung future and a distant past in this week’s PlayStation Store update.

If you’re a fan of side-scrolling platformers, you’ll definitely want to look ahead to 20XX and this week’s release of Mega Man X Legacy Collection and Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2. Available for the PS4 separately or as a bundle, the Legacy Collection compilations include all eight games in the Mega Man X series, as well as a wealth of behind-the-scenes material in the Museum Mode and the brand new X Challenge Mode, which pits players in a battle against two different bosses at the same time.

Also available for the PS4 this week is The Banner Saga 3, the finale to Stoic’s trilogy of strategic RPG series. Things are not looking bright for our Viking heroes, as the developer asks, “As the world continues to crumble around you, who can you trust, how will you protect your allies, and what choices will you make as the Darkness draws near?”

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the PlayStation Store after the break. (more…)

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Blizzard will team up with Titan Comics to release Diablo comic miniseries later this year

Posted on July 24, 2018 by John Scalzo

We missed this one during Comic-Con last week, but it looks like Blizzard and Titan Comics will team up to produce a brand new miniseries based on the Diablo franchise. Set to launch this Fall, the four-part comic saga will be written by Marv Wolfman (Crisis on Infinite Earths) and illustrated by Piotr Kowalski (Wolfenstein):

The [Diablo] comics will follow a group of zealous scholars and crusaders as they discover the true origins of humanity. Will their faith survive these shocking revelations?

For those keeping score at home, Titan’s untitled Diablo series will actually be the third comic adaptation of Blizzard’s battle between the angelic Nephalem and the hordes of Hell. The developer worked with Dark Horse to publish Diablo: Tales of Sanctuary in 2001, and partnered with DC Comics ten years later to produce Diablo: Sword of Justice in 2011.

More information about the Diablo miniseries (and presumably, a collected edition) will be announced soon. But for now, you can take a gander at a pair of teaser images from Kowalski after the break. (more…)

Posted in Etcetera, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged ,

2K Games will publish NBA Playgrounds 2 this Fall as NBA 2K Playgrounds 2

Posted on July 24, 2018 by John Scalzo

Way back in May, Saber Interactive indefinitely (and mysteriously) postponed the release of NBA Playgrounds 2 just days before it was scheduled to launch for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. And now, like Lebron James and Kawhi Leonard, it’ll be playing for a new team this Fall.

That’s because 2K Games announced earlier today that they’ve picked up the publishing rights to NBA Playgrounds 2. First things first, the publisher rebranded the over-the-top basketball game as NBA 2K Playgrounds 2.

“The original NBA Playgrounds was a fantastic throwback to the glory days of arcade-action sports,” said Greg Thomas, the President of Visual Concepts. “The new NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 will step up this energy and attitude big time – with a bit of added NBA 2K flair – giving fans of both franchises an exciting new way to game with friends around the world.”

“No one is more committed to bringing fans a great basketball experience than 2K. We can’t wait to share more on how we’re teaming up to make NBA 2K Playgrounds 2’s incredible arcade action bigger and better than ever for players,” said Saber Interactive’s CEO, Matt Karch.

It’s unknown how 2K Games and Visual Concepts plan to change NBA 2K Playgrounds 2, but we’ll likely learn more about the future of the game soon.

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