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
New Retail Releases: The Crew 2, Crash Bandicoot Trilogy, Wolfenstein II, More
Ubisoft is racing for the horizon this week as The Crew 2 brings its cross-country race to the PS4 and Xbox One this week. This time around, the franchise’s vehicular options have expanded to include “exotic cars, bikes, planes, and boats,” and players will be able to travel where their heart takes them all across the United States.
But it’s possible that the open world racing game will be overshadowed by a big batch of re-releases this week, including the Switch and Xbox One debut for Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. In addition to giving players the chance to relive Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped on modern platforms, the N. Sane Trilogy now includes two never-before-seen bonus levels (“Stormy Ascent” and “Future Tense”).
Three other games will also be making their Switch debut this week including Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Bethesda’s alternate history shooter sequel; Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, the newest entry in Falcom’s long-running Action RPG series; and Brawlout, a Smash-like party fighter from Angry Mob Games.
And finally this week, Aksys Games will bring Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk, a “suspense-filled” visual novel about a mysterious young woman, to the Vita.
That’s all for now, but we’ll be back later this week with a look at all the new additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
The first episode of Life Is Strange 2 will be released on September 27
Dontnod Entertainment quietly announced Life Is Strange 2 in May 2017… and then they proceeded to pour all their attention into Vampyr, which was released earlier this month. But with Vampyr now available on store shelves, Dontnod is ready to reveal (in a short teaser trailer) that Life Is Strange 2’s first episode will be released on September 27.
Even with a release date announcement, we still don’t know much of anything about Life Is Strange 2. Though that might change after Dontnod releases The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit next week. The “narrative experience demo” will be available as a free download for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and it’ll somehow link up with Life Is Strange 2.
As you might have guessed, Life Is Strange 2 is also currently in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Life Is Strange 2
NHL 19 skates onto the PS4 and Xbox One on September 14
EA Sports has announced that NHL 19 will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on September 14. This year’s hockey sim will feature the Nashville Predators’s PK Subban on the cover, along with new modes of play (including outdoor rinks) and “Hero Teams” built with more than 200 Hockey Legends.
In addition to the Gameplay Trailer embedded above, EA Sports has offered up plenty of details on NHL 19’s new animation system, as well as Hero Teams, and the revamped Create-A-Character mode:
Powering the core of NHL 19 is cutting-edge gameplay technology, Real Player Motion (RPM) Tech, which redefines the way movement and animations are captured. RPM Tech enables explosive-edge skating, giving players more control, faster acceleration and more responsiveness as they move up and down the ice. RPM Tech combines with a new collision physics system that introduces more contextual body-checking, bringing bigger, badder, jaw-dropping hits that are dynamic based on speed, size and point of impact.
Fans can enjoy all that NHL 19 has to offer while also paying tribute to stars of the past with the addition of Legends, featuring over 200 of hockey’s greatest from all eras, including Wayne Gretzky. Players can compete as Hero Teams that combine squads of superstars from the past and present for an ultimate fantasy matchup. Play with the best of the best from all eras in both single-player and multiplayer modes.
The youthful expression of today’s hockey is also represented in NHL 19 where, for the first time, players can create a unique look with lifestyle gear and clothing, including hoodies, jackets, parkas, and knits frame hockey lifestyle brands and unique custom designs. New playstyle classes and player traits also let players customize the way they perform on the ice, allowing fans the freedom to create and compete as the players they’ve always wanted to be.
NHL 19 will also feature the return of 3-on-3 hockey in NHL Threes, but players will also get to compete in a 1v1v1 free-for-all with no rules and no stoppages in NHL Ones. A new practice mode (NHL Pro-Am) will also make its debut in the game.
Finally, as is customary with all of EA Sports’s games, players who pre-order NHL 19’s Legends Edition (featuring Wayne Gretzky) or Ultimate Edition will be able to begin playing three days early on September 11.
State of Decay 2 rises as the best-selling game of May 2018
I think we can all agree that the Xbox’s two biggest franchises are Halo and Gears of War. But it looks like Microsoft can add the State of Decay series to the list, as The NPD Group (via Game Informer) has confirmed that State of Decay 2 was the best-selling game of May 2018.
The zombie survival sim beat out other several other May releases including Detroit: Become Human (#3), Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (#5), Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (#7), and Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection (#17).
While it might have seemed like a slow month for new releases, The NPD Group confirmed that increased hardware sales gave the game industry a 13% bump over May 2017’s retail figures.
The complete Top 20 for May 2018 can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Assassin's Creed Origins, Call of Duty: WWII, Detroit: Become Human, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Far Cry 5, FIFA 18, God of War 4, Grand Theft Auto V, Hyrule Warriors, Mario Kart 8, MLB The Show 18, Monster Hunter: World, NBA 2K18, NPD, Overwatch, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, State of Decay 2, Street Fighter II, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege
The Lost Child, Clannad, The Exorcist: Legion VR, more coming to PS Store this week
Just eight new games can be found in this week’s PlayStation Store update, but there’s still a few titles that might be of interest…
NIS America will bring The Lost Child to the PS4 and PS Vita this week. The RPG takes place in modern-day Tokyo, and follows an occult journalist, Hayato Ibuki, as he deals with a massive conflict between “angels, demons, and fallen angels.” Clannad, a classic in the visual novel genre, is also available to download this week for the PS4 in a brand new high definition remaster.
Finally this week, PS4 owners can immerse themselves in the VR-powered thrills and chills of William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist film franchise in The Exorcist: Legion VR.
You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the PlayStation Store after the break. (more…)
E3 2018 Aftermath: Nobody “Won” This Year’s Expo Because It’s Obvious That Everybody Did
I don’t want to speak for the entire world, but I think it’s pretty safe to say that there’s no point in arguing about who “won” this year’s E3 Expo. Looking back at what each consolemaker and third-party publisher unveiled during their press conferences, it almost felt like Oprah had commandeered hosting duties for the entire week… you get a sequel… and you get a sequel… they get sequels… everybody gets a sequel!
Though I add that even though exciting new entries from nearly every long-running franchise dominated this year’s E3 Expo, there was also still plenty of new and unique stuff announced.
And while the three consolemakers spent the week firing on all cylinders, Nintendo especially drove this point home with their reveal of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. After it became clear that every character from the franchise would be making a reappearance in Ultimate, Nintendo stopped on Solid Snake and threw a meme-ready “Everyone Is Here!” caption up on the screen.
For me, that’s what the entire Expo felt like this year. Like Tangina, the diminutive medium from Poltergeist, publishers and developers of all stripes let the world know that all are welcome… (more…)
Activision reveals Call of Duty: WWII’s United Front DLC Pack… which launches for PS4 on on June 26
Earlier today, Activision gave Call of Duty fans a first look at the next downloadable expansion for Call of Duty: WWII, the United Front DLC Pack. Available to download for the PS4 on June 26, the pack contains three new multiplayer maps, a new War Mode scenario, and a new Nazi Zombies episode.
In addition to the trailer embedded above, more information about the maps can be found on the PlayStation Blog:
Multiplayer Map – Market Garden
The Market Garden in Call of Duty: WWII is set against the backdrop of Operation Market Garden, one of the largest airborne operations in the European Theatre. This is where you will fight off the Axis advances to try and maintain control of an Allied mansion base.Set in the Netherlands, this map brings intense tight-quarters combat with gunfights waiting around every corner. What was once an opulent mansion is now in war-torn shambles as flames begin to overtake the structure. In the distance, you can see and hear bombs dropping, while all around you is the evidence of the war.
From the Allied fighter plane downed in the river, to the makeshift field hospital in one of the outbuildings, the team at Sledgehammer Games has put extra care and detail in immersing players into an authentic scene from this moment in the War.Multiplayer Map – Monte Cassino
Join the Italian campaign in Monte Cassino. Nestled below a mountaintop monastery, this war-torn village offers rich verticality with rooftop vantage points and sneaky flank paths along the cliffs.Multiplayer Map – Stalingrad
Stalingrad, based on the largest confrontation in World War II history, features two main bases located on opposite sides of a war-torn city. Snipers can focus on securing key perches to control the map’s center, while run-and-gunners can sneak through the underground sewers to flank behind enemy lines.War Mode – Operation Supercharge
Named after the Second Battle of El Alamein, Field Marshal Montgomery and the Allied Forces pushed the Germans and Italians to retreat from their last significant defensive position in southern Tunisia. In this all new mission, the Allies airdrop into Tunisia and push into a Nazi-occupied village to capture key supplies, then cripple the enemy by detonating a key transport bridge. They then make the final knock-out blow by capturing entrenched Axis fortifications.Nazi Zombies – The Tortured Path
The Allied forces are crumbling under the relentless advance of the Final Reich. General Rideau decides to take one last, dangerous gambit: to personally lead a small, unmarked caravan across the 2,000 miles of smoldering, infested land that stand between Berlin and the Allied-controlled port of Malaga. From there, he and his crew face a treacherous voyage across icy southern waters and U-boat blockades.His mission? Transport the remaining pieces of Emperor Barbarossa’s legendary sword to the edge of the world. Uncover the lost forges of ancient Thule. Make the sword whole again… and deliver a final death to the Undying.
Call of Duty: WWII’s United Front DLC Pack is also in the works for the PC and Xbox One, and should make its debut on those two platforms sometime in July.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: WWII
WWE 2K19 will be released on October 9 with AJ Styles on the cover
Rather than get lost in last week’s E3 scrum, 2K Games waited a week to announce that WWE 2K19 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. This year, the wrestling sim will feature current WWE Champion AJ Styles on the cover.
“As a hardcore gamer and ambassador of everything it means to ‘Never Say Never’ in both my professional and personal life, it is a dream come true to be selected as the WWE 2K19 cover Superstar,” said AJ Styles. “From Seth Rollins last year to Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, John Cena, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Brock Lesnar, I am honored to join this incredible list of past WWE 2K cover Superstars and put my own unique stamp on the franchise.”
The publisher also confirmed that WWE 2K19 will be available in a Deluxe Edition om the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The Deluxe Edition will include special packaging, and access to the Season Pass and other exclusive in-game content. Players who purchase the Deluxe Edition will also be able to begin playing the game on October 5.
A separate Collector’s Edition will also be released for the PS4 and Xbox One, and it’ll include everything from the Deluxe Edition (including the October 5 launch date), as well as “Premium Packaging,” exclusive and rare physical collectibles, and “Limited Edition” content for WWE SuperCard.
More information about the in-game content and physical collectibles found in the Deluxe Edition and Collector’s Edition will be announced later this Summer.