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New Retail Releases: Crackdown 3, Far Cry: New Dawn, Metro Exodus, More

Posted on February 11, 2019 by John Scalzo

It’s time once again for some big new sequels as a few of gaming’s biggest franchises will receive new installments this week.

After several very long years in development, Microsoft will bring Crackdown 3 to the Xbox One this week (and it’ll also be available to download for Windows 10 PCs). Players will take control of Commander Jaxon, a superpowered Agent played by Terry Crews, and blast their way through a futuristic city to stop a ruthless criminal empire. There’s also the option to compete in Wrecking Zone, a multiplayer mode that asks teams of Agents to tear down the opposing team’s stronghold as fast as they can.

PS4 and Xbox One owners will also find a strange new future in Ubisoft’s Far Cry: New Dawn. Set within a post-apocalyptic world based on Far Cry 5’s Hoep County, New Dawn will pit players against highwaymen and their ruthless leaders, The Twins. Far Cry: New Dawn will also be available to download for the PC.

Yet another dystopian future is on display in 4A Games’s Metro Exodus for the PS4 and Xbox One this week. The third entry in the series based on Dmitry Glukhovsky’s novels will further explore the Russian Federation during the aftermath of a nuclear war. An Xbox One X 1TB + Metro Exodus Bundle will also be available on store shelves, and the game can also be purchased for the PC exclusively through the Epic Games Store.

Finally this week, Bandai Namco will release Jump Force, an anime-inspired crossover fighting game for the PS4 and Xbox One (and downloadable for the PC), and NIS America will release the adventure platformer The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince for the PS4 and Switch.

The full list of this week’s new retail releases can be found after the break. (more…)

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Kickstart This! Warp

Posted on February 7, 2019 by Andrew Rainnie

Every now and then you find a project on Kickstarter that is just so batshit insane and creative that you want to rob your child’s trust fund to guarantee that this beautiful, bizarre baby of a game gets made. And if we were ever going to write about a game like that on Warp Zoned, I’m thrilled that it’s called Warp. (more…)

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Creator of The Bridge and Tumblestone will publish Almost There on February 19

Posted on February 7, 2019 by John Scalzo

The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild, the developer behind 2013’s The Bridge and 2016’s Tumblestone, is getting into the publishing game. Earlier this morning, they announced plans to bring platformer Almost There to the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One in a few weeks.

Almost There was developed in Bangladesh by Bony Yousuf, and its minimalist design and hardcore sensibilities were clearly inspired by N++ and Super Meat Boy. Like those classics of the genre, players will need to dodge spikes, saws, lasers, and missiles as they struggle to reach the exit in each level:

Sprint between saw blades while dodging homing missiles. Duck under lasers while the floor crumbles beneath you. Almost There was designed specifically for fans of the hardcore platforming genre… you’ve been warned.

Almost There will be available to download for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on February 19, with a Switch launch scheduled for two days later on February 21. The first trailer has been embedded above

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Skybound Games will bring classic Interplay RPGs to consoles in 2019

Posted on February 7, 2019 by John Scalzo

Skybound Games has announced they’ll be teaming up with Beamdog to bring Interplay’s classic range of RPGs to “console platforms” in 2019.

The two companies will join forces to finally give console owners the chance to play remastered “Enhanced Editions” of Baldur’s Gate (1998), Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000), Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear (2016), Icewind Dale (2000), Planescape: Torment (1999), and Neverwinter Nights (2002).

“These games are iconic, including Baldur’s Gate, which has really set the standard for Dungeons & Dragons computer roleplaying games,” said Ian Howe, the CEO of Skybound Games. “We’re excited to bring Beamdog’s incredible slate to new platforms for both the dedicated fan and those who will soon discover these adventures for the first time. As longtime fans of Baldur’s Gate and Dungeons & Dragons it’s fantastic to partner with Beamdog as the newest member of the Skybound family.”

Specific “console platforms” for these ports will be announced at a later date, but in the meantime, Skybound Games has promised to bring a selection of these games to PAX East 2019 this March.

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NetherRealm adds Kabal and D’vorah to Mortal Kombat 11’s roster; Scooby-Doo’s Shaggy is officially out

Posted on February 6, 2019 by John Scalzo

Kabal’s hookswords and post-apocalyptic appearance made him one of the most popular characters to emerge from Mortal Kombat 3, and now the character is all set to return in the upcoming Mortal Kombat 11.

Known for his lightning fast speed, deadly Hook Swords and reliance on an artificial respirator for survival, Kabal was resurrected as a twisted, evil version of himself, who now serves the Netherrealm and pledges to destroy all other realms.

This new (and less cuddly) incarnation of the character was first revealed during the latest episode of NetherRealm’s Kombat Kast, with the behind-the-scenes stream giving fans a glimpse at his moveset, a Fatality, and a few costume changes (including one without his signature mask). Kabal’s Reveal Trailer has been embedded above, and the full Kombat Kast episode can be found on YouTube.

Community Manager Tyler Lansdown also put the kibosh on Shaggy’s hoped-for appearance in Mortal Kombat 11 during this episode of Kombat Kast. After axing the Scooby-Doo character, he said, “Shaggy will not be in the game, ever. Sorry.”

Later, the Mortal Kombat 11 team would also konfirm (via Twitter) that D’Vorah, an insectoid warrior first introduced in Mortal Kombat X, will return in Mortal Kombat 11.

Mortal Kombat 11 is currently in development at NetherRealm Studios and will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on April 23.

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EA’s CEO confirms new games from Titanfall, Need For Speed, Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare, and EA Sports for release in 2019

Posted on February 6, 2019 by John Scalzo

Electronic Arts delivered their quarterly financial report yesterday, and CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed that the publisher has a healthy slate of new titles on track for 2019.

In his opening remarks, Wilson praised Respawn for Monday’s launch of Apex Legends, and said that a “premium” new Titanfall game (but not necessarily Titanfall 3) will be released later this year:

The Respawn team has a strong plan for Apex Legends that will engage fans for a long time to come. As the live service evolves, Respawn also plans to launch a premium game this year that is a new twist on the Titanfall universe. More to come on that in the months ahead.

The executive later discussed the rest of EA’s 2019 release schedule, confirming the existence of new entries in the Need For Speed and Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare franchises, as well as a full slate of EA Sports simulations (Madden NFL 20, FIFA 20, NHL 20, and NBA Live 20):

Looking ahead to FY20, we have a large slate of new games, beginning with some big new additions in our next FIFA title. There was great energy and engagement from NFL fans throughout this past season, we’re excited for our plans with the Madden NFL franchise. We will continue innovating and driving our NHL and NBA Live games deeper into the fabric of their respective sports. We’ll have a new game for our Need For Speed fans, and a new title in our [Plants Vs Zombies] shooter franchise on console and PC.

Finally, Wilson reconfirmed that the previously-announced Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (also from Respawn) is still on track for a Fall release.

If Electronic Arts follows their typical pattern, we’ll likely learn more about most of these games at E3 2019 in June.

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NetherRealm konfirms that Kano will appear in Mortal Kombat 11

Posted on February 1, 2019 by John Scalzo

Mortal Kombat fans, lend me your ears…

Kano, the leader of the Black Dragon Clan and nemesis to Sonya Blade, will be joining Mortal Kombat 11 as a playable character. NetherRealm Studios delivered the news yesterday via Twitter, likely in lieu of Wednesday’s canceled Kombat Kast stream. The polar vortex hit Chicago particularly hard and the developer moved the broadcast for the “safety of [their] team.”

Mortal Kombat 11’s first Kombat Kast will now be held on Tuesday, February 5, at 4:00 PM (Eastern Time), and we’ll likely learn more about the game’s roster then.

And don’t forget, Mortal Kombat 11’s launch is coming up very soon after that. It’ll be available for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on April 23.

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Ed Boon responds (in typical Ed Boon fashion) to a fan petition asking to add Scooby Doo’s Shaggy to Mortal Kombat 11

Posted on January 29, 2019 by John Scalzo

Did you know that Scooby Doo’s pal Shaggy has godlike powers? It’s one of the stranger memes currently circulating around the Internet (even Matthew Lilliard is somehow involved), and Mortal Kombat fans recently took it one step further by asking NetherRealm Studios to add the mystery-solving teen to the upcoming Mortal Kombat 11.

The Change.org petition has more than 165,000 signatures as of this writing, and it even prompted a response from Ed Boon, NetherRealm’s Creative Director. But in typical fashion for Boon, the developer spent the day teasing his fans about Shaggy’s possible inclusion in Mortal Kombat 11 on Twitter.

First, he sarcastically told his followers that it wasn’t happening (“Let me know how that works out for you…“). But he followed that up a few hours later with a second tweet that hinted Shaggy might make it into the game after all.

Mortal Kombat and Scooby Doo both live under the vast corporate umbrella of Warner Bros., so Shaggy could easily be added to the blood-soaked series if the right executives signed off on it. But while it’s unlikely that Warner Bros. would want one of their family-friendly characters fighting for his life in the game, it wouldn’t be first time Shaggy was involved in a more adult adventure. DC Comics’s Scooby Apocalypse series is absolutely drenched in blood and gore, so that version of Shaggy would be right at home in Mortal Kombat 11.

The comic also features a cybernetically-enhanced Scrappy Doo and a dream sequence where Velma becomes the bikini-clad “Monster Queen”… it’s a weird book.

Mortal Kombat 11 will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on April 23. I have my doubts that Shaggy will make the cut, but nothing seems to be impossible for NetherRealm Studios.

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