Most Recent: Xbox One

Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell moved up a week; “7 Deadly Weapons” revealed in new trailer

Posted on October 15, 2014 by John Scalzo

The Saints Row franchise has never been afraid to get a little crazy. After an alien invasion in Saints Row IV, even developers at Volition were asking, “Where do we go from here?” I think that’s why the idea behind Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell seems so inspired. Fighting the Devil is a total cliche, but it’s also the perfect playground for Volition and the Third Street Saints. Case in point… in this new trailer, Johnny Gat headbutts the devil in the face.

The trailer also includes a first look at the “Seven Deadly Weapons,” an angelic arsenal of guns that can be used to battle Satan’s minions:

  • Armchair-A-Geddon (The embodiment of Sloth in the rifle slot) – Take a seat and watch the mayhem explode with dual-miniguns and heat-seeking missiles.
  • Gallows Dodger (The embodiment of Pride in the pistol slot) – Hurl arcane balls of energy from this mysterious embodiment of murder, which doesn’t hesitate to boast of his murderous history.
  • Last Supper (The embodiment of Gluttony in the special weapons slot) – Cover your enemies with hell-ish frosting and watch how hunger takes over the masses!
  • Uriels Edge (The embodiment of Envy in the melee slot) – Slash, blast, and disintegrate your enemies in a deadly ball of fire.
  • Ark of the Covenant (The embodiment of Wrath in the explosive slot) – Suck in the souls from your enemies and then launch them at the rest. It’s a win-win.
  • Boom Chicka (The embodiment of Lust in the shotgun slot) – Nothing says come hither more than Boom Chicka, the sexiest gun in existence.
  • Diamond Sting (The embodiment of Greed in the SMG slot) – This weapon propels wages at an incredible rate of fire, turning victims into a shower of wealth.

More Hell-themed weapons will be available to those who pre-order Gat Out of Hell or the PC/next-gen exclusive Saints Row IV: Re-Elected. The “Devil’s Workshop Pack,” available with Gat Out of Hell, will include angel wings for flight and Yorick, the Flaming Skull. Meanwhile, those who pre-order Re-Elected will receive the “Devil’s Workshop Pack” along with the “Plague of Frogs Pack,” which contains the frog-firing Lil’ Croaker gun and the Infernal Guard/Hellish Princess armor.

Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) and Saints Row IV: Re-Elected (PC, PS4, Xbox One), which includes Gat Out of Hell, will be released on January 20, a full week earlier than expected.

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

Xbox Store Today: Borderlands: Pre-Sequel, The Evil Within, Walking Dead S1, more

Posted on October 15, 2014 by John Scalzo

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Everyone that perused yesterday’s PlayStation Store update should be very familiar to all the titles added to the Xbox Games Store today. Games like…

  • Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (Xbox 360) – Gearbox handed the development of this interquel off to 2K Australia, and they took it all the way to Pandora’s Moon… and made Claptrap a playable character.
  • The Evil Within (Xbox One, Xbox 360) – Shinji Mikami’s return to the survival horror genre promises plenty of scares and lots of gore.
  • Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition (Xbox One) – A remastered version of United Front’s gangland tale… now complete with every DLC add-on.
  • The Walking Dead: Season 1 (Xbox One) – Telltale’s heartbreaking zombie drama is now available on the Xbox One.
  • Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 (Xbox 360) – The second game based on Pac-Man’s latest animated adaptation.
  • Duck Dynasty (Xbox 360, Xbox One) – A game adaptation of everyone’s favorite show about duck-calling multi-millionaires.

More details on all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , ,

WWE 2K15 DLC schedule, Season Pass announced

Posted on October 15, 2014 by John Scalzo

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2K is planning to release a lot of downloadable content for WWE 2K15, and a good portion of it will be available at a discount as part of a Season Pass. The first pieces of WWE 2K15 DLC will be released by the end of the year, with more scheduled for an early 2015 release. The game itself will be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on October 28 and on the PS4 and Xbox One on November 18.

New storylines, new wrestlers, new moves… here’s a complete list of what fans can expect from WWE 2K15’s DLC:

Accelerator ($1.99)

  • Players will gain instant access to all unlockable content available in the game (excluding downloadable content).

2K Showcase: One More Match ($9.99)

  • Story focused on the rivalry between WWE Superstars Randy Orton and Christian in 2011.
  • Playable WWE Superstars: Christian, Randy Orton, Edge, Mark Henry, and Sheamus.
  • Playable Arenas from 2011: SmackDown,, Extreme Rules, Over the Limit, and Capitol Punishment.

2K Showcase: Hall of Pain ($9.99)

  • Story focused on top matches for WWE Superstar Mark Henry.
  • Playable WWE Superstars: Mark Henry, Big Show, Kane, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Sheamus, The Great Khali, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, and Ryback.
  • Playable Arenas: SmackDown (2011), Vengeance (2011), and WrestleMania 29.

2K Showcase: Path of the Warrior ($9.99)

  • Story focused on the career of WWE Hall of Famer Ultimate Warrior;
  • Playable WWE Hall of Famers: Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and Sgt. Slaughter.
  • Playable WWE Legends: Honky Tonk Man, Rick Rude, Macho King, and Colonel Mustafa.
  • Playable WWE Superstars: Undertaker and Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
  • Access to WWE Hall of Fame ring announcer Howard Finkel and WWE managers Jimmy Hart, Bobby Heenan, Paul Bearer, Sherri, Sid Justice, and General Adnan.
  • Playable Arenas: WrestleMania VI, VII and XII; SummerSlam (1988, 1990 and 1991); Saturday Night’s Main Event XXIV and Madison Square Garden.

WCW Pack ($7.99)

  • Playable WCW Superstars: Fit Finlay, Lord Steven Regal, Bam Bam Bigelow, Diamond Dallas Page, and Lex Luger.

NXT Arrival ($6.99)

  • Playable NXT Superstars: JBL, Adam Rose, and The Ascension (Konnor and Victor).
  • Playable NXT Diva: Emma.

New Moves Pack ($3.99)

  • More than 30 new moves, including an alternate version of Sister Abigail (performed from the ring corner and made popular by Bray Wyatt) and Multiple Gut Wrenches (made popular by Cesaro).

Players interested in purchasing the Season Pass can do so for $24.99. The Season Pass will give them access to the Accelerator, all three 2K Showcase storylines, and an exclusive WWE Diva, Paige.

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

Microsoft details gameplay improvements and 8 new fighters coming to Killer Instinct Season 2

Posted on October 14, 2014 by John Scalzo

Microsoft will release the first wave of content for Killer Instinct‘s second season beginning tomorrow. To celebrate, the consolemaker has announced (via Xbox Wire) some new details on just what fans can expect from the new season as well as a pretty slick launch trailer.

Eight characters will be added to Killer Instinct’s roster in Season 2. Four returning characters (TJ Combo, Maya, Riptor, and Cinder) will be joined by new combatants (“an ancient Babylonian sorcerer, an avenging ghost, a battle-hardened war golem,” and a final character that is still a big secret). These characters will compete in a remade game that now offers an Ultratech-influenced interface, a rebalanced Season 1 roster, an enhanced combo system (now with “aerial recaptures” to take combos from the ground to the air and back again), and an improved ranking and leveling system.

TJ Combo and Maya will both be added to the Xbox Games Store tomorrow. And players who get their Killer Instinct kicks with the Free-To-Play version will be able to use TJ Combo tomorrow as well.

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged

John Cena will curate WWE 2K15 soundtrack and team up with Wiz Khalifa for two tracks

Posted on October 14, 2014 by John Scalzo

wwe2k15-box2K Games struck gold when they decided to hand the last three NBA 2K soundtracks over to curators such as Jay-Z (NBA 2K13), Lebron James (NBA 2K14), and Pharrell Williams (NBA 2K15). Yesterday, the publisher announced they’re going to try again by giving the musical reins of WWE 2K15 to John Cena, one of the most popular “WWE Superstars” working today.

Cena took his duties very seriously and didn’t just pick a handful of songs to appear on the soundtrack. He teamed up with Wiz Khalifa to perform on two of the songs (“All Day” and “Breaks”), which will also be featured on a companion soundtrack album. Set for release as a digital download on October 21, the soundtrack album will include the following tracks:

  • Wiz Khalifa & John Cena – “All Day”
  • B.o.B (Featuring Future) – “Ready”
  • Rudimental (Featuring Emeli Sandé & Nas) – “Free”
  • Wiz Khalifa – “We Dem Boyz”
  • Flo Rida (Featuring Sia) – “Wild Ones” [WrestleMania 28 Version]
  • Knife Party – “Bonfire”
  • Big Smo (Featuring Alexander King) – “Workin’”
  • Mystery Skulls – “Ghost”
  • Royal Blood – “Come On Over”
  • Wiz Khalifa & John Cena – “Breaks”

Four additional songs can be heard in the game including Avenged Sevenfold’s “This Means War,” Dizzee Rascal’s “Heart Of A Warrior” (featuring Teddy Sky), Florida Georgia Line’s “This Is How We Roll” (featuring Luke Bryan), and Rise Against’s “Zero Visibility.”

WWE 2K15 will be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on October 28 and on the PS4 and Xbox One on November 18.

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

Conan O’Brien, Kevin Smith, Stephen Amell discuss their roles in Lego Batman 3

Posted on October 13, 2014 by John Scalzo

Conan O’Brien agreed to play himself in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham because his eight-year-old son made him. Kevin Smith said yes because he is the world’s biggest nerd. And Stephen Amell reprised his role as the Green Arrow because he’s very protective of the character. These are just some of the things you will learn in this behind-the-scenes video for Lego Batman 3 recently released by WB Games.

You’ll also bear witness to the greatest Lego hairstyle ever. In case that whole spaceship thing doesn’t work out, the superheroes of Lego Batman 3 could reach the heavens by climbing Conan’s magnificent pompadour.

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham will be released for the 3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on November 11.

Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Insert Quarter: The Rich Lives of NPCs in Shadow of Mordor and Watch Dogs

Posted on October 12, 2014 by John Scalzo

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Insert Quarter is our showcase for some of the best and most interesting writing about video games on the Internet.

In this installment, Austin Walker, writing for Paste, contemplates the rich lives of non-player characters found in Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor and Watch Dogs. Each game attempts to create a background for each NPC, specifically the Orc Captains that stalk Shadow of Mordor’s Talion through the game’s “Nemesis System” and the petty criminals of Watch Dogs that cause pain for so many of the game’s other citizens.

I’ve been thinking about non-player characters for four months now. I’ve been thinking about them ever since I stood over the body of the eleventh man I killed in Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs. He had a sneering face and a stuffed bank account. The game told me that he was listed on FBI watch list. His name was William Jones. I shot him three times: twice in the back and once in the head.

[…]

Monolith offers the player all sorts of ways to fail [in Shadow of Mordor]. As Talion, I regularly overcommitted to combat deep inside of Orkish strongholds only to find myself surrounded by dozens of Uruk-hai, including a few powerful enemy captains. The Arkham series of games taught me that if I could just counter enough attacks, I’d never fail. No matter their number, the Joker’s henchmen would always leave room for me to knock them around. That is not the case here. Even in the final hours of the game, with almost all of Talion’s abilities unlocked, I was once dropped to one knee by ranged attacks and then instantly killed by a particularly strong captain. I wasn’t sent to a “Retry?” screen. Instead, the Orc who killed me rose in rank, and when he saw me later, laughed in my face. My failure—the act of my death—was not erased; it was just made more complicated, more interesting.

You can read the rest of the article at Paste.

Posted in Insert Quarter, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged ,

New Releases: Borderlands: Pre-Sequel, The Evil Within, PlayStation TV, More

Posted on October 12, 2014 by John Scalzo

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While most of this Fall’s new releases are centered around showcasing the power of the PS4 and Xbox One, let’s not forget that previous-generation consoles like the PS3 and Xbox 360 are also in line for a few new games. (Meanwhile, the Wii U sits in the corner, doing its own thing, content in its existence.) And PS3/Xbox 360 owners should take note that Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, perhaps the biggest PS3/Xbox 360 release of the Fall, will be available in stores this week. The third Borderlands game, which actually takes place between the first two titles in the series, will also be released for the PC.

Bethesda’s The Evil Within is not a previous-generation exclusive, but it will be release for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in addition to the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The Evil Within is Shinji Mikami’s return to horror and will likely be full of pants-wetting terror regardless of what platform you play it on.

The rest of this week’s new releases are a grab bag of games that run the gamut from a new Pac-Man game (Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 on the 3DS, PS3, Wii U, and Xbox 360) to a Duck Dynasty tie-in (Duck Dynasty on the 3DS, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One) to a passel of re-releases on new platforms (Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One; The Walking Dead on the PS4 and Xbox One; and The Walking Dead Season 2 on the PS3 and Xbox 360).

Finally, speaking of systems proclaiming their existence, Sony’s PlayStation TV set-top box, which plays Vita games and streams PlayStation Now content and local PS4 games, will be released this week.

A complete list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , , ,