Weekly Warp-Up: Gamescom 2014 in Review

Posted on August 17, 2014 by John Scalzo

No, that’s not a typo. Welcome to the Weekly Warp-Up, your weekly wrap-up of the biggest and the best articles posted at Warp Zoned this week…

The 2014 Gamescom convention is its final hours, so now’s a great time to take a look back at some of this week’s biggest announcements.

Besides our Gamescom coverage (which we have more of after the break), we also posted a review of Valiant Hearts: The Great War this week. So once you’re done drooling over what’s next, take a look at one of the best new games that’s currently available.

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in News |

New Releases: Tales of Xillia 2, Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition, Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare

Posted on August 17, 2014 by John Scalzo

newreleases081914

The Summer is winding down, but that’s a good thing for the New Releases calendar as three highly anticipated titles will make their way to store shelves this week.

The latest entry in Bandai Namco’s Tales series of action RPGs, Tales of Xillia 2, will finally make its North American PS3 debut. The game was originally released in Japan in 2012, but it’s better late than never. The next game in the franchise, Tales of Zestiria, will launch simultaneously in Japan and the rest of the world.

Also available this week is Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition, the console-exclusive collection bundles together Diablo III and the Reaper of Souls expansion into a single package. It’ll be available for the PS4 and Xbox One as well as the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Finally, Electronic Arts will bring Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare to PlayStation platforms. After its Xbox debut in the Spring, the game will now be available for the PS3 and PS4 too.

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

Ikaruga creator has a new shooter in the works for PS4

Posted on August 15, 2014 by John Scalzo

ikaruganewHiroshi Iuchi, the creator of Ikaruga, has revealed that he is working on a brand new shooter for the PS4. The game will be known as Ubusana and will be available to download through the PlayStation Store sometime in the future. It also may make the jump to other platforms as development progresses. That’s it. That’s all we know.

But did I mention that Ubusana’s director is the man behind Ikaruga (not to mention Radiant Silvergun and Gradius V)? Dude’s got a fantastic resume, is what I’m saying. We should be patient, there’s a good chance it’ll be great.

[Source: Siliconera]

Posted in News, PS4 |

The Last of Us returns to the top of the best-seller list in July 2014 NPD report

Posted on August 14, 2014 by John Scalzo

thelastofus-header

In previous years, the best-sellers chart for the month of July would normally be dominated by the latest entry in the NCAA Football series. But EA Sports canceled the series last Fall, so a new emperor is sitting upon the July Throne in 2014. Or rather, an emperor we’ve seen before in a spiffy new set of clothes.

This is a roundabout way of saying that the Remastered re-release of Sony’s The Last of Us (combined with more sales on the PS3) pushed the game to the top of the best-sellers chart. July was a pretty sparse month as far as new releases go, but 505’s Sniper Elite III also cracked the top ten. It was number eight… with a bullet.

You can check out July’s complete top ten list (which includes May releases Watch Dogs and Mario Kart 8 hanging tough in the top five) after the break.

Press Start to Continue →

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

80s horror homage Until Dawn moves to PS4 without Move controller requirement

Posted on August 14, 2014 by John Scalzo

When we last saw Until Dawn, it was a first-person horror game on the PS3 that required players to use the PlayStation Move controller as they attempted to survive the night while being stalked by a homicidal maniac. Sony reintroduced gamers to Until Dawn during their Gamescom presentation and it looks like it’s undergone a few changes. For starters, it’s now in development only for the PS4 as a third-person game. However, the biggest change is that developer Supermassive has added DualShock 4 support to the game, making the Move controller no longer required.

But don’t worry, Until Dawn is still be an homage to 80s slasher flicks as the plot still asks eight friends to battle a homicidal maniac in the woods.

To capture that authentic Hollywood feel, Supermassive has signed several well-known genre actors to run from their maniac including Rami Malek (Ahkmenrah from the Night at the Museum movies), Brett Dalton (Agent Ward from Agents of SHIELD), and Heroes‘ Hayden Panettiere. At the very least, we know that Panettiere has experience fleeing from a homicidal maniac.

Until Dawn likely won’t be released in 2014, but Supermassive has promised more information on their launch plans “in the coming months.”

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged ,

World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor will march into stores on November 13

Posted on August 14, 2014 by John Scalzo

Today, during a special Gamescom presentation, Blizzard announced that the fifth World of Warcraft expansion, Warlords of Draenor, will be released on November 13.

Warlords of Draenor adds a world’s worth of exciting new content for World of Warcraft players to discover. As Azeroth’s displaced heroes venture across Draenor, they’ll build and manage a mighty Garrison, a customizable fortress that grows with them on their journey; delve into otherworldly draenei temples and clash in the heart of hostile orc clans’ territory; fight the opposing faction for control of Ashran, a huge and dynamic PvP zone featuring a variety of personal and cooperative objectives; and take on a wide array of Dungeons, Raids, Battlegrounds, Challenge Modes, and more. No matter what kind of content you enjoy, your legend is waiting to be forged on Draenor.

As part of their presentation, Blizzard unveiled Warlords of Draenor’s opening cinematic, which you can view above. They also debuted the first episode of Lords of War, an animated miniseries that will introduce players to some of the expansion’s major characters. The premiere episode is known as “Shattered Hand” and is available after the break. Additional episodes will be posted on WorldofWarcraft.com “in the weeks ahead.”

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in News, PC | Tagged ,

Nintendo Download: Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge, Double Dragon II, more

Posted on August 14, 2014 by John Scalzo

nintendoeshop-header

The Nintendo eShop has been updated on this fine Thursday and Double Dragon II: The Revenge leads a mostly anonymous pack of titles. I spent a lot of time busting heads with the Lee brothers back in the late 80s and early 90s, and The Revenge is as good as it gets. Plus, any game that features a battle inside a flying helicopter with a malfunctioning door is just fun.

Also available this week is Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge, the latest addition to Capcom’s “Mega Man August.” As the title makes plain, Battle Chip Challenge is a card battling game set within the Mega Man Battle Network universe.

Over on the 3DS side of the store is Gaiabreaker, a nifty looking vertically-scrolling shooter, and Hidden Haunts: Gothic Masquerade, a hidden object game.

More information on all of these games (as well as a few others) can be found after the break.

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in 3DS, DS, News, Wii U |

MGS5: Phantom Pain Gamescom gameplay video released; PC version announced

Posted on August 14, 2014 by John Scalzo

Another extended gameplay video for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain was released yesterday as part of Konami’s Gamescom festivities. If you’ve wondered about the utility of a cardboard box with a bikini babe painted on it in stealth warfare, wonder no more. And that’s to say nothing of the exploding horse poop.

However, if you’d like the creators of The Phantom Pain to say a bit more, Metal Gear maestro Hideo Kojima took part in a nearly 90-minute interview on Twitch to discuss his latest game. Definitely check it out if you’re interested in the inner workings of Snake’s next adventure.

And if you’d rather play Snake’s next adventure on a PC, you’ll be happy to know that the wait is over. Konami officially confirmed (via Twitter) that The Phantom Pain and Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes will be available through Steam sometime in the future. Hopefully, Ground Zeroes will be available soon. The Phantom Pain will likely launch around the same time as the previously announced PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One editions.

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