Get a closer look at “Nightfall,” the first expansion to CoD: Ghosts’ Extinction Mode

Posted on January 24, 2014 by John Scalzo

A gun that shoots exploding alien blood. That should be all that’s required to get you to watch this trailer for “Nightfall,” the first expansion to Call of Duty: Ghosts‘ Extinction Mode that is packaged with the Onslaught Map Pack. Sure, there’s also a ton of stuff about a secret research facility in Alaska and aliens run amok, but seriously, it’s all about the alien blood gun.

Because that is just insane.

The Onslaught Map Pack (and “Nightfall”) will be available to download from the Xbox Live Store (for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One) on January 28. The DLC pack will be released for the PC, PS3, and PS4 (and hopefully the Wii U) at a later date.

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

Elder Scrolls Online voice cast includes Kate Beckinsale, John Cleese, Malcolm McDowell, and many more

Posted on January 23, 2014 by John Scalzo

Bethesda never skimps when it comes to hiring actors and actresses for the vocal roles in their games. The Elder Scrolls Online is no different.

“In The Elder Scrolls tradition, we sought world class talent to add a deep and enriching component to the immersive world the series offers players,” said Game Director Matt Firor. “This extraordinary group of actors helps bring the distinctive characters in The Elder Scrolls Online to life.”

So what will The Elder Scrolls Online’s cast of characters look like? Well…

  • Cadwell (John Cleese) is a cheerful and endearingly mad lost soul who is not afraid of anyone, even a Daedric Prince.
  • High King Emeric (Bill Nighy) is a merchant prince whose luck and determination won him the throne.
  • Queen Ayrenn (Kate Beckinsale) is the leader of the Aldmeri Dominion and Queen of the High Elves. She is far more comfortable with a blade than her crown.
  • Abnur Tharn (Alfred Molina) is a wily old wizard and politician who is the head of the Empire’s Elder Council, and the de facto power behind the Ruby Throne.
  • Azura (Lynda Carter) is the Daedric Princess of Dusk and Dawn from Skyrim who is a popular part of Elder Scrolls lore.
  • The Prophet (Michael Gambon) is a mysterious blind man who guides the player through their journey to retrieve their soul.
  • Molag Bal (Malcolm McDowell) is an evil Daedric god from another plane who schemes to enslave the mortal souls of Tamriel.
  • Jorunn the Skald King (Peter Stormare) is an unexpected monarch who led his people into an unlikely alliance.
  • Mannimarco (Jim Ward) is a renegade High Elf wizard exiled from the realm for raising the dead and the world’s most powerful necromancer.
  • Lyris Titanborn (Jennifer Hale) is a Nord half-giant, who, along with the Prophet, aids the player on their journey.
  • Sai Sahan (Kevin Michael Richardson) is a noble martial artist and master swordsman.

While most of these actors need no introduction (Alex DeLarge! Mr. Monty Python! Doc Ock! Wonder Woman! Dumbledore!), their characters might. So Bethesda put together the above video to introduce you to the characters they play and (if need be) the actors who play them.

The Elder Scrolls Online will be available for the PC on April 4 with a PS4 and Xbox One version to follow in June.

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

Spider-Man joins forces with Kraven for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 game

Posted on January 23, 2014 by John Scalzo

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will crash into theaters this May and even though the film is absolutely bursting with villains (Electro, Rhino, Green Goblin, and references to Vulture and Doctor Octopus) there’s enough left over for Beenox to use in the game adaptation of the movie, which is also titled The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

The “Reveal Trailer” above gives us our first glimpse of the game, including appearances from Kraven the Hunter (as an ally) and Electro (still a supervillain and still blue). Also, Spider-Man webswings among the skyscrapers of New York City and beats up nameless thugs. Spoilers!

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be available this Spring, probably sometime in April, for the 3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

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

Kickstart This! The 4K 2K14 Edition

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Andrew Rainnie

2014 is barely three weeks old and already there is so much to be excited about. The next-generation consoles are stepping into their stride, CES gave us our first taste of the next wave of 4K televisions, and there is a treasure trove of potentially awesome games seeking funding on Kickstarter. Like Noah going into the ark, we’re kicking off the first edition of the year with some pairs. We have two RPGs, the collective world-building Story, and the more classic adventure RPG The Meridian Shard. After that is a pair of robotic logic puzzle games, Level and Algo-Bot. Finally, there is a single space-set games project vying for your cold, hard cash: Space Pioneer.

And a-one, and a-two…

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in Features, Mobile, PC, Top Story | Tagged

Here’s the opening cinematic from The Last of Us: Left Behind

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Nicole Kline

… and it’s wonderful.

In this prequel, we get to see Ellie as she was before she met Joel. The trailer shows Ellie and her friend Riley reunited in an unusual way, with Ellie obviously struggling with some feelings of betrayal. This is the first single-player DLC for The Last of Us… and by that I mean hopefully the first of many. For an in-depth look at Ashley Johnson, the voice of Ellie, check out the PlayStation Blog interview with her, or this video interview with Johnson and Yaani King, the voice of Riley.

The Last of Us: Left Behind will be available on Friday, February 14 on PlayStation 3. I hope you’re ready to spend your Valentine’s Day with Ellie.

Posted in News, PS3 | Tagged ,

Shovel Knight digs into 3DS, PC, Wii U on March 31

Posted on January 23, 2014 by John Scalzo

The time has finally come! Yacht Club Games’ Shovel Knight will be released for the PC, Wii U, and 3DS on March 31.

The retro-styled game was a huge hit at last year’s PAX East show and wears its inspiration, including the side-scrolling challenge of the Mega Man series and the pogo stick mechanic found in DuckTales, on its armor-clad sleeve. The developers at Yacht Club, who broke away from WayForward several years ago, funded Shovel Knight through a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign that ultimately netted more than three times its $75,000 target. The game is now in a fully playable state within the walls of Yacht Club and should be ready for release after a round of playtesting, polish, and bug fixing.

You can see just how far they’ve come by viewing the brand new gameplay trailer, which has been embedded above.

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

Daily Scoop: January 23, 2014 – Snow boots required

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Nicole Kline

Now that I’m of the age that I should be referring to myself as a “grownup,” I have noticed that there are things I can’t tolerate anymore. One of those things is cold, wet feet. I think it’s time that I take the plunge and actually get a pair of snow boots. But the problem is that actual snow boots are seriously expensive. So I can either get a cheap pair that will likely wear out and/or not protect my feet, or get a for real pair of awesome boots. Right now I’m leaning towards the latter, but… it’s so many money! And all I want to do is stay inside and play games anyway. Maybe I’ll just stop going outside!

Anyway, for days when I don’t need to go outside, I like to have a nice pile of games to play, and the Humble Store knows how to keep me well stocked! Right now, they have Bag It for $0.99, Eldritch for $4.99, and Fotonica for $4.99. Scoop ’em up!

Lots of t-shirts today…

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Nintendo Download: Mighty Bomb Jack, Life Force

Posted on January 23, 2014 by John Scalzo

nintendoeshop-header

Just two games are included in this week’s Nintendo Download and both are classic NES titles of yore. Mighty Bomb Jack, the bombing-based platformer that’s not Bomberman, is now available through the Wii U eShop and Life Force, another of Konami’s side-scrolling alien shooters, has been added to the 3DS eShop.

More details on both games can be found here:

Wii U eShop

Mighty Bomb Jack – The hero of the game, Jack, must make his way through 16 levels of a pyramid in order to defeat the demon Belzebut and rescue the royal Pamera family. Navigate through action zones and Royal Palace rooms, discovering treasure chests along the way that hold money bags and useful power-ups.

3DS eShop

Life Force – Blast your way through six stages of intense action, alternating between horizontal- and vertical-scrolling environments, and take on wave after wave of enemies. You can go at it alone, or invite a friend to assist in the challenge. Do you have what it takes to save your planet from the monstrous Zelos?

Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U |