We’re into the dog days of Summer now, but the video game industry is planning a rather robust round of new releases for the next four weeks. Sure, Madden NFL 18 will officially kick off the end of the Summer as it does every year, but we’re also getting wild new games from Telltale, Sega, Ubisoft, Naughty Dog, and Ninja Theory.
If you’ve ever wanted to see a Sonic game made by fans, an Uncharted game without Nathan Drake, or a Mario game with a gun, then now’s your chance…
There weren’t very many new games to talk about this month, but the Warp Zoned staff definitely spent the last four weeks replaying some old favorites.
But wait! We also found time to talk about new releases like Arms and Diablo III: Rise of the Nercomancer (I just got that)…
The Nintendo Switch is getting a dose of retro nostalgia in this week’s Nintendo Download… specifically the release of Vblank’s Retro City Rampage DX. Retro City Rampage DX is a dual parody of top-down open world games and ridiculously elaborate crime movies from the 80s that features a full Story Mode and Arcade Challenges for “quick pick-up-and-play action.”
Seven other games are also available to download for the Switch this week including Infinite Minigolf, a neverending game of miniature golf from Zen Studios; Strikers 1945, a vertically-scrolling shooter from Psikyo set in World War II; Gunbarich, a puzzle shooter also by Psikyo; Use Your Words, a comedic party game for unfunny people; Slime-San, a side-scroller that takes place within the belly of a giant worm; and Puzzle Adventure Blockle, a puzzle game that asks players to rotate the world.
You can learn more about all of these games (and a few other new releases for the 3DS and Wii U) after the break.
Telltale Games will return to Gotham City next week, but first, the developer has given us a brand new look at Batman: The Enemy Within.
The Riddler is terrorizing Gotham… Amanda Waller is terrorizing Jim Gordon… The Joker is terrorizing Bruce Wayne… And all three are causing trouble for Batman. Decisions must be made in Episode 1: The Enigma…
In this latest chapter, both Bruce Wayne and Batman will be forced into precarious new roles. The Riddler has returned to terrorize Gotham City, but his gruesome puzzles merely foreshadow an even greater crisis. With the arrival of a ruthless federal agent and the return of a still nascent Joker, Batman must navigate uneasy alliances while Bruce Wayne undertakes a perilous series of deceptions. Which of Batman’s new allies will you choose to trust? And how deep into the darkness will you let Bruce descend?
Batman: The Enemy Within – Episode 1: The Enigma will be available to download for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile devices on August 8.
When the Wii first arrived, Nintendo teased motion controls that seemed like a natural fit for sport games. A whole new generation of gamers were entertained by Wii Sports after it arrived alongside the console, but what Nintendo actually achieved was closer to a waggle-fest. Two consoles later, the company has managed to deliver on those initial expectations with Arms, a bouncy and bright brawler that aims to be the next Splatoon.
But will Arms have similar legs to the ink-splashing shooter (which already has a sequel available in stores)? Grab your boxing gloves and find out!
The Xbox Games Store became a more indie-friendly place today with the launch of Fullbright’s Tacoma, Monomi Park’s Slime Rancher, and Hinterland Studio’s The Long Dark.
Tacoma is a first-person exploration game for the Xbox One that takes place aboard a high-tech space station in the year 2088. Players will come through surveillance logs to explore the “pivotal moments” in the crew’s life on the station as they recreate the game’s “multi-layered” narrative.
A second adventure that takes place far away from Earth is also newly available for the Xbox One today. Slime Rancher asks players to guide Beatrix LeBeau as she tries her hand at making a living wrangling slimes. If you’re an Xbox Live Gold subscriber, Slime Rancher is a free download this month thanks to the Games With Gold program.
Finally today, The Long Dark is very concerned with the Earth, and it asks players to survive for as long as they can in a harsh and frozen wilderness.
You can learn more about all of these games after the break.
Blizzard is bringing back Overwatch‘s Summer Games this month, and players will be able to take part in the festivities on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One from August 8 through the 29th.
The Lucioball game mode will once again be on the menu, and a new “Sydney” map (alongside last year’s “Rio” map) will be available for the duration of the event. Players will also be able to unlock Summer Games 2017 Loot Boxes, complete with brand new Skins and other in-game content. Last year’s Summer Games Loot Boxes will also be available at a reduced cost.
Jeff Kaplan, Overwatch’s Game Director, discussed more about Summer Games 2017 in the latest “Developer Update” video, which has been embedded above.
Telltale Games has announced that Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2‘s second episode, Giant Consequences, will be released for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile devices on August 15. This time, Jesse and friends are bound for a new adventure in the “icy unknown”:
Jesse and the gang survived the Sea Temple, but they brought home a little more than they bargained for: a lost adventurer, a powerful device, and a colossal enemy capable of grinding Beacontown to dust. There may be more to this fearsome foe than meets the eye, but to find out, Jesse — together with a few trusty friends — must embark on another adventure, this time into the icy unknown…
Fans of Nintendo’s newest console will also be happy to learn that the Complete Adventure collection for the original Minecraft: Story Mode will be released for the Switch on August 22. The eight-episode series will be available in stores as a retail release and as a digital download through the Nintendo eShop.
