PAX East 2017 gives us our first look at Tom Savini’s “Custom Jason” and a new trailer for Friday the 13th: The Game

Posted on March 12, 2017 by John Scalzo

Friday the 13th: The Game made an encore appearance at this weekend’s PAX East convention during Gun Media and Illfonic’s panel “From Film to Video Games: A Night with Friday the 13th: The Game.” As part of the panel, the developers unveiled a horrific new trailer that shows Jason dispatching another cohort of camp counselors in increasingly brutal fashion.

Gun Media didn’t announce an official launch date for Friday the 13th: The Game at PAX East, but with less than three weeks remaining in their current “Early 2017” release window, another delay for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One game seems likely.

Finally, the developer fully unmasked Tom Savini’s “Custom Jason,” which depicts the character’s damned fate after the end of Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday. You can get a closer look at Savini’s work after the break.

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Square Enix released a trailer for Final Fantasy XV: Episode Gladiolus at PAX East 2017

Posted on March 12, 2017 by John Scalzo

Square Enix unveiled the first trailer for Final Fantasy XV: Episode Gladiolus this morning as part of their “Nier: Automata X Final Fantasy XV” panel.

Episode Gladiolus will be the first character-driven expansion for Final Fantasy XV, and its set to launch later this month, March 28, for the PS4 and Xbox One. Players will get to undertake the “Trial of Gilgamesh” as they take control of Gladio in his quest for more power:

Final Fantasy XV: Episode Gladiolus is the first character-driven episode of DLC for Final Fantasy XV, the latest installment in the landmark Final Fantasy franchise. Players will experience brand-new gameplay, content, environments, enemies and more as they follow Noctis’s comrade, Gladiolus, on a journey away from his brothers in arms. Gilgamesh, one of the franchise’s fan-favorite characters, will also be making an appearance in the episode.

If you weren’t able to attend the “Nier: Automata X Final Fantasy XV” panel with Producer Haruyoshi Sawatari and Global Brand Manager Raio Mitsuno, you can catch a replay of it in the Twitch Videos for the PAX2 channel.

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Weekly Warp-Up: PAX East 2017 Recap

Posted on March 12, 2017 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…

Today’s the final day for the 2017 PAX East convention in Boston, but we’ve learned quite a bit about a wide variety of upcoming games so far.

Nintendo released a new trailer that detailed additional features and the revamped Battle Mode in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Telltale revealed the first screenshots, plot details, and vocal cast for Guardians of the Galaxy. And Sony brought a staggering 26 PS4 games to the PlayStation Booth.

Meanwhile, Square Enix unveiled a loaded $200 Collector’s Edition for Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age. And Bethesda unveiled two new Quake Champions trailers for Nyx the Champion and the “Blood Covenant” Arena.

Elsewhere on Warp Zoned, I shared 17 Random Thoughts About the Nintendo Switch (and its Launch Lineup) and discussed the accidental creation of Ms. Pac-Man in the latest Scientifically Proven Best Video Games of All Time essay.

More news from the past seven days, including plenty more from PAX East, can be found after the break.

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New Retail Releases: Danganronpa 1-2 Reload, Styx Shards of Darkness, Binding of Isaac Afterbirth+

Posted on March 12, 2017 by John Scalzo

Here’s what your local game retailer will be stocking their shelves with this week…

After making its North American debut on the Vita in 2014, NIS America will bring the Danganronpa franchise to the PS4 for the first time this week thanks to Danganronpa 1-2 Reload. The package will include the first two games in the series (Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair), and fans both new and old will get to experience the murderous machinations of Monokuma, the evil robotic bear at the center of the story.

If a murderous robotic bear isn’t bizarre enough for you, Nicalis will also launch The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ for the Nintendo Switch this week. Developed by Edmund McMillen, one of the co-creators of Super Meat Boy, The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ is a procedurally-generated shooter (with RPG elements) that forces Isaac to fight back against the monsters in his basement.

Finally this week, Focus Home Interactive and Cyanide Studio will bring Styx: Shards of Darkness to the PS4 and Xbox One. The medieval stealth sequel asks Styx to infiltrate the city of Korrangar to steal a scepter of “immense and indomitable power.”

That’s all for now, but we’ll be back later this week with an expanded look at the latest additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.

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Sonic Mania gets new gameplay footage at PAX East 2017

Posted on March 11, 2017 by Brittney Williams

Sega just dropped some new gameplay footage for the highly anticipated Sonic Mania at PAX East and it looks great.

If you were “Team Sega” during the great console wars of the 1990s, then you’re likely pretty familiar with the original Sonic games. Sonic Mania captures the charm of those games, and puts a high definition spin on them, bumping the graphics from their original 30 FPS to a whopping 60 FPS.

But that’s not the only new thing Sonic Mania has going for it. The game also introduces new enemies, new levels, new game mechanics, new item boxes, alternate routes, and much more. And in Sonic Mania, players are now immediately transitioned to the brand new “Green Hill Zone Act 2” after “Act 1,” trading in the fade-to-black for uninterrupted gameplay and speedy traversal across the playfield via zip-line.

Sonic Mania is not a remake of any of the original Sonic games from the Sega Genesis era. Instead, it’s an entirely new game that uses prettier, high definition visuals to create a reimagining of the originals. The reimagining attempts to encapsulate all of the things that made the 16-bit versions great, while also refitting them for new and old audiences alike.

Sonic Mania will be available for the PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in Spring 2017. In the meantime, check out the above trailer and some awesome new screenshots after the break.

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Square Enix unveils a $200 Collector’s Edition for Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

Posted on March 10, 2017 by John Scalzo

If you’re at PAX East, you can swing by the Square Enix booth this weekend to try out a playable demo of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, which will be available for the PS4 on July 11. But the publisher also used the Boston-based convention to announce a Collector’s Edition for the upcoming remaster.

Priced at $199.99, and available exclusively through the Square Enix Online Store, the Collector’s Edition will include several interesting bonus items:

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Collector’s Edition

  • Exclusive “Judge Magisters” Mini Bust Set – Featuring busts of Judges Bergan, Drace, Gabranth, Ghis, and Zargabaath
  • Official Soundtrack CD – Selection of soundtrack music from famed composer Hitoshi Sakimoto
  • Set of Six Art Cards – Featuring Vaan, Ashe, Basch, Fran & Balthier, Penelo, and World of Ivalice
  • Steelbook Packaging – Featuring exclusive art to the Collector’s Edition
  • In-Game Digital Code – Unlocks the option to use the Official Soundtrack as background music

If the Collector’s Edition seems a bit too pricey, don’t worry, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age will also be available in a Limited Edition ($49.99) that includes an exclusive Steelbook featuring artwork by Akihiko Yoshida and the in-game digital code to unlock the background music option for the Official Soundtrack. And the first printing of the Standard Edition (also $49.99) will include reversible cover artwork by Yoshida.

Finally, fans who pre-order the Digital Edition of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age through the PlayStation Store will receive a PS4 Theme and four music tracks by Hitoshi Sakimoto.

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Two new Quake Champions trailers reveal Nyx the Champion and “Blood Covenant” Arena

Posted on March 10, 2017 by John Scalzo

Bethesda always strides into Boston in the Spring to put on a big show at PAX East, and this year is no exception. All this weekend, the publisher will give congoers the chance to try out Quake Champions, their upcoming free-to-play arena shooter from id Software.

For those of us following along, the publisher has also unveiled a pair of new trailers for the game. The first focuses on one of the game’s Champions, the Fathom Agent known as Nyx:

Nyx (Fathom Agent)
Starting Health: 100
Starting Armor: 75
Speed: 270

Active Ability — Ghost Walk: Using the Ghost Walk Active Ability moves Nyx into another dimension, instantly making her invisible and immune to damage. Players can use this ability to escape tough battles, maneuver unseen behind unsuspecting enemies, or even avoid damage from incoming projectiles. Re-materializing in the same spot as an enemy will result in an instant Ability Kill.

Passive Ability — Wall Jump: Nyx’s Passive Ability extends her mobility by allowing her to jump twice – once off the floor and another time off of a nearby wall. Wall Jump can help players traverse wide distances between heights or gain the upper hand in a showdown with foes by creating more space to aim and frag.

The second trailer introduces viewers to “Blood Covenant,” an Arena that’s based on Quake III Arena‘s signature map:

Arena: Blood Covenant
Based on one of the most beloved and played maps from Quake III Arena, The Camping Grounds (Q3DM6), Blood Covenant is a modern re-imagining of the legendary Arena. All the favorite sections remain, including the long Jump Pad to the Rocket Launcher, the Quad Damage spawn, the Railgun ledge, and the tightly spaced battles in the Pillars. However, new tricks and secrets await both veterans and new players alike, offering new ways to fight, move, and use Champions’ Active and Passive abilities.

Both trailers can be found after the break. And don’t forget, earlier this week, Bethesda announced that a Closed Beta for Quake Champions will be available soon.

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Xbox Store Today: 2Dark, King of Fighters ’94, Table Top Racing World Tour, more

Posted on March 10, 2017 by John Scalzo

It’s Friday, so it’s time for another update to the Xbox Games Store…

First up, publisher Bigben Interactive and developer Gloomywood will bring 2Dark to the Xbox One. The retro-themed survival horror game was spearheaded by Frederick Raynal, the creator of the Alone in the Dark series. Like that series, 2Dark similarly follows a detective investigating supernatural forces that want to do bad things.

Xbox One owners who love retro gaming might also be interested in The King of Fighters ’94, another new addition to the Xbox Games Store today. One of SNK’s earliest fighting game efforts, The King of Fighters ’94 brought characters from Fatal Fury and Ikari Warriors into the fight for the first time.

Finally today, Playrise Digital will release Table Top Racing: World Tour for the Xbox One. The game features “fully tunable miniaturized racing cars,” 32 tracks, and several different single-player and multiplayer modes.

More information about all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break.

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