New Releases: Hyrule Warriors Legends, TrackMania Turbo, Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo, Republique

Posted on March 20, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Prepare to race into battle with this week’s new releases…

Koei Tecmo and Nintendo are mashing together the massive battles from the Dynasty Warriors franchise with the beloeved characters from The Legend of Zelda once again in Hyrule Warriors Legends, a 3DS re-release of the Wii U blockbuster. Players who opt for the portable version of the game will be able unlock several new characters (including Linkle, a gender-swapped version of Link) and a new level based on The Wind Waker.

A pair of racing games that’ll surely appeal to people who love anything with four wheels are also set to be released this week. First up is TrackMania Turbo, a “fantasy racer” for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One from Ubisoft. Players will be able to put the pedal to the metal on more than 200 tracks and even build their own using the included Tracker Builder. Also available is Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo, a new offroad rally racer from Milestone for the PS4 and Xbox One. Originally released for the PC earlier this year, console players will now get a chance to drive through the mud on the way to victory.

Finally this week, Camouflaj will bring their award-winning mobile game Republique to the PS4. Even with a controller in hand, players will get the same stealthy experience with all five episodes from the game’s first season.

We’ll be back later this week with a look at the new digital-only releases on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.

Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

It’s In Your Blood: A History of Horror Games (Part One)

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Chris Cobb

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Video games as a medium are diverse and long-lasting, with something to offer everybody. From those obsessed with scores and bragging rights, to more relaxed individuals looking for an enthralling story with limited interaction, gamers who spend upwards of 100 hours in open worlds with random battles… and even the oddballs who just want to get the crap scared out of us.

In the era of Outlast and Five Nights at Freddy’s, horror games are perhaps more popular now than they’ve ever been. Even the experiences vary wildly, with Dead Space and Resident Evil offering up action alongside grotesque body horror, while Kholat and Layers of Fear focus on more cerebral scares and intriguing stories. YouTubers PewDiePie and Markiplier have made such games approachable to a larger audience, thanks to the comedic charm of their commentary and presentation — but to truly appreciate the booming horror genre, one must take a look back at its history.

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Posted in Features, Retro, Top Story |

Xbox Store Today: Spareware, 101 Ways To Die, Shred It!

Posted on March 18, 2016 by John Scalzo

xboxgamesstore-logoThree brand new Xbox One games are now available to download through the Xbox Games Store…

  • Spareware is a multiplayer top-down shooter that takes place in a dystopian version of Helsinki.
  • 101 Ways To Die is a puzzle platformer that stars a mad scientist who wants to dispatch his enemies in a number of creative ways (hence the title).
  • And Shred It! is an endless snowboarder who is shredding his way down a papercraft mountain.

More information for all of these games can be found after the break.

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Posted in News, Xbox One |

Daily Scoop: March 18, 2016 – Huge Borderlands sale at Steam

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Nicole Kline

It’s almost time for the weekend, and I couldn’t be more excited! Tonight, we’re playing Dungeons & Dragons with the Nerdarchy crew. Tomorrow, we’ll be at Redcap’s Corner for an UnPub Mini! That leaves Sunday for gaming, cleaning, and hopefully more gaming. We’ll see!

Let’s talk about deals! There are a few decent sales at the Humble Store. Deadpool is $19.99, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is $35.99, and Antichamber is just $3.99.

At Steam, the Weekend Deal is a huge sale on the Borderlands franchise. Get Borderlands, Borderlands 2, and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel in a bundle with a bunch of DLC for just $19.80. You can also get the games, including season passes, game of the year editions, and DLC, at a steep discount as well. The Daily Deal is The Hunter: Primal, which is on sale for $9.99.

Hit the jump to check out today’s selection of t-shirts!

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Posted in Daily Scoop |

Microsoft “temporarily” drops the price of the Xbox One to $299

Posted on March 18, 2016 by John Scalzo

xboxone-logoMicrosoft has announced they’re once again dropping the price on all Xbox One console bundles by $50. Beginning this Sunday, March 20, the consolemaker will institute a “temporary” new price of $299 for the Xbox One. But don’t forget, the last time Microsoft “temporarily” dropped the price on the Xbox One, it became a permanent price drop a few months later.

According to Microsoft’s Major Nelson, this limited time sale will be followed by a major Xbox Games Store sale beginning on March 22. More than 150 games will be discounted by 40-60% off including titles such as Fallout 4, Halo 5, Call of Duty; Black Ops III, Far Cry: Primal, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6: Siege.

The 2016 Spring Sale will extend beyond Xbox One games to also include PC titles and Movies & TV Shows. PC games like Hand of Fate, Leo’s Fortune, and Halo: Spartan Strike will go on sale next week, alongside films and shows such as The Martian, Straight Outta Compton, Sicario, and Better Call Saul.

The 2016 Spring Sale will end on March 29.

Posted in News, Xbox One |

Deep Silver is planning to make a “major announcement” at E3 2016

Posted on March 18, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Ever since acquiring the rights to Saints Row and Metro during the THQ auction (and the subsequent acquistion of Homefront), Deep Silver has become a name that a lot of gamers are now familiar with. Thanks to these acquisitions, and the continued success of the Dead Island franchise, Deep Silver is no longer thought of as a small publisher staring up at giants. They may not be a giant themselves yet, but the company is clearly on an upward path.

That’s why it’s not exactly a surprise to hear CEO Klemens Kundratitz tell MCV that the publisher is “very much looking forward to E3,” because they’re going to use the gaming expo to make “[their] next major announcement.”

While it’s easy to assume Kundratitz is referring to Saints Row 5 or Metro 3, there’s always the chance the company could branch off into a new direction, as he also said: “Deep Silver has evolved over the last five years as a leading independent developer and global publisher. We are closing the gap between us and the top league of games companies. But at the same time we are determined to keep our independent spirit to be a great publishing partner for other independent companies and form alliances that work for both partners in the long-term, in both the physical and digital space.”

The 2016 E3 Expo kicks off on June 14.

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Nintendo Download: Pokken Tournament, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Mutant Mudds Super Challenge, more

Posted on March 17, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Are you ready to fight ’em all?

Nintendo and Bandai Namco have teamed up to finally release Pokken Tournament for the Wii U this week. The fighting game will feature dozens of different Pokemon characters and it’ll be available to download through the Wii U eShop on Friday, March 18.

Also coming soon is Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the latest Olympic-themed crossover clash for the two video game mascots. It’ll be available for the Wii U later this year, but 3DS owners can go for the Gold Medal this Friday.

Finally this week, Renegade Kid has launched Mutant Mudds Supper Challenge for the Wii U and 3DS. The “dimension-defying platformer” is available as a cross-buy purchase on both platforms, so you can take on the platforming challenges and boss battles at home or on the go.

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

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

Excelsior! WB Games reveals five Level Packs as part of Lego Avengers Season Pass

Posted on March 17, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Lego Avengers will explore more of the Marvel universe later this month with the release of the game’s first Character & Level Packs.

WB Games announced plans to release five expansion packs as part of the game’s Season Pass, and on March 29, players will be able to wield the cosmic powers of Captain Marvel in the Classic Captain Marvel Character & Level Pack and re-create a classic Avengers battle with Baron Zemo in Classic Captain Marvel Character & Level Pack.

Later this Spring, three additional packs will be released including a Classic Black Panther Character & Level Pack that retells T’Challa’s origin (soon to be played by Chadwick Boseman on screen), an All-New, All-Different Doctor Strange Character & Level Pack that stars the Sorcerer Supreme (soon to be played by Benedict Cumberbatch on screen), and a Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD Character & Level Pack.

The Lego Avengers Season Pass can be purchased for $9.99 on the PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Individual Character & Level Packs will be available for $2.99 apiece. A complete breakdown of each pack is available after the break.

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