Weekly Warp-Up: Overtime With PlayStation Experience 2015

Posted on December 13, 2015 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…

We were still sorting through the absolute mountain of new information that spilled out of last weekend’s PlayStation Experience, but I think it’s safe to say that the Final Fantasy VII Remake stole the show. Square Enix kept talking about their massive new undertaking long after Sony turned the lights off at the Moscone West in San Francisco.

Did you hear that it’s going to be released as a multi-part series? Or how about the publisher’s plan to “go beyond” original game? We still don’t know when it’ll be released, but we do know that it is shaping up to be much more than a simple remaster.

More news from this past week (and the PlayStation Experience) can be found after the break.

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Posted in News |

New Releases: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 for PS3/Xbox 360

Posted on December 13, 2015 by John Scalzo

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… and you know what that means… we’re about to be in for a serious drought of new releases for the next few weeks.

Case in point, this week’s only new release is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 for the PS3 and Xbox 360. The skateboarding series returns to the PS3 and Xbox 360 in a package that’ll look very similar to this Fall’s PS4 and Xbox One edition. Players will be able to grind through Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 as one of ten pros, or they can drop themselves into the game with the Create-A-Skater mode. And if you’re feeling extra creative, players can also tap into their inner architect and build a brand new course in the game’s Create-A-Skatepark mode.

Even with the Christmas holiday right around the corner, be sure to check back later this week for a complete look at this week’s brand new digital downloads on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Xbox Store Today: 6180 The Moon, Starpoint Gemini 2, Line of Defense Tactics

Posted on December 11, 2015 by John Scalzo

xboxgamesstore-logoToday’s additions to the Xbox Games Store are a science-fictiony bunch, so let’s fire up the warp drive and have a look:

  • 6180: The Moon (Xbox One) is a minimalist platformer that links the top and bottom of the screen so the ceiling is also the floor and the floor is also the ceiling.
  • Starpoint Gemini 2 (Xbox One) is a tactical space combat simulator that includes more than 50 factions and a galaxyful of adventure.
  • Line of Defense Tactics (Xbox One) is a top-down shooter where players control a team of Galactic Command marines on a variety of interstellar missions.

More information on all of these titles can be found after the break.

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Posted in News, Xbox One |

Daily Scoop: December 11, 2015 – We made it to Friday!

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Nicole Kline

It’s finally Friday! How are you going to spend your weekend? I’ve got a lot of tabletop gaming lined up, so I’m hoping this fever I have passes quickly. I’m hydrating and taking Tylenol and resting, but so far it’s showing no signs of stopping. Here’s hoping a little video gaming might help get it down!

Speaking of video gaming, there are some great deals happening right now. The Humble Store has a few great deals. Pick up the Call of Duty Warchest for $14.99, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter for $6.79, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII for $17.99, L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition for $7.49, and Max Payne 3 for $4.99. That’s a great list!

It doesn’t stop there, though – there are some great deals at Steam as well. The Weekend Deal is early access to Killing Floor 2 for $20.09, though you can play it right now for free. The Daily Deal is the Double Fine Bundle, which is pretty absurd. It’s just $19.99, and includes Broken Age, Brutal Legend, Pyschonauts, and much more – all with soundtracks included. Scoop ’em up!

Just three t-shirts today. Hit the jump to check them out!

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Posted in Daily Scoop |

Minecraft: Story Mode’s fourth episode will be released on December 22

Posted on December 11, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Get ready to put some cookies and milk, Telltale Games has announced they’ll be dropping down your chimney to deliver the fourth episode of Minecraft: Story Mode for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and mobile devices on December 22 (Vita and Wii U versions are also in the works). If you’ve been playing along with the first three episodes, here’s what shenanigans you can expect to get up to in A Block and a Hard Place:

In Episode Four, with the fearsome Wither Storm more dangerous than ever, Jesse, Reuben, and the crew discover there is one thing that can destroy the command block at the heart of the monster – but they’ll need to brave the perils of the Farlands to find it. As uneasy allies and ailing friends threaten to tear the group apart, can they defeat the Wither Storm in their final battle? And what sacrifices must be made to succeed? Find out in Episode Four’s epic “Wither Storm Finale” that will turn the page on one chapter, before adventures may begin anew…

According to Telltale, Minecraft: Story Mode’s fifth episode will be released sometime in early 2016.

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

CoD: Black Ops III, Fallout 4, SW: Battlefront lead November 2015’s best-selling games

Posted on December 10, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Not surprisingly, a trio of shooters took the top three spots in the NPD Group’s recounting of November 2015’s best-selling games.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III scored another big win for Activision (and the Black Ops sub-series) with its claim on the top spot. It was followed by Fallout 4 at #2 and Star Wars: Battlefront at #3. With shooters holding on to the top of the list, sports games looked in for the next four places… Madden NFL 16 (#4), NBA 2K16 (#5), FIFA 16 (#6), and Need For Speed (#7). What? I’m sure someone, somewhere, thinks of illegal street racing as a sport.

The final three spots in the NPD’s November 2015 list include repeat appearances from Halo 5: Guardians (#8) and Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate (#9), along with a strong Black Firday-assisted performance from Just Dance 2016 (#10).

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, NPD’s Liam Callahan confirmed that the PS4 and Xbox One are having a monster Fall: “After 25 months, the combined sales for the PS4 and the Xbox One are 47% higher than the combined sales for 25 months of PS3 and Xbox 360 hardware sales.”

You can find the NPD’s November 2015 top ten in handy list format after the break.

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

Square Enix: Final Fantasy VII Remake will “go beyond” original game

Posted on December 10, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Square Enix has been building towards Final Fantasy VII Remake for a long time now, and Producer Yoshinori Kitase has always said that any do-over of the groundbreaking RPG would require a significant amount of time and effort. Kitase chose to expand upon these thoughts today in a post on the Square Enix Blog, stating that a multi-part release is required for the Remake to “go beyond” the original game:

With Final Fantasy VII Remake, we have the opportunity to go beyond the story, world and experience of Final Fantasy VII in ways we’ve always dreamed of – from the depths of Midgar to the skies above the Planet. The multi-part format enables us to expand the original story and turn it into an epic experience for fans and new gamers alike.

Kitase added that, instead of adding content, cuts to the Remake would have been necessary if it were released in a single package:

We’ve seen everyone’s comments and reactions to the news that Final Fantasy VII Remake will be a multi-part series and many have speculated correctly as to the reason why we have made this decision. If we were to try to fit everything from the original into one remake instalment, we would have to cut various parts and create a condensed version of Final Fantasy VII. We knew none of you would have wanted that.

The Final Fantasy Remake is currently in development for the PS4, though it’ll be released on Sony’s system “first,” so expect to eventually make its way to the PC and/or Xbox One.

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Lichdom: Battlemage will be released for PS4, Xbox One on March 22

Posted on December 10, 2015 by John Scalzo

Maximum Games and Xaviant have announced their magic-based first person shooter, Lichdom: Battlemage, will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on March 22, 2016. Now available for the PC through Steam, Lichdom drops the cool downs and mana bars to foster a more action-packed atmosphere:

Lichdom: Battlemage centers on the concept of unbridled power and magic with absolutely no mana bars and zero cool downs. When the wicked overlord known as Shax rips your closest loved one from the world, you set out on a journey to hunt him down. Before you embark on your quest for vengeance, a wizard grants you unlimited magical powers and designates you “Dragon,” the most powerful battlemage on earth.

“The game is classic in its storytelling, yet completely unique in its gameplay,” said Christina Seelye, CEO of Maximum Games. “Like most magic games, there are definite RPG elements, but the game is pure action – through and through.”

The publisher and developer have also released a new trailer for Lichdom: Battlemage to accompany their announcement. You can find it embedded above.

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