Madden NFL 19’s Super Bowl LIII simulation predicts the Rams will beat the Patriots

Posted on January 28, 2019 by John Scalzo

Tom Brady will spend this Sunday looking to capture his sixth Super Bowl Ring, but he might not want to call his jeweler just yet. According to Madden NFL 19‘s official Super Bowl XIII Simulation, the Los Angeles Rams will defeat the New England Patriots by a score of 30 to 27.

EA Sports also uploaded a video featuring gameplay footage from their simulation, and it’s been embedded above. But if everything breaks the same way in real life, Aaron Donald will capture the MVP Award with four sacks, while Jared Goff will throw for over 300 yards:

Aaron Donald finished his dominant season with a Super Bowl record four sacks to cement his first MVP award. Other player highlights included Jared Goff topping Tom Brady by throwing for 303 yards to Brady’s 287 yards, while both garnered two touchdown passes and one interception. Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman and Rams wide receiver Robert Woods both hauled in eight catches and one touchdown for a total of 104 and 103 receiving yards respectively. Pats running back Sony Michel was the top rusher with 103 yards and touchdown, while no Rams player rushed for more than 100 yards, with running back C.J. Anderson maxing out at 64 yards on 18 carries.

Will the Madden series make yet another correct prediction? We’ll all find out this Sunday, February 3, when Super Bowl LIII kicks off at 6:30 PM (Eastern Time).

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New Retail Releases: Kingdom Hearts III, More

Posted on January 28, 2019 by John Scalzo

It’s been a little more than a decade since Square Enix released Kingdom Hearts II for the PS2 back in 2005, but they’ve been very busy producing spinoffs and compilations in the years since.

That all changes this week, as the publisher is finally ready to launch Kingdom Hearts III for the PS4 and Xbox One. The threequel is the first game in the franchise produced exclusively for current-generation consoles, and it will finally give fans a conclusion to the “Dark Seeker Saga”.

A handful of other games will be available on retail shelves this week, but they don’t pack quite the punch as Square Enix’s RPG does.

The Council is an investigative adventure game for the PS4 and Xbox One that gives players the chance to explore an English secret society in the 1790s. Genesis Alpha One will also launch for the PS4 and Xbox One, and it’s a futuristic adventure that’ll allow players to explore and build a space habitat.

PQube’s Song of Memories will be available exclusively for the PS4 this week, and it’s a romantic RPG that also includes an apocalyptic virus.

Finally this week, THQ Nordic will resurrect PS2-era platformer Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy for the Switch. And PM Studios will bring their musical adventure, Deemo, to the Switch… and it also includes support for the Piano Toy-Con from Nintendo Labo: Variety Kit.

That’s it for this week’s new retail releases. But we’ll be back soon with updates for the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.

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

D3 Publisher will release Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain for the PS4 on April 11

Posted on January 25, 2019 by John Scalzo

D3 Publisher and Yuke’s have announced that Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain will be released exclusively for the PS4 on April 11. The action game will only be available to download through the PlayStation Store, but EDF fans still get to blast a new set of bugs with “a new cast of characters” and “advanced gear, tech, and weaponry.”

Like 2011’s Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon, Iron Rain is a more serious-minded spinoff of the main series that takes place in the United States. But in a first for the franchise, the game has also been built from the ground up using Epic’s Unreal Engine 4:

Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain Features

  • Master Four Soldier Classes: Thanks to advances in “PA-Gear” technology, the EDF is on more equal footing with the “Aggressors.” These powered exoskeleton suits can be customized with hundreds of weapon, armament, and item loadout combinations with four unique soldier classes, each with their own critical Over Drive ability to change the tide of battle, including the Trooper, Jet Lifter, Heavy Striker, and most notably, the brand-new Prowl Rider.
  • Multiplayer: Staying true to the series’ roots in arcade action, both online and local multiplayer split-screen modes are available. Online supports up to six player co-op – and the new Mercenary mode, which finds teams competing for Energy Gems hosts up to 8 players.
  • Character Customization: For the first time in the series, players will step into the boots of Closer, a decorated war hero who awakens from a seven year coma. Players can customize his or her appearances before diving into the game’s character driven campaign.

You can get a closer glimpse at Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain’s new look in the new trailer embedded above, and be sure to check out an in-depth conversation with Series Producer Nobuyuki Okajima about what makes the spinoff unique at the PlayStation Blog.

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Nintendo is restarting development of Metroid Prime 4 with Retro Studios’s assistance

Posted on January 25, 2019 by John Scalzo

While we haven’t heard anything about Metroid Prime 4 since the game’s reveal at E3 2017, fans were hopeful that the game’s development was on the track. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed this morning as Nitnendo’s Shinya Takahashi has confirmed that the consolemaker is restarting development on Metroid Prime 4 with the help of Retro Studios.

According to Takahashi, Nintendo was unhappy with the current state of the game and didn’t believe that Metroid Prime fans would be happy with it:

We must let you know that the current development progress has not reached the standards we seek in a sequel to the Metroid Prime series.

If we’re not satisfied with the quality, we aren’t able to deliver it to our customers with confidence, and the game will not live up to our fans’ expectations. From this perspective, we have determined that the current development status of the game is very challenged, and we had to make a difficult decision as a development team. We have decided to reexamine the development structure itself and change it.

To remedy this problem, Nintendo has decided to scrap everything and “restart development from the beginning.” Moving forward, Producer Kensuke Tanabe will collaborate closely with Retro Studios, the original creators of the Metroid Prime sub-series. This bump in the road means that Metroid Prime 4 has been indefinitely delayed, and Takahashi said that it will be “a long road” until Nintendo can update us on the game’s development progress.

You can view Nintendo’s full statement in the video embedded above.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is a turn-based RPG from Image & Form… and it’s coming to the Switch in 2019

Posted on January 24, 2019 by John Scalzo

Swedish developer Image & Form is bringing the SteamWorld series back in 2019… but prepare yourself for a major twist to the formula. After exploring this world through a pair of side-scrolling MetroidVanias and a strategic shooter, the developer will next tackle turn-based RPGs in SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech. Currently in development for the Switch, SteamWorld Quest will be released sometime in 2019:

SteamWorld Quest is the roleplaying card game you’ve been waiting for! Lead a party of heroic steambots through a beautifully hand-drawn world and intense battles, using only your wits and a handful of cards. Take on whatever threat comes your way by crafting your own deck, choosing from over 100 unique punch cards!

What awaits you is a luscious treasure chest filled with gold, dragons, vivid worlds, magic, knights in shining armor as well as XP, turn-based battles and all that good RPG stuff! The humorous mix of traditional fantasy and steampunk robots makes for an unforgettable experience with lots of laughs.

Image & Form’s Brjann Sigurgeirsson is very excited about the chance to build an RPG for SteamWorld’s fans, who have been asking for the genre switch for quite a while:

“For years, the SteamWorld community has asked us to create an RPG. In fact, on multiple occasions we’ve asked our followers what they’d like us to make next, and so far an RPG has been the number one request. So we took it upon ourselves to create a new kind of game, to surprise and delight both fans of the genre as well as existing SteamWorld fans.”

The first trailer for SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech has been embedded above.

Posted in News, Switch |

Overwatch’s “Year of the Pig” event is now available through February 18

Posted on January 24, 2019 by John Scalzo

Blizzard kicked off Overwatch‘s annual Lunar New Year event earlier today and players will be able to chase a new set of seasonal Skins, Emotes, Highlights, Player Icons, Sprays, and Voice Lines from now until February 18.

During the “Year of the Pig,” the developer will make the “Busan” map suitable for Capture the Flag and they’ve also launched a second season of the game’s Competitive Capture the Flag mode:

We’re celebrating the 2019 Lunar New Year with new seasonal items, including the legendary skins Lü Bu Reaper, Guan Yu Reinhardt, Zhuge Liang Zenyatta, Hong Gildong Tracer, Zhang Fei Torbjörn, and Huang Zhong Hanzo. Through February 18, items from previous Lunar New Year events will be available to unlock for a discounted credit price. This year, we’re also adding a festive Capture the Flag version of the Busan map, and kicking off a second season of Competitive Capture the Flag!

More information about this year’s Lunar New Year event can be found at PlayOverwatch.com, and a new trailer highlighting some of the new unlockable items has been embedded above.

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Capcoms rolls out a Launch Trailer and a Live-Action Trailer for Resident Evil 2

Posted on January 24, 2019 by John Scalzo

We’re just one day away from Capcom’s long-awaited remake of Resident Evil 2, and the publisher has rewarded out patience with a creepy new Launch Trailer featuring Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, the Birkins, Ada Wong, and more. They’ve also unveiled a new Live-Action Trailer that pays homage to George Romero’s original advertisement for the game from 1998.

You can view both videos after the break, and don’t forget that Resident Evil 2 will be available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One beginning tomorrow.

Press Start to Continue →

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Watch this Kingdom Hearts III “Gameplay Overview” ahead of next week’s launch

Posted on January 24, 2019 by John Scalzo

Kingdom Hearts III is almost here, and with it a chance to learn more about the franchise’s complicated storyline. But while your average Kingdom Hearts fan might have a bit of difficulty recalling every plot twist from the last 17 years, Square Enix wants to make sure everyone knows how to play the new sequel with this Gameplay Overview video.

Prospective players will learn about Sora’s abilities in battle, including the various Keyblades he’ll be able to wield, as well as magical and Attraction attacks:

As the Heartless invade the universe, players must prepare Sora and his friends to protect the Disney and Pixar worlds against darkness and unlock the mysterious power of the Keyblades, which only the strong of heart can wield. For the first time in the Kingdom Hearts series, the Keyblades have the ability to transform into different forms with powerful new abilities and dazzling attacks inspired by the characters and elements of each world.

Players can also learn how to use elemental magic for offensive and defensive purposes, such as creating ice slides and wind vortexes to navigate through the chaos in battle. Taking the form of classic Disney rides, players can utilize the power of the Attractions, or team up with Donald, Goofy and other legendary characters from Disney and Pixar worlds to turn the tides against the darkness.

Kingdom Hearts III will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on January 29.

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