Below will be released for PC and Xbox One on December 14

Posted on December 6, 2018 by John Scalzo

Capybara Games originally announced Below, a procedurally-generated “roguelike-like” RPG, shortly before the launch of the Xbox One. Below was expected to be released within the then-upcoming console’s first year, but somewhere along the way, the developer hit a snag and indefinitely postponed the game.

All that trouble looks to be in the past, as the developer revealed that Below will finally be released for the Xbox One and the PC on December 14.

Test your adventurer mettle against The Isle’s procedural subterranean labyrinths. Explore a large, interconnected underworld crawling with cunning creatures, deadly traps, and a mysterious shadowy presence. Survive the perils of The Depths and unearth what lies below… or die trying. Below embraces exploration and discovery – illuminate the path ahead, find hidden passages and unravel the deepest mysteries hidden in the darkness your own way.

To commemorate the occasion, Capybara has unveiled a new trailer for Below, and it’s been embedded above.

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PC/Xbox One owners will be able to compete in a Beta for Chainsawesome’s Aftercharge from December 14-16

Posted on December 5, 2018 by John Scalzo

Chainsawesome Games has announced plans to host one last Beta Weekend for Aftercharge, their upcoming 3v3 shooter, from December 14th through the 16th. Interested players who own a PC or an Xbox One can sign up for an invitation right now at AfterchargeKeys.com.

In case you’re unfamiliar with Aftercharge, the developer has temporarily taken over the Xbox Wire to explain their “invisible robots versus invincible guards” game:

Coordinating Distractions on Offense
Aftercharge is not asymmetrical in team size but it is in gameplay. The team on offense is made of invisible robots. They are trying to sneak up to the objectives called extractors and destroy them while the enemies are trying to find them. As the attackers, you are playing with distractions. One robot can strike an extractor at one end of the map to draw attention while the two others wait for the defender to leave their spot to destroy far away extractors unchallenged.

Keeping Focus on Defense
On defense, since your enemies are invisible most of the time, you need to be always on alert and a react quickly. All three members of your team can’t be flocking to every objective point on each alert. That would be the best way to hear extractors blowing up in your back all game long. If you and your teammates are not calling shots like “I saw one going through that tunnel,” “I’m pushing this dead robot to you, cover me,” or “He’s coming right behind you,” you will get played by the attackers and ultimately loose.

Aftercharge will be released for the PC and Xbox One in January 2019 (and Xbox Game Pass subscribers will be able to download it for free).

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The Games of December 2018

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Warp Zoned Staff

The New Releases shelf is usually a barren wasteland in December as game publishers want their hot new titles out before Black Friday. But that is definitely not the case this year, and players looking for new games to play during the next four weeks will have a healthy selection to choose from. Especially if you’re the sort of person who loves retro revivals or the slightly goofier side of gaming.

Thankfully, we here at Warp Zoned love those types of games, and you can find out exactly what we’re looking forward to this month after the break.

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New Retail Releases: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Just Cause 4, PUBG PS4, More

Posted on December 3, 2018 by John Scalzo

The Nintendo Switch’s first year was jam-packed with dozens of new games, but Nintendo may have saved the biggest for the last few weeks of its second. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be available on store shelves this week, and it’ll include every character from the previous four games, as well as newcomers Incineroar, Simon Belmont, the Inklings, and Ridley.

The Smash Bros. series is known for its over-the-top action, as is Square Enix’s Just Cause franchise, which will also receive a new entry this week. Just Cause 4 (PS4 and Xbox One) will take the fearless Rico Rodriguez to the fictional country of Solis, a land of “conflict, oppression, and extreme weather conditions.” Just Cause 4 will also be available to download for the PC. Speaking of high-flying adventurers, you’ll also find the PS4 debut of PUBG Corporation’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on store shelves this week. The battle royale shooter comes complete with all three maps currently available for the PC and Xbox One, as well as a few PS4-exclusive cosmetic items.

However, this week’s biggest new release will require a trip down to GameStop, and that’s because Bandai Namco is re-releasing Katamari Damacy for the Switch (with a visual upgrade) as Katamari Damacy Reroll.

Elsewhere on the New Releases shelf, you’ll find a pair of PS4 rhythm games from Atlus (Persona 3: Dancing In Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing In Starlight), a retail re-release for Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (PS4 and Xbox One), and the Switch debut of Sega’s massive Sega Genesis Classics compilation.

Finally this week, Sony will break into the microconsole business with the PlayStation Classic. Containing two replica PlayStation controllers and 20 games (including Final Fantasy VII, Twisted Metal, Grand Theft Auto, and more), the microconsole is HDMI-ready and priced at $100.

A complete look at the rest of this week’s new retail releases can be found after the break.

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Firewatch will be available for the Switch on December 17

Posted on December 2, 2018 by John Scalzo

Campo Santo, which was recently purchased by Valve, has confirmed that their first game, Firewatch, will make its way to the Switch later this month. According to a new tweet, the narrative adventure will be available to download through the Nintendo eShop on December 17:

Firewatch for the Switch will be priced at $19.99, and it’ll include the main game, Free Roam Mode, and Audio Tour Mode.

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Codemasters will bring Grid: Autosport to the Switch in 2019

Posted on November 30, 2018 by John Scalzo

Codemasters originally released Grid: Autosport for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 back in 2014, and yesterday they confirmed that the racing simulation will also make its way to the Switch sometime next year:

Grid: Autosport challenges players to become pro-racers, mastering motorsport’s most exciting cars on the world’s most thrilling circuits, from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the city streets of Barcelona. With customisable difficulty and a range of driving disciplines, GRID Autosport delivers an irresistible mix of realistic handling and high-speed thrills.

A new trailer for Grid: Autosport’s Switch announcement has been embedded above.

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Life Is Strange 2: Episode 2 will be released this January

Posted on November 29, 2018 by John Scalzo

Square Enix and Dontnod Entertainment released Life Is Strange 2‘s first episode this past September. Players have been eagerly awaiting the second episode, but both entities have kept quiet about when fans can expect to dive back into the world of Life Is Strange 2.

Today, Dontnod reappeared with an update to their official website, and confirmed that Episode 2: Rules will be available to download for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One this January. The four-month gap between episodes is longer than the developer originally intended, but it looks like they chose to delay Episode 2 to “meet the quality of play and storytelling that our vision for a game like this demands”:

The Life is Strange series is a project close to all of our hearts and one for which we do not want to rush development and thereby fail to meet the benchmark of quality and emotional impact that you, our players, deserve. This is why we so far have not announced an official release date – we want to ensure that we will be in a position to release something that we are proud of and that you will enjoy and remember forever.

We understand that there are certain expectations that episodes will be released at a similar cadence as previous Life is Strange games have. The ambition of Life is Strange 2, however, means that the previous frameworks no longer apply if we are to meet the quality of play and storytelling that our vision for a game like this demands and that you deserve.

Dontnod also promised that more information about Life Is Strange 2 – Episode 2: Rules will be made available sometime in mid-December.

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The Video Game Canon – Half-Life

Posted on November 28, 2018 by John Scalzo

Dig deeper into the Video Game Canon with a look at how Half-Life’s opening tram ride changed first person shooters (and may even have created an entirely new genre). Here’s a teaser…

“Good morning and welcome to the Black Mesa Transit System. This automated train is provided for the security and convenience of the Black Mesa Research Facility personnel.”

It’s just another day at work for Gordon Freeman. The well-groomed scientist is running late for an important meeting and he’s forced to board the tram alone as he travels to the secure wing of the Black Mesa Research Facility.

It’s a rather lowkey introduction to one of the most ambitious games ever created, but easing the player into the game’s world was a big part of what made Valve’s Half-Life so ambitious. You’re free to move about the train car as you’re ferried from the facility’s living quarters to the research levels belowground, but for those five minutes, you’re also at the mercy of the developers and how they want you to interact with their game.

Visit VideoGameCanon.com to continue reading this article and to explore the complete Top 1000.

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