Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Has Another Big Night and Wins “Game of the Year” at the 2025-2026 DICE Awards
- 2025 GOTY Scoreboard: In Progress
- The Game Awards: All the Winners from 2003 to Today
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Racks Up Nine Wins, Including “Game of the Year”, at the 2025 Game Awards
- “Animal Crossing” and Undertale” Lead the Way for New Book Series About Games at University of Chicago Press
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- We Pitched a Museum a 1993 Game Hint Line (And They Actually Said Yes) – Yarn Spinner (2026)
- The History Of The Word “Metroidvania” And How It Spread – A Critical Hit (2025)
- Creator of Hit Game Shovel Knight Is at a ‘Make or Break’ Moment – Bloomberg (2025)
- Shadow of the Colossus: An oral history – Design Room (2025)
- In 2005, games started rewiring our brains – The AV Club (2025)
All Articles: PC
See more of the Trials of Mana remake in this new Gameplay Trailer
Trials of Mana, the third game in the Secret of Mana/Seiken Densetsu franchise, was originally released for Japan’s Super Famicom all the way back in 1995. But in a cruel twist of fate, it didn’t make its way to the US until 2019 (as part of the Collection of Mana compilation). Thankfully, we won’t have to wait quite so long to play the upcoming remake, which will be released on April 24 for the PC, PS4, and Switch.
Square Enix recently unveiled a brand new Gameplay Trailer for Trials of Mana that gives prospective players a look at some of the changes made to the game in the last two decades, including a gorgeous visual upgrade, character classes, hundreds of abilities, and its unique branching story structure:
Square Enix today released a brand-new trailer for Trials of Mana, a full, high-definition remake of the third entry in the classic Mana series. Launching on April 24, the game will bring the beloved story and characters to the modern era with real-time combat, beautiful 3D graphics, and updated gameplay.
Originally released in Japan as Seiken Densetsu 3 in 1995, Trials of Mana immerses players in an unforgettable adventure filled with exciting gameplay, memorable heroes, and villains. Players will craft varying experiences by selecting a party of three from six unique characters as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime, upgrading their characters’ classes into more power forms, learning over 300 different abilities, and discovering a world of secrets and mysteries to explore.
Trials of Mana’s new Gameplay Trailer has been embedded above.
Posted in News
Tagged PC, PS4, Switch, Trials of Mana
Death Stranding will be released for the PC on June 2
505 Games and Kojima Productions have announced that Death Stranding will make its way to the PC (via both Steam and the Epic Games Store) on June 2. The exploration game will add a Photo Mode for PC players, as well as support for High Frame Rate and Ultrawide Displays.
Players who get the game on Steam will also be able to unlock gear inspired by Valve’s Half-Life. Sam Porter Bridges’s new selection of attire will include a Head Crab Helmet, Gordon Freeman’s Glasses, Alyx’s Gravity Gloves, and a Valve Valve that can be attached to the back of his head. You can get a closer look at these fresh threads in the Release Date Trailer embedded above.
Finally, a nice selection of pre-order goodies (including in-game gear, a soundtrack download, and a digital artbook) will also be available for players who purchase the game on either platform before launch. You can learn more about the pre-order bonuses at Death Stranding’s official website.
Posted in News
Tagged Death Stranding, PC
Wallachia: Reign of Dracula mixes Castlevania and Contra and its available for the PC now
Migami Games mixed together a little inspiration from Castlevania and a little more from Contra to help create Wallachia: Reign of Dracula, which is now available to download for the PC through Steam. The side-scroller tries to bypass the “typical vampire myths,” but Dracula still looks very hard to kill in the Launch Trailer embedded above:
Wallachia: Reign of Dracula, is an epic adventure in the land of horror. The year is 1462. Prince Vlad Dracula is six bloody years into his second reign. After losing the throne once before in 1448, Dracula vowed not to let it happen again. After years of exile, he regained power in 1456 and started purging the land of anyone who might oppose him.
Wallachia is an insane action platformer depicting a world of ferocious fights. With spears, arrows, or sword in hand, your survival depends on your ability to fight. Trust no one, embody the Princess, and enter a deadly journey to claim your kingdom back.
Wallachia: Reign of Dracula is also currently in development for the Switch, and it’ll be available for Nintendo’s newest console at a later date.
Supermassive Games teases The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope in new trailer
When Supermassive Games kicked off The Dark Pictures Anthology in 2019, they promised that a new entry in the budget-priced horror series would be available each year.
For the first game in the series, players explored the Man of Medan, a ghost ship that harbored each character’s worst nightmare. But this Summer, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope will trade a jaunt aboard a haunted boat for a stroll through a haunted small town:
Trapped and isolated in the abandoned town of Little Hope, four college students and their professor must escape the nightmarish visions that relentlessly pursue them through an impenetrable fog. As they journey through the town looking for a means of escape, they must understand the meaning of these events, the root of evil, and how it is directly connected to them!
“We’ve been delighted by the reaction from players and the success of Man of Medan as the first installment of The Dark Pictures Anthology,” said Pete Samuels, the CEO of Supermassive Games. “We really appreciate feedback from the community and the team remains committed to the goal of making each new installment deliver further thrilling horror experiences, with the next chapter, Little Hope, bringing an all new and disturbing horror story to the anthology.”
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope is in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and you can get your first look at it in the Announcement Trailer embedded above.
The Wonderful 101 Remastered will be released on May 19
With their Kickstarter campaign entering its final days, Platinum Games and Nighthawk Interactive have announced a release date for The Wonderful 101 Remastered. The campaign’s backers are still on track to receive the game in April, but all PC, PS4, and Switch owners will get a second chance to play the quirky superhero game on May 19.
Along with confirmation of the release date, Game Designer Hideki Kamiya published a heartfelt message to fans of the game on Platinum’s official website:
Re-Introducing the Wonderful 101
Hello, everyone. Platinum Games Chief Game Designer Hideki Kamiya here.
About seven years ago, we released The Wonderful 101. I’ve moved up to become a member of the Platinum Games executive board, but back in those days, I didn’t think very much about the business end of things (okay, I’ll admit that maybe I still don’t). I devoted all of my attention to creating games that met my own personal standards. The Wonderful 101 was the sixth game I’d directed throughout my career. Unfortunately, I can’t say it was much of a success, from a business standpoint.
But I’ve also never thought of it as a failure. I didn’t back then, and I don’t today. That’s because, to a game creator, a game is only a failure if it disappoints the gamers who play it. From the start, The Wonderful 101 didn’t quite reach a large enough audience for me to clearly call it either way.
So regardless of how The Wonderful 101 fared in the marketplace the first time around, I’m considering this a chance to show it to the world again. I’m looking forward to seeing how it measures up.
The Wonderful 101 has gotten this miraculous second chance thanks to all of you who’ve told us you wanted to play it, as well as the passionate PG staff who worked on it with me. We’re delighted to see it return on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Steam.
This isn’t just a simple port, either. We’ve tuned the controls for each new platform and made several adjustments that should make it easier to grasp and play. On top of that, we’ve improved the image quality and frame rate to suit modern hardware. On the whole, I’d say The Wonderful 101 Remastered is the definitive edition of the game!
We’ve loaded The Wonderful 101 Remastered with as much Platinum spirit as we could. I sincerely hope you’ll all play it and let us know what you think!
If you’re attending PAX East this weekend in Boston, you’ll be able to get some demo time with The Wonderful 101 Remastered at Platinum’s booth. A short Release Date Trailer for the game has also been embedded above.
Posted in News
Tagged PAX East 2020, PC, PS4, Switch, The Wonderful 101
See the first Gameplay Trailer for Alien Hominid Invasion
PAX East kicked off this morning, and The Behemoth has used the annual game expo to give fans a chance to try out their next project, Alien Hominid Invasion. But for those of us who couldn’t make the trek to Boston, they also uploaded a brand new Gameplay Trailer for the game, which has been embedded above.
The short clip gives us a nice peak at the developer’s commitment to “reimagine” Alien Hominid for a new generation of players. In addition to showcasing a variety of new ways to beat the dreaded Agents, Alien Hominid Invasion will include four-player cooperative play, a non-linear world map, procedurally-generated levels, and customizable alien mutations that grant superpowers such as speed, healing, and flight:
Alien Hominid Invasion is packed with chaos, mayhem, and a whole lot of explosions. Unlock and equip an arsenal of weapons and boosts, level up, then beam down to invade Earth with up to three other friends. Abduct intel from your enemies to sabotage their plans, observe the oddities of human life, blow up bosses, and mutate into a variety of powerful Alien forms in order to take down the not-so-secret Agents that are dead set on ruining your day.
Alien Hominid Invasion doesn’t have a release date, but it’s currently in development for the PC, Switch, and Xbox One.
Posted in News
Tagged Alien Hominid Invasion, PAX East 2020, PC, Switch, Xbox One
Sumo Digital will bring arcade-inspired Hotshot Racing to PC and consoles this Spring
From 2004’s OutRun 2 all the way up to last year’s Team Sonic Racing, developer Sumo Digital has spent the majority of their long history producing some of the best arcade-style racing games in existence. And today, the UK-based studio announced their next major project… the retro-inspired Hotshot Racing.
Previously known as “Racing Apex,” Hotshot Racing will be co-developed by Lucky Mountain Games and published by Curve Digital. The game will feature multiple racers, as well as online multiplayer for up to eight players, four-player local splitscreen, and an amazing polygonal style that’ll pop off the screen at 60 frames per second:
Curve Digital is delighted to unveil the colourful retro-inspired racing game, Hotshot Racing, from Lucky Mountain Games and experienced racing genre stalwarts, Sumo Digital. Hotshot Racing channels classic arcade racers sporting colorful polygonal visuals, boost-fueled drift gameplay and a silky smooth 60 frames per second in the game’s single-player modes regardless of platform.
Hotshot Racing is set to emulate and expand upon the classic ‘90s arcade racing game formula featuring eight different hotshot drivers to choose from (each with their own personality and multiple varied four-wheeled rides), 16 personality-filled sun-baked tracks from across the globe, and multiple game modes for players to prove their driving prowess.
Hotshot Racing will be released this Spring for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. And be sure to peek a glimpse at the Announcement Trailer embedded above.
Super Crush KO Review – A Pretty Great Pastel Puncher
Vertex Pop is a developer that first appeared on my radar in 2015 after the release of their debut game, We Are Doomed. The excellent twin-stick shooter used a graphical style reminiscent of paper cutouts to build its unique world, and paired it with the chill soundtrack that helped slow down the often frantic action.
We Are Doomed was followed two years later by Graceful Explosion Machine, a side-scrolling shooter that cemented the papery look and relaxing tunes as something of a house style for the developer, while also breaking out as one of the first big “Nindies” on the Switch.
That house style is once again on full display in Super Crush KO, a classically-styled beat ’em up that’s been drenched in Vertex Pop’s signature pastel palette. (more…)
Posted in Reviews
Tagged PC, Super Crush KO, Switch