Blizzard has already done statues for Tracer and Reaper, and up next, it's Widowmaker.
Pre-orders are now open for the 13.5-inch Overwatch statue ahead of a planned Q3 2017 ship date. Not that it's cheap, but at $150, this isn't quite the wallet destroyer I was expecting.
Take a peek (and then jolt back behind cover):
For many veteran gamers, Planescape: Torment was a definitive role-playing title -- it combined an unusual setting with a deep story, memorable dialogue and gameplay mechanics that still hold up. If you're one of those fans, you won't have long to wait to relieve that experience on modern hardware. Beamdog, Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast have revealed that they're launching Planescape: Torment Enhanced Edition on April 11th. As with most better remastering efforts, this involves more than a little spit and polish to make the game run on newer hardware.
Via: PC Gamer
Source: Beamdog
If you've been looking to play Minecraft with your other Apple TV-owning gamer buddies, it's time to get excited. The latest update to the Apple TV version of this hit game enables "Realms," Minecraft's subscription-based multiplayer system. This upgraded version also includes Xbox Live authentication support, which will let players access their linked avatars and character skins.
Via: 9 to 5 Mac
Source: Minecraft
Thanks to its simple but eye-catching art direction, Graceful Explosion Machine stood out to me among Nintendo's big list of Switch indies. We've known that it would be one of the early non-port eShop titles with its planned April launch, and things are moving fast -- it's coming next Thursday, April 6.
This is a dash-happy, combo-building shoot-'em-up in which your titular vessel can employ four different weapon types: a blaster, a beam, a missile launcher, and my favorite, an energy sword.
Developer Vertex Pop says to expect "30+ levels across 4 unique worlds." There's no co-op mode (which I only mention because it's been a point of emphasis for the Switch), but the price seems right.
Xbox One players can soon learn the joys and horrors of Enter the Gungeon.
Dodge Roll is bringing its gun-obsessed dungeon-crawling shooter to Xbox One on April 5, 2017, complete with cross-save and cross-buy support for Windows 10. As you'd hope and expect, these new versions of the game will have the meaty Supply Drop Update included right from the start.
"We think it's fitting Enter the Gungeon will release on Xbox One and Windows 10 on April 5 exactly one year since the original release," said the studio. "Since then we've focused on player feedback and technical improvements, which we will continue to do the coming months."
This is, as they say, a good get.
They say history is destined to repeat itself. That will be the case with regard to timed platform-exclusive content in Destiny 2.
Just like with the original Destiny, the sequel will have some content coming to PlayStation 4 before Xbox One. That revelation comes via a tacked-on stinger to today's Destiny 2 teaser via the PlayStation YouTube channel. The last few seconds of the video mention PS4 getting timed-exclusive content "until at least fall 2018." It also says that more details will come this summer.
It's obviously too early to know exactly what this will be, but it sounds like it could be a perfect retread of the path Activision and Sony took in 2014. That roadmap had PS3 and PS4 getting early access to certain multiplayer maps, strikes, and weapons. More significant add-ons like The Dark Below and House of Wolves released simultaneously on all platforms.
In fact, this (probably) extremely similar sidling up might not even be a new arrangement; it could very easily be a continuation of the original deal, as Destiny as a franchise has always been reported to have a 10-year plan right from the get-go. Those are business details that we'll likely never know, but it's certainly feasible that Sony jumped at the chance to wrap up as much of Bungie's newest shooter as it possibly could.
That's really neither here nor there, though. What matters is that people who want as much Destiny content as soon as possible should probably look PlayStation 4's way when the sequel releases later this year -- and that's exactly what Sony wants.
Just as Dark Souls III wraps up this week with its final expansion, The Ringed City, Famitsu has shared a tantalizing new interview with game director and From Software president Hidetaka Miyazaki.
As translated by Gematsu, he reiterates that for the Dark Souls series, "there are no further developments planned at the moment, at least." Nothing has changed on that front. But when asked about the studio's future -- specifically what type of game he'd like to make -- he had this to say:
"Since I've already started work on several, it would be a spoiler if I said something. One thing I can say is that our stance on game production has not changed. In making a new game, we're not being conscious of making something that resembles Dark Souls, or on the other hand of making something that doesn't resemble Dark Souls. Not being concerned about whether it is similar to Dark Souls, I plan on making a game that I want to make now, and that is interesting and worthwhile."
As much as I genuinely do want more action-RPGs with intricate worlds to come out of From Software, to my mind, there's no better sentiment than "I want to make what I'm passionate about."
Dark Souls III director not concerned about whether or not his next game resembles Dark Souls [Gematsu]
You'd think with its shooter MMO Destiny receiving its final content addition today, its creator Bungie would give it a moment gracefully riding into the sunset before championing its replacement. But an image leaked earlier this week sparked rumors of a September 8th release date for its sequel, which is seriously called Destiny 2, might have forced the studio's hand to release...a teaser for the game's official trailer, coming out this Thursday at 10 AM ET. Yeah.
Via: Polygon
Source: Bungie (YouTube)
On a space station overrun with aliens, the easy solution is to constantly use guns until the alien problem is no longer a problem. Just blast away until everything stops moving. Our video game training should have us well-prepared for this.
But, Prey takes a more creative approach. Outlined in this video are a bunch of the powers that are designed to confuse and distract the enemies. A few good ones are: Making two turrets flame-fight each other, sending an alien to attack a decoy and then blowing the proxy up, and throwing a grenade that turns everything into jellybeans. (Okay, they're actually "craftable resources" but they look like jellybeans.)
A lot of what we've seen of Prey seems to be rooted in subverting typical combat situations. Earlier looks had the protagonist turning into mundane objects to hide from aliens. This trailer is considerably more power fantasy but is still restrained enough to keep from resorting to just shooting everything in sight. Our hope is that the final product encourages a varied approach just as much as this video does. It undoubtedly seems like the best way to play.
Ubisoft has shared its Watch Dogs 2 content roadmap for this year.
What's on the schedule? Quite a lot, even for folks who are understandably staying far away from the season pass. On the free front, the open-world hackathon will be getting three team-based player-versus-player modes (April 17), a non-lethal paintball rifle, armored "loot trucks" to hunt down, more outfits, and multiplayer support for activities like motocross, eKart, and drone races.
"Pitting two pairs of players against each other, Showd0wn is an endgame challenge for experienced players. Its competitive matches come in three flavors: Steal the HDD; Doomload, a King of the Hill-style match; and Erase/Protect the Servers, a Watch Dogs twist on classic domination matches."
And while it's further out, Ubisoft is also adding four-player co-op support in June.
As for paid DLC, No Compromise (April 18 on PS4; May 18 on PC and Xbox One) is focused more on single-player story content with a multi-mission arc dubbed "Moscow Gambit," some new time trials, the car-shoving Air Shotgun, and the Taser Sniper Rifle. Embrace the non-lethal options!
Watch Dogs 2 – No Compromise DLC Gets More Content, Showd0wn Now In Free Update [Ubisoft]
Now that Destiny 2 is officially officially officially confirmed as a real game, Activision's wasting no time with the marketing efforts. One day after the first image promoting the sequel, we get the first video.
Embedded above is a teaser trailer titled "Last Call" in which Cayde-6 tries to entertain an uninterested barkeep with tales of the battles from his past. As another firefight breaks out near him, he calmly exclaims "better get back to it."
There's nothing of real substance to be found here, but it seems as if that wait probably won't be long. The end of the video mentions that the worldwide reveal trailer will launch on March 30 at 10am Pacific. That's fewer than 48 hours from now. Of course, we'll be here to cover it all as we learn more.
When Nintendo first revealed its new game console back in October, it chose to end the device's teaser trailer with a shot of a packed arena cheering an esports team. Its game of choice was Splatoon 2 for Nintendo Switch. The scene represented two things: Nintendo staking a claim in the competitive gaming space and a promise that the new console's portability would allow gamers to take that competitive online experience on the road. I put the latter half of that pledge to the test during last week's Global Testfire preview, and it held up better than I ever imagined.
Here's a quick Tuesday trivia question: Which online retailer would be the first to discount the PlayStation VR headset? Amazon, GameStop, Target, perhaps Walmart? Nope. The answer is Monoprice.
The value-oriented generic brand electronics retailer, while generally computer and audio focused, does carry the occasional gaming console deals. Today it's offering the popular PS VR headset with a 5% price cut down to $379.99. The $20 discount is the first price break we've spotted to date on the virtual realty headset from Sony.
This is a today-only offer so if you've been eyeing a PS VR headset and want to reap a little bit of savings, you really can't go wrong. For those that don't reside in either CA and KY, you'll also be able to pick up some extra savings from the lack of sales tax being charged. Note that while Monoprice usually offers further discounts when you buy multiple units, even if you pick up 50 of these the price will remain firm at $379.99 (duh).
With this first deal on the PlayStation VR, we're hoping this means supplies have finally caught up to demand and you should be able to easily find units in stock at your local stores, no matter the region you reside. Let us know in the comments if the expires early or goes out of stock.
Actually, that should be "Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series," but hell if we're gonna cram all that business into an easily scannable headline. The studio's next adventure series starts on Tuesday, April 18 with Tangled Up in Blue (great name!), the first of five planned episodes.
Today's takeaway? Thanos and his illustrious chin are in the game.
Telltale says there will be a new trailer out this Thursday, and it also has plans for a Guardians season pass disc. That'll arrive at retail on May 2 in North America and May 5 in other regions.
I'm in full wait-and-see mode with this one.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series Premieres April 18 [Telltale]
If you enjoy knowing the limits of your gaming ability, feast your peasant eyes upon this deal. Dark Souls series titles are on tap with savings this week at DLGamer, with Dark Souls III at a new historic low price of only $24. This beats out all previous deal we've seen for the game since the start of 2017.
Another decent deal in the mix is Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin at a bit under $10. Note that while Dark Souls III Deluxe Edition is also on sale for $51 - you're probably better off picking up the included Season Pass elsewhere for more savings. For example, you can scoop up the Season Pass at GamesPlanet for about $20. Coupled with the Dark Souls III deal at DLGamer, you're getting everything for only $44. Not too shabby, human meat bag.
Dark Souls PC Deals
Everything above is a Steam key. The DLGamer deals will expire later this week on March 30th at about 5pm Eastern.
In many survival-themed games, the ecosystem doesn't change much. Predators are always out to kill you, while prey just wants to mind its own business. However, you'll have to be much more thoughtful with the just-released Rain World. Videocult's long-in-the-making PS4 and Windows action adventure (its crowdfunding campaign started in 2014) has you fighting for life in a wilderness where animals learn from their interactions with you. Seemingly docile critters may start treating you as a threat if you play too aggressively, while hostile beasts might back off if you figure out what they need. Some enemies have their own predators to worry about, so you're not the only threat.
Source: PlayStation Blog, Steam
Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare is going to be around for a while longer as Activision still has three more DLC packs to drop. In between those Season Pass offerings is a bunch of other add-ons, including a set of voice packs that are dropping later today for both consoles, and at a later date on PC.
For $3.99 you can grab the Method Man announcer pack, which offers Wu-Tang inspired killstreak announcements among other vocal stylings. For those of you who really dug Modern Warfare 2 (I didn't) you can also get the "Ghost" voice pack, which, if you didn't remember (you probably don't) morphs the announcer into a "tough-talking British Soldier." Thankfully that one is free.
It's going to be hard to beat the Snoop Pack from Ghosts, but Method Man will try. Respect to Method, but I'd kill (ha) for a Ghost Face or RZA pack.
Mafia III didn't hit a lot of the right notes for a lot of people, but if you're still into the idea of playing past the slog of a campaign, there's some DLC in the pipeline. The first of three packs is actually available today, and will feature Lincoln Clay yet again in the chapter "Faster, Baby!" The other two add-ons are coming this summer.
While you wait (for the others, or to see if this first one is any good) you can grab a demo for Mafia III starting today on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The Mafia series is an interesting beast, as there's an eight year gap between the first and second game, and a six year gap between the second and third.
Only the first has a sterling reputation, but the second broke the record for the most cursing in a game (which was subsequently taken by Grand Theft Auto V), so it has something!
Although the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild development videos are finished, Nintendo dropped a "Bonus Session" that basically involves the lead development team shooting the shit about their favorite moments. Interestingly enough most of them love Wolf Link even though he only makes a cameo appearance as a companion if you own the amiibo. They also hit on their top open world moments, as well as shrines, and favorite foods.
They mostly avoid spoilers and refrain from details, but it's best enjoyed if you watch it after you play. Eiji Aonuma has always had a passion for the series as a director/producer since 2000, so you know he's loving the fact that Breath of the Wild is universally celebrated as opposed to some of the other polarizing entries in recent memory.
Final Fantasy XIV is set to leave the PS3 in the dust with the upcoming expansion, but up until then everyone can have one last hurrah before it's time to upgrade your PC, or swap to PS4. Square Enix has announced that they've dropped some of the restrictions for free trial accounts -- most notably, they've removed the 14 day restriction. Now you can play indefinitely up to level 35 with up to eight characters and join parties or linkshells.
In other news patch 3.56 is out today, which ends the Heavensward expansion storyline and segues into Stormblood, which is out in June. Weekly restrictions for the Creator Savage raid have been removed and new story quests are in. I haven't been playing as much FFXIV lately, but that's basically my MO for just about every MMO on the eve of an expansion.
When Stormblood hits I'll be going through it with my Paladin on day one and creating those cool looking new classes.
Patch 3.56 [Final Fantasy]
As a multi-media franchise, The Walking Dead is at its best when the overarching tale of survival against the undead and/or the murderous community de jour is working in conjunction with smaller, compelling stories of regular people in an irregular situation. That's why a lot of The Walking Dead – again, as a whole – doesn't really work: either the macro story is rote and overpowering or the micro story follows a group of unlikable pests.
(See also: the second season of Telltale's The Walking Dead)
So far, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier has done a great job of subverting the pitfalls you'd normally expect from this series. But even if this was another Carver situation, with another evil settlement lead by a guy who doesn't shut up about "what it takes to survive," A New Frontier would still manage to succeed on the strength of its characters. These people have a depth and consistency you don't often see from horror protagonists, let alone video game characters.
There's still plenty of time for everything to fall apart, but we're three episodes in. Maybe it's safe. Right now, A New Frontier might end up being the most consistently good thing Telltale has released since, well, The Walking Dead season one.
So it's been nearly one month since the launch of the Nintendo Switch worldwide, and it has quite a few games under its belt. While a lot of folks have been parroting "it just has Zelda" for the past several weeks, there's already a swarthy amount of physical and eShop games alike out for the system.
I've been playing a lot of Snipperclips and World of Goo with my wife, and even though the latter is a port (and dirty sounding), the IR and multiplayer really make it one of the easiest versions to pick up and play. Beyond that I'm still putting a dent in my 100+ hour Zelda file while I meander in and out of the 11 games I've acquired through review work and personal purchases.
I want to get an idea of what the attach rate is for software among the community though, as I've seen all sorts of anecdotal stories that involve anything from "I only intend to buy Zelda for it" to "I'm broke because I bought everything." For me, this is the most active I've been with a launch console since the PS2 and Dreamcast.
I have a known fondness for difficult games. When applied correctly, adversity and challenge can raise a game to another level. I've gleefully lapped up the absurdities and frustrations of titles like Darkest Dungeon and the Binding of Isaac in the past.
Rain World is the only title I've played in recent memory where I felt I had to shut it off for the night and walk away or I was going to put my controller through the screen. It's the kind of game that wallows in the worst kind of difficulty. The kind that wastes the player's time, punishes them for factors beyond their control, and undercuts what otherwise could have been a phenomenal experience.
A few years ago, the 3D platformer was in a bad place. Mario was still around, but the genre had little support elsewhere. Colorful games like Crash Bandicoot, Pyschonauts and Jak and Daxter had vanished in favor of grittier, more realistic adventures. There was the occasional surprise, like the papercraft-inspired Tearaway, but nothing close to the breadth of games found on the N64, PlayStation and PlayStation 2. The market had moved on, publishers thought, and it no longer made sense to fund ambitious, big-budget projects like Beyond Good and Evil.
If you've been eyeing one of Razer's "professional gaming laptops" since December, you're going to want to wait just a little bit longer. That's because the company announced today that it's releasing a new iteration of its flagship laptop, the Blade Pro. It now features a seventh-gen quad-core Intel i7 CPU and faster RAM than what was offered on last year's model. Additionally, the new model has earned THX certification for both video and audio.
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.
Welcome to Tuesday, and we're letting an AI influence our tweets, see cell division that looks like the intro to an X-Men movie, and hear about Andy Rubin's new smartphone. In case you didn't know, he was the guy behind Android. Not too bad for a Tuesday, unofficially the most average day of the week.
