Warp Zoned Presents
Author: Dan Hobbs
Killzone: Shadow Fall Review: Proof That the PS4 Launched With A Bang
Killzone: Shadow Fall, brought to us by Guerrilla Games, is the sixth installment in the ten-year-old Killzone franchise. While it’s still not the transcendent shooter that Guerrilla is clearly capable of producing, the team has taken a lot of feedback on the previous titles and incorporated it into Shadow Fall to create the best game in the series. (more…)
Posted in PS4, Reviews, Top Story
Tagged Killzone: Shadow Fall
$399 Xbox One without Kinect bundle announced
Microsoft has just announced that, starting June 9, an Xbox One system bundle without the Kinect sensor included will go on sale for $399.99. However, if you want to purchase a Kinect in the future, Microsoft said that the option to purchase a standalone sensor will be available this Fall. The standard $499.99 Xbox One + Kinect bundle, which Microsoft’s Yusuf Mehdi calls the “best [Xbox One] experience,” will remain on the market.
Phil Spencer, the Xbox Division’s Head, said (via the Xbox Wire) that this decision is all about offering more choice to Xbox customers. However, he also made it clear that Kinect will be part of the Xbox going forward.
“To be clear, as we introduce this new Xbox One console option, Kinect remains an important part of our vision,” Spencer said. “Many of you are using Kinect for Xbox One every day. In fact, more than 80 percent of you are actively using Kinect, with an average of 120 voice commands per month on each console.”
This is a major reversal from Microsoft’s original opinion of the Xbox One and Kinect. Originally, there were some fears that the Xbox One would only operate when connected to a Kinect sensor.
Toddler-Horror game Among the Sleep coming to PS4
Today, we learned that the unique horror game Among the Sleep is coming to the PlayStation 4 thanks to an announcement on the PlayStation Blog.
Described as “Toddler-Horror” by developer Krillbite Studio, Among the Sleep lets you play as a two-year-old with a wild imagination and a limited range of movement. With only a teddy bear for companionship, you explore your home after dark trying to make sense of the world and what is terrifying you. Best of all, the game will include support for Sony’s Project Morpheus headset.
Ole Andreas Jordet, Krillbite’s CEO, said the game will be coming to the PC and PS4 soon. But if you can’t wait you can try the demo on PC platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux) or you can watch the latest gameplay trailer.
Posted in News, PC, PS4
Tagged Among the Sleep
DriveClub finally has a release date: October 7
After numerous doubts and delays, Sony’s DriveClub finally has an official release date.
The racer from Evolution Studios was initially set to release during the PlayStation 4’s launch period last November but was later pushed to early 2014. But last month, Sony said the developers had “gone back to the drawing board” on the title. But today, Shuhei Yoshida, President of Sony Worldwide Studios, has announced (via the PlayStation Blog), that DriveClub will be released on October 7.
Yoshida noted that the game also has a new Director, Paul “Rushy” Rustchynsky, who was in charge of 2012’s MotorStorm RC:
“With Rushy in the lead, we know DriveClub will deliver on its initial promise to be a truly next-gen racing title for our PS4 portfolio. We are really proud of the incredible work the team has produced — their tenacity and passionate pursuit of excellence is admirable, and DriveClub will be all the better for it.”
However, releasing on October 7 may be a mistake for DriveClub. The game will be joined by a trio of additional games also set for release that day: Middle-Earth: Shadow of Morder, Alien: Isolation, and Dragon Age: Inquisition.
InFamous: Second Son Review: New City, Same InFamous
The InFamous series, like many superhero simulations before it, is at its best when the player is made to feel like a 24-carat badass. InFamous: Second Son is possibly the epitome of this feeling. However, after experiencing that same feeling in the two (and a half) previous games in the series, alongside numerous other titles of their ilk, the effect is diminished. (more…)
Posted in PS4, Reviews, Top Story
Tagged InFamous: Second Son
One Release Date to Rule Them All… Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is out October 7
As someone who knows little-to-nothing about The Lord of the Rings, beyond faint memories of the books as an eight-year-old, I still think Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor looks pretty sweet. Warner Bros. Games just sent over a new “Story Trailer,” along with a whole bucketful of information about the upcoming third-person action-adventure.
WB Games has confirmed that the Monolith Productions- developed game will be released on October 7 and players who pre-order Shadow of Mordor will get access to the “Dark Ranger Exclusive Bonus Pack.” The pack will provide exclusive content and challenges for early adopters including:
- Dark Ranger Character Skin – Begin your own quest for vengeance with a new Dark Ranger character skin that embodies Talion’s darker side.
- “Test of Power” Challenge Mode – Face Sauron’s Captains and defeat them to earn powerful Runes and gain a head start in the game
- Access to Exclusive Leaderboards for “Test of Power” Challenge Mode – Test your speed, skill and strategy and measure yourself against your friends on the leaderboards in this challenge mode
And in case you haven’t upgraded to a next-generation console yet, don’t worry, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor will be available for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Amazon unveils Fire TV, a set-top box for games and video
Amazon has entered another product market with the announcement of the Fire TV, an Android-powered set-top box that streams audio and video, and plays games. The Fire TV is available now for $99.
According to Amazon, the Fire TV is designed purely to outpace it’s competitors. The 0.7-inch-thick box features a quad-core CPU with 2 GB of RAM, a Qualcomm Adreno 320 GPU, and a dual-band wireless radio with two antennas for 1080p streaming. Long story short, as far as tech specs go, it trounces the Roku 3 and Apple TV with ease.
The gaming aspect of the box is geared more towards non-traditional gamers, people who may already tap about on a smartphone or tablet. To get into the game, players will have to purchase an Xbox-like add-on controller that retails for $39.99. The controller also comes with 1,000 Amazon coins, a digital currency used for buying games from the Fire store. If a game supports it, players can choose to use their smartphone, tablet, or Fire TV Remote instead.
Amazon’s in-house development team, Amazon Games, plans to build exclusive games for the device. Sev Zero, a third-person shooter/tower defense hybrid, is one such title and everyone who purchases the Fire TV Controller will receive it for free. Amazon hopes that by the end of next month “thousands” of games will be available from developers and publishers like 2K Games, Disney, Double Fine Productions, Electronic Arts, Sega, Telltale Games, and Ubisoft. Third party titles like Minecraft: Pocket Edition and Gameloft’s Asphalt 8: Airborne are already available for the device.
Amazon has pegged the average cost of a Fire TV game at $1.85, with prices starting at $0.99. Free-to-play titles will be available as well. But what else can the Fire TV do? (more…)
Batman: Arkham Origins Review: Arkham Awful
After the previous two installments in the Batman: Arkham franchise were critically lauded, the pressure was on new studio Warner Bros. Montreal to make a third title that hit the highs of Asylum and City and closed out the generation with an awesome action-adventure extravaganza. However, the pressure must have been too much for them to bear. What was actually released, in the form of Batman: Arkham Origins, was a twisted, soulless mess that feels like little more than a shameless cash-in. (more…)