Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: Features
5 Indie Games for PS4 to Spend Your Watch Dogs Money On
Gamers, please accept my apology. I didn’t mean to; it was a complete mistake. I take all the blame, and I hope that one day you will be able to find it in your heart to forgive me.
I pre-ordered Watch Dogs a few days ago.
I know, I know. If only I hadn’t pre-ordered the game, I wouldn’t have jinxed the whole thing, and the game never would have been delayed. Believe me; I’m just as devastated as you. Now my PS4 lineup will be without the title that I was looking forward to most. But hey – I don’t like to dwell on the past. I’m a half-full kind of guy. So I wiped my tears and got to searching for the next great next-gen game. And you know what I found? It looks like some of the best games won’t be coming from hundred-developer teams and multi-million dollar budgets. My friends, this generation is all about the indies.
While doing my research on what PS4 launch game to get to while I wait for Watch Dogs, I was a bit let down. Sure, there are some good choices, like Call of Duty: Ghosts and Killzone: Shadow Fall, but those didn’t really jump out at me. I’m already getting Knack, and I don’t have too deep an interest in sports or racing games. It was only when I started perusing the downloadable titles that I really started to get excited. And you should too. So here’s just a few upcoming PS4 independent games to use that Watch Dogs money on. (more…)
Kickstart This! The Opulent October Edition
October, the month where towns and shops put up Christmas decorations before people have even celebrated Halloween, when you remember that you have a heating system that has lain dormant all summer. And also the celebration of when I crawled out of the womb, a video game controller already in my hand (all birthday presents are welcome). But rather than spend your money on me, or hoarding it for a last minute Christmas Eve rush, instead why not channel the spirit of Tam o’ Shanter and dance with a strange devil in the midnight oil. And by this I mean give a nice game developer a Kickstarter donation.
There are five projects shaking their Starbuck-emblazoned begging cup at you, starting with the video game version of an old homeless man, ColecoVision. There is also Japanese Action RPG Reborn, Zombie RTS Undead Overload, the Lovecraftian 2D adventure game Mark of the Old Ones, and last but not least, the beautiful and unique Knite and the Ghost Lights.
Let’s go. (more…)
The Games of October 2013
The Fall is finally upon us, and with it, the influx of fantastic games truly begins! We here at Warp Zoned are all over the map in what we are anticipating, although we’re all in agreement about one thing… Batman: Arkham Origins. Read on to find out what else we plan on playing while we get ready for Halloween! (more…)
Warpback: What We Played in September 2013
This has been an amazing month for gaming – at least it has been for us here at Warp Zoned! We’ve been playing games that are all over the map, but it seems we’ve all especially been pretty attached to the console release of Diablo III. Read on to find out what else has been taking up all of our free time! (more…)
Interview: Traveling the Death Road to Canada with Rocketcat’s Kepa Auwae
In our most recent Kickstart This! feature, the Sweet September Edition, we highlighted Rocketcat Games’ Death Road to Canada, a top-down “randomized permadeth road trip simulator” that pits you against mobs of undead hoardes while trying to survive the apocalypse. The game proved to be popular among Kickstarter backers, roaring across its $25,000 goal line and currently sitting at more than $40,000. With a few hours to go, we spoke with Kepa Auwae, the game’s Lead Designer, to discuss zombies, gaming inspirations, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. (more…)
Posted in Features, Interviews, Mobile, PC, Previews, Top Story
Tagged Death Road to Canada
Interview: The Harrowing Inspiration Behind Matt Gilgenbach’s Neverending Nightmares
In the recent Sweet September Edition of our regular Kickstart This! feature, we highlighted the pencil-drawn psychological horror adventure Neverending Nightmares. The story behind the game’s development is incredible, and even more heartfelt.
Matt Gilgenbach, the creative mastermind behind the game, is well known for developing the reverse 2D space shooter Retro/Grade. Although it was lauded by critics, the game was a commercial disaster. Its lack of sales pushed Gilgenbach into a state of severe depression, which was also coupled with his on-going battle with OCD. After a couple of years, Gilgenbach managed to take inspiration from his mental disorders and transform them into Neverending Nightmares, a semi-autobiographical tale of horror. I caught up with Gilgenbach to find out more about what has driven him to make such a unique and personal game. (more…)
Posted in Features, Interviews, PC, Previews, Top Story
Tagged Neverending Nightmares
Warp Zoned Rewind: HD Remakes
Well kiddies, it’s about that time… time to bid a fond farewell to the seventh generation of our favorite hobby. And what a generation it was! Lasting longer than any console cycle before it, this generation brought more than just some amazing titles. The console has become an all-in-one entertainment hub, as opposed to being “just a gaming system.” From apps like Netflix and Hulu Plus to the advent of motion control and the renaissance of indie games, there hasn’t been a better time to be a gamer. We have come so far in these past eight years, and the future looks brighter than ever.
As we play our Wii Us, and eagerly anticipate Microsoft and Sony’s consoles with bated breath, I feel it’s prudent to take a look back at this generation and discuss some of my favorite video games. Titles that left a lasting impression on us. Titles that will forever live in our collective memories as some of the most enjoyable experiences we’ve ever had.
Since there are so many amazing games, I’ve decided to list my favorites based on genre. In this article, I’m going to go with a new genre that emerged this generation: HD remakes. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, HD remakes helped older gamers relive fond memories, and gave a beautiful history lesson to people who recently discovered this hobby. Here are my favorite HD remakes of this generation. (more…)
Kickstart This! The Sweet September Edition
In the space of two short days, Keiji Inafune, co-creator of video game character Mega Man, managed to reach 100% funding for his new project, Mighty No. 9. The new game, whose lead character Beck bears an uncanny resemblance to Mega Man, has managed to rekindle something in the hearts of all those fans let down by Capcom with his Kickstarter campaign. It is the clearest sign yet that big-named developers are turning to the crowd funding site to raise capital for their dream projects. While the game is definitely coming to PC, if it manages to raise $2.2 million, it will be developed for current gen consoles and the Wii U to boot.
What it also does, and does very well, is walk the tightrope between creativity and plagiarism. Kickstarter developers take note. When the Mighty No. 9 video was shown at PAX, with the Kickstarter campaign simultaneously going live (and what a lovely piece of marketing that was), many began to wonder if Capcom was aware of the project, given its uncanny resemblance to Inafune’s other character for which Capcom holds the rights. Time will tell if the goliath game company decide to take legal action against indie outfit Comcept, but given the careful steps taken to distance Beck’s initial outing from Mega Man, while playing on fan’s prior knowledge of and desire for a sequel to that series, they may not have any legal recourse. Of course, this does not always guarantee immediate success; just look at Precursor Games Shadow of the Eternals, a spiritual sequel to the GameCube’s excellent Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
So what other titles are currently vying for your money? There is Death Road to Canada, which is The Last of Us meets Dead Rising for mobiles, Mac and PC. Continuing the horror theme, there is psychological horror Neverending Nightmares, which looks like a hand drawn Silent Hill. Also drawing comparisons to that series, as well as Eternal Darkness, is Shades of Sanity.
Changing tack away from horror (kind of), RedNeck Assassin draws on House of the Dead: Overkill and Splinter Cell. Meanwhile, Super Mario Galaxy meets Portal in the gravity-bending FPS platformer Aterra. Last but by no means least, sci-fi ARTS .Decimal which looks like the futurist offspring of Mechwarrior and Command & Conquer.
In three, two, one… (more…)