Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: PC
Grandia HD Collection is coming to the Switch and PC “soon”
GungHo Online Entertainment America has announced that Switch owners will “soon” be able to purchase the Grandia HD Collection, a compilation of the first two entries the franchise.
While GungHo wasn’t ready to announce a release date just yet, they did say that a re-release of the first game, Grandia HD Remaster, will be available to download for the PC on the same day (a Grandia II HD Remaster is already available through Steam). As of now, it looks like PC players will have to purchase both games individually and won’t receive the HD Collection as a single package.
Both games in the Grandia HD Collection will receive a graphical makeover with high definition sprites, along with an enhanced user interface. But fans new and old will be able to experience the classic RPGs just as they were in the late 90s/early 2000s:
Grandia HD Collection Features
- Real-Time, Turn-Based Action – Experience and employ a unique action bar system for real-time fighting with distinct characters
- Magic-Based Combat – Gather Mana Eggs to learn and use magic-based skills, ranging from elemental attacks to character-enhancing magic for defense and offense statistical boosts
- Illustrious Worlds to Explore – The vibrant worlds in Grandia HD Collection include nostalgic starter cities such as Parm (Grandia) and Carbo Village (Grandia II) to iconic fields and areas such as The End of the World (Grandia) and Valmar’s Moon (Grandia II)
- Gather Skill Points and ATTACK! – Skill Points or Skill Coins can be used to earn incredibly intense moves that make for an extraordinary fighting experience
- Eclectic Enemy Encounters – The worlds of Grandia and Grandia II bring forth a plethora of challenging and epic enemies in the wild, as well as main storyline bosses
- Ear-Indulging, Melodious Compositions – Experience world exploration, momentous battles, and legendary in-game experiences in beautiful harmony with musical compositions from acclaimed Japanese composer Noriyuki Iwadare
GungHo Online Entertainment America is planning to bring the Grandia HD Collection to next week’s E3 Expo and we should learn more about the compilation then.
Google Stadia will launch in November for $10 per month (but you’ll have to buy new games separately)
Google has been teasing their Google Stadia game streaming service for months now, and after a short tease back in March, the tech giant stepped back into the spotlight earlier today with an even more in-depth look at what it’ll offer.
The big news is that Google Stadia will launch in November, but the company also revealed a lot more information about how the service will work, including confirmation that players will need to individually purchase most of their games through the service.
The streaming service will be split into a Pro tier and a Base tier, and Pro players will pay $10 per month to stream games at 4K resolution, but they’ll also receive access to an “ever-expanding library of free games.” The Base tier will offer free access to Google Stadia, but it’s not scheduled to launch until 2020, streaming quality will be limited to 1080p, and players will need to purchase every game they wish to play individually.
That pricing plan is a tad surprising, but Google also said that players who want to be there from the beginning will need to purchase a special Founder’s Edition Bundle. Priced at $129.99, the bundle will include an exclusive Night Blue Stadia Controller, a Chromecast Ultra dongle, a copy of Destiny 2: The Collection, and a three-month subscription to the Pro tier.
That said, the streaming service will receive support from a large number of publishers and developers, and Stadia players will be able to stream games such as Borderlands 3, Darksiders Genesis, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, and many more at launch (or shortly after). The complete list of confirmed titles can be found after the break.
And in case you missed it, the Google Stadia Connect livestream where all these announcements happened has been embedded above. (more…)
Ubisoft will unveil Watch Dogs Legion at E3 2019
Thanks to a new tweet on the official Watch Dogs Twitter account, we now know that Ubisoft will unveil the third game in the franchise at the E3 Expo next week. Featuring the tagline, “God Save the NPCs,” it’s a safe bet that Watch Dogs Legion will be taking the franchise to London.
This mini-announcement jibes with a recent report from Kotaku about Watch Dogs Legion. According to Jason Schreier, the game’s tagline is quite literal, as players will be able to take control of any character they find on the streets of London:
Watch Dogs Legion is set in London, as we confirmed a while ago, and here’s the really interesting gimmick: You can play as any NPC you recruit in the game. From the product description:
“Play as anyone, Every individual you meet in the open world, has a full set of animations, voice over, character traits and visuals that are generated and guided by gameplay systems.”
I’ve heard the same, and also that you’ll see different things at different points in the game depending which NPC you’re playing as.
We’ll learn more about Watch Dogs Legion during Ubisoft’s E3 2019 Press Conference on Monday, June 10.
Blasphemous is a wild-looking gothic MetroidVania from The Game Kitchen
Spanish Developer The Game Kitchen has teamed up with Team17 to unveil Blasphemous, a gothicly-themed MetroidVania that pits a sword-swinging badass against a neverending cavalcade of eldritch abominations.
Showcasing themes and locales that wouldn’t look out of place in Castlevania, Bloodborne, and God of War, Blasphemous’s Reveal Trailer invites viewers to soak in the stylishly grotesque atmosphere of its unique world:
Prepare for a descent into a dark and punishing MetroidVania world where fast-paced, skilled combat combines with a deep and evocative narrative core. You will play as The Penitent One, a sole survivor of the massacre of the Silent Sorrow. Exploring the nightmarish world of Cvstodia and unlocking the hellish secrets within, only you can free it from a twisted fate and reach the origin of your torment.
- Explore A Non-Linear World: Overcome fearsome enemies and deadly traps as you venture through a variety of different landscapes and search for redemption.
- Brutal Combat: Release the power of the Mea Culpa, a sword born from guilt, to slaughter your foes. Acquire devastating new combos and special moves as you purge those who stand in your path.
- Executions: Unleash your wrath and relish in the gory dismemberment of your adversaries – all in beautifully rendered, pixel-perfect animations.
- Customize Your Build: Discover and equip Relics, Rosary Beads, Prayers, and Sword Hearts to give you new abilities and stat boosts to help you survive. Experiment with different combinations to suit your playstyle.
- Intense Boss Battles: Hordes of gigantic, twisted creates stand between you and your goal. Learn their attack patterns, strike them down and more importantly, survive.
- Unlock the Mysteries of Cvstodia: The world is full of tormented souls. Some offer you aid but may ask you for something in return. Uncover their stories to gain rewards and delve into the deep lore of the land.
Blasphemous is currently in development for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One, and it’ll be released “soon.”
New Retail Releases: Persona Q2, Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II, MotoGP 19, More
The 3DS (sort of) rides off into the sunset this week with the launch of Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, a brand new crossover RPG from Atlus. That’s because, barring an E3 surprise from Nintendo, Persona Q2 is currently the last major release planned for the venerable handheld. Players who decide to take the plunge will get to interact with characters from Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5 as they explore a series of labyrinths parodying popular film genres.
RPG fans will also be able to revisit Falcom’s Legend of Heroes franchise this week, as XSEED will re-release the second game in the series for the PS4 as The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II – Relentless Edition. The Relentless Edition will include a visual upgrade, a Turbo Mode to explore the map at high speed, a Japanese dual-audio option, expanded English voiceovers, and all previously-released downloadable content.
Elsewhere on store shelves this week, a trio of new games will fill out the lower tier of titles that typically launch ahead of the E3 Expo (which, remember, is happening next week).
Milestone will rev their motorcycle simulation engine one more time with the launch of MotoGP 19 for the PS4 and Xbox One (and on the PC as a digital download). Bigben’s Warhammer: Chaosbane, the first hack and slash based on Game Workshop’s fantasy universe, will also appear on all three platforms this week. And PQube returns with a new visual novel, Kotodama: The 7 Mysteries of Fujisawa, for the PS4 and Switch (and on the PC as a digital download).
Finally, after a slight delay, Bethesda will release The Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr expansion for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
That’s it for this week’s retail releases, but you’ll find plenty of other new games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop later this week.
Mortal Kombat 11’s Kombat Pack includes Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, Sindel, Spawn, and two more special guests
Since the launch of Mortal Kombat in 2009, NetherRealm Studios has been packing their fighting games with a bevy of post-launch content, and that will not change now that Mortal Kombat 11 is available on store shelves. The developer unveiled the contents of the Kombat Pack today, giving fans a closer look at Shang Tsung, and confirming that Nightwolf, Sindel, Todd McFarlane’s Spawn, and two more guest characters will be added to the game later this year.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa memorably portrayed Shang Tsung in 1995’s Mortal Kombat movie (and the Mortal Kombat: Legacy webseries), and NetherRealm has given him the chance to reprise the role in Mortal Kombat 11. Hearing Tagawa bellow “Your soul is mine!” at the end of the expansion’s trailer was thrilling.
But before that, we got to see the sorcerer put on quite the show, morphing into multiple ninja characters (Rain, Ermac, Noob Saibot, Reptile, Sub-Zero, and Scorpion) and flinging fireballs with abandon. It appears that Shang Tsung is also able to use his magic to temporarily turn a fight into a mirror match. Oh, and stick around for his Fatality, it’s a good one.
Shang Tsung will be available to download on June 18, and he’ll be followed by Nightwolf, Sindel, and Spawn. The two remaining guest characters are currently a mystery, though SOMEBODY is revving a chainsaw at the end of this trailer and I’d like to believe it’s Bruce Campbell as Ash.
THQ Nordic will unveil Darksiders 4 at E3 2019
The Electronic Software Association has posted the descriptions for this year’s series of E3 Coliseum panel talks at the E3 Expo. Naturally, much of the descriptions are hidden behind “To Be Announced” text, but a few surprises did manage to squeak through.
Darksiders fans will want to tune in on June 13 when Geoff Keighley, E3 Coliseum’s Producer, sits down with the game’s developers and helps them unveil the next game in the franchise. The currently-untitled Darksiders 4 will presumably turn its focus on the only member of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse yet to receive his own game, Strife:
Darksiders: Action Adventure Evolved
A discussion about the inception of the Darksiders universe and where it’s headed next. This panel will coincide with the E3 2019 unveil of a brand new Darksiders game that takes the franchise in a fresh direction. This is a panel discussion about the art and business of creating and maintaining an action adventure franchise rich in-game and corporate lore.
The most recent game in the series, Darksiders III, launched last November, and it was developed by Vigil Games and published by THQ Nordic.
Activision confirms Call of Duty 2019 will launch on October 25 and that it’ll be known as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
With Infinity Ward at the helm, it was widely expected that Call of Duty 2019 would eventually be revealed as a new entry in the Modern Warfare series. Well, today is that day… but with a twist.
Activision has officially announced that the next Call of Duty game is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and it’ll be available on October 25. This new Modern Warfare is a reboot for the sub-series, but things might get confusing as it mostly shares a title with 2016’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered (which was itself a redo of 2007’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare).
OK, it’s probably not that confusing. And rebooted games do have a history of recycling the original title (say hello to Tomb Raider, Doom, God of War, and many others). But Activision and Infinity Ward want to redefine what Modern Warfare means to fans with an immersive new Campaign that, according to the Activision Games Blog, “shines a light on the changing nature of modern war”:
The new Modern Warfare delivers an emotionally charged and intense campaign that shines a light on the changing nature of modern war. Expect a single-player experience that is edgy, culturally relevant, and thought-provoking.
Players will fight alongside a diverse cast of international special forces and freedom fighters working within the grey area of their rules of engagement, in a number of heart-pounding covert operations set throughout iconic European cities and into the volatile expanses of the Middle East.
Missions include close-quarter, stealth operations and long-range combat that puts tactical decision-making to the ultimate test.
Fans of the franchise will also be pleased to hear that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will feature a brand new engine (which supports “the latest advancements in visual engineering”) and offer full cross-play between platforms in online multiplayer and co-op modes. Activision and Infinity Ward are also eliminating the traditional Season Pass to focus on “free maps and content” and “post-launch events” for all players.
“Every design decision has been made with our players in mind,” said Patrick Kelly, the Creative Director of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. “With the launch of Modern Warfare, we’re taking steps to unite the community. First, we plan for Modern Warfare to be played together across PC and console through cross-play support. Second, we’re eliminating the traditional season pass, so that we can deliver more free maps and content as well as post-launch events to all players. This is just the beginning… there’s much more to come.”
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is currently in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The seriously-minded first trailer has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Modern Warfare