Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: PS4
Dauntless’s 1.0 Update and Aether Unbound expansion are now available
Dauntless, a free-to-play brawler about hunting giant monsters from Phoenix Labs, has shed its Early Access designation on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One thanks to the launch of the game’s new 1.0 Update:
Dauntless 1.0 is a new beginning for the Behemoth-hunting game, delivering an expansive live gameplay experience that takes into account years of feedback from the game’s passionate community. Dauntless will continue to grow and expand with new content and features, keeping Slayers sharp and entertained with new weapons, Behemoths, in-game events, stories and much more for years to come.
In addition to launching the full version of Dauntless, the developer has unveiled a brand new seasonal expansion for the game, Aether Unbound. The expansion gives players the option to engage in fast-paced hand-to-claw combat with the game’s towering Behemoths, as well as participate in a new Bounty System:
The next seasonal expansion, Aether Unbound, adds a powerful new way for Slayers to hunt: the Aether Strikers. The combo-heavy strikers transform Slayers into living weapons with the ability to unleash fast-moving attacks and powerful techniques. This update also adds the savage new Dire Behemoth, Tempestborne Stormclaw, a new Bounty system, and a Hunt Pass packed with special challenges and in-game rewards. The new Bounty system replaces weekly quests and Hunt Pass part breaks, empowering Slayers to pick and choose which bounties they are most interested in pursuing. Phoenix Labs also squashed more than 500 bugs on the road to its 1.0 launch, making this patch one of Dauntless’ most polished to date.
These updates arrive just as Dauntless’s playerbase has reached more than 15 million players, and just before its launch on the Nintendo Switch later this year.
“Today is the celebration and culmination of the past five years of the development of Dauntless, and the amazing community of Slayers that have supported the game, provided feedback and ultimately helped us craft the experience of the Shattered Isles.” said Jesse Houston, the CEO and Co-Founder of Phoenix Labs. “As we cross the 1.0 milestone and 15 million players, we as a studio could not be more excited to set our sights on the future of Dauntless.”
A trailer for Dauntless’s 1.0 Update and the Aether Unbound expansion has been embedded above.
New trailer for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order introduces us to “Cal’s Mission”
Respawn Entertainment will get their next chance to wow gamers with a sprawling space saga this Fall with the launch of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Today, the developer unveiled a new trailer for the game that hints at what else protagonist Cal Kestis will be up to besides evading the Empire:
In the Galactic Empire, the Inquisitorius has only one mission: seek out and destroy all remnants of the Jedi Order. Learn more about what Cal Kestis is searching the galaxy for and why the Empire will stop at nothing to bring him down.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 15.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
The Last of Us Part II will be released on February 21, 2020
After nearly three years worth of teases and trailers, Sony and Naughty Dog have finally confirmed a launch date for The Last of Us Part II. The post-apocalyptic sequel will be released exclusively for the PS4 on February 21, 2020.
As part of today’s State of Play presentation, the publisher and developer also unveiled a brand new trailer for The Last of Us Part II, which reveals more about the game’s story, and a very-alive-looking Joel (so much for the “He’s a Voice in Ellie’s Head!” theory).
Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann also shared a bit about what this announcement means for everyone at Naughty Dog on the PlayStation Blog:
We began working on this game over five years ago. It’s hard to describe the immense pressure of following up the first game. We know how much you love this world and its characters — especially Ellie and Joel. Believe me, we’re fans as well. We love them. Which is why we spent years crafting a game that we feel will do them justice, telling a nuanced story that deals with the core question: how far would you go to exact justice against the people that hurt the ones you love?
It’s a highly emotional story with complex themes that befit the world of The Last of Us. What we realized pretty early on is that we were putting together Naughty Dog’s most ambitious and longest game in our 35 year history. To tell this kind of story the game needed to be massive. Without spoiling too much, at the top of this post you can watch the brand-new trailer that we debuted earlier today on State of Play, which just scratches the surface of what the game has in store.
More information about The Last of Us Part II will be revealed later this week on September 26, which is “the day the cordyceps fungus reached critical mass” (better known as “Outbreak Day”) in the game.
Posted in News, PS4
Tagged The Last of Us Part II
Square Enix evokes classic PSone design for Final Fantasy VII Remake’s box and unveils a new gameplay trailer
Square Enix gave fans a glimpse at the box art for Final Fantasy VII Remake earlier today, and it should bring back fond memories for those of us who were around when the original game was released back in 1997:
The package art, reminiscent of the North American cover of the original Final Fantasy VII, features protagonist Cloud Strife with his iconic buster sword, staring down the headquarters of the shadowy enemy he has agreed to help take down.
In addition to the artwork announcement, Square Enix also unveiled a brand new gameplay trailer for Final Fantasy VII Remake that pits Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith against Abzu. You can find the video after the break:
Furthermore, a new gameplay video is now available, in which Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith go head to head with a ferocious beast, Abzu. The exhilarating fight [highlights] each characters’ unique battle style.
Final Fantasy VII Remake will be released for the PS4 on March 3, 2020. (more…)
Posted in News, PS4
Tagged Final Fantasy VII
New Retail Releases: FIFA 20, Code Vein, Contra Rogue Corps, More
The month of September is rolling to a close with a bevy of new retail releases, including FIFA 20, the latest launch for EA Sports’s soccer simulation series. FIFA 20 will be available for the PS4 and Xbox One, and a Legacy Edition of the game will be released for the Switch.
Monsters and mayhem are also on the docket for this week, as Bandai Namco will bring their vampire-centric action RPG, Code Vein, to the PS4 and Xbox One. It’ll be joined by Konami’s latest bizarro take on the Contra franchise, the twin-stick shooter Contra: Rogue Corps, for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Speaking of the Switch, several big titles will finally make their way to Nintendo’s console. Square Enix’s epic RPG Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition will be released for the Switch, as will Behavior Interactive’s multiplayer survival game Dead by Daylight and THQ Nordic’s apocalyptic action game Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition.
Elsewhere on store shelves this week, Focus Home Interactive will publish their futuristic action RPG, The Surge 2, for the PS4 and Xbox One. And Spike Chunsoft will also go the sci-fi route for their latest adventure game, AI: The Somnium Files, on the PS4 and Switch.
And finally, Natsume wants to get players invested in the fast farming of Harvest Moon: Mad Dash on the PS4 and Switch.
A complete list of this week’s new retail releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Batman Day comes to Fortnite for the next two weeks
Today is Batman Day, DC’s annual celebration of the Caped Crusader and everything that makes him one of the great comics characters of all time. So naturally, they decided to team up with Fortnite for a special “Fortnite X Batman” crossover.
Beginning today an running through Sunday, October 6, the event will give players access to some of Batman’s most famous gadgets (the Batman Grapnel Gun and an Explosive Batarang), as well as a pair of costumes (the Batman Comic Book Outfit and The Dark Knight Movie Outfit). A Catwoman costume will also be available.
According to Epic’s official website, part of Gotham City will also be recreated on the map:
A Rift Zone has brought Gotham City to Fortnite. Of course, it wouldn’t be Gotham City if villainy didn’t come along with it. This POI lets you be the hero the citizens of Gotham City need by giving you your own Batman cape and the power of Glider Redeploy!
More details about the Fortnite X Batman crossover can be found on the Patch Notes page.
Terminator: Resistance will be released for PC, PS4, and Xbox One on December 3
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton will be back this October in Terminator: Dark Fate, and now Reef Entertainment has announced that they’re going to release Terminator: Resistance for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on December 3.
Based on The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Reef Entertainment’s Resistance is a first person shooter that takes place during the Future War. The game’s story follows a Resistance soldier named Jacob Rivers as he leads a team to smash Skynet’s Defense Grid, and if you remember your Terminator lore, you know that Kyle Reese was part of that mission before being sent back in time by John Connor:
About Terminator: Resistance
This story takes place in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, nearly 30 years after Judgement Day, and stars a brand new hero in the Terminator universe, Jacob Rivers, a soldier in the Resistance led by John Connor. Despite the fact that Jacob is just a lowly private, he’ll soon discover that he’s been specifically targeted by the latest threat from Skynet and marked for termination!Skynet may be destined to lose the war, but at what cost to Jacob? Experience the events leading up to the decisive final battle for the fate of mankind in the war against the machines!
Features
- Resist the machines! Fight against a selection of iconic enemies from the films, including the T-800, as well as a host of enemies that are brand new to the Terminator universe.
- Equip an arsenal of plasma weaponry to run and gun or sneak and hack through sprawling environments! The world isn’t as forgiving as it used to be so you’ll need to search for scraps to trade and craft.
- Choose the kind of hero you want to be by levelling up your skills while exploring post-Apocalyptic Los Angeles. Complete story missions to rise through the ranks of the Resistance as well as side-quests to help your friends.
- Change the fate of mankind! Protect a motley crew of survivors, each with their own motivations and backstories. The actions you take throughout the game will impact their survival and change the ending you get.
While we’re just officially learning about Terminator: Resistance now, the game has actually been in development in one way or another since 2013, when Reef Entertainment first acquired the rights to create games based on the franchise.
Then known as Terminators, the publisher said they were “studying all aspects and influences of the Terminator universe” to create a game that “does great justice to the motion pictures.” We’ll find out if developer Teyon managed to crack the code in just a few months.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Terminator: Resistance
Catherine: Full Body Review: Not Everything Improves With Age
Catherine: Full Body is a remaster of 2011’s Catherine, a bizarre and somewhat infuriatingly difficult game that I reviewed back then.
The remaster introduces a new character, Rin, and calls this new storyline a “love square” instead of the original game’s “love triangle” between Vincent, Katherine, and Catherine. It also adds in some different mechanics to the block puzzles. But is all of this enough to warrant a full remaster of the game – other than to introduce it to a new generation of potential fans? (more…)