Most Recent: Wii U
Minecraft: Story Mode’s final chapter will be available next week; 3 bonus episodes will launch later this year
Telltale Games has announced that Minecraft: Story Mode‘s tale will come to an end next week with “Order Up,” the game’s fifth and final episode… though fans should get ready for more adventures with Jesse and friends. Later this year, the developer plans to launch a three-episode miniseries following the further Adventures of the New Order of the Stone. Unlike the standalone The Walking Dead: Michonne, these bonus episodes will be released as add-on content for Story Mode.
But first, let’s look at the upcoming finale:
In the upcoming Episode 5, on a tip from Ivor, Jesse and friends head to an abandoned temple holding mysterious treasures. Ambushed by former Ocelot Aiden and his crew, our heroes find themselves in an entirely new world: Sky City! As they explore, the Order finds that resources are at a premium, and nothing but ‘The Void’ exists below the known world. When Aiden convinces Sky City’s ruler that the New Order of the Stone are up to no good, you’ll need to make some tough choices to clear your name, and keep Aiden from destroying an innocent world.
Minecraft: Story Mode – Order Up will be available to download for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on March 29. Unfortunately, a release date for the episode’s Wii U launch wasn’t announced.
Hyper Light Drifter will be released for the PC (Windows/Mac) on March 31
Hyper Light Drifter, the overhead action RPG from Heart Machine, finally has an officially release date… and it’s next week. The Kickstarter success story will be released for the PC (Windows/Mac) on March 31. A Linux launch will hopefully happen on the same day, though it may slip if the team needs a bit of extra time. To celebrate the release date announcement, Heart Machine has also uploaded a brand new trailer for Hyper Light Drifter that feels suitably epic and looks absolutely gorgeous.
Hyper Light Drifter will also make its way to consoles (PS4, Wii U, Xbox One) and Sony’s Vita handheld sometime this year.
Nintendo Download: Pokken Tournament, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Mutant Mudds Super Challenge, more
Are you ready to fight ’em all?
Nintendo and Bandai Namco have teamed up to finally release Pokken Tournament for the Wii U this week. The fighting game will feature dozens of different Pokemon characters and it’ll be available to download through the Wii U eShop on Friday, March 18.
Also coming soon is Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the latest Olympic-themed crossover clash for the two video game mascots. It’ll be available for the Wii U later this year, but 3DS owners can go for the Gold Medal this Friday.
Finally this week, Renegade Kid has launched Mutant Mudds Supper Challenge for the Wii U and 3DS. The “dimension-defying platformer” is available as a cross-buy purchase on both platforms, so you can take on the platforming challenges and boss battles at home or on the go.
More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Excelsior! WB Games reveals five Level Packs as part of Lego Avengers Season Pass
Lego Avengers will explore more of the Marvel universe later this month with the release of the game’s first Character & Level Packs.
WB Games announced plans to release five expansion packs as part of the game’s Season Pass, and on March 29, players will be able to wield the cosmic powers of Captain Marvel in the Classic Captain Marvel Character & Level Pack and re-create a classic Avengers battle with Baron Zemo in Classic Captain Marvel Character & Level Pack.
Later this Spring, three additional packs will be released including a Classic Black Panther Character & Level Pack that retells T’Challa’s origin (soon to be played by Chadwick Boseman on screen), an All-New, All-Different Doctor Strange Character & Level Pack that stars the Sorcerer Supreme (soon to be played by Benedict Cumberbatch on screen), and a Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD Character & Level Pack.
The Lego Avengers Season Pass can be purchased for $9.99 on the PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Individual Character & Level Packs will be available for $2.99 apiece. A complete breakdown of each pack is available after the break. (more…)
Axiom Verge is officially coming to the Wii U and Xbox One in 2016
Tom Happ has been tiptoeing towards an announcement about his future plans for a while now, but today the developer confirmed that Axiom Verge will be released for the Wii U and Xbox One sometime this year.
Axiom Verge is a “Metroidvania” that takes much of its inspiration from the Metroid half of that portmanteau, as Happ’s side-scroller puts players in the shoes of Trace, a scientist trapped on an alien world. Trace will need to do whatever it takes to escape, but he’ll also do it with style on the Wii U and Xbox One, because Axiom Verge took home multiple statues during our annual Golden Pixel Awards.
Presumably, Wii U and Xbox One owners will receive the same game that PS4 and PC fans have been enjoying since last Spring, as no platform-specific special features were announced.
Two Tribes will retire after the release of Rive in September 2016
Two Tribes has announced they’re calling it quits after they release their upcoming side-scrolling shooter, Rive, this September. Writing on their official website, the company’s three remaining members believe they don’t have a place in the video game industry anymore:
Long story short (grandfathers like to digress!): when running a company, you need to be on top of your game, not just in terms of the product you’re making, but business-wise too. And we just aren’t on top of the games business anymore. Therefore, it makes sense to focus our attention elsewhere, perhaps even outside the games industry. We simply don’t know yet; but we do know that Rive is going to be our parting gift to you and we’re making damn sure it’s going to be an awesome one!
Rive will be the final game produced by Two Tribes, though the developer said they will continue to provide support for all of their previously released games. A new trailer for Rive, which is in development for the PC, PS4, Wii U, and Xbox One, has been embedded above.
Good luck to everyone at Two Tribes, I sincerely hope you’re able to go out with a bang.
New Releases: Pokken Tournament, EA Sports UFC 2, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, More
Put your dukes up, this week’s new release report is looking for a fight…
Nintendo and Bandai Namco kick things off with Pokken Tournament, a Wii U adaptation of the relatively recent arcade game. If you’ve ever wanted to take control of your favorite Pokemon as they battle it out, now’s your chance.
A bit more down to Earth, but featuring fighters who are equally bizarre (cough Mike Tyson cough), is EA Sports UFC 2. EA’s second trip inside “The Octagon” for the PS4 and Xbox One promises a more realistic fighting experience and deeper Career options.
Also available this week is Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for the 3DS. While the two mascots won’t be trading blows, the Olympics always bring out a strong sense of competition for the whole world. And Mario versus Sonic is a fight that’ll probably never be settled.
Finally this week, Terraria is now available as a retail release for the 3DS, and Need For Speed will race onto the PC.
A full list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)