Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: Xbox One
Overwatch 2 announced with Story Missions and cross-compatibility with original game
Blizzard announced Overwatch 2 today at BlizzCon… but it’s not a sequel in the traditional sense. The game is first and foremost a cooperative shooter where players can team up together to take on narrative-driven Story Missions in a future where the Overwatch has reformed:
In the sequel’s action-packed cooperative Story Missions, players will experience the advent of a new Overwatch as Winston, Tracer, and other members of the original Overwatch join forces with a new generation of heroes. Players will take an active role in the Overwatch saga as a new global crisis unfolds through a series of intense, high-stakes four-player missions. As the story progresses, players will team up as different sets of heroes and fight to defend the world from the omnic forces of Null Sector, uncover the motives behind the robotic armies’ attacks, and come face-to-face with rising new threats around the globe.
Co-op players might also be interested in Overwatch 2’s “highly replayable” Hero Missions:
The battle continues in Hero Missions, where the Overwatch team will be called upon to go beyond their limits as they deploy across the planet, defending cities against robot invasions, taking on elite Talon agents, and battling the villainous forces laying siege to the world. In this highly replayable mode, players can level up their favorite heroes and earn powerful customization options that supercharge their abilities in co-op play—such as altering Reinhardt’s Fire Strike to ignite nearby enemies or modifying Tracer’s Pulse Bomb to cause a devastating chain reaction—granting the extra edge they need against the overwhelming odds.
While this might sound similar to some of the limited events that Blizzard rolls out from time to time, Overwatch 2 will also feature larger maps and “visual enhancements” that give each a new look. And speaking of Heroes, Overwatch 2 will introduce multiple new Heroes to the game’s universe, including an Omnic named Echo and former Overwatch commander known as Sojourn.
Overwatch 2 will also include at least one new gameplay type, Push, which pits two teams against each other as they try to help a robot push an objective to their opponent’s side.
While all of these new features sound like typical sequel things, Overwatch 2 is also cross-compatible with the original Overwatch. Overwatch and Overwatch 2 players will be able to compete against one another in PvP modes. Overwatch players will even be able to play on Overwatch 2’s new maps and every new Hero introduced in Overwatch 2 will also be available in the original Overwatch.
Overwatch 2 is currently in development for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. It doesn’t currently have a release date, but you find two new trailers for the game after the break. (more…)
Blizzard officially announces Diablo IV
Fans were surprised (and more than a little angry) after Blizzard chose not to announce Diablo IV during last year’s BlizzCon. That incident was the start of a rough year for the publisher, as they’ve had to endure layoffs, a plummeting stock price, and public backlash after they disciplined a professional Hearthstone player who supported the protests in Hong Kong.
But as another BlizzCon begins today, the company is attempting to right the ship. And that all starts with an official announcement for Diablo IV.
The RPG will plunge players into a darker and bloodier vision of Sanctuary that exists as a contiguous open world. This “bleak and shattered hellscape” has been overrun by the demonic minions of Lilith, but players will be able to fight back with legendary loot and, for the first time, personalized mounts:
In Diablo IV, players will attempt to bring hope back to the world by vanquishing evil in all its vile incarnations—from cannibalistic demon-worshipping cultists to the all-new drowned undead that emerge from the coastlines to drag their victims to a watery grave. For the first time in the series, Sanctuary will be a contiguous, seamless landmass comprising diverse regions ranging from the burning desert of Kejhistan, to the verdant werewolf-infested forests of Scosglen, to the harsh and rugged wilderness of the Dry Steppes.
So far, three character classes have been revealed for Diablo IV, and players will be able to choose from a brutal Barbarian, a magical Sorceress, and a shapeshifting Druid. Groups of players may even interact in a shared world to “tackle bigger challenges” or partake in some PvP combat:
Character Classes in Diablo IV
- The Barbarian, known for their unparalleled strength and brutal melee combat, utilizes a new and more powerful system in battle, Arsenal, which arms them with the ability to carry and rapidly switch between four different weapons at a time by assigning them to individual attacks.
- The Sorceress hearkens back to their Diablo II roots and shapes the elements to obliterate their foes by impaling them upon jagged spikes of ice, electrocuting them with bolts of lightning, or raining flaming meteors from the sky.
- The Druid is a savage shapeshifter whose updated playstyle empowers them to fluidly transform between werewolf, werebear, and human form to unleash the raw power of nature’s fury on the forces of the Burning Hells.
Diablo IV is currently in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One… though a release date has yet to be announced. A gruesome Cinematic Trailer for the game can be found after the break, along with the first Gameplay Trailer. (more…)
Data from Mortal Kombat 11’s first six months includes more than 205 million hours played
Mortal Kombat 11 was released roughly six months ago, and in that time it’s become one of the most popular games of 2019. To celebrate, NetherRealm Studios decided to share the data they’ve collected to sheds a little more light on how people play the game.
The big number that everyone will probably be talking about is the total number of hours that fans have sunk into the game… which is 205,262,299 hours. That is an astonishing amount of time to kill, and while every character undoubtedly has their fans, the three that have been picked the most are Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Noob Saibot. However, players preferred Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Liu Kang in Ranked Play.
Scorpion has the most wins, and the spectre is likely responsible for a lot of the 346,522,493 Fatalities that have been performed by players (though he’s also the character who’s most often on the receiving end of a “Finish Him!”). And that’s to say nothing of the 65,779,473 Flawless Victories that have been tallied.
You can find even more sanguine statistics for Mortal Kombat 11 in the video embedded above.
Watch the Launch Trailer for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order right now
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will be available on store shelves in just a little over two weeks… but that still makes right now a great time to take a look at the game’s Launch Trailer. The game was developed by Respawn Entertainment, and this new video gives us a quick glimpse at some of it’s Lightsaber combat, as well as a few of the Empire’s most deadly agents:
A galaxy-spanning adventure awaits in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a 3rd person action-adventure title from Respawn. An abandoned Padawan must complete his training, develop new powerful Force abilities, and master the art of the Lightsaber… all while staying one step ahead of the Empire.
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
Feel the love for this Launch Trailer for Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King
Disney struck box office gold earlier this year with their live-action remakes of Aladdin and The Lion King (though critical acclaim was much harder to come by). But don’t worry, the film studio hasn’t forgotten about the original animated films from the from the 1990s… or their game adaptations.
Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King includes multiple versions of both games that were originally released for the Genesis, Super NES, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color by Virgin Interactive in 1993 and 1994. Sadly, Aladdin’s Super NES adaptation didn’t make the cut because it was published and developed by Capcom.
But the compilation also features a bevy of bonus features, including a rewind option for those harder moments, as well as behind-the-scenes interviews and galleries, several different visual filters, and a special Final Cut version of Aladdin that incorporates difficulty adjustments, camera refinements, and bug fixes:
Features
- Multiple Game Versions: Play through several different versions of the beloved Aladdin and The Lion King games that have been created over the years, including both console and handheld versions.
- Final Cut of Aladdin: An all-new “Final Cut” version of Aladdin, developed exclusively for this collection, is also included and features difficulty adjustments, camera refinements, bug fixes, as well as a few additional surprises for fans.
- Display Options and Updated Visuals: 1080p graphics and enhancements for modern HD TVs. Adjustable screen aspect ratios and borders. Custom filter options designed to replicate classic CRT TVs and other popular screen types.
- In-Game Rewind: Instantly rewind any of the games in real-time in order to retry difficult areas
- Interactive Game Viewer: View full game playthroughs, with the ability to skip forward, jump in, and start playing at any point
- Save Feature: Quickly save your progress in each of the games and continue your adventure wherever and whenever you want
- Museum Features: Take a journey behind-the-scenes and learn more about the creation of these incredible games. Watch video interviews with the original development teams or explore numerous galleries containing hundreds of previously unreleased HD concept images and marketing assets.
Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King was published by Nighthawk Interactive and developed by Digital Eclipse, and it’s now available for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Ubisoft delays Gods & Monsters, Rainbow Six: Quarantine, and Watch Dogs Legion
Ubisoft had previously announced plans to release storybook adventure Gods & Monsters, co-op shooter Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Quarantine, and the massive Watch Dogs Legion during the first three months of 2020, but that packed release schedule underwent a shakeup this afternoon.
After disappointing sales of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint and Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, the publisher decided today to devote more development time to all three titles. Each one will now be released sometime during Ubisoft’s next fiscal year, which falls between April 1st of 2020 and March 31st of 2021.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot released this statement about the delay:
In this overall context, we have decided to postpone the releases of Gods & Monsters, Rainbow Six: Quarantine, and Watch Dogs Legion until [April 1, 2020 – March 31, 2021]. While each of these games already has a strong identity and high potential, we want our teams to have more development time to ensure that their respective innovations are perfectly implemented so as to deliver optimal experiences for players.
Ubisoft also said that they plan to release two additional “AAA” games during their next fiscal year, though the titles went unnamed. We know that the company is currently hard at work on Beyond Good & Evil 2 and Skull & Bones, but neither has a confirmed release date as of right now.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, Tom Clancy's The Division 2, Watch Dogs Legion
Darksiders Genesis gets a release date for PC/Google Stadia (December 9) and consoles (February 14)
THQ Nordic and Airship Syndicate have announced that Darksiders Genesis, their top-down spinoff set within the Darksiders universe, will be released for the PC and Google Stadia on December 9.
In addition to a release date for Darksiders Genesis, we also got a new trailer that teases Strife’s confrontation with Malgros the Defiler (it’s actually an expanded version of the original Announcement Trailer). The video clip definitely has a great Jabba’s Palace vibe, and even slyly hints at the game’s co-op gameplay:
Darksiders Genesis features the debut of the fourth and final horsemen – Strife – who can battle alongside his brother and fellow horsemen WAR in the first ever Darksiders two-player co-op mode. Solo players will be able to alternate between Strife and War on the fly, taking advantage of Strife’s ranged and War’s melee style attacks. Both characters can build up a special attack meter that, when activated, temporarily turns them into a colossal creature that leaves epic destruction in its wake.
Darksiders Genesis is also in development for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One, and the the Diablo-like game will make its console debut on February 14, 2020.
Bethesda’s Doom 64 re-release gets a new trailer
Doom 64 debuted as the official third entry in the FPS franchise for the Nintendo 64 all the way back in 1997, but id Software (and now Bethesda) has kept it locked in a vault ever since. Thankfully, that all changes next Spring when the game returns in a new re-release for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
While that wait might feel like an eternity, Bethesda did unveil a brand new trailer for Doom 64 today, and it’s been embedded above. The publisher also reconfirmed that fans who pre-order Doom Eternal will receive a free download code for Doom 64 as part of that game’s Rip and Tear Pack, which also includes the DOOT Revenant Player Skin, the Throwback Shotgun Weapon Skin, and the Cultist Base Master Level.
Doom 64 will be released for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on March 20, 2020. Doom Eternal will arrive on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on the same day, and on the Switch at a later date.