All Articles: E3 2016
Here’s an E3 2016 trailer for Yooka-Laylee… but Playtonic pushed it back to Early 2017
Playtonic Games is hard at work on Yooka-Laylee, their loving tribute to the “Collect-Em-Ups” of the late 90s/early 2000s like Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64. But it looks like that hard work is going to take a little more time, as Playtonic has confirmed Yooka-Laylee won’t be released this October as originally planned. Instead, the developer revealed (on their official website) that it’ll be released for the PC, PS4, Wii U, and Xbox One early next year:
While we felt confident we could ship the game in October as originally projected in our Kickstarter, the Playtonic team has decided that it would prefer to add a few extra months’ polish to the game schedule.
Ultimately, this will allow us to deliver a better game to the tens-of-thousands of you who’ve supported us throughout development. And that’s what we all want, right?
While Yooka-Laylee is a bit further away now than it was before, Playtonic plans to bring their work-in-progress game to next week’s E3 Expo, so we should learn more about it soon. In the meantime, you can check out the game’s E3 trailer, which has been embedded above.
NetherRealm officially announces Injustice 2 ahead of E3 2016
All the teases and leaks in the world can’t take away from an impressive Announcement Trailer… and that’s just what NetherRealm has given us for Injustice 2. Set to be released for the PS4 and Xbox One in 2017, Injustice 2 revives a dark corner of the DC Universe… where a deranged Superman plots to return to his role as the supreme leader of Earth:
Injustice 2 continues the epic cinematic story introduced in Injustice: Gods Among Us as Batman and his allies work towards putting the pieces of society back together while struggling against those who want to restore Superman’s regime. In the midst of the chaos, a new threat appears that will put Earth’s existence at risk.
Batman, Superman, Aquaman, and The Flash will return for a second round of fighting, alongside newcomers like Supergirl and villains such as Atrocitus and Gorilla Grodd. But regardless of who you pick, players will be able to customize the characters in Injustice 2 like never before. According to NetherRealm, players can “personalize iconic DC characters with unique and powerful gear earned throughout the game,” as well as “take control of how their characters look, fight, and develop across a variety of game modes.”
We’ll likely learn more about Injustice 2 during next week’s E3 Expo.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night backers will get access to the E3 demo… and everybody else gets a new trailer
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is still almost a year away, but Koji “IGA” Igarashi is ready to give fans and friends a look at the game’s first level in a new trailer. Here’s what he had to say about the video in Bloodstained’s latest Kickstarter update (which also includes some new screenshots):
For this month’s update, the team has put together a video and some screenshots of an actual stage in Bloodstained. This is the game’s first stage, where we find Miriam on a ship, the Galleon Minerva, headed toward the castle. It’s a setting filled with anticipation.
Igarashi, and his team at Inti Creates, are planning to debut the first demo for Bloodstained at next week’s E3 Expo. But you won’t need to sneak into Los Angeles Convention Center to get your hands on it… everyone who pledged at least $60 during the game’s Kickstarter campaign will receive access to the demo through Steam.
If all continues to go well for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, the side-scrolling MetroidVania should be released for the PC, PS4, Vita, Wii U, and Xbox One sometime next Spring.
XCOM 2 will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on September 6
Prepare for invasion! After making a successful debut on the PC earlier this year, 2K Games and Firaxis have announced they’ll release XCOM 2 for the PS4 and Xbox One on September 6. The console port will be handled by The Workshop, a development house that has previously assisted Tango Gameworks on The Evil Within and Gearbox on Borderlands 2.
“Firaxis has successfully enhanced the XCOM franchise, as XCOM 2 has earned both massive critical and fan acclaim,” said Matt Gorman, the Vice President of Marketing for 2K. “Many console gamers have been vocal about bringing XCOM 2 to their platforms, and now they can look forward to joining the resistance this September.”
“The incredible reception of XCOM 2 has been rewarding and humbling for the team, and we’ve known console fans have been clamoring to play the game too,” said Jake Solomon, XCOM 2’s Creative Director. “As avid console players ourselves, we’re excited to work with The Workshop to bring XCOM 2 to all of our fans.”
Players who pre-order XCOM 2 on the PS4 or Xbox One will receive the Resistance Warrior Pack, which includes additional soldier customization options such as additional outfits and headgear, as well as custom facial war paint. The Resistance Warrior Pack also features the “Survivor of the Old War,” a special XCOM recruit who will appear in the barracks. Players who opt for the XCOM 2 Digital Deluxe Edition will also receive the Resistance Warrior Pack, along with the Reinforcement Pack, which includes all previously-released downloadable content for the strategy game.
FIFA 17 will use the Frostbite Engine for the first time when it launches this September
Soccer fans will have an all-new FIFA experience to try out this Fall, as EA Sports has announced that FIFA 17 will be developed using the publisher’s Frostbite Engine for the first time. In development at EA Vancouver, the publisher believes their Frostbite technology will add “depth and emotion” to the pitch when FIFA 17 is released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One this September.
“Frostbite unlocks a whole new world of possibilities for the FIFA franchise and its fans,” said David Rutter, the Executive Producer on the FIFA franchise. “We have never been as excited as we are today about the future of football and the experiences we are going to deliver in FIFA 17.”
To create the most authentic game possible, EA Sports also recruited four world-class players to lend their expertise to the EA Vancouver team: James Rodriguez of Real Madrid, Anthony Martial of Manchester United, Eden Hazard of Chelsea FC, and Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund. We’ll get our first look at FIFA 17’s evolution during the EA’s EA Play E3 Presentation on Sunday, June 12, at 4:00 PM.
The Frostbite-powered FIFA 17 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on September 27. The game will also be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360, though without any of the improvements found in the new-generation version.
Persona 5 will be released on February 14, 2017 in special Take Your Heart Edition
Atlus wants to spread the love in 2017, and the publisher has announced that Persona 5 will make its North American debut on the PS4 and PS3 on February 14.
The publisher is also planning to release a special “Take Your Heart” Premium Edition (Retail Price: $89.99) of Persona 5 exclusively for the PS4. The special edition is packed with Persona perks, including a Hardcover Art Book showcasing Shigenori Soejima’s character work:
“Take Your Heart” Premium Edition
- Collectible Outer Box: Easily the largest Premium Edition in Atlus’ history, the entirety of the “Take Your Heart” Premium Edition comes in a colossal collectible box.
- SteelBook: As strong as a vault, the game disc for the PS4 will come specially packaged in a SteelBook collectible case, emblazoned with Persona 5 designs.
- School Bag: Designed after the traditional school bags in Japan, the exclusive replica bag comes complete with the Shujin Academy crest.
- 4″ Morgana Plush: Morgana the cat is not just the mascot of the Phantom Thieves, but is also a member– and also not just a cat! The Premium Edition includes an exclusive 4″ plush of Morgana.
- 64-page Hardcover Art Book: This art book is full of concept sketches, character art, and more by character designer Shigenori Soejima.
- Soundtrack CD: A selection of music from Persona 5 by legendary series composer Shoji Meguro in a CD wallet featuring P5 artwork.
Atlus will have Persona 5 on display during next week’s E3 Expo, so hopefully we’ll soon learn a little bit more about the highly-anticipated RPG.
World of Final Fantasy will be released for PS4, Vita on October 25
With three mainline Final Fantasy games currently in various stages of development (XV this Fall, a XII remaster next year, and the VII Remake probably sometime after that), it’s easy to forget about World of Final Fantasy, a mashup game that melds together classic characters and a toy-like aesthetic:
In World of Final Fantasy, players lead a pair of twins, Reynn and Lann, through the land of Grymoire on a search to rediscover their lost memories. Throughout their adventure, players will collect, raise and battle adorable beings of classic Final Fantasy lore, including Cactuar, Chocobo and Behemoth, to create customizable, strategic tower combinations to take on the most challenging of opponents.
Square Enix recently announced that World of Final Fantasy will be released for the PS4 and Vita on October 25. The publisher also unveiled a brand new E3 2016 trailer for the game, which means we’ll surely learn more about it during the biggest showcase in gaming next week.
Volition will deploy Agents of Mayhem on PC, PS4, Xbox One in 2017
After announcing their newest project this morning, it looks like Volition has decided to give the Saints Row series a rest. Although its possible the Third Street Saints may make an appearance in Agents of Mayhem, as the developer’s next game will take place in the same universe as the Saints Row saga.
Described as a “new comic hero universe” by publisher Deep Silver, Agents of Mayhem is packed to the brim with colorful characters, whom you can meet in the lengthy Cinematic Announcement Trailer embedded above.
In a simultaneous global assault, LEGION [League of Evil Gentlemen Intent on Obliterating Nations] has taken control over the nations of the world and the only force left to stop them is MAYHEM [Multinational Agency for Hunting Evil Masterminds]. Led by the mysterious and no-nonsense Persephone Brimstone, MAYHEM’s elite Super Agents are called to the city of Seoul, South Korea. Led by LEGION Minister Doctor Babylon and his diabolical lieutenants, a nefarious plot is set in motion to build a world-altering device that will grant unrivaled power to the supervillain organization. In order to stop LEGION and take back the world, the Agents of Mayhem will traverse a sprawling urban battlefield from the ground to the rooftops and team up as a super-agent collective to stop LEGION at any cost.
Agents of Mayhem will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One sometime next year, but we’ll get another extended look at the open world superhero title at this year’s E3 Expo.