X-Men: Apocalypse scheduled for release in 2016

Director Bryan Singer returns to the X-Men movie series with X-Men: Apocalypse.

In the latest X-Men movie, Apocalypse, having amassed the powers of other mutants to become immortal and invincible, awakens after thousands of years and assembles a team of powerful mutants to create a new world order over which he will reign.

The X-Men must act to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.

The cast of X-Men: Apocalypse includes James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn, Lucas Till, Evan Peters, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alexandra Shipp, Josh Helman, Lana Condor, Ben Hardy.

X-Men: Apocalypse is scheduled to be released on 27 May 2016.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens today

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in theaters today.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the seventh installment in the Star Wars movie series. It is directed by JJ Abrams and the cast includes Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max Von Sydow.

The Force Awakens is set approximately 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi and introduces new characters who fight alongside characters returning from previous Star Wars movies.

Armored Warfare goes open beta

Obsidian Entertainment and My.com announced on 8 October that open beta for Armored Warfare has begun.

Armored Warfare is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online tactical military video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by My.com in North America and Europe. In Armored Warfare, the player gets to control heavily armed tanks, artillery and other vehicles from dozens of countries around the world.

For more information about Armored Warfare, visit the official website.

For information on the open beta, see the official announcement post.

WildStar going free-to-play

Developer Carbine Studios and publisher NCSoft have announced that Wildstar will be going free-to-play on 29 September.

WildStar is a fantasy/science fiction MMORPG where the player picks one of two factions to fight for the planet Nexus.

WildStar was originally launched on 3 June 2014 on a subscription basis. See the launch trailer below.

A WildStar features trailer was also released earlier.

New Dragon Quest Heroes video

Dragon Quest Heroes is an action game based on the Dragon Quest series. It was developed by Omega Force and published by Square Enix.

A new video for Dragon Quest Heroes was released last week showing the heroes that are available in the game.

Dragon Quest Heroes was released in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan on 26 February for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. It will be released in North America on 13 October and in Europe on 16 October but only for the PlayStation 4.

Pillars of Eternity: The White March - Part 1 released

The first part of The White March expansion for Pillars of Eternity, a computer role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Paradox Interactive, has been released.

The White March expands the story of the original game, adding new locations, quests, companions as well as a higher level cap.

For information on Pillars of Eternity, see my earlier post.

Attack on Titan

Earlier this month, Koei Tecmo announced that it was collaborating with Kodansha to develop and publish a new action game based on the highly-acclaimed anime series Attack on Titan.

Attack on Titan is set in a world where humanity has been almost wiped out by gigantic, human-eating beings called Titans. The surviving humans built enormous walls to protect themselves against the Titans, but these walls are about to be broken.

Also earlier this month, the first part of a two-part Attack on Titan live-action movie was released in Japan and several other Asian countries.

Unfortunately, the reception to the movie has been mixed. While Edmund Lee at South China Morning Post described the movie as one of the most perversely original fantasy movies in recent memory, Brian Ashcroft at Kotaku called the movie superficial, with too many changes made to the original story that only made things worse.

The second part of the movie will be released in September.

Drakensang Online: Rise of Balor

Drakensang Online, an action role-playing game developed by Bigpoint, will be getting its next expansion on 26 August.

The expansion, Rise of Balor, will be the largest yet for Drakensang. It unveils a mysterious jungle continent for the player to explore and to fight against mysterious dark forces tainting the lands.

Rise of Balor will include:

• over 13 new maps and monster types
• increased level cap from 45 to 50
• new skill system
• new wisdom talent system
• new fame talent system
• new equipment and item sets

Gauntlet: Slayer Edition launched

Gauntlet, a top-down hack-and-slash dungeon crawl video game developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, was released on 23 September 2014 for the Windows PC.

Now, the game is also available for the PlayStation 4 with the launch of Gauntlet: Slayer Edition on 11 August.

Gauntlet is based on the 1985 arcade game by Atari Games and features the same four classes of Wizard, Warrior, Valkyrie and Elf.

Gauntlet includes the following features:

• 4-player cooperative gameplay, local or online
• 4 Heroes, each with unique gameplay
• Collect gold to unlock new weapons, potion abilities and magical items
• Story Campaign with 3 unique environments
• Get as far as you can in Endless-mode

For the new features in the Slayer Edition, see this blog post from Arrowhead.

Dragon Age: Inquisition – The Descent DLC

BioWare releases the Dragon Age: Inquisition – The Descent downloadable content on 11 August on the Windows PC, PlayStation 4. and Xbox One.

The Descent takes you down into the deepest dungeon in the Dragon Age world to explore darkspawn-infested caverns, where the Inquisitor and his companions have to solve one of Thedas’s greatest mysteries.

Dark Souls III gameplay trailer

Bandai Namco Entertainment released a gameplay trailer for the third installment of their hit Dark Souls series at the Gamescom last week.

In Dark Souls III, the player will travel across a wide variety of locations in an interconnected world of epic atmosphere and darkness.

Dark Souls III is scheduled to be released in early 2016 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Do you like Batman? Or do you prefer Superman?

Well, come next year, you can watch both in one movie: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is scheduled to be released on 25 March 2016.

Sword Coast Legends

Digital Extremes and n-Space have announced that their role-playing game Sword Coast Legends will be coming to the Windows PC, Mac and Linux operating systems on 8 September 2015 and Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in late 2015.

Set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, Sword Coast Legends will offer the following features:

• Massive story campaign
• Complex storyline weaving throughout the exotic Forgotten Realms' Sword Coast
• Deep character customisation, engrossing party-based gameplay and NPC interaction
• Highly customisable combat and challenging monster encounters
• Campaign creation tools for extended multiplayer adventures
• The latest streamlined fifth edition D&D rules
• Robust post-launch module expansion program
• Epic orchestral soundtrack from composer Inon Zur

Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence heading West

Koei Tecmo Games has announced that Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence is coming to the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC on 1 September 2015 in North America and 4 September 2015 in Europe.

Nobunaga's Ambition is one of the longest running franchises for Koei Tecmo Games in Japan. Each game is set against a backdrop of a fragmented nation. The player takes the mantle of a Daimyo, a feudal lord of the Sengoku era (15th-16th century Japan), and fights to unite the country under one rule, thus becoming the first Shogun.

Sphere of Influence marks the series' return to North America after 6 years of absence as well as its first release in Europe.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt released

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was released for the Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 19 May.

A launch cinematic was released last week.

A launch trailer was released earlier this week.

In Wild Hunt, the player takes on the role of Geralt as he embarks on a mission to find the child of prophecy, an ashen-haired girl, a living and highly volatile weapon everyone wants to control.

For earlier posts on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, see here, here and here.

Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition announced

Larian Studios has announced Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition for PS4 and Xbox One as well as Windows PC, Mac, SteamOS and Linux.

The Enhanced Edition includes controller support, local co-op with split screen, fully voiced characters, and a totally reworked story with a new ending.

For more details on Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition, watch the following video or read the announcement post.

Royal Quest available on Arc

Katauri Interactive has announced that Royal Quest has been released on Perfect World Entertainment's Arc Games platform.

Royal Quest is a free-to-play MMORPG set in a fantasy world named Aura that is full of magic, technology and alchemy.

Royal Quest had been released on the Steam platform in August last year.

Lost Dimension coming to PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita

Atlus has announced that Lost Dimension will be coming to the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in North America and Europe on 28 July.

Lost Dimension is a role-playing video game. In the game, the player takes on the role of Sho Kasugai, a member of SEALED, an organisation comprised of psychics and tasked with stopping a mysterious man named "The End", who wants to destroy the world.

To defeat The End, the player must take his team up the Pillar, a giant tower from another dimension. However, to ascend the Pillar, the player must eliminate a team member on each floor.

Making the choice more interesting, there will be traitors in the team, whom the player must try to identify and eliminate before the final battle with The End.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate announced

Earlier this week, Ubisoft announced that Assassin’s Creed Syndicate will be released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 23 October and the Windows PC this autumn.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is set in London during the Industrial Revolution. The player takes on the role of Jacob Frye, a gangster assassin fighting for justice on behalf of London’s working class.

To know more about Jacob and Evie, Victorian London, and the twins’ gang, the Rooks, read this post from the Ubisoft blog. To know more about the combat and stealth, gadgets, weapons and vehicles, read this post.

Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition

Capcom has announced that Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition will be released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC on 23 June in North America and 24 June in Europe. Bonus costumes for Lady and Trish will be available through pre-order, as well as a custom theme for PlayStation 4 users.

Devil May Cry 4 is an action-adventure hack and slash video game originally released in 2008 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC.

Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition comes with five playable characters, improved gameplay and new features.

Forsaken World Mobile

Fedeen Games has announced that Forsaken World Mobile will be coming soon to the iOS and Android.

Forsaken World Mobile is a 3D open-world fantasy MMORPG that will be free to play. It will be published by Perfect World Entertainment.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt now available for preload on GOG.com and Steam

CD Projekt Red announced today that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is now available for preload on GOG.com and Steam with the Origin release following on the 14th.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will go live on 19 May.

If you want to know the story from the previous games in The Witcher series, watch the following videos from Elder-Geek.com.

For more on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, see also my earlier posts (here and here).

SmuggleCraft

Happy Badger Studio has released a gameplay video for their latest game, SmuggleCraft.

SmuggleCraft is a quest-based hovercraft racing game. The player takes on the role of a smuggler in a society in which travel, trade, and technology are highly regulated and virtually inaccessible for most, so his deliveries could decide the fate of the world.

Game features include:

• Randomly generated tracks that provide a unique series of driving conditions for every player
• Fully upgradeable hovercrafts with hundreds of combinations
• Quest-based missions, complete with illegal contraband and high-speed chases
• Branching story with alternate endings that change based on player choice
• Original soundtrack by Bravendary

SmuggleCraft is scheduled to be released for the PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Mac and Linux in 2016.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III

Treyarch has announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops III will be released on 6 November 2015.

For details of the game, visit the official website.

Might & Magic Heroes VII

Ubisoft announced last week that Might & Magic Heroes VII is now available for pre-order. Pre-ordering gives the player access to the Closed Beta, which will begin on 25 May, and exclusive in-game portraits when the game becomes available.

In addition to the Standard Edition, players can also choose to order the Deluxe Edition and the Collector’s Edition. For details of these editions, refer to the Ubisoft blog post.

Might & Magic Heroes VII is a turn based strategy game set in a high fantasy universe with role-playing progression. The game story tells of an empty throne after the Empress is murdered, setting off a war among the rival claimants to the throne.

Eiyuu Senki – The World Conquest

Fruitbat Factory, a localisation team focused on bringing interesting Japanese games to English audiences, has announced that Eiyuu Senki – The World Conquest is coming to North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand in 2015 on the PlayStation 3.

The following video shows the opening for the game in English.

Developed by TENCO and published on PlayStation 3 in Japan by MAGES. label 5pb.Games, Eiyuu Senki – The World Conquest takes the player to a world populated by famous, beautiful maidens from history and legend, where he must fight his way to world domination.

Eiyuu Senki – The World Conquest features over 70 characters, over 120 cities to conquer, and tactical turn-based battles.

Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim for Windows PC

XSEED Games announced last week that the Windows PC version of Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim will be launched worldwide on 28 April.

Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim combines a rich storyline with hack-and-slash action RPG gameplay.

Together with the original high-resolution graphics and full USB controller support, the PC version of Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim also introduces brand-new features such as full widescreen support, the ability to warp among checkpoints and an optional “Catastrophe Mode” in which healing items cannot be purchased or stored and are instead used automatically on pickup.

Tales of Zestiria

Bandai Namco Entertainment has announced that Tales of Zestiria is coming to the PlayStation 3 in the autumn of 2015.

Tales of Zestiria is set in a medieval fantasy world and follows Sorey on his mission as the Shepherd. It incorporates real-time battle system skirmishes, with the ability to fuse two characters together in battle into a more powerful form.

PlayStation LifeStyle already has a review out on the game.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt official gameplay trailer

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an upcoming action role-playing video game that is being developed by CD Projekt RED. It is scheduled to be released for the Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 19 May.

An official gameplay video was recently released for the game.

In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the player takes on the role of Geralt of Rivia, a monster slayer for hire. The game is set in an open world environment that is the Northern Realms, a vast continent filled with merchant cities, mysterious islands, dangerous mountain passes and forgotten caverns.

For more details on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, see also my previous post on the game or visit the official website.

LEGO Dimensions announced

Warner Bros, TT Games and The LEGO Group have announced that LEGO Dimensions will be launched on 27 September in North America and 29 September in Europe for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Wii U.

LEGO Dimensions merges physical LEGO brick building with interactive console gameplay. Characters from different universes join forces in worlds outside their own. The universes include DC Comics, The Lord of the Rings, The LEGO Movie, The Wizard, LEGO Ninjago, and Back to the Future, with many more still to be announced.

Spirit Lords

Kabam has announced the release of Spirit Lords for both iOS devices and Android mobile devices.

Spirit Lords is a multiplayer, mobile action RPG where the player must collect powerful spirits and harness each one’s unique power for use in battle against dozens of unique races and vile bosses through a variety of landscapes. Combat is real time through swiping, dragging, and tapping on the screen.

There are two classes in the game. The player can choose to play either a brutal Barbarian or a tactical Sorcerer.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided announced

Square Enix has announced that Deus Ex: Mankind Divided will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided will be the fifth game in the Deus Ex series of first-person action role-playing games. The series, set in the 21st century, focuses on the conflict between secretive factions who wish to control the world by proxy, and the effects of transhumanistic attitudes and technologies in a dystopian future setting.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided will be set in the year 2029. Mechanically augmented humans have been deemed outcasts and segregated from the rest of society. Crime and acts of terror are now used to cover up a conspiracy aimed at controlling the future of mankind.

Mortal Kombat X launch trailer

Earlier this week, Warner Bros and NetherRealm Studios released the launch trailer for Mortal Kombat X, which is scheduled to be launched on 14 April on the Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Mortal Kombat X is a fighting game in which two players fight against each other using a variety of attacks, special moves and Fatalities.

The game includes a story mode that showcases some of the game's oldest characters while introducing new challengers.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Warner Bros. Pictures has announced that the movie Mad Max: Fury Road has been scheduled for release on 15 May.

Directed, produced and co-written by George Miller, mastermind behind the Mad Max franchise, Mad Max: Fury Road brings us back to the world of the road warrior, Max Rockatansky, played by Tom Hardy.

In Mad Max: Fury Road, Max is captured and his only hope of freedom is Furiosa, who is on the run from Max's captors because she stole their most precious resource: women who have been kept as objects and whose purpose is to breed the next generation.

Karos Returns

Karos Returns, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by OnNet and published by Games Campus, went live on 3 April.

In Karos Returns, players take part in quests, guild clashes, large-scale PvP action and castle sieges in the fantasy world of Asmara.

Players can choose from four races: Human, Vaneese Human, Seroine and Shadow. For character classes, there are seven to choose from: Bow, Mystic, Mistress, Paladin, Blader, Rogue, Gunner, and Sorceress.

In addition to the traditional experience-point-based levelling system, Karos Returns features the Fletta system that can be used to increase stats, give buffs, buy resources and enchant items. Fletta can be gathered from killing enemies.

Skyforge open beta

The Skyforge team has announced that open beta test for Skyforge will start in North America and Europe this summer.

Skyforge is a free-to-play 3rd-person action MMORPG developed by the Allods Team in collaboration with Obsidian Entertainment and published by My.com.

Skyforge is set in a world of fantasy and science fiction, with the player taking on the role of an immortal with powers to protect his world from the armies of hostile gods, gaining followers in the process and eventually becoming a god himself.

The game will include several classes which can be developed simultaneously, allowing players to swap classes at any time.

Together with the open beta announcement, the Skyforge team released a cinematic video depicting the journey of ascension a hero will take on his path to immortality and, eventually, godhood.

Bloodborne accolades video

Bloodborne was released last week and received favourable reviews. No wonder then that it already has an accolades video.

For more on Bloodborne, see my earlier posts here and here.

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles - China, India and Russia

Ubisoft has announced that Assassin’s Creed Chronicles, previously stated as being a game set in China, will also have versions set in India and Russia.

In Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China, the protagonist, Shao Jun, returns to China in 1526 with a vendetta amid a crumbling Ming dynasty.

In Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India, the protagonist, Arbaaz Mir, has to steal a mysterious item amid the tension between the Sikh Empire and the East India Company in 1841.

In Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia, the protagonist, Nikolai Orelov, has to escape from the Templars after saving a Russian princess from the Bolsheviks in the aftermath of the revolution in 1918.

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China is set to launch on 21 April but the launch dates for the India and Russia chapters have not been announced.

Dragon Age: Inquisition Jaws of Hakkon DLC

The Jaws of Hakkon DLC for Dragon Age: Inquisition was released for the Xbox One and Windows PC last week. The DLC will be released to the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in May.

Jaws of Hakkon brings the player to a new region called Frostback Basin to discover the final fate of the last Inquisitor and the powerful dragon he hunted.

Etherium released

Etherium, the new, futuristic real-time strategy game developed by Tindalos Interactive, was released by publisher Focus Home Interactive last week for the Windows PC.

For more on Etherium, see the following gameplay trailer or my earlier post.

Pillars of Eternity released to critical acclaim

Pillars of Eternity, a fantasy role-playing video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Paradox Interactive, was released last week for Microsoft Windows, OS X and Linux.

In Pillars of Eternity, the player controls a hero who can be chosen from one of six races and eleven classes. The player may team up with up to five other characters. Combat is real-time and can be paused.

Pillars of Eternity has been well-received by game critics. The following is a video review by IGN.

Bloodborne released

Bloodborne, an action role-playing game developed by From Software and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, was released on 24 March.

For more on Bloodborne, see also my earlier post.

The game has been well-received. For example, see the following video review by GameSpot.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD released

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD was released worldwide last week.

The following trailer gives more details on the story.

Reviews of the game were generally favourable. The following are the video reviews from IGN and GameSpot respectively.

For more information on Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, see also my earlier post as well as this post on the combat system.

Mario Party 10 released

Mario Party 10, a party video game developed by Nd Cube and published by Nintendo, will be released for the Wii U in North America and Europe today. The game was released in Japan on 12 March.

Mario Party 10 is the first game in the Mario Party series to be released for the Wii U.

In the game, four players, controlled by either humans or the computer, compete against each other on a game board by participating in various minigames. In addition, Mario Party 10 introduces two new modes to the series called Bowser Party and Amiibo Party. In Bowser Party, the fifth player controls Bowser using the Wii U GamePad. In Amiibo Party, up to four Amiibo characters can be played on boards designed for those characters.

World of Warships in closed beta

World of Warships, a free-to-play massively multiplayer online game produced by Wargaming, began closed beta test on 12 March.

In World of Warships, the player controls a naval fleet consisting of ships, including destroyers, cruisers, battleships and aircraft carriers, based on historical vessels from the first half of the 20th century. Fleets engage in battles on maps that are set in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans.

ArcheAge: Secrets of Ayanad launched

Trion Worlds announced on 10 March that the Secrets of Ayanad update for the free-to-play fantasy-sandbox MMORPG ArcheAge has gone live.

The Secrets of Ayanad update raises the character level cap to 55. It allows the player to explore the new Diamond Shores zone and wield new abilities and Obsidian Weapons while uncovering the secrets of the ancient, multi-dimensional Ayanad Library.

For more information on ArcheAge, see my earlier post.

Cities: Skylines released

Publisher Paradox Interactive and developer Colossal Order announced on 10 March that Cities: Skylines, the city simulation game for Windows PC, Mac and Linux, has arrived at digital retail outlets worldwide.

See also my earlier post on the game.

Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward to be released on 23 June

Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, the first expansion for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, will be released on 23 June 23, with early access set to begin on 19 June.

The following video provides a tour of Ishgard, the main location of the story, Dravania, a new domain being added in the expansion, and beyond.

Infinite Crisis to be launched on 26 March

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment announced last week that Infinite Crisis, a free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena video game developed by Turbine, will be officially launched on Steam on 26 March.

In Infinite Crisis, two squads of DC heroes and villains compete in combative trials across multiple destructive battlefields set in DC Comics’ legendary Multiverse.

Konami announces release date for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Konami Digital Entertainment has announced that Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will be released on 1 September for the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3. The game will be released for the Windows PC on Steam on 15 September.

Metal Gear Online, the game’s dedicated competitive multiplayer mode, will go live at the launch of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

For more on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and Metal Gear Online, see also my earlier post.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate free DLC

Capcom has announced that it will release a free DLC for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on the first Friday of every month.

For March, the DLC pack includes all-new quests, equipment and access to the Legend of Zelda collaboration gear.

For more on Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, see my earlier post.

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood

Bethesda has announced that Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, a first-person shooter, will be released on 5 May on the Windows PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood will be the prequel to Wolfenstein: The New Order. It takes the protagonist BJ Blazkowicz back to the year 1946 in an adventure that spans eight chapters and two interconnected stories that will lead into the events of The New Order.

Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines released in the West

Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines, a Japanese role-playing game developed by Alfa System and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, was released for the PlayStation Vita on 3 March in North America and 4 March in Europe. It had been released in Japan on 17 July 2014.

Oreshika is set in Japan. The player takes control of a clan to explore labyrinths, defeat demons and find treasures in a watercolour world filled with creatures based on Japanese mythology.

However, the clan has been struck by two curses: The Curse of Ephemerality, which causes clan members to have a maximum lifespan of around 2 years, and the Curse of Broken Lineage, which stops clan members from procreating. Facing death, the player has to defeat enemies to accumulate points, which will allow him to marry deities and create children with them, thus progressing through several generations.

Dragon Quest Heroes released in Asia

Dragon Quest Heroes, an action game based on the Dragon Quest series developed by Omega Force and published by Square Enix, was released in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan on 26 February for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.

Dragon Quest Heroes will be coming out in Europe and North America later in 2015 but only for the PlayStation 4.

Ancient Labyrinth DLC for Lords of the Fallen to be released next week

CI Games has announced that Lords of the Fallen will get the Ancient Labyrinth DLC on 3 March. It will be released on Steam, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

The Ancient Labyrinth brings a new campaign that takes the player to a long-forgotten library, locked away between the human and demonic realms millennia ago. The player has to uncover the mysteries hidden in the maze’s corridors, lay waste to the undead followers of the fallen god roaming within it, and find his way to the most powerful Lord in the Rhogar army and end his demonic reign.

For details of Lords of the Fallen, see my earlier post.

The Bright Lord DLC for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor released

The Bright Lord DLC for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was released on 24 February in North America. It will be available in Europe on 25 February.

The Bright Lord brings the player to the Second Age to face the Dark Lord Sauron. The player takes on the role of Celebrimbor, the Elven Lord who forged the Rings of Power, and returns to Middle-earth thousands of years before the events of Shadow of Mordor.

The Bright Lord can be played on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

For details of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, see my earlier post.

Official Bloodborne Story Trailer

Bloodborne, the latest action role-playing game developed by From Software in collaboration with SCE Japan Studio, will be released exclusively for the PlayStation 4 on 24 March.

The following video is the official Bloodborne story trailer.

See also my earlier post on the game.

Monkey King Escape now available for free

Ubisoft has announced that Monkey King Escape is now available for free on the iOS App Store and Google Play, just in time for the Chinese New Year, which began on 19 February.

Recreating the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, Monkey King Escape has the player taking on the role of the Monkey King as he runs, flies and jumps through a colourful world collecting coins and avoiding obstacles as he tries to evade capture from the Jade Emperor. The Monkey King can also transform into various animals to gain new powers and take part in quicktime combat sequences.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. movie

The Man from U.N.C.L.E., a popular television series in the 1960s, is coming back as a movie. Directed by Guy Ritchie, the movie stars Henry Cavill as Napoleon Solo and Armie Hammer as Illya Kuryakin.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is set in the early 1960s. Despite the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union at the time, CIA agent Solo and KGB agent Kuryakin put aside their countries' hostilities to team up in an attempt to stop a mysterious international criminal organisation from destabilising the balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is scheduled to be released by Warner Bros. Pictures on 14 August 2015.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate launches

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, the newest installment in the Monster Hunter series, becomes available in North America and Europe today on the Nintendo 3DS.

In Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, the player takes on the role of a hunter who joins up with a travelling caravan to explore new lands and towns along the way. The game includes hundreds of quests that require the player to take on monsters who, when defeated, yield resources that can be used for weapons and equipment.

Reviews of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate have generally given it very good ratings. Following is a video review from IGN.

Hitman: Agent 47 movie

Hitman: Agent 47 is an upcoming 2015 action spy thriller directed by Aleksander Bach and written by Michael Finch, Kyle Ward and Skip Woods. The movie stars Rupert Friend as Agent 47, a character from the Hitman video game series.

Hitman: Agent 47 tells the story of an elite assassin who was genetically engineered from conception to be the perfect killing machine and is known only by the last two digits on the barcode tattooed on the back of his neck. His latest target is a corporation that plans to unlock the secret of Agent 47’s past to create an army of killers whose powers surpass even his own.

Hitman: Agent 47 is scheduled to be released by Twentieth Century Fox on 28 August 2015.

Evolve launches

Evolve, the multiplayer shooter game developed by Turtle Rock Studios and published by 2K Games, will be launched on the Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One today.

In preparation for the launch, a live-action video was released last week.

For a breakdown of what Evolve is about, watch the survival guide video that was released earlier.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue comes to the PC

Ubisoft announced earlier this week that Assassin's Creed Rogue will be available on the Windows PC from 10 March.

Assassin's Creed Rogue had been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on 11 November.

Assassin's Creed Rogue is a historical action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Sofia and published by Ubisoft. It is set in 18th century North America and tells the story of Shay Cormac as he turns his back on his fellow assassins, joins the Templars, and devotes his life to hunting down and eliminating every last member of the Brotherhood.

For more on Assassin's Creed Rogue, see my earlier post.

Ubisoft releases Grow Home and The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot

Ubisoft released two games for the Windows PC over the past few days.

On 4 February, Ubisoft released Grow Home.

In Grow Home you play as BUD (Botanical Utility Droid), a robot on a mission to find the Star Plant and save his planet. Discover a world of floating islands with precipitous drops, caves and waterfalls. Grow the giant Star Plant so you can use your unique climbing abilities to reach ever higher ground and ultimately reach your ship, and bring this new plant species back to your home planet.

On 5 February, Ubisoft released The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot.

The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot is a free-to-play game that thrusts you into an outrageous medieval fantasy world called Opulencia where wealth, status and showboating are the name of the game. Create your own castle to protect your treasure and attack another player’s castle to steal their loot. Pick between four Heroes: the Knight, the Mage, the Archer or the Runaway.

Risk now available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

Ubisoft has announced that Risk, the strategy game of global domination, is now available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Risk brings with it the following features:

• The latest in military armaments and a high tech look and feel.
• Combat videos set in 3D environments.
• Ability to compete with up to three other players either offline or online.

New Fantastic Four movie

The Fantastic Four, a superhero group from Marvel Comics who had a movie based on it in 2005, makes another appearance on the big screen this summer.

The new movie, called Fantastic Four, will be released by Twentieth Century Fox on 7 August 2015.

The movie depicts how the four protagonists teleport to an alternate universe and become physically altered. The transformation gives them new abilities, with which they must use to save the Earth from a former friend turned enemy.

Heroes of Might & Magic III – HD Edition

Ubisoft announced last week that Heroes of Might & Magic III – HD Edition is now available on the Windows PC as well as on iOS and Android tablets.

Heroes of Might & Magic III is a turn-based strategy game originally released in February 1999 on the Windows PC.

In the game the player has to explore the kingdom of Erathia and help Queen Catherine Ironfist unite her homeland.

There are 48 skirmish maps and 7 campaign scenarios to play. In addition, the PC version has a multiplayer mode and a map editor.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Havoc released

Activision released Havoc, the first downloadable content pack for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, on 27 January on the Xbox Live online entertainment network for Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Havoc brings four new multiplayer maps, access to the versatile AE4 directed energy assault rifle, the AE4 Widowmaker custom variant, and an all-new zombies cooperative mode called Exo Zombies.

Dying Light launches

Dying Light, an open-world action survival game developed by Techland and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, will be released digitally worldwide today for the Windows PC. North and South America also get the digital and physical releases of Dying Light for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on the same date.

In Dying Light, the player assumes the role of Kyle Crane, an undercover operative sent to a city devastated by a mysterious infection. The player has to explore the city to scavenge for supplies and craft weapons to help him defeat the hordes of mindless, flesh-hungry enemies created by the plague.

Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Guild Wars 2, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by ArenaNet and published by NCsoft and released in August 2012, will be getting its first expansion pack, Heart of Thorns.

Set in the fantasy world of Tyria, Guild Wars 2 follows the re-emergence of Destiny's Edge, a disbanded guild dedicated to fighting the Elder Dragons, a Lovecraftian species that has seized control of Tyria in the time since the original Guild Wars.

Heart of Thrones takes the player into the heart of the Maguuma Jungle, where he will have to confront the growing hordes of Mordremoth's minions, discover allies from ancient civilizations, and battle new enemies.

No release date has been set for the Heart of Thrones expansion.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD combat system

Square Enix has released a video showing the combat system in Final Fantasy Type-0 HD.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD will be released on 17 March on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

To pre-order the game, click here.

For more details on the game, see my previous post on it.

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection

2K and Gearbox Software will be releasing Borderlands: The Handsome Collection in North America on 24 March and internationally on 27 March on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

The Handsome Collection includes Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel along with all of the downloadable content for both titles, thus giving players the opportunity to experience the complete story of the franchise’s most iconic villain, Handsome Jack, in one bundle.

2K and Gearbox Software will also be releasing a limited collector’s edition, Borderlands: The Handsome Collection Claptrap-in-a-Box Edition, which will include everything in The Handsome Collection as well as a remote controlled Claptrap steward robot, a collectible steel case, and 12 exclusive lithographs.

Resident Evil HD remaster edition released

Resident Evil HD remaster edition by Capcom was released on 20 January for the Windows PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Resident Evil is a survival horror game originally released in 1996 and remade in 2002.

In Resident Evil, the player is trapped in a mansion and has to investigate every corner to find a way out while fighting off enemies, scavenging for supplies and discovering hidden items.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron is an upcoming movie produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Avengers and is the sequel to the 2012 movie, The Avengers.

In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tony Stark, the man behind Iron Man, creates Ultron, an artificial intelligence designed to protect Earth. However, Ultron determines that humans are the main threat to the planet and sets out to eradicate them. It is then up to the Avengers to stop him from carrying out his plans.

Avengers: Age of Ultron arrives in theatres on 1 May.

New Nintendo 3DS XL

Nintendo has announced that the New Nintendo 3DS XL will be coming to the United States on 13 February.

New Nintendo 3DS XL features a wider range of controls with the addition of a C Stick and ZL/ZR buttons, super-stable 3D via face-tracking technology and built-in near-field communication functionality that allows for communication with amiibo figures.

Nosgoth Open Beta

Square Enix has announced that the Nosgoth Open Beta will begin on 21 January.

Nosgoth is a free-to-play multiplayer action game developed by Psyonix and published by Square Enix. The game is set in the fantasy world of the Legacy of Kain series. Players take part in team-based PvP combat as Humans and Vampires. Humans rely on an arsenal of ranged weaponry and lethal devices while Vampires use visceral melee attacks and inhuman abilities.

Pix the Cat to be released on PC

Focus Home Interactive has announced that Pix the Cat, an arcade game developed by Pastagames and previously released on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, will be available on the Windows PC at the end of January.

Pix the Cat has a style reminiscent of classic games like Snake and Pac-Man. It features both single and multiplayer modes. Completing "achievements" opens up new game modes.

Brandish: The Dark Revenant launches in North America

Brandish: The Dark Revenant, the action role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom, becomes available for digital download today in North America for the PlayStation Portable.

The game will also be compatible with the PlayStation Vita.

The launch trailer for Brandish: The Dark Revenant was released last week.

See also my previous post on the game.

Top PlayStation 4 games for 2015

PlayStation Lifestyle has compiled a list of the top 23 PlayStation 4 games to look forward to in 2015.

Enjoy!

Evolve goes gold

Evolve, the multiplayer shooter game developed by Turtle Rock Studios, has gone gold.

Evolve is an asymmetrical multiplayer game, pitting four player-controlled Hunters against a player-controlled Monster. To be published by 2K Games, it is scheduled for release on the Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 10 February.

Prior to the release, Turtle Rock Studios will be conducting an open beta test for the Xbox One starting from 15 January as well as closed technical tests on the Windows PC and PlayStation 4 starting from 16 and 17 January respectively.

Also, if you pre-purchase Evolve on Xbox One before or during the Xbox One open beta, you get instant access to Wraith and the latest four Hunters – Parnell, Abe, Caira and Cabot – during the beta test.

Assassin’s Creed Unity Dead Kings DLC

Ubisoft has announced that the Assassin’s Creed Unity Dead Kings DLC will be available for download on 13 January on the Windows PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The DLC is free for everyone who owns Assassin’s Creed Unity.

The story in the DLC follows the events of Assassin’s Creed Unity, with the protagonist Arno Dorian venturing to the city of Saint Denis to uncover the mysteries therein with the help of new weaponry, the multipurpose Guillotine Gun.

Dead Kings also adds new co-op and single-player missions as well as new open world activities including treasure hunts, contracts and Murder Mysteries.

Dragon Blade

Dragon Blade is an upcoming historical fiction action movie set in China in the year 48 B.C.. It is written and directed by Daniel Lee.

In Dragon Blade, Jackie Chan plays the role of Huo An, the commander of the Protection Squad of the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty who is framed and enslaved. He subsequently meets a Roman general named Lucius (played by John Cusack) and, together, try to fend off invaders.

Dragon Blade is set for release in IMAX 3D on 19 February 2015, the first day of the Chinese New Year.

PlayStation 4 exclusives for 2015

It looks like PlayStation 4 owners have plenty of games to look forward to in 2015.

Sony released the following video on 1 January showing 15 PlayStation 4 exclusives coming out this year.

Age of Wushu: Transcendence

Snail Game has announced that Transcendence, the latest expansion for Age of Wushu, will be released on 14 January.

Age of Wushu is a free-to-play massively-multiplayer online role-playing game set in ancient China. The player develops his character’s ability in the martial arts by participating in world events and quests, thereby gaining experience which is then converted into cultivation points. These points are then used to directly enhance the character’s internal skills and fighting moves.

Age of Wushu: Transcendence introduces the following to the game:

● A fifth level of Inner Skill enabling further growth in players’ characters.
● Three new Forbidden Instances with the expansion at the Hell King’s Dungeon, the Jinling Incident, and the Qiandeng Crisis.
● New high level manuals that introduce new aspects to the game.