Codemasters are bringing back the classic Micro Machines franchise with their newly announced title, Micro Machines World Series. The game will feature classic modes Race and Elimination, and will also include the team based King of the Hill and Capture the Flag modes, as well as the all new Battle Arenas which allow players to use the mini vehicles unique attributes to kick lumps out of AI enemies or each other.
Up to twelve players will be able to face off against each other online, while the game also supports four player local multiplayer. Jonathan Bunney, Codemasters’ VP of Publishing, thinks Micro Machines’ wacky multiplayer could be a decent alternative to some of the more serious multiplayer games out there: “The original Micro Machines was a breakthrough multiplayer racing game and remains much loved in the gaming community. We saw great success earlier this year with our free-to-play mobile game but this brand new console title takes the franchise to its greatest levels of multiplayer mayhem and enables you to play with your friends on the same sofa or across the world,” he said. “Whether you’ve been playing Micro Machines since the early days or are new to the craziness of racing and battling vehicles across household environments, this incredibly fun experience is a welcome break from all the serious multiplayer alternatives. With the support of Hasbro and being able to feature some of their biggest brands, such as HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS, G.I. JOE, OUIJA and NERF, this represents the very best of social gaming.” Micro Machines World Series is out 21 April on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Codemasters confirmed in the trailer’s comments section that the racing will take place from the classic top-down perspective, and that solo leagues and divisions “will be a thing”. Sadly, those enquiring about a Switch version seem destined to be disappointed, with Codemasters remaining silent on whether the game will be heading to Nintendo’s new console. Share your thoughts on the return of Micro Machines with us over in the forums or in the comments below. Following the news of a PC exclusive beta, CI Games have shared some details about the game's story and characters. Almost two years prior to the events that will unfold, Jon was witness to the capture (and presumed death) of his younger brother, Robert. New intelligence suggests that Robert could be alive. Although Jon is a Marine first and foremost who is deeply committed to his mission, he believes he has a second chance to save his brother.
Jon puts together a team to help him accomplish both of his goals. First up is Lydia Jorjadze, an old comrade who served with Jon in Afghanistan before he abruptly disappeared following an intense firefight. Raquel Shein, a deadly MOSSAD agent, also agrees to help if Jon will assist her in finding a rogue scientist, wanted for conducting forbidden experiments. Amazi, a mysterious high tech sniper, both helps and hinders the team as they take out Separatist Leaders and uncover a web of criminal, military, and shadowy terrorist forces. Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 launches 4 April on Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Let us know what you think of the story so far over in the forums, or leave a comment below. Ubisoft have revealed details of the upcoming For Honor closed beta, which takes place 26 - 29 January on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. War of the Factions, “a global, persistent cross-platform event” where the three factions battle it out for supremacy, will be available for the first time during the closed beta.
Players can choose to represent either Knights, Samurai or Vikings, but can still play as heroes from any of the three while contributing to their chosen faction. Multiplayer victories from across PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will count towards a faction’s progress, with the dominating side earning the best loot and gear at the end of a certain period of time, in this case the beta’s conclusion. You can choose your faction and sign up for the closed beta here, or alternatively read all the interactive stories on the newly released SCARS website, which details the stories of For Honor’s warriors, for the chance at a beta key. Which faction will you choose? Let us know in the comments or forums.
Chinese New Year takes place later this month, so to celebrate Blizzard are bringing an all new themed event to Overwatch.
The message didn’t reveal any details about what the event will include, but we did get a look at a new themed skin for Mei, and the game’s official Korean account suggests D.Va will also be getting a new set of threads to celebrate the special event.
Year of the Rooster will be the fourth timed event featured in Overwatch since the game’s launch last year; Lucio Ball, Halloween Terror and Winter Wonderland being the previous three, all of which featured special game modes and content.
What do you think the Year of the Rooster’s game mode will be? Share your thoughts in the comments or over in the forums. To build excitement for the launch of Halo Wars 2, Xbox and 343 Industries have partnered with Twitter, twofifteenmccann and EMT (Emerging Media Technologies) to create a social media real-time strategy game.
#TwitterHaloWars can be played against a friend or AI. In Player vs. Enemy, players train for war in a three round battle against the computer. Taking control of Captain James Cutter, they will get three units to deploy by tapping or clicking the designated buttons. Player vs.Player works in the same way, but with one player taking the role of Atriox. If you want to challenge a friend, you can invite someone to battle by tweeting them with #TwitterHaloWars + their Twitter handle + @ISA1307_2. There isn’t long to wait until you can get your hands on Halo Wars 2 now; the 21 February release date is fast approaching. There’s no reason to fear any delays, as 343 Studio Head Dan Ayoub recently revealed that the game has gone gold. Have you tried battling a friend on Twitter? Excited to get your hands on the full release? Let us know in the forums or leave a comment below.
Ubisoft’s hacking RPG might have passed you by during the flurry of AAA games that were released in the run up to the festive season, so they’re giving everyone a chance to try it out thanks to a free trial. PlayStation 4 users can download the free trial right now, while those looking to try out the game on Xbox One will have to wait until 24 January, which is also the date when the first add on for Watch Dogs 2, the T-Bone Content Bundle, will be available on Microsoft’s console and on PC having been out on PS4 since December.
All progress made during the free trial will carry over to the full game, should you wish to purchase it. Will you be giving Watch Dogs 2 a try? Drop us a line in the comments or over in the forums. A number of third-party developers are showing support for the newest member of the Nintendo family. Here are the games that have been confirmed so far. Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition Next up from Ubi is Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition. The ultimate version of the title includes all of the game's traditional features and promises some brand new surprises. Series creator, Michel Ancel, answered a few questions about the limbless fella's Switch debut. Steep Lastly, Steep, Ubisoft's open world Alp 'em up, is set to launch on Switch and will be further enhanced via a free update later in the year which opens up the slopes of Alaska. You’ll be able to take the action online to team up with friends and compete for high scores, or simply roam about together. Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers Capcom are bringing Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers to the console. All of the classic characters will be in attendance, including two "new" fighters - Evil Ryu and Violent Ken. The latter, we presume, will be just as violent as his counterpart. Players will be able to choose to fight with the classic graphics or enjoy a completely new modern look. Constructor System 3's Constructor is another launch day title. With Nintendo Switch, you'll be able to build, sabotage, and cause chaos while at home or on the move. The game will also allow up to four people to play with or against each other in a plethora of multiplayer modes. Super Bomberman R Super Bomberman R will also launch alongside the console. This latest instalment features a full campaign mode (playable in co-op with a friend), epic boss battles and the mayhem of the classic 8-player battle mode. Skylanders Imaginators Activision's Skylanders Imaginators will be hitting the new console just in time to see the release of some of the most anticipated new characters, as well as a brand new expansion pack. Those without a Portal of Power won't have any problems as Nintendo Switch provides unique ways to play, such as the introduction of a vast digital library that allows players to easily load and store more than 300 toys from the franchise. Fast RMX Due for release in march, Fast RMX is a futuristic racing title from developers Shin’en. The Wipeout look-a-like can be played locally with up to four players or online with up to eight. There’s over 30 tracks to speed through in 15 different racing machines. Has-Been Heroes Has-Been Heroes by Frozenbyte Games is an action strategy game with a rogue-like twist. Here are some of the key features:
Puyo Puyo Tetris Two puzzle games collide in Puyo Puyo Tetris. The single player adventure mode offers ten unique acts, each with ten stages featuring different characters from the Puyo Puyo and Tetris universes. There are also local and online multiplayer modes, as well as a solo arcade mode, which allows you to play multiplayer games against the CPU and take on some single player challenges. RiME RiME is an open world, third-person action adventure game from Tequila Works which is slated for release in spring. It was originally scheduled to be a PS4 exclusive, before the project went quiet and was subsequently re-revealed as a multiplatform game. Disgae 5 Complete Disgaea 5 Complete is also due sometime in spring, containing the base game and all its DLC. Also releasing is Disgaea 5 Complete Limited Edition, which includes a physical copy of the game, a 2 disc soundtrack, clip-on Prinny, art book, a collector’s box and a mystery item. Skyrim Insanely popular RPG, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, will be releasing for the Switch in autumn of this year. It’s not yet clear whether it will be the standard version that released on the previous generation of consoles or the recently released Special Edition that includes all DLC and the option to install mods. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is planned for release in 2017 and, although it’s a sequel, it stars a new set of characters. Minecraft Another huge title making its way to Switch is Minecraft. You’ll be able to explore, build and fight on the go when it launches later this year. FIFA Football fans will be able to get to grips with one of the most beloved sports franchises, as FIFA is coming to the new console. Interestingly, it isn’t FIFA 17 or any other dated title, so we’ll have to wait and see exactly what it will have to offer. Sonic Mania SEGA’s Sonic Mania should be with us by the end of spring. The blue speedster has had a rough time since he went all 3D on us, but this latest adventure will appeal to fans of the classic 2D games. There are three playable characters (no prizes for guessing who they are) and even a new move - the drop dash. I Am Setsuna I Am Setsuna is a JRPG in which once a decade, the residents of the island offer a sacrifice to a mysterious fiend. One year it grew violent before the sacrifice was due and so the islanders attempted to calm it by offering Setsuna, a girl with powers of enchantment. Syberia 3 Syberia 3 follows the adventures of an American lawyer as she travels across Europe and Russia. She finds herself adrift on a makeshift boat and, after being rescued by the Youkol people, decides to help the nomads fulfil their odd ancestral tradition, as they accompany their snow ostriches on their seasonal migration. NBA 2K NBA 2K will be joining the sports line-up. A Nintendo Switch trailer was released for NBA 2K17 some time ago, but it looks like it will be the 2018 title that makes an appearance in September. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 features a brand new - and much bigger - hub city, new characters and bosses, and more in-depth character customisation options. The sequel will allow players to create and train their own warrior, equip them with powerful skills and fight new enemies to restore the original story of the Dragon Ball series. What do you think of the third-party line-up so far? Let us know your thoughts over in the forums or the comments below. For more on Nintendo Switch, why not listen to our latest podcast in which the team share their thoughts on Nintendo’s recent showcase. CI Games have detailed the two single player missions that can be tried out before the game's launch in April.
The first mission, Cut Off, sees protagonist Jonathan North infiltrate a compound controlled by the Separatists. A large antenna array is being used to track enemy movements and communicate with distant outposts; manually repositioning the dishes will allow Jon to intercept communications, giving him and his team a tactical advantage, as well as possibly providing information about his brother, Robert.
The second mission is Blockout. Jon's cooperation with the local resistance, the Rotki Lions, gave him the location of one of the targets from his Most Wanted list. The target is Ivan Krustchev, who is hiding out in an abandoned apartment complex, surrounded by his guards. You'll have the option to take out your target using a sniper rifle from the opposite building, going in all guns blazing, or sneaking past the guards and eliminating Krustchev silently. Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 releases 4 April on Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Looking forward to the latest instalment? Signing up for the beta? Share your thoughts with us over in the forums or comments below. Watch Injustice 2's new story trailer17/1/2017 Update: You can now sign up to be in with a chance of playing the Injustice 2 closed beta. Original story follows. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have revealed a fancy new trailer for their upcoming fighter, Injustice 2. Many old favourites will be returning in Injustice 2, along with a few new faces, including Blue Beetle, Supergirl, Deadshot, Gorilla Grodd and Atrocitus. You can pre-order right now to unlock Darkseid as an additional playable character.
Injustice 2 launches 19 May on Xbox One and PS4. What do you think of the trailer? Are you pre-ordering? Let us know in the forums or leave a comment below. Nintendo Switch releases on 3 March13/1/2017 This morning's Nintendo Switch event brought us the news we have all been waiting for - the system will release worldwide on Friday 3 March. Of games we have already heard about or seen in the original release video, the Splatoon game was confirmed as Splatoon 2, complete with new weapons and stages (and an eccentric presenter in a lab coat) which will be released in Summer 2017. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was also introduced by Bethesda's Todd Howard, which should come as no big surprise, and there is not one, not two, not even three but four Dragon Quest games talked about - reiterating X and XI as well as introducing Dragon Quest Heroes 1 and 2. The presentation also featured some Switch-specific titles we haven't already heard about, namely Arms - a boxing game which takes the next logical step from Wii Sports' boxing - and 1, 2, Switch which looks like a collection of mini games similar to Wii Play, many of which don't require you to look at the screen while playing, using force feedback. There was also more information about the system itself, with the first formal confirmation that the screen would be a multi-capacitive touchscreen and further details on what we will find in the box when we pick up our Switch in March.
Keeping it simple, the box will contain the console itself, the dock, two joycon controllers (either in black or an blue/red combo) with their mounting dock, an A/C adapter and an HDMI cable. A montage of games at the close of the presentation, and subsequent press releases starting to come out this morning, have confirmed a new Sonic game, Minecraft a Telltale Games Series, Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers and LEGO City Undercover as well as new titles such as Xenoblade 2, Fire Emblem Warriors and Project Octopath Traveller. So far there's an awful lot of information to process - so expect us to digest it further in the coming weeks up to launch (including a special Nintendo Switch-themed podcast, coming soon) - but it's safe to say there's enough here to get us excited, but what do you think? Will you be pre-ordering? Let us know in the comments. |
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