Monthly Archives: February 2016

505 Games Announces Sandbox 3D RPG Portal Knights

The publisher behind Terraria has announced its newest IP, Portal Knights, comes to Steam Early Access beginning February 25.

Developed by Frankfurt, Germany's Keen Games, the 3D sandbox RPG features randomly generated worlds, crafting, 3 player classes, and a "lightweight levelling system" 505 Games says allows "unique role-playing," letting players vary their goals and play-style.

Portal Knights also offers 4-player cooperative play, so players can team up with friends to "build structures, explore dungeons, and overcome the toughest perils." Perils include the Portal Guardians, big bosses 505 Games describes as "the most formidable beasts in the realm."

Players can pick from 3 different classic RPG classes: warrior, mage, or ranger, and appearance, abilities and gear are all customizable. In addition to character customization, players can build and furnish houses and farms, as well as other structures. Building can be undertaken cooperatively as part of the multiplayer element of Portal Knights.

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New Avengers Academy Mobile Game Boasts a Big Cast

Available to download as of today, the new mobile game Marvel Avengers Academy takes a very different look at Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, putting many of Marvel’s iconic heroes and villains in a "What if?" college setting.

Mixing together elements of action -- including combat training to go along with your regular classes and sports -- and social life (there’s dating as well), the game features a notable voice cast, including Priyanka Chopra (Quantico) as Ms. Marvel, Alexandra Daddario (True Detective) as Wasp, Colton Haynes (Arrow) as Thor, Bella Thorne (Scream: The TV Series) as Tigra, Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men) as Spider-Woman, Dave Franco (Neighbors) as Tony Stark, Alison Brie (Community) as Black Widow, rapper A$AP Rocky as Falcon and WWE superstar John Cena as Hulk. Other characters in the game include Loki, Hawkeye, Vision, Ant-Man, War Machine, Captain Marvel, Winter Soldier, Black Panther, Enchantress and Taskmaster.

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Zelda: Twilight Princess HD Looks Better Than You Think

Most of my concerns about The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD went out the window the minute I saw it running on Wii U. My demo started smack in the middle of the decaying Sacred Grove, and I was immediately struck by the improved high resolution textures. It’s no secret that Twilight Princess has aged poorly, but that’s a natural consequence for a game designed around Standard Definition televisions in 2006. The models and environments look the same, but the texture updates are instantly noticeable. Many have been updated to look better in HD, while others others have been replaced completely. The familiar Triforce crest in the center of the Sacred Grove’s weathered shrine looks as if it's stood up against the test of time. You can see faint cracks in the detailed stone surface, with shadows from the overhanging trees around the quiet sanctuary adding a layer of ambience. It looked so much better than any prior footage I’d seen before, but wait until you hear how it plays.

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Watch This Year’s Big Super Bowl Commercials

With a sizable percentage of America tuning in to watch Super Bowl 50 this Sunday, companies shell out millions and go for broke trying to get your attention and win your affections with commercials. And in recent years, those same companies started releasing their Big Game ads ahead of time, online, for all to check out on their own time. So here they are, for your enjoyment. Spots featuring the likes of Drake, Steven Tyler, Ryan Reynolds, Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson, and more!

We'll be updating this story as more of the ads are released (or in some cases, the full versions of ads, where a teaser is put out ahead of time), so make sure to check back to see what's new!

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Unlocked: Will Elder Scrolls VI Be Announced at E3?

DOWNLOAD UNLOCKED 231 (Audio version)

On this week's Xbox show, Bethesda announces that they'll put on another E3 press conference. We speculate about what will – and won't – be there. Plus: a 40-minute interview with Unravel creative director Martin Sahlin, The Division beta reactions, how we'd kill Spartan Locke in the first scene of Halo 6, and much more!

Oh, and Unlocked now has its own snazzy new homepage! Bookmark this: go.ign.com/unlocked

DOWNLOAD UNLOCKED 231 (Audio version)

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Batman: Arkham Knight Cancelled for Mac and Linux

Ports of Batman: Arkham Knight have been cancelled for Mac and Linux, according to an announcement on Steam.

"We are very sorry to confirm that Batman: Arkham Knight will no longer be coming to Mac and Linux," reads the update on the game's forums. "If you have pre-ordered Batman: Arkham Knight for Mac or Linux, please apply for a refund via Steam."

Feral Interactive was the publisher tasked with porting the game over to the two platforms, which were originally announced in March of last year and then subsequently delayed in October

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New Dark Souls 3 Gameplay Footage Leaked

New gameplay footage of From Software's upcoming action-RPG Dark Souls III has surfaced online.

The leaked footage was pulled from the developer's recent livestream and posted on YouTube, courtesy of Gilmore Mizzi.

Upon careful inspection, Eurogamer spotted several similarities between Dark Souls III and Bloodborne, as the new footage showcases a more active combat system in which the player is able to sidestep attacks from oncoming enemies—a first for the "Souls" games.

Additionally, the player uses a backstab attack that looks incredibly similar to a move found in last year's PlayStation 4 exclusive. Other aspects of the leaked footage, including its dark setting and blood splatter effect, resemble that of Bloodborne as well.

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What Is Superman’s New Power?

Superman got a major power boost in Action Comics #49 today.

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Warning: this article contains spoilers for Action Comics #49!

This issue continued the ongoing "Savage Dawn" crossover, which features a de-powered Superman fighting a losing battle against the immortal Vandal Savage. In the previous chapter, Clark learned that his powers have become diminished because a damaged layer of skin cells is blocking his body's ability to absorb yellow solar radiation. He then made the questionable decision to submerge himself in a box full of Kryptonite in hopes of burning away those cells.

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