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E3 2018: Shadow of the Tomb Raider Gets First Gameplay Trailer and Screenshots

Posted on June 11, 2018 by Rae Michelle Richards

Square Enix revealed the first in-engine gameplay trailer for the upcoming third entry in the Tomb Raider reboot franchise, Shadow of the Tomb Raider. This 3 minute long cut of sequences seems to be taken from the same “first hour” demo that I got to play at the Shadow of the Tomb Raider reveal event back in April.

Demo stations featuring a slice of Shadow of the Tomb Raider will be playable at both Square Enix’s E3 booth and Microsoft’s Xbox Experience Theatre. E3 is also the first place that the public will get a look at SOTR running on PC hardware.

Here’s Square Enix’s official description of the demo that’s available on the show floor:

E3 attendees will have the opportunity to experience Shadow of the Tomb Raider firsthand with playable demos at the Square Enix booth and the Xbox Experience at the Microsoft Theater. Meanwhile, the NVIDIA booth will host a behind closed doors, first time playable demo of Shadow of the Tomb Raider on PC.

In the demo I got to play a massive tidal wave destroys an entire city during the climax. Here is how I described it back in April:

“This is where things went from standard action movie fare – as seen in the previous two titles – to nearly world shattering. A ginormous tidal wave quickly engulfs the cavernous tomb and sweeps Lara out and onto the city streets. What follows is an almost indescribable amount of devastation as the large wave carries Lara, innocent pedestrians, cars and anything not firmly cemented into a foundation along with it.”

Alongside the gameplay trailer Square Enix also released several brand new screenshots, which you can check out below:

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Valve Launches Lunar New Year Sale On Steam

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Valve has launched a brand new steam sale to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Each day until February 12th they’ll be featuring new deals on the front page of the store, reminder that all of the discounts stay the same throughout the sale as Flash Sales and Daily Deals no longer exist. So if you’re waiting for one of your most anticipated games to go on sale but are waiting until payday you have time.

New to the store for the Lunar Sale are “obstacles” – questions like “There is a massive body of water in your way what do you do?” appear on the page and If you select “swim” like I did then Steam will serve you a page of aquatic themed games. Sadly there aren’t any apparent trading cards tied to this new activity.

We will update this post with some of the better deals as we dig through the thousands of games that are on sale. Here are today’s featured deals:

  • Tomb Raider Franchise Up to 75% Off
  • Rust for 50% off
  • Older X-Com games for up to 80% off (doesn’t include X-Com 2)
  • Killing Floor 2 for $21.99 CDN
  • Counter Strike GO for $8.24 CDN
  • ARK: Survival Evolved for 33% off

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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within | Retrospective

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Kenny Keelan

It’s a pretty well known stereotype in the North American movie world – perhaps globally – that movies based on the stories told in video games generally aren’t that great. Of course, that’s a somewhat mixed opinion with the people who actually make them because, in spite of this, a great number of those movies turn a pretty nice profit, some of them even hitting blockbuster status. Among those that were panned critically, though, is a diamond in the rough that was often seen as a great standalone movie that suffered against a franchise name that was well-known for being incredibly high quality and was riding a huge wave of success and expectation at the time. The pressure of expectation was a big one and for a brand new studio created by a company that hadn’t ever made a feature-length film in the past – we have to remember their contributions to the Animatrix series of shorts and the various CGI work they’d done for other movies before The Spirits Within – and with that hype train riding faster and faster towards release, the movie was almost doomed to be panned, from the time that train got on the tracks… follow the jump for more!

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Rainbow Six Siege Free Weekend Starts Today

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Rae Michelle Richards

Rainbow Six Siege

Ubisoft recently brought back the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six franchise with the release of Rainbow Six: Siege earlier this month for Windows PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Now they’re giving PC gamers the chance to try out the multiplayer centric take on the long running series with a free weekend that just kicked off on Uplay.

Alongside the free weekend for Siege, and a heavily discounted price (25%) off the full game, Ubisoft has also begun their Holiday Sale. It looks like your wallet is the objective and every major publisher is using their best tactics to reach their goal. Its been awhile when we can say that you could try out two of the year’s newest shooters for free.

We published rather exhaustive impressions of the game’s closed beta back in October when that went live. If you want to get a sense of how the game plays before committing to the massive download you can check those out.

Also here’s a partial list of the discount Ubisoft has on offer:

  • Assassins Creed: Liberation – $11.99 CDN
  • Serious Sam HD: First & Second Encounter – $4.00 CDN Each
  • Not A Hero – $10.99 CDN
  • Killer Is Dead -$4.00 CDN
  • Escape Dead Island – $4.00 CDN
  • Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition – $20.00 CDN
  • Remember Me – $6.00 CDN
  • Tomb Raider GOTY – $7.50 CDN
  • Witcher III + Both Expansions – $51.99 CDN

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Tomb Raider vs. Fallout: Under Pressure

Posted on November 14, 2015 by Kenny Keelan

Lara Croft and her Tomb Raider games have always been under some degree of scrutiny: whether it was what got her attention in the first place, the quality of her games, or the fact that, to this day, her releases have almost always been up against some stiff competition. From the time her character was conceived, she has always faced some kind of adversity in the mainstream spotlight. With the latest release in the franchise, she has to rise up to, perhaps, her greatest challenge yet: being released in very close proximity to the hype train arrival that is the release of Fallout 4. Love it or hate it, Fallout has been a show stopper and this game has been stopping hearts ever since its formal announcement.Read More

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Square Enix Brings Its Biggest Q4 2015 Titles To New York Comic Con

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Rae Michelle Richards

Square Enix

Square Enix will be attending the New York Comic Con from October 8th thru the 11th and they’ll be bringing some of their biggest titles for Q4 2015 / Q1 2015 with them. Here’s a full rundown of all of Sqaure Enix’s planned festivities for this year’s show.

The publisher has two developer lead panels lined up – the first being for the upcoming cyberpunk RPG Deus Ex: Mankind Divided tilted “Deus Ex: Mankind Divided – Creating the World of 2029” on Friday Oct 9th at 7:45PM in Room 1A21. Their second panel centers around the upcoming Just Cause 3 and is titled “Just Cause 3 : Choose Your Own Chaos” It will be held on Saturday Oct 10th at 1:30PM in room 1A21.

If you’re wondering what playable demos will be available in Square Enix’s booth – they’ve got a great mix of recent releases like Life Is Strange along with some upcoming 2016 like the latest Hitman.

Here’s their fully playable slate as provided by Square Enix:

LIFE IS STRANGE
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system
Developer: DONTNOD
ESRB: Mature
Availability: Now Available (Episodes 1–4)
Summary: Developed by DONTNOD Entertainment, the Paris-based studio who released their debut game  REMEMBER ME™ last year the game takes place in the fictional town of Arcadia Bay, Oregon, where senior student Max Caulfield returns after a 5 year absence. Reunited with her former friend Chloe, the pair begin to uncover the uncomfortable truth behind the disappearance of fellow student Rachael Amber.

LARA CROFT GO
Platform: Android, iOS, Windows Mobile
Developer: Square Enix Montreal
Availability: Now Available
Summary: Lara Croft GO expands the turn-based puzzle gameplay and takes you on an adventure set in a long-forgotten world. Explore the ruins of an ancient civilization, discover hidden secrets and face deadly challenges as you uncover the myth of the Queen of Venom. Attendees will witness a never-before-seen take on the iconic franchise featuring challenging gameplay, gorgeous visuals and a mesmerizing soundtrack, all at your fingertips.

DRAGON QUEST HEROES: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below
Platform: PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system
Developer: Omega Force from Koei Tecmo Games
ESRB: T for Teen
Availability: Oct. 13, 2015
Summary: DRAGON QUEST®, one of the most iconic RPG series from Japan, will be transformed into a full-scale action RPG in the West. Players must rise up against insurmountable odds, challenge swarms of enemies and conquer gigantic monsters. It is filled with characters and monsters designed by world-renowned artist Akira Toriyama. Also, Yuji Horii, director and creator of DRAGON QUEST, and Koichi Sugiyama, the renowned composer closely tied to the series, are closely involved in bringing this title to life. The demo area allows fan to take on and challenge the all-mighty monster, Gigantes.

JUST CAUSE 3
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC
Developer: Avalanche Studios
ESRB: RP
Availability: December 1, 2015
Summary: The Mediterranean republic of Medici is suffering under the brutal control of General Di Ravello, a dictator with an insatiable appetite for power. Enter Rico Rodriguez, a man on a mission to destroy the General’s hold on power by any means necessary. With over 400 square miles of complete freedom from sky to seabed and a huge arsenal of weaponry, gadgets and vehicles, prepare to unleash chaos in the most creative and explosive ways you can imagine.

FINAL FANTASY EXPLORERS
Platform: Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system
Developer: Square Enix
ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+)
Availability: January 26, 2016
Summary: FINAL FANTASY EXPLORERS focuses on cooperative play with friends and utilizes a refined party system allowing Explorers to master over 20 new and familiar jobs—including Knight, Monk, Black Mage and White Mage—to defeat the realm’s mightiest monsters and even recruit them for battle. Players will have the ability to call upon the powers of eidolons like Ifrit and Bahamut, as well as transform into other legendary characters from the FINAL FANTASY series via the Trance feature.

DEUS EX: MANKIND DIVIDED
Platform: PlayStation®4 system, Xbox One®, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, Windows PC
Developer: Eidos-Montréal (a Square Enix studio)
ESRB: RP
Availability: February 23, 2016
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, the sequel to the critically acclaimed  Deus Ex: Human Revolution®, builds on the franchise’s trademark choice and consequence and action RPG-based gameplay, to create both a memorable and highly immersive experience. Players will once again take on the role of Adam Jensen, now an experienced covert agent, and will gain access to his new arsenal of customizable state-of-the-art weapons and augmentations. With time working against him, Adam must choose the right approach, along with whom to trust, in order to unravel a vast worldwide conspiracy.

HITMAN
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC
Developer: IO Interactive (a Square Enix studio)
Availability:  TBD
HITMAN will see players perform contract hits on powerful, high-profile targets in exotic locations around the world, from the highly fashionable Paris and sunny coast of Italy to the dust and hustle of the markets in Marrakesh in this creative stealth action game. Gameplay focuses on taking out targets in huge and intricate sandbox levels with complete freedom of approach. Where to go, when to strike and who to kill — it is all up to you. And for the first time, HITMAN will lead with a digital release inviting players into a world of assassination.

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Backwards Compatibility Coming To Xbox One

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Rae Michelle Richards

Xbox boss Phil Spencer announced this morning that the Xbox One will be able to play select Xbox 360 titles starting this fall.

Backwards compatibility has been a bit of a sore spot this generation, with the exception of the WiiU which offers complete compatibility with previous hardware neither the Xbox One nor PlayStation 4 have offered comprehensive solutions for gamers looking to enjoy some of their favorite classics. Sure Sony offers PlayStation Now but that service costs about $15 USD a month and unless you live in an area with reliable internet it is not a perfect solution.

Starting this Fall Xbox One owners will be able to play select Xbox 360 games via either physical disc or digital downloads. It was mentioned during the conference that over 100 games will be available at launch with more to come in 2016. Not only will Xbox one owners be able to play their favorite single player campaigns but also join friends on Xbox Live for competitive multiplayer and use Xbox One only features like Game DVR and screenshots while playing 360 games.

On stage Microsoft showed off Xbox 360’s Mass Effect running on the Xbox One. Check out a brief video of Xbox One Backwards Compatibility after the jump as well as a partial list of compatible titles.

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Next Lara Croft Game Announced

Posted on June 9, 2014 by Jason Nason

Crystal Dynamics, a Square Enix studio, today announced its latest title in the Lara Croft series, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris. The game will launch on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is the sequel to Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, which was the first-ever four-player co-op experience with Lara Croft. In this newest title players must work together to explore the temple, defeat hordes of enemies from the Egyptian underworld, solve devious puzzles, and avoid deadly traps. All the while, players will compete for treasure, powerful artifacts, and ultimate bragging rights.

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Square Enix Confirms Next Gen Tomb Raider

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Jason Nason

Square Enix confirmed that the company is working on a sequel to the recently released Tomb Raider reboot with the game slated to hit next-gen consoles.

Phil Rogers, CEO of Square Enix for the Americas and Europe, made the confirmation in a blog post earlier today. In addition to the development of already confirmed next gen titles Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Hearts III and Thief, Lara Croft will be back.

Darrell Gallagher, Head of Product Development and Studios, expanded on the blog in a statement.

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Square Enix Xbox Live Sale Is Massive

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Joshua Rust

Square Enix

I hope you have a big fat wallet (or at least a bunch of MSP you’ve been holding on to) because Square Enix has launched its biggest Xbox Live sale ever. Read on for the official press release from Square Enix as well as the full list of games and DLC.Read More

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New Tomb Raider Video Guides You To Survive Combat

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Joshua Rust

Man, I can’t rave enough about how awesome Tomb Raider looks. To think where she originated and to what it looks like now is truly amazing and inspiring.  A new video has been released by Square Enix & Crystal Dynamics that will teach you everything you need to know about “Combat Survival”.

[youtube id=”P9u4Roxo9jw” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Here is how Square Enix describes this video:

The first two episodes of Guide to Survival highlighted how an inexperienced Lara Croft must use her intellect and whatever she can scavenge to survive the harsh conditions of Yamatai. In this final episode we dig deep into Lara’s scrappy and raw approach to combat.

The elements aren’t the only thing after Lara on the island – predators come in both two and four-legged varieties. Lara’s unlocked skills and weapon upgrades culminate in her combat style, executed in both close-quarters and frenzied firefights.

Outnumbered and outgunned, stealth is frequently Lara’s strongest advantage. Approaching enemies undetected will allow her to pull off silent kills and keep fellow Solarii in the dark. The environment will also provide frequent opportunities for Lara to gain the upper hand. She must always be prepared to brawl up close, however, aided by dodge and counter moves and improved equipment. With wits and weapons combined, Lara is a smart and ultimately very dangerous fighter.

Tomb Raider will launch on March 5th, 2012…and I will reiterate like I always do: I CAN’T WAIT TO GET MY HANDS ON THIS!

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Travel Back To Base Camp In This Tomb Raider Video

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Joshua Rust

It’s officially less than a month until the release of one the most anticipated games on my list: Tomb Raider. While I’m not overly thrilled with the inclusion of multiplayer to a single player franchise, I won’t completely off it until I’ve played it.

In this new video that was released today from Square Enix & Crystal Dynamics, Lara will show you how upgrading your stats and weapons will allow further exploration into the island. As well as detailing what Base Camp offers you in means of interacting with other characters and upgrading Lara herself.

[youtube id=”u-glIhFqXMg” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Are you as excited as we are? Tomb Raider launches on March 5th for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

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Tomb Raider Multiplayer Video From Square Enix

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Joshua Rust

I won’t lie and say that I was happy when Square Enix announced that Tomb Raider would be receiving a multiplayer component to a single player franchise.  I’m an avid Tomb Raider fan and while I know why developers/publishers want to include multiplayer in single player games sometimes I believe it affects the outcome of the single player game. While Square Enix has assured the media that it won’t have any effect on the quality of the single player campaign, I guess we will play the waiting game to see if that is indeed the case. Let’s hope so. A prime example of this would be Dead Space…do you remember Dead Space 2’s multiplayer? Yeah, me neither.

Hopefully I’m wrong about this and Tomb Raider multiplayer turns out to be completely amazing (which I do hope for). There are some games that adding a multiplayer component has indeed expanded the lifetime of the game – look at Mass Effect 3, it has a ton of success from adding a multiplayer component. But the thing is, it’s cooperative…not competitive.

So here is the first look at Tomb Raider’s multiplayer (starts at about the 4:35 mark):

[youtube id=”aOPONlOqxFY” width=”600″ height=”350″]

So what do you all think about the addition of competitive multiplayer to Tomb Raider? For it or against it? Tomb Raider launches March 5th, 2013.

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Square Enix Releases A “Guide To Survival” For Tomb Raider

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Joshua Rust

Today Square Enix has released part one of a new series that shows off some of the choices young Lara has to face throughout her journey in the upcoming Tomb Raider game.

Here is what Square Enix has to say about Lara:

“Though she doesn’t begin as a fully accomplished heroine she’s smart, resourceful and full of potential: you’ll see Lara using the Basecamp System to upgrade her skills and gear, see how she uses her Survival Instinct to explore on the island, and get an insight into her signature weapon, the bow.”

[youtube id=”dfz8S5Y_vZU” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Tomb Raider will release on March 5th, 2013. If you haven’t seen the Collector’s Edition for North America, I’d suggest checking this out. Hurry and pre-order it while supplies last! I know I’ve got mine pre-ordered!

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