Focus Entertainment announced the news this morning

A game set in the Wild West that also lets me fight vampires? Sounds like a blast to me, and it's exactly what we're getting from Flying Wild Hog's newest title Evil West. The game was originally set to release next month on September 20, but per publisher Focus Entertainment's official Twitter page, they just announced that Evil West will be delayed an extra two months to November 22, ?2022, to achieve the level of polish they need for the game's five-platform release.

/??/twitter.com/Focus_entmt/status/1559570636921606144?s=20&t=vZjy2?6bUt5ZcJOCwVuaKjQ

Flying Wild Hog's letter was understandable apologetic, thanking fans for the "continued support and patience for Evil West."

The game had a warm reception at PAX East a few months ago, so they're optimistic ?that the ??delayed release will still go off without a hitch. While they "understand that game delays can be frustrating," they said, the new release date is important to "ensure that the game reaches its full potential."

Game delays have become more and more comm??on thanks to the pandemic, among other factors, so we're pretty used to it at this point. Like Wild Flying Hog said, delays can be a bit frustrating, but what's even more valuable is making sure that developers are able to release their game without crunching in the process.

Some fans have pointed out that the game's release is now much closer to that of God of War: Ragnarok's on November 9, and fear that Evil West might be overshadowed by the PlayStation juggernaut. Evil West is coming out at the end of the month, though, so hopefully the game won'??t see any fewer players than it would have upon release.

Flying Wild Hog is a well-established studio, best known for their reboot of the Shadow Warrior series, and they caught the attention of indie game fans earlier this year with their stylish sidescroller Trek to Yomi. They've proven that they can hold their own, so personally, I have faith that Evil West will get the attention it deserves.

The post Flying Wild Hog’s upcoming shooter Evil West delayed to November appeared first on Destructoid.

John Smith, 1882?

Focus Entertainment has announced an official release date for its gory, gothic shooter Evil West. This grisly and alt??ernate take on undead life in the American Fron??tier will hit PC and console platforms September 20.

Developed by studio Flying Wild Hog, who sure know their way around an exploding head or three, Evil West sees players don the hat and poncho of a lone gunslinger, one of the last remaining members of a clandestine monster-hunting society. As a terrifying and bloodthirsty battalion of vampires, ghoulies, and legions of the undead emerges to lay waste to the Old West, it is up to our hero to lay down a law that goes way beyond a sheriff's badge, and put thes??e decaying varmints back in the ground. Permanently.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O35NOsTIoE

One or two players can saddle up for a hyper-violent campaign that will follow our outlaws as they forge a path through America's formative towns, cities, and wildlands, facing off against an army of ungodly creatures and offering all a date with oblivion. In typical Flying Wild Hog fashion, Evil West is loaded for bear with a huge arsenal of explosive, anachronistic weaponry, while players will also earn perks an?d upgrades to help turn the tide of battle in their favor.

It's a really cool setup, and I'm liking what I'm seeing in both the chaotic, cathartic gameplay and the atmospheric old-west-horror cutscenes. Evil West already looks to be one of those titles that might not be making ??a huge impact on the radars of the gaming community, but will prove to be one of the year's slickest and most compelling shooter ??experiences.

Evil West launches September?? 20 on PlayStati?on, PC, and Xbox platforms.

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Swordfighting in black and white

The Kurosawa-inspired Trek to Yomi has set a date. The samurai action game unsheathes the blade on PlayStation 4, PS5, ??Xbox One, ?Xbox Series X|S, and PC on May 5, 2022.

News of the date arrives alongside an extended gameplay video, where developer Leonard Menchiari and Flying Wild Hog showcase a 15-minute chunk of Trek to Yomi. Alongside the side-scrolling, sword-slicing action, there are some light environmenta??l puz?zles to solve too. Or at least, a tree to chop for a makeshift bridge.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FnqP8K-s7w

The visual style is the big draw though, and Trek to Yomi looks pretty gorgeous in motion. The black-and-white look ob?viously brings Akira Kurosawa movies to mind, but the touches I like are the foreground and background movement. Thing??s popping in and out and of the foreground, changing up the frame, look really cool as the player ventures through each area.

On the path of vengeance

Trek to Yomi will follow young swordsman Hiroki, voyaging on a quest after giving a vow to his dying master to avenge him. It look??s like the focus is on the swordplay in combat, with both style a??nd some streamlined swordfighting at the center.

Also confirmed today is that Trek to Yomi is coming to Game Pass. So if you're still u??nsure about the monochromatic action but want t??o try it out, the Game Pass avenue is always open.

Trek to Yomi has been looking impressive since it was first revealed, especially thanks to its commitment to ??the style that Flying Wild Hog is working towards. Something about the way it flows from scene-to-scene, and the use of depth in a 2D frame, is a really cool look. Whether the melodrama and action comes together in the end, we'll find out soon enough.

Trek to Yomi sets off on its journey for ?PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on May 5, 202?2.

The post Samurai action game Trek to Yomi sets out on?? May 5 appeared first on Destructoid.

Japanese voice cast revealed at State of Play

During yesterday's Sony State of Play presentation, Devolver Digital released a new story trailer for what is shaping up to be my most anticipated game of 2022: Trek to Yomi. The new trailer focuses on the dark sting of dea??th and vi?olence that will fuel our protagonist's road to vengeance.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YSWKW-Pwmo

In a typical tale of cinematic samurai lore, Trek to Yomi sees a young sensei abandon their own fortunes in order to slay the assassin that killed his sensei. With blade in hand and steel in eyes, the young samurai crosses the war-torn ?countryside of ancient Japan, as each and every hazardous step brings them closer and closer to ?their destiny �a trail of bloodied and broken bodies laid in their wake.

The trailer ends with the reveal of Trek to Yomi's Japanese cast, which includes anime and video game veterans such as Masayuki Katou, Hiroki Goto, Hiroshi Shirokuma, Sarah Emi Bridcutt and the legendary Japanese voice actor Akio Otsuka, whose voice work has emboldened four decades of film, TV, animation, and gaming. As a Toei cinema devotee, I certainly like what I see in each of the title's trailers, and I'm certainly looking forward to getting my hands on Trek to Yomi when it finally cuts loose.

Trek to Yomi is sch??eduled to release in 2022 on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.

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Samurai Slow Down

The flash of steel. The fountain of claret. The winds of death. These and many other tropes of classic samurai cinema appear with wanton abundance in Trek to Yomi, the violent and stoic adventure title currently in the works at developer Flying Wild Hog. A new gameplay trailer, released by pu?blisher Devolver Digital,?? gives us a look at the title in action.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Dyrl7dVbo

Trek to Yomi features ??a tale as old as time itself. A young and loyal apprentice, having witnessed the death of his faithful Sensei, has, in turn, mastered the art of the samurai. With steel in hand and vengeance in heart, our protagonist now begins a long and hazardous journey to the titular town of Yomi, fated to square off against his master's assassin in a brutal, bloodstained battle to the death. Will our hero find his own justice, or should he perhaps dig two graves?

Capturing a cinematic style reminiscent of the many samurai epics out of Studio Toei, Trek to Yomi promises an evocative, mythic, and even supernatural adventure, as young Hiroki picks his way through a squad of assailants from this life and the next. The fascinating-looking adventure will blend somber melodrama with sudden explosions of exquisite violence, all built upon very deliberate, precise, and razor-sharp combat. This is currently looking right up my particular alley, one step away from the Lady Snowblood/Baby Cart games that I'm pr?obably never, ever going to get.

Trek to Yomi is scheduled to launch i??n 2022 on Pla??yStation, Xbox, and PC platforms.

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The smaller games with the biggest impacts

The summer of gaming news may still be going on for? a while, but E3 2021 comes to a close today, with the last few showcases airing today. From Xbox ?and Nintendo to the showcases and panels, it's been four days of non-stop games.

An??d while there are always the big blockbusters and one-more-thing announcement?s that seize our attention, I always walk away from these showcases with a shortlist of indie and smaller studio gems to keep track of through to next summer. They're the surprises; the games you don't expect, but you can't stop thinking about.

Throughout the last week, we've a??ll seen some ourselves, and so we w?anted to take some page space to share some of our hidden gems that we think are worth keeping an eye on through this year, into next, and maybe even beyond. Here are our hidden gems of E3 2021.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMtpCfLyKeE

Citizen Sleeper (Jump Over The Age, Fellow Traveller)

In the futuristic, mega-capitalist interstellar space station of Erlin's Eye, your actions every cycle are metered by a roll of the dice. Citizen Sleeper gives you a roll and asks what you'll do with the results, constructing the narrative around you as each die is assigned to various tasks and endeavors. It looks like a really fascinating mix of tabletop pillars and narrative, with some incredible character art for good measure. Citizen Sleeper is currently aiming for a 2022 launch. —�em>Eric Van Allen

//youtu.be/MPMZ66tihnI

Firegirl (Dejima Games, Thunderful Publishing)

I'll mostly remember E3 2021 as a blur of indie games, and I mean that as a compliment to solo and small-team creators everywhere. I feel like I have hundreds of games floating around my head; I can't think straight! Even though Firegirl was one of many glossed-up pixel-art-in-a-3D-world games at E3, it stands out with a cool, rarely seen firefighting premise. I would very much like to fight evil fires, use my hose as a jetpack, rescue stranded folks, and spend cash on upgrades back home at a cozy base. It seems to have an urgent action-platforming pace, and I really dig the style. Firegirl is out Fall 2021 across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. In Thunderful I trust. �Jordan Devore

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1aISY6oPyA

Arcade Paradise (Nosebleed Interactive, Wired Productions)

I prioritized my E3 streams incorrectly. For some reason, I was sure the Future Games Show woul??d be the one to watch. An hour after the show ended, I had trouble remembering any games that appeared in it.

Turns out, I should have tuned in for the Guerrilla Collective E3 showcase. That’s where all the hidden gems of E3 were hiding. A lot of great games debuted during the stream, including Arcade Paradise. From develope?r Nosebleed Interactive, the game puts you in control of Ashley as she turns the family laundry mat into one hell? of a �0s arcade. Not only will you be able to run your own arcade, but you’ll actually be able to play each of the 35 retro-inspired games you can install.

Arcade Paradise is currently planned for a 2021 release on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. �CJ Andriessen

Lakeburg Legacies (Ishtar Games)

Look, I love a bombastic blockbuster as much as the next guy, but sometimes I just want to relax �which is why games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing are at the top of my list. After watching the PC Gamer showcase, I thought Ishtar Games' upcoming Lakeburg Legacy might scratch that same itch.

On top of the more chill pace of the game, I was really drawn in by its visual style �I've always been partial to hyper stylized games, and the menu UI reminds me of some really cute, custom Dungeons & Dragons character sheets I've used. The Jane Austen fan in me was also so pumped when I saw the matchmaking mechanic. Overall, this game seems like it was tailor-made to fit my interests??, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I saw the trailer.

Lakeburg Legacies will be out on Steam, and is shooting for a 2022 release date. —�em>Noelle Warner

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwcsoR4rjwY

Trek to Yomi (Flying Wild Hog, Devolver Digital)

Quite honestly, you could throw a dart into Devolver Digital's E3 stream and you'd hit a game I want to play. But perhaps the bullseye would be the dramatic and intense-looking samurai adventure, Trek to Yomi.

Quite the opposite of the studio's bombastic and rambunctious Shadow Warrior 3, Flying Wild Hog's Trek to Yomi is the stoic tale of a young swordsman undertaking a do-or-die quest laced with honor, treachery, and sacrifice. What draws me into this title is its haunting feudal Japan setting and simplistic but detailed visual style, sporting more than a touch of Akira Kurosawa and classic Toei cinema. With gorgeous use of light, shadow, and silhouette �even at this early development stage �Trek to Yomi appears as achingly beautiful as it is brutally violent, an aesthetic that ticks my boxes. Just add Meiko Kaji as Lady Snowblood and you've got my GOTY sticker.

Trek to Yomi is headed to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in 2022 �Chris Moyse

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TPJc1LrR5I

Mother: Beyond Bounds (Team Cosmic Coffee)

This year, indies won E3. Limited Run Games came packing River City Girls 2 and a bunch of other shocking announcements, New Blood stole the PC Gaming Show, and The Wholesome Direct was overflowing with more originality and positivity than?? any other presentation at the event.

Except maybe one.

For two years running, the staff at MotherForever.net have put on their own E3 video presentations, showing off all the best and brightest projects from the EarthBound/Mother community. This year, they kicked things off with a big bang, literally. Starting off from space before moving down to some familiar faces (is that a grown-up Lucas wearing his Dad's hat?!), Mother: Beyond Bounds looks to pick up right where Mother 3 left off, with the recreation of life, the universe, and everything. I don't want to spoil too much for people who haven't played Mother 3, but I think it's fair to say that it ends with a firm seal on the fate of the people in the game world, and the future of the franchise in real life to boot. The good thing about seals though is they keep things fresh, and despite the clear references to prior games in the series, Mother: Beyond Bounds i?s simply bursting with the unique freshness that defines the franchise.

While Nintendo may not know what to do with the Mother/EarthBound series, it's clear that their lack of involvement with the series is only working to drive fans to do more with it themselves. To create for the sake of creating, making work that's infused with love and honesty, avoiding the pull of profit motives or other factors that might confound your intentions; that's the best of what indie games can do, and it looks like Mother Beyond Bounds intends to do just that. —�em>Jonathan Holmes

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Well hello, handsome

Despite being yet to bless us with a launch date, Devolver Digital continues its explosive marketing drive for Flying Wild Hog's Shadow Warrior 3. Having already given us a glimpse at the shooter sequel's devastating weaponry, this new trailer gives us a look at some of the unfortuna??te villains that will be stood in the line of fire.

Among the cartoonish-yet-utterly-repulsive beasties on display are the staff-wielding Seeking Shokera, the mammoth brute known as the Oni Hanma, the repulsive Gassy Obarion, the acrobatic Mogura Twins, and the incredibly creepy Slinky Jakku, which is like a toy from your darkest nightmares. We get to see each of the villains in action out in Shadow Warrior 3's festiv?e-looking fightzo??nes, with every villain bringing their own unique style to the battle.

What these trailers lack in context they make up for in raw, incendiary action. A blur of trigger-pumping firepower and lightning-fast evasion, all soaked in buckets of blood and gore. Devolver Digital has recently outlined its plans for the upcoming Summer Games Fest 2021 event, noting that Shadow Warrior 3 is set to make an appearance. It's getting pretty late in the day for development, so hopefully we'll finally receive a release date for this ??long-awaited sequel.

Shadow Warrior 3 is currently in developm??ent for PS4, PC, and Xbox One??.

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Boom Shake the Room

Shadow Warrior 3 knows what its audience wants. Apart from those rare occasions when the marketing focuses on amazing-looking, psychotic, demon women, Devolver Digital mostly direct??s all attention to the sequel's huge arsenal of groun??d-shaking weaponry.

This latest trailer is no exception, featuring a little over 90 seconds of explosive action featuring a wild range of pistols, automatic weapons, and heavy artillery — not to mention some pretty brutal melee weaponry for when things get up-close-and-personal. From the fast-firing six shooter "Outlaw", to the dual-wielding SMGs "Sidekicks" and the land-leveling power of the "Crimson Bull", Shadow Warrior 3 has the tools necessary to get the jo??b done. Upgrades too? Giv?e the bad guys a chance, man.

Lo Wang is going to need all the firepower he can get his hands on. Facing innumerable odds on his quest to defeat an ancient evil, our hero will run 'n' gun his way through Neo-Feudal Japan battling hordes of enemies and towering boss characters. The trailers to date have all displayed Shadow Warrior 3's love of incendiary violence and super-fast-paced action, much akin to the pace and power of id Software's recent Doom releases. Mix in the series' penchant for parkour, aerial assaults, and grapple hook action, and?? you might have one of the most breathless entries ever in the FPS cannon..??. er... canon.

Shadow Warrior 3 is currently in developme??nt for PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

The post Shadow Warrior 3’s newest trailer is all about the firepower appeared first on Destructoid.

She's Electric

Work continues on boom-a-riffic shooter sequel Shadow Warrior 3. Developer Flying Wild Hog and publisher Devolver Digital continue to dr??op trailers and tidbits pertaining to the cataclysmic sequel, which is sched??uled for release on PS4, PC, and Xbox One later this year.

The developers might have outdone themselves this weekend, however, with the reveal of amazing new character Motoko — the last remaining sorceress of the Kumo Brotherhood. Very little has been revealed about this fascinating new villain, but we do know that she holds mas?tery over electrical elements and that she plays host to an explosive and opulent fighting arena, which is fittingly titled "Motoko's Thunderdome."

We also know that she looks fucking awesome. Look at her...

Whatever Motoko's ultimate role in Shadow Warrior 3 will be, her reveal immediately set my mind racing to an epic battle between the electrifying sorceress and Resident Evil Village's beloved vampire queen, Lady Dimitrescu. The most stylish boss characters in recent memory, both women command incredible power, fear, and respect while also sharing a twisted passion for death and violence. I??'d definitely like a front-row seat to see both of them settle the score in the Thunderdome. I probably ??wouldn't survive, but I'll take it.

Big Flopp?y Hat versus Rita Repulsa Hairdo... Who's got your money???

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No sign of Hawk or Animal, though

Devolver Digital has announced that hyper-gooey FPS sequel Shadow Warrior 3 will be blowing up on PS4 and Xbox One when it launches later this year. While the bombastic action game had been previously revea?led for PC, console editions were yet to be confirmed.

In addition to the announcement, developer Flying Wild Hog released a new video — exclusively to IGN — that shows off some of t?he hellish encounters, locations, enemies, and weapons that will be entering the life of long-sufferin', hard-rockin' her??o Lo Wang.

IGN's video spotlights the "Double Trouble" gore weapon, the gross "Gassy Obariyon" enemy, and finally the "Doomsday Device" map, which unfortu??nately appears to have little-to-nothing to do with clotheslining a man off of another man's shoulders. More's the pity.

While Shadow Warrior 3 is yet to receive a release date, it is on track?? to launch in 2021.

Shadow Warrior 3's 'Doomsday Device' mission is full of terrible? creatures, violent traps, and gorgeous views!

Watch the full sneak peek on @IGN: //t.co/QoK8FgjBSW

2021 | PC | PS4 | XB1 pic.twitter.com/5qwcjqTGiy

— Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) May 5, 2021

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Shadow Warrior developer back at work

Flying Wild Hog, the studio behind the Shadow Warrior series, has entered into a partnership with publisher Focus Home Interac??tive to develop a title that the?? studio claims is its most ambitious project to date.

While no details were offered regarding the mysterious new title, Flying Wild Hog spoke of its excitement for the project, as well as its partnership with Focus Home, who were recently responsible for solid AA releases such as Greedfall, A Plague Tale: Innocence, and Vampyr.

"Focus Home? Interactive is the perfect partner for Flyin??g Wild Hog," said Flying Wild Hog CEO Michal Szustak. "We both share a love for creating unique, exciting worlds filled with crazy gameplay. We also deeply care for quality and creativity. Focus’s team supports us not only with great trust for our vision, but also helps us to forge that vision into an outstanding game. We are sure that our partnership will bloom into an amazing experience for players around the world. Fans of original action games can expect quite a surprise!"

Focus Home Interactive responded with equal praise and enthusiasm. "We at Focus have a directive to bring exciting and innovative games to the market, and with their upcoming title we know that Flying ??Wild Hog will reach the objectives we have on all of our projects, in terms of both quality and originality," said Focus COO John Bert. "We’re enthusiastic to be working with this professional team, who are masters in the art ?of creating spectacular, action-packed games."

We'll be sure to keep you informed once either party is ready to announce this exciting new p?roject.

Focus Home Interact??ive and Fly??ing Wild Hog announce partnership [MCV]

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Fashionista!

There are 17 new minutes of Shadow Warrior 3 gameplay today and you probably know exactly what you can expect from it. Lo Wang prepares way too much "demon tartar" with a katana, some guns, and his Bulletstorm-like kick. Lo Wang claps back at one of Zilla's proverbs with "The older the asshole, the louder the toots." Shadow Warrior isn't surprising anyone ??with? a tonal shift toward the serious and respectful.

However, we should be surprised by Lo Wang's slow build toward fashionista with each passing game. In the 2013 reboot, he dresses in the official ninja-assassin uniform, some sort of all-black skintight garb. In the sequel, he wears kind of the same outfit but with more buckles and studs. That makes? it trendier, I guess?

But third time is most certainly the charm. In Shadow Warrior 3, Lo Wang has a dope red bomber jacket wit??h a yellow horizontal stripe. It is the very first thing that caught my attention in this very long video, and then it's all I could think about for the next 16 minutes and 45 seconds. Could you imagine him going like 300 miles per hour on a Ducati? Could you picture him chopping off a bunch of heads without a bloodstain to be found? Yes.

Lo Wang's bomber jacket is the incremental quality improv?ement we look for with each passing game in a series. Devolver should've started selling these things yesterday. I bet the zipper never gets stuck.

The post No one’s talking about Lo Wang’s sweet bomber jacket appeared first on Destructoid.

Did you expect anything less?

Can you imagine a better game than Shadow Warrior to kick off Devolver's annual showcase? It's kind of the per?fect blend of crude, wacky, and violent that defines the?? Devolver brand.

The first Shadow Warrior 3 gameplay trailer is here and it doesn't disappoint. Buckets worth of demon blood is spilled, and some encounters look like they belong inside a carnival. There's a significant emphasis on locomotion, as wallrunning and a grapple hook brings more speed and movement to the fighting. It seems like a direction th??at's both better and more fun.

Shadow Warrior 3 is coming sometime in 2021. Platforms are still a mystery (although PC is assumed), but it's probably ?coming to whichever consoles won't make compromises on the number of dick jokes it allows.

The post It’s blood, blood (gallons of the stuff) in Shadow Warrior 3’s first gameplay trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

The first trailer is a doozy

Shadow Warrior 2 ended on a cliffhanger. At the end, and here are some vague spoilers for a game that released four years ago, an ancient dragon is accidentally freed fr??om its ete??rnal prison.

That brings us to the third game in the rebooted series. Whether or not developer Flying Wild Hog meant for the allegorical parallel to opium dens, Shadow Warrior 3 is about chasing the dragon. Publisher Devolver Digital sums up the plot by saying "Lo Wang must traverse uncharted parts of the world to track down the dark beast and push the apocalypse back yet again. All it will take is the mask of a dead god, a dragons egg, a touch of magic,?? and enough firepower to tear down the encroaching Shadowlands."

Although this trailer is qualified as a "teaser," it's chunkier than most teasers. It outwardly confirms the existence of Shadow Warrior 3, it reveals some new mechanics (grappling hook and wall running!), and it gives us that ultra-gory violence we've come to expect -- complete with Lo Wang ripping out a demon's spine a la Mortal Kombat.

More information about Shadow Warrior 3 is just on the horizon. The first gameplay trailer will debut during Devolver's Direct on July 11. Among the unknowns, we don't have platforms for this third stab at Shadow Warrior -- hopefully it's next-gen! -- and we don't have a release window. And just like that, Lo Wang flips the bird and peaces out. What a badass????.

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I'll taxi you to India in a Split/Second

After the relatively disappointing selection with last month's "Games with Gold" offerings, Microsoft has at least provided good games for February 2018. They are all fairly old and probably?? things you've already played, but they are all good games.

Kicking things off on the current-gen side, Shadow Warrior will be free the entire month while Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India will be available from February 16 till March 15. On the last-gen side, you'll be able to nab Split/Second (a very underrated gem) from February 1 until February 15 with the HD port of Crazy Taxi (the version without the original soundtrack?) going from February 16 until Feb?ruary 28.

Xbox One

• Shadow Warrior: February 1 - 28
• Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India: February 16 - March 15

Xbox 360

• Split/Second: February 1 - February 15
• Crazy Taxi: February 16 - February 28

The only real downside is that Crazy Taxi on Xbox 360 and PS3 lost its original soundtrack in the transition to HD. It also has some weird physics issues that don't properly replicate the arcade original, making it an inferior version of the game. It can be fun, no doubt,?? but it isn't the classic you know and love.

Xbox Live Games With Gold For February 2018 [Major Nelson]

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You want to watch Wang wash wang?

For one reason or another, the remake of Shadow Warrior is free on Steam today. Maybe this is to coincide with the release of some new content for Shadow Warrior 2, but either way, you can now experience some nice hard wang for the low price of free. If you want to opt for the "Special Edition" version? of the game, you'll only be set back a paltr?y $1.99.

I didn't find Shadow Warrior to be an instant classic, but it was a fairly good game with a lot of great action set-pieces. It also was a far better remake of a classic IP than a similarly foul mouthed protagonist got a few years prior. It was Serious Sam&nb??sp;meets moder??n tech with plenty of blood and enemies to slice up.

So, why not do yourself a favor and grab the game??. Even if you don't enjoy it, you can?'t beat that price.

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A price that can't be beat

Humble is doing its best Lo Wang impression. It's slashing, slashing, slashing -- but instead of chopping apart demonic monsters, it's cutting down the price of Shadow Warrior. Humble's efficient too, getting the price as low as it can possibl?y go.

For the next 46 hours or so (until 9am Pacific on Saturday), Humble is giving Shadow Warrior: Special Edition away for free. All you have to do is add it to your cart, click the "?Get if ??for free" button, and you'll get sent a Steam code. It's all easy enough.

Certainly the idea here is that people may fall in love with Shadow Warrior and they're compelled to purchase the sequel. Sure. That's per?fectly fine. As far as marketing initiative??s go, giving us free stuff is probably the most palatable.

Shadow Warrior: Special Edition [Humble]

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Who wants some Wang?

The sequel to the Shadow Warrior reboot by Flying Wild Hog is now available digitally on PS4 and Xbox One for $34.99. For a limited time, you'll also receive a copy of the first game when you purchase it from digital storefronts. No?? console specific features have been mentioned, but? online play will be included alongside offline campaign play.

As for how the game holds up, our very own Zack Furniss said, "Shadow Warrior 2 is in no way a bad game," in his review. I haven't tried out the sequel, but I thought the reboot was sol?id enough.

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Blood, blood, gallons of the stuff

Shadow Warrior 2 is a game that exists for two reasons: To tell dick jokes, and to assault the screen with an endless flurry of violence a??nd viscera?. Its newest add-on looks to trim all the fat from that formula, boiling it down to just the essentials.

Today, developer Flying Wild Hog released The Way of the Wang, a free add-on to Shadow Warrior 2. It's an arena-based trials thing that's nothing but combat and commentary. There?? are seven missions, and the Fist of?? Gozu weapon is waiting for anyone who completes them all.

Accompanying the DLC is a sale on Shadow Warrior 2. It's 25 percent off through the weekend, down to $30 from it's regular $40 price point.

The video that Flying Wild Hog made to showcase The Way of the Wang tells you all you need to know. Those guys were really into the procedural gore when we visited their studio i?n October; it probably shouldn't come as a surprise that there's a boatload of it in this add-on.

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Alternatively titled: the Polish sure like vodka

_{[Through the Polish Cultural Institute of New York City, Brett and I were flown to Poznań, Poland to attend Poznań Game Arena. We then took a train down to Warsaw to see 11 bit, CD Projekt Red, and Flying Wild Hog's studios. I apologize for the photo quality; I was using my broken-ass cell phone.]}

The game developers of Poland are warm, welcoming, and entirely too insistent on making you drink vodka until you can feel your heartbeat in your eyes. This stands in stark contrast to the older generation that we passed by every day on the street, who will only offer you the briefest of glances, often of the annoyed variety. As this was my first international trip, I found it odd to be simultaneously accepted?? and maligned by my hosts, and I assumed it was because Americans weren't loved here. 

Tadeusz Zielinski of Flying Wild Hog laughed at this while we ate breakfast at Poznan Game Arena: "It's not because you're American. It's because you're smiling. People don't smile often in Poland. They immediately know you're not f?rom here, which leads to distrust." I promised I'd ?try to stop smiling. "No, no!" he pleaded, "Please do it. We want this to change here. The younger people are happier, and we want that to win." That's an easy demand for me to follow, but I was curious as to why he thought people here didn't trust others. "Communism, man! It only ended for us a little under thirty years ago. The older people on the streets lived in a time where your neighbor could be a spy. They still think with that mindset."

Living in America, remembering only small bits and pieces of my history books, I hadn't realized Poland's time with Communism was so recent. After Zielinski told me about this, I couldn't help stop thinking about it while we attended PGA. The people on the cold, damp streets that we walked? thro??ugh each day to reach the convention center didn't match up with the smiling, enthusiastic faces we saw on both developers and attendees at the show.

Further highlighting the divide between the generations was PGA's average age of attendance. The majority of attendees looked younger than twenty years old, and many ??were there with their parents. This was in no small way due to the cheap entry fee, which was under $10. In contrast to the United States' gaming conventions that are generally industry-only or prohibitively expensive, it's no wonder why the show skews so young. As a result, the atmosphere seemed more lively, like a festival instead of a trade show.

Brett and I found this especially true when we walked around to see what games we could cover. Out of the four main halls, one of them saw the majority of our coverage, a??s it was filled with indie games we had never heard of. The other halls were more focused on games that had already b?een released, gaming merchandise, or booths with people shouting for free swag.

The games themselves were that of a burgeoning development scene, eager to get its footing by taking elements from studios the world over. Serial Cleaner had elements of Hotline Miami. Die for Valhalla took copious notes from Castle Crashers. Agony looks like Amnesia and Doom had a real gross baby. We noticed time and again that these games had clear, obvious inspirations, but not in a way tha??t felt exploitative at all. 

I can't help but wonder what the younger attendants are thinking when they're walking around, surrounded by people from their homeland eking out a place in an industry they love. With huge successes like Shadow Warrior and especially The Witcher 3 m?ade just a train ride away in Warsaw, they have heroes to look up to, and footsteps that they ca?n follow. Ten years from now, I imagine Poland will be flooded with successful game developers, a force to be reckoned with.

Each time we sat down to play a?? new game, we faced overwhelming odds that there would only be a mouse and keyboard in front of us. Generally, American conventions are controller-focused. Being a PC guy, I was comfortable, even though I could tell Brett was having a bit of trouble. PC is the king here, and when an unrelated conversation led to '90s consoles, Zielinski provided additional context for this. He told me that he remembered playing Genesis games, but official consoles weren't accessible in Poland for a very long time. Black-market console equivalents were the best you could get. It didn't take long for PC use to become widespread, though the PlayStation 4 is now common in the country. The Xbox One has found some footing, but he told me it wasn't quite as successful.

When PGA ended, it was time for us to take a train down to rain-kissed Warsaw. After a ride through the countryside, we met up with Pawel Miechow??ski, senior writer of 11 bit Studios??. He was our tour guide and accomplice, giving us history lessons and taking us to eat goose pierogi. Often, he'd reference that the buildings we were walking by were part of the "new Oldtown," which threw Brett and I for a loop. When we asked for details, we were told that due to the brutal events of World War II, 90% of Warsaw had been razed to the ground. The loss of both human life and history didn't end Poland's persistent spirit; instead, they rebuilt from the ground up, ensuring to create buildings that looked like they had prior to the flames. This is why Warsaw's often called the Phoenix City.

It lightly rained the entire time we were in Warsaw, and each developer I met was quick to apologize as if they were somehow responsible for the weather. Considering I live in Los Angeles, I was in heaven, and had to keep telling them I was happy. We first saw CD Projekt Red's beautiful, modern studio as the team rushed to release Gwent's closed beta. The first few floors were similar to other high-end studios Brett and I had seen in America, but we were surprised to find one of the floors completely under construction for expansion of the team. We tried to sneak some Cyberpunk 2077 information, but CDPR wasn't having it.

Next up was 11 bit's studio. Since Pawel and his team were in the process of moving into a new building, it was sparsely furnished, with men using drills and hammers to provide the finishing touches. We were told vague details about Frostpunk and shown Beat Cop, all while eating Polish cookies that were covere?d with chocolate and filled with fruit preserves. Again, we listened to hopeful, excited developers, eager to share stories with a world that was increasingl?y receptive to hear from them. This kind of studio tour was comfortable, a far cry from the sterile visits and press appointments we sometimes attend.

Flying Wild Hog's studio was about as comfortable as you can get. We were handed beers before exploring what looked like the lovechild of a dorm room and an office, inflatable wangs (penises, not the character from Shadow Warrior), and pictures of bare breasts on the walls. Brett told the rest of that story here. I was a little apprehensive at first about going to the studio since I had just reviewed Shadow Warrior 2 and gave it a 7 out of 10. While that's a perfectly good score, and I think it's a fun game, meeting a developer so soon after doling out? criticism is a good recipe f?or awkward atmosphere.

Which leads me to Artur Maksara of Flying Wild Hog. I met him at a PGA dinner, where he looked at me through narrowed eyes and said "So...seven out of ten, eh?" and then grinned from ear to ear. He and th??e rest of the team were good-spirited the whole time, and we both made this joke time and again. They'd offer me a?? shot of vodka, watch me drink it, and then asked if I would give the flavor a 7 out of 10. I won't forget that score or those jokes anytime soon.

Speaking of? vodka, we were constantly reminded about Polish hospitality, also known as kindly encouraging people to drink themselves to death every single night. No matter how busy of a day we had, there was a party we were invited to. Without fail, when we saw developers the next day, ?they'd say "Ah! Good! You're still alive! We can drink more tonight!" I suppose they have to stay warm somehow.

During our Flying Wild Hog tour, Artur kept alluding to a "surprise" that he had for me, Brett, and Andy Kelly from PC Gamer (a nice writerman that we met with in Warsaw). We were slightly afraid that he would open a door and offer us cocaine and invite us to a sword fight, but it was thankfully nothing of the sort. Instead we were invited to the launch of Vile Monarch's Oh...Sir!! The Insult Simulator, since they shared the same building. It's a shared Mad Libs type of game, where you build insults and try to combo them before at?tacking your opponent.

As the vodka was being passed around, Artur said he wanted to challenge me to the first round. It turns out that I wasn't very good at the game. One of the phrases I strung together was "Your father/defeated/the Communists," to which Vile Monarch founder Kacper Kwiatkowski replied "This isn't supposed to be compliment simulator!" Artur mostly destroyed me, but I do have to say that I will always fondly remember the groans, cheers, and laughter elicited from the team when I put together "Your whole country/sucks at Overwatch/and it makes me sick." I prom?ise I didn't mean it. I ??think I might love Poland, actually.

Th?e atrocities Poland has endured have been wret?ched, but the people have never backed down. Yes, there's a striation between the younger and older generations, but I'm confident that the optimism of the up-and-comers will win out. It won't be long before the dated terms of West and East won't be the only major factions in game development. Poland is here, and you should be watching them.

The post The fascinating world of Polish game development appeared first on Destructoid.

Slicing in style

Lo Wang's classin' things up right now. Well, relatively speaking, of course. His name's still Lo Wang and he's still the protagonist of a game about a million dick jokes. 

Shadow Warrior 2 is getting what its calling a Special Reserve Collector's Edition. The title seems pretty accurate, as this version's limited to 5,000 copies. Along with the game, this collector's edition includes Shadow Warrior classic, the 2013 Shadow Warrior remake, soundtracks, stickers, a 96-page artbo??ok, and some DLC (like a? solid gold ninja).

Even though this is limited, it's not quite "only 5,000" limited. These look to be the same physical editions that were sold at retail in Poland (and, to this point, only in Poland). The only discernible diff??erence seems to be that, you know, these ones aren't?? in Polish.

But, as for the English language boxes where the Steam keys will actually work, yeah, just 5,000 of them. Going to Devolver Digital's online store is the only way to nab one. They ship sometime in November, but all the digital wares are available to download immediately. The Special Reserve Collector's Edition runs $60 which is $20 more than Shadow Warrior 2's launch price. That's the premium you pay for having the most prestigious and rare avenue?? to Lo Wang's dick jokes?.

Shadow Warrior 2 Special Reserve Collector's Edition [Devolver Digital]

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How the sausage is made

"We're kind of like the Valve of Poland," Artur Maksara tells me. In a way, he's right. He's referring to Flying Wild Hog's flat structure, a sincere-seeming mentality that everyone in the company is just as important as any other. Quali?ty assurance i??s treated the same as the artists who are treated the same as the top brass.

A?n hour earlier, we were shown the CEO's office -- a desk in a room full of identical desks. You'd be hard-pressed to say it's superior in any identifiable way. If I'm not mistaken, his monitors were propped up inches higher by empty graphics cards boxes. He spends most of his day coding. It's hard to imagine Gabe Newell's digs are exactly the same.

If Flying Wild Hog is ??the Valve of Poland, it's a Valve that takes itself much much much less seriously.

Of the three studios? Zack and I visited in Warsaw, Flying Wild Hog?? was certainly the most interesting. CD Projekt Red has an air of pristine professionalism about its office. 11-bit was actually in the process of moving offices, so we met in a not-yet-finished space, one that we saw before 95 percent of its employees saw. And, Flying Wild Hog was like a frat house full of talented geeks.

Commander Shepard is the first thing anyone will see when they step out of the elevator at Flying Wild? Hog. It's quite clearly there because it's some cool shit and the people at Flying Wild Hog like cool shit. Seconds later, beers are thrust at us. This is the Polish Hospitality we had encountered all week long, a country-wide initiative to make sure you always have a drink in your tummy and another in your hand.

We're taken around the office and introduced to everyone. They're all nice and some are delightfully awkward. One man walked quickly around a corner and reversed course in ??the opposite direction when he saw us. Another was startled and dropped his yogurt. It's weirdly endearing. "They don't get to interact with journalists basically ever," we're told.

As we made our way around the office, it becomes ever-clearer how this studio made Shadow Warrior. A dick and balls paper mache mobile hangs from the ceiling in one room. Some big tits are on a poster at the other end. These things are there because, like Commander Shepard, it's some cool shit that someone wanted there. It's starting to click. Shadow Warrior isn't a game with a million dick jokes because that's a focus-tested good idea; it's ??a game with a million dick jokes because it's made by people who want to tell a million dick jokes. Because, like it or not,? that's some cool shit to them.

We keep making the rounds. Developer after developer geeking out about the intricacies o??f what they do. Slow-motion procedural gore. Refined reflection systems. A trailer that couldn't be given the green light because they couldn't quite secure the license to the music that perfectly moves to the beat of the song. Half a dozen pictures of John Carmack plastered around a desk; an officemate wanted his coworker and Carmack to be friends.

It's getting late. Rather than sticking to a rigid schedule like CD Projekt Red di??d, the people of Flying Wild Hog just seem like they want to hang out. We order pho, a perfect dish to offset the dreary Warsaw weather (every day in Poland was dreary). As we slurp down the soup, Artur pours shots of vodka. "Na zdrowie!" and the surprisingly smooth spirit goes down the hatch. Back to the soup, and, minutes later, another shot of vodka.

We finish eating and Zack asks how the Polish game community felt about concerns that The Witcher 3 was racist because it didn't have any people of color. PR and marketing man Tadeusz Zielinski passionately chimes in. Long story short, almost everyone was pissed off because that allegation was a fundamental misunderstanding of what The Witcher and Poland is. Another shot of vodka. The conversation turns to CD Projekt Red and what it means to the country. Another sho?t of vodka. I'm losing the thread of talk but it's something about Polis??h culture. Another shot of vodka.

I had a feeling this particular studio tour would take a turn in this direction. It's either that Polish Hospitality or Flying Wild Hog's creative way to try to kill Zack for giving Shadow Warrior 2?? a seven out of 10, one of the lower scores it received. It's probably the hospitality, though??. Probably.

We have to bow out of the inebriation arms race. Early flights mercifully ensure that we can't stay up all night drinking. "Why?" Artur asks only ha??lf jokingly. I don't think I could keep up anyway. The man's nickname is "massacre" for how often he has put the alcohol-related hurt on people in the Polish game dev scene. But, before we can leave, we have to take what is known as "the leaving shot." That seems reasonable enough. Immediately afterward, we're told we need to drink for the other leg. That seems less reasonable. I'm dubious but I drink anyway.

There were no interviews, no exclusives, and no schedule for our tour of Flying Wild Hog. In hindsight, it wasn't necessary. It's easy enough to peer behind the curtains and get a good feel for the mentality of this company. It's just a bunch of folks doing what they think is fun with no delusions that their games will change the world. Suddenly, all those dick jokes make sense -- it just took a bunc??h of shots of vodka to get it.

The post After touring Flying Wild Hog, it makes perfec?t sense Shadow Warrior is the way it is appeared first on Destructoid.

Fortune cookie clicker

Three years ago, Flying Wild Hog brought Shadow Warrior to the present day, creating a satisfying amalgam of modern and classic first-person elements. The same things that we credit this year's Doom for doing were all accomplished by Lo Wang's first journey: no chest-high cover to hide behind, no regenerating heal??th, no linear corridors, and refreshingly chunky ultraviolence.

Shadow Warrior 2 att??empts to implement "2016 back of the box features" that at first glance seem like they would benefit the game, but instead lead to an unfocused homogeneity with two thousand too many dick jokes. Good thing it's still fun as hell to slice and dice demons.

Shadow Warrior 2 (PC [reviewed], PS4, Xbox One)
Developer: Flying Wild Hog
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Released: October 13, 2016
MSRP: $39.99

Shadow Warrior 2 doesn't waste any time getting started. Five years after the events of the first game, Lo Wang finds himself in almost identical circumstances, surrounded by demons and mythical beings who want him to cut shit to pieces. In the beginning, Flying Wild Hog seems to have taken complaints about the first game's mostly dumb-as-hell humor to heart. When Wang's killing demons and improvising a version of "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music and painting a temple Demon Red (my favorite crayon), it's hard not to smile. Minutes later, we're back to a litany of un-funny dick jok??es.

Instead of sticking to one-liners, it isn't long before Wang has another companion's soul inside his head so they can go back and forth. This att?empt to retain the same dynamic as the first one mostly falls flat, providing a "straight man" character that doesn't add much to the plot except more inane dialogue. It's a shame because while the first game wasn't going to win any writing awards, the story of being trapped between the machinations of what amounted to gods at least kept the stakes high.

But you're not playing Shadow Warrior 2 fo??r the plot. You're here to shoot, slice, and soar around beautifully-rendered land?scapes, right?

On that front, I mostly had a blast. The procedural gore system that enables Wang to dismember his enemies is almost as visceral visceral visce??ral let's retire this word  tactile and gratifying as it was before, with a few caveats. Melee weapons are still the star of the show here. Whether it's a katana, a chainsaw hewn from demon-flesh, or the severed claws of one of your enemies, dashing in and cutting up shambling m??????????????????????????onsters is a treat. A group of creatures standing around becomes a huge meat piñata, ready for you to spill their guts and stuff them in your pockets.

Even on higher difficulties, it always seems like a safe bet to run into the thick of the crowd and become a whirling dervish and un??leash carnage all around you. The only downside is that most enemies are bullet-and-blade-sponges, sucking up entirely too much damage. I could actually feel my left mouse button getting squishier during my playthrough, as most ??fights don't demand strategy and instead require a constant click-click-click. This does get repetitive rather quickly, as each encounter plays out largely the same.

Of course, blades are only part of the equation. This game is not shy about giving you guns to play with every twenty minutes or so. I was especially partial to placing holes in the chests of opponents with shotgun blasts, and even within that subset of weapons there was large variety to choose from: auto, sawn-off, plasma, and the like. In addition to there being so many to play with, you can also upgrade them with gems that drop from those meat piñatas. This Diablo-style loot system is one of the main new features, and ?it doesn't quite stick the landing.

There are entirely too many upgrades dropping per encounter. In a lightning-fast game like this, spending too much time in a menu slotting gems is anathema to pacing. On average, about twenty gems dropped per minute, and they were usually only small upgrades that are kind of trash. It doesn't help that the user interface just misses intuitive and so you'll waste even more time trying to make your weapon the best it can be. I do like that this is going for a Borderlands type of?? system with weapon variation and instead of giving you two million generic guns you can customize th??em the way you'd like. With upwards of 50 weapons, you can really have your own personal arsenal. Plus, there are a few upgrades that meaningfully change the functionality of your weapons, such as being able to dual-wield, use rocket launchers as turrets, shoot twice as much ammo for double damage and the like. These ones are more of a thrill to get instead of an extra 5% reload speed.

Hands-down my favorite aspect of Shadow Warrior 2 is the incredible sense of mobility that Wang possesses. With a double jump, an unlimited amount of dashes and air-dashes, and an already high movement speed that can be increased as you level up, you can pract?ically fly across levels with some practice. Zipping to and fro never stops being fun, a??nd helps with some major flaws in level design.

While the first game wasn't exactly linear and had some backtracking, this one goes for a quest-base??d structure. Main quests are pre-built affairs, but side quests are procedurally generated in a way that becomes tiresome. The maps are gigantic and mostly devoid of reasons to explore. Sure, they're littered with chests, money, and monsters to slay, but they have this empty feeling that I noticed very quickly in my full 12-hour playthrough. At first I explored every last inch to get everything, but I soon realized that randomized loot wasn't worth poring over. There's a sort-of hidden boss in every level, and once you kill them and get a new weapon, you might as well rush to the objective and finish it. I ended up with so much extra money it was a little ridiculous anyway.

Fortunately, even though there's an inherent repetition in the levels, they're all gorgeous. Rainslicked futuristic cityscapes and temples all look incredible, especially when the weather gets crazy and whips foliage around all willy-nilly. Even ??when there were loads of enemies on the screen and I was cutting them into pieces, I never saw any slowdown with my GT??X 1070. I was at above 100 frames per second the entire time, which felt especially nice with the amount of chaos that was always present.

Perhaps the reason most people will be playing this is the new four-player co-op. I spent a few hours in this mode, and it exacerbates the aforementioned issues like loot drops and repetitive combat. Like most cooperative games, Shadow Warrior 2's solution to multiplayer balance is to give enemies more health, which makes each battle far too long. Loot drops become even more frequent, and they don't seem to be much better. The inherent joy of playing with buddies is there, and it is fun to build your characters differently. I stuck with melee and put my skill points (which you place in trading cards that you find throughout quests) into becoming more resistant to damage. One?? friend focused on making his Chi abilities like blasts, enemy holds, and blade beams stronger. Another wanted his elemental guns to be as toxic as possible. There's a lot of wiggle room to tailor your experience how you want, which I appreciate.

I did encounter my fair share of bugs throughout. One side quest le?d me up stairs that then mysteriously sealed themselves shut with a weird glitchy texture, forcing me to restart the mission. One valley I went into straight-up wasn't rendered, so I could see through the world into the deep void of code. Some weapon descriptions had placeholders, but those can be easily f??ixed. Most of these were inoffensive, but they do paint an unfinished portrait.

Shadow Warrior 2 is in no way a bad game, and I found myself grinning through a lot of it. I'd groan at Wang begging to cut off a penis immediatel??y afterwards, but some people will probably get a laugh out of that. Definite flaws and a laser focus on making the game a more universally sellable experience hurt it, but if you ??????????????????????????want to shoot shit while shooting the shit with some buddies, you could do a lot worse.

_{[This review is based on a retail buil??d of the game provided ??by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Shadow Warrior 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Totally Ninja deal

Update 10/12: Publishers have put the hammer down on discounts for Shadow Warrior 2. Best you can do is 15% off now instead of the 27% off. See below.

Katanas meet Kalashnikovs for PC gamers in this Thursday's release of Shadow Warrior 2. We're just a few days out from its launch, but new rounds of Steam key dea?ls are surfacing, some as high as 27% off.

Shadow Warrior 2 Pre-Order Deals

• Shadow Warrior 2 (Steam) — $34.19 at GMG  (list price $40)
  Must login and use coupon: VIP5
• Shadow Warrior 2 (Steam) — $29.25 at GMG  (list price $40)
  Must login and use coupon: VIP5
• Shadow Warrior 2 (Steam) — $31.99 at DLGamer  (list price $40)
• Shadow Warrior 2 - Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $39.97 at DLGamer  (list price $50)

There are two retailers most prominently promoting discounts on Shadow Warrior 2: Green Man Gaming and DLGamer. GMG is only selling the Standard Edition but has the best discount. At GMG, after logging in and using coupon code VIP5, you'll drop to the price from $40 to $29.25 for a 27% price break -- an uncommonly high discount for a pre-orde??r.

If you want the more expensive Deluxe Edition of Shadow Warrior 2, check out DLGamer. There you'll see a 22% drop to $39.97, which is the best price online from an authorized retail?er.

The Deluxe Edition of the game is entirely meant for big fans of the Shadow Warrior experience. In the Deluxe, you'll get a digital art book, soundtrack, and a pack of three gold skins: Gold Ninja Skin, Gold Katana, and Gold MP7. We're not sure if that's worth an extra $10, but if you w??ant to bling it?? out in the game, the option is there.

PC gamers get first dibs on Shadow Warrior 2 with Thursday's impending launch date. The console versions will go live in early? 2017.

The post Sneak 27% off Shadow Warrior 2 before Thursday’s launch appeared first on Destructoid.

Hare's a 15-minute gameplay video

I have only watched this 15-minute video of the beginning of Shadow Warrior 2, an?d I am already e??motionally invested. That's because some dickhead picked up a bunny mid-hump and chucked him at a car. Now that bunny is dead and I am sad. I'm a sucker for the cute and cuddly type.

The only acceptable revenge will be for protagonist Lo Wang to kill everything that's not cute and cuddly. I'm not sure those are his exact motivations, but they're my motivations. I can ignore the entirety of the narrative and commit demon genocide in honor of the fallen Bunnicula if I want. That's how vi?deo games work.

We'll soon learn how Wang's next murder spree turned out. Reviews will be posted early on the morning of Shadow Warrior 2's October 13 release. However, there's no restriction on streams, videos, or other kinds of footage which is how we e?nd u??p with this grisly gameplay clip.

The post Shadow Warrior 2’s Lo Wang needs to avenge that bunny’s death appeared first on Destructoid.

Launching on PC first

Those eager to grab some Wang will be happy to know that Devolver Digital has announced a release date for Shadow Warrior 2. The game will be heading to PC on October 13, 2016. It will launch with a 10% discount for the first week, but will regularly retail at $39.99 (£34.99 in Europe).

The game will be hitting Steam and GOG at the same time, though the console versions have not been nailed down yet. I'm not sure if they will be skipping this year or releasing closer to the ho?liday season, but nothing has been stated with regards to them.

While Flying Wild Hog's first take on Shadow Warrior was a roaring good time, it certainly wasn't old-school by any stretch of imagination. It played more like Painkiller than the original Shadow Warrior, but it still nailed its core mechanics. It wa?s bloody as all hell, too.

Shadow Warrior 2 looks to change up the formula even more than its predecessor. Instead of sticking to a corridor shooter, the game will be heavily inspired by Diablo by including a loot system. Sounds similar to Borderlands.

I would still like to see how the co-op functions in the game. I wasn't lucky enough to even get close to the booth at PAX East this year, so I'm still in the dark. Either? way, I'm excited for the launch.

Shadow Warrior 2 is coming to PC in "less than two months" [Eurogamer]

The post Lo Wang returns in October for Shadow Warrior 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Lots of blood, lots of bad one-liners

I love long gameplay trailers. Cinematic trailers are nice and sizzle reels can be exciting, but when you want to know how a game is shaping up, nothing is better than just seeing some extended gameplay. And Shadow Warrior 2 is shaping up nicely. 

I'm still not a huge fan of the game's humor and lust for cheesy one-liners, but I am a huge fan of impaling demons on m?agically summoned spikes and slashing them apart with ninja claws. You gotta take the good with the bad ??I suppose. 

The post Watch 12 minutes of Shadow Warrior 2 gameplay appeared first on Destructoid.

'Coming soon' to PC, PS4, Xbox One

Some people only know Flying Wild Hog for its work on Shadow Warrior (2013), but before that revival, the studio had another first-person shooter with old-school sensibilities: Hard Reset. It was a generally good time for fans of titles like Painkiller (a personal favorite) and Serious Sam.

The game didn't release on consoles, but that won't be the case again for the upcoming remaster, Hard Reset Redux, which is slated for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. There aren't many specifics yet -- no price, release date, or even screenshots -- but we can expect "an upgraded visual engine and rebalanced gameplay, al??ong with new enemies and weaponry (cyber-katana!)."

I know I played the original and liked it, but otherwise, my recollection is hazy. In his review for Destructoid, Jim Sterling gave Hard Reset an 8 out of 10, noting that it was "an honest, straightforward FPS experience." Speaking of which, it's $2.99 on Steam right now.

The post Hard Reset returns with a Redux release appeared first on Destructoid.

Slice 'em up

With all of the stops to carefully pan the camera, you know this is an E3 demo, but the upgraded lighting in Shadow Warrior 2 do??es look nice. Demons aside, I'd like to retire here.

Lo Wang spouts a bunch of cheesy lines, as expected. A guy says "ransacked," which is a word that isn't use?d nearly enough in the 21st century. There's even some stealth at six minutes in.

Bet??ween the co-op and far more open-ended levels, this should be another fun one.

The post Enough talk, let’s watch some Shadow Warrior 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

This post is free of Lo Wang jokes

[Update #2: Show's over, gang. Turns out i??t was ??nothing after all, according to an email from GOG:

"It was just a glitch and now it's fixed."

 Oh well. It was nice to dream.]

[Update: The listing has since b??een removed from the page. We are still waiting for comment from GOG. A screenshot of the listing is see?n below.]

Flying Wild Hog’s upcoming Shadow Warrior 2 is, strangely, listed as being one of the free games available for members of GOG. A screenshot is below should this be changed.

There are two possibilities here. The first being it’s a total mistake, isn’t meant to be there, and Shadow Warrior 2 will have as price when it’s released. The price is currently listed as “TBA&rdqu??o; and not “Free” like the other games, after all.

However, other games such as Armello and Crawl also have their prices set as to be announced, and aren’t included on the free games page. Shadow Warrior 2 isn’t unique o??n GOG in not?? having a price set, so what has singled that game out specifically as being included on that page? Maybe there is a deal being made between Flying Wild Hog and GOG?

We’ve contacted GOG for comme??nt on this. It’s likely that this is just an error, so we’ll update this post should we receive any word from them about it. This is either something very ?cool, or nothing at all.

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