Archive - 2015

Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition Announced for Consoles

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May 15, 2015 — Released to overwhelming critical acclaim, reaching close to a million copies sold on PC and winning over 150 game of the year awards and nominations, Larian Studios’ RPG Divinity Original Sin comes to consoles with a host of new and enhanced content in Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition.

The “Best RPG in years” (PC Gamer) receives a full makeover, including – but not limited to – a new intuitive user-interface tailored for controllers and couch friendly dynamic split-screen, with full voiced and remastered AAA dialogues featuring Alix Wilton Regan and Alec Newman, as well as hours of new content; quests, combat-styles, locations, changes to the crafting system and a reworked storyline breathing new life into the already expansive world of Rivellon.

More exciting details will be revealed over the coming months, but for an early look be sure to visit the Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition booth at E3.

Of their partnership, Larian CEO Swen Vincke said “There was a lot of publisher interest for [the console version] but when Focus approached us, the decision was rapidly made. We know each other well, having worked together since 2002, and that means there’s a lot of mutual trust & respect.

Focus’ recent growth as well as the energy and enthusiasm showcased by their team makes me confident they’ll do a great job in publishing the Xbox One & PS4 versions of Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition.”

His remarks were followed closely by Focus Home Interactive’s Managing Partner Cedric Lagarrigue, stating “We’re very proud to accompany Larian on such a big project. We’re pleased to see that both Focus and Larian have remarkably grown since our first partnership more than 10 years ago, and that now together we’ll deliver one of the most exciting RPGs that will release on consoles at the end of 2015.”

Easing a new generation into the world of cRPGs, Original Sin – Enhanced Edition features isometric, party-based gameplay, turn based combat in a story that will have you embroiled in a fantasy world of free exploration thanks to a new split-screen friendly UI.

  • Become part of a reactive, living and open world. Explore diverse environments, find myriad creatures and tons of desirable items.
  • Experience gripping, party and turn-based combat. Manipulate the environment and use skill & spell combos.
  • Play in co-op multiplayer online or in local split-screen and engage in co-op dialogues. Shape your relationships with your partner that will influence the game.
  • Unravel a deep and epic story, set in the early days of Rivellon. Taking place well before Divine Divinity and Divinity 2: The Dragon Knight Saga, Divinity: Original Sin presents you with a familiar world in another era.
  • Classless system lets you shape your character any way you want. Endless item interaction and combinations take things to another level of freedom.

Sneak, stab, trip, poison or explode your way through Rivellon in this extended and enhanced version of 2014s PC RPG of the Year (Gamespot), coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Dying Light The Bozak Horde DLC Trailer and Release Date

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May 15, 2015 — Today Techland announced the release date for “The Bozak Horde”, the upcoming downloadable content for Dying Light. Set to launch on May 26th 2015, this brand-new game mode lets players enter the Harran Stadium and take on a series of twisted challenges laid out by a deeply-troubled psychopath named Bozak.

Designed with co-op gameplay in mind, this major addition to the world of Dying Light will offer a hefty challenge even for the most experienced teams of four. On top of that, “The Bozak Horde” throws a competitive element into the mix, making the game less predictable and more demanding than ever.

All those who defeat the horde will get their hands on the ultimate stealth weapon – a compound hunting bow – with additional objectives granting access to electric, incendiary, and exploding arrows.

MAIN FEATURES:

  • BRAND-NEW GAME MODE – Go alone or join your friends and beat Bozak’s game with the highest score. Thanks to the newly introduced leaderboards, you can now compete with others to become the very best Dying Light player in the world.
  • ULTIMATE CO-OP CHALLENGE – Inviting friends is no longer the easy way out. Even a team of four seasoned survivors will have their combat and parkour skills thoroughly tested against sadistic trials that could make anyone sweat!
  • ENTIRELY NEW LOCATION – Travel to the heart of Sector 0, the infamous Harran Stadium, where the government lost their first battle against the virus.
  • GAME-CHANGING NEW WEAPON – Defeat the horde and gain access to the ultimate stealth weapon – a compound hunting bow. Take on additional objectives to get electric, incendiary, and exploding arrows.
  • WHO IS BOZAK? – Survive his brutal challenges and learn more about the man who organized the quarantine zone challenges.
  • “The Bozak Horde Teaser Trailer” can be embedded from the official Dying Light channel here or downloaded from here along with additional screens and GIF based footage.

The Bozak Horde will be available to all Season Pass Holders or as a separate purchase for 9.99 USD / 9.99 EUR / 6.99 GBP

LEGO Jurassic World Dinosaurs Trailer and Release Date

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Warner Bros. Interactive has released a new trailer for its upcoming LEGO Jurassic World video game. Also, the company revealed that the game will come out in North America June 12, 2015, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Windows PC.

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El Diablo Opens at Six Flags Great Adventure

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Jackson, NJ ─ May 14, 2015Beginning today, riders will feel the heat of Six Flags Great Adventure’s 13th roller coaster when it previews to Season Pass holders and Members during an event presented by Kia Motors America. The world’s largest theme park will open the devilish El Diablo to the general public on Saturday.

“The Jersey devil inspired the theme for our newest attraction, and El Diablo delivers a scorching thrill for a variety of age groups,” said park President John Fitzgerald. “Our guests told us they wanted a ride that would excite tweens and prepare them for the extreme thrills of coasters like El Toro and Kingda Ka, and El Diablo is the perfect fit.”

The giant, fiery red, looping coaster is located in the Mexican-themed Plaza del Carnaval section of the park. It features riders sitting in “face-off” (face-to-face) seats rocketing forward and backward pendulum style until the train gains enough momentum to complete a full revolution seven stories in the air. The coaster then kicks into high gear, completing full revolutions until it stops momentarily with riders suspended upside down, and then reverses direction for even more thrills. Guests can experience six gravity-defying inversions before the train finally comes to a stop.

El Diablo riders must be at least 48 inches tall. El Diablo previews to Six Flags Season Pass holders and Members May 14 and 15, and will celebrate its grand opening to the public May 16.

For more information on Six Flags Great Adventure, visit www.sixflags.com/greatadventure

Knott’s Berry Farm Voyage to the Iron Reef Review #knottsironreef

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Knott’s Berry Farm has officially launched its new Voyage to the Iron Reef interactive dark ride this week, and we were some of the early media allowed to ride. Voyage to the Iron Reef is located in the same 2nd level structure which originally housed Knott’s Bear-y Tales and, later, Kingdom of the Dinosaurs. The outside of the attraction now features a wavy blue awning and steampunk style decor. After being escorted to the area outside of the attraction, we were fed a very nice al fresco style breakfast and then the opening ceremony began. The park management introduced us to some costumes characters who commemorated the opening of the ride. One thing of note for you Knott’s Scary Farm fans out there was that the park’s General Manager, Raffi Kaprelyan, hinted at plans to renovate the iconic Calico Ghost Town area – more info on the upcoming changes and what it could mean for the annual Halloween event will be unveiled at a later date

The actual Voyage to the Iron Reef ride itself is basically a big, interactive video game experience similar to the Toy Story Midway Mania attraction found in Disneyland’s California Adventure park. Riders sit four to a car – each with a cool, quasi-futuristic looking gun in front of them. The ride car rolls about a track, stopping periodically at projector screens which show the ride video feed where guests shoot at enemies which pop up. The ride takes guests into the deep ocean to fight off a plethora of bad guys – from evil jellyfish to evil eels and even an evil kraken.

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In addition, all of the on-screen action is  presented to the viewer in 3D thanks to very comfortable and, most importantly, passive 3D glasses. The 3D effect is great and, even with the motion of the ride vehicle in play, I never felt sick or queasy. The whole thing syncs up well and my eyes didn’t complain once! The company behind the technology of the ride, Triotech, should be commended for their great work.

The actual story of the ride and why we were shooting these evil sea creatures was a bit lost on me but, that didn’t matter at all, as I was too busy shooting things and watching the on-board digital score board accumulate points. Aside from points for killing enemy creatures, you can also shoot these floating compass symbols which will pop up on the screens from time to time. I am still unsure of just what collecting these things do aside from show the number of them shot on the LED scoreboard displays at the end of the ride. My personal best for the day was around 186K points and 10 symbols.

We rode Voyage to the Iron Reef a few go-rounds and, each time, had an absolute blast. The ride structure is air conditioned (which will be an absolute blessing in the upcoming Southern California Summer) and the ride is easy on those who don’t like jarring experiences. The second time we rode the attraction, our ride car encountered an issue where it was not aligning with the interactive screens, causing us to shoot over our shoulders. We were told it was a quick fix and that the ride was back to normal within minutes of our exiting the experience. Opening day jitters – totally worth it, however, as this is a truly fun attraction which is bringing some new life into an area of the park which has not seen an update in quite some time. We at GamingShogun.com eagerly encourage you to get out to Knott’s Berry Farm and try Voyage to the Iron Reef – you’ll be glad you did.

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Springfield Opens at Universal Studios Hollywood

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Universal City, California, May 12, 2015 – “Springfield,” hometown of America’s favorite family, The Simpsons, has officially opened at Universal Studios Hollywood, setting up residency in an elaborately immersive land situated adjacent to the theme park’s award-winning mega-attraction, “The Simpsons Ride.” To mark the occasion, Universal Studios Hollywood hosted a festive neighborhood block party attended by special guests Al Jean, the Executive Producer of The Simpsons, Nancy Cartwright, the voice of “Bart,” Yeardley Smith, the voice of “Lisa” and Joe Mantegna, the voice of “Fat Tony,” alongside Springfielders, Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa Simpson, Krusty the Clown and Sideshow Bob.

The new themed environment captures the spirit of Springfield, immersing visitors and fans in the world of “The Simpsons” like never before. Springfield at Universal Studios Hollywood features the many iconic landmarks made famous throughout the series’ mind boggling 26 seasons, including Springfield Elementary School, Comic Book Guy’s Android’s Dungeon, the cooling towers of Mr. Burns’ Nuclear Power Plant, the Springfield Police Station, the Aztec Theater and, of course, the Kwik-E-Mart.

Springfield_Simpsons Family at Simpsons Ride

“The Simpsons is an enduring franchise that has withstood the test of time, contributing to why The Simpsons Ride has been an all-time favorite since it opened at our theme park,” said Larry Kurzweil, President of Universal Studios Hollywood. “As Universal Studios Hollywood celebrates its 50 year milestone celebration, the introduction of Springfield underscores the extensive transformation underway to engage guests in dynamic and relevant, immersive entertainment.”

The all-new Springfield culinary excursion will allow visitors to enjoy the places that helped it earn the distinction of being named “The Fattest Town” by the Duff Book of World Records. Guests will enjoy a “Genuine Clown-Endorsed Meal” at Krusty Burger, grab a slice that’s “a-nice” at Luigi’s Pizza, enjoy a “Taco Fresho” at Bumblebee Man’s Taco Truck, or a platter of Chicken Thumbs at Cletus’ Chicken Shack. To satisfy one’s sweet tooth, guests can visit Phineas Q. Butterfat’s Ice Cream Parlor or go nuts for a Homer-sized helping of drool-worthy donuts at Lard Lad.

Springfield_Chief Wigman.The Springfield experience also features Moe’s Tavern, a Duff Brewery and a Duff Beer Garden, where guests can savor an authentic Duff Beer. New strolling characters, Krusty the Clown and Sideshow Bob, also make their debut at Springfield, entertaining and interacting with guests, and, in the case of Sideshow Bob, keeping a vengeful eye out for Bart, alongside existing favorites Homer, Marge, Lisa and Maggie Simpson. The arrival of Springfield adds new dimension to the area surrounding the award-winning mega-attraction, “The Simpsons Ride,” where guests embark on an outrageous and original Simpsons adventure in “Krustyland,” a theme park created by the show’s greedy clown and the ultimate Springfield convenience store, “Kwik-E-Mart” featuring a wide selection of Simpsons memorabilia.

“This is a must-see experience for Simpsons fans all over the world,” said Mark Woodbury, President of Universal Creative. “In spectacular fashion, guests can now enter an animated world that they’ve only seen on television – and we’re really excited to bring that world to life.”
“I might actually had been excited about the new Simpsons attractions even if we hadn’t put our blood into making it great with our fragile egos waiting for the outcome,” said James L. Brooks, Executive Producer, The Simpsons.

“The Springfield launch at Universal Orlando exceeded all of our expectations with Simpsons fans young and old traveling from around the globe to experience the immersive land. We’re so excited to now bring the world of Springfield to Universal Studios Hollywood,” said Jeffrey Godsick, President, Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products.