Saber Interactive has released the free “Against All Odds” update for World War Z: Aftermath, the ultimate co-op zombie shooter inspired by Paramount Pictures’ blockbuster film. Available today on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC, this latest update adds a host of fresh content, including new “Jerusalem” and “New York” Horde Mode maps, seven new mutators for Challenge Horde Mode, and a new melee weapon: the baton.
The “Against All Odds” update also adds the freedom to play as any character in all PvE episodes for the first time. AI party members have been improved, as well, and can now use heavy weapons when playing alongside you.
Additionally, two new paid DLC packs are available today: the Deadly Vice Weapon Skin Pack and Rat Packs Weapon Skins Bundle. Each DLC is available for $4.99 and contains four specially themed weapon skins.
Finally, World War Z: Aftermath players on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One can unlock a bonus in-game weapon skin and exclusive collectible trinket when they register on PROS (Prism Ray Online Services). PROS is a new platform powering online services for select upcoming games from Saber Interactive and a variety of other game providers. To sign up, players can visit https://prismray.io.
Powered by the next generation of Saber’s dynamic Swarm Engine™, World War Z: Aftermath lets you play on your own with AI squadmates or in co-op for up to four players with full crossplay between PC and consoles. Take on hordes of ravenous zombies with all content from World War Z: Game of the Year Edition, including full episodes in New York, Moscow, Marseille, Jerusalem, and Tokyo, plus two new campaign episodes in Rome (including Vatican City) and the Kamchatka peninsula. Experience the heart-pounding immersion of Aftermath’s optional first-person mode, decimate the undead with a new melee system, and level up eight unique classes with distinct play styles and customizable loadouts.
Today, during Wizards of the Coast’s Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) Direct, Gearbox Publishing and Cryptic Studios shared a new trailer revealing that Neverwinter’s 25th module, Menzoberranzan, is available now on PC, PlayStation and Xbox consoles. The new expansion for the free-to-play Dungeons & Dragons MMORPG brings the epic conclusion of the two-part storyline and campaign written in collaboration with New York Times best-selling author R.A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore — that was first introduced in the previous module, Northdark Reaches. For the first time ever in Neverwinter, players will be able to explore the drow city of Menzoberranzan, the fabled home of the legendary Dungeons & Dragons character Drizzt Do’Urden. Inspired by R.A. Salvatore’s hit trilogy book series, The Way of the Drow, players will encounter beloved D&D characters, including Drizzt, and experience the events that occur between the final two books, Glacier’s Edge and Lolth’s Warrior.
Following the events of Northdark Reaches, Jarlaxle Baenre, leader of the Bregan D’aerthe mercenary company, has returned to the legendary City of Spiders, Menzoberranzan, after being reunited with the illustrious scout Braelin Janquay. The stench of civil war looms on the horizon, and rumors of a long-forgotten artifact threaten to turn the tides in Lolth’s favor. The Underdark will succumb to chaos if such power falls into the wrong hands. To stop the civil war from becoming a reality, you’ll need to join the ex-drider forces of the Blaspheme and delve into the darkness once more to save the great city of Menzoberranzan.
Menzoberranzan introduces plenty of playable content and exciting updates for all Neverwinter adventurers, including:
New Adventure by R.A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore – Join the revolution and experience the epic conclusion of a two-part storyline and campaign written in collaboration with New York Times bestselling author R.A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore
New campaign lets you experience the events that occur between the final two books of The Way of the Drow series, Glacier’s Edge and Lolth’s Warrior.
Menzoberranzan Adventure Zone & Campaign – For the first time ever, explore the drow city of Menzoberranzan, the fabled home of the legendary Dungeons & Dragons character Drizzt Do’Urden. In this new zone, you’ll need to avoid drow patrols and evade assassins as you assist the drow rebellion.
The adventure zone includes the following new features:
New Quests – Embark on epic quests, encounter beloved Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms characters, including Drizzt Do’Urden and experience the great city of Menzoberranzan.
New Bosses – While exploring this new zone, expect to encounter both friend and foe in challenging battles, including the deadliest bosses within Menzoberranzan, and take on heroic encounters.
New Rewards – By successfully completing quests, you can unearth new epic rewards including new Underdark weapons, artifacts, mount insignias and combat enchantments.
New Trial – Drawn to the power of the Eye of Odran, the Beholder deity Gzemnid has taken physical form within his reliquary. Challenge him in a New Trial, a celebration of 10 years of Neverwinter!
Quality of Life Improvements – This new module introduces new quality of life improvements, including balancing updates to companions, new Insignia-specific updates to the mount system and new rewards for all appointment store events
Neverwinter is a free-to-play action MMORPG featuring fast-paced combat and epic dungeons. Players explore the vast city of Neverwinter and its surrounding lands, learning the vivid history of the iconic city in the Forgotten Realms and battling its many enemies. Neverwinter is available on PC and is free to play digitally on Xbox (Xbox Live Gold membership not required) and PlayStation (PlayStation®Plus not required) consoles.
The National Nightly News is broadcasting on all channels today, as developers NotGames and publisher tinyBuild proudly announce that the sizzlingly satirical news-editing hit Not For Broadcast is live on Xbox One, Series S/X plus PlayStation 4 & 5 consoles, with new “Live & Spooky” DLC available for consoles & PC.
Not For Broadcast is also out on Meta Quest 2/Pro headsets and Steam VR for your most immersive, chaotic and disastrous news-editing experience yet. Take a peek at everything that’s fit for the airwaves in the new trailer below:
Dive into the utterly bizarre world of British live television today in Not For Broadcast. Set in an alternate 1980s, become the editor for Channel One’s National Nightly News show. Switch between camera feeds, bleep out dangerous (or just plain rude) ideas, and decide what stories are fit to go nationwide. Not like it could completely change the course of history, right?
Whether on PC, console or in VR, Channel One’s editing desk interface is a dream to use. Hit those buttons, turn those dials and play the ads of your choosing one VHS at a time. Just don’t let ratings drop, or you’re out of a job.
Curious how we ended up with a new FMV game in 2023? Ponder no longer, and let developers NotGames explain in their musical history video below. You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! You’ll want to buy their games!
The History of NotGames
Also available today on PC and Consoles: The new Live & Spooky DLC, first of three new chapters coming in the Not For Broadcast season pass. Return to the editing room in this special show, taking news-anchor Patrick Bannon on a mysterious mission to a ‘haunted’ backlot. Clearly there’s no such thing as ghosts, but supernatural schlock makes for great ratings.
This one’s a bit more involved than your usual broadcast as you lead Patrick and crew from room to room. Whether you’re digging up old secrets or keeping things fresh with a little bit of spooky editing wizardry, this one’s in your hands, and how it all ends depends on your choices.
Not For Broadcast is out now on Xbox and PlayStation stores, accompanied by the new Live & Spooky DLC, and priced at $24.99 for the base game or $39.99 including the season pass. Not For Broadcast VR is also available separately on Steam and the Meta Quest store.
One of the most-played 3D strategy games in videogame history finally comes to Steam. Matrix Games and Battlefront are proud to announce that from now on the entire Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy franchise is available on Steam.
Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy is considered a 3D strategy classic. Produced by Battlefront since 2011, the Battle for Normandy franchise lets players recreate World War II battles in an exceptionally realistic, dynamic way: from D-Day to the liberation of the north of occupied France, to the Allied assault of the Market Garden for the bridges of Holland and Belgium. A total of four campaigns, 21 standalone scenarios, and a plethora of quick battles will keep you glued to Combat Mission’s battlefields for dozens of hours. With the four DLC available for Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy, players can control British, American and German troops, for a total of almost 100 different tanks and military vehicles.
“After the extraordinary success of the Steam versions of Combat Mission: Cold War and Shock Force 2, the release of Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy is the natural next step, which bears witness to the excellent, lasting partnership between Matrix Games and Battlefront. A peerless classic amongst 3D strategy games had to be on the most important PC market store as well as on our Matrixgames.com store,” said Marco Minoli, Matrix Games/Slitherine CMO.
All the latest in the Steam version. As well as being more accessible and constantly updated to the latest version available, the Steam version of Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy lets you play multiplayer with Matrix Games/Slitherine’s proven proprietary PBEM system, and to participate in free online tournaments organised at Slitherine.com. The Steam version is fully compatible with previous versions of Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy.
The entire Combat Mission franchise has a discount of up to 40% to celebrate Battle for Normandy launch on Steam.
The survival horror game Outer Terror is confirmed by its publisher VoxPop Games, Inc. for full release on Steam April 20th. Coming off a successful week at Game Developers Conference where Outer Terror debuted in the MOME (Made in New York) GDC 2023 booth, players worldwide can now play a free demo that is available now through April 7 on Steam.
Inspired by classic Pulp Horror comic books and B-movies, Outer Terror is a frantic bullet hell casual game with rogue-lite elements, swarming with cosmic creatures like possessed toasters and rabid rabbits that players need to take out – all while trying to stay alive on their survival journey!
Battle an onslaught of deadly otherworldly monsters while exploring overrun cities in Outer Terror. Stack and assemble an arsenal of weapons and blast apart each horrific creature that comes your way. Most importantly Don’t Die! As you explore invaded cities, through each of the five comic chapters that make up Outer Terror.
Game Features:
Play through the anthology of Outer Terror, each of the five chapters inspired by classic horror stories features its own signature character and storyline.
10 playable characters each with their own trademark weapons and badass skills.
Explore massive maps to discover survivor hold outs and collect treasures that lead you to massive boss encounters with elite creatures from beyond, ghouls, robots, and otherworldly abominations.
Stockpile an arsenal of weapons and then blast apart seemingly endless waves of demonic cosmic creatures!
Don’t Die! Play through each chapter and battle off hordes of enemies including the vampiric polar bear, lifelike toasters, the remains of a pet rabbit and more!
Hop online or invite your friends over to experience online and couch co-op gameplay modes.
Check out the free Steam demo now, of the upcoming rogue-lite that pays homage to the B-movies and Golden Age horror comics of the 80’s and 90’s, and wishlist Outer Terror in preparation for its release on April 20.
Smartmelon Games is bringing its sci-fi narrative potboiler Lightracer Spark to Steam on April 12th for 12.99 USD, 12.79 EUR, 10.99 GBP. The follow-up to its acclaimed mobile hit, Lightracer Ignition, which has 5.5M players all over the world, and won for Best Mobile Game in IndiePlay China 2020, Lightracer Spark offers an all new intergalactic adventure of advanced civilizations deciding the fate of the universe.
Part visual novel, part management sim, and part RPG, Lightracer Spark puts you in the role of an advanced being called the Amender, who has descended to various extraterrestrial worlds. Here you must make choices to guide various civilizations to prosperity… or stave off their progress, should you desire. Accumulate strength through your decisions, break through the shackles of time and space towards the center of the universe, and grasp the rise and fall of all civilizations!
Players will manipulate territory on the planet Originum, as well as building celestial projects around the world. By managing resources and influencing the landscape, you’ll greatly affect the way the planet’s inhabitants evolve and progress.
In addition to forging the evolution of a singular planet, you’ll also be able to make deals with highly advanced civilizations. Through a technology called “Worldline Switching”, you’ll be able to travel to the center of the universe and confront powerful civilizations that affect the laws of nature… or ignite new sparks in the dark depths of space.
Those who would like to get a taste of what Lightracer Spark has in store can try out the free demo now available on Steam.
“Lightracer Spark is a hard sci-fi tale that offers players unprecedented power to shape the world as they see fit,” said Dequan Zheng, the CEO of Smartmelon Games. “Lightracer Spark is more than just a sim game, however, as it’s also a mystery about cosmic forces shaping the universe. We can’t wait for players to experience the full story when Lightracer Spark launches on April 12th!”
They say that no plan survives first contact with the enemy, but you’re different. You have the foresight to lay out a centuries long scheme to humble your enemies and write your own legend. The greatest empires in history are yours to command in Europa Universalis IV: Domination, a new expansion coming April 18, 2023.
In this add-on to Paradox Interactive’s flagship historical grand strategy game, you will experience new historical flavor and decisions for many of EU4’s most popular and powerful nations. New mission trees, historical government reforms, estate challenges and units add greater variety and, sometimes, tough choices as you must pick a path in a branching mission, entirely closing off some possible rewards.
Europa Universalis IV: Domination includes new national mission trees and features for:
The Ottoman Empire: A revised conquest tree with new rewards for pushing Ottoman dominance, including expansion through the new Eyalet system, and new internal changes, such as the new Janissary estate, the new Ottoman Decadence mechanic, and the ‘Ottoman Power Struggle’ disaster.
China: Different mission trees for the Han Ming and invader empires like the Qing. Choose between expansion and Inward Perfection, and counter the power of the Eunuchs to build a more stable empire.
Japan: Unite Japan as you deal with the power of the Shogun and the independent Daimyos. Choose to open the country to foreign influence or keep it isolated, while deciding upon different paths of expansion and reform.
Russia: Free your country of the Tatar Yoke, and transform it into a Great Empire. Choose the path of Peter’s reforms to modernize the state, so your mission tree as well as your mechanics will change and evolve as the game progresses. Use the power of Cossacks and Streltsy to expand your Empire to East and West.
Spain: Expanded mission trees for Castile and Aragon, with different paths to form Spain, a new mechanic available for the new ‘System of Councils’ government, and decisions about the Army and Navy to get the mighty Tercios and Spanish Armada.
France: Fight the end of the Hundred Years War, centralize France into an absolute monarchy while dealing with the Wars of Religion, expand into Italy and the Holy Roman Empire, and lead the Revolution through an expanded mission tree.
Great Britain: Separate paths for either a British Empire or an Angevin Britain, as well as a deeper internal gameplay, with unique features for the English Parliament and changes to the English Civil War disaster.
Minor nations: Mission changes, new government mechanics and expanded flavor for Prussia, Portugal and Korea.
Domination also includes new art and music alongside a rich menu of new historical detail, adding more flavorful estates, reforms, special units and events to the leading powers. It will also be accompanied by a major update, free for all Europa Universalis IV players.
Those who pre-order Domination will receive a bonus music pack, March of Power, with six new tracks to enjoy as accompaniment to your conquests.
Europa Universalis IV: Domination will be available on 18 April 2023 for a suggested retail price of $19.99/£16.75/€19.99.
Metal: Hellsinger, the multi-award winning rhythm FPS from developer The Outsiders and publisher Funcom, launches its first DLC today. Dream of the Beast adds two new songs performed by Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil) and Will Ramos (Lorna Shore), powerful new outfits, and a brand-new weapon. Get a taste of the Hells with the Dream of the Beast launch trailer.
In Metal: Hellsinger, you ride through the Hells on bullets and vengeance to take back your voice from the devil herself. Blast hordes of demons as you shoot, dash, and perform takedowns to the beat of a critically acclaimed original soundtrack.
With today’s DLC and the new free Song Selector feature, you can choose any song (new ones included) you want to play on each level. Since gameplay and music are two horns on the same hand, this adds a whole new variety to Metal: Hellsinger.
Dream of the Beast further expands your arsenal by adding a new impossible weapon and three powerful outfits with special modifiers, including shields, healing, or more max ammo. Feel the beat thrum in your hands with the new four-barrel machine gun, an amalgam of both heaven and hell. Use it to dispatch demons in a new variable burst pattern.
Dream of the Beast adds a ton of variety and play styles through content that can be experienced from any point in the game by both fresh and seasoned headbangers. The DLC is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox X|S for $3,99 / €3,99.
Welcome Villain Films has announced a partnership with XR content developer and publisher Top Right Corner to release a new VR horror game based on the studio’s upcoming film MALUM, which hits theaters nationwide March 31st.
Flock of the Low God VR is a terrifying survival horror experience that immerses players into the thrilling world of MALUM. Players will be challenged to survive their first shift at the Lanford Police Department by evading supernatural forces, unlocking new environments, scavenging weapons and tools, and defeating wave after wave of possessed cultists through intense close-quarters combat. The game will feature both singleplayer and multiplayer modes.
Flock of the Low God VR was designed specifically using sets and locations from the film, allowing players to follow in the footsteps of Officer Jessica Loren (portrayed in the film by actress Jessica Sula). Fans of MALUM will interact with various props, scenes and locations recreated in screen-accurate virtual reality, including the main office, morgue and shooting range.
“Throughout the production of the film, we captured set and location data that we then used to rebuild the environments in a game engine. It’s surreal to put on a VR headset and battle vicious cult members in locations that accurately resemble the same rooms we shot in,” says film and game producer Dan Clifton. “We’ve recreated many elements of the film in specific detail including the weapons you use to survive.”
Flock of the Low God VR will hit “Early Access” on Steam in early April, and Steam users can currently wishlist the game here. Production on the game will continue to develop over the summer before hitting a full commercial release this Halloween. The game was designed specifically for the HTC platforms including the upcoming Vive XR Elite, but will work on any PC-compatible headset.
This game represents the first official foray for Welcome Villain into the world of gaming, but it is far from the first partnership with the New Orleans-based interactive studio Top Right Corner. Welcome Villain founding partners Luke LaBeau and Eric Kleifield originally met MALUM Producer and future WV co-founder Dan Clifton when collaborating on the 2017 Orion release “The Belko Experiment,” which Clifton co-produced.
“The three of us met on Belko when Top Right Corner (in collaboration with future Brightburn and Nightbooks director David Yarovesky) built one of the most successful VR/film tie-ins ever for Orion and Blumhouse Tilt. That project ended up reaching ⅛ of all existing VR players at the time, and received a 86% rating on the gaming platform Steam, along with tens of millions of impressions. This really opened our eyes to what a film/game collaboration could be,” says Clifton, now a partner at WV.
“Throughout our numerous collaborations together, we’ve always been impressed with Top Right Corner and their ability to deliver high-quality XR experiences,” says Luke LaBeau, Head of Development at Welcome Villain. “We believe horror properties should expand beyond just the two-dimensional screen, which is why Welcome Villain is thrilled to announce an on-going partnership with Top Right Corner to bring many of our future properties into Extended Reality, where audiences can face the thrills of our films in exciting and groundbreaking new ways”.
“I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Top Right Corner on several VR projects, including a wholly original escape room title called “The Atlas Mystery” that continues to receive rave reviews one year following its initial release” says Eric Kleifield, Head of Creative at Welcome Villain. “With Flock of the Low God, TRC continues to kick things up a notch with a technically impressive and thrilling experience that will surely rank amongst AAA VR titles. We can’t wait to introduce a whole new audience to the terrifying world of MALUM”.
Other Virtual Reality games from Top Right Corner include The Atlas Mystery: a VR Puzzle Game, Pipe Dreamin’ VR: The Big Easy and Belko VR: A Escape Room Experiment.
Based in New Orleans, LA, Top Right Corner creates original gaming products as well as advanced training and simulation software for energy, medical and defense sectors.
The best camera is the one you have with you—and for most people that means their smartphone. Meet Insta360 Flow, the world’s most advanced AI tracking smartphone stabilizer. Auto tracking enables your smartphone to follow you or your desired subject with unmatched precision, while 3-axis stabilization delivers ultra-smooth shots. Paired with a built-in selfie stick, tripod and power bank, Flow has everything a creator needs to shoot pro-level content on the go.
“For our first smartphone gimbal, we wanted a device that goes beyond the basic functionality of a gimbal and offers a whole new way to film moments on your smartphone. Powered by our AI technology, honed over years of research and development, Flow tracks, stabilizes and edits content for you,” said JK Liu, founder of Insta360.
Insta360 Flow is available to purchase today via Insta360.com, Amazon (U.S., Europe and Japan) and select retailers.
Unrivaled stabilization and AI tracking.
With AI tracking and 3-axis gimbal stabilization, Insta360 Flow makes bringing your creative vision to life effortless.
Whether you’re running after your kid or traveling to the next stop on your bucket list, Flow’s mechanical stabilization guarantees shake-free shots in any scenario. It excels where a smartphone’s electronic stabilization often fails, such as filming in low light and when zooming in. Flow’s stabilization and convenient handheld design also means creators aren’t limited to simply setting up the device in a stationary position to track themselves. Creators can take Flow wherever their inspiration strikes, and always be assured of getting perfectly stable shots.
Flow’s gimbal design paired with Insta360’s leading AI tracking technology Deep Track 3.0 enables Flow to follow subjects in real time, rotating to follow the movement of the subject and framing shots automatically for creators. Deep Track 3.0’s unmatched precision is thanks to a number of unique technical advantages:
More accurate: Person Re-Identification to continue tracking the same person throughout a recording even if they’re blocked from view and All-Angle Tracking to continue tracking as the subject’s shape changes.
More versatile: Zoom Tracking, Slow Motion Tracking and even Live Mode for tracking while video calling or live streaming in another app like FaceTime, Instagram and TikTok.
More reliable: Tracking Recovery for when a subject moves out of frame. Flow will keep tracking it by zooming out or following the direction it’s moving.
For a truly automated shooting experience, solo creators can even set up the tripod and use gesture control to prompt Flow to start tracking hands-free—no need to point the camera or press a button.
Insta360 Flow
The all-in-one smartphone content creation tool.
Prioritizing portability and versatility, Flow is the only smartphone stabilizer that builds all of a creator’s essential shooting tools into one device for on the go shooting:
Selfie stick: An extension rod extends to 215mm for better selfies and cinematic low angle shots.
Tripod: Extends from the handle, allowing creators to set up Flow to film themselves or capture a creative effect like motion timelapse or 360 photo.
Power bank: Flow’s best-in-class 2900mAh battery can even charge a smartphone while recording.
Built-in cold shoe: Add a mic for leveled-up audio without any additional accessories.
Flow unfolds in just one motion thanks to 1-step rapid deploy. Simply attach your phone via the magnetic phone clamp, unfold the gimbal, and you’re ready to start shooting. With iPhones, the Insta360 app will detect Flow when attached and send a notification to open the Insta360 app to connect.
Quick, easy, smooth filming.
For creators who want to take the wheel with full creative control, Flow offers that too. The SmartWheel boasts a minimalist design that gives creators quick, easy access to a host of useful functions, from shooting controls, to video replay, and more. A swipe of the wheel toggles between four main modes: Auto, Follow, Pan Follow and FPV.
Unique to Flow is Auto mode, which automatically adjusts gimbal settings based on the user’s movements for guaranteed shake-free shots, perfect for beginners. For more adventurous creators, FPV mode can be used to spin your smartphone and simulate FPV drone-like movements, such as a barrel roll.
Unlock creative inspiration and effects.
Flow also helps creators with AI-powered shooting and editing tools in the Insta360 app.
Not sure how to compose a shot? Give a voice command and Shot Genie will recommend shooting techniques according to the scene. Over 80 templates are available to follow, from filming the beach to a bustling city scene.
Hoop Mode is a first-of-its-kind mode for basketball fans. Set Flow to record a game and the AI will track the basketball and hoop to recognize when a basket is made, saving the highlights as individual clips for easy editing into a reel later.
More shooting modes are also a tap away, including:
Panorama: Simply extend the tripod and Flow will snap an immersive panorama in 360°, 240°, 180° or 3×3 grid format. Flow is the first smartphone stabilizer capable of shooting 360 photos.
TimeShift: Film a hyperlapse with stabilized, sped-up footage over a period of time, great for hiking or traveling.
Motion Timelapse: Set Flow down to film between two points over a period of time for a dynamic timelapse.
Dolly Zoom: Recreate this classic Hollywood effect with the tap of a button, great for zooming in and out on a subject.
Flow’s 12-hour battery life means it can last all day without ever needing a charge. When the day’s over, creators can use FlashCut to edit together their video clips on-beat to music, with seamless transitions and effects.
Available now.
Insta360 Flow is available to purchase today via Insta360.com, Amazon (U.S., Europe and Japan) and select retailers. It retails for US$159.99 and includes a magnetic phone clamp, charge cable, grip cover and protective pouch. Flow comes in two colors, Summit White and Stone Gray. Accessories sold separately include a Spotlight and custom decorative inserts to make Flow your own.
