Batman: Arkham Knight has been delayed again, and Warner Bros. Interactive is now eyeing a finalized release date of June 23, 2015 across all platforms.

The publisher shared the news in a recent Twitter post, revealing that the game has been pushed back three weeks from its original June 2 launch.

We are pleased to announce our new release date – Batman: Arkham Knight will officially launch worldwide on 06.23.15 pic.twitter.com/3XEBhghpK6

— Batman Arkham (@BatmanArkham) March 23, 2015

This new revised date marks the second delay for the final chapter in the caped crusader’s saga, and Rocksteady game director Sefton Hill delivered a public apology on the subject.

Plus we also get a new gameplay trailer, but at this point fans are probably getting wary about further delays, especially the ones who pre-ordered the game and expected it to get their hands on it last year.

So is this new date set in stone and completely finalized? It should be, and judging by the footage it’ll be well worth the wait, but any more delays will test gamers’ patience.

“We’re a developer that hates to make any compromises,” Rocksteady game director Sefton Hill said, “so we are sorry to say this means it’s going to be just a little bit longer until you can play the epic conclusion to the Arkham trilogy.

“As a reward for your patience and understanding, and to make the wait even more unbearable, we are pleased to whet your appetite with a new gameplay video of Batman: Arkham Knight.”

In other news, it looks like Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 as a new remastered bundle.

Sources told both IGN Italy and Videogamer that the collection will be released “around Christmas” and that both games will run in 1080p HD with possible frame-rate buffs.

This hasn’t been officially announced by Warner Bros. Interactive, but it’s not really a surprise considering all of the current-gen remasters floating around.

Batman: Arkham Knight is slated to release on June 23, 2015 across Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC.

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UPDATE: The hidden codes found in the new trailer have been cracked by Reddit user SixSided, revealing three different sets of character bios for Ivy, Scarecrow and Harley Quinn. The codes below can be entered at the game’s official website for access to the bios.

• ‘qeL e2uLEE2 zul2e’ for Harley
• ‘pPL2a3Mn Ppi3mAMpyL2′ for ivy
• ‘c Rcn3n3 N2Jn3tjHn2′ for Scarecrow.

Original story as follows.

Batman: Arkham Knight is set to wrap up Rocksteady’s gritty magnum opus centered on the Caped Crusader, and today we’ve been given a brand new trailer that sets a rather ominous shadowy tone for the game.

Scarecrow, that maniacal fearmonger we all know and love, looks to be the principal ringleader for Arkham Knight, with the iconic Joker taking a hiatus.

According to Rocksteady game director Sefton Hill, the Joker won’t be featured in the game at all, leaving room for other villains–Riddler, Penguin, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, etc–to form a tenuous alliance and carry out their menacing plan to utterly destroy Batman once and for all.

But why Scarecrow?

In the DC Universe, Dr. Jonathan Crane represents a sort of figurative learning tool that reveals the truth about various characters through their fear. But as far as a major force, Kotaku argues that he’s pretty much a terrible choice for a leader–especially when he’s leading notorious baddies as the crazed Two-Face or cunning Riddler who could easily outwit and overpower him.

In any case, the trailer does a fantastic job in depicting the premise for Arkham Knight, though, which is undoubtedly the whole point–that and to show off some snippets of gameplay in the process.

Basically Batman has to face a broken Gotham City that’s been overrun with treacherous thugs and conquered by his worst foes, all of which are vying for his utter destruction.

Scarecrow isn’t satisfied with just killing the Batman, though. He wants the Dark Knight to suffer, he wants to break everything the daring detective stands for. Essentially Scarecrow and the others want to effectively annihilate Bruce Wayne in every way possible.

It’s a plot we’ve pretty much seen before, but the real star of the show is of course Batman. Armed with a huge array of weapons and definitive gadgets like the batarang and the grapnel gun, the Caped Crusader uses his superlative skills of ass-kicking and deduction to cut a swath in the villains’ newest scheme.

This time, though, things will be much more dark and gritty. Arkham Knight will show “Batman at his darkest”, a sentiment that’s earned the game an M for Mature rating.

“I’m not blind to the fact that [the M rating] does mean some fans will miss out… I don’t want to be oblivious to that fact,” game director Sefton Hill said.

“It would have been wrong to water down the game and deliver a story we didn’t believe in to keep the game ‘mass market’ or enable it for more people. We feel that’s the wrong way to go about it. We said we love the story and we don’t want to jepoardize that.”

Also some keen-eyed viewers have noticed some interesting easter eggs peppered in the new trailer. It looks like Rocksteady has hidden a variety of enigmatic codes that would make Edward Nigma proud.

According to Game Informer, the “codes are part of cypher with multiple entries on the game’s official website (under the Persons of Interest tab)”, and gamers are trying to figure out their meaning as we speak.

Batman Arkham Knight is slated to release on June 2, 2015 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

The post Scarecrow Reigns Over Gotham In New Batman Arkham Knight Trailer appeared first on VR World.

Developer: Techland
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Release Date: Jan. 27, 2015
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: First-person Survival, Action, Horror
MSRP: $59.99

Disclaimer: A digital copy of the game was received for Dying Light review on PlayStation 4.

Dying Light might look like any other zombie game, but I assure you, it’s not.

Yes it is made by Techland, and no it isn’t just another Dead Island clone. It’s something special and unique that represents the culmination of everything the developers learned from their mistakes with the previous games.

While Dying Light does borrow heavily from the core mechanics of Dead Island, the game has a deft and fluid grace that its predecessors lacked thanks to its new parkour-based locomotion.

And it also takes some of the best elements of the former series like crafting–adding makeshift blowtorch modules onto garden sickles or electrifying a police baton–as well as a RPG progression system.

Drop-in/drop-out co-op is also included, and is responsible for a good portion of the game’s replayability and fun factor.

Complimented with a bigger open-world sandbox filled with quests and activities and unique day-to-night transition that seamlessly changes a players role from hunter to hunted, Dying Light is one of the most entertaining and truly fun zombie games I’ve played in any generation of consoles.

Now let’s take a closer look at the bloody streets of Harran. Are you afraid of the dark? You should be.

A hero’s (zombie) journey

The overseas city of Harran is in flames. Misshapen monstrosities roam the streets, and the dead walk the earth, tearing swaths in the remaining population. The tropical resort has become a hellish nightmare that only gets worse when sun sets: that’s when the real terrors come out.

Society has splintered off into survivor factions, all fighting for precious supplies like weapons, food, and antizin, a drug that delays the symptoms of the zombie virus. But antizin is used as a commodity by Rais, a brutal despot who extorts survivors with his band of machine-gun toting ruffians.

Players take the role of GRE operative Kyle Crane, who acts as the central agent of change for the city of Harran.

Crane is a nondescript hero who must juggle a number of alliances to uphold his undercover status, ultimately leading to a true test of his morals and willpower as things become more and more dire for the citizens of the Tower.

The story has a distinct dramatic flair, with a few twists and turns, but overall is a decent backdrop to a ruined world. The stage is set by a soldier who soon realizes that his mission will ultimately compromise his humanity–standard fare in the weight of secrets upon a truly good-hearted hero.

But it becomes more and more dynamic and winding the more you progress, taxing our hero more and more. At one point Rais captures him and forces him to fight in an arena against undead, which ends up going quite amazingly well.

B-movie style

To me Dying Light feels distinctly like a B-movie, and that’s one of the many reasons I love this game.

Having seen a ton of horror movies and monster flicks, it has a decidedly cultish flair that seems to marry classic Romero sentiments with outlandish Troma-style gore. And the music feels very Carpenter-esque (something of a mix between Halloween III and Manhunter‘s creepy synth-tones).

And like a lot of campy B-movies and cult flicks, Dying Light makes use of no-brainer concepts like keeping safe zones completely devoid of ladders or stairs. Some zones are even built on floating piers, away from prowling undead.

Small things like these speak wonders and make traditional pop-culture zombie franchises look rather foolish by comparison.

It has style, it has its own allure that is suffused with a number of visceral horror elements that make it stand out quite clearly when compared to other zombie games. It’s a delightful mish-mash of both subtle fear and obscene blood and guts that shines an intimate look at the genre as a whole.

This is mostly fleshed out by the game’s day and night transitions.

During the day, players are pretty much free to do what they like: scout for items, molotov an entire horde of undead, tackle sidequests or just soak up the rays on a tropical beach. In the daytime, you’re the hunter.

But during the night? You’re the hunted. You’re prey.

Terror rules the night. The symbolism of night being dangerous and full of evils (as GRRM would say, the night is dark and full of terrors) has always interested me. So it’s with no small enjoyment that I found myself utterly captivated by the disorientation of being hunted in the dead of night.

Night is when the Volatiles, those super-powerful agile zombies, come out and play. And not all the parkour in the world can save you once you have a horde of those horrors on your back.

To even the odds Crane has a UV light to ward them off, and there are also UV light traps strewn through the city, but overall stealth is your best bet at night.

Strategic undead warfare

Combat is the most enjoyable part of Dying Light, and it’s a delicious meal that has all sorts of dishes and tastes.

There are so many different ways you can take on zombies in the game. If you’re the type that likes to bathe in zombie blood, jump right in and start swinging with a meat cleaver for some slicing-and-dicing.

You can use the multitudes of spike traps or explosive pools of gasoline to annihilate groups, or pick them off with well-placed shots from a rifle. Be aware that Walking Dead rules apply here, and loud bangs will attract tougher menaces to deal with.

Crane is a very nimble fighter, and in many ways he kind of reminds me of the Waterdancer Syrio Forel. His dodge move allows him to easily hop out of the way of an incoming Demolisher’s strike, or a skull-crushing swing of a two-handed rebar maul.

The kicks are another amazing feature. When I played Dead Island: Riptide as John Morgan, I kicked and kicked and kicked some more. I loved it. And this game adds the kick as a simple secondary feature, letting you disarm and sometimes even stun enemies.

Strategy and preference make up one half of combat, and really it’s all up to you how you dispatch the undead.

I myself love using firecrackers to get zombies massed together, and then tossing a molotov to slowly burn them out. When you level up your Survivor tree things can get much more interesting.

For example you can use freezing throwing stars to immobilize troublesome baddies in place, or toss a toxic grenade in their midst for some slow poison damage. You can even use some flammable liquid and combo off of your fire-enhanced weapons for explosive damage.

Loot, sweet loot

Items are the other hemisphere of combat, and Dying Light one-ups Dead Island in a few key ways. You can still pick up swords and axes and hammers–the basic advantages of melee weapons over guns still stands–but Techland has raised the ante a bit in terms of customization.

Every item can be upgraded and fit with a custom mod for double the carnage. Upgrades only raise stats like damage, durability and handling, whereas mods will imbue the item with interesting elemental affinities.

Also a lot of these affinities can combo off of specific materials and items–we’ve already explored how flammable liquid combos off of fire weapons, but the same is true for conducting liquid and electrically-charged crowbars, swords, etc.

There are a ton of unique items peppered through Harran, some of which are secrets. There’s the Excalibur sword hidden in a zombie corpse, the devastating sick bomb that’s awarded to you after a tedious game of checkers, the ultra-powerful Korek machete (named after a Techland employee) and a number of other goodies.

Sometimes, though, the best items are the ones you make yourself. Other times you’ll want to go ahead and just upgrade a Korek machete with a King’s Mod and just go to town.

Bloody chaos and parkour

Combat is a visceral, bloody and brutal experience.

You get up close and personal with the zombies–the game makes you feel when you hit that perfect critical and smash in their heads, bringing the total panicky terror when you’re overrun by dozens of undead.

Sometimes it can be satisfying, other times it can get out of control. I myself keep things interesting by complimenting my melee strikes by using throwing weapons, traps, and other mechanisms of destruction.

In terms of movement, the game flows exceedingly well thanks to its new parkour system. This pretty much gives you the freedom to explore and move across any area of the game, sprinting across rooftops or wall-jumping and leaping across high distances.

The parkour is smooth, and to me it’s smoother than Mirror’s Edge simply because you don’t have to keep that momentum going at all times. Plus later on you get a wall-jump that pretty much makes it so you can grasp any ledge, no matter how high it is.

That being said the parkour can be finicky at times. Early on you’ll learn what ledges you can grasp (anything without barbed wire) versus those you just can’t. And sometimes you’ll miss anyway. It happens.

And there’s a grappling hook. Yes, it’s amazingly fun, but you won’t get it until you’re level 12 in Survivor rank.

Skill progression

Speaking of ranks, there are three major RPG skill progression trees: Agility (running, jumping, sliding, parkouring, etc), Survivor (saving NPC’s, doing missions, side quests, grabbing air drops) and Power (killing zombies in any fashion, whether with weapons or traps).

Each tree has three tiers, and my favorite is the Survivor tree.

You can use it to create some pretty badass items, from elemental throwing stars, shields that can actually soak up damage and inflict status ailments, boosters and tonics too buff your armor and stamina, and even makeshift grenades.

Add to that a massive open-world sandbox filled with tons of easter eggs, hidden items, blueprints and volatile zombies and you’ve got the city of Harran. The in-game world is pretty huge and there’s a ton of side quests and NPC’s to interact with, along with a sprawling metropolis replete with different sections and areas.

In short there’s always something to do in the game, and all of it is pretty entertaining.

Co-Op

The co-operative play is amazingly well done.

Even when I’m playing with a full team of four I have hardly had any lag, and we pretty much decimated everything that was in our path. It’s a great way to blow off steam for some mindless chaotic fun, and to earn a lot of cash looting the dead zombies.

The only gripe I have with co-op is that all the players have to be in the same spot to initiate a mission or quest. A lot of the time random players will scatter to the four winds, but if someone’s trying to kick off a quest, you can actually teleport to their location in a jiffy.

I’ve had a blast with the co-op so far, and I’ve actually met a few new friends who I join for some high-stakes questing–and they even showed me a thing or two about Easter eggs, especially the incredibly amusing Super Mario Bros. parkour level.

Quirky NPC’s

I have to give a shout out to some of the most odd and comical NPC’s I’ve encountered in my time as a gamer.

Dying Light is full of unique characters who actually have character. It’s very refreshing to come in contact with a guy who’s willing to give me an impression before he just sends me on a fetch quest.

Some memorable NPC’s include those idiosyncratic twins Tolga and Fatin, who, after sending me on a fetch quest, initiated in a very entertaining bit of banter where they argued about who’s smarter Cornelius or Dr. Saius.

“Orangutans are smarter”, Tolga tells his half-wit brother in an obvious tone, “Cornelius didn’t even have a PhD.”

Then there’s Edwin Snowberg, a horror movie director who actually flew into Harran just so he could get cheap footage for his next zombie movie, Zombie Annihilation IV: Dying Lunch. Snowberg sends you on a mini-game where you blast zombies with a shotgun, and rewards you with cash. I love it.

Conclusion

Dying Light is zombie survival sim done right.

It keeps the tried and true Dead Island formula but patches up so many things that the original series missed out on, including free-flowing parkour, a more dynamic open-world, and more satisfying combat.

There’s a massive level of depth to the game that can be explored in so many ways, whether it’s with a friend (or group of friends or strangers) in co-op, or simply alone. The storyline is pretty decent and has some memorable characters like Jade and Rais to fill things in, but all in all the mechanics make the game what it is..

With a range of amazingly satisfying strategic-based combat mechanics, massive level of replayability, dazzling graphical fidelity, quirky NPC’s and a huge artillery of quests and side quests, Dying Light is pretty much my new favorite zombie game and we’re confident that after you try it, it’ll be yours as well.

The post Dying Light Review: Dead of Night appeared first on VR World.

This year’s holiday season is huge for gaming, with a swath of AAA blockbuster titles hitting the market within the same two-month launch window. Now the PS4 and Xbox One have an expansive selection of multi-genre titles–from fantasy RPG’s to intergalactic shooters and story-driven parodies–ensuring there’s something for everyone.

With our buying guide we’ll help you navigate the labyrinth of games and select the best games to put under the tree this year, all while balancing your pocketbook–because let’s face it, who has the cash to pick up every game?

Our selection of the top 5 games ranges from a plethora of tastes, making for a positively satisfying brew of varying gameplay dynamics and memorable experiences.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Developer: BioWare
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: Nov. 18, 2014
Platform: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
Genre: Fantasy RPG
MSRP: $59.99

Dragon Age: Inqusition is BioWare’s triumphant return to the mystical fantasy realm of Thedas, and takes players on a dynamic journey to the heart of adventure itself. The game goes lengths to reinvent the franchise with a host of new features, keeping the same party system along with enthralling combat and a winding, branching storyline.

Players can choose the heroic path they take in the game, and their decisions will resonate throughout the world itself, helping shape the ultimate outcome of their experience.

Inqusition is for the avid and novice RPG fan alike, featuring an expansive webwork of deep roleplaying mechanics that build off of the series’ distinct action-RPG formula. Featuring a plethora of classes, players can build their ultimate team of heroes and deck them out with armor and specifically-tailored skill trees befit any grand role-playing adventure.

With a positively huge singleplayer mode, gamers have their work cut out for them, but the online co-op mode lets players go dungeon crawling with a team of their friends.

The stories are always eye-opening and cinematic in detail and presentation, with a myriad of NPC’s–take Varric, for example–that actually have substance and personality; you actually care if they live or die, and want to know more about them.

All in all Dragon Age: Inquisition is a solid bet for any gamer, as it has such prestigious scope that spans and marries medieval fantasy with tactical RPG action.

It’s the quintessential hero’s journey that’s filled with strategic action and breathtaking vistas befit any otherworldly game of myth and legend, and it looks to be one of the year’s best games.

2. Destiny

Developer: Bungie
Publisher: Activision
Release Date: Sept. 9, 2014
Platform: Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: Shooter, Sci-Fi
MSRP: $59.99

Destiny is a prime example of an over-hyped shooter that faltered under its own weight. The game was supposed to be Bungie’s magnum opus, a game that transcends the realms of online FPS and MMO-style RPG elements. While it’s failed to live up to its dynamic potential, the game is masterfully addictive in all the right ways–but sometimes for the wrong reasons.

The content may be limited in terms of end-game, but Destiny is an action-packed sci-fi romp that’ll take you across the stars and back. The story is weak, but the FPS mechanics are incredibly refined–it’s here that Bungie’s Halo prowess shines forth with light almost brighter than the sun.

Essentially Destiny is an online-only shooter wherein players can team up with random Guardians–that is supersoldiers powered by the Light, a mysterious energy not unlike the Force in Star Wars–to tackle a swath of missions and co-operative content.

There’s also a distinct RPG element in the game that affords for a unique spin on Borderlands-style shoot-and-loot action, complete with a sophisticated style and grace that almost matches Halo in its fluid grace. There are three main classes–Hunter, Warlock and Titan–each with their own varying skill trees that can be tactically used in conjunction with specific gear.

PVP is stellar and proves to be a delightful mix of sentiments old and new, with competitive content rolling out as the weeks go by.

Bungie is committed to making Destiny an expansive playground for would-be Guardians, but don’t expect anything free: the biggest updates will be hidden behind paywalls via Season Passes. Even still, the game offers a smorgasboard of content that’s rich with shooter elements that empower gamers, giving them the tools and arsenal they need to take on dreadful foes like the Hive and the cruel machines of the Vex.

Destiny has proven to be a must-have yearly release despite its shortcomings, and has proven to rank up there with the highest and most popular of games due to its immensely addictive nature. Be sure to check out our official Destiny review for more info on the game.

3. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Developer: Monolith Productions
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Release Date: Sept. 30, 2014
Platform: Xbox One, PS4, PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: RPG, Fantasy
MSRP: $59.99

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor may look like you’r average hack-and-slash action-adventure game, but Monolith has created a fluid dynamism that marries the worlds of stealthy assassinations with all-out sword-slashing bravado.

Set in Tolkien’s landmark eponymous Middle-Earth, this game carries players across a journey through the shadowy realms of Mordor and explores the expansive mythos of the landmark fantasy series.

The game’s combat system perfectly matches skill with suave tactical strategy, making for enthralling and empowering fights. Talion, the game’s protagonist, is infused with the power of the dreaded Wraiths, giving him a substantial edge against the hordes of Uruks spread throughout Mordor.

Talion has a huge armament of abilities and skills at his disposal, encompassing a webwork of talent trees that players can customize to tailor their own otherworldly hero.

Using a combination of weapons like bow and arrow, daggers and swords, Talion channels his inner Wraith–an Elven lord by the name of Celebrimbor–to dispatch evil and use a range of useful abilities.

Shadow of Mordor essentially feels like a cross between Assassin’s Creed and Dynasty Warriors, with a hefty does of RPG aspects like skills and upgradable weapons. But the game it sets itself apart from these games with a truly intuitive and unique mechanic called the Nemesis System.

The Nemesis System allows Talion to mark targets among the massive ranks of Sauron’s army. These marks are bosses of sorts that get harder and rank up if they defeat you in battle, becoming stronger along the way. It’s a sort of predator-vs-prey hunting scheme wherein players can find helpful intel to identify weak points of a boss, which is essential for those higher-tiered baddies.

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor combines a huge offering of fantastic elements together to make a satisfying brew of fantasy fun, complimented with a perfect blend of RPG and action mechanics to keep things fresh and exciting.

4. Far Cry 4

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: Nov. 18, 2014
Platform: Xbox One, PS4, PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: Action, Shooter
MSRP: $59.99

Far Cry 4 expands on series’ already-tremendous formula of action-packed chaos. Set in the frosty Himalayan peaks of Kyrat, players are treated to one of the most exotic, sprawling gameworlds of the series to date.

Kyrat is a truly massive open-world achievement in terms of scale and variety, with highlands, lowlands and everything in between, featuring engaging wildlife like snow leopards, stampeding elephants, crashing rhinos, and snarling tigers.

As per tradition, the game’s story pits Ajay Ghale (the specialist badass protagonist) in a region gripped in turmoil and revolution. A terrifyingly cruel–and rather humorously psychotic–dictator named Pagan Min is at the center of the havoc, erupting the region in a brutal and bloody civil war.

The game’s FPS combat is as dynamic as ever, with a smattering of new features like being able to hire mercenaries to fight alongside you. Vehicles have always been an important part of Far Cry, and in the fourth chapter we have the brilliant mini-skycopter to soar the peaks of Kyrat and blast baddies to smithereens.

You can also drive snowmobiles while shooting at rebels and dodging deadly rifts and flying over precipitous cliffs

Then there’s the skysuit. Few games have captured the heart-pounding excitement of gracefully piercing the heavens like a human bullet, but Far Cry 4 hits this mark perfectly.

Ajay also has two skill trees: the Tiger and the Elephant, both of which have a retinue of passive and active abilities to aid in battle. You get to customize Ajay as you see fit–want him to focus more on stealth and defensive measures? Go with the Elephant.

Want him to be a one-man army that shoots first and asks questions later? Then the Tiger tree is right for you.

All in all Far Cry 4 has something for everyone, and packs in pop culture themes from all over. Players feel like Lara Croft or Indiana Jones when they explore exotic ruins for treasures, and channel Rambo when gunning down hordes of baddies.

James Bond makes an appearance when Ajay does some fantastic death-defying stunt in his wingsuit, and Bear Grylls takes down a tiger in the jungle wilderness.

With a truly breathtaking and dynamic open-world environment like Kyrat, the game is a startling reminder of how far video games have come over the years.

You can get lost in the snow-capped mountains or the deep, dense canopies of the jungle, marveling at the cascading waterfalls and crashing elephants–and that’s exactly why this game is a must-buy.

5. Grand Theft Auto V

Developer: Rockstar Games
Publisher: Take-Two Interactive
Release Date: Nov. 18, 2014
Platform: Xbox One, PS4
Genre: Action, Shooter
MSRP: $59.99

The next-gen port of Grand Theft Auto V is Rockstar’s masterpiece. It’s something that gamers have been looking forward to for a while now, and is seen as the true definitive version of the game. If you’ve already played it on last-generation like most of the gaming world, then it might be wise to pass this up unless you want to give it another spin.

Essentially the new GTA V isn’t really new; it’s a re-mastered port. Even still the graphical differences between the old and new release are like night and day, with the next-gen flavor has Los Santos blazing with vivid life.

What makes GTA V so incredible is its cast of characters, the cops-and-robbers heists, and the game’s immersive environments. In terms of scale, accuracy, representation and graphical fidelity, Rockstar has captured lightning in a bottle. The in-game world is so resplendent with photo-realism that it’s uncanny, making it look almost better than real life.

GTA V features a three-man crew rather than the traditional silent one-man protagonist: Michael, the savvy, rich ex-bankrobber who’s having a mid-life crisis of boredom; Franklin, the young gang-banger looking for bigger and better things outside of the hood; and Trevor, a truly unique specimen of pure psychotic brilliance who easily steals the show from the very beginning.

Apart from the main characters and the namesakes of GTA, the game introduces a series of innovative full-scale heists that recreate some pretty impressive robberies. In this respect the game feels like a movie in terms of its scope, and players can choose how they want to pull off the score as well as which heists to take part in.

Then there’s the smattering of side-quests and extras that’ll pull you right in and never let go. While the heists are the main part of the game, each character has their own unique missions and questlines.

Franklin, for example, can invest in the stock market to earn big bucks, and Trevor, an entrepreneur in methamphetamine sales, wreaks havoc on the competition for his trade.

Being able to switch between Michael, Franklin and Trevor on the fly gives gamers the freedom to tackle whatever mission they want in the style they want. You can also beef up each character’s stats via a RPG-like progression system that’s somewhat like GTA: San Andreas.

The next-gen port also brings a first-person mode to combat, transforming Grand Theft Auto into a bona-fide action FPS game for the first time on consoles. This is a pretty heavy transition and affords a whole new style of play, especially for the game’s online component.

Grand Theft Auto Online deserves a nod as well. It’s essentially Rockstar’s open-world MMO-style online adventure where players can join a gang and combat rival gangs in a series of online playlists. These range from deathmatch-style combat to racing and heists, and characters earn points as well as stats to boost their reputation and abilities.

Grand Theft Auto V is a solid choice as capitalizes on fun.

It brings an amazingly entertaining campaign, a host of  side-missions, a trio of unforgettable characters and an engaging online component. The game’s environments are truly remarkable and bring a sense of realism unlike any other GTA game, and paves the way forward for the franchise itself.

Conclusion

These five games are sure-fire winners for the holiday season, and will bring festive delight for any gamer for weeks to come. With a slew of Black Friday deals you can snag any or all of these games at discounted rates, so be sure to check out the deals before you head to the stores.

As for platform choice, most of the games are the same across all consoles, with higher-end PC’s having considerable graphical and performance boosts. In the case of Far Cry 4, though, you should stick with the PS4 variant as it allows friends to try out the game for free.

Then there’s PS4’s exclusive Share Play feature which essentially lets your friends try out your games across the PlayStation Network. Something to keep in mind if you want to try out a game before you buy it, or let a friend do the same.

The post The Five Best Games of 2014 appeared first on VR World.

Mortal Kombat X, the new entrant in the definitive gore-strewn fighting franchise, will be released worldwide on April 14, 2015, Warner Bros. Interactive announced today.

Nether Realm is offering the iconic four-armed, half-human half-dragon juggernaut Goro in the game as a pre-order incentive. The indomitable Shokan warrior championed the Mortal Kombat tournament for over 500 years, and his newest representation in MKX adequately portrays him in all of his muscle-clad glory.

Goro joining the cast of deadly warriors isn’t exactly a surprise; a bit ago it was announced that famous electromancer Raiden would be joining the party, and it’s arguable that it isn’t a Mortal Kombat game without the staple characters.

As seen in the game’s official announcement trailer, Mortal Kombat X fully capitalizes on the blood-and-guts violence instilled by the long-time franchise, and looks to be quite dynamic in its arcade-style fighting mechanics.

To see the game in action, be sure to check below for GameSpot’s E3 stage demo that showcases live gameplay narrated by the legendary Ed Boon.

The Mortal Kombat X release date had originally been announced for “sometime in 2015″, and it’s fair to say that gamers are looking forward to the latest chapter of Nether Realm’s bloody saga.

Gamers who pre-order MKX will unlock Goro from the start, but it’ll be interesting to see if he’ll be unlockable in the game or if this is a bonus that’s exclusive to pre-orders.

Mortal Kombat X is launching for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

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