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Halo 5 kicks off multiplayer beta today
Halo 5: Guardians launched its multiplayer beta program today, Microsoft announced. The beta phase was originally planned to arrive a few days ago, but is now scheduled to run through January 18. The program was announced during the publisher's E3 2014 press conference in June and is open to those that purchased Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Additionally, Microsoft unveiled the bonuses goodies coming to those that pre-order one of the various editions of Halo 5 starting today. The $60 standard version of the game includes an exclusive poster, whereas the $100 Limited Edition includes the poster and adds "exclusive items" in a steel book case as well as bonus digital content for the game. Halo 5's Limited Collector's Edition features everything in the other two versions and adds in commemorative statue signed by 343 Industries. Halo 5 is slated to launch in fall 2015. Those missing out on the beta program can watch our archived stream of the game from earlier this month. [Image: Microsoft]
PES 2015's pre-order bonuses build your team of the year
Those that pre-order Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 in the UK will receive some bonus goodies, Konami revealed. The pre-order exclusives are for the game's new My Club mode, which stands as an overhauled version of the series' Master League management mode. My Club brings microtransactions to the soccer sim as well, which is where the pre-order bonuses come in. The exclusive pre-order content was "built around the UEFA Team Of The Year," Konami told Joystiq in an email. The bonuses include "10,000 Game Points, 10 Recovery Items to assist the fitness of the squad, and one player picked at random from the team voted by over 5 million people on UEFA.com." Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 is the first in the series for PS4 and Xbox One, and will launch on November 13. A demo of the game will be available on September 17 for each of its platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. [Image: Konami]
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris UK pre-order bonuses announced
Square Enix revealed a series of retailer-specific pre-order bonuses it has in store for Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris in the UK, including a selection of franchise crossover character skins and items that grant in-game perks. Players who pre-order Temple of Osiris at Amazon.co.uk will receive the Deus Ex Pack, which includes a unique combat rifle and an Augment ring that gives a 10 percent discount on in-game treasure chests. GAME customers get the Lara Croft Legend Pack, which bundles Tomb Raider Legend-themed skins, a golden pistol, and a health-regenerating Legend ring. Pre-order the digital version of Temple of Osiris and you'll get the Hitman Pack, granting access to Agent 47's Silverballers, unique character skins, and a ring that deals increased weapon damage. Pre-orders are available up until the game's UK launch on December 9. A North American release date has not been announced. [Image: Square Enix]
GameStop nabs Ocarina of Time-themed Hyrule Warriors costume pack
GameStop appeals to nostalgia-addled N64 kids with an exclusive Hyrule Warriors costume pack, allowing pre-order customers to dress Link and Zelda up in costumes originally featured 1998's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Pre-order Hyrule Warriors at GameStop and you'll receive a DLC code for the costumes at purchase, while online customers will receive a code via e-mail after the game ships. Club Nintendo members who register Hyrule Warriors by October 23 will also receive a code for a matching Ganondorf outfit. [Image: Nintendo / GameStop]
Pre-order Lords of the Fallen for bonus weapons, story DLC
Square Enix announced a "Day One Edition" for Lords of the Fallen, the third-person action RPG developed by Deck 13 Interactive and CI Games. The limited edition version grants pre-order buyers exclusive story DLC as well as extra weapons and the game's official soundtrack. Those pre-ordering the game through GameStop will receive a free upgrade to the Day One Edition while supplies last. While there's no clear indication that the special edition of the game is limited to GameStop customers, the game's official pre-order page sure makes it seem that way at the moment. The Lords of the Fallen limited edition includes the Monk's Decipher DLC and Demonic Weapons Pack. The latter features three items: The Margyr daggers, a Thehk hammer and the Ihir sword. The game was first shown off at Gamescom 2013 this past August and is scheduled to arrive on October 28 for PS4, Xbox One and PC courtesy of Bandai Namco. It can't seem to escape comparisons to From Software's Dark Souls series; at least that was a main takeaway from our time with the game at E3. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Get double the Sting for pre-ordering WWE 2K15
Iconic WCW wrestler Sting was revealed as a pre-order bonus for WWE 2K15 during last night's episode of Monday Night Raw. Both Sting's blonde-haired "surfer" gimmick from the late 1980s and early 1990s as well as his black and white-painted "crow" outfit will be available to play in the game by pre-order customers. WWE 2K15 will launch October 28 in North America and October 31 internationally for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360 and PS3. It's the first WWE game to debut on the next-generation systems, and also the first to be co-developed by series veterans Yukes and Visual Concepts, developer of the NBA 2K basketball series. The game's cover will feature John Cena, though it's unknown if 2K Sports will wise up and put Sting on the cover for pre-order buyers. [Image: 2K Sports]
Pre-order Disney Infinity Marvel Super Heroes, get a free hero at select retailers
There are a lot of character figurines for Disney Infinity, and we imagine it will be the same story with Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes. At least Infinity fans can save some cash by picking up Marvel Super Heroes through the right store: In exchange for pre-ordering the $74.99 Starter Pack, select retailers in both the UK and the US are offering one free Super Marvel Heroes figurine to help grow hero-filled collections. While GAME's listing states that customers can choose between Nick Fury, Hawkeye or Iron Fist as their freebie, GameStop's offer references a "14.99 value" rather than specific characters. We contacted GameStop to ask which heroes would be offered as a pre-order bonus, but that has yet to be announced. Still, if you already plan on adding Marvel to your virtual Disney sandbox, a mystery freebie probably won't hurt you. Besides, what if it's an Avenger? You're not going to be the one that splits up the Avengers, are you? [Image: Disney]
NHL 15 checks first screenshot, pre-order bonuses
EA Sports offered a first still image of the next entry in its hockey series today, NHL 15, spotlighting San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton in striking detail. The game was announced near the beginning of May as the first in the series for next-gen systems, and will include character models with three layers that behave independently: the athlete's body, their equipment and their jerseys. Thornton's jersey certainly seems to be wrapping well to his pads in the screenshot. EA also recently announced the game's retailer-specific pre-order bonuses. Those heavily invested in the game's Ultimate Team mode will want to pre-order their copy through either EB Games or GameStop, as they will receive $24 in Hockey Ultimate Team gold-level card packs, amounting to one pack per week for 24 weeks. All other retailers will include a similar offer, though limited to $15 in Ultimate Team card packs instead. NHL 15 will launch this fall for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360 and PS3. [Image: EA Sports]
GameStop nabs exclusive pre-order content for Evolve
Customers who pre-order Turtle Rock Studios' competitive shooter Evolve at GameStop will receive an array of exclusive in-game content at launch, the retailer announced today. GameStop's pre-order bundle includes exclusive skins for Markov's Lightning Gun, Maggie's Machine Pistol, Hank's Laser Cutter, and Val's Anti-Material Rifle, along with a Monster Expansion Pack that adds the Savage Goliath skin and a post-launch monster character. The offer applies to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC versions of the game. Evolve will hit retail on October 21. You can check out our video preview here. [Image: 2K / GameStop]
Pre-order Wolfenstein: The New Order, earn Team Fortress 2 hats
Alternate history Nazi shooter Wolfenstein: The New Order is now available for pre-order via Steam, and Valve has opted to sweeten the deal by offering free Team Fortress 2 hats to anyone who plunks down early cash for the PC game. Though Valve's announcement makes no mention of what exactly these hats will look like, it does describe them as both "exclusive" and patterned after some element of Wolfenstein: The New Order. Whether that means historically inaccurate pickelhaubes or the combination helmet and gas mask worn by the grunts in this trailer remains to be seen, but, again, these are free bonuses so try not to look this gift horse in the mouth. Alongside the newly-revealed gratis chapeaus, a pre-order of Wolfenstein: The New Order also grants players access to a beta of id Software's next entry in the hallowed DOOM franchise. However, as we mentioned earlier this month, that beta will only be available to those who pre-order Wolfenstein: The New Order on PC, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. [Image: Zenimax Media]
Elder Scrolls Online answers more pre-order and Imperial Edition questions
Those of you who hang on every word flowing from the Elder Scrolls Online developers will be happy to know there's a new Ask Us Anything on the official ESO website. What does it address this round? Pre-orders and CE edition queries! By default, players will have eight characters with which to explore every facet of the game. But if you want to play with a friend through his faction's zones, you will also need to pre-order, even though you want to play a Khajiit and he's a Nord. In order for both of you to gain the bonus from the rings of Mara, which link you and a friend in the eternal bonds of XP gain, only one player must own the Imperial Edition. And lastly, all the pre-order and Imperial Edition bonuses will be available on launch day, April 4th, but the ability to play any race in any faction will be available as soon as early access starts. Don't forget to redeem those three- and five-day pre-order codes from the retailers! (If you ordered directly from the official website, you don't need to do anything else.)
Pre-order Lords of Shadow 2 on PSN, get Mirror of Fate HD free
Those that pre-order Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 on PlayStation Network will also receive Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate HD. Dubbed the "companion" game to Konami's two Lords of Shadow games in the gothic action series, Mirror of Fate first launched in March 2013 on 3DS before undergoing a price drop to $30 in August. The HD version landed on PSN and XBLA right around Halloween, and was also included in November's Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Collection bundle. Our review of the 3DS version of Mirror of Fate found the game equally challenging as it was unevenly paced. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 will launch February 28 on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, at which point Konami will drive a stake through this pre-order deal's heart. Metaphorically, of course. [Image: Konami]
Nether's January update introduces dirt bikes and group options
The survival horror world of Nether continues to take form and shape as the devs are introducing the year's first update this week. The big addition that will come in this patch is the dirt bike, which gives players a faster means of navigating the post-apocalyptic landscape. Of course, when you do so you'll be making an awful racket and since the enemies are very sensitive to all sound, any riders will probably enjoy a few breezy minutes of transportation followed by a few painful minutes of being disembowled. The patch is also including group features such as group chat, invites, nametags, and locations on the map. There are also some new cosmetic items to check out (Russian hat, anyone?) and plenty of fixes for various bugs. We've got the video of the dirt bike in action after the break.
See the dark side of survival in Nether's live-action trailer
Last month, we gave you a deeper look into the post-apocalyptic survival game Nether being developed by Phosphor Games. Today, the studio announced that pre-orders for the game will grant early access and allow players to try their hand at survival against the mutated monstrosities starting (fittingly) on October 31st, 2013. Additionally, pre-orders will net 72-hour game keys to share with friends, as well as other in-game perks. Creative Director Chip Sineni stated, "As an online multiplayer game, we feel strongly that the focus is on community collaboration so we want to reward the early players with solid pre-order incentives and really make them a part of the future of the rich, urban environment that is Nether." Along with the announcement, the studio released a new live-action trailer. If you want to get a feel for the game, check out the video after the cut. Then if you like what you see, join the community and help direct the development path of future content in Nether. [Source: Phosphor Games press release]
Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus hits PS3 Nov. 12, pre-order bonuses outlined
The budget-priced end-cap to this generation's stable of Ratchet and Clank games, Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus, will bring zany weapons and robotic antics to the PlayStation 3 on November 12, to the tune of $29.99. Folks who pre-order from "participating retailers" will receive Ratchet's "Pyronox Armor," which reduces incoming damage by five percent. Amazon pre-orders also include "roughly $30" worth of Ratchet and Clank items for PlayStation Home (according to the PlayStation Blog), though the exact nature of said items is not specified. Meanwhile, Insomniac also released this faux-VHS orientation video detailing Ratchet's hands-on involvement in the series' development process, including his failed mo-cap suit made out of DualShock 3 controllers.
Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z delivers day one bonuses in early 2014
Originally announced way back in June, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z will bring big hair and even bigger bosses to saiya-jin worldwide in early 2014, producer Kunio Hashimoto revealed during a pre-TGS showcase at Namco Bandai HQ in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The game's pre-order bonuses and a special Day One edition were also unveiled at the event. Folks that purchase the Day One edition will receive a code to download a special Naruto Uzumaki costume for Goku, which not only gives him a totally sweet headband, but also changes his run and attack animations to mirror those of Naruto Shippuden's titular character. Meanwhile, pre-orders placed at participating retailers include one of two bonus characters: Super Vegito or Super Saiyan Bardock. Battle of Z is slated to launch on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Vita, although the Vita version will only be available through PSN in North America. Additionally, Vita fighters will have to make due with one voice-over language or the other – English in North America and Japanese in Europe – whereas both options are available on the console versions.
Fall in love with the Call of Duty: Ghosts 'Free Fall' pre-order map
Call of Duty: Ghosts is (literally!) shaking up multiplayer thanks to the Free Fall map, which will be available to customers who pre-order the game. This new "dynamic map" adds "that sort of cinematic single-player experience to multiplayer," Infinity Ward Executive Producer Mark Rubin said in the video above. Based on a "cinematic moment" from a single-player story mission called Federation Day, the Free Fall map places players into a building which has collapsed and, in the process, become wedged. The "floor" is actually the glass side of the building, and as players fight for supremacy, that glass will give way, and the building will shudder and plummet further toward the ground. Ghosts isn't often thought of as a horror game, but we'd hate to be anyone with a fear of heights who plays on Free Fall. Yikes.
Sonic Lost World gets Nights-inspired pre-order bonus level
Players who pre-order Sonic: Lost World will receive a bonus level, Sega announced. Based on Sega's Nights Into Dreams, the level features Lost World's "Deadly Six" antagonists teaming up with bosses from the classic Sega Saturn game. Once players complete the level, which they can jump into at any time, they are given a special Color ability for Sonic to use. Sonic: Lost World launches on October 22 for 3DS and Wii U.
Rain drops on PSN this October
Rain, Sony Japan Studio's adventure game that has players guiding the silhouette of an invisible boy through a downpour, will launch on October 1 through PSN, Sony announced. The PS3 exclusive game will cost $14.99. Those who pre-order Rain before September 30 will also receive a dynamic theme, 5 avatars, a musical montage and static theme in addition to "a few pieces of exclusive content." Aside from letting Rain's release date slip, Sony also offered up a new developer diary video for the game, which is centered around its music.
Driveclub revs up pre-order bonuses
If the stripped-down, free PlayStation Plus version of Driveclub doesn't work for you, these pre-order bonuses for the game just might. By pre-ordering the game at varying retailers, players will be granted access to one of three different car packs for the game: the McLaren 12c pack for GameStop customers, Mercedes Benz SLS AMG Coupe Black Series Pack for Amazon customers and the RUF RT 12 R Pack for those buying the game elsewhere. Those placing a pre-order at any retailer or via the PlayStation Store will also receive a three-month PlayStation Plus subscription. We have trailers for all three car packs, two of which can be found after the break, which may help you decide where you'll be pre-ordering Driveclub. The game will launch with the PS4, which was given a November 15 release date yesterday.
