Let's go with part two:
ZERO ESCAPE: THE NONARY GAMES COMES OUT TODAY ON STEAM
http://www.pcgamer.com/zero-escape-the-nonary-games-comes-out-today-on-steam/
The Zero Escape games, as described by one anonymous fan on our staff, are basically "a cult favorite visual novel-'escape room' series for the Nintendo DS/3DS with a plot that seems like nonsense until it all comes together and makes you go whooooaaa." The original, Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors—999, for short—came out on the Nintendo DS in 2009, followed by Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward in 2012, and Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma in 2016, both on the 3DS. Zero Time Dilemma was also released for the PC last year, and now the first two games have come our way in a bundle called Zero Escape: The Nonary Games.
>>That "today" was 3 days ago...
BATTLE.NET IS NO MORE, NOW CALLED THE BLIZZARD APP
http://www.pcgamer.com/battlenet-is-no-more-now-called-the-blizzard-app/
I was going to begin this post with "Battle.net is dead—Long live Battle.net!" but then I realized that I'd already used that opening in last year's post revealing that Blizzard had decided to drop the venerable Battle.net brand in favor of the less combative-sounding "Blizzard tech." So instead, let's cut to the chase: The latest update to Battle.net, taking it to version 1.8.0, means that it is Battle.net no more.
THE FRANZ KAFKA VIDEOGAME IS COMING IN APRIL
http://www.pcgamer.com/the-franz-kafka-videogame-is-coming-in-april/
As titles go, The Franz Kafka Videogame doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but that's what it's called. It's an undeniably odd name, although not as odd developer Denis Galanin's previous project, Hamlet or the Last Game Without MMORPG Features, Shaders, and Product Placement (yes, really), but it looks very promising. In 2015 it claimed the $5000 grand prize in Intel's Level Up contest, and more recently it was picked up by publisher Daedalic Entertainment, which announced earlier this month that it will be out on Steam on April 6.
1980S-SET POLICE ADVENTURE BEAT COP OUT NEXT WEEK
http://www.pcgamer.com/1980s-set-police-adventure-beat-cop-out-next-week/
Beautiful pixel art police procedural Beat Cop was supposed to release late last year, but it was delayed to Spring 2017, to give developer Pixel Crow time to make a few improvements. My personal groundhog informs me that it's now Spring 2017, and hey, Beat Cop is coming out next week. On March 30, to be precise. It's a top-down, non-linear adventure game about a beat cop (you), who has to defend the streets of Brooklyn from 1980s bad guys, while eating tasty-looking donuts and, shhh, maybe taking the odd bribe if you're determined to head down a crooked path.
MEDIEVAL TACTICAL RPG BATTLE BROTHERS EXITS EARLY ACCESS
http://www.pcgamer.com/medieval-tactical-rpg-battle-brothers-exits-early-access/
Tactical RPG Battle Brothers has been gaining a bit of attention, and it's easy to see why. It's pretty much Mount and Blade, only 2D, turn-based, and with seemingly more strategic combat. Overhype Studios' game released yesterday, after a stint in early access, with the requisite launch trailer to prove it.
LATEST CONAN EXILES UPDATE ADDS DYE SYSTEM AND NEW WEAPONS
http://www.pcgamer.com/latest-conan-exiles-update-adds-dye-system-and-new-weapons/
Conan Exiles developer Funcom has released a new update that adds new weapons, the ability to dye your armour, and more. In addition to the update, Funcom announced that it'll introduce an Exploit Hunters program, which the studio hopes will help "eliminate exploits as early as possible."
THE BINDING OF ISAAC: AFTERBIRTH+ GETS ITS FIRST 'MOD BOOSTER'
http://www.pcgamer.com/the-binding-of-isaac-afterbirth-gets-its-first-mod-booster/
Before release, developer Edmund McMillen said that the game would receive monthly 'booster packs', adding select fan mods into the game via official patches, and while it's taken a little longer than expected, the first pack just went live a couple of days ago.
YOU CAN NOW SIGN UP FOR THE DAUNTLESS ALPHA TEST
http://www.pcgamer.com/you-can-now-sign-up-to-the-dauntless-alpha-test/
Fans of virtual monster-hunting will want to keep an eye on Dauntless, as it's the rare entry in the genre not to require a handheld system. PC Gamer's Tom Marks seems pretty excited about its launch, scheduled for late this year, but there's a chance you'll be able to play an early version later this Spring.
THE SIGNAL FROM TÖLVA RELEASE DATE SET
http://www.pcgamer.com/the-signal-from-tlva-release-date-set/
Following its breakout survival stealth 'em up Sir, You Are Being Hunted in 2013, Big Robot has since been working on sci-fi shooter The Signal from Tölva. Announced last year and showing off footage along the way, it's now got a launch date: April 10, 2017.
ELITE: DANGEROUS INTRODUCES REAL-LIFE TRAPPIST-1 SYSTEM
http://www.pcgamer.com/elite-dangerous-introduces-real-life-trappist-1-system/
Last month, scientists confirmed the discovery of TRAPPIST-1—seven Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting a star not too far beyond our solar system. Shortly after, Frontier announced it would introduce the newly discovered system into Elite: Dangerous via its next update by tweaking some of its preexisting features—and it seemed the space trading sim had sort-of predicted real-world events.
Update 2.3—otherwise named The Commanders—is now live in beta and lets players visit the TRAPPIST-1 system in order to do their own Battlestar Galactica-style space exploration.
TOKYO 42 SHOWCASES GORGEOUS NEON OPEN WORLD AT THE PC GAMER WEEKENDER
http://www.pcgamer.com/tokyo-42-showcases-gorgeous-neon-open-world-at-the-pc-gamer-weekender/
SMAC and Mode 7's Tokyo 42 is a lovely-looking Syndicate-meets-Grand Theft Auto assassination game that's wowed with its physics-based shooting, high-risk stealthing, and chaotic police show downs since being revealed last year.
By mixing stealth and full-on backs-to-the-wall set pieces, the following video demos the game's beautiful setting and the challenges each environment throws at players besides, you know, armies of machine gun-toting bad guys.
IMAGES FROM WARREN SPECTOR'S ILL-FATED HALF-LIFE 2 EPISODE DEPICT A WINTRY RAVENHOLM
http://www.pcgamer.com/images-from-warren-spectors-ill-fated-half-life-2-episode-depict-a-wintry-ravenholm/
In November 2004, an independent studio named Junction Point was formed by Warren Spector and ex-Valve employee Art Min. The following year, it was announced the new outfit was working alongside Valve to create a Half-Life 2 episode which aimed to "fill in one of the gaps in the Half-Life universe" by fleshing out a specific part of its story. This project was ultimately cancelled, however new images offer a glimpse at how it might've looked.
