Sunshine and rainbows and bloody Friendships – Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath review

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Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath continues the story of the base game, with plenty of bloody showers as what you would expect from this series. The expansion itself released 26 May. Aftermath aims to add new perspectives in a lengthy campaign, with an increased focus on the narrative. Is it worth it for fans to obtain it? Well, the short answer for diehard fans is yes, and the long answer is, read our review.

The tale of Shang Tsung
The story continues after the defeat of Kronika, with Liu Kang now the Fire and Thunder God, together with Raiden, wanting to use the Hourglass to restore history. They are interrupted by Shang Tsung, Fujin and Nightwolf, who were until Kronika’s death releasing them, prisoners in the Void. Shang Tsung has never been a particularly virtuous character, so his appearance would rightly be treated with suspicion.
Many players have certain fingers in several pies when it comes to the story, with many a MacGuffin playing important roles – the Crown of Souls, the Hourglass, for examples. Shang Tsung convinces Liu Kang to destroy the Crown of Souls instead, so that the Hourglass need not be used, though Raiden doesn’t have the highest degree of faith in Shang Tsung.

They return to the point Kitana defeats Shao Kahn to become Kitana Kahn, sneaking around the whole timey wimey stuff to confront Centrion, though not without trying to obtain Sindel’s help. Using a blood promise owed by Sheeva, they return to the Outerworld to revive Sindel. As Sheeva, you’d be battling Barakka, Jade, Kotal Kahn and Kitana, the last of whom attempting to stop the revival due to having misgivings about Shang Tsung’s motives.
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That’s just one part of the story, and you might be really surprised at how meaty it is if you weren’t expecting “just a fighting game” having such expansive lore. You’ll be playing several characters according to the story beats of the campaign, so you can try out the gang before you launch into the other modes. Suffice to say, the twists and turns of the story will be keeping you engaged across the roughly 2 hours or more for the campaign.
Fujin, Sheeva and Robocop enter the ring
Besides the added story in Aftermath, three new characters are also available with one finding himself a little out of place: Robocop, with the original voice work of Paul Verhoven! Let’s go through these new contenders one by one:
SHEEVA
Sheeva debuted in Mortal Kombat 3, a warrior capable of heavy attacks and having four arms like Goro. They’re pretty similar in fighting style, with Goro himself having last appeared in Mortal Kombat X. They’re both from the same Shokan clan, after all, a tribe of half human, half naga.

As a Shokan, Sheeva possesses incredible strength, being able to use balls of fire to attack and stomp teleports. She can also simply just stamp the ground with massive strength to deal damage. Death From Above lets Sheeva teleport and smite her foe from above. Furious Stomp is that stomping move. She also has Anti-Air Grab for plucking enemies from the air to toss them back down. She can Enhance her moves to make them even stronger, with some of them turning into Krushing Blows.
Likewise, Sheeva also comes with her own set of Brutalities, Fatalities and the new Friendship moves. The Klassic is executed with a final Uppercut attack, Stomp The Yard is her Fatality and Krystal Clear is her Friendship move, where she will play some tunes using a wine glass.
FUJIN
Fujin is a character whose bolts can really control the space you can move in, with his Krossbow Blast capable of sending his opponent careening all over the arena with the power of the wind. Tornado also makes it easier for him to get airborne and perform aerial attacks with his Dive Kick. Fujin initially was aan unnamed boss in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub Zero, before makaing his debut in the mainline series in Mortal Kombat 4 as God of Wind, as well as being Raiden’s sibling.

As is the case, Fujin also has a Krushing Blow with his combo in Krushing Zephyr, seeing him kick forwards, frontflip and firmly place his foot on the opponent’s head. You can cap it off with a Fatality like Wind Blade, where Fujin’s control of wind slices off the arms and legs of the unfortunate enemy. Heavy Winds sees Fujin rapidly spin before unleashing bolts that obliterate the opposition.
ROBOCOP
“Dead or alive, you are coming with me.”
Hands up to whoever expected Robocop of all characters joining guests like Joker, Terminator and Spawn! The OCP Crime Prevention Unit 001 is here to serve justice, 80s style (maybe). Cyrex, Sektor and Smoke aren’t in this numbered edition of Mortal Kombat, but they are skins for Robocop. As with Terminator, he can be reprogrammed as well. His movements are quite slow and are quite awkward – robotic, you can even say – compared to the other characters in the roster who are faster with more fluid movements.

Nevertheless, he’s got a whole bunch of fun combinations; with his Riot Shield, he can knock down foes who attack him for easy parries. Flamethrower sees him fry the enemy, or Trick S hot, where Roobocop fires at the camera while the shot ricochets to the opponent.
As for Brutalities, Kase Klosed sees Robocop perform a forward throw, shooting the opponent’s knee, dropping them and just riddling them with bullets with a final shot to the head. His Fatality, Thank You for Your Cooperation, has the whole “cool guys don’t look at explosions” vibe, lobbing a grenade at the unfortunate and sniping it, walking away from the resulting explosion.
New stages, stage Fatalities, skins and FRIENDSHIP!
Aftermath comes with new stages like Kronika’s Keep, Soul Chamber, the klassic Dead Pool and RetroKade returning from the third title. Likewise, Stage Fatalities also makes aa comeback, where you can really brutalize your opponent with your environment. Are you smashing up the world around you or your opponent? (It’s both.)

FRIENDSHIP is yet another returning feature from previous titles. This are the more, ah, “family friendly” finishers, with more… “gentle” endings: Sheeva making tunes on her wine glass, Fujin flying his kite, Robocop dancing the… robot… Sub-zero with an ice-cream bicycle… even Joker has his bloodthirst curbed back by a Batarang (alas). These are fun ways to see what ~happiness~ even the bad guys can bring.
The Aftermath verdict
Honestly, it’s easy to be taken aback by how meaty the story expansion to Aftermath is, especially when people don’t typically associate it with fighting games. It throws in quite a few loops for lore fans, and depending on how you feel about various characters, that could be another surprise in store as well. It’s at least 2 hours, so you can find out the rest of the story yourself to draw your conclusions about the greater story arc of Mortal Kombat.
The various updates and additions have been great fun to use, like the FRIENDSHIPs, being just zany enough to be not out of place in this gory world. For massive fans of Mortal Kombat, this expansion is assuredly one worth getting.

Pros
Cons

Return of the good ol gory blood effects
Expensive

New characters are fun to play
Longer story might’ve justified the price

Various enhancements and attractive skins

FINAL SCORE
8.5 / 10

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Tags: Mortal KombatMortal Kombat 11Mortal Kombat 11 AftermathNetherRealm Studios


It Lies Within Roadshow kicks off with Predator and Nitro Devices

During the ‘It Lies Within’ roadshow, Acer Malaysia announced its all-new Predator Helios 300 and Acer Nitro 5 laptops.

These 12th Gen Intel Core-powered laptops are amongst the many devices that were announced during the Sunway Pyramid-based event. Other products like gaming desktops, gaming monitors and LED gaming projectors were also unveiled at the ‘It Lies Within’ roadshow.

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“We are very excited to bring back the Predator roadshow after a two-year break to showcase the latest 12th Gen Intel Core processors Acer and Predator gaming desktops and laptops. We have also managed to bring in the new 34-inch to 42.5-inch monitors and a gaming projector that enables up to 300-inch visual at 4k resolution or 240Hz fast refresh rate in FHD gaming experience. At the same time, we are offering customers fabulous promotions, activities and freebies for Malaysians. The flash sales over just this one weekend of 2-3 July 2022 will feature interesting items priced below RM50 and as low as RM1,” said Johnson Seet, Director of Consumer Business, Product and Marketing, Acer Malaysia.

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Predator Helios 300
Refreshed with 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and paired with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX3080 graphics that support higher Maximum Graphics Power(MGP) of up to 150W, the popular Predator Helios 300 is armed to enable an even better gaming experience. A cleaner metal chassis design and a thin light bar below the palm rest heighten the laptop’s gamer aesthetic in a subtle manner.

With 80% screen-to-body ratio, Predator Helios 300 has a 15.6-inch QHD display that supports 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut to enhance the gaming experience. Its 165Hz refresh rate and 3ms overdrive response time offers smoother visuals in fast-moving game scenes. Packed with up to 2 TB SSD and up to 32 GB 4800MHz DDR5, it offers more capacity and enables faster response compared to its predecessor.

The unique PredatorSense™ button allows gamers to monitor and control fan speed, while the built-in Turbo key instantly maxes out device performance. Further enabling gamers to showcase their skills in the tensest of moments is the dual 5th Gen AeroBlade 3D fans with liquid metal thermal grease that keep the Predator Helios 300 cool and stable under load.
Under the per-key mini-LED RGB backlit keyboard are WiFi 6E connectivity and Killer DoubleShot Pro (E2600+1675i) for blazing fast connectivity while prioritising network traffic for games. With 2 years on-site warranty with accidental damage or theft protection, Predator Helios 300 is available immediately from RM7,999 at Acer eStore, Acer official store on Shopee and Lazada as well as authorized Predator partners.

Acer Nitro 5
With a facelifted chassis, Acer Nitro 5 packs all the tools gamers need to explore and enjoy the latest titles. Powered by up to 12th Gen Intel Core i7 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti, Acer Nitro 5 is equipped with up to 32 GB DDR4 RAM and up to 1 TB SSD with additional 2.5” SATA slot to offer gamers plenty of breathing room to handle multiple applications at once.
It is available in two options, a 165Hz QHD IPS display and 144Hz FHD IPS display supporting 100% DCI- P3 and 45% NTSC colour gamut respectively. It also features dual-fan cooling with air intake from both the chassis’ top and bottom and four exhaust ports. Performance is further improved by NitroSense as the software enables gamers to monitor, optimize the system, overclock the CPU or GPU and customize the 4-zone RGB keyboard’s lighting. Selected Nitro 5 models also come with higher Maximum Graphics Power (MGP).

Managing the network priority for games and faster connectivity, Nitro 5 is equipped with Killer DoubleShot Pro (E2600+1675i) and WiFi 6E. Coming with 2 years local warranty and a concurrent first year international travel warranty, Acer Nitro 5 offers a great package with retail prices starting from RM4,399. It is available immediately at Acer eStore, Acer official store on Shopee and Lazada.

To celebrate the arrival of the new Predator Helios 300 and Nitro 5, customers who purchase the laptops from Acer official stores and all authorized partners before 14 July 2022 will be entitled to receive merchandise worth up to RM833. Customers who purchase the Predator Helios 300 and Nitro 5 during the ‘It Lies Within’ roadshow will also be able to get additional cashback up to RM150.
‘It Lies Within’ Roadshow
Acer Malaysia is hosting the ‘It Lies Within’ roadshow in Sunway Pyramid from 29 June 2022 until 3 July 2022, with exciting activities, prizes and promotions. After two years of hiatus, the most anticipated flash sales session is back on 2 July and 3 July 2022 from 10am until 12noon with select mice and backpacks priced as low as RM1 and select Acer and Predator merchandise discounted at prices below RM50.

Product

Flash Sale (RM)

SRP (RM)

Acer Thin and Light USB Wireless Mouse AMR020

1.00

99.00

Acer Urban Entry Backpack V2 (Fits Up To 15.6″)

1.00

59.00

Predator Reflective Mask

9.90

49.00

Acer Laptop Sleeve 14 inch (Blue)

19.00

169.00

Predator Mousepad M Size (Meteor Shower)

29.00

89.00

Predator Snapback Cap

29.00

69.00

Predator Reflective T-Shirt

39.90

89.00

Predator Portable Vacuum Suction Bottle

49.00

99.00

Acer Malaysia is also having massive promotions to celebrate the return of the Predator roadshow. Some of the highlights include RM400 off for Aspire 3 (A314-45-C1E0) at a discounted price of only RM1,299, RM700 off for Acer Aspire Vero and RM1,600 off for Predator Triton 500 SE. Acer also prepared a prize and gift pool worth more than RM90,000 for participants to win in games without requiring any purchase.
For more information, visit Predator Gaming Malaysia’s Facebook page.

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Tags: AcerAcer MalaysiaAcer Nitro 5PredatorPredator Helios 300


Jamie Lee Curtis’ Daughter and Her Wife Get Married In Cosplay as Squigly and Elphelt

Jamie Lee Curtis’ daughter Ruby Guest and her fiancé Kynthia recently got married and decided to have a wedding in cosplay dressed as Squigly from Skullgirls and Elphelt Valentine from Guilty Gear.

The wedding was a cosplay-themed ceremony held in Curtis’ backyard with the proud mother posting pictures on her Instagram account. Jamie Lee Curtis herself was dressed in cosplay as Jaina Proudmoore from World of Warcraft.

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A post shared by Jamie Lee Curtis (@curtisleejamie)

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A post shared by Jamie Lee Curtis (@curtisleejamie)

Curtis has previously talked about the wedding on Jimmy Kimmel Live where she said that her World of Warcraft costume was specifically chosen by the happy couple.
“Her name is Jaina Proudmoore, It’s from … it’s a game. She’s an admiral.
It’s really exciting. We’re going to have a beautiful picnic in the backyard. I’m really excited both of my children will have been married in my backyard, which brings me to tears.”
Ruby Guest came out to her parents as transsexual in 2020. In March of this year, Curtis honored her daughter on her birthday, making a loving post on Instagram, and advocating for the protection of trans children.

“Today is the birthday of my trans daughter. I am proud and grateful to be the parent of a trans child and am sending support to all of the trans families across the US who are being targeted at this moment by conservative legislatures.”

The scream queen left one final post about her daughter’s wedding announcing that the third movie in the recent Halloween movie trilogy, ‘Halloween Ends’ will be coming out on the 14th of October 2022.

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A post shared by Jamie Lee Curtis (@curtisleejamie)

Jamie Lee Curtis became famous for playing Laurie Strode, one of the central protagonists of the Halloween franchise and archenemy of Michael Myers ever since he first chased her down in the original Halloween. She is known as one of the most famous ‘final girls’ in horror movie history.
She also recently played the IRS inspector Deirdre Beaubeirdre in the highly acclaimed multiversal comedy-drama ‘Everything, Everywhere, All At Once’ alongside Michelle Yeoh.
Source: Today

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Tags: Guilty GearHalloweenJamie Lee CurtisSkullgirls


Celebrate Merdeka with MSI Sale

In conjunction with the Merdeka month, MSI is having a Merdeka Sale from August 16th to September 30th, 2021, and the promotional price is as low as RM2,399.

It’s certainly a good sales deal.

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Promotional products entail numerous high-performance laptops namely GS/66 Stealth, GP76 Leopard, GE76/66 Raider, Creator Z16, Stealth 15M, and more. Also, users will have the opportunity to receive special bundle gifts worth up to RM1,499.
You can look at the different deals for MSI’s Merdeka Sale on their promotional website but here are just a couple of the bundles on discount:
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The MSI Gaming Stealth Series

GS76 Stealth 11UH 467
GS76 Stealth 11UH 299
GS66 Stealth 11UG 414
GS66 Stealth 11UG 029

Windows 10 Home Free Upgrade to Windows 11* when available (see below). 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 Laptop GPU 16GB 17.3’ UHD, 4K, 120Hz, IPS Level 64GB DDR4 2TB NVMe Gen4x4 Killer® Wi-Fi 6E & LAN
Windows 10 Home Free Upgrade to Windows 11* when available (see below). 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 Laptop GPU 8GB 17.3’ FHD, 360Hz, IPS Level 32GB DDR4 2TB NVMe Gen4x4 Killer® Wi-Fi 6E & LAN
Windows 10 Home Free Upgrade to Windows 11* when available (see below). 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 Laptop GPU 8GB 15.6’ QHD, 165Hz, DCI-P3 32GB DDR4 1TB NVMe Gen4x4 Killer® Wi-Fi 6E & LAN
Windows 10 Home Free Upgrade to Windows 11* when available (see below). 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 Laptop GPU 8GB 15.6’ FHD, 300Hz, IPS Level 32GB DDR4 1TB NVMe Gen4x4 Killer® Wi-Fi 6E & LAN

RM 17,999
RM 15,499
RM 11,999
RM 11,499

The MSI Gaming Raider Series

GE76 Raider 11UH 413
GE66 Raider 11UG 464
GE66 Raider 11UG 030

Windows 10 Home Free Upgrade to Windows 11* when available (see below). 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 Laptop GPU 16GB 17.3’ FHD, 360Hz, IPS Level 64GB DDR4 2TB NVMe Gen4x4 Killer® Wi-Fi 6E & LAN
Windows 10 Home Free Upgrade to Windows 11* when available (see below). 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 Laptop GPU 8GB 15.6’ QHD, 165Hz, DCI-P3 16GB DDR4 1TB NVMe Gen4x4 Killer® Wi-Fi 6E & LAN
Windows 10 Home Free Upgrade to Windows 11* when available (see below). 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 Laptop GPU 8GB 15.6’ FHD, 300Hz, IPS Level 16GB DDR4 1TB NVMe Gen4x4 Killer® Wi-Fi 6E & LAN

RM 17,499
RM 11,999
RM 11,999

You can buy the items on the MSI Merdeka Sale at any of MSI’s licensed retailers which include Gamer’s Hideout and Lazada as well as the MSI Online Store and Shopee.
If you want more insight on MSI’s products, we recently did a review of the MSI Katana GF66 Gaming Laptop. It’s pretty sharp.

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Tags: MSIMSI GE66 Raider


NARUTO X BORUTO NINJA TRIBES new details revealed

New details have been revealed by Bandai Namco for its upcoming strategy RPG NARUTO X BORUTO NINJA TRIBES, which is scheduled for a release on 31 March 2020 for the Android and iOS platforms. If you are able to access the US and Canada Google Play market and Apple App Store, you will be pre-order the game.

Back to the actual game itself, players will be able to build a deck comprising your favourite shinobis, forming a squad of three. With this team, you have access to an assortment of abilities and tools to aid your cause. With the large cast of playable characters, the potential for creating unique lineups is vast. It will be up to you to study the strengths and weaknesses of your party to address the challenges ahead. Failure to do so will impede progress.  Once you are able to consider yourself a shinobi master, you will be able to engage in its multiplayer content that includes Raid Boss, Tower Battles and PVP battles.

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The Naruto franchise has become somewhat of an institution, having spanned two generations, detailing the story of both father and son. It is definitely quite a feat for a series to remain relevant for this long, and it serves as a testament to the ability of author to keep things fresh. That said, we do not know much of the game even with this new information, but from every new update, it does look to be shaping into something interesting. With a month to go before release, we do expect to see more down the line.
If you like what you see, be sure to sign up for NARUTO X BORUTO NINJA TRIBES right now, as you will be getting the usual early bird rewards, which we assume would be in-game currency and perhaps a character or two. For more details, be sure to drop by the official website.
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Tags: AndroidBANDAI NAMCOiOSNARUTO X BORUTO NINJA TRIBESStrategy RPG


Valve announces its Artifact card game

Valve has just revealed new details on Artifact, its upcoming Dota 2 card game, which was first announced at The International last year.

Valve President Gabe Newell shared a lot of information on the game, the key point being that the game will be a paid title unlike most of its competitors that are free-to-play. The game will purportedly boast high production values and an AI that teaches the player how to play. The opening packs and building of decks will be turned into “a social and competitive experience”. Like Dota 2, the game will support a marketplace and workshop.

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Artifact is in fact in closed beta, although only industry members and TCG professionals have been given access. For everyone else, expect the game to come out end of 2018, with the first tournament to take place as early as Q1 2019. Artifact will be launched for the Android and iOS platforms in the middle of 2019 and will be the first Source 2 title to run on mobile. No word on pricing for the time being.

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Tags: AndroidArtifactiOSTCGValve


[E3 2018] Fan Favorite Trials Rising Is Back With More Epic Rides

During the Ubisoft’s Media Showcase at E3 2018, they have revealed Trials Rising – the latest iteration of the gripping motorcycle platform series of Trials. The game is set to be released worldwide in February 2019 for the PlaysStation 4 and Pro, Xbox One and X, Nintendo Switch and PC. Trials Rising is a game developed by Ubisoft RedLynx, and they have given a fresh new look of the game with more competition and over-the-top action with more all-new features.

The game set in new epic locations around the world, features more new tracks which allows riders to travel the world and put their skills to the test through various levels of difficulty. The competitiveness in the game has risen as players beat the competition and grow their fame, they will be under the radar of experienced sponsors to work and become a Trials Champion!

Featuring Contracts, a new feature which rewards players as they progress through their career from sponsors. There’s also a new Tandem Bike multiplayer mode which expands players’ coordination skills and ride with their friends with two riders and one bike. Also comes with more new customization for the rider’s and bike’s gear to share with the community which can also earn players in-game rewards when other players use them.
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Currently players can register for the coming closed beta of Trials Rising at the official site. Players who register will have a chance to play the game and provide feedback that will help improve and provide the best experience for players in Trials Rising.

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Tags: Closed BetaE3 2018MicrosoftNintendoNintendo SwitchPCPlaystation 4PlayStation 4 ProSonyTrials RisingUbisoftUbisoft RedLynxXbox OneXbox One X


Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1 Releases Late October

During the recent Nintendo Direct, it’s been announced that Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1 will be releasing for several platforms on 24th October 2023.

The Master Collection will be featuring several classic titles such as Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Additionally, fans are also able to enjoy the original Metal Gear, and Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake, as well as the NES versions of Metal Gear and Snake’s Revenge.

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Image Credit: Konami
This compilation will also be featuring both the Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novels. That’s not all, the Master Collection packs additional content such as the Screenplay books and Master books which includes story and character info from the various Metal Gear titles. It even has strategy books and a digital soundtrack where you’ll be able to hear the nostalgic tunes of the venerable title.
Image Credit: Konami
Moreover, the first three Metal Gear Solid games will also be available separately on the Nintendo E-shop, so fans can opt for that if they are not interested in getting the full bundle.
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Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1 will be available on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Pre-orders for the collection will beginning today at SRP $59.99. Pre-order bonuses includes a limited digital soundtrack containing newly recorded, orchestral renditions of the iconic themes from the Metal Gear Solid series including, “THE BEST IS YET TO COME,” “CAN’T SAY GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY,” and “SNAKE EATER.”

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Tags: KonamiMetal Gear Solid Master Collection vol 1NintendoNintendo Switch


Warcraft III: Reforged releases 28/29 January 2020

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Relive the old days, when Warcraft III: Reforged releases 28 January 2020 / 29 January 2020! The recreation of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne will be available 3PM PST on the date. Global release times are listed as follows:

Sydney: 10AM AEDT, 29 January 2020
Seoul: 8AM KST, 29 January 2020
Taipei: 7AM CST, 29 January 2020
Abu Dhabi: 3AM GST, 29 January 2020
Istanbul: 2AM TRT, 29 January 2020
Moscow: 2AM MSK, 29 January 2020
Paris: 12AM CET, 29 January 2020
London: 11PM BST, 28 January 2020
Sao Paulo: 8PM BRT, 28 January 2020
New York: 6PM EST, 28 January 2020
Los Angeles: 3PM PST, 28 January 2020

The Blizzard post mentions wanting to release the game before the end of the year, but decided to let it bake more for finishing touches, their goal being to ensure they can meet people’s high expectations and standards.

Return to a tumultuous time in Azeroth’s history, where a dark shadow loomed over a peaceful land as the world trembled before the coming of the Burning Legion; a time where heroes risked it all to prevent the death of their world. Relive the definitive real-time strategy classic with revitalized visuals, epic single-player campaign spanning over 40 missions, rebalanced online play, suite of contemporary social and matchmaking features, player-created games and more.

Warcraft III: Reforged is available for purchase digitally on the Blizzard Shop at $29.99 or $39.99 for the Spoils of War Edition. The latter contains many extras and in-game bonuses for other Blizzard games that unlock immediately on pre-purchase. Pre-purchasing either version will also provide access to the ongoing beta test for Warcraft III: Reforged. See the following list for all items included in the Spoils of War Edition:

Warcraft III: Reforged

Champion of the Horde Thrall Hero Skin

Daughter of the Seas Proudmoore Hero Skin

Fallen King Arthas Hero Skin

Emerald Nightmare Cenarius Hero Skin

World of Warcraft

Meat Wagon Mount

Overwatch
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Player Icons: Human, Orc, Undead, Night Elf, and Lich King

Animated Sprays: Footman, Grunt, Ghoul, and Archer

Diablo III

Mal’ganis pet

Heroes of the Storm

Anub’arak Hero

Jaina Hero

Thrall Hero

Tyrande Hero

StarCraft II

Alliance Console Skin

Horde Console Skin

Sentinels Console Skin

Scourge Console Skin

StarCraft: Remastered

Spoils of War Console

Get the following features when Warcraft III: Reforged releases!

Complete Graphical Overhaul: Warcraft III: Reforged brings the original game into the modern era with fully overhauled characters, structures, environments, animations, and graphical effects.
Multiplayer between versions: Players will be able to do battle with anyone who plays Warcraft III, regardless of whether they’re playing the original or
Original Voice-overs: Reforged will retain the original game’s voice over recordings, preserving the authenticity of the Warcraft III
Rebuilt World Editor: Reforged features an all-new World Editor designed to empower the game’s longstanding creator community to reach new heights, with hundreds of new triggers, LUA scripting support, new tools for importing models, and more enhancements planned for the future.
Full Battle.net Implementation: Players will enjoy the full suite of Battle.net features to bolster their Warcraft III experience, including text and voice chat, clans, and seamless installation and patching.

Warcraft III: ReforgedPublisher: Blizzard EntertainmentDeveloper: Blizzard EntertainmentRelease Date: 2020-01-28Microsoft Windows
Warcraft III: Reforged is a stunning reimagining of the revolutionary real-time strategy game that laid the foundation for Azeroth’s most epic stories. It is a remake in the truest sense, featuring a thorough visual overhaul, a suite of contemporary social and matchmaking features, and more. Command the Night Elves, Undead, Orcs, and Humans as alliances shift and armies clash in this timeless real-time strategy game.

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Tags: Blizzard EntertainmentWarcraftWarcraft 3Warcraft 3: ReforgedWarcraft IIIWarcraft III: Reforged


Tiger & Bunny Season 2 Release Date Announced, Coming To Netflix

Netflix has announced that they would be airing the previously-announced Season 2 for the superhero anime Tiger & Bunny, as part of their Netflix anime event this morning.

In the announcement, they said that Tiger & Bunny Season 2, also referred to as Tiger & Bunny Part 2, would come to Netflix on April, 2022.

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They also said the first season, now called Part 1 would also be made available worldwide soon, though if you’re in the SEA region it’s already available for watching.
You can also check out a new key visual for the series, which shows a more mature looking Wild Tiger and Barnaby Brooks, Jr.
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Not much else is known about the series- which features a society of superpowered humans called NEXT, where being a superhero is a career job as you take part in a reality TV program to score points and become the best hero.
Previously, all we’d heard about the second season was an open call for product placement in the show- another of its unique quirks. Each of the heroes are adorned in sponsors, all with real-world brands attached to them such as Barnaby sporting a giant Bandai logo and Wild Tiger having a Softbank logo.
In the Hulu release of the anime’s first season, however, the sponsor logos were all removed.

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Tags: NetflixTiger & BunnyTiger & Bunny Part 2


Netflix Geeked 2021 Day 5 concludes with a gaming focus

Netflix Geeked Week 2021 ends Day 5, its final day, with gaming related releases on the platform, so let’s get to it.

THE WITCHER SEASON 2

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Geralt and his emphatic “fucks” are back. Can you figure out the message hidden in the teasers on Twitter and Instagram? WitcherCon was also announced, a virtual fan event, which you can read about here.
ARCANE
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Set in the utopian region of Piltover and the oppressed underground of Zaun, the story follows the origins of two iconic League champions-and the power that will tear them apart.
THE CUPHEAD SHOW

Some may say his methods are quite shady, because The Cuphead Show!'s King Dice is officially voiced by @WayneBrady. #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/tU1gWtgfwC
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) June 11, 2021

Follow the misadventures of the impulsive Cuphead and his cautious but persuadable brother Mugman in this animated series based on the hit video game.
CASTLEVANIA SPINOFF
An all new series starring Richter Belmont (the son of Sypha and Trevor) and Maria Renard, set in France during the French Revolution, is currently in the works.
CAPTAIN LASERHAWK: A BLOOD DRAGON REMIX
Captain Laserhawk, A Blood Dragon Remix, an adaptation of the bestselling Ubisoft  game is in production with Netflix.
SPLINTER CELL

Here's your first look at the Splinter Cell animated series, an adaptation of the bestselling @Ubisoft game.
Derek Kolstad, creator of the John Wick franchise, is onboard to write the series.  #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/c3vjJV0wfR
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) June 11, 2021

Derek Kolstad, creator of the John Wick franchise, is onboard to write the series.
FAR CRY ANIME

Netflix and @Ubisoft are developing a brand new Far Cry animated series.  #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/BX4FkS9v5r
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) June 11, 2021

STRANGER THINGS X SMITE

Stock up on waffles and pump up some '80s music: Watch the first gameplay from Stranger Things in @SMITEGame, dropping this July. #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/9JhDitx0sq
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) June 11, 2021

RESIDENT EVIL LIVE ACTION CAST

Been dying to announce this. Get ready to enter New Raccoon City with the cast of RESIDENT EVIL: LANCE REDDICK / ELLA BALINSKA / TAMARA SMART / SIENA AGUDONG / ADELINE RUDOLPH / PAOLA NUNEZ. #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/ULKEFuYdAr
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) June 11, 2021

As you can see from across the 5 days of Geeked Week 2021, Netflix has much in store for time to come. Look forward to it!

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Tags: Netflix


ASUS ROG Reveals The ROG Phone 7 Series at “For Those Who Dare” Virtual Launch Event

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ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has announced the new ROG Phone 7 series of gaming smartphones at its “For Those Who Dare” virtual launch event. The phone will launch in Malaysia on the 10th of May 2023 although the price has not been revealed yet.

The ROG Phone 7 series includes the ROG Phone 7 and ROG Phone 7 Ultimate models. This futuristically-styled phone, which sports a new two-tone design, combines the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform with an advanced thermal system and special ROG performance software to deliver a high-quality mobile gaming experience.

Performance

The ROG Phone 7 series is certainly a powerful device. It features the company’s flagship 3.2 GHz Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform, which is 15% faster and 15% more power-efficient than the previous generation. It’s paired with up to 16 GB of 8,533 Mbps LPDDR5X RAM, and 512 GB UFS 4.0 ROM that’s twice as fast as UFS 3.0. It’s suited for Wi-Fi 7 with the Qualcomm FastConnect 7800, supporting ultra-fast 320 MHz channels and Multi-Link operation, with well-built latency performance benefits.
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Thanks to Snapdragon Elite Gaming, the ROG Phone 7 also supports real-time hardware-accelerated ray tracing. This means that for supported games, you can enjoy hyper-realistic reflections, particularly on water and metal surfaces.
The smartphone will also feature the Armoury Crate performance manager. A set of options that allow for greater control over performance and settings.
The Visuals

To keep pace with the action of any game, the ROG Phone 7 series uses a 165 Hz Samsung AMOLED display with a 720 Hz touch-sampling rate and a Delta E <1 color accuracy for superb visuals. They’ve also increased the brightness to 1,500 nits for easier outside viewing. The superb visuals are tuned in collaboration with leading visual-processing company Pixelworks for world-beating color accuracy.
Additionally, the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate features ROG Vision. This is a unique matrix color display on the rear of the phone. This creative feature can showcase awesome animations triggered by system events, such as charging status, incoming calls, X-Mode activation, and more. You can even create your own personalized animations.
Power Efficiency
To minimize power consumption without compromising performance, the ROG 7 leverages the 15% improvement in power efficiency offered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform, enhanced with the GameCool 7 thermal system to cool the CPU from all directions.
This uses a three-pronged approach. For short sessions, the Boron Nitride (BN) thermal compound on one side of the CPU reduces throttling. Mid-length sessions are taken care of by the bigger vapor chamber and graphite sheets on the other side of the CPU. Lastly, for true marathon LAN-party sessions, the AeroActive Cooler 7, with its fan positioned right over the CPU module, kicks into play for AI-powered active cooling, featuring a Peltier element for extra cooling performance.
AeroActive Cooler 7

In the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, cooling is enhanced even further with the AeroActive Cooler accessory and the coinciding AeroActive Portal Software. This air inlet portal activates automatically when the AeroActive Cooler is attached, directing a constant flow of cool air from the cooler onto the cooling fins of the vapor chamber. This efficiently dispels the heat generated by the SoC, leading to a notable boost in both gaming performance and battery endurance. Furthermore, when the AeroActive Portal is activated, the phone’s thermal efficiency can increase by up to 20%.
The new rapid-cycle vapor chamber in the ROG Phone 7 has been completely redesigned. It’s bigger and uses new technology inside. Instead of the usual pillar-shaped structures, it uses special trident-shaped wick columns on the long edges of the chamber to improve efficiency. Additionally, there are six liquid-return channels that act as highways for water to flow back to the SoC ready for the next thermal cycle. The thermally-efficient graphite sheets in the ROG Phone 7 have also been made bigger and have been reshaped to maximize heat transfer from the mainboard and RF board.
Finally, the AeroActive Cooler 7 features not only an improved fan with more blades for higher back pressure but also a built-in thermoelectric Peltier cooler for maximum cooling power. The DualCool design ensures that while the rear of the phone is cooled by the Peltier cooler, cooling air is also directed across the phone’s screen for maximum cooling efficiency.
Sound Quality

The twin front-firing 12 x 16 mm speakers of the Smartphone has 50% more effective volume than previously. They are aided by the five-magnet, super-linear 13 x 38 mm sub-woofer in the AeroActive 7 cooler, which enhances bass volume by 77% for unbeatable 2.1 sound in games or movies when the cooler is attached.
Gaming Experience
New software features have been implemented to enhance the phone’s gaming experience further. X Sense helps users to detect key onscreen events, such as when an important new item appears on the map or an enemy is approaching, with a pop-up notification. X Capture is also an AI tool that automatically records memorable moments in the battle, such as beating an enemy or winning the match. If you want to savor that sweet taste of victory, you can now do so in style.
The AirTrigger ultrasonic controls give gamers unrivaled fingertip control over their games for a console-like experience. They support a wide range of gestures, including Dual Action, Press and Lift, and Gyroscope Aiming. There are also 10 motion controls and an X-axis linear motor that provides powerful haptic feedback. It also enables the superb Vibration Mapping feature, which enhances the touch experience by providing adjustable haptic feedback for virtual on-screen buttons.
If you’re looking for a device that can be adjusted specifically for your gaming needs, ROG says that this is it.
Specifications

                                        Device Name

                                        ROG Phone 7 / ROG Phone 7 Ultimate

                                        Processor

                                        Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2, Octa-Core, 3.2GHz

                                        GPU

                                        Qualcomm® Adreno™ 740

                                        UI

                                        Android™ 13 with new ROG UI

                                        Display

                                        6.78" 20.4:9 (2448 x 1080) 165 Hz / 1 ms Samsung AMOLED display

                                        1,000 nits outdoor readable brightness

                                        1,500 nits peak brightness

                                        Average Delta E < 1

                                        111.23% DCI-P3 / 150.89% sRGB / 106.87% NTSC color gamut

                                        Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus™

                                        Supports Always-On HDR display

                                        HDR10 supported

                                        Capacitive touchscreen with 10-point multitouch (supports glove touch)

                                        ROG Vision (ROG Phone 7 Ultimate only)

                                        Dimensions

                                        173 x 77x 10.4 mm

                                        Weight

                                        239 g

                                        Battery

                                        6000 mAh typical capacity with 65 W HyperCharge adapter.

                                        Memory

                                        Up to 16 GB LPDDR5X RAM

                                        Storage

                                        Up to 512 GB UFS4.0 ROM

                                        Sensors

                                        In-display fingerprint sensor, face recognition, accelerometer, e-compass, gyroscope, proximity sensor, ambient-light sensor, ultrasonic sensors for AirTrigger 5 and grip press

                                        Wireless Technology

                                        WiFi : 802.11 be/ax/ac/a/b/g/n, (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz + 6 GHz)

                                        Bluetooth® 5.3 (HFP + A2DP + AVRCP + HID + PAN + OPP), supports AAC , LDAC + Qualcomm  aptX + aptX HD + aptX Adaptive

                                        GPS

                                        GNSS support GPS(L1/ L5), Glonass(G1), Galileo(E1/E5a), BeiDou(B1i/B1c/B2a), QZSS(L1/L5) and NavIC(=IRNSS)

                                        I/O Ports

                                        Side Ports:

                                        Type C® connector - USB3.1 gen2/DP 1.4(4K)/Hyper Charging/ QC5.0 (會向下相容QC4/QC3/PD3.0)
Pogo Pin - for AeroActive Cooler 7

                                        Bottom Ports:

                                        Type C® connector - USB 2.0 / HyperCharge / QC5.0
3.5 mm audio jack - headphone

                                        Camera

                                        Front Camera:

                                        32 MP (Uses pixel binning to output 8 MP image)

                                        Rear Camera:

                                        50 MP (Main camera Sony® IMX766)

                                        Voice Wakeup

                                        13 MP (120° ultrawide-angle lens)

                                        5 MP (Macro)

                                        Yes

                                        Speaker

                                        Dual front facing speaker (with Dirac HD Sound), support spatial audio (Dirac Virtuo™)

                                        5-magnet stereo speaker with Cirrus Logic amplifier for louder, deeper and less distorted sound effect.

                                        Splash, Water, and Dust Resistance

                                        IP54 under IEC standard 60529

                                        NFC

                                        Supported

                                        Color

                                        ROG Phone 7: Phantom Black, Storm White

                                        ROG Phone 7 Ultimate: Storm White

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Tags: Asus ROGROG Phone 7


Catching up with VSPN – Leading eSports solutions provider

We recently got the chance to catch up with VSPN Vice President, Mr. Chenfan Wang. Through him, we got to know more about the company and his thoughts on the rapidly growing eSports industry.

VSPN is a big name in eSports these days in Asia. Currently, they are the largest eSports total solutions provider in China. Some of the eSports titles they focus on are PUBG, PUBG Mobile, League of Legends, and Honor of Kings.
Founded in 2016, the Versus Programming Network now has a 70% market share for premium eSports events in China. Its goal is to help build and manage events, as well as to bridge the gap between audience and brands.
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Chenfan Wang, Vice President of VSPN
Mr. Wang has had many years of success in the eSports scene, having helped produce many major global events. For example, he was the producer for the 2018 League of Legends Rift Rivals, PUBG MOBILE Club Open South-East Asia League, 2018 PUBG Mobile Star Challenge Global Final, and more.
An upcoming event by VSPN
In the interview, Wang touch on a few topics, such as the difference between traditional sports and eSports. One of the reasons he cited is how eSports games are usually owned by a developer. This gives the owners more control over various aspects.
Another thing he talked about was the growth of eSports in Asia. He commented that this growth is largely thanks to the massive increase in mobile users in the region. The increase in brands and investors taking note of the potential in eSports is also a big contributor to this growth.
Image: Newzoo
The next important topic was on monetisation. According to Wang, monetisation in eSports is different for different stakeholders of the ecosystem. Sponsors and advertisers are increasingly more aware of how big an audience they can tap into by investing in eSports. Brands and organizations that have never been a part of eSports are now beginning to invest, with the examples given being car manufacturers and banks. This increases the number of revenue the industry can receive and is definitely a good sign for the growth of eSports.
Image: Newzoo via Gamesindustry.biz
He also touched on VSPN’s plans for the rest of 2019. The organization began its push into the international eSports scene last year and has accomplished much since then. The PUBG MOBILE Club Open South-East Asia League is one of the success stories, with the 2019 PUBG MOBILE Star Challenge (PMSC) as the next big project this year. PMSC is hosted by VSPN with authorization from Tencent Games and PUBG Corporation. It is also presented by Google Play and will be broadcasted exclusively on YouTube.
To watch the full interview, kindly refer to the Youtube video embedded below. You can also visit VSPN’s website or follow them on Facebook to find out more about the organization.

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Tags: esportsVSPN


Dragon Quest Rivals Ace Reveals New Expansion

Publishers Square Enix and developers Tose’s digital collectible card game Dragon Quest Rivals Ace has just revealed a new expansion over at their official YouTube channel.

Dragon Quest Rivals Ace Overview

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The gameplay stems from allowing players to create decks of cards featuring characters and monsters from the popular Dragon Quest franchise. The combat for this card game is a turn-based combat system where players have to select a leader character to face off against the enemy leader by summoning monsters, casting spells, or by equipping weapons to attack them from a limited pool of MP (Mana Points) and the main goal is to defeat the enemy’s leader by reducing their HP to zero.
New Cards Detail

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While there’s still no official translations as of time of writing, here are some very rough translations using Google Translate:
Noble King Papas

Traits:
[At the time of summoning] The effect is activated when it comes into play from your hand.
Evil Apostle Gema

Traits:
[At the time of summoning] The effect is activated when it comes into play from your hand.
Roche

Traits:
[Penetration] Also damages units behind the attacked target
[Renki] When the tension of the ally leader is accumulated in 3 stages, the effect will be activated when it comes into play from the hand.
Berolinman

Traits:
[Ouen] When you use this card, the tension of the ally leader +1
[At the time of summoning] The effect is activated when it comes into play from your hand.
[Skill Link] The effect is activated when the ally leader uses the tension skill.
Grudge Baramos Zombie

Traits:
[Haste] You can attack as soon as you come into play
[At the time of death] The effect is activated when you die
Seneca

Traits:
[Renkei] When the tension of the ally leader is accumulated in 3 stages, the effect will be activated when it comes into play from the hand.
Nageki’s Youkai Oren

Traits:
[At the time of summoning] The effect is activated when it comes into play from your hand
[Haste] You can attack as soon as you come into play
Fairy Sundi

Traits:
[Stealth] You will not be able to target of enemy attacks or effects until you attack
[At the time of death] The effect is activated when you die
[Dungeon] It will be traversed when the durability value exceeds the specific value
[At the time of traversal] Effective when traversed “dungeon” is removed from the deck
More information about the new cards can be found on the official website.

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Tags: AndroidDragon Quest Rivals AceiOSNintendo SwitchWindows


Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla Preview – It’s Good To Be A Viking

By Odin’s beard, it’s time to be vikings. While the upcoming Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla won’t be out for another month, we managed to get a sneak peek at the upcoming game. This covers a few story missions, as your character, Eivor, seeks to install a new king. We also got plenty of time to roam the game’s open world, and mess around.

Thanks again to Ubisoft for the opportunity to check out the game. This isn’t the first time they’ve let us check out Valhalla, and you can read more of our very first impressions here.

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Choice That Matters
One of the coolest features they showed us in the demo is a look at how player choice will affect the world. Without getting into any spoilers, we get to see first-hand the fallout of many of our decisions from earlier on in the demo.
Thankfully the game avoids being overly patronizing about these choices right after they happen. Since our demo was limited in scope, some of the decisions we’d made had consequences in sections outside the demo, too.
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These decisions are going to be an important part of forging alliances for Eivor going forward. It’s unclear how many of them are in the game, and if there are any hidden in side objectives. One thing’s for certain though, you’ll definitely need to start paying attention to the things you say.

Combat Worthy Of Valhalla
At a first glance, combat in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla can seem quite similar to its predecessor, Odyssey. However, it’s quite the different beast. Combat encounters have quite a bit of depth to them, with different weapons having different movesets tied to them.
The best example of this is the two two-handed weapons. We got to try out both the two-handed axe and the longsword in this build. Most games tend to treat two-handed weapons as identical, giving them similar movesets. Here, the two classes of weapon actually have unique movesets, allowing you to choose the axe for more damage-focused builds while the sword is a lot more flexible.

Different Enemies, Different Needs
One of the enemies, the Skirmisher, is a great example of this. It’s elite enough to have a nametag over its head, so you know it means business. More importantly, most normal attacks won’t hit them as they dodge through them. This makes combat encounters with the Skirmishers quite the timesink if you’re not prepared, since you’ll constantly be looking for ways to hit them.
The answer actually lies more in the game’s skill system. You have various special skills to use, using both your ranged and melee weapons. Ranged weapons tend to be a lot easier for stealth builds, with abilities that even let you snipe through walls.
The demo had a pretty normal spread of enemies. There were ranged enemies, as well as some regular sword-and-boards. Of course there was also the Skirmisher, who had a more agile toolset. Ultimately, you could get through most of these enemies without really fully understanding the combat system.
To make sure you did understand it though, the developers hid a nasty secret in the demo. There’s a wandering knight who severely overpowers you, and he just roams the countryside. The fight is pretty well designed, as you learn a lot about trying to drain his stamina, as well as avoiding attacks.

Being An Assassin
Every now and again, I would look over at the title of the game and realize you’re supposed to be an assassin in this game. As fun as combat is, admittedly, the Assassin’s Creed series has lost its way a little from its stealth-sandbox roots.
Thankfully, your Assassin in Valhalla can still opt to, well, be an assassin. One of the game’s skill trees is entirely dedicated to the art of stealth, and your Odinsight functions similarly to previous games’ Eagle Vision. It’s slightly improved, however, as now marked enemies stay visible even through walls.
Of course, instantly backstabbing people does tend to mess with the balance of the game’s more RPG flavoring. Instead, they’ve made it so you can’t really assassinate enemies that exceed your level. However, you can spec into a skill to remedy this, where assassinating high-level enemies requires passing a quick-time event to succeed.
The series’ signature synchronization points are also back, complete with cinematic leap of faith. It’s almost jarring seeing Eivor, such a hulking viking, doing these agile leaps in the air, especially when they fall into the bale of hay afterwards.

Just Viking Things
One of the big new features in this demo is the village system. You’ll be able to upgrade your village using materials you find in chests. Upgrading these buildings is going to be pretty important for your clan, especially if you want to do things like raiding. Some of these buildings even have specialized functions, such as one that allows you to fish.
In your village there’s plenty of things for you to do, such as mingling with your clanmates. You can even partake in dice games, which is a fun way to pass the time.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a viking game without some longboats. Similar to all the ship-style content in previous games, you can get on your longboat with some NPCs and go pillaging. This is a great way to get more resources for your village, and is one of the big draws of the game in general.
Of course, the longboat is more than just a vehicle to your next objective. Similar to the sea shanties from previous games, you can really use these segments to immerse yourself in the game’s world. NPCs talk and sing, really adding to the flavor of the world.

Exploration
Of course, it wouldn’t be an Assassin’s Creed game without an extreme amount of exploration. Thankfully, the map for Valhalla is significantly less cluttered than some of its predecessors.
You also have a horse again, that follows the videogame logic of coming to you no matter where you call it from. The programming on the horse is pretty great, since they can automatically seek out roads and follow them. Similarly, they can also be set to go to your target automatically, so you can set it up in cinematic camera as you roam the countryside.
While this is a cool feature and all, I feel like it’s a bandaid to a very real problem open world games tend to have. That is to say, you wouldn’t need to have things like a cinematic camera and an automatic horse if, well, your world was a little more fun to traverse. The large map is technologically impressive, yes, but the fact that until you get between your points of interest there’s nothing really there is a little alarming.

Closing Thoughts
Gripes aside, it looks like Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla is going to be another good entry in the RPG-line of Assassin’s Creed games. It’s got interesting side content like raids, a return to form with assassinations and interesting enough enemy design that you almost wouldn’t want to go through this the stealth way.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla releases for Current-gen consoles November 10th, and will be available on next-gen on their respective launch dates.

Assassin's Creed: ValhallaPublisher: UbisoftDeveloper: Ubisoft MontrealRelease Date: 2020-11-10Epic Games Store, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Become Eivor, a Viking raider raised to be a fearless warrior, and lead your clan from icy desolation in Norway to a new home amid the lush farmlands of ninth-century England. Find your settlement and conquer this hostile land by any means to earn a place in Valhalla.

England in the age of the Vikings is a fractured nation of petty lords and warring kingdoms. Beneath the chaos lies a rich and untamed land waiting for a new conqueror. Will it be you?

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Tags: Assassin's Creed ValhallaUbisoft


Guardian Tales 50 free summons event happening now

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In celebration of the New Year, Guardian Tales 50 free summons event is live! This event is only available from today until 25th January 2021.
By logging in within that time period, players get to summon 10 times for free for that day. Logging into Guardian Tales for five consecutive days rewards players with 50 free summons. Players can select the banner of their choice, be it the Hero or Weapon summons. The free summons apply to both the exclusive and standard banners. Rates remain unchanged.

Besides the free summons, Guardian Tales also features the New Year Road Map. By completing story stages, Rifts, Colosseum and by competing in the arena, players earn Event Points. These Event Points are exchangeable for various rewards on the Road Map.

Kakao Games implemented a lot of new content since Guardian Tales‘s global debut at the end of July last year. In November, the game received a new character, Future Princess, a new story chapter, and a training room called Tower of Horizon.
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This 50 free summons event is the icing on the cake. In fact, this is not even the first time the game offered 50 free summons. A similar event took place between September and October last year.
Stay tuned to Guardian Tales’s Facebook page for all the latest updates.

 Download

Guardian TalesPublisher: Kakao GamesDeveloper: Kong StudiosRelease Date: 2020-02-24Android, iOS
Guardian Tales is a retro Action-Adventure RPG game with complex puzzles & reactive action combat. Available on iOS & Android! "Embark on an epic journey through Kanterbury and encounter new friends as you relive the unforgettable moments from your favourite games growing up!"

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Tags: GlohowGuardian TalesKakao GamesKong Studio


Dynasty Warriors: The Movie – cast of characters revealed (photos available)!

The popular gaming franchise by Koei Tecmo – Dynasty Warriors is releasing a Chinese film (Dynasty Warriors: The Movie)  soon with a star-studded cast from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The filming has started in China last July and recently, the cast moved to continue filming in New Zealand. As some photos from the event in New Zealand has been released from the official, we have finally had a clearer look at the cast of characters!

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Can you guess which Dynasty Warriors’ characters are acted by them? Here is a list of the characters revealed for now:

Louis Khoo (古天乐) as Lu Bu
Wang Kai (王凯) as Cao Cao
Tony Yang (杨祐宁) as Liu Bei
Han Geng (韩庚) as Guan Yu
Justin Cheung (张建声) as Zhang Fei
Ray Liu (吕良伟) as Yuan Shao
Eddie Cheung (张兆辉) as Chen Gong
Gulnazar (古力娜扎) as Diao Chan
Carina Lau (刘嘉玲) as unknown new original character (铸剑堡堡主)
Lam Suet (林雪) as Dong Zhuo
Philip Keung (姜皓文) as Zhang Jue
Law Kar-Ying (罗家英) as Lü Boshe

More photos:
Lu Bu
Cao Cao
Yuan Shao
Unknown new character acted by Carina Lau
Left – Roy Chow (the director), Right – Chen Gong
Diao Chan
Directed by Hong Kong director Roy Chow (周显扬), Dynasty Warriors: The Movie is expected to go live in 2018.
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Tags: Dynasty WarriorsDynasty Warriors: The MovieKOEI TECMOMovie


Disgaea Is Coming To Mobile by Sony’s ForwardWorks

Disgaea is a tactical RPG that was first released for the PlayStation 2 back in 2003. It’s last release of the Disgaea series was in 2015 for the PS4 and later for the Switch in 2017. Now Nippon Ichi Software, the developer for the Disgaea series, has moved on to bring the Disgaea series onto the mobile platform. No we’re not talking about Makai Wars as this is an official game using the Disgaea name as the title.

Nippon Ichi Software had recently announced their collaboration with Sony Interactive Entertainment’s subsidiary studio, ForwardWorks, to develop the Disgaea mobile game. They had even released a teaser trailer which features voice actors from the first Disgaea game, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness.

Currently, there’s not much details on the game yet. However as seen in the teaser trailer, it will most likely be a gacha game, but it will still retain its tactical RPG gameplay. More details will be released soon at Zentame 2018 on August 4th to 5th from 15:40 to 16.10 JST.
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Tags: AndroidDisgaeaDisgaea: Hour of DarknessForwardWorksiOSMakai WarsMobileSony


Hogwarts Legacy Opens its Gates in The Holidays of 2022, Revealed at State of Play

Playstation State of Play has teamed up with Avalanche Software to showcase the latest news on the upcoming Harry Potter Wizarding World game, Hogwarts Legacy, including narrowing its release period down to the holidays months (November, December) of this year.

You can watch the full Hogwarts Legacy State of Play below:

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In the Hogwarts legacy, you’ll play as a new fifth-year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry back in the 1800s. You’re joining the school a year later than everyone else, meaning you’ll have a harder time fitting in but in time you’ll be stringing magic like the best of them and perhaps uncovering a mystery or two surrounding this age-old school.
The main character also has something special about them. They can sense ancient magic and as you walk the steps of the moving staircases, you’ll be sensing it a lot throughout your academic year.
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The State of Play gave viewers a full tour of Hogwarts, Hogsmead, and other well-known areas from the books and even a few never seen before. Ever want to know what the non Griffindoor common rooms look like, this game will show you. Hogwarts Legacy will allow you to walk the entire length of Hogwart’s ground.
You also get a closer look at combat and magic upgrades, and the darker forces at play surrounding the school. You even get to ride a Hippogriff!
The Hogwarts Legacy will be available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

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Tags: Avalanche SoftwareHarry PotterHogwarts LegacyPlaystationSony Interactive EntertaimentState of PlayState of Play 2022Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment


Dragon Ball Card Warriors Added To Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

It’s not every day that a game gets another game added into it post-launch, though that certainly seems to be the case with Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. A new card game, Dragon Ball Card Warriors, was added via an update today.

It’s actually a pretty serviceable card games by the look of it. The game also has multiplayer, so you can battle your friends to see who’s the number one Card Warrior.

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According to Bandai Namco Entertainment, you can access Dragon Ball Card Warriors from the game’s title screen, so you can get straight into the action.

It’s Time To Duel
The game shares some similarity with Yu-Gi-Oh!, another popular card game.
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You summon cards that fight each other, with the aim of reducing your opponent’s health to 0. Aside from characters, you can also play Event cards which have different effects.
You’ll also have a deck similar to the Extra Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh, with high cost cards there. According to the trailer, composing this deck will be important for doing well in the game.
One of the neatest things about Card Warriors is its catchup mechanic. Certain cards have attributes tied to them such as Ki, Tai and Cho. When these cards are destroyed, you build stacks of those symbols. You can spend these stacks to cast powerful abilities, allowing players on the back foot to stage a comeback.
There’s also the game’s energy charge mechanic, which lets you overcharge your stored energy. The trailer says that this allows you to bring out more high-cost cards, and is great for securing your victory.
Fans who’ve played Dragon Ball Kakarot to death are especially incentivized to give Card Warriors a try. With the addition of Card Warriors, you can use the game’s collectible cards from the Z Encyclopedia to get Gacha tickets, and unlock more playable cards.
You can also buy more of the cards using the in-game currency.
Aside from Card Warriors, the game is also getting various quality-of-life adjustments such as automatic text advancement and notification for sub story unlocks.
Additionally, Villainous Mira is also being added to the game.
Dragon Ball Kakarot is an RPG based on the wildly popular Dragon Ball series. It’s available for PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Release Date: 2020-01-17Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Relive the story of Goku and other Z Fighters in DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT! Beyond the epic battles, experience life in the DRAGON BALL Z world as you fight, fish, eat, and train with Goku, Gohan, Vegeta and others.

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Tags: Bandai Namco EntertainmentCyberConnect2Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot


Kunoichi out on console Black Desert Online!

The Kunoichi is now available as a new playable character class on console Black Desert! Kunoichi, the Mistress of Blades, and the power of Awakening on Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

She doesn’t just have her kunai shortsword, she also packs the following skills:

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Flash Slash – Kunoichi disappears and unleashes powerful hits upon her enemies.

Kuno Stab – Using her elite reflexes, Kunoichi uses her Kunai to stab the vitals of her enemies, rendering them useless.
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Ninjutsu: Shadow Explosion – The Kunoichi draws power from the shadows and unleashes an explosion in front of her, knocking back opponents.

Tragic Blade – The Kunoichi deceives her opponents to think that she is vulnerable, and during their next attack she picks the opportune moment to strike a killing blow.

Adventurers can also use a new weapon and combat style when they unlock Kunoichi’s awakening event. At level 56, Awaken to use the Chakram. Utilize this weapon to defeat enemies with new, devastating combos! Her Awakening skills are as follows:
Awakening Skills

Lethal Spin Spree – The Kunoichi grabs her Sah Chakram with both hands and spins, using centrifugal force to deliver devastating damage to enemies around her.

Chain Crash – The Kunoichi releases the Sah Chakram as it spins into her enemies hitting them multiple times.

Half Moon Slash – Swiftly moving side to side, the Kunoichi uses that momentum to deliver powerful hits and recover her WP.

Wheel of Wrath – Unleashing the rage pent up inside, Kunoichi unleashes a powerful upward strike then immediately brings her enemies back down to earth with a downward attack.

Learn the story of the Kunoichi on Black Desert console.

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Tags: Black DesertBlack Desert OnlinePearl Abyss


[email protected] 2021 vision with Victor Chien

Monitors make only just one part of the overall ecosystem, as Victor Chien, General Manager of Digital Displays Business at Acer, can surely attest to. Post [email protected], let’s see what the near future looks like! Interview has been edited for clarity.

It seems that monitor manufacturers are beginning to offer HDMI 2.1 for their displays. What are your thoughts on that?

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Victor Chien: At [email protected] 2021, we launched the Predator CG437K S, a 43-inch monitor that supports HDMI 2.1. In fact, we did launch HDMI 2.1-supported products earlier, so we have a line up of 28-, 31.5- and 43-inch monitors with HDMI 2.1. In essence, we’re able to meet the needs of different users. We’re not always going to be the first to launch the products, but as a market leader, we can provide a full coverage of solutions.

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Are there any plans to introduce smart monitors?
Victor Chien: We do have plans for this, yes, to provide the best computing power for displays and for ease of use.
With next-gen consoles using HDMI 2.1, will this be the standard for Acer Predator Gaming moving forward?
Victor Chien: Yes; for UHD resolution and high frame rate, HDMI 2.1 will be the new standard that we’ll use to provide the best connection between the monitor and the console and / or PC to provide a better user experience.
Following Acer’s push for sustainability, and the announcement of a laptop made from recycled plastic, would we be seeing displays similarly made with recycled materials?
Victor Chien: Definitely, we do have a plan for a campaign to align with the whole company’s strategy, so it’s in the pipeline.
Is Acer focusing more on gaming displays? What’s the focus moving forward?
Victor Chien: We’re not just focusing on gaming displays, but we use gaming displays to demonstrate our technological leadership. We do provide displays across all categories, be it portable monitors, commercial ones or those for video conferences.

What are Acer’s plans to introduce more portable displays?
Victor Chien: Portable displays are geared to provide many different solutions namely, in resolution, size, or touch-input. Most of our portable displays utilize USB Type-C connection, so that it’d be easy for you to connect to your smartphones. We have wireless displays on the way, but we believe most users will be using portable displays to pair with their smartphones or notebooks. For wireless displays, we’re looking to maintain performance especially in outdoor environments, where the connection may not be as stable as a wired one. As such, we’ll always provide a low connectivity option.
Would we be able to see Predator Gaming monitors larger than 43-inches by the end of the year?
Victor Chien: We did consider a 49-inch, 21:9 kind of display. Our focus is still on the viewing experience, so within the 3-feet distance, we’re carefully evaluating the size for the best user experience. I’d say 43-inch is relatively big enough. If we make something bigger, we’d categorize it for living areas, which goes into a 10-feet viewing distance and is probably not for personal use. We haven’t definitively decided on making a living zone, TV-sized gaming display for now, as its in the evaluation stage.
What about higher resolution displays? e.g. 6K, 8K?
Victor Chien: For gaming displays, the frame rate and bandwidth are major concerns. We’re currently working to optimize the user experience based on UHD 4K resolution. Our plans for 6K, 8K are more for productivity use instead of gaming, since creators would benefit from the utility of a higher resolution and bigger screen size. For gaming, our direction remains on 2K, 4K and higher refresh rate.
About the CG437K S, are the RGB lighting strips the same as the CG437K P? Are there any improvements from its predecessor?
Victor Chien: The lighting strips are the same. We were more focused on HDMI 2.1 for console gaming compatibility.
Since wireless displays are planned, will there be foldable displays?
Victor Chien: We’re looking into that now because of the portability. The technology isn’t mature enough to hit a 27-inch foldable into an A4 size, so we’ll need to carefully follow developments to make the tech work before we jump into it. For a foldable this size, I think it’s still in the development stage.
Would Acer consider including productivity options by wireless connections, like Samsung DeX?
Victor Chien: This would be closer to a smart display, so when we develop one, we want to provide different kinds of user interfaces, where you can switch to something like a productivity focused UI, to an entertainment one. We’re looking into it and making plans.
A mock-up of Samsung DeX.
With the introduction of Predator laptops with mini-LED displays, what’s coming in the future?
Victor Chien: I think the best is yet to come, as we’re constantly planning. Once the products are ready, we’ll be happy to announce them to you.
How has the demand been for monitors, with so many people working and studying at home?
Victor Chien: It’s been good for the display business. Previously, it’d look like a refresh would only happen when a gaming monitor came out. With the lifestyle change, we feel there’s a lot of demands for consumer displays so the market is trying to keep up with it. Unfortunately, with the shortage of components like the semiconductor panels, it does affect things.

Even for just once piece of a whole set up, even a “mere” display needs to go through so many considerations. Moving forward, let’s see how far we can get in visual technology.

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Tags: Acer[email protected] 2021Victor Chien


New Company Dreamhaven Created by Former Blizzard President

Co-founder and former president of Blizzard Entertainment, Mike Morhaime had just revealed his upcoming big project, which was an unveiling a new company called Dreamhaven which is comprised of other veteran Blizzard Staff, as well as two development studios, Moonshot Games and Secret Door.

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The studios as mentioned before borrow a significant amount of talent from Blizzard. Morhaime who is now the CEO of the new company, Dreamhaven alongside his wife, Amy who is now Head of Operations are joined by former Hearthstone lead Jason Chayes, Ben Thompson the creative director, and former Starcraft II and Heroes of the Storm director Dustin Browder, who’s a part of Moonshot Games.
Secret Door’s studio head, Chris Sigaty, worked as executive producer on Hearthstone, StarCraft II, and HotS, while colleagues Alan Dabiri and Eric Dodds both have experience across a suite of major Blizzard titles.
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“Reimagine the studio model by taking the chances that most big publishers won’t.” is said to be Dreamhaven’s aim. Considered that the two development studios had such distinct development styles, the statement that they made is pretty solidified.
Morhaime spent 27 years at Blizzard before leaving the company in 2018, and many members of the new team have spent a significant portion of their careers at the company. Over the past couple of years, reports have suggested that Blizzard’s new partner, Activision, is pushing for more games at a lower cost, resulting in a large number of redundancies. Many might have left Blizzard due to Activision’s growing influence on Blizzard’s culture and processes.
While the company has only been recently formed, we can expect to see great things from the studio since the person behind it helped build one of the world’s most successful games companies.

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Tags: Blizzard EntertaainmentBlizzard EntertainmentDreamhaven


Japanese hotels will let you gacha for a hotel room

Prince Hotels and Resorts, a hotel chain in Japan, are setting up capsule vending machines to let customers gacha for a hotel room. These capsule vending machines, or gachapon, will be installed at 10 hotels around the Tokyo Metropolitan area, such as the Prince Park Tower Tokyo and Shinagawa Prince Hotel.

As part of the hotel chain’s Otoshidama Hatsuyume Gacha 2022 event, guests and non-guests alike can attempt to pull for a room between January 1st to January 10th. A single pull costs 10,000 yen (about 88 USD). Rewards range from meal vouchers to accommodation worth 2.5 million yen (about 22,000 USD).

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The prize worth 2.5 million yen is “The Prince Park Tower Tokyo Rainbow Royal Suite Room” (4 pax per room, breakfast and benefits included). There are also 11 suites in the Tokyo metropolitan area, such as the “The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho” suite (1 room for 2 people, with breakfast and benefits) and the “Kawagoe Prince Hotel” dinner ticket worth 1 million yen. These prizes are valid until March 31st, 2022.
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Unfortunately, we could not find any details for the drop rates, nor is there a pity system. For more details, visit the Prince Hotel website.
Prince Hotels and Resorts are no stranger to collaborating with games, having collaborated with Granblue Fantasy in the past. The PlayStation Awards back in 2019 was held at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa.

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Tags: Prince Hotels and Resorts


Kingdom Rush Vengeance is launching soon, you can pre-register now

The latest title to the highly acclaimed Kingdom Rush series – Kingdom Rush Vengeance was first revealed last July, and now we are already getting a date for its release! The new tower defense title is expected to arrive for both Android and iOS on November 22, you can pre-register (or pre-order) on your Google Play Store or App Store now!

In the new title, you will embark on an epic journey as you gather Vez’nan’s army and fulfill his devious plans. The game features 16 new towers, each with unique abilities and special powers along with 16 stages across 3 lands. Also, there will be a total of 9 powerful heroes you can command. You can play the game without an internet connection as well!

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Kingdom Rush Vengeance will costs you $4.99 (about RM20), but with this amount of new content and enjoyable gameplay, it is definitely worth the price. You can also visit their official site for more information!

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Tags: AndroidiOSIronhide Game StudioKingdom RushKingdom Rush VengeanceMobileTower Defense


Mashiro Witch: Midnight Marchen Open Beta Coming Next Week!

Not long ago, Square Enix launched their pre-registration for Mashiro Witch: Midnight Marchen. Now they have announced their Android Open Beta Test coming this 31st October! Though the beta duration is not for long as it only lasts a week from 31st October till 7th November.

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Players will need to follow the steps to join the beta test as seen below:
1. Log in with a Japanese Square Enix Members Account (those without an account will have to register for a Japanese Account).
2. Go to the Mashiro Witch open beta site to obtain download link and beta code.
3. Install beta client and insert beta code.
However before installing the game, be sure to have at least 2GB of free storage space on your phone and that your Android version is at least 4.0.0 or higher. If you’d like to know more of the story, check out our past article about the game! Check out their trailer below too if you have missed out!
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Tags: AndroidiOSMashiro Witch: Midnight MarchenMobileOpen BetaSquare Enix


Cytus II Pre-Registration Is Now Up For Android!

Cytus II by Rayark has launched Android pre-registration on Google Play! The company that specializes on rhythm games that brought us Deemo, Voez and the previous Cytus, has finally made their move for Android! Previously the game was only released for the iOS on January 18th but not for Android. Thankfully, they are bringing the game to Android now!

If you don’t know what Cytus is about yet, Cytus is a rhythm game that is the first prequel to Cytus II. The game features fast finger action with amazing soundtracks by numerous artists like INSPION, Squar and many more. The story this time takes place in the future where the internet and real world are interconnected. Players will play through five characters namely Xenon, ConneR, Raff, Neko and Robo_Head – to learn better their songs and story.

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There will be over 50 songs included in the game and like Cytus, Rayark will definitely update their song list with new chapters and stories. Pre-register now on Android so that you may not miss out when it is launched! Or if you are an iOS user, you can download it now on the App Store. You can also check out their official page for more info.
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Tags: AndroidCytusCytus IIINSPIONiOSLaunchedMobilePre-registrationRayarkRhythm GamesSquar


Mei joins in the midst of a new Nexus Anomaly in HotS! [ Heroes of the Storm ]

HotS / Heroes of the Storm is bringing in a new Hero in Mei with its newest patch, throwing her right into a new Nexus Anomaly, Climate Phenomena! The Nexomania II event is also live concurrently.

Mei, also known as Dr Mei-Ling Zhou, joined Overwatch to help solve the world’s growing climate problems. Armed with a host of weather-altering technologies, Mei now fights to protect her friends and secure a future for a troubled world. It’s time for Mei to make her mark upon the Nexus!

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And she’s just in time too, as strange weather disturbances have been spotted across the Nexus, with realms experiencing rain storms, snow flurries, and foggy mists. Mei’s here to help analyze and study these strange weather occurrences in Climate Phenomena, the newest Nexus Anomaly that brings a variety of fun weather effects to the game.
Last but not least is the start of Nexomania II, the summer event for HotS! Featuring a new Quest, Skins, Mounts and more, will you still be able to find fun in the sun when the weather’s gone wild?
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More information regarding Mei, the Nexus Anomaly and Nexomania II can be found in the patch notes on the official website for Heroes of the Storm.

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Tags: Blizzard EntertainmentHeroes of the StormOverwatch


This article on ‘How The Gen 1 Pokemon Designs Made A Great First Impression’ was available a week earlier through the Gamerbraves Newsletter. Sign up for free to gain access to more articles about news and trends in the gaming industry and community.

Original Article
Pokemon Day has passed, celebrating the many different monsters that the series has introduced us to in the last 27 years. I have favorite pokemon from across the different generations but today, I couldn’t help but think back to the first Generation of Pokemon.

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Gen 1 has become almost controversial in the last few years, between the ‘Genwunners’ who think it’s the only good gen, to people fiercely proclaiming it to be overrated, with a number of bad designs and being overall “too simple”. For me, however, Gen 1 has some of the most interesting designs in the series that would pave the way for future lines of Pocket Monsters. So today let’s take a quick look back at Gen 1 and what made this set of pocket monsters so iconic for years to come.
The Simplicity of Gen 1

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So let’s start by addressing the Gen 1 is “too simple” argument. A lot of the pokemon in Gen 1 are seen as just being regular animals, Pidgey is just a bird, Rattata is just a rat, Krabby is just a crab, and its Japanese name is literally “Crab”.
My response to this is that being simple doesn’t necessarily mean bad. Having simple designs meant they stood out more on a tiny black-and-white Gameboy screen, and in some ways, I think the first batch of Pokemon became so iconic because they’re based on very straightforward concepts that are executed in interesting ways.

As the artist, VivinkArt points out, a lot of modern Pokemon tend to be drawn in a cuter cartoonish style. Furthermore, they have more distinct personalities and are very specific with what they’re supposed to be, whether that’s a corgi, an aye-aye, or a Kamen Rider.
In Gen 1 however, there was a much more grounded yet also bluntly abstract approach to design, taking a more basic idea of what the creature is and twisting their most notable features to make them feel otherworldly. A good example is Gen 5’s Zoroa and Gen 1’s Vulpix. They’re both based on the Japanese fox Yokai however Zoroa is more humanized with an emphasis on its mischievous personality while Vulpix seems more like an actual fox accentuated with six tails based on the myth.
Gen 1’s Pokemon Kingdom

A good example of simple done right is Rattata. It’s easy to write off Rattata as just a rat but I remember as a kid, it was pretty intimidating to see Rattata on Route 1. All of the art depicting it made it look angry. Its eyes were sharp, its mouth wide open and it had those sharp teeth jutting out. I knew I didn’t want to get bitten by this thing, and that combined with its purple fur and curled tail was enough to make it feel like more than just a regular rat (and Raticate was even worse).

They can even take from some of the more obscure aspects of these animals. For example, the Pollywag line is known for its distinct spiral patterns but this actually comes from the fact that tadpoles actually have transparent stomachs that show their intestines. This small detail become one of the most memorable parts of Pollywag’s design.

This process of abstraction can be seen in the more out-there Pokemon of Gen 1. Let’s take for example my favorite pokemon Scyther. Scyther is a bug with a velociraptor head and actual blades for arms. It seems like a strange mismatch of ideas until you think about its inspiration as a Mantis. These are insects that ambush their prey by ensnaring them in their sharp forearms and eating them alive. Scyther’s design conveys the deadly arms and the fearsome ambush attacks by making it a sword-wielding raptor. It’s this method to the madness that made Pokemon so loveable.
The Strange Experiments
The other factor about Gen 1 is that despite how straightforward the designs might be, if you think about it, a lot of them are fairly weird even by Pokemon standards. There’s a very ‘throw things at the wall and see what sticks’ mentality to the pokemon in Gen 1. You can almost see the designers themselves trying to figure out what a pokemon should be with the different concepts for each Mon.

Magmar is a bird with a reptilian body covered in fire, Venusaur is a prehistoric dino-frog with a rafflesia on its back, there are essentially five pokemon here that can best be described as “pink ball”, and to this day, I don’t really know what the Nidoran line is supposed to be. They’re like poisonous rabbits that turn into poisonous rhino dinosaurs?
If you haven’t noticed, a lot of early Pokemon also seem to incorporate kaiju-esque dinosaur designs. We’ve mentioned the Nidos, Venusaur, and Magmar but even the kangaroo and rhino pokemon look as if they came out of a Godzilla movie. Sometimes I wonder if Mewtwo wasn’t the only pokemon Kanto frankensteined together in a lab.

Even this however comes back to the idea of abstraction but here, it’s less about the animals and more about the concept they’re meant to depict. The point of Nidoking and Nidoqueen is that they represent sexual dimorphism in animals, what creatures they are doesn’t matter beyond that. Likewise, Pokemon like Snorlax and Slowbro may both be bears of some sort but they’re really made to capture the idea of a creature that’s lazy or slow-witted.
Each design is made so the player can instantly tell what this pokemon is about regardless of how strange they are. More importantly, however, it also showed that anything could be a Pokemon. There is no animal, myth, object, or even subculture, that could not be turned into a pokemon in some form.

It’s for this very reason that I’ll admit, I even really like the humanoid Gen 1 pokemon like Mr. Mime, Jinx, Machamp, Hitmonchan, and Hitmonlee because you can see the same process. One pokemon is a kickboxer, so no head and long segmented legs. Another is a mime so large hands and rounded fingertips to show it making invisible walls. It’s fascinating to see this kind of missing link between the real-world professions and the more cartoonish take on humanoid monsters we’d see later with Gardevoir or Gothitelle.
Closing Thoughts

Yes, a lot of the ideas in Gen 1 do appear and are arguably improved upon in later pokemon generations. More recent Pokemon like Galvantula or Noivern arguably still fit these same design processes. With that said, I can’t help but appreciate Gen 1’s monsters for being so straightforward while also having such an “anything goes” style of creativity.
With a lot of recent pokemon, you can read whole essays on their inspiration, whether they be from nature, cultural practices, or myths. This makes it interesting to go back to the more simple style of Gen 1. A style that essentially said, “the Pokemon is about vines, they going to be nothing but vines and red sneakers.” It’s not rocket science to put a couple of animals together but it’s a creative kind of simplicity. It sparks the imagination and created a good showcase of everything a Pokemon could be.
Tough, cute, ugly, and creepy, the original 151 Pokemon had something for everyone. They also served as the perfect building block for later gens of creatures. I doubt that the complex designs of Gen 4’s cosmic gods or Gen 7’s sand castle ghosts could reinvent the wheel quite as well if these guys didn’t lay out the original blueprints.

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Tags: GameFreakNintendoPokemonPokemon Day


Root Letter: Smartphone Edition now out

Kadokawa Games has just made available Root Letter: Smartphone Edition for Android and iOS, where it was previously out for consoles and the PC.

Between launch date and 25 September 2017, the smartphone release of the game will be discounted to cost only JPY 500. Following that, Root Letter will revert to its regular price of JPY 1,400. An overview for the game in question, lifted directly from its Steam page:

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About
When a letter is delivered 15 years late – you discover an old pen-friend was involved in a murder, before she disappeared.
Travelling to her hometown, you must investigate the murder, using her past letters as clues to uncover the disturbing truth. Using Visual Novel and investigative gameplay elements, Root Letter elevates the Visual Novel genre to a whole new level.
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Key Features

An intense murder mystery set in a gorgeous, real-word, rural Japanese setting.

Stunning Visual Novel artwork from the renowned artist Minoboshi Taro.

Increased gameplay elements – search for clues, present evidence and explore environments.

Travel freely around Shimane, visiting real world locations and interviewing suspects.

Interrogation mode allows you to present evidence to characters and catch them out in lies.

Unravel the truth from your pen-friend’s letters – was she telling the truth, was she even real?

Make difficult choices as you straddle an investigation spanning 15 years.

Five different endings with wildly different routes – for a huge level of replayability.

Incredible Soundtrack from composer Takashi Nitta and lead voice actor role for Noriko Hidaka (Ranma)

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Tags: AndroidiOSRoot Letter: Smartphone EditionVisual Novel


World of Warships Blitz to be released on 18 January 2018

After much deliberation, we are given a release date for World of Warships Blitz by its developer Wargaming, which states that we can expect the game on 18 January 2018. Based on the same game for the PC, World of Warships Blitz is a World War 2 naval strategy title which promises the same tactical seafaring experience.

Control a fleet of vessels which comprise Destroyers, Cruisers, Heavy Cruisers, Aircraft Carriers and Battleships. You will have to deploy the best-suited ship class for the job you engage in an all-out 7vs7 warship battle. Unlike other similar games,  the developers have stated that players are able to play to their heart’s content, as there are no timers, energy bars, or fuel.

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However, the game is in fact soft-launched already, so if you are eager to give it a go, you have the chance to do so before a lot of people. If you are a fan of the original version, this is as close as you will get to mimicking that experience on the mobile.
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