Mashiro Witch: Midnight Marchen pre-registration opens

Square Enix has just announced that its upcoming RPG title, Mashiro Witch: Midnight Marchen, is now open for pre-registration. Alongside the announcement, a new PV has been released too.

To recap, from what we can tell from the clips alone, Mashiro Witch is a turn-based game with an emphasis on character customisation. But first, a little backstory. The game is set in a world that is on the verge of destruction, where a group of magic girls have to work together to prevent its fate by defeating monsters. You assemble a team of four to complete quests, from a pool of girl which varying abilities. In addition, players are able to tweak a character’s skin colour, facial features, personality, hairstyle and job. As mentioned, with the game being turned based, you select from a list of actions to perform, ranging from physical attacks and to healing. With each action having a set cost, and players are only able to perform ones within the cost you own.

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The following are the pre-registration rewards and requirements for getting them:
Over 10,000 Pre-registered: 1000 Gems
Over 30,000 Pre-registered: 1500 Gems
Over 50,000 Pre-registered: 2500 Gems
Over 70,000 Pre-registered: 3000 Gems
Over 100,000 Pre-registered: 4500 Gems + ★4 Magic Card Guaranteed Chest x1
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 Pre-register Now!

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Tags: AndroidiOSMashiro Witch: Midnight MarchenRPGSquare Enix


Pokemon Legends: Arceus Review – Breath of Fresh Air

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is in many ways the answer to the divisive time the Pokemon franchise has had over the last few years since joining the HD era of gaming with the Switch.

With many fans finding the traditional pokemon experience becoming increasingly stagnant, Legends recreates the series with a semi-open world, a streamlined battle system, and a surprising amount of challenge. If anyone’s been questioning if they’ve outgrown pokemon, or don’t feel into it anymore, this game may just get you to change your mind.

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In the distant past with my Llama God smartphone

The first notable thing about Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the new setting, based on Meiji era Japan (the late 1800s) and Japan’s expansion into Hokkaido. It doesn’t start like this, however. You are a young teenage pokemon trainer transported from modern-day Sinnoh into the distant past when the region was known as Hisui through a rift in space and time. This is done by Arceus who also gives you a fancy new smartphone and texts you telling you to catch pokemon.
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From here you’re picked up by the Galaxy Team Survey Corps consisting of your kind of rival/possible ancestor/possible love interest, a bumbling professor, and the ever-stern Captain Kamado. Your mission is to complete the first-ever Pokedex and figure out why the spacetime rift above Mount Coronet seems to be getting bigger and causing the ‘noble pokemon’ who protect the region to go mad.
The Journey Through Hisui
The story is a blend of interesting lore that adds to Sinnoh’s already impressive mythology and bland journeyman characters and plot points. While it’s cool to see the ancestors of a bunch of modern-day pokemon characters (who of course look exactly like them), they don’t have much personality beyond getting you to your next goal and expositing flavor text about their pokemon.
This isn’t that big of a deal considering Pokemon has never been known for their in-depth plots but with the interesting new premise it would’ve been nice to see a little more from the cast,

That being said, characters like Arezu, Ingo, and Volo stand out a little more than most, and I like how the game invests in one of the Generation 4 game’s greatest strengths, the fact that it involves legendary gods, the creators of the universe. Seeing how this plays into the region’s mythology and its people’s relation with pokemon, many of whom still see as violent monsters, is cool worldbuilding, particularly by the end of the game where these legendaries start playing a larger role.
Gotta Catch Em All (before they catch you)

The majority of your time in Pokemon Legends will be spent hunting down new pokemon, catching them, and adding them to the Pokedex. The big difference from the previous game is that you now explore larger semi-open areas where you throw pokeballs and other items at the fire-breathing critters in real time.
The pokemon can also attack you and pretty much kill you. The new system is a fast-paced mix of dodge rolling, stealth, and battles that makes the process of catching pokemon far more energetic and intense. Some of the pokemon really have it out for your blood and will chase you halfway across the map if you make eye contact with them for so much as a second.

Catching pokemon also doesn’t actually fill out their Pokedex entry. Instead, each Pokemon has a number of small achievements to complete their page, like catching a certain number of them or seeing them perform certain moves.
This can be a little tedious and you’ll have to grind pretty much every pokemon in the game for a bit to complete their dex however it’s a fun kind of grinding. It gives you a good incentive to use as many pokemon as possible and filling out each page feels incredibly satisfying. As someone who always loved the collection aspect of Pokemon, I spend out filling out the pages of every pokemon I came across.
Pokemon Battles

Thankfully you won’t be taking on wild Golduck alone. Pokemon battles remain similar to previous titles however with some well-placed new mechanics.
One thing I noticed with Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is that the Pokemon battle system has really started to feel slow. After the 100th time of watching the screen strobe and changing to the battle screen, waiting for the trainer to throw out the Pokeball, you just wish it would hurry up a bit. In Legends, the pokemon appear on the overworld screen, you throw a pokemon out, and the battle starts right there where they stand, Chrono Trigger style.
This simple change is a godsend, allowing you to snap in and out of battles in a breeze. It really makes the finding and hunting for new pokemon feel fun and something you actively want to seek out as opposed to readying 50 repels before you enter a zubat-infested cave.
You’re also now able to change your pokemon’s moves and nicknames from the party menu. This is a small but much-needed lovely quality-of-life feature that I hope gets incorporated into main series games.
Choosing your Style

Changes have also been made to the battles themselves. Super-effective moves do way more damage, and when an opposing pokemon is knocked out, you aren’t told what the next pokemon will be or given the option to switch out. Also, if you’re Pokemon is fast enough, it may be able to get a second turn in before your opponent goes.
This is combined with the new ‘style’ mechanics. Pokemon can master a move and use it in either ‘strong style’ or ‘agile style’. The former allows the move to hit harder but means it will also take longer to get your next turn. Agile allows you to hit faster but does less damage.

These overhauled battle mechanics give Pokemon something it hasn’t had for a good while: challenge. You can’t bulldoze your way through enemies as you did in the past single-player games. Even an enemy ten levels lower than you can one or two-shot your pokemon if it gets a super-effective hit in. It really forces you to think about what moves you use, using the different styles, and whether should you use a strong style attack if it leaves you vulnerable to the next enemy.
The battle system keeps you on your toes and invigorates pokemon’s tried and true battle system with a sense of urgency that only makes it more exciting. The boss fights, in particular, were an incredible rush, quickly becoming some of the most memorable fights I’ve had in a Pokemon game.
The Region of Hisui
The one major downside of Pokemon Legends: Arceus is that for such as large world, the landscape looks rough. The textures are rather dull, with a lack of vibrancy you’d expect from a big-budget First-party Nintendo title. The water effects, in particular, look like they came straight off the N64.

There are also a lot of pop-in problems, with pokemon in the distance popping out of the aether and choppily hovering over the terrain. Even by the Switch’s standards, it could use some serious improvement.
Pokemon Legends has also thoroughly convinced me that Pokemon truly does need voice acting now. Watching characters flapping their mouths open and shut with no words coming out feels awkward and takes you out of the moment. Having voice acting would go a long way in making the game feel more alive, not to mention better-paced when going through the exposition dumps near the start of the game.
With that being said, I do think the models for the character and pokemon themselves look good. The developers clearly wanted to create a stylized cell-shaded look and for the models, it worked. The pokemon have a lot of expressions and I like that you can throw them out anywhere in the world and see them in scale.

A Legendary Pokemon Game
Pokemon Legends: Acreus is the first step towards a new kind of Pokemon game that many fans have dreamed of. While it has its flaws in presentation, what this game brings to the table only benefits the Pokemon experience.
Catching Pokemon and battling with the updated mechanics bring a new sense of challenge and collecting each Pokemon for the dex feels fun and rewarding. It made me far more invested in Pokemon than I have in years.
I look forward to seeing what Gamefreak does with the ‘Legends” series in the future. With a bit of graphical polish to iron out the kinks, this has the potential to take Pokemon to legendary new heights.
Go to top
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is available for Nintendo Switch.

Pokemon Legends: ArceusPublisher: NintendoDeveloper: GamefreakRelease Date TBCNintendo Switch
Featured in the Sinnoh region, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a new approach to the Pokémon video game series, promised to break new ground for the Pokémon series!

This open-world RPG is coming to Nintendo Switch in early 2022. Showcased in the teaser, there will be a number of iconic monsters including Piplup. There will be a choice of starters including Rowlet, Oshawott, and Cyndaquil.

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The Review

                    Pokemon Legends: Arceus

80%
Score

PROS
 Revamped Battle System is more engaging Catching Pokemon is intense and addicting Greater Level of challenge while still being accessible

CONS
 The graphics were bland and outdated Could have really used some voice actors

Review Breakdown

80%
0%

Tags: GameFreakPokemonPokemon Legends Arceus


Monster Hunters Stories 2 Battle System Revealed

Capcom revealed new information about the Monster Hunter Stories 2 battle system , among other things at today’s Monster Hunter livestream.

During the livestream, they explained that Monster Hunter Stories 2 would have two-character turn-based combat, featuring your main character and their Monstie companion. Fighting enemy monsters, you’ll have to use your understanding of the game’s rock-paper-scissors attacks to win head-to-heads to do big damage.

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Here’s how the attack types work: Speed beats Power, Technical beats Speed, and Power beats Technical.
By predicting your opponent’s attack type and winning a Head-to-Head, you can inflict massive damage as well as greatly fill your Kinship Gauge.
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Just like regular Monster Hunter, you’ll be able to break parts and enrage monsters
Understanding which attack type to use is crucial to succeeding with Monster Hunter Stories 2 ‘s battle system. Monster attacks are not limited to one set pattern only, but may change depending on the situation. If a monster changes form, becomes enraged, or performs certain actions, you will need to adjust which attack type you choose inorder to adapt to their new pattern.
If you and your Monstie use the same attack type and win a Head-to-Head, you can perform a Double Attack. Performing a Double Attack can inflict greater damage and fill your Kinship Gauge even more than if you were to win a solo Head-to-Head. Choosing a Monstie with an advantageous attack type and skill set is key to winning battles, as you will be able to prevent your opponent from attacking you.
The game will also have a Battle Buddies system, letting you bring other characters into your fight to increase your party size to 4. Battle Buddies are entirely CPU controlled, and you’ll have to know each one’s preferred playstyle if you want to take full advantage of having them and their Monsties in your party.
Riding Monsters With Your Friends
They also elaborated more on the game’s multiplayer, which sees you and your friends engaging in co-op quests to get rare monster eggs.

You will need to obtain special in-game Expedition Tickets in order to embark on Co-Op Expedition quests. There are different types of Expedition Tickets, categorized by rarity level. If you use a rare Expedition Ticket, you will be able to obtain harder-to-find eggs.
For Co-Op Slaying Quests, you can join forces with another Rider and take down quest-specific monsters.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin releases on Steam and Nintendo Switch July 9th. You can also read about the PC specs for the game here.

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Tags: CapcomMonster HunterMonster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin


On the Acer Predator League with Andrew Hou, Pan Asia Pacific RO President

With the conclusion of the APAC Predator League 2020/2021 series for Dota 2 and PUBG, we had the opportunity to ask Andrew Hou, Pan Asia Pacific Regional Office President, a few questions with regards to the league. It’s gone online, after its initial postponement, and saw both invited teams and previously qualified teams participating. Let’s get right into it.

WHAT WERE THE DECIDING FACTORS THAT MADE YOU PUSH THROUGH WITH THE PREDATOR LEAGUE THIS YEAR?

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The idea behind hosting the league was knowing how many people, friends, gamers and what have you, still wanted to see it come to fruition. They hoped to have an offline event, but with COVID-19, it was decided to have it online.
HOW HAS COVID-19 CHANGED THE PACE FOR ACER IN THE ESPORTS SPACE BESIDES THE DELAY OF THE PREDATOR LEAGUE?
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The major changes were basically about deciding to host an event online or offline depending on the situation. They held this Predator League online to learn and practice, as COVID-19 will continue to push them to do so. The ability to host online events is also something they should work on learning as well. Depending on how the situation develops regarding the pandemic, they will be ready to work on offline events to bring the fans together.
WHAT IS THE VISION OF THE ACER PREDATOR LEAGUE? LAST YEAR, THERE WAS NEWS ABOUT IT GOING TO EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST. HOW SOON CAN WE EXPECT A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP?
All Hou can share right now is that they will work on hosting a European Predator League in select countries. Should that turn out successful, then they can expand to other countries. A world championship will be an exciting venture for Acer, that’s for sure. For now, they will first gauge the success of the European league, before also having an American one.
Now to see if this will be a LAN event.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE PREDATOR LEAGUE HAS BEEN AN ONLINE-ONLY EVENT. DO YOU FORESEE FUTURE PREDATOR LEAGUE TOURNAMENTS GOING THE SAME ROUTE? DOES ACER SEE A RETURN TO GROUND EVENTS SOON?
When the time is right, Acer will prefer to do offline events to get fans and players to hype together. Should the situation not improve, they will continue the online format.
HOW CAN ACER ENCOURAGE THE BIRTH OF YOUNG ESPORTS TALENTS IN ASIA PACIFIC THROUGH THIS TOURNAMENT?
Three years ago, they decided to establish the Predator League in Asia Pacific due to how gaming is consistent within this society. Acer doesn’t want to a mere hardware provider, they want to contribute to the gaming ecosystem. Besides product development, they will host the Predator League events to give more room for young talent to grow and practice. They already have a campus in countries like the Philippines and Taiwan, sponsored by Predator to help these young talents. There’s also Planet9, a gaming society they’ve established in 2019. A lot more people are able to discuss online, find coaches and such, to give the talent the tools to grow, learn and participate in the industry.
WITH THE PREDATOR LEAGUE 2020/2021, IS ACER CONFIDENT ABOUT THE GROWTH IN ASIA’S MARKET, ESPECIALLY FOR THE GAMING MARKET?
Hou believes so, definitely. Especially for the Predator League, they naturally want to grow the market share. They want to encourage young talent to participate in these opportunities, and as such, are confident the Acer Predator brand will become more popular and gain a better image through the events.
Promotions for products simultaneously went live as the Predator League.
WHAT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES DOES ACER SEE HAPPENING IN THE GAMING INDUSTRY IN 2021, AS A HARDWARE PROVIDER?
The suppliers have experienced a major shortage, but Hou thinks the opportunities are still there for the gaming segment. It’s the supply line that will be an issue, so Acer will be trying out different avenues to resolve the shortage issues.
WHAT IS ACER’S STRATEGY TO CORNER THE GAMING MARKET IN ASIA PACIFIC?
Hou emphasizes that their strategy is not simply to be a hardware provider, as they aim to also sponsor more gaming devices, besides tournaments, game campuses and the aforementioned Planet9 society. Growing the gaming market share means getting Predator to be a strong brand.
IT IS IMPRESSIVE THAT ACER RECORDED REMARKABLE YOY GROWTH IN 2020 DESPITE COVID-19. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE FACTORS BEHIND THE GROWTH?
The answer is easy, Hou replies, boiling it down to the climate of learning and working from home. People discover that their laptops can’t keep up with their new workload, and as such, the opportunities come flowing it. The shortage has also driven the demand, Hou revealing double or triple the demand, finding the high demand almost unbelievable.
CAN WE EXPECT MORE PREDATOR LEAGUES MOVING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY WITH MOST BEING FORCED TO STAY AT HOME?
They will still work on hosting different online events, hence the importance of learning how to do so when all their previous events have been offline. Hou tells us to stay tuned for more online events for the tournament, so for enthusiasts, it’s something to look out for.
DO YOU THINK IT’S EASIER TO DO VIRTUAL EVENTS IN TERMS OF LOGISTICS COMPARED TO OFFLINE?
Yes and no, according to Hou. While logistically it is easier to do online events, he feels that tournaments and events require the hype and they will still prefer offline events where they can get the feedback directly. How do you replicate the hype and the cheers in a virtual setting?
ARE THERE PLANS FOR MORE SERIES / TOURNAMENTS FOR WOMEN BESIDES THE ONE YOU ARE DOING IN INDIA?
It will be a topic of discussion, as they originally intended to invite women’s teams to join the actual Predator League events as well. With regards to special leagues for women, Hou does not have an answer for now.

THE ASIAN MARKET IS CONTINUING TO GROW, BUT COVID-19 MEANS MANY COUNTRIES ARE FACING CHALLENGES TO MARKET THEIR PRODUCTS. WHAT SOLUTIONS ARE IN PLACE FOR THIS?
With the difficulty of doing offline events, it also means it’s harder to promote products. They’ve begun from the Acer Global Conference that they’ve also moved online, so they’re planning on online conferences for product promotion. Besides that, there’s the Acer online stores as another platform for promotion. They’ll be looking to get in touch with the end users to further that goal.
HOW DO YOU THINK THE PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED THE ESPORTS INDUSTRY? IN ADDITION, HOW DID IT AFFECT PREDATOR AS A BUSINESS?
The biggest impact is definitely the suspension or postponement of offline events. When the pandemic started lasting longer, they began moving towards online events, like the second half of 2020. The obvious solution has been the online events, of course. Hou believes the impact hasn’t actually been that severe on Predator, as business began going back to normal, the demand has been very strong. The biggest impact is primarily with regards to material shortages.
WHAT’S THE BIGGEST FEEDBACK HAS ACER GOTTEN FROM THEIR GAMING AUDIENCE WITH REGARDS TO ITS LATEST PCS? HOW WILL ACER INCORPORATE INTO FUTURE PRODUCTS?
Users have been asking about more powerful PC and machines, while simultaneously wanting more silent fan noises. As such, Acer products will be aiming to be lighter and thinner. With the help of the Acer Aeroblade Gen 4 for more powerful air flow, it will help reduce the fan noise while keeping the machine cool, which will be the design for future products.

HOW DOES ACER COORDINATE WITH ALL THE REGIONS, ESPECIALLY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ONLINE PREDATOR LEAGUE?
Hou originally envisioned the European league to begin this year, as it will have to depend on the COVID-19 situation. It’ll be their first foray into other regions, so they’ll be cooperating as needed. They will see how it goes.
WHAT IS THE PRIMARY REASON BEHIND THE SUCCESS OF PREVIOUS PREDATOR LEAGUE TOURNAMENTS?
Hou thinks it’s thanks to their work in teaching and coaching young talent that’s contributed to the success of the leagues. With them giving the stage to young talents to join, they can also associate the Predator brand with gaming. He also believes they’ve caught the right timing in the Southeast Asian region, when PC gaming was not quite as popular as it was in Europe or America.
Intel has established their Intel Extreme Masters tournaments, but most of them are concentrated in the American and European regions. There was a gap in SEA, where no brand company or events were being held. Acer also has their Predator League Campus Cup in Taiwan, with progress being made in the Philippines and Thailand, further opening more spaces for young talent to get the experience.

The editor personally would love more LAN events to be the norm again, because really, all the Bits and Cheers and Superchats can’t come close to filling up an entire stadium of sweaty nerds screaming for their favourite teams, does it?
Thanks to Andrew Hou for providing his insight!

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Tags: AcerAcer Predator LeagueAndrew Hou


Kill a giant while drinking boba tea in Cuisineer a Singaporean Indie Game Coming to Steam

At the January Big Indie Pitch for PC and console games, Singapore-based studio BattleBrew Productions has won first place with their new roguelike, Cuisineer.

The game will be coming out soon to Steam, and you can add it to your wishlist.

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Players take control of Pom who from exploring randomly generated dungeons to slaying giants, needs to explore the vast world of Cuisineer to gather the resources needed to save her debt-ridden family restaurant.

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Cuisineer is a very unique game. It combines a rogue-lite dungeon crawler with a restaurant simulator and everything is a cute anime-style world. What makes it even better is that the gameplay doesn’t end there.
When you return to the restaurant after a long day of dungeon crawling, you now have to use the resources you gathered to cook dishes, create new recipes for menus, make sure customers are happy, as well as protect the integrity of the restaurant from rivals.

One interesting part is that the food in this game is based on Southeast Asian dishes including laksa and boba tea. Hopefully, the developer can add Malaysian dishes to the game too!
Key features (according to Steam):

Procedurally generated levels – no playthrough is the same!
Different types of enemies, chambers, and bosses will be on your way
Multiple unique dungeon biomes – lush forests, volcanoes, caves with caves, and graves of death
Run your own restaurant – fast diner action; cook riotously and deliver the right dishes to the right customers
Over 100 delicious recipes to discover and cook
Customizable Weapon/Gear System- Unlock Salty, Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Umami, Frosty and Toasty powers as you mix and match different effects to beat the competition!
Bubble Tea Potion – Drink on the go!

Minimum specifications for PC :

OS: Windows 10
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10750H @ 2.60GHz
Memory: 4GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 10 GB of available space
Sound Card: PT2001 (NVIDIA High Definition Audio)

If you’re interested in simulator games, RPG adventures, or cute cooking games, Cuisineer is a game you should try when it comes out on Steam.

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Tags: BattleBrew ProductionsCuisineerSteam


Memento Mori, a mysterious mobile RPG, opens pre-registrations

Memento Mori is a new mobile RPG from Japan-based developer, Bank of Innovation. Pre-registrations are open for the title, even though there’s not much revealed about the game, if at all. One of the character songs can be listened to below:

What’s interesting is that Memento Mori has an English version of their website up and running, which you can check out here. The pre-registration page is likewise also available in English, listing the rewards available at various milestones:

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10,000: 100 Total Diamonds
30,000: 300 Total Diamonds
50,000: 500 Total Diamonds
100,000: 1000 Total Diamonds
150,000: 1500 Total Diamonds, SR [ The Witch of mourning Flowers ] Natasha

The 10,000 mark has currently been reached. You can add to that number by following their Twitter, subscribing to their Youtube channel, or following them on LINE. Unlike their website, their other social channels are not available in English at time of writing.
The website lists the Japanese voice cast, including:
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Kano
kurokumo
96NEKO
Koresawa
Zakuro
Haruka Shimotsuki
ChouCho
Ayaka Hirahara
Rei(from TUYU)

… while stating that “Voices can be changed from English to Japanese in the game’s settings.”. Already, this looks to be a massive undertaking, presumably with a simultaneous release planned in the future.

With a tagline, All roads lead to our “Goodbye.”, the story features witches; girls who possess some extraordinary powers, who are hunted and persecuted. Nonetheless, these girls set forth to liberate the land from darkness. With no release window, keep an eye out for more news.

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Tags: Bank of InnovationMemento Mori


Diablo IV Blog Post Talks New Features And Loot

Not content to simply continue Diablo 3, the upcoming Diablo IV is planning a bold rework of the game’s systems. In a Developer blog post, Blizzard outlined some of the ways they’re reworking the game. David Kim, the game’s Lead Systems Designer, helped explain the in and outs the team was working on.

Skill Trees To Pay Bill Trees
The biggest change coming to Diablo IV would be its revamping of the game’s skill system. According to Kim, they want to create a system completely different to Diablo 3, and add more depth. They even conceptualized the new skill tree with an actual tree.

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“We’ve been reading through a lot of the comments from the community and agree that the Talent system needs more depth. Similarly, Skill system progression felt too simple, which created issues where a player would have no meaningful reason to spend their skill points. With this valuable feedback in mind, we’ve have been iterating on a new Skill System”, he says.
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The new skill tree would have upgrade nodes, which allow you to invest Skill Points. These will unlock new skills, as well as functionality for existing skills. However, along these node paths you’ll also find passive points. These will get you Passive Points, which you can use to upgrade your passive skills. These are more general upgrades for your character.
Diablo IV is also working to make your class a more meaningful choice. With the new installment, the team is adding unique mechanics for every class. Previously they discussed the Barbarian’s Arsenal system. This allowed them to switch weapons on the fly, and carry up to four of them at a time.
“The main goal for us here is to have very unique class-specific mechanics in Diablo IV. We have this goal because Diablo is the kind of game where many players try out different builds or classes, especially during seasonal play. We believe that unique class mechanics with very different strengths and playstyles compared to other classes will make exploring the different classes—and playing the game—much more fun” Kim says.

Now, they’ve revealed the second unique class mechanic. Sorceresses will have a new Enchantment system, that allows for more diverse builds.
Here’s how it works: The Sorceress skills can have two possible effects. One effect applies if its equipped as an Active skill. Alternatively, the skills can be equipped as enchantments, where they provide secondary effects to your Active Skills.

Angelic, Demonic and Ancestral Power
One of the big changes coming to the game would be in the form of the Ancestral, Demonic and Angelic powers. Previous builds of the game would reward building your armor set around these scores. The reward was what Kim refers to as “minor stat bonuses”. However, according to Kim the result was a misbalanced ratio of effort to reward.
According to Kim, they’re not quite done with the core concept of the system. “One thing we really liked about the system was the gameplay of managing stats in meaningful ways to hit certain bonus thresholds that then make your items better suited for the playstyle you are going for. We need some more time for iteration/rework here and look forward to sharing more on itemization in our next quarterly blog”, he says.

Of Legendary Loot
One of the most important parts of a loot-based game is its Legendary items. The value of a looter’s legendary items greatly affects its endgame, after all.
Kim says one of Diablo 3’s shortcomings was the game’s overdependence on Legendary items. Rather than have builds depend on your gear, Kim wants players to have more choice in their type of builds. “We plan to put more of the player’s power back into the character to make build choices more impactful, rather than have the majority of player power coming from the items they have equipped”, he says. “That said, it’s important that we strike the right balance so that itemization choices always feel meaningful”.
They’re also looking into how to address the differences between the game’s different tiers of rarity. They didn’t go into much detail here, but Kim says they’re responding to a lot of “mixed feedback” on how to handle it.
Speaking of endgame, Kim says there are some big ideas in the pipeline for the game’s own endgame system. Rather than simply use the Paragon Points from Diablo 3, he wants to work with something new, although details are scarce for now.

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Tags: Activision BlizzardBlizzardDiablo 4


Badlanders open beta test goes live

NetEase Games’ competitive survival looter shooter for the Android and iOS platforms Badlanders is starting its open beta test today in many countries. Stepped up from the CBT, OBT will unlock new female characters with options of customization. Moreover, in-game Halloween activities will be coming to the world of Badlanders.

Since the opening of pre-registration on the 30th of September, Badlanders has reached over 5 million milestone worldwide. Starting from today, all players are able to log-in to the server between October 23rd and October 30th to claim their exclusive benefits, so be sure to get your rewards for some early start advantage upon starting the game.

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All 4 tiers of benefits have been unlocked:

500 K Pre-Reg: Combat Pack (AK + three-level Armour) in Helmet (AK & LV. 3 Helmet)
1 Million Pre-Reg: Scope Pack set
3 Million Pre-Reg: 8888 in-game Cash & Exclusive Avatar: Warriors Assemble
5 Million Pre-Reg: Reaper T-shirt

Badlanders is a survival looter shooter mobile that allows players to collect and customize in-game items. The highlight of the main game mode is that players are able to self-build weapons according their favor and are free to trade loots they gathered from the battlefield. Be sure to follow Badlanders on social media and stay tuned for further updates of the game in your region.
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Tags: ActionAndroidBadlandersiOS


&0 / and zero: coly announces “detective” and “romance” game for Spring 2022

coly has announced a new mobile game, &0 – pronounced and zero – to be launching in Spring 2022. Much like the company’s previous games such as Stand My Heroes and Mahoutsukai no Yakusoku, &0 / and zero will also be targetting the female demographic.

Dubbed a “detective and romance simulation” game, you’ll be playing a heroine who has lost her memory, along the way meeting detectives whose pasts you can gradually unravel and learn about, for a “once in a lifetime” encounter. Presumably this is firmly in the otome game genre rather than the “general” joseimuke umbrella considering the focus on romance.

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As there’s no trailer or much information at time of writing, how the gameplay will work out is anyone’s guess. See Tears of Themis, with a somewhat similar premise (law firm and non-amnesiac-to-start heroine with four potential love interests). The scenario writers behind Stand My Heroes and Ikemen Sengoku are named as part of the project, so if you’ve enjoyed either of those works before, then do look forward to the release, which is presumably Japan only for now.
You can check out their official website and Twitter for relevant updates as they come. It will be a free to play title with the regular in app purchases.
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Tags: &0And ZeroColy


Call of Duty Won’t Be Xbox Exclusive, Says Phil Spencer

Phil Spencer spoke out today to qualm fears that Call of Duty would be Xbox Exclusive following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

In a tweet today, the Head of Xbox put to rest the fears that this year’s Call of Duty wouldn’t release on PlayStation, instead only releasing on Xbox and maybe PC.

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“Had good calls this week with leaders at Sony”, Spencer said. “I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship“.
This follows what could only have been pressure from fans, since it seems like SIE representatives themselves didn’t know if Microsoft would continue to honor prior commitments to release the games on PlayStation.
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“We expect that Microsoft will abide by contractual agreements and continue to ensure Activision games are multiplatform”, an SIE representative told the Wall Street Journal.
Fears of Xbox exclusivity follow all of Microsoft’s acquisitions, after the company purchased Bethesda and word got around that the next Elder Scrolls title would no longer be coming to the PlayStation consoles.
Call of Duty has always enjoyed some level of preferential treatment on PlayStation, with SIE’s consoles often getting exclusive betas and other bonuses for playing there.
Why Call of Duty May Not Be Xbox Exclusive

While maybe 10 years ago, buying up your competition and making them 100% exclusive would have made sense, the existence of Xbox Game Pass changes that up.
Some people, like IGN’s John Davison, believe that the exclusivity doesn’t matter- as long as they can get Call of Duty on GamePass, people will want to pay for it there rather than buy the game full price.
” If you’re playing Call of Duty on a PC or a smart TV or a PlayStation, it ultimately doesn’t matter to Microsoft as long as you’re paying it monthly for the privilege, as 25 million of us already are”, he says.

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Tags: Call of DutyXbox


Onmyoji: The Card Game launches in Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia

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Netease Games’ card game spin off for Onmyoji, imaginatively titled as Onmyoji: The Card Game, launches today in Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia. An overview of the game is as follows:

Onmyoji: The Card Game, a spinoff of Onmyoji, is a duel card mobile game. Hundreds of top painters and voice actors joined forces with the development team to create a paradise of Yokai.

Step into Shinkiro, the mysterious tower ship city, and explore the promised land of Yokai. Here you will have a taste of the Hyakubun—a card game that got the Yokai into a frenzy.
Beautiful Japanese style artwork
Onmyoji: The Card Game inherits the aesthetic style from Onmyoji, with an exquisite Japanese fantasy style for the card drawings and scene design. Board the sky cruise now and explore fairyland of Yokai. An amazing audiovisual experience is waiting for you!
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Thrilling strategic card duel
You may choose 4 Shikigami for your duel, each can bring 8 exclusive cards. Build your deck with strategy and fight it out in the combat zone. A fast takedown with an aggression deck or a dazzling OTK with a Combo deck? It’s your choice.
Shikigami with personality jumping out of the card
The art team crafted hundreds of cards with exquisite original artwork. And with the live2D technology, the lifelike appearance and unique story of each Yokai are brought to life. Choose the Shikigami you like, become friends with them, and join the battle!
Interesting storyline
On the giant tower ship, Shinkiro, interesting Yokai stories are being told. Win more duels to unlock storyline. Listen to the tales of Shikigami’s life and find out the hidden sides of them.
Run your own shop in Shotengai
The Shotengai system allows you to open up a traditional Japanese style shop. As the owner, you may decorate it to your liking and draw in Shikigami patrons for same extra earnings!

To celebrate the launch, there are activities for players to get right into:

Launch Rally Bonus

Bonuses will be given to all players unlocked according to the rally milestone

20,000: 6666x Gold
100,000: 10x Myth Scroll
250,000: 15x Jikikaeru Ticket
400,000: 200x Talisman
600,000: Joyful Gathering title

Seven Day Sign-in Daily Rewards

Get rewards everyday for the first 7 days including Card Packs, an exclusive Evolved: Shuten Doji card, a random SSR and the Gather Together special card back

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Onmyoji: The Card GameDeveloper: NeteaseRelease Date: 2019-12-09Android, iOS
Onmyoji: The Card Game, a spinoff of Onmyoji, is a duel card mobile game. Hundreds of top painters and voice actors joined forces with the development team to create a paradise of Yokai.

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Tags: NetEaseNetEase GamesOnmyojiOnmyoji: The Card Game


Digimon Ghost Game release date and cast revealed

Earlier today, the release date of Digimon Ghost Game was revealed alongside some of the voice cast and staff who will work on the anime. Previously revealed to be a fall 2021 release, Digimon Ghost Game has a release date of October 3, 2021.

A new key visual is also revealed which looks a lot more stunning compared to the previous one. The three main characters and their Digimon can be seen below, with what appears to be an unknown Digimon ominously lurking behind them.

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Together with the key visual, some of the voice cast for the characters were also revealed. They are:
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Hiro Amanokawa voiced by Mutsumi Tamura
Gammamon voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro
Ruri Tsukiyono voiced by Yu Kobayashi
Angoramon voiced by Kazuya Nakai
Seijiro Higashimitarai voiced by Kira Ishida
Jellymon voiced by Yuu Shimamura

Additionally, some of the main staff were also revealed. Kimitoshi Chioka, the series director for Dragon Ball Super and GeGeGe no Kitaro, will be helming the anime as the director. Character designers are Tenya Yabuno while the Digimon were designed by Kenji Watanabe.
More details will arrive in the near future. To stay updated with new developments and all things Digimon-related, be sure to follow the official Japanese Digimon Twitter account.

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Tags: BandaiDigimonDigimon Ghost GameToei


Arknights Global confirmed for 16 January launch

Arknights Global is finally confirmed for a 16 January 2020 launch! The game’s closed beta test concluded 3 January, with an open beta supposedly coming soon, but it looks like it’s going straight to release. The date was given in the game’s official animation trailer, that you can see below!

Additionally, the Arknights Global Twitter also announced that the game reached 1,000,000 pre-registrations across the English, Japanese and Korean servers! Additional rewards have been unlocked, such as:

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Operator Exchange Voucher
New Operators’ Resource Pack

LMD x 2000, Drill Battle Record x 10, Skill Summary – 1 x 5

Beginner’s Supply

Orundum x 3800

This is on top of the previously achieved pre-registration milestones which include rewards such as:
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10,000: Lungmen Dollar x 29,997
20,000: Headhunting Permit x 3
30,000: Recruitment Permit x 9
50,000: Expedited Plan x 15
70,000: Limited Operator, Savage
100,000: Originite Prime x 8, Commemorative Furniture x 1

For those unaware about the game, Arknights is dubbed a tower defense game developed by Hypergryph. Your player character is called “Doctor”, and you control units called Operators. They naturally have their various roles and you place them on a grid in battle.
We’ll see you other Doctors once the Arknights Global servers launch! It will be officially available in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and European countries.
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Arknights GlobalPublisher: Yostar IncDeveloper: HypergryphRelease Date: 2020-01-16Android, iOS
Take on the role of a key member of Rhodes Island, a pharmaceutical company that fights both a deadly infection and the unrest it leaves in its wake. Together with your leader Amiya, you’ll recruit Operators, train them, then assign them to various operations to protect the innocent and resist those who would thrust the world into turmoil.

Your tactics will determine the future of Rhodes Island. Fight for the Dawn!

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Tags: ArknightsArknights GlobalHypergryphYostar


Ufotable Found Guilty of Tax Evasion, Founder Jailed and Studio Fined

Hiraki Kondo, the founder of Japanese Anime Studio Ufotable, has been found guilty of tax evasion and sentenced to 20 months in prison.

Ufotable, who are known for their work on popular anime series like Demon Slayer, Fate/Stay Night, and The Gardens of Sinners has also received a fine of ¥30 million (roughly $264,000USD / 1,114,572MYR).

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The court ruling states that Kondo hid the company’s income for three years starting in August 2018. Kondo evaded around  ¥109.3 million ($963 million USD). The company has already paid back ¥139 million in taxes.
In response to the verdict, Ufotable has also given a public apology for the company’s actions in tax evasion:
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“Our company and our representative have been convicted of a case of violation of the Corporation Tax Act. We sincerely apologize for the concern and inconvenience caused to the fans and other related parties who support our work.
Taking this opportunity, we will comply with laws and regulations and make further efforts to improve the environment for sustainable and better production.”
Ufotable is well known for the high production quality of its anime series. They were founded in 2000 and have since worked on a number of series with their movie Demon Slayer: Mugen Train becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time in Japan and the highest-grossing opening for a foreign film in the United States.
They have recently begun airing the second season of Demon Slayer.

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Tags: Demon SlayerFate/Stay NightType-Moonufotable


Punishing Gray Raven pre-registrations open for global release

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Company of Heroes 3 Review – A Company That Really Scratches That RTS Itch

Company of Heroes 3 tells the tale of war between the British and German from the lenses of World War II and from our review of the game, we get to relive the gruesome history of this war by playing through the two story mode campaigns, viewing the war from both sides.

The British story mode centers around the British forces in North Africa and Italy. Meanwhile, the German story mode features the German forces fighting off the Brits and other allied forces on the Eastern and Western fronts.

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Storming the Front
In one of the single-player campaign mode, players take on the role of the Allied Supreme Commander on the Italian front, leading the three branches of the armed forces to the frontlines. Offering different objectives and challenges, each campaign will have players adopt varying strategies to complete tasks.
Company of Heroes 3 innovates the esteemed real-time strategy (RTS) gameplay with a turn-based grand map twist. Most of the battles that occur on the grand map can be played out automatically, while remaining key battles are presented in RTS format and are triggered when the player chooses to engage in combat manually, or when attacking important areas.
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With the grand maps, players will need to pay close attention to the resource settings, where producing troops and mobilising forces will require the use of rear supply or plundered resources from the front. Strategies of the grand map can have favourable or unfavourable impact on key battles in certain areas. Players need to have a certain level of planning to ensure that the liberation of Italy’s objectives are achieved with minimal casualties in the shortest amount of time.
During this time, players will also need to take the three Allied leaders into consideration. They are mainly composed of British and American troops, each with their own personality and ideals. You have the reckless American generals and the headstrong British generals who tend to have conflicts when formulating strategies.
However, by completing sub-tasks formulated by these three factions, players can increase their loyalty with these forces and fully utilise their bonus abilities. The American military focuses on air forces, the British values their Naval and supply lines, while the local Guerrillas provide valuable intelligence support.
Meanwhile, the other campaign featuring the Axis forces comprising of Germans and Italians called Deutsches Afrika Korps (DAK) in North Africa. The DAK focuses mobility and rapid assault, offering players with fast tanks, infantry, and artillery.
Players can also choose to team up or compete with other players in the multiplayer game mode. Multiplayer includes various of gameplay modes such as resource competition, team confrontation, and free combat.
Calvary’s Here
The new dynamic battlefield in this title is one of the biggest changes in the Company of Heroes franchise. This new feature makes the battlefield environment feel more realistic and adds a layer of authenticity. An example being when player’s troops move through a forest, trees and bushes will fall down around them, even leaving marks after battle.
Another features that’s been added into the game is now each unit has their own health and status bar where player can check during combat. Troops in combat are also now affected by their surrounding environment like weather and terrain, adding more depth and strategy to the gameplay loop.
One key mechanic that’s introduced to Company of Heroes 3 is adding emphasis on verticality and having players pay more attention to the positioning of their troops. The high ground would be more advantageous than a well-built cover, as shooting from a higher position can bypass the cover of low-lying enemies.
The list of new mechanics doesn’t stop there. House have always been difficult to attack, as players would need to have special equipment such as flamethrowers and explores to breach through buildings. In this game however, most of the infantry unit specialising in close and medium ranged combat have their own unique ability to breach buildings, allowing them to clear out enemy occupied houses with ease.
Armour units in this game have side armour where damage is calculated separately based on armour thickness and damage resistance, which opens more possibilities for armoured assaults and counter-attacks. When a vehicle’s health bar reaches zero, it may not be completely destroyed can still be useful since they can be used as cover for infantry units. It’s also more economically wise to use repair trucks to fully repair their damaged vehicles rather than spending more resources to build up a new one.
Speaking of economy, my one small complaint with this game is how much emphasis they put into resource management in certain scenarios. With how your resources are limited at the beginning of the game, it’s advised to withdraw injured soldiers back to the base rather than training up new troops since its cost heavy to do so. While this adds realism to the game, it also slows down the overall pace of the game.
Which means that players who prefer more fast-paced combat in their strategy games might find Company of Heroes 3 to not be their cup of tea. But for players who like realistic combat would definitely find the game enjoyable.
Got Your Six
The Real-Time Strategy games tends to scare away players who are unfamiliar with the genre since players need to pay attention to so many aspects. There’s a certain learning curve for newcomers to familiarize themselves with, which can take a bit of time. However, Company of Heroes 3 does their best in including some user-friendly features to help ease new players into the game.
One of which is that constructing buildings are now automatic and no longer requires engineers. The process of replenishing troops in the rear after withdrawing the front-line forces is now an optional automatic option. This helps eliminate the tedious step of having the players replenish your units one by one and reduces the amount of operations.
Company of Heroes 3 also provides a beginner mode and a strategic guide to help newcomers gradually learn the strategies of the game. In beginner mode, players can familiarise themselves with the basic operations and rules of the game without needing to worry about any advanced challenges. While the strategic guide allow players to learn about the many different types of troops and units in the game along with their strengths and weaknesses.
Large Scale Assault
Visually, Company of Heroes 3 looks outright stunning, and does an amazing job presenting a realistic atmosphere set in WWII. The overall scenery and character designs in the game are finely detailed which in my opinion, would immerse players into the world.
With the inclusion of a variety of different weather effects like rain just makes the game feel more alive. Not only that, the animation in the game along with its special effects are top-notch. Sending your units into combat and seeing the beautiful animations and effects such as flames, flying debris from destroyed buildings and dust effects just puts a smile on my face.
There’s also a lot of attention being put into the sound design, an aspect where a lot of games would tend to glance over. The mechanical traction from tanks traversing the lands, the explosive bursts from infantry weapons and even various environmental sounds are crafted carefully. Different characters and units in the game also have different voices and respective sound effects, which just adds on to the game’s realism.
Verdict
Company of Heroes 3 is an overall enjoyable Real-Time Strategy game. The visuals and sounds design along with its immersive atmosphere adds on to the game’s realism. Combat and gameplay have been greatly improved from previous titles, and the introduction of new mechanics adds depth and strategy to the game.
Although, the game can still be challenging to newcomers and will require players to invest some time to learn and familiarize themselves with the mechanics. However, the game’s readily available beginner mode and strategic guide and help ease the steep learning curve.

All in all, Company of Heroes 3c is an excellent real-time strategy game and it’s definitely a must play for any RTS junkies out there who are looking for their next fix.

                                        Pros

                                        Cons

                                        Realistic graphics and visuals

                                        Steep learning curve for newcomers

                                        Rich Single-player campaign

                                        Slow combat

                                        Tactical depth and strategic gameplay

Company of Heroes 3 was reviewed on PC via Steam.

Company of Heroes 3Publisher: SegaRelease Date: 2023-02-23Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Bigger and better than ever, Company of Heroes 3 combines heart-pounding combat with deeper strategic choices in a stunning Mediterranean theatre of war. In Company of Heroes 3, every battle tells a story...what's yours?

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Tags: Company of Heroes 3Relic EntertainmentReviewSEGA


Cyberpunk 2077 Delayed to 10th December

CD Projekt RED has just announced that Cyberpunk 2077 from its previously announced 19th November release has been delayed to 10th December.

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The announcement was made from the official Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account and the message is as follows:
Hey everyone,
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Today, we’ve decided to move the release date of Cyberpunk 2077 by 21 days. The new release date is December 10.
Most likely, there are many emotions and questions in your heads, so, first and foremost, please accept our humble apologies.
The biggest challenge for us right now is shipping the game on current-gen, next-gen, and PC at the same time, which requires us to prepare and test nine versions of it (Xbox One / X, compatibility on Xbox Series S / X, PlayStation 4 / Pro, compatibility on PlayStation 5, PC, Stadia)… while working from home. Since Cyberpunk 2077 evolved towards almost being a next-gen title somewhere along the way, we need to make sure everything works well and every version runs smoothly. We’re aware it might seem unrealistic when someone says that 21 days can make any difference in such a massive and complex game, but they really do.
Some of you might also be wondering what these words mean in light of us saying we achieved gold master some time ago. Passing certification, or “going gold,” means the game is ready, can be completed, and has all content in it. But it doesn’t mean we stop working on it and raising the quality bar. On the contrary, this is the time where many improvements are being made which will then be distributed via a Day 0 patch. This is the time period we undercalculated.
We feel we have an amazing game on our hands and are willing to make every decision, even the hardest ones, if it ultimately leads to you getting a video game you’ll fall in love with.
Yours,
Adam Badowski and Marcin Iwinski
Tl;Dr CD Projekt RED wants to make sure that Cyberpunk would run smoothly across current and upcoming gen of consoles thus requiring more testing time.

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Tags: CD Projekt RedCyberpunk 2077Delayed


Cinderella/Sorcerer returns to SINoALICE with new Vanguard/Rearguard Grimoires

Cinderella/Sorcerer will be making her return to SINoALICE while players will have another avenue to spend their Twilight Crystals on. Yet another Vanguard and Rearguard Grimoire will be available for players to improve their weapon grids. These new updates will take place after the scheduled maintenance later today at 7.00 am UTC, June 15, 2021.

Cinderella/Sorcerer will be available in the Incarnation of Envy redux encounter event. This time around, the job will be available together with her level 2 arcana. Simply complete the event missions and players will be able to obtain them as clear rewards. Players can also pick up the Nightmare Drizella, the Jealous Serpent in this event.

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While no Twilight Crystals are needed to obtain Cinderella/Sorcerer (thankfully), the same cannot be said to the two new Grimoires coming to SINoALICE.

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Every single exclusive SR weapon in both of these banners are solid. All the Vanguard weapons have Dauntless Courage (II), while the weapons in the Rearguard Grimoire have either Support Boon (II), Recovery Support (II) or Dauntless Courage (II). However, there are no weapons with combo skills and it is advisable to save your Twilight Crystals on the anniversary event and NieR RepliCant redux collab instead.

Finally, for players looking to spend real money in the game, the new 354 Twilight Crystals pack also comes with Upgrade Sword (SR) x7, Upgrade Shield (SR) x7 and Upgrade Tablet (SR) x4.
For all things SINoALICE, follow the game on Twitter.
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SINoALICEPublisher: Square Enix, PokelaboDeveloper: PokelaboRelease Date: 2017-06-06Android, iOS
Fairy tale characters fight to "revive their author". Enter the dark world of SINoALICE as imagined by Yoko Taro (Drakengard, NieR).

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Tags: PokelaboSINoALICESquare Enix


Bomberman and Jetpack Joyride 2 Coming To Apple Arcade This August

Two big-name franchises will be gracing the Apple Arcade with new exclusive new installments this August 2022. Both Amazing Bomberman and Jetpack Joyride 2 will be launching this month.

Alongside these releases two popular App Store games will also be available on the platform.

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Amazing Bomberman (August 5th)
Konami

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Bomberman, an icon of retro action games is coming to Apple Arcade with a brand new title: Amazing Bomberman. Amazing Bomberman is a brand new Bomberman game featuring stunning visuals and fantastic music created exclusively for the game. Players can enjoy thrilling battles on stages that change to the rhythm of the music. Players can have exciting battles through Online Battles or Friend Battles, collect customizable items, and also hone their skills in Practice Mode.
Jetpack Joyride 2 (August 19th)

Halfbrick Studios

Barry Steakfries returns in another frantic adventure. Jetpack Joyride 2 is the squeal to the acclaimed mobile classic that features the jetpack piloting and five o’clock shadow sporting protagonist. With reimagined HD graphics, new animations, new mechanics, and a new way of playing, Barry will once again wreak havoc on the scientists’ mysterious experiments as he jets through their secret laboratories and disrupt their dastardly plans.
My Talking Tom+ (August 12th)

Outfit 7

My Talking Tom+ is the latest entry the Talking Tom virtual pet series. Players adopt a virtual pet, keep him happy and help him explore the world. Players can pet, poke, dress, and even talk to Tom while tending to Tom’s needs and wishes to keep him happy and healthy. Players can also travel the world with Tom and capture memories in a photo album dedicated to Tom’s travels. From repeating everything he hears in his funny voice to his hilarious reactions, Tom entertains all day long.

Love You to Bits+ (August 26th)
Alike Studio

Love You to Bits+ is a charmingly cute, purely visual, puzzle-filled, point-and-click, sci-fi adventure spanning all around the universe. Players follow the journey of Kosmo, a clumsy, rookie space explorer in search of Nova, his robot girlfriend. After a fatal accident, Nova’s pieces are scattered across outer space, so now it’s up to Kosmo to retrieve all of Nova’s bits, rebuild her, and get back together. Explore the strangest worlds and planets, full of fantastic aliens, space-time puzzles, and hidden objects to collect. As they complete levels, players will discover Kosmo and Nova’s heartbreaking love story.
That’s every new game coming to the Apple Arcade this August 2022. With Bomberman and Jetpack Joyride being more well-known names across the gaming industry, you can see how Apple Arcade continues to grow and expand.
Hopefully, we’ll see even more well-known IPs make their way to the Apple Arcade sometime in the near future.

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Tags: Amazing BombermanApple ArcadeJetpack JoyrideJetpack Joyride 2


Bringers of tragedy? – A Brief Q&A with Yoko Taro, Yoshinari Fujimoto and Shogo Maeda on SINoALICE

The global launch of SINoALICE is at last here, after radio silence for much of 2019. It saw a transfer of management from Nexon to original developers Pokelabo, launching a 100 days countdown filled with character introductions, trivia and occasional Q&A from the core members involved in this dark fantasy, fairy tail project. In our more modest Library, we’re playing host to Yoko Taro as the game’s scenario writer, Square Enix’s Yoshinari Fujimoto and Pokelabo’s Shogo Maeda.

We asked these questions via email, with Yoko Taro answering most of them in his Yoko Taro-esque way, so enjoy.

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GamerBraves: What was the most fun thing about twisting fairy tales?
Yoko Taro: It’s work, so it’s not so fun for me… labor is brutal.
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Arguably Yoko Taro is known for his dark tales. Has he tried writing “lighter” stories? What does he think of them?
YT: When working on the first Drakengard, I thought that since Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy are light stories, I wanted to write dark stories to be original, but after NieR, I’m not aware that I’m writing any dark stories. In fact, I think I write lots of light stories. I’m waiting here in my birthday suit so Disney can contact me at any moment.
Yoko Taro. We can only wonder what expression he makes under that mask…
It’s been a few years since the original launch of SINoALICE. What does Yoko Taro think of social games now?
YT: I’m disappointed that there haven’t been any revolutionary inventions since gacha. I’m hoping for a diabolical new system that will rip the money away from mankind… or at least their lifestyles and lives.
What is it like conceptualizing the characters and their stories in this grim world?
YT: Hmm. My own feelings when I write the story… that’s quite hard to describe. If I were to give an example, it’s an experience quite like gingerly stacking potato chips on top of each other on a cat’s back without it noticing.
Did you ever expect the game to grow so large?
Shogo Maeda: Honestly, we didn’t. In early development days, internally we thought the game would be our least successful.
Shogo Maeda, apparently started out unsure of the SINoALICE IP.
Yoshinari Fujimoto: For me, it’s smaller than we thought…
Yoshinari Fujimoto, on the other hand, sounds to have had more confidence.
YT: I didn’t at all. But now that Pokelabo and Square Enix have become so conceited that they’re taking on this impossible global launch, I think that will shrink SINoALICE’s popularity. Then the game would be as small as I had imagined, and operation would end. Nothing lasts forever. Flowers are beautiful because they wilt. Don’t you think so?
The characters have their “Reality” self and their “Library” self. Why lean into this instead of making it full fantasy?
YT: The “Reality” is a fantasy. What kind of world has crazy politicians, wealth gaps, and horrible prejudice? Haha!
While SINoALICE is meant to be seen as a standalone universe, people have been working to find connections to the so-called “Yokoverse”. How far are these stories planned?
YT: Not limited to my own work, I want SINoALICE to connect to many other works. For example, we could go to the world of Disney, ruin everything and come back.
Speaking of Disney and “dark” themes…
What property do you think would make the most interesting collab with SINoALICE?
YT: Oops, I answered that question above. Teehee.
YF: SINoALICE takes around 6 months to prepare for each collaboration. Every single collaboration has that much effort put into it. This includes the NieR: Automata and NieR Replicant collaborations planned right after release. I think players will appreciate that.
The Japanese server has seen a few collaborations, Code Geass being one of them.
SM: For me personally, I think a Disney collaboration would be fun. SINoALICE is a gruesome story, so I don’t think it’ll ever happen though (laughs).
Will Yoko Taro go ahead with the “multiple servers, multiple ending” plan? What does this mean for the game’s story/systems?
YT: Not so much multiple servers multiple endings, but moreso that I want to provide a different ending if operations end at different times. Of course, the last story would be different depending on the ending. Which server would outlive the others… I want you all to enjoy that game.
How about a SINoALICE console game?
YF: For now we aren’t considering it, since the title has been developed with the mobile platform, free-to-play business model, and long-term operation in mind. But these are crazy times, who knows what’ll happen?
If Azur Lane could branch out to consoles, why not?

Besides Yoko Taro being hashtag relatable, it seems curious to see him say he’s writing lighter stories. Clearly, the man is on a completely different plane of existence. The editor has read some of the manga adaptation of the game, and it’s not something one would call “family friendly”.
On the more business side, SINoALICE has branched out into the aforementioned manga medium, and while an anime adaptation is not apparently in the works, it doesn’t sound much of a risk to undertake should it ever be done. Fans have also enjoyed full on orchestral performances of the game’s OST, and a console game could further expand the musical repertoire for everyone to enjoy, besides getting new fans into this “Yokoverse”.
In any case, we’ll see you in the Library.

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Tags: PokelaboShogo MaedaSquare EnixYoko TaroYoshinari Fujimoto


Forged in the Barrens expansion launches 30 March

The date is set for the release of Hearthstone‘s latest expansion, Forged in the Barrens, on 30 March! 135 new cards will be available, with the reveal season well underway. The final card live stream on 22 March, 10AM PDT on Twitch and Youtube will feature RegisKillbin, Community Manager Chris Sierra, and Game Designer Liv Breeden, so don’t miss out.

There’ll also be Theorycrafting Livestreams from 23 March, 9AM PST onwards, with various Hearthstone creators showcasing the new set and their respective contest-winning decks on their personal streaming channels, using at least 10 Forged in the Barrens cards in each deck they play.

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Private pre-release Fireside Gatherings will give everyone a chance to rip open their Forged in the Barrens card packs from the comfort and safety of their own homes before the expansion officially unlocks on 30 March. Private pre-release Fireside Gatherings will take place the weekend before Forged in the Barrens goes live, from 26 March at 10 AM PDT – 29 March at 10 AM PDT.
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In addition to opening your packs early, pre-release will also feature Fireside Brawls that will let you play with new cards!

In the Forged in the Barrens No Cards Barred! Brawl, you’ll be able to construct decks using the cards that you open during the Pre-Release event. There are no restrictions on class or duplicates, so go crazy!
We’ve also got A Recipe for Tenacity, a pre-constructed Brawl that will include new deck recipes from the upcoming set for you to play with. You won’t need to have pre-purchased packs to play this Brawl.

Learn about the new cards here, or the Fireside Gatherings here.

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Tags: Blizzard EntertainmentHearthstone


Final Fantasy Brave Exvius joins force with Star Ocean: Anamnesis!

With the global (English) launch of Star Ocean: Anamnesis recently, we kinda expected to see the characters travel across the vast ocean of stars to join some other JRPGs. Apparently, their first destination is the world of Lapis, as Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is now collaborating with Star Ocean: Anamnesis for a limited time event until 10 August.

During the event period, FFBE players will be able to summon the Star Ocean characters such as Rena, Fayt, Fidel and Roddick. Reimi will be available for players via raid summon too. Other than that, a new raid event where players could battle against Jie Revorse for raid points and rewards is also live.

The limited time event will end on 10 August (00:59 PDT). Don’t miss the chance to get your favourite Star Ocean characters in Final Fantasy Brave Exvius if you are a fan of both!
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Tags: AndroidFinal FantasyFinal Fantasy Brave ExviusiOSMobileStar OceanStar Ocean: anamnesis


[LEVEL Up KL 2020] Larian Studios Talks About “The Larian Way”

David Walgrave, Producer at Larian Studios talked about the “Larian Way” and managing the studio in a way that still reflected its values. He gave this talk as part of the Baldur’s Gate 3: Out with the Old panel at Level Up KL 2020.

He says that while many things in the game’s development can change, it’s important to stick to the studio’s roots. To this end, he espouses “The Larian Way”. According to David, these are Flexibility, Efficiency and No Limitations.

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Be Willing To Change
For flexibility, he says the idea is to be open to the idea of changing the way you do things.
“Change when things don’t work out,” he says. “Change the rules, change the dialogue, until everything works out”.
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He says this is especially important in the game industry, where pipelines can have a big effect on development.
“Do not force the pipeline,” David says. “Adapt your pipeline to fit into your desired dream”.
Larian’s commitment to flexibility shows in its games, too. In Divinity: Original Sin, for example, NPCs can be easily killed regardless of their story significance. He says he had to rethink the studio’s approach to “quests” as a result.
“We don’t think of quests like other people do” he says. “We think of them like situations”. He goes on to say that as such, they had to design these situations in such a way that you have to consider they might not happen, since their NPC could easily be offed.

Efficient As You Go
Of course, to do this, you need to make sure you’re running a tight ship. This is why David says the next step of the Larian Way is efficiency.
“You always have to be on the lookout for the most efficient system” he says.
He talked about this while describing how they would do localization in Baldur’s Gate 3. Under the old architecture used for Divinity: Original Sin, the current pipeline wouldn’t allow for quick changes without costing valuable work time for the rest of the team. Instead, he says Larian opted for a real-time translation system that allowed more flexible working, thus maximizing everyone’s work efficiency.
“I didn’t want to fix the problem by patching it up,” he says. “I wanted to start it from scratch”.
As a result, he says, Larian completely abandoned their old localisation pipeline in favor of the new one.

No Limitations
Finally, the last step of “The Larian Way” is the inability to accept limitations.
“If someone says it cannot be done, we say ‘challenge accepted’ ” he says proudly.
He says this principle was particularly relevant for Divinty: Dragon Commander. The game featured third person flying as a dragon, as well as a complex system of political networking and player choice. Despite the difficulties of developing a game with such free movement, Larian Studios pressed ahead anyways.
Baldur’s Gate 3 recently released on Steam Early Access.

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Tags: David WalgraveLarian StudiosLevel Up KL 2020


Sony unveils INZONE, a new gaming gear brand

INZONE is a new gaming gear brand from Sony for PC gamers, touted to maximize your gaming ability. Should you be able to get the monitors – not presently available in Asia Pacific – they feature high-resolution and high-dynamic range picture, while the headsets include superior sound and 360 Spatial Sound. The brand is meant to offer another level of immersion with your gaming experience. Malaysians can get the gaming headsets for themselves!

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“At Sony, our mission is to be a company that inspires and fulfils your curiosity. As the demand for the gaming market grows, we understand the growing needs and could like to offer our customers new headphones to allow deeper involvement in your world. Whether you are a PC, mobile, console gamer, for first-person shooters, action adventures, listening to music or for your important calls, we have headphones for your every need.”
Yusuke Sawauchi, Head of Marketing, Sony Malaysia
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The INZONE H9 and H7 are a pair of gaming headsets capable of 32 and 40 hours of battery life respectively, while H3 is a wired option. All three models come with a flexible flip-up boom microphone with a mute function. Through the INZONE Hub PC software, you can activate 360 Spatial Sound for Gaming to hear the spatial sound reproduced as intended, further optimizable using the 360 Spatial Sound Personaliser.

The INZONE H9 and H7 feature a unique shape that can reproduce extremely high frequency sounds with high compliance as well as authentic low frequencies. The trio’s ducts in their housing further enable a powerful bass. So that you may enjoy the sounds for longer, the wide, soft headband spreads weight across the head, while the earpads are shaped to optimize contact with the side of your head. Not forgetting the noise cancelling thanks to multiple noise cancelling microphones, Dual Noise Sensor Technology and Ambient Sound Mode.

Both the INZONE H9 and H7 are perfect for PS5 with on-screen indicators and easy adjustments through the console settings with Tempest 3D AudioTech support. As for PC, the Sony INZONE Hub PC software is where you can tweak the settings.
Availability for the headphones are as follows:

INZONE H9: SRP RM1299, early August
INZONE H7: SRP RM1099, now available
INZONE H3: SRP RM439, now available

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Tags: INZONESony


Chaos Masters – English Version Officially Launched In Stores!

Chaos Masters is a game by Smilegate that was first announced back in 2015. The game developed by Neoact finally released a closed beta test in South Korea last year May 2017. The game has been launched in South Korea and now finally the English version is here!

The title was originally a MOBA game for the PC which the developers used characters from the game to turn it into a turn-based RPG for the mobile. Due to the lack of popularity, the developers shutdown the PC version and rebooted it as a mobile game.

As the game is now a turn-based RPG, the game will have players utilize heroes that they collect from the “gacha” system. Players can build a team of 5 heroes to battle against monsters like Yetis, Stone Giants and more. There are also Campaign modes and a real-time PvP mode where players will battle against other players in a strategic battle.
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If you love traditional turn-based RPGs, you can try the game out and download it from your respective stores!

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Tags: AndroidChaos MastersiOSMobileNeoactSmilegateSmilegate Megaport


[TGS 2020] Microsoft Flight Simulator Getting Japan World Update

Microsoft Flight Simulator will be getting its first content update, with the Japan World update. It will drop on 29th of September.

The free update is the first in a series of world updates for the flight simulator. It sees the inclusion of many Japanese landmarks, as well as new landing challenges for players.

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The trailer shows many famous Japanese landmarks, such as Mount Fuji and Tokyo Tower. However, it also shows many other Japanese locations as well.
These include Nagasaki Airport, Tokushima, as well as Itsukushima Shrine.
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Aside from showing the sights, Microsoft did not elaborate on future World Updates.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is available via Xbox Game Pass and Steam.

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Tags: Microsoft Flight SimulatorTGS 2020


Possible PlayStation 5 controller patented by Sony

Sony has just filed a new patent which suggests that we may be looking at potential PlayStation 5 controller. With such little information on Sony’s next generation console made available, this particular piece of news is just but one tiny part of the puzzle that has yet to be solved.

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 LetsGoDigital has discovered a patent for what appears to be a multifunctional controller that looks unlike anything we have seen before. As we have seen what the upcoming DualShock 5 will look like, with it being similar to its predecessors, what we have at hand is something completely new.

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Based on the filing itself, we are looking at a device that is capable of connecting multiple other devices using WiFi and Bluetooth. Among other things you could potentially do, the controller could let you play PC games on your TV or transfer media from device to another, something which the Wii U GamePad had attempted previously. More importantly, it can provide users with context-sensitive information, such as displaying the in-game map on it. The controller also apparently includes things like a fingerprint sensor and heart-rate monitor, making it a rather versatile device.

Now to address the elephant in the room. What’s with the boxy, rectangular design? LetsGoDigital theorises that the patent is just for the technology and does not in any way represent the final look and design. More likely than not, it could be implemented into the DualShock 5 itself or an upgrade of it. There is also the chance that this has nothing to do with the console itself, and it could be technology used for other Sony hardware. With the PlayStation 5 currently scheduled to be released at the end of 2020, expect to hear more about it sooner than later, and perhaps a clarification of what this mysterious controller actually is.

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Tags: PlayStation 5Sony


Hades PS5 Review – By The Gods, An Excellent Game

With Hades charging on to the PS5, we got a pretty good chance to look at one of the most widely-praised games of 2020. The PS5 upgrade doesn’t introduce anything particularly new to Hades- but it doesn’t need to, since it’s pretty much solved all of its problems in Early Access.

You play as Zagreus, the son of Hades, lord of the Dead. Wanting to escape the Underworld and join the rest of the Olympians, Zagreus needs to fight through the ever-changing labyrinth of the Underworld, fighting through every monstrous peril waiting for him.The catch? If he dies, he gets sent back to Hades’ palace, where he’ll have to start again and the chambers shift to a new layout.

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My New Favorite Roguelite
So, Hades solves one of my biggest gripes with the roguelite genre- the weapons. In games like Dead Cells, I’d always whine about dying, losing my weapons and having to start back with something random every time. Hades gives you a fair degree of control over your runs- you choose your weapon at the start of your run, and you can grab an additional keepsake to go with it to give you passive skills. Some of these can even guarantee Boons, which act as the randomized upgrades endemic to Roguelites.
You’ll also be able to see the rewards for each chamber before you start them. This is another huge feature, since a lot of roguelites tend to like throwing you in the deep end, never telling you what the rewards are going to be. With Hades, your time feels really respected, and the challenge comes more from your ability to make informed decisions despite knowing the game is a dice roll, rather than just pitting you against the dice the whole way through.
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It also does one more thing that throws it way over Returnal– a straightforward system to let you carry progress between runs, including an instant respawn. By collecting Darkness, Zagreus can upgrade some abilities permanently. Death Defied is arguably the best of these, and isn’t hard to get within your first few runs if you set your mind to it- it lets you die and then immediately resurrect with a fraction of your health, soothing the pain of losing a “perfect” run by giving you another go.
Some would argue this might cheapen the roguelite experience, but they can stuff it. Roguelites have always been about being more forgiving than the brutally hardcore rogue-likes, which abhor any kind of carryover progress. It still preserves the spirit of the gameplay- but lets players not beat themselves up over stupid mistakes by giving them more tools to maintain good runs, and then die to the parts SuperGiant actually wanted you to die to (Looking at you, Bone Hydra).
Boons

Another thing I really like is the Boon system, which adds modifiers to Zagreus’ tool kit. Each God has certain playstyles associated with them, such as Poseidon being based around knocking enemies back or Ares focus on the Doom status and area-of-effect Blade Rifts. You get to choose from three of them, randomized with the numbers tweaked.
Even if the numbers aren’t great, some of the Gods’ abilities more than make up for it- Athena can infuse your dash with a shield, reflecting projectiles back at enemies. Considering the first boss, Megaera literally goes all Touhou on you, weaponizing your dash becomes a great way to end that fight much quicker.
There’s also the high-risk high-reward Chaos Boons- given by Primordial Chaos, who exists in special chambers. These start off as debuffs- causing enemies to drop bombs and the like. But after completing a pre-set number of chambers, they’ll transform into great boons for Zagreus.
On top of that , your weapon can get upgraded too, by way of Daedalus Hammers. These will drastically change up your moveset, turning weapons like the single-target lance into just beasts as you beat everything down with shotgun-spray and extended range.
Great Characters

Mechanical brilliance aside, a lot of why people stick around with Hades boils down to its great characters. Despite only using single-sprites for most characters, Hades’ cast all exude personality- Just comparing Achilles and Ares, you see do very different personalities despite their poses being so similar.
It’s also helped by the stellar voice acting- the cast of Hades absolutely knocks it out of the park, with every character effortlessly showing off the personalities of the Greek Pantheon.

It’s also got one thing I really appreciate that games who borrow Greek Mythology don’t do enough of- exploring just how mundane Greek myth is. Hades himself isn’t some sadist demon lord, he’s just an overworked recluse who hates his brothers. The Olympians themselves are really just a bunch of ego-driven narcissists, who will give you double-boon rooms then throw tantrums if you choose another God’s boon over theirs. Zeus isn’t some lord of justice, he’s an uncle desperate to seem cool in front of his nephew to spite his brother.
It just makes the whole Greek mythology feel fresh in a way a lot of games just don’t get right. It’s not just that its different- it’s also good. Hades in this game is probably my second favorite interpretation of the lord of the Dead, closely following up Disney’s Hades.
You can also build up bonds with these characters too, by talking to them. You can collect Nectar in the Underworld, offering them to both Olympians as well as characters like Hades’ wife Nyx to get more keepsakes. You’ll also have a codex, which will reveal more about all of these characters for those really smitten by the world Supergiant created.
Slick Combat
When you get down to it, combat in Hades feels great as well. Zagreus moves responsively, dashing and slashing through the Underworld and fighting off the game’s hordes of enemies. His attack ranges are actually pretty large, so you never feel like you need to micromanage his positioning and the like, which is great because it’s easy to get lost in some of the levels where everything starts flying all over the screen.
My only real gripe is one of the enemy gimmicks, which is armor. It doesn’t really do anything interesting with regards to gameplay- all it does is take more hits to kill, and there are some boons which excel at reducing it. It’s kind of boring, and just makes rooms drag on longer than they should if you didn’t luck out and get an armor-stripping boon before you find them.

Additional Roguelite Enhancing Experience
Aside from that, there’s lots more stuff to enhance the roguelite experience. Killing bosses earns you Titan’s Blood, which lets you customize your weapons with different aspects based off of legendary heroes. These alter their movesets slightly, though more permanently than the Daedalus Hammer upgrades. You get Titan’s Blood by killing bosses with weapons for the first time, so it’s a great reason to learn all of Zagreus’ armory, instead of just focusing on a main.
Weapons will also be randomly enhanced before you choose them, granting you extra Darkness if you pick them for your next run. It’s a great way to reward you for changing things up, and creates its own sub-game- making Darkness runs where the objective isn’t to escape, it’s to just farm more darkness.

There’s also items, purchaseable from Charon’s shop. These can be pretty big buffs to your playstyle, with one of them even restoring a charge of Death Defied. You’ll really have to commit to getting them though, since you’ll need to choose chambers that reward you with coins instead of other upgrades.
Finally, you can also renovate the Underworld, adding new chambers like a healing fountain, or chests that give you better rewards for clearing the rooms faster.
Petting The Dog On The PS5

Like I said earlier, the PS5 upgrade isn’t much in the way of Hades. While it does use the Dualsense haptics, it’s only for slight bumps and the like instead of the more elaborate showcase Returnal put on. While the fast loading is appreciated, you never really feel it considering Hades isn’t a particularly visually intensive game.
That being said, there is one important PS5 feature in the game- you can pet Cerberus, the family dog, and the game uses your adaptive triggers to mimic Cerberus’ growling. It’s a total gimmick, but a fun one nontheless.
Closing Thoughts

Suffice to say, Hades is absolutely worth the hype. Considering how great it looks on the PS5 too, its the re-release is definitely something fans of roguelites, good action games or just good games in general should definitely go and check out.
Like all roguelites, it does come with the motivation warning- if watching all your perfect boons go up in flames is a turn-off, then maybe steer clear of the game. But that’s a genre problem, considering the cycle of loss is endemic to roguelites as a whole.
Unlike Returnal you can also save midway during your run, so definitely check out the game when you can since not even sudden onset dinner time will stop you from escaping.

Game reviewed on PS5. Review copy provided by publisher.

HadesPublisher: Private DivisionDeveloper: SuperGiant GamesRelease Date: 2021-08-13Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam, Xbox One
Defy the god of the dead as you hack and slash out of the Underworld in this rogue-like dungeon crawler from the creators of Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre.

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The Review

90%
Score

PROS
 Excellent combat Great Quality of Life features Actually likable characters

CONS
 Armor mechanic is kind of boring

Review Breakdown

Hades
0%

Tags: HadesSUPERGIANT GAMES


Uma Musume adds Eishin Flash to the stable

With a new banner refresh that will last until 30 August 2021, we have the addition of Eishin Flash to the Uma Musume: Pretty Derby lineup.

★3 [Meisterschaft]エイシンフラッシュ（CV：#藤野彩水 さん）が登場！
閃光の末脚で中距離や長距離を差し切る、謹厳実直なウマ娘です！
ガチャで獲得すると今だけ「エイシンフラッシュのピース×90」がおまけで付いてきます！#ウマ娘 #ゲームウマ娘 pic.twitter.com/TRlDDiWXIT

— ウマ娘プロジェクト公式アカウント (@uma_musu) August 20, 2021

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The much sought-after Eishin Flash fulfills the role of betweener for the long and medium distances, and is easily converted to a leader. Her general purpose skillset allows for both styles to be viable, although you will be missing out on the Betweener’s Tricks.

Interestingly enough, her unique character skill will easily proc as either roles, giving you more options to commit whichever you fancy more. That said, the conditions are somewhat strict, as you cannot have bad starts, be tempted during the race and have to be in third place and above. With that in mind, you are not going to want to field Eishin Flash in any of the champions meetings due to how conditional Schwarze Schwert is, limiting her usage to the weekly PVP bouts. That is also not mentioning the training bonuses that are less than ideal, although there are ways to circumvent it regardless.
Uma Musume: Pretty Derby is currently available on Android and iOS for mobile, and DMM Games for the PC.

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Tags: AndroidCygamesiOSSimulationUma Musume: Pretty Derby


Osomatsu San Season 3 Premiering This Week

Cult sitcom anime Osomatsu San is getting a third season, according to Crunchyroll. The streaming service says it will stream the third season in fall of 2020.

Given the episode-to-episode hijinks of the first and second season, it’s really anyone’s guess what it’s going to even be about.

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Osomatsu San is the Seinen sequel to Showa-era cartoon Osomatsu Kun. While Kun followed the adventures of 6 young boys, San has them grow up to be total losers as adults.
The second season, on the other hand, follows the boys after the success of the first season. However, this lasts for about an episode before the status quo is reset.
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Despite its silly premise, the anime has some serious heavyweights working on it, such as Daisuke Ono (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure).
The show will start airing on TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, and TV Aichi on October 12.

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Tags: AnimeOsomatsu San


Eden no Tobira launches in Japan

There’s never too many waifu rich games, as one can say, as Eden no Tobira is the latest of the crop out of Japan to join the waifu gacha-verse for mobile devices, brought to you by Nuverse. The game is a side-scrolling action RPG, utilizing a mix of both 2D sprite art and 3D game models. Its world is a steampunk fantasy one, populated by plenty of playable cute girls to choose from.

The gods once roamed their world, and there was peace. Someday, these gods seemed to have mysteriously departed, and their creations soon set to warring with each other, and the divine beings have yet to return, if at all. Well, for the most part, if you’re just here for the cute girls, then the plot of Eden no Tobira is just an excuse before you head off to collect as many of the girls as you can for your roster.

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There’s a launch giveaway campaign, as usual only relevant for Japanese residents, where you can tweet about your gameplay experience and stand a chance to win Amazon gift cards, a character-emblazoned power bank, and earphones. Pre-registration rewards 1620 diamonds which is stated to be enough for a 10-pull besides Gold, elixirs and an SR card.

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Tags: Eden no TobiraNuverse


Kingston Announces Validation for Server Premier DDR5 4800MT/s Registered DIMMS

Kingston Technology announced that its Server Premier DDR5 4800MT/s Registered DIMMs have been validated on the 4th Intel Xeon Scalable Processor.

Server Premier is Kingston’s industry standard memory solution sold by specification for use in white-box servers. It is platform validated and qualified by leading motherboard/system manufacturers.

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“Validation is always the first step for memory manufacturers to demonstrate the quality and compatibility of their memory solutions. DDR5 delivers the technology to scale in bandwidth and capacity to meet the performance requirements of tomorrow’s data centers.”, says Kingston.

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Server Premier features include:

Locked Bill of Materials (BOM)
Part Change Notifications (PCN) – 90 days
8Q roadmap visibility
Server platform validation
Leading server motherboard manufacturer qualification
Limited Lifetime warranty
Industry-leading service and support

Intel’s 4th Gen Xeon Scalable Processor is their first to support next-generation DDR5 server-class memory and features eight memory channels with their available modules as follow:

                                        Modules

                                        KSM48R40BD4TMM-64HMR

                                        64GB DDR5-4800 ECC Registered DIMM x80 CL40 2Rx4 1.1V

                                        KSM48R40BS4TMM-32HMR

                                        32GB DDR5-4800 ECC Registered DIMM x80 CL40 1Rx4 1.1V

                                        KSM48R40BD8KMM-32HMR

                                        32GB DDR5-4800 ECC Registered DIMM x80 CL40 2Rx8 1.1V

                                        KSM48R40BS8KMM-16HMR

                                        16GB DDR5-4800 ECC Registered DIMM x80 CL40 1Rx8 1.1V

For more information on the Kingston’s new Server Premier, do check out its official website.

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Tags: Kingston