Six Stack: Our Overwatch League Dream Team Heading into Stage 2

Stage 2 of the Overwatch League inaugural season kicks off in a few days and with new meta and a new set of maps to be used, expect the form books to favor some teams and players more, now that eliminations are much more certain. We foresee the rise in picks of several heroes along with different approaches to the strategy as well. If you are interested in our Stage 2 predictions, check it out here.
Today we are going to name our Dream Team heading into Stage 2. These are the players who will light up the scene and kill feeds, as well as make all the difference for their teams. They are the best at their respective positions with the new meta coming in and without further ado, here they are:
DPS: Birdring (Spitfire), Fleta (Dynasty)
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With the demise of Mercy picks, DPS players are more important than ever in Stage 2 as this category return as main decider between the winners from the losers as deaths are (near) permanent and team fights concluded possibly a third of the time taken during Stage 1. The DPS players need to be effective, decisive, as well as consistent week-in, week-out and you can’t come up with a deadlier duo that ticks all of those requirements above with Birdring and Fleta.
We picked Birdring over Saebyeolbe due to his consistency on Tracer and is less prone to go missing in matches. He’s also very adept as Genji whose backline picks is even more valuable now. Meanwhile, Fleta is one of, if not THE most proficient hitscan player in the league at the moment. Insta-kills have greater value now and with such efficient duo spearheading the team, opponents can expect a rough time ahead. It doesn’t hurt also, since both players are capable of swapping to the likes of McCree, Soldier and Pharah when need be.
Backup DPS: Profit (Spitfire)

A very flexible, consistent and reliable DPS who is able to operate equally effective as a pair or when running solo on a flanking mission. Just make sure to tell him whenever the camera is on him.
Tanks: Mano (NYXL), Zunba (Dynasty)
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Surprisingly, one of the harder categories to pick since there are tons of brilliant tank players in the league and the fact that we may be heading into a meaty meta – Quad tank, anyone? – Gamsu, Coolmat, Tobi, xQc, Gesture, Fissure… the list goes on for highly dependable tank players but we only have room for two.
For the main tank, we only had one slot and it was a toss up between NYXL’s Mano and Spitfire’s Gesture. At the end, Mano’s reliability, efficiency in creating space for his teammates and experience pairing up with his counterpart, Zunba earned him a spot in our Dream Team.
As for Zunba, considering how the meta is shifting, we feel that the Zarya meta is returning and there’s no better player on our favorite Russian than the two-time Overwatch World Cup winner. This could also spell a shift in fortunes for Seoul Dynasty who ran out of steam towards the end of Stage 1.
Backup Tank: Gesture (Spitfire)

Ever-reliable and highly disciplined, Gesture is one of those classic, no-nonsense tank players who ensures everyone is well protected. The sort who does his job quietly, probably won’t make the highlights but his mates do, thanks to his overall performance.
Support: Ryujehong (Dynasty), Jjonak (NYXL)
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One hero’s loss is another hero’s gain and that’s exactly what’s happening on the Support side of things. With team fights heading down the frenetic route, supports have a more offensive duty come Stage 2 so can anyone name a more dynamic duo on Support than Jjonak and Ryujehong?
Ryujehong is easily the best Ana player in the world and Jjonak has proven to be even better than Jehong when it comes to playing as the Omnic monk. One can assume that support players will end up racking up significantly more kills in Stage 2 compared to Stage 1 and these two players surely will occupy the top spots as the deadliest support players in the league.
Backup Support: Tobi (Dynasty)

A fair argument can be made for Tobi considering Lucio may get more playtime in Stage 2 but his picks are more situational, and mostly on control maps. Also, how can you discount the Boop God, right?

These six (nine including the backups) players were picked based on their abilities, the current meta shift as well as how they are able to work with and off each other. The core of the team is pretty much the Korean World Cup winning team in Mano, Zunba and Ryujehong – with both Zunba and Ryujehong the only two players ever to have won the tournament twice in a row while the rest of the squad consist of high-tiered players in their respective positions whose hero pool bode well with the ‘meta heroes’.
We reckon that Stage 2 will favor the Korean teams more than it has been in Stage 1, as they are more decisive in their eliminations and tactics, an aspect of the game that Western teams tend to be a few steps back. The drawn-out team fights in Stage 1 puts the Koreans in an unfamiliar position, which also saw the rise in slower, more patient teams – such as Houston Outlaws and Boston Uprising – all who benefitted from it.

We are pretty sure you have your own Dream Team as we head into Stage 2 so feel free to discuss about it and share them in the comments section below.


Octopath Traveler Is The JRPG Trip You Need Despite Its Roadblocks

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Genre: JRPG, Throwback To The 90s
If you’ve been playing a buttload of JRPGs in the early and late 90s, chances are you’ve seen someone at the Kota Raya or old-school Yaohan side game stores pull out those Japanese SNES cartridges or PS1 CD and playing through an obscure Squaresoft title.
They looked like an FF game -from its pixelated art to its prerendered atrociousness, but that was where the similarity ended. Usually, it would be a SaGa game or a Live-A-Live where you had to deal with multiple protagonists and arbitrary level up rules. Their separate plot threads would intertwine towards a bigger plot that dealt with the fate of the world and its political climate.
The Bravely Default team wanted to channel that aspect with their latest JRPG Octopath Traveler for the Nintendo Switch. Only this time they (i) took out the debatable garbage mechanics from the SaGa games and (ii) use a unique 3D/2D art style to make a seemingly retro game look new.
Oh, and random battles are prevalent here. Remember those?
My 30+ hours with the game prove that some spitshine can do wonders in weaponizing JRPG nostalgia for today’s generation. Even if the experiment falters narrative-wise, the rest of the diorama-tailored package is worthy of your time.
Holy Diorama, Batman!

Ever since I saw the preview of this game at last year’s E3, I fell in love with this game’s art style and diorama 16-bit-esque display. And after playing almost all of what this game has offered, I have yet to think of any other title this year that exceeds this style of presentation. Octopath Traveler masterfully uses depth of field effects and a combination of 2D and 3D animation techniques to create a nostalgic-yet-pretty-new look and feel. While the colours may seem muted in the darker areas and in some of the more ancient areas, the overall presentation still makes me want to explore every corner and every town to see what little surprises are in store.

My favourite bit is standing on the cliffside near Ophilia’s homestead just to soak in the digital snowy atmosphere and seeing the winter effects in play. And the many hidden pathways in the Coastland and Highland areas that house treasure boxes.

This, among other set pieces and later dungeons, is all accompanied with arguably one of this generation’s best gaming soundtracks.Â The music by composer Yasunori Nikishi is whimsical, orchestral-savvy, melodic, charming, and mesmerizing at the same time. Not once does it becomes a cheesy anime trope-filled affair (though that is welcome in games like Xenoblade Chronicles 2). Every notation, every verse, every character’s leit motif, and every chorus in the game’s soundtrack is a magical feast for the ears.
All I’m saying is that you should get the entire soundtrack, digital or physical. If you love JRPGs and video game music, it is your god-given right to own this eclectic masterpiece in game scores. Do it now.Â

Not-So-Active Time Battle
Kakuchopurei detailed the battle system on this here guide, but I can do a quick recap. You have four heroes fighting against enemies in turn-based fashion. The kicker here is that you can put enemies in a Break State which stuns them for a whole round. To do this you have to reduce their “defence meter” (the shield icon with the number on the left side of the enemy’s name) by exploiting their weaknesses. Each of them has multiple exploits ranging from specific elemental spells to weapon types.
While you can play the guessing game and waste your SP and time, you can use spells and abilities that reveal enemy weaknesses one turn at a time to turn the tides. You also have spells that hit multiple times and also the Boost system to enhance your attacks. The latter mechanic is important because you can accumulate 1 level of Boost per turn to power up your spells or attack multiple times.
You’ll need to use these mechanics to get through the normal fights and the absurdly tough boss fights. Sure, they have a TON of hit points to whittle down, and if you are careless, they can wipe out your team with just one all-targeting move. But if you pay attention and build up your boosts while hammering their weaknesses, you might get a slew of free uninterrupted turns.

It’s a shame that the regular fights can drag on especially if you want to level up all your eight travelers. Protip: just focus on 4 heroes and finish their stories, then drag their overleveled asses to help out the remaining 4.

Much like Final Fantasy V, Tactics, and the other good FF games, each of the eight heroes have their own specific Jobs which define their class and traits. Cyrus is a Scholar who casts a messload of all-targeting spells while H’aanit can summon and capture beasts to fight for her ala Pokemon. You also have Alfyn the Apothecary who can kinda tank and heal his pals using alchemy (combine two herbs together to help/hinder). Each of these jobs also have passive abilities like Alfyn’s health buff and Cyrus’ Evasive Action that lessens the encounter rate.
Best of all, you can find shrines that can make these eight jobs available for your heroes to dual-class in. So if you think that H’aanit needs that sex worker’s Dancer job for that additional Dark magic and knife attack buff, go for it.
On the overworld, your hero’s specific Jobs have path actions that can help solve puzzles or even acquire secrets & items. Say you want to get a merchant’s Heavy Axe. You can either use Tressa’s Purchase path action or Therion’s Steal path action.
The former is a Noble path action that doesn’t come with any consequence if you have the resources to commit to it. The latter is a Rogue path which comes with its high-risk high-rewards stake. If you fail using your Rogue path action, your town reputation suffers and you can’t talk to the townsfolks to carry on with your quests. You can restore your reputation with some payment of course, but it’s best to level up your heroes so that their path actions have better success rates.

While it’s fun to solve main and side quests by figuring out which path action is the best, it does lead to some interesting conundrums. Narratively-speaking, is it less honourable to beat up a peasant with a Challenge path action or sic your pets onto him via the Provoke path action?

The consequence of using Rogue path actions too aren’t as severe if you don’t mind grinding for money. And in a JRPG like this, there are quite a number of exploits for doing the leveling up/coin up grind especially if you have certain Job passive skills like Tressa’s Eye For Money buff.
Narrative Chopped

Here’s where the bad news start: while each of the eight travelers has a lovely intro and 4 chapters worth of progression that’s interesting if cliched, none of their stories intersect with one another or converge into one big epic conclusion.

Without spoiling anything, everyone’s story arc ends on a separate note. Talk about a disjointed experience.Â

Each individual tale present here is not going to set your world on fire; only half of them are worth a darn. While I really enjoyed Cyrus’ tale, I can’t say the same for sex worker Primrose and her quest for vengeance. But hey, these eight tales are all subjective and I’m sure you have your personal-if-cliched favourites. From Tressa’s championing of capitalism to H’aanit’s search for her master and her narrative’s butchering of Shakespearean English, you can’t deny that they’re all written with care and aplomb.

It’s just a pity that it does not tie up all these threads into one big epic finale of a campaign.Â The only time the party talks and interacts with each other is via the Party Banter option, and that’s just the different party members talking about the current quest they’re in.

I just wish that Acquire & Square Enix did more and flesh this aspect out better. Perhaps free DLC can help solve this a few more months down the line?
Hateful Eight?
I’m not saying that Octopath Traveler is completely perfect. The regular battles can get repetitive over time (just like its decade-old inspirations) and the game doesn’t even have anything close to an overarching narrative that ties everything together.

Compare this to something like the Mass Effect series or the Baldur’s Gate series where the party synergizes and banter during the main and side missions, and you start to see why Square Enix and Acquire should have stepped up in this regard to make everything feel a tad more alive and organic.

But as of right now, what we ended up with is still a pretty damn good JRPG experience that has its own unique presentation, an awesomesauce soundtrack, a quaint approach to overworld puzzles & problem-solving, and satisfying combat. That’s really hard to beat considering that there are only a few JRPG offerings that blend the old-school with the new school thought of game design without coming off as an imitator.
Pros
-Great JRPG combat
-Lovely aesthetics
-God-like soundtrack
-Decent puzzle-solving & sidequest goodness
Cons
-Narrative is hit-or-miss; doesn’t feel organic & cohesive
-Still has some JRPG repetition foibles
Final Rating: 80/100
Note: I’ve written this review for The Last King Podcast too. Do check out our pop culture-shocking show at The Last King’s SoundCloud page.Â


Rockstar Game Testers Are Finally Getting Treated Like Human Beings

Crunch culture. The two words everyone in the video games industry knows all too well and constantly hope that they don’t have to be a part of. Crunch is basically the act of working ungodly hours so that a game can ship on time.
One of the most infamous perpetrators of crunch is none other than Rockstar Games. You’d think that one of the most successful game companies in the world would be able to provide its employees good working hours on top of other benefits but that’s not what game testers at Rockstar Lincoln have been getting.
Late last year, Kotaku’s Jason Schreier published an article that detailed the abusive and unhealthy practices that Rockstar was inflicting on its employees.

The article states that employees were subjected to not weeks but months and even years of crunch where some employees had to work “100-hour weeks“.

Some Rockstar employees have been told that they should feel lucky for being able to work in one of the best game companies in the world. Apparently, that makes up for all the abuse.
In the same article, game testers at Rockstar Lincoln had explained that they were hired on temporary contracts and were treated like robots who existed only to work for Rockstar. Some of the testers explained that they were never paid for the dozens of hours of overtime that they worked.
Fortunately, things are looking up for the testers at Rockstar Lincoln. A new article from Kotaku reports that game testers at the establishment are being converted into full-time employees. The changes were apparently in effect starting from 1 August 2019.

Past rules such as not being allowed to have their phones at their desks have been rescinded and the company is also experimenting with “flex-time” which will allow workers to have a bit of freedom in shifting their assigned work hours.

No doubt all these changes have been made thanks to the efforts of journalists at Kotaku and other outlets who have unraveled the abusive practices happening in Rockstar Games as a whole.
The humour in GTA games have often parodied the strange and unhealthy cultures created by an ultra-capitalistic society. Rockstar has become their own parody.
Perhaps it’s all only a “Okay we did it, happy now?” media move by Rockstar but it’s still an improvement nonetheless. We’ve seen more and more dirt being dug up in recent years concerning how badly video game developers are treated and it’s good to see changes are being made.
If you’re in the mood to watch an informative episode on how bad things in are in the video games industry, you can also check out the latest episode of Hassan Minhaj’s Patriot Act.


Honkai Star Rail Tier List: Launch Version 2023 Guide

Article published on 15 February. Updated for 26 April 2023 to include launch updates.
Much like Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail has gachas in the form of heroes called Trailblazers. And each of them have their strengths and weaknesses.
The good news is that this being a closed beta and still a work-in-progress free-to-play gacha turn-based RPG title, you’re not stuck with many duds for characters. Our tier list goes so far down to B, meaning that even the supposed “terrible” characters are viable for single-player turn-based play.
Here’s our preliminary tier list for now; think of it as a recommendation list rather than gospel truth. Honkai Star Rail is still in closed beta and will be getting more and more gacha characters in the future, so the meta will evolve and change.

S Tier Characters
Himeko

If you’ve playtested Himeko during the story mode, you’ll understand why she’s a big deal. She has a passive that allows her to use follow-up attacks if you exploit enemy weaknesses. Coupled that with her strong Fire attacks and you’re golden.
Seele
Seele makes things dead really fast, and can give herself a speed boost by doing so. That means more turns for her, which equals more attacks. Her Ultimate deals massive damage and gives her a nice buff too; it’s what any character in the Hunt class should strive for.
Bronya
Survivability is pretty important in a turn-based combat RPG system, so Bronya is very useful as a Wind elemental support. She can remove debuffs from the party, buff them up, and even cast an Ultimate that makes your party critical damage-dealing monsters for 2 turns.
Gepard
Do you need a good defender for your party? Gepard’s your man in sustaining and holding the fort. His Ultimate gives everyone a nice shield buff that absorbs damage.
Bailu
The best healer in the game, if you can get her. She gets extra healing bonuses that are beneficial for the party, like her Leap of Marsh Drakon Ultimate and Singing Among Clouds skill.

A Tier Characters

Welt
Welt has good combat skills that slow down enemies, and a gravity-based Ultimate that slows down enemies even further. He’s one of the game’s best debilitator-type classes, debuffing enemies with his attacks every chance he gets.
Blade
Another person who can make things dead fast. Blade can charge up an AoE-attack when taking 5 hits. He dishes it out and can also take it when necessary. Some of his strongest attacks rely on his health.
Herta (Free)
Herta is a 4-star ice elemental character who has a good number of skills that deal good ice damage, with a lovely AoE Ultimate to boot. The best part is you can get her for free by completing the simulation side quest in the Star Rail early in the game.
Asta
Asta has a Speed buff Ultimate that targets your whole party; something that’s sorely needed in a turn-based RPG where getting the most turns matter. Her AoE Skill and other passives aren’t too shabby.
Dan Heng (Default)
Default character #1 is a good Wind elemental damage dealer who specializes in single-target combat. Great against bosses and anything weak to Wind. His stats are pretty good for a base character too.
March The 7th (Default)
This Ice archer is fine and can freeze everyone with her Ultimate. The problem is that once you have better Ice characters in this list, you may sideline her. If your gacha luck gravitates towards other elementals, she’s a keeper in any party that needs Ice and the Freeze ailment.

B Tier Characters

The main character + everyone else
Don’t discount the rest of the cast; they’re wholly unproven since this is a closed beta and everyone’s still figuring out the best characters and party compositions. That said, the main character (Trailblazer) is still fine to play given their AoE attack and powerful bat swings.


Paradox Interactive Announcement Show Launches March 2023

Paradox Interactive will host the Paradox Interactive Announcement Show on 7 March at 1:00AM GMT+8, revealing three new games and four expansions.
The show will include the debut of new games from Harebrained Schemes (Shadowrun Trilogy, Battletech), Colossal Order (City Skylines), and Paradox Tectonic, a new outfit being led by industry veteran Rod Humble.
In addition to the new game announcement, it will also reveal free updates, new expansions, and news related to existing Paradox titles.
In a press release by Paradox Interactive CEO Fredrik Wester:
“Talking directly with our players about our games, sharing their excitement for what’s coming next, comparing how many hours we’ve played—it’s something everyone at Paradox profoundly enjoys. I’m also eager not to have to keep these announcements secret for much longer.”
Presented in partnership with Xbox, the Announcement Show will premiere on Paradox Interactive’s YouTube and Twitch channels.


Destiny 2 Player Sued By Bungie For Harassment & Threats

Bungie is suing a toxic Destiny 2 player in a lawsuit that accuses him of not only violating the game’s license agreement, but also threatening staff at the company.
The lawsuit was filed on 15 July 2022 in the U.S. Western District Court of Washington against Luca Leone. In the lawsuit, Bungie claims that Leone has been banned dozens of times for live streaming Destiny 2 while using cheating software and selling Destiny 2 emblems from stolen accounts.
However, his worst alleged offense was threatening and harrassing the well-being of Bungie’s community manager. Leone allegedly tweeted out a picture of Bungie community manager dmg04’s employee badge on 18 May 2022. The tweet has since been deleted but Kotaku managed to screenshot it, so kudos to them.

Bungie is requesting for US$150,000 in damages, and asking the court to prevent Leone from “harassing, stalking, or otherwise engaging in unwanted or unsolicited contact with Bungie, its employees, or Destiny 2 players”.
Dylan Gafner, the Bungie community manager targeted for harassment by Leone, said in a recent tweet that the kind of conduct alleged in this lawsuit is a problem for the whole industry.
“Cases of harassment against our developers have actively made it harder for us to communicate with the broader community. Many in the comments say they do not condone harassment. I hope they also stand against it when they find that friends or family are engaging in it.”

Cases of harassment against our developers have actively made it harder for us to communicate with the broader community. It has impacted more studios than just ours.
I hope that more folks can stand against this behavior in any community, whether it be gaming related or other.
— dmg04 (@A_dmg04) July 17, 2022

Gafner is right. No matter how much you hate, dislike or disagree with a game, you should never attack, harass or threaten the employees of the company (developer/publisher), be they developers, artists, managers or in any job position. It’s a huge problem as online games and esports usually have many toxic players like these. Let’s hope we can be better people, gamers.


Here’s How To Check If Your PC Can Run Gears 5 This Month

If you’re looking forward to the next Gears of War game, you may want to check this piece of news out.
Developer The Coalition will be launching a “Versus Multiplayer” tech test which will begin on 19 July. The test will give players access to the Arcade (a new Versus mode), Escalation, and King of the Hill game modes on two new multiplayer maps. Also added for this test is a new Bootcamp training mode and a “mini Tour of Duty” that allows players to unlock exclusive Tester Weapon Skins for use in the full game.
The studio said that this technical test allows them to stress test the servers over two focused Test Periods so that the game offers the best possible experience when large volumes of players rush in at launch. To be frank, the game will still break at launch but at least the downtime and damage won’t be severe.
So How Do I Get On Board?
Easy! First: get your own PC. Second, you need to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Game Pass for PC. Alternatively, you can preorder the game from the Windows Store.
Third, make sure it follows the requirements below.
Minimum:

OS: Windows 10 May 2019 Update
CPU: AMD FX-6000 Series or Intel i3 Skylake
GPU: AMD Radeon R9 280 or RX 560, or Nvidia GTX 760 or GTX 1050, 2GB VRAM
RAM: 6GB
HDD: 15GB

Recommended:

OS: Windows 10 May 2019 Update
CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 or Intel i5 Skylake
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 570 or RX 5700, or Nvidia GTX 970 or GTX 1660 Ti, 4GB VRAM
RAM: 8GB
HDD: 15GB

Ideal:

OS: Windows 10 May 2019 Update
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 or Intel i7 Skylake
GPU: AMD Radeon VII or Nvidia GTX 2080, 8GB VRAM
RAM: 8GB
HDD: 15GB SSD

The test itself will run over two weekend sessions. The first from 10pm GMT+8 on 19-21 July, and the next at 10pm GMT+8 on 26-29 July.


New Final Fantasy XVI Trailer Showcases Its Factions & Kingdoms

The rumours were true; Square Enix has unveiled a new story trailer for Final Fantasy XVI showcasing the game’s various factions and kingdoms.
There is also a bit of new gameplay footage at the end of the trailer.
The trailer description reads:
Who shall claim their fading light?
From a single spark, will the land ignite
A new shadow rises to fall upon the Dominants,
painting their destinies black as night.
It has been fifteen hundred years since the fall of our forebears, and Valisthea has been slowly dying ever since. Darkness spreads as day gives way to twilight, the Mothers’ flame now all but a flicker. And as the fringes fade, the people flock to the Mothercrystals.
A statement from producer Naoki Yoshida reads:
“Greetings everyone!
I’m happy to announce that our newest trailer—Ambition—is now live. Rather than focusing on action as we did in our last reveal, this time we wanted to give the world a more in-depth look at Final Fantasy XVI‘s lore and its rich cast of characters—with the Dominants front and center.
The flames of war spread as Valisthea enters an age of twilight. Where will fate lead the Dominants and what future awaits the realm at the end of this bitter conflict? There are still many more questions to be answered, many more truths to be uncovered.
With regards to development, the team has turned the corner and entered the home stretch, and is currently concentrating its efforts on debugging, tweaking, polishing, and optimization. As for promotion, over the next few weeks, myself, main director Hiroshi Takai, creative director Kazutoyo Maehiro, and localization director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox will be taking part in interviews with multiple media outlets from across the globe to bring you even more information, so make sure you keep your eyes out for those out as well!”
A statement from director Hiroshi Takai reads:
“Hello!
Our third trailer is finally here and jam-packed with exciting new information that provides a better picture of how the game’s setting, lore, and characters tie in with our compelling narrative. Hopefully it was worth the wait!
As the game edges closer to completion, the team has turned its full attention to debugging and final adjustments. Now that things are starting to come together, the game is sizing up to be something truly special.
We know you are all hungry to see more, but for now we hope that this little peek into the world of Final Fantasy XVI is enough to keep you both satisfied and (of course) speculating until our next big reveal.”
New Characters
Dion Lesage

Crown prince of the Holy Empire of Sanbreque and leader of its noblest and most feared order of knights—the dragoons. Dion is loved and respected by both his people and his troops, not least for the many times he has turned the tide of battle in their favor. Indeed, songs of the heroism of the warrior prince and his Eikon Bahamut, King of Dragons, are never far from the lips and lutes of Sanbrequois bards. But all is not well in the empire, and the gathering shadows may yet be enough to quell Bahamut’s light…
Barnabas Tharmr

Arriving on the shores of Ash as a landless and titleless wanderer, it was Barnabas’s skill with a blade that won him a kingdom. And though the local beastmen were to rise in revolt against his rule, Barnabas called on the power of his Eikon, Odin, to quell their rebellions nigh single-handedly, bringing the entirety of the eastern continent under the Waloeder banner. Now he has an army and navy that rival any in Valisthea at his disposal, yet still the king is drawn to where the fighting is thickest—riding into battle atop his spectral steed and sundering foes with his fabled black blade, or merely observing the unfolding chaos from the sidelines, a grisly gleam of fascination ever in his eyes.
Final Fantasy XVI is slated to launch for the PS5 as a timed exclusive in summer 2023.
Check out the trailer below:


This Is What Days Gone 2 Could Have Been Like

2019’s Days Gone is probably the black sheep of all the PS4 first-party exclusives. It wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t great either (check out our review here). At this point, we might never receive a proper sequel to the game, but Days Gone director Jeff Ross confirmed that they already had plans for what a Days Gone 2 would have turned out to be.
Speaking with For The Win USA Today, Ross said:
“Yeah, theyâ€™re (Deacon and Sarah) back together, but maybe theyâ€™re not happy. Well, what can we do with that? Okay, we were married before the apocalypse, but what about the future? We would have kept the heavy, strong narrative. We would have kept the bike, obviously. And I think we would have expanded the tone a little bit in a more technical direction, kind of like, â€˜Alright, now we have all this NERO tech â€“ what can we do with it?â€™
The tone would have expanded one ring outward towards some of the new reality. I think this would have been a little bit more â€“ I donâ€™t want to say Avengers, but something where the player had resources, he had some sort of the remnants of whatever the government had.â€
Besides continuing the story of Deacon and Sarah, Ross said that they would also have improved the gameplay, as well as given Deacon the ability to swim. Imagine that, an open-world game protagonist with the inability to swim. According to Ross, this resulted in a whopping 75 percent of players dying by drowning.
Ross continued:
â€œThe swimming thing in Days Gone, itâ€™s the worst,â€ Ross explains. â€œ(Writer and director) John Garvin acquiesced to a certain point and just brought it into the narrative. It gave him an opportunity to have character growth too. I think thatâ€™s why he really liked it. This character can swim but refuses to, and later makes the decision to do it.
Thereâ€™s a screenwriting principle behind all that. But from a gameplay point of view, I hated it. Iâ€™m like, â€˜Alright, weâ€™ll figure this out later.â€™ By the time we circled back around we were probably in the final year when the user testing was coming back, and people were complaining about the water.â€
Sony Bend is now working on a brand new IP, so it’s very unlikely that we’ll see a Days Gone sequel or spinoff in the near future. On the bright side, at least the game is now available for PC via Steam, and it’s arguably a better game on that platform to boot.


The Flash Director Reveals New Suit & Michael Keaton Batman In Concept Art

The DC FanDome The Flash panel took place earlier today, with director Andy Muschietti, Ezra Miller AKA The Flash and writer Christina Hodgson appearing to discuss the upcoming movie, which is slated to premiere in summer 2022.
During the panel, Muschietti unveiled a bunch of concept art for The Flash, including the first look at Barry Allen’s brand new Flash costume and his team-up with the previously-confirmed Michael Keaton’s Batman from the Tim Burton movies.
In addition, they pretty much confirmed that the The Flash movie will be inspired or partly adapted from the Flashpoint comic book arc, which means time-travel elements and the involvement of the DC Multiverse.
Check them out below:


Star Ocean The Divine Force Trailer Reveals D.U.M.A. & Vanguard Assault

Square Enix and tri-Ace have released a new trailer for Star Ocean The Divine Force. The video introduces D.U.M.A., an unusual creation imbued with superior intelligence and self-cognizance, and “Vanguard Assault,” a defining feature of D.U.M.A.
Basically, it’s a gameplay mechanic that allows players to fly and use field scans during battle, as well as other uses in combat and more. Star Ocean The Divine Force is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 27 October 2022 worldwide.
Check out the trailer below:


Here’s Our First Look at The Google Game Controller; Our Palms Are Already Hurting

The gaming console market is a strong market, despite claims that mobile gaming is taking the spotlight. It seems Google wants a piece of that cake too, and the proof is in the pudding when we have our first look at the company’s iteration of a controller ahead of GDC 2019.

According to theÂ company’s latest patent, the controller looks thin and edgy. The controller features almost the same layout as Sony’s Dualshock 4 and this sound like great news for PlayStation players due to its familiar layout. The same cannot be said for Xbox and Nintendo players as the joystick placement is not offset, unlike the Xbox controller and the Switch Pro controller.
Google has also decided to forgo the traditional button icons and instead using colours to differentiate buttons. The buttons are green, red, yellow, and blue buttons where the A, B, X, and Y buttons would reside on a normal Xbox or Nintendo controller.

There are also 4 face buttons which appear to be the controls for the Android functionality.
Keep in mind that these are renders from Yanko Design based on what seems to be the patent for the controller. The patent was filled back in October 2018 and seem to confirm the presence of two shoulder buttons and the form factor of the device.

This controller is part of Google’s Project Stream initiative, a new kind of game streaming initiative to let gamers play high-end games on whatever platform they have via streaming.
Google is set to have its first GDC keynote next week; GDC is slated from 19 to 23 March (GMT+8). So these images appear to be from that event’s promotional materials. The controller looks awkward; I do hope that Google knows what it’s doing.


[Rumour] Leaked MultiVersus Roster Hints At Animaniacs, MK’s Scorpion, & Ted Lasso Joining The Game

Warner Bros. Interactive’s new 2D platform fighting game MultiVersus is making waves in its closed beta state. The game’s roster is set to expand beyond 20 characters if the recent leaks and rumours are true (via Reddit).
Right now, here are the confirmed list of characters you can play in the beta, for your reference:

Batman (DC)
Superman (DC)
Wonder Woman (DC)
Harley Quinn (DC)
Bugs Bunny (Looney Tunes)
Arya Stark (Game of Thrones)
Jake the Dog (Adventure Time)
Finn the Human (Adventure Time)
Steven Universe
Garnet (Steven Universe)
Tom and Jerry
Reindog (New character)
Velma (Scooby Doo)
Shaggy (Scooby Doo)
The Iron Giant
Taz (Looney Tunes)

And here are the alleged characters who will be out for the game post-launch; take this list with a grain of salt since it’s just datamined information that could be switched around behind the scenes, so nothing is finalized or confirmed. The first part of the list are characters who are close to completion and will be sold after the open beta launches.

Joker (DC)
Raven (DC)
Gizmo (Gremlins)
Marvin the Martian (Looney Tunes)
Lebron James (NBA)
Rick (Rick and Morty)
Morty (Rick and Morty)
Scooby-Doo (Scooby-Doo)
Daenerys (Game of Thrones)
The Hound (Game of Thrones)
Wicked Witch (The Wizard of Oz)
Godzilla (Godzilla)

The next batch of characters below are still works-in-progress, but are most likely additions once the game is out of open beta:

Samurai Jack (Samurai Jack)
The Powerpuff Girls; all three of the girls as one fighter (The Powerpuff Girls)
The Animaniacs; all three of them as one fighter (The Animaniacs)
Duck Dodgers/Daffy (Looney Tunes)
Scorpion (Mortal Kombat)
Sub-Zero (Mortal Kombat)
Ben 10 (Ben 10)
Ted Lasso (Ted Lasso). Yes, THAT Ted Lasso played by Jason Sudeikis.

I can’t imagine what Ted Lasso’s moves will be, apart from killing people with kindness and throwing darts. MultiVersus will launch for PC and consoles (Xbox, PlayStation) in open beta form this July.


Final Fantasy 16 Physical Edition Pre-Orders In Malaysia Start On 20th April

Good news, Final Fantasy fans in Southeast Asia! You can pre-order the spiffy-looking physical editions of Final Fantasy 16 later this April.
PlayStation Asia has announced the starting date of the Asia pre-orders for the Final Fantasy 16 physical editions -Standard, Deluxe, Collector’s Edition- which is 20th April onward. Physical pre-order customers will receive a B5 Notebook; these should be available in outlets like Gamer’s Hideout and Impulse Gaming.
To recap, here are the game’s Deluxe and Collector’s Edition. The latter is the version with the Phoenix and Ifrit statue.
Final Fantasy 16 Deluxe Edition

Cloth world map of Valisthea
Special Clive Rosfield steelbook case

Final Fantasy 16 Collector’s Edition

Ifrit statue
Set of 8 pins
Cloth world map of Valisthea
Special Clive Rosfield steelbook case
Blood Sword (digital item)

The game’s digital pre-order is available on the PlayStation Store. Pre-order on PS Store and receive Scholar‘s Spectacles (EXP up Accessory) DLC. Moreover, all pre-orders (both physical and digital) will receive pre-order bonus: Braveheart (Weapon) DLC and Cait Sith Charm (Gil Boost Accessory) DLC. The Digital Deluxe Edition features:

Digital mini art book
Digital mini soundtrack

Final Fantasy 16 will be out for PlayStation 5 on 22 June.


Ori and the Will of the Wisps Has Gone Gold; Features Lovely Collector’s Edition

Itching for a 2D Metroidvania platformer with lush whimsical graphics and a stellar soundtrack? Then you should check out Ori and the Blind Forest, available now for Xbox One and PC. And then look forward to the sequel.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps has recently gone gold according to developer Moon Studios’ tweet, meaning that it’s ready to be shipped on its 11th March release date and will cost you US$30.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps has gone GOLD?! A big congratulations to Moon Studios and the entire team.
Unravel Ori's destiny on March 11th by pre-ordering the gorgeous Collector’s Edition from your favorite retailers! #OritheGamehttps://t.co/0X4k52q5WM pic.twitter.com/AktsXNiMqn
— Ori the Game (@OriTheGame) January 28, 2020

You can either buy the physical/digital version of the game or play it via Xbox Game Pass. And yes, you can also pre-order the rather beautiful-looking Collector’s Edition if you prefer something tangible in your hands and desk.

The Collector’s edition features the game, its piano arrangement and original soundtrack in CD form and MP3 download form, a steelbook, premium packaging, and an art book.
Of course, it would be nice if Xbox starts selling its games locally in Southeast Asia outside of Singapore instead of relying on grey market retailers. For now, you may have to pay a little extra to ship this bad boy to your home.


Capcom Shows Off Street Fighter 6 One-Button Offline Dynamic Controls Mode

Capcom has released a new trailer for Street Fighter 6, showcasing its new Dynamic Control type.
Dynamic Control type is an offline-only mode that lets players execute moves, combos, and all sorts of actions with just one button. The moves that come out will be determined by the distance from your opponent, all calculated by the game’s AI. So if you’re far away, you’ll be chucking Sand Blasters as Luke. If you’re closeby, you’ll do a 5-hit-or-more combo with a knockdown.
This control scheme will join the game’s Classic control type (old school with required manual inputs) and Modern control type (think Super Smash Bros controls for SF). Obviously, this will not fly in high-level tournaments like EVO, but this is great for casual players looking to have fun on a couch with other players. This does remind me of the Capcom vs SNK 2 Easy Operations mode, where all moves are dumbed down for maximum fun among buddies and in a party setting.
Check out the control scheme in action below, though it’ll be more convincing to have a small camera view at the bottom or top of someone’s hand doing the inputs on a joystick or controller.

Street Fighter 6 will be out in 2023 for PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.


Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume No Tojimari Gets New Trailer

Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume No Tojimari has received a new trailer, which shows the male character, Souta Munakata (Hokuto Matsumura) turning into a chair.
Makoto Shinkai is directing the film and writing the screenplay, while Masayoshi Tanaka (Your Name, Weathering With You) is designing the characters. Kenichi Tsuchiya (Your Name, Garden Of Words) is the animation director, while Takumi Tanji (Children Who Chase Lost Voices) is the art director. CoMix Wave Films and Story Inc. are producing the movie. TOHO is distributing the film.
The synopsis reads:
Suzume, a 17-year-old girl who lives in a quiet town in Kyushu , meets Sota, a traveling young man who says, “I’m looking for a door.” After following him, she wanders into the mountain ruins and finds an old door that stands alone. Suzume reaches out to her door as if she is drawn to something, but…
It is said that misfortune will come from the other side of the door, so Sota continues his journey as a “master” who closes the door and locks it. Then suddenly, a mysterious cat, Daijin, appears in front of them.
“I like sparrows”.
“You are a nuisance”.
The moment Daijin begins to speak, Sota is transformed into a chair! It is a small chair with one missing leg that Suzume used when she was young . Suzume hurriedly chases Sota, who runs in the form of a three-legged chair to catch the fleeing Daijin.
Before long, doors began to open one after another in various parts of Japan. Led by a mysterious door and a small cat, Suzume’s “closed-door journey” involves Kyushu, Shikoku, Kansai, and Tokyo, as well as the Japanese archipelago. A forgotten truth awaits the sparrow at the place he arrived at with the help of an encounter he had on his travels.
Shinkai is best known for other anime movies like 5 Centimeters Per Second, Voices Of A Distant Star, The Garden Of Words, Your Name and Weathering With You.
In the meantime, check out my spoiler-free review of Weathering With You here, or head on over here for my spoiler-filled discussion of the movie’s problems. There’s also a live-action adaptation of Weathering With You (sort of), which you can check out here.
Suzume No Tojimari is slated to premiere in Japanese cinemas on 11 November 2022. There’s no news yet on a Malaysian release date.
Check out the new Suzume No Tojimari trailer below:


MythForce Is A New First-Person Roguelike Game With Saturday Morning Cartoon Visuals

During Nintendo Direct June 2023, Aspyr and Beamdog announced MythForce, which is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC sometime in 2023.
Inspired by beloved Saturday morning cartoons, MythForce unites swords & sorcery with gripping 1st-person combat in a new roguelike adventure, featuring four playable character classes to choose from. It can be played either solo or in online multiplayer with up to four players.
Check out the trailer below:


Cyberpunk 2077 Is Enthralling, But Still Needs Time In The Oven

Platforms: Xbox Series (version played), PC (also version played), PS5, Xbox One, PS4
Genre: Computer RPG mimicking Asimov, K. Dick, and Gibson’s depiction of the future
The long-awaited sci-fi video game from Polish publisher/devs CD Projekt, the folks who made The Witcher relevant, is out. For the past few months and even a year or so, people vehemently defend the title, a lot of issues were found from its developers and how the game was being made, and a lot of investigative writers get flak for the mere mention of it.
Throughout my many years reviewing games, I have come across this one constant: no game will ever live up to its hype. Set your expectations too high, and you’ll be burnt while feeling silly for calling that one female reviewer a nasty name on public online spaces just because your viewpoint doesn’t match hers. Set them too low, and there’s a chance you may end up too bitter and side with whoever barks the loudest over a f***ing video game.
Point is, people should know better by now not to get too wrapped up with hype, marketing spiels, and similar company tactics to get you to buy their products and possibly feel buyer’s remorse. That’s how first-party companies sucker you into getting a new fancy console that doesn’t even have that many games on it.
Having said that, does Cyberpunk 2077 live up to the hype? Of course not. Is it fun to play? Yes, although there are caveats. Let’s cyber-dive through them.
I’ve Seen Things…

How does CD Projekt’s big title start off? However you damn well please. Whether you’re a street thug or a corporate worker, you’ll end up the same path: your persona named V gets screwed over and your big lug of a pal Jackie helps you out with gigs to become a beginner mercenary. After a few hours of acclimatizing yourself with the world and after participating in a heist gone wrong, you end up having an AI construct in your head called Johnny Silverhand who looks and sounds like an aviator shades-brandishing Keanu Reeves.
You’ll be taken for a wild ride in corporate behind-the-scenes shenanigans, as well as help out rival faction while solving the AI construct conundrum. Without spoiling anything, the story might seem like it’s focused on Johnny Silverhand’s arc, but I feel that both V and Silverhand play off each other well. Silverhand himself starts off as a butthead, but he grows to become a loveable a**hole because of his choice words and VO work from Theodore “Ted” Logan himself. His backstory of a rocker/terrorist trying to relive his glory days somewhat and make up for his past behavior is done well, especially when you attempt to complete his sidequest arcs.
The other main quest stories and side stuff also makes Cyberpunk 2077 meaty and worth playing narrative-wise. You’ll be helping out an impetuous nomad girl in her quest for revenge (Panam Palmer), sort out braindancing techniques (thing CSI video footage-zooming but with cyberpunk tech) while befriending braindancing expert Judy Alvarez, and help a sentient AI find their rogue taxi cabs consisting of the AI’s psyches. There’s a lot to do here in Night City.
And what a city it is! The future portrayed by Cyberpunk 2077 is pretty crappy. And I do not mean the bugs; we’ll get to that soon. The setting itself, Night City and its badlands outskirts, is a future that is so comfortable in its excesses of vices like drugs, alcohol, and sex, that it made its way into culture and onto the mainstream.
Ads that feature transsexuals, lewd bits, and innuendoes are just all over the place, blending in with its garishly-dressed denizens. Whether they’re Japanese, Chinese, Caucasian, Mexican, or African-American, they are usually kitted with cybernetics and/or terrible futuristic fashion senses. In a way, it’s a harmonized future that revels in its debauchery.
I felt both enamored and uncomfortable just hanging around Night City, whether it’s the Afterlife bar and its seedy underbellies, or its corporate-level buildings and housing estate that could be Singapore’s future. Minus the over-the-top ads and sexy displays, of course.
It also helps that the game is a gorgeous beast on the PC; a staple for the developer’s CRPG and PC roots. Whether you’re playing it in 1080p with an older graphics card or revving it up with an RTX 2080 with raytracing turned on, Night City is really gorgeous-looking.

If you have Facebook friends who plays games on PC, be prepared for an onslaught of humblebrag public posts involving their new graphics cards and Cyberpunk 2077 in max settings running at 60fps. It’s arguably warranted: Cyberpunk 2077’s graphics are meant to be shown off.

The console versions running on next-gen platforms, either the Xbox Series or PS5, aren’t too shabby either. It’s not going to top a high-end rig, but it moves and plays smoothly while looking crisp thanks to the game’s art direction.
Wake Up; Time To Die!

The game truly opens up once the initial 5 to 10 hours has passed. Combat, stealth, and exploration may feel rigid and limited at first, but once you level up your character and sort out your Traits and Perks, you should be able to get into the swing of things as a mercenary. Your mechanical shooting skills do help somewhat, but this game runs like an RPG: stats, buff, and equipment matters. If you have a Unique or Legendary weapon on hand, it’ll help you significantly deal more damage and add more DOTs to the headshots you’ll be landing.
Not only can you gear up your mercenary with weapons and cool clothing (from biker jackets to aviator shades), you can also add cyberware parts to further enhance your passive skills, stats, and even net yourself additional attacks. Need a projectile launcher? Equip that via the nearby ripperdoc so that you can launch grenades from your arms instead of relying on your guns too much. Rather be a stealthy athletic ninja? Equip the double jump cyberware mod so you can do just that.
If Cyberpunk 2077’s gameplay reminds you of 2010’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution, that’s because it does. Minus the nuances and smoothness of that world. That isn’t to say the game is bad, far from it. It’s just that quite a majority of problems can be solved with either front assault castle storming, stealth, or a mix of both. And high-end equipment, can’t forget that important RPG tidbit.
There aren’t that many situations that lets you defuse a situation through diplomacy; you really need to get your guns and katanas ready about 75% of the time. I was expecting a leveled-up Deus Ex experience: instead, I got more of the same, just with less black-and-gold and more violence and floppy magnum dongs.

Still, props to CD Projekt for offering a diverse amount of customizability to cater to your playstyle of choice.

Point is, CD Projekt’s sci-fi depiction isn’t meant to be a utopia at all, unless you’re a closet deviant. It’s stark, it’s garish, it’s messed-up, and it’s a different kind of beauty and immersion. It’s not a huge as a Skyrim or excessively padded like an Assassin’s Creed period piece, but it’s packed with a lot of charisma and flair with a lot of fighting, mercenary work, policing, and driving-around to boot.
Bitch about gender representation and its content all you want: CD Projekt created a world worth talking and criticizing about, and that adds to its value of existing. It’s the worst version of an Asimov world realized, and you feel alive just getting through it and exploring every nook and cranny even if it’ll kill you. Every single yellow question mark on your map is worth checking out just to see how absurd the sidequests can get, be it helping out a guy with a grenade for a nose or finding a drop pod of a rare painting that’s being pursued by military peeps.
It’s a shame that it’s riddled with so many bugs and glitches.
Like Tears In The Rain…

How bad are they, you might ask? It’s pretty embarrassing given that it’s from a high-tier game studio and publisher. Here’s a good chunk of them during my playthrough at launch:

Missing UI which omits my stamina and health.
Dialogue option selection not working; I kept pressing the d-pad and it’s stuck.
My character ending up naked after key scenes that require costume changes.
Audio dialogue overlaps each other, and also popping up over someone speaking. Also, some weird echoes in a few story missions when my character was in the car with an NPC when driving out of the tunnel.
Bystanders walking back and forth like they’re on an obviously scripted path.
A few other combat-related AI issues that make it either too hard or too easy. Standing idly by, shooting through cover; those ol’ chestnuts.
The old “fall through the game world” after jumping on a couple of rooftops & crates in a story mission.

There’s a lot more to list, and they are numerous. Just ask Reddit & Twitter. The less said about the base PS4 and Xbox One versions, the better. Again, this is a hard problem to ignore especially if it affects gameplay by a large margin.

Cyberpunk 2077 is definitely a massive CRPG undertaking. If it weren’t for the glitches and bugs in the way, I’d say CD Projekt has a helluva masterpiece in its hands.

Its combat and gameplay is pretty fun even if it’s a restrictive version of other sci-fi open-ended titles like Deus Ex Human Revolution. Its narrative is a fun ride with multiple endings worth chasing for and investing in. Johnny Silverhand may be the highlight, but other characters like Judy and Panam make the story all the more engrossing and packaged with a bit of heart amidst the sci-fi grime.
But at the end of the day, it wouldn’t mean jack if the game doesn’t screw you over with its technical issues. While the game runs alright on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5, the glitches and game-breaking stuff are still there at this time of writing. We’re sure CD Projekt will be fixing its magnum opus over time, but for now, we’ll have to judge it as it is right now: a fun if messy ride into an effed-up future that might happen.
Pros

Beautiful if dirty depiction of a sci-fi city.
Skills and Perks system is open-ended.
Great main mission and side missions worth partaking in.
Memorable characters like Johnny Silverhand and Panam Palmer.

Cons

An incredibly buggy and glitchy game that will ruin immersion.
Inconsistent AI and damage scaling.
Takes a number of hours to really get started.

Final Score: 70/100
*Disclaimer: feel free to dock 30 points or more if you’re playing the game on a base PS4 and Xbox One console. It runs like garbage on those systems.


GigaBash Is The Highlight Of Level Up KL 2019; Here’s Why

Level Up KL is the biggest gaming convention of its kind in Southeast Asia, showcasing many of the best games in the region. During the year’s iteration, the game that stood out the most was GigaBash by Malaysian developer Passion Republic. Not only was it the biggest winner of the SEA Game Awards 2019, but it also attracted crowds of people to its booth who were eager to try out the game.
GigaBash is an arena brawler featuring four players as giant monsters inspired by classic kaiju battling it out in cities and exotic places around the world.

If youâ€™ve ever played 2003â€™s War Of The Monsters or any of the myriad Godzilla games during the PS2 era, youâ€™ll be familiar with its gameplay mechanics.

Each match is brief, usually only around five minutes long. I had the opportunity to use all four playable monsters (six more will be added at launch, for a roster of ten monsters), including a mecha, an adorable ball of wool (which was the most popular and weirdly enough, most overpowered), a lava monster, and an alien-looking monster with pincers.

There are several arenas or biomes to duke it out in, and the buildings strewn throughout are all destructible. As the battle rages on, players have a Giga Meter that fills up. Once full, their monsters gain the ability to transform into a gigantic, more powerful version for a limited time. Collecting certain orbs while in giant mode will also grant them an explosive and flashy ultimate attack that fills the entire screen.

This game would sincerely make for a great party game for friends and family alike, similar to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It’s fun in short bursts and with more future additions to its roster, might even turn out to be more robust than it looks.

Oh, and unlike the hectic and chaotic Overcooked, GigaBash probably wouldn’t destroy your relationships in the process.
Look out for this game to be one of the most highly-anticipated games to come out of the SEA region in 2020. While it is currently still in development, GigaBash is slated to be released for the PS4 and PC sometime in Q4 2020.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13QjUXCOLcU&w=560&h=315]
In the meantime, you can have a hands-on experience of playing GigaBash today (9 November 2019) and tomorrow (10 November 2019) on the public days of Level Up KL 2019 taking place at KL Convention Centre.


It’s A Slow Week; Have An Avatar: The Last Airbender Retrospective

This week’s going to be a little quiet, unless you’re into the Asian Games Esports division this year that’s happening in Indonesia. So we’re going to be highlighting some top pop culture stuff to keep this website semi-busy until September hits.
Gods be praised to our pals from The Last King podcast, forÂ they have an in-depth love letter to an awesome mid-2000s animated show from Nickelodeon: Avatar – The Last Airbender. Hear the trio talk about how they got their start with the show and their favourite episodes.
In fact, we’ll ask the show’s Mr Toffee (who also writes for us; gods be praised) to write up an Avatar listicle for us if he’s not too busy with the outer space podcasting life. Anyway, listen to the awesomeness below:
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/486396612″ params=”color=#ff5500&auto_play=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]


Overwatch League Teams Grades And Season Prospects

Now that all the Overwatch League participating teams have finally revealed their rosters, we can start predicting and previewing each and every team’s chances in the inaugural season. Today we are going to grade the twelve teams based on their lineups and players’ past achievements as well as season-long potential.
Please note that this is purely subjective and you are welcomed to share your own thoughts and opinions via the comments section below. So without further ado, here are the grades:
Grade: SSÂ – Favorites to Win the League and Overall Title
Team: Seoul Dynasty

Consisting of players of Lunatic-Hai – the most decorated Overwatch team in the Asian APEX circuit – Dynasty players and are no strangers to competing in the highest level. They feature among the best players in terms of mechanical skill across all roles and have a very solid team chemistry only rivalled by New York Excelsior and Dallas Fuel. The recently improved lineup with inclusions of top-tier DPS players in Bunny, Wekeed and Munchkin makes an already formidable Seoul lineup, supported by ‘Ana God’ Ryujehong and Tobi even scarier heading into the Overwatch League.
Grade: SÂ – League Top 4, Division Winners Favorites & Play-Off Contenders
Teams: Dallas Fuel, London Spitfire & New York Excelsior
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All three teams are undoubtedly top-tier teams but not yet at the level of Seoul Dynasty. However all three have the capability of to go a level up once they sort minor issues within the team. Dallas with their squad depth, London relating to team chemistry following the amalgamation of GC Busan with Cloud9 KongDoo while the boys in New York need to sort out their issues pertaining to consistency and the absence of ‘Flow3r’ at the beginning of the season.
Grade: AÂ – Dark Horses and Top-6 Spots in Overall Standings
Teams: Los Angeles Valiant, Shanghai Dragons, San Francisco Shock
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Valiant and Shock are managed by folks experienced in running esports organizations in Immortals and NRG respectively so they know a thing or two about managing and growing esports talent. Building on solid foundations from pre-existing Overwatch teams and expanding the talent pool are the common traits these three teams share and should pose a considerable challenge to the front-runners in the Overwatch League.
Grade: BÂ – Rank-Outsiders – Middle of the PackÂ
Teams: Los Angeles Gladiators, Houston Outlaws, Florida Mayhem, Philadelphia Fusion
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Made of a mixture of players from mid-tier Overwatch teams, Outlaws, Gladiators and Fusion face early issues related to team chemistry and over-relying on a couple of A-ranked players to hard-carry the team in order to pose a threat to teams graded above them. Definitely works in progress that can only improve with time and some serious roster additions.Â  Mayhem is essentially a rebranded Misfits team and the reason we graded them here is due to the overall capability of the team when compared to other teams in the OWL. Despite finishing second in Contenders Europe S1, Misfits are not the team they used to be and we doubt their ability to overcome teams graded above them.
Grade: CÂ – Whipping BoysÂ
Team: Boston Uprising

A fairly weak lineup devoid of superstar names that may have a ton of issues early on mainly related to team chemistry, direction and overall talent pool. Several players in teams Graded B and above could easily headline this roster which makes us wonder the overall direction team owner, Kraft Group intend to take with Uprising. Then again, they do own the most successful NFL team in modern history, the New England Patriots – also the team famous for drafting the greatest NFL quarterback of all time, Tom Brady at pick #199. They may be nobodies in season 1, but we have a hunch these guys will be the highlight reels in years to come. Just not this year.

The Overwatch League starts 12th January 2018 while the pre-season kicks off December 7th 2017. We will be bringing you all the news, analysis, features and of course coverage of the Overwatch League. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay updated on all the news from Kakuchopurei.com


Horizon Forbidden West Makes Landfall On PS5 In 2021

Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Guerrilla Games have released a new developer diary forÂ newly-announced PS5 exclusive Horizon Forbidden West (sequel to 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn). Game director Mathijs de Jonge reveals more details and confirms that the game will be launching in 2021.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIyz_7Hz3U4&w=560&h=315]
Key details include:

The title â€œForbidden Westâ€ actually refers to a mysterious new frontier that stretches from Utah in the U.S.A. all the way to the Pacific Ocean in the west.
With the PS5â€™s SSD, there will be virtually no loading screens, so in an open-world game likeÂ Horizon Forbidden West, if you open up the map and fast travel from one end to the other, or restart from a checkpoint, it will be super fast. And when you boot up the game, youâ€™re right there in the action.
The map is “a bit bigger” than Horizon Zero Dawn.
Players can explore “what lies hidden beneath the surface of lakes and rivers”.
Expect new machines like “Shell Snappers that guard the shores and swamps, Snapmaws that hunt the waterways, and Sunwings that patrol the skies”.
New peaceful and hostile tribes.

In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq594XmpPBg&w=560&h=315]


Here’s A Guilty Gear Strive Tier List You Can Refer To For The First Few Months

Tier lists in fighting games exist because they’re a good indicator of characters who are either used the most, have the best tools and skillset for most of their good matchups, and whether they suffer in the long game.
Here’s one according to the folks at Airdasher SG, the de facto group for Guilty Gear and anime fighter tournaments. Keep in mind that all tier lists are subjective and will definitely evolve over time, probably 3 months or so.
S Rank
Ramlethal, May, Sol Badguy, Chipp

No surprises with the top picks, if we’re being frank. In a neutral play-savvy Guilty Gear entry where matches can end in seconds, the person with the best poking and footsie tools, not to mention follow-ups, will kick your ass and have the least bad matchups. Ramlethal basically has that in spades and an instant Super move.

Ditto May thanks to her goddamn dolphins. Sol Badguy’s normals are the equivalent of Street Fighter 5 Laura’s standing MK in Season 1: the go-to move to fish counters in a game where counterattacks can swing matches to your favour. Plus, his poster boy status means he’s the best character to play if you’re starting out in Guilty Gear.
Chipp can die super-quick if he gets hit because of his low health, but his damage output and speed are second to none.
A Rank
Nagoriyuki, Ky Kiske, Potemkin, Giovanna, Zato-1
The characters here are used the most in online and high-level play because they have great kits and moves for their matchups. Nagoriyuki’s “one shot” play is pretty damaging though his Blood Gauge requires skill to manage; one mistimed Blood Rage means a free round for your opponent. Ky Kiske is the go-to “shoto” character alongside Sol.

Potemkin is arguably the game’s best grappler archetype; he hits really hard but is obviously slow against the majority of the cast, thus needs to rely on footsies, defense, and patience to succeed. Giovanna is the game’s easiest rushdown character to use, even for Guilty Gear standards.
Zato-1 is tricky to use, but his toolset will kill off newbies who can’t figure out his gameplay, which is putting stuff on screen (Eddie) and planning a follow-up attack to trap you.
B Rank
Milia, Leo
Millia has mobility and mixups, but her damage output needs work when compared to the rest of the S and A rank cast. Leo is a handful for new players due to his Brynhildr Stance mixups, but once you figure it out (via a well-timed throw and reactions), you just have to watch telltale signs and punish when appropriate.
Then again, pros like SonicFox may prove the meta wrong.

C Rank
Axel, I-No
Axel has the best keepaway and zoning tools among the cast, but you need to play him perfectly lest you get overwhelmed by the top tier rushdown and footsie characters. Plus, he has a number of moves that opponents can punish compared to the S and A rank cast.
As for I-No, she’s a mixed bag for many high-level players; some say she’s good because of her fast airdash mixups and Super command grab, but she pales in comparison with folks like Millia and Chip.
D Rank
Anji, Faust

Anji has great matchups against slow folks like Potemkin, but he requires high execution to make this dance dodge/Fuujin setplay work. Faust has good zoning tools and a nice mixup game with his scarecrows, but the stuff he throws are random AF and mostly work against him.
Guilty Gear Strive is out right now; check out our review here.


Spongebob Squarepants Rehydrated Is Coming This June

THQ Nordic has announced the release date for Spongebob Squarepants Battle For Bikini Bottom Rehydrated. It is actually a remastered version of 2003’s game of the same name, which originally launched for the PS2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, PC and even Game Boy Advance.
You can already pre-order the game now. Spongebob Squarepants Battle For Bikini Bottom Rehydrated features several new additions that weren’t in the original game, including modern resolutions, a brand new horde mode multiplayer for up to two players, and restored content like the Robo Squidward boss fight.
Spongebob Squarepants Battle For Bikini Bottom Rehydrated is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on 23 June 2020. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwThdXvWOSo&w=560&h=315]
Only real SpongeBob fans will want to shell out for the US$300 F.U.N. Edition of the game, which is more expensive than the collector’s editions for AAA games like The Last of Us Part 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and Ghost of Tsushima. It features the following items:

SpongeBob figurine (8″) with a golden spatula and flexible tongue
Patrick figurine (7″)
Sandy figurine (8″)
Set of Tiki keyrings
Wall stickers
Six lithographs
SpongeBob SquarePants tennis socks


Darkest Dungeon Is Getting A Sequel Exclusively On Epic Games Store

One of this console generation’s toughest and most hardcore gothic RPG is getting a sequel and a makeover that would make Guilty Gear Xrd proud.
Developer Red Hook Studios’ Darkest Dungeon 2 will be out in 2021 in Early Access form on the -wait for it- Epic Games Store. Check out the 2D/3D art style tease below.

Here is the company’s official statement regarding the art change (via PC Gamer):

“Our familiar companions band together for another journey into oblivionâ€”this time in stylized 3D. “In fact, this teaser was captured straight out of Unity, and uses the in-game character models and rendering techniques from the game itself. With a refined combat system and a whole new metagame, Darkest Dungeon 2 is packed with fresh monsters, bosses, and challenges.
[The new game will show] a glimpse of the supernatural apocalypse twisting and distorting the world beyond the estate. Our combat system is making a return, but weâ€™re giving it a significant tune-upâ€”mechanically, and in terms of presentation. Most significantly, however, we are working with a completely different metagame structure. Darkest Dungeon 2 is a game about enduring a gruelling journey, not cleaning up your backyard.”

I’m so glad they’re still keeping true to their word in f***ing over players with their brand of randomized dungeon crawling action. If you haven’t played the first Darkest Dungeon, now’s the time to do so and experience what it means to go through turn-based hell ala X-COM.


The Dungeons & Dragons Movie Does Tarrasque-Sized Justice To Its Source Material

After years of suffering through terrible movie adaptations based on the most popular tabletop game out there -Dungeons & Dragons, not Magic: The Gathering- we finally have a noteworthy adaptation made by a production, writing, and directing crew who knows what they’re doing. They understand that they have to make a movie that’s entertaining and full of heart while also adhering to the source material it’s adapting from: sounds easy on paper, but it can be tough on which end of the spectrum you have to placate.
Luckily, the new Dungeons & Dragons movie adaptation, subtitled Honor Among Thieves, has a few aces up its sleeve: a sizeable budget of US$151 million, a stellar cast who takes their roleplaying professionally, and the “keep it simple” concept. Yes, the film does mention some names to make hardcore D&D fans jizz their pants, but it remembers to entertain and tell an easy story amidst the fantasy tropes.
Roll For Initiative

The plot of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is focused on Chris Pine’s character: a former Harper agent-turned thief/bard named Edgin who parties up with Michelle Rodriguez’s Holga the Fighter and a few others botch a heist, then were imprisoned, and then got out scot-free. When it turns out Edgin and co. were played like his lute, he plans to get the band back together for a big heist located in Neverwinter. Yes, THAT Neverwinter.
The movie does not shy away from its lore, references, and callbacks. Fans of the tabletop series of games will love how its iconic locations and creatures are done up, fleshed out, and displayed in full Hollywood splendour. Just keep in mind that the key word here is “fantastical”; while far from a realistic setting, the bestiary and locales on display here are a hoot to watch and play out that you’re willing to leave critical thinking behind. From owlbears to displacer beasts to even a fat dragon, as well as NPC races like the cat-like Tabaxi (they’re so furry!), they’re all a treat to watch in action.

Yes, you can nitpick about some CGI choices here and there, but the majority of the visual work on display here is immersive. Speaking of setpieces, the adaptation is really creative with its scenarios and problems the party runs into. We get to witness a funny raise-the-dead interrogation scene, a nice one-take chase sequence with a shapeshifter, a fight in the famed Underdark, and a few climactic battles involving an ever-shifting maze (with an 80s cameo!) and powerful spellcasters.
None of this would have worked if the actors aren’t invested in their given roles and setting, but thankfully it seems like they’re having fun with what’s written. Chris Pine is affable as always, with his main plot point of trying to bring back his loved ones from death while also sorting out the mess he’s in pretty relatable to an extent. He complements Michelle Rodriguez’s gruff portrayal of the team’s ass-kicker with a soft spot for potatoes and short men.
Justice Smith’s smart-but-meek Simon the magician along with Sophia Lillis’ Doric the sassy Tiefling druid round up the party’s other half, making for a nice mix of personalities. While only around for a handful of segments, Rege-Jean Page’s Xenk the Paladin takes the spotlight playing a lawful good paragon who has a no-nonsense attitude and a lack of understanding of irony and colloquiums (ala Guardian of the Galaxy’s Draxx). Daisy Head’s Sofina is perhaps a chilling sight, playing an antagonistic Red Wizard who speaks little but kills dissenters and obstructions a lot. Hugh Grant’s thief-slash-nobleman Forge is pretty much as slimy and conniving as you can get. All in all, everyone’s having fun with their fantasy roles.
A Saving Throw

While Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves isn’t the most innovative and unique of stories -it even has a few jumpscares for some odd reason- it is one that does its source material justice. It’s entertaining enough to stand on its own, it explains enough to get audiences invested in the world without drowning them lore-wise, and it does its job in using its many elements while making sense in a story context.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a good-spirited fantasy action show with a fun cast that can occasionally tug at your heartstrings. Even if you don’t know your gelatinous cubes from your Baldur’s Gate, this film will make you get into its universe.
Final Score: 80/100


Su Ling Chan’s 10 Favourite Video Game VOs Of 2020

Hi! Itâ€™s Su Ling Chan here, the voice actress for Mayday from No Straight Roads!
2020 was a very different year for me. Iâ€™ve never really had the time to play video games because Iâ€™m very active and Iâ€™m always out of the house. But with COVID-19 lockdowns, suddenly I was stuck at home with all this time on my hands!

As a voice actor myself, I really pay special attention to acting to improve my craft. So here are my 10 favourite games for their voice acting in 2020 and which area of voice acting Iâ€™m using them as study material for. They are arranged in the order I played them in because I loved them all equally so.
Also, when I speak about the voice acting, Iâ€™m talking about the English versions.
#10. Persona 5 Royal – April

I loved Persona 5. Obviously, Persona 5 was the expansion I never knew I needed.
Itâ€™s a great return to the world with just enough thatâ€™s different to make it a new experience. The voice acting in here is the best anime-inspired voice acting you can find.
Voice acting study category: Anime.
#9. Final Fantasy VII Remake – May

Iâ€™m old enough to have played FF7 when it came out (o ho ho ho ho ho ho!) and Iâ€™ve been hearing the Japanese voices for years growing up. But I really do like the English voices as well and for some characters, prefer the English voices.
I liked how Square Enix was able to translate some of the Japanese quirkiness into English. While I do not agree with some of their stylistic choices (like that horse laugh from Aerith is a really tough one as the context only make sense to Japanese speakers), most of it was contextualised well enough.
Speaking of which, Iâ€™m particularly impressed with the voice actress of Aerith, who from what I read, has never had a major voice acting role prior to this. Really amazing job!
Voice acting study category: adapting a game with very Japanese characterisations into English.
#8. The Last of Us Part 2 – June

To be frank, I did not quite enjoy the gameplay on this. It was quite repetitive and I lost interest halfway but the acting is amazing as always – emotional and dynamic where it punches you right in the feels.
Voice acting study category: Emotional scenes and Mocap.
#7. Ghost of Tsushima – July

I really loved hearing accented English. I know that’s a controversial statement. But for me personally, Iâ€™d rather have this than hearing a pure American delivery in a Japanese setting.
Not everyone who converses in English can speak it with an American accent. I like that this was acknowledged in Ghost of Tsushima. It gives hope to actors like me, who have a native English accent thatâ€™s not American, that hey we can perform in our natural accents too. More on that in the NSR section (haha).
Voice acting study category: Non-American accent performances.
#6. No Straight Roads – August

What can I say without being super bias (lol)? Obviously, I love the voice acting in this and a big clap to all my co-stars who really brought everyone & everything to life in a very Malaysian way.
Itâ€™s really a love letter to Malaysia, Malaysian culture, and authentic zany characters.
#5. Jackbox Games – September

I really enjoy playing this game with my NSR co-star and friends and it gets a lot of praise for other things…. but seriously the voice acting in here is also great. Narrator roles are hard to make engaging, but narrator plus game tutorial roles? Even more so.
Voice acting study category: Engaging narrator and game tutorial performances.
#4. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim – November

I absolutely love the epic storytelling of 13 Sentinels! It reminded me a lot of the TV show Lost because you follow the background stories of the 13 characters and see how they intertwine (literally and figuratively) into one giant narrative.
To pull off this narrative feat, the voice acting for each character must be top-notch. And they are! At times, it felt like I was watching a high production value sci-fi show or reading a visual novel VS playing a video game.
Voice acting study category: Anime, with a big dash of visual novel acting.
#3. Bugsnax – November

This game is just strange, but in a good way.
Personally, Bugsnax got repetitive after a while because Iâ€™m not a puzzle-solving type of gamer. However, the writing and the characters (and their voices) are really what made me stick around!Â  Every character you meet in Bugsnax is an archetype character from Western Animation like the mad scientist, the village gossip, and so on. But the sharp writing and voice acting make them stand out.
Voice acting study category: How to bring Western animation archetypes to life.
#2. Genshin Impact – December

This RPG features amazing anime-inspired voice acting with lovely waifus and husbandos. I have to limit the number of play hours for this game because I play on mobile. And it is VERY hard to stop when all you wanna hear is the voice of your lovely husband.
I’d also like to reach a level where I get to play someone’s waifu one day (lol)!
Voice acting study category: How to sound like an anime waifu and husbando.
#1. Hades – December

This game surprised me. Iâ€™ve never been a huge fan of dungeon crawlers but had lots of fun with this. Also, the voice acting here, for lack of a better word, is just delicious.
Voice acting study category: How to sound like a Western waifu and husbando.
Check out Su Ling Chan’s awesome VO work in the 2020 action music game No Straight Roads. Give her a shoutout on Twitter too (@SuChanVA)


Captain America 4 Is Now Captain America Brave New World

Marvel Studios has announced that Captain America 4 has received a new official title, Captain America Brave New World. It was previously titled Captain America New World Order.
However, no official reason was provided for the change.
They also released a new look at Anthony Mackie, who plays Sam Wilson AKA Captain America, and Harrison Ford, who will play President Thaddeus Ross, on the movie’s set.
Captain America Brave New World is directed by Julius Onah and co-written by Malcolm Spellman, who was the creator of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier.” The cast also includes Tyler and Tim Blake Nelson, reprising their roles of Betty Ross and Samuel Sterns from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, as well as Shira Haas and Danny Ramirez
Captain America Brave New World is slated to release on 3 May 2024.
If you’ve seen The Falcon And The Winter Soldier finale (you can check out my breakdown here, spoilers and all), you’ll already know who will be the new Captain America. You can also check out my previous breakdowns here: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, and Episode 5.

Captain America: Brave New World
In theaters May 3, 2024 (via @anthonymackie) pic.twitter.com/u1kCgLolsL
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) June 6, 2023


Dragon Ball Z Kakarot Confirms More Playable Characters

Bandai Namco has announced that their upcoming Dragon Ball Z Kakarot RPG will feature more than just Goku as a playable character. Popular franchise characters like Vegeta, Piccolo, and Gohan will actually be playable.
These four characters so far will be joined by supporting characters like Krillin, Tien, Chiatotzu, and Yamcha. Previously, the company has revealed that feature original stories that have never been told in the manga.
As seen in the gameplay footage shown at E3 2019,Â Dragon Ball Z KakarotÂ will feature sidequests given by popular supporting characters inÂ Dragon Ball, such as Launch, Android 8, and more. These will presumably expand on untoldÂ Dragon BallÂ lore, which will be a treat for fans of the franchise.
Dragon Ball Z KakarotÂ is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC sometime in early 2020. In the meantime, check out the E3 2019 gameplay below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y-A1kUCvzY&w=560&h=315]
(Image Credits: Gematsu)


FIFA 23 Ultimate Team To Add New FUT Moments & More

EA has unveiled a new deep dive video and a detailed blog post that reveals new mechanics coming in FIFA 23. These include improvements to FIFA 23 Ultimate Team, including FUT Moments and redefined chemistry.
FUT MOMENTS

FUT Moments brings a new way to play FIFA Ultimate Team and earn rewards. FUT Moments focuses on fun, short scenarios with a variety of challenges. In FUT Moments, you’ll earn a new currency type, FUT Stars, which can be exchanged for Items and Packs in the Moments Star Gallery.

Deliver a new mode that offers a wide variety of unique Challenges that will be updated throughout FUT 23, ranging from skills training to recreating real football match highlights.
Provide a shorter match experience than our other game modes.
Offer unique gameplay for all skill levels of FUT players, with a wide variety of difficulties.
Create a progression and reward system that gives players more control and choice.

CHEMISTRY REDEFINED

FUT 23 brings a complete overhaul to the Chemistry system, making it easier than ever to build your dream squad.

Increase squad variety and allow for a wider range of player selections, enabling more diverse team compositions by removing the barriers created by positional links.
More intuitive mechanics in key areas to make squad building easier, making it more authentic and more rewarding.
Remove common pain points such as lowered player Attributes caused by low Chemistry, or the calculus of Squad and Player Chemistry, a design that was often not intuitive to new players.

There are some key changes that impact the system as a whole:

EA has completely removed the negative impact to Attributes caused by low Chemistry, so players will always play with at least their Item’s Attributes, with Chemistry being additive.
EA has removed overall Squad Chemistry, so you only need to focus on building the maximum Chemistry for each individual player.
Positional links have been completely removed, and your Players can now link, and impact the Chemistry of Players in the Starting XI, regardless of their position on the pitch.
The Loyalty system has been removed.

CROSS-PLAY
MATCHMAKING AND MODES
Here’s a quick recap of how it will work in FUT 23.

Cross-play will be available in all 1v1 modes, including invite modes like Play a Friend.
Cross-play won’t be available in 2v2 Co-Op modes.
Cross-play will function on platforms of the same generation

PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Google Stadia can play against each other
PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can play against each other

You can opt out of cross-play if you want to only play against your platform.

Note that players who opt-out of cross-play could potentially take longer to find an opponent when matchmaking, as opting out of cross-play naturally reduces the amount of potential opponents that could be found. Opting into cross-play will ensure that matchmaking will look for the largest pool of potential opponents possible.

In 1v1 matches in FUT, you’ll be able to play against players on the same platform generation in FUT Rivals, FUT Friendlies, FUT Champions, Play a Friend, and FUT Online Draft, helping you get into your next match more easily.
FIFA 23 will launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on 30 September 2022. Early access for FIFA 23 Ultimate Edition will begin three days earlier on 27 September 2022.
Check out the trailer below:


[Report] Destiny 2 To Feature Shadowkeep Expansion

Here’s some exciting news for Destiny 2 fans, who are a unique breed of folks with a tinge of Stockholm’s Syndrome in their veins.
Jesting aside, a hot new leak (via Reddit) has revealed the next expansion for the Bungie-made online loot-and-shoot game: Shadowkeep. The new battleground will take place on the moon, a place in Destiny lore famous for its wizards. It will be out this fall.

Bungie is going to reveal more tidbits about the expansion in a livestream on 7 June GMT+8. It’ll be great for Destiny fans to make their return to the moon, since they haven’t been there to fight the Hive in their home turf since the first game.


Become A Singaporean Private Eye In This Upcoming Detective Game

For those of you who grew up with a Mac (the old square ones released before 1990), you’ve probably played one of its outdated pre-installed games: Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
General Interactive, the developers of the upcoming detective game Chinatown Detective Agency were mainly inspired from Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. Chinatown Detective Agency is their attempt at creating a deeper and more sophisticated story but with the interactive simplicity that Carmen Sandiego was known for.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28_tQUrKPEw&w=560&h=315]
Chinatown Detective Agency takes place in the year 2032, a dystopian future where the global economy has collapsed and most of the world’s nations have gone to hell. Singapore remains one of the last bastions of civilisation but it’s far from stable. Corruption has reached such a critical level that some of the police’s best detectives have left to start their own private investigation services.

You will play as Amira Darma, a former member of INTERPOL who has just opened her own agency in Singapore.

Solving the cases that land on your desks will take you to more than 50 locations in Singapore and around the world such as London, Japan, and Istanbul. The game’s static UI will give you constant access to your phone, allowing you to make calls, check messages, and read the news. Just like modern phones, you can also look at maps of the locations you’re in and book flights too.

If you watched the trailer above, you’ll find that there is voice acting in the game and some characters managed to pull off a really natural Singaporean accent. It’s definitely one of those details that Southeast Asian players will greatly appreciate.
Chinatown Detective Agency is still in development and there isn’t a release date yet. The game and its developers will be attending Level Up KL 2019 so there might be something juicy for attendees. For more info and news on the game, check out the official website.
Here are more screenshots of the game:


Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League Officially Delayed To 2023

There were rumours just last month that Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League would be delayed to 2023, and that turned out to be true. Rocksteady Games creative director and co-founder Sefton Hill announced the news on his Twitter account, stating that the game has been delayed to Spring 2023.

We've made the difficult decision to delay Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League to Spring 2023. I know a delay is frustrating but that time is going into making the best game we can. I look forward to bringing the chaos to Metropolis together. Thanks for your patience. pic.twitter.com/VOSwTM6Zak
— Sefton Hill (@Seftonhill) March 23, 2022

Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League was originally announced during DC FanDome 2021 for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The game’s first trailer featured other heroes and villains alike, including Superman, The Flash, Green Lantern (John Stewart), Wonder Woman, the Penguin and more.


Everdeep Aurora Is An Old-School Style 16-Bit Platforming Tribute

Publisher Ysbryd Games and developer Nautilus Games are making a new 16-bit side-scroller that hearkens back to Castlevania, The Goonies, and Lost.
The game is called Everdeep Aurora and it features you as a cute cat named Shell who explores the titular Everdeep. The catch? There isn’t any form of violence or enemies to fight; it’s just you, your wit, your platforming skills, and puzzle-solving demeanour.
Check out the trailer & features below. Everdeep Aurora is slated for a 2024 launch for PC and Nintendo Switch.
Key Features

As you descend, your decisions determine Shell’s route through the depths, from secret caverns to sprawling underground dwellings.
Encounter characters along the way with unique personalities and, sometimes, optional side quests.
Atmospheric pixel art and an evocative soundtrack, with palettes and musical themes shifting from one location to the next.


China Wins Olympic Gold In Asian Games 2018 League of Legends Tournament; Beats South Korea

Chalk up one more Olympic-sanctioned gold medal finish for China: they just won the entire Asian Games 2018 League of Legends exhibition tournament which took place in a span of 3 days at Mahaka Square in Jakarta, Indonesia (which is friggin’ huge FYI).
China fought hard against South Korea, but in the end, it was a 3-1 victory for the former. For LoL fans, this grand Olympic-level match was basically a rival battle between China’s Uzi and South Korea’s Faker, arguably two of the best damage dealers in LoL pro-tournament history.
For comparison, here are Uzi and Faker’s best plays, respectively:

Both players were the best when it came to dealing damage, and their teammates help facilitate that. But it was clear that China had the better teamwork, communication, and momentum when compared with South Korea.
This was evident in the third and fourth match where China stole the Baron buffs and pushed aggressively, despite Faker, Score, and Peanut’s best efforts to hold the Korean fort. Moral of the story: all-star players don’t make up a stellar team if they can’t synergize for nuts. Truly this was the year of the dog (in Uzi’s case).Â

South Korea was humble enough to participate in a post-match interview and apologized to the fans and the media. “We lost because we performed poorly.”

South Korea player Score said, “although we were a team composed of players from different teams, I believe our team synergy wasn’t too bad.” He said that they made too many mistakes during the series.
“So, for the third match (Grand Finals against China), we focused on drafting our pick and bans so that we can have stronger laning champions to pressure China.
“Overall there are some big mistakes in the game. Going to game 4, we thought that during game 1, 2, and 3, we made a lot of mistakes that we shouldn’t have made in the game. So we’re trying to take a safer approach.”
“We drafted Tahm Kench to provide some safety bumps, but overall we also made some critical mistakes that led to our defeat.”

Faker added: “Although the playing environment of this Asian Games was poor compared to Riot-hosted events, we simply lost due to our poor performance.”
Despite all this, the true winners are the LoL fans who showed up and supported their countries and players with loud cheers and flags. This marks the second gold medal China has won since Sunday’s Arena of Valor tournament. South Korea earns Silver while Chinese Taipei earns Bronze.
We at Kakuchopurei congratulate these stellar countries for a lovely LoL match on an Olympics-level stage.


This Signature Resident Evil 2 Weapon Is Turned Into A Real Airsoft Gun

Resident Evil 2 is an awesome game. My colleague’s finished it, I have yet to play through most of it, but I love the revamp and tone overall. I’m also glad Leon’s signature Lightning Hawk made it in.
Apparently Capcom loves the gun too; to the point where they asked Japanese airsoft gun maker Marui to make a 10-inch barrel gun and add-on to life. Check it out below (via Famitsu):

???????? RE:2?????????????????“?????????”???????????? #RE2 #???2 https://t.co/I4995ZrTtV pic.twitter.com/WtWLheI7NM
— ????.com (@famitsu) February 22, 2019

??????? ????????????17? ???.S.????????????????Lightning Hawk ???????????????Lightning Hawk 10in????6in??????????????6in?10in????????? https://t.co/lpN7rfJMAJ #RE2 #???2 pic.twitter.com/djDJgyYXDQ
— ???????(????) (@BIO_OFFICIAL) February 22, 2019

You can order it here on Capcom’s official page. It’ll be out after April 2019; there’s no price tag yet. While it’s fun and all, please refrain from being a jerk and go rob a bank with this. Or even scare people with something this authentic.


Indonesia’s Bigetron Red Aliens Wins PMPL SEA Finals Season 2

PUBG Mobile Pro League Southeast Asia (PMPL SEA) Finals Season 2, which just ended on 25 October 2020, has crowned Bigetron Red Aliens from Indonesia as the new champion. The PMPL SEA Finals Season 1 champion was previously Yoodo Gank from Malaysia.
As the champions, team Bigetron Red Aliens team took home the grand prize of US$30,000. Team Aerowolf LIMAX also from Indonesia, who participated in PMPL SEA for the first time, came up in second place and took home US$20,000, while team Secret Jin from Thailand won third place and US$15,000.

From 23 to 25 October 2020, PUBG Mobile brought a whole new viewing experience for fans and the PUBG Mobile community, through its broadcast live streaming on PUBG Mobile Official Facebook page using online virtual reality (VR) studio using 720-degree shooting, and other advanced technologies.
The event was hosted for the first time by a virtual emcee, also known as Miss J, while audiences were thrilled by a mysterious guest â€“ an internationally renowned rapper from Indonesia, Rich Brian, who gave a spectacular performance on the last day of the event with his song â€œKidsâ€.

Brian also displayed his gaming skills and paired up with players Ryzen from Bigetron RA,uHigh from Team Secret and Break from team BOX Gaming (Vietnam) in a show matchagainst the best pro players in Southeast Asia.
After 15 rounds of competition to the final match, each team ramped up the battle for the top position and four tickets to qualify for the 2020 PUBG MOBILE Global Championship.
Bigetron Red Aliens player Luxxy said:
“Wow, really awesome! We shed happy tears when we were confirmed as Southeast Asiaâ€™s champions for the first time. To our fans, thank you for your prayers and support during this tournament and for the Aerowolf team who qualified for the Global Championship, let’s play and become champions in the Global Championship competition.”
Teams Aerowolf Limax, Secret Jin, RRQ Athena dan POWER888 KPS will join Bigetron Red Aliens to the 2020 PUBG MOBILE World Championship. These five teams will face other top world teams, namely team Futbolist eSports from Turkey who came out top in the PUBG MOBILE World League in the West region; teams The Unnamed and A7 eSport from the U.S.; team Loops eSports from Brazil who won the PUBG MOBILE Pro League (PMPL) Americas tournament; team ArCRESTART from South Korea which won the PUBG MOBILE Street Challenge 2nd Half tournament; team Blue Bees from Japan who won the PUBG MOBILE Japan League; and the remaining 10 teams who have yet to be crowned winners through various PUBG MOBILE competitions around the world.
These 19 teams will then compete for a prize pool of USD 2 million.
PUBG Mobile Esports Southeast Asia Head Gaga Li said:
“Congratulations to the team that has successfully obtained tickets for the PUBG MOBILE Global Championship 2020.In the Grand Final of PMPL SEA Finals Season 2, which wasvery tight, representatives from each country in Southeast Asia have presented proud world-class competition. We hope that the four best teams from Southeast Asia will be able to surprise their fans in the PUBG MOBILE Global Championship 2020 competition. In this competition, we are committed to increasing professionalism in presenting online shows and using the latest and best technology for fans, and we hope that fans will love what we do and serve because our content is always different from one competition to another.”