Fist Of The North Star ReVIVE Mobile Game Launches Next Week

Sega has announced that the Fist Of The North Star ReVIVE mobile game will be launching worldwide on Android and iOS devices on 5 September 2019. Gamers can already pre-register for the upcoming game on the official website here.
Pre-registration for Fist Of The North Star ReVIVE have already exceeded 600,000 users. Check out the pre-registration bonuses for each milestone below:

50,000 pre-registrations â€“ Fighter â€œReiâ€ x1
100,000 pre-registrations â€“ Celestial Gem Gacha ticket x1
200,000 pre-registrations â€“ Stamina Can (M) x5
300,000 pre-registrations â€“ Celestial Gem Gacha ticket x1
400,000 pre-registrations â€“ Stamina Can (L) x3
500,000 pre-registrations â€“ Celestial Gem Gacha ticket x1
600,000 pre-registrations â€“ Vault Key x10
700,000 pre-registrations â€“ Upgrade Crystal x3

Fist Of The North Star ReVIVE boasts the largest roster of playable characters of any game in the long-running franchise to date. Players can create their own dream team to play through the game’s story with, engaging in fully-realized 3D battles and crazy combos.

Players can also look forward to high-quality CG scenes faithfully recreated from the source material by original Fist Of The North Star illustrator Tetsuo Hara. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx_v8uJiHIw&w=560&h=315]


After 25 Years, Jeff Bezos Steps Down As Amazon CEO

Jeff Bezos will be stepping down as Amazon CEO in the third quarter of 2021. He won’t be going too far away from the company though; Bezos will be the company’s executive chair. His CEO replacement is Amazon Web Services head Andy Jassy.
Thanks to Bezos, Amazon founded Amazon Game Studios which is hard at work on upcoming MMORPG New World. The offshoot also owns Twitch and created Crucible, a shooter that came and went out like a wet fart back in 2020 after its middling reception and even more apathetic player base.
Here’s an excerpt from a letter the company published to its employees:

“In the Exec Chair role, I intend to focus my energies and attention on new products and early initiatives. Andy is well known inside the company and has been at Amazon almost as long as I have. He will be an outstanding leader, and he has my full confidence. As Exec Chair I will stay engaged in important Amazon initiatives but also have the time and energy I need to focus on the Day 1 Fund, the Bezos Earth Fund, Blue Origin, The Washington Post, and my other passions.”

We’re not sure if this leadership change will help Amazon release better games or sort out the company’s many, many issues like labour exploitation and hostile work environment. Protip: if you hire the top names in the games industry to help your gaming studio, it’s usually best to let them run the show with the proper amount of staff and dev tools to make your “billion-dollar franchise”.


Silent Hope Is An Upcoming Roguelite Slated For October

Xseed has announced a new action RPG featuring not one, but SEVEN silent protagonists.
Silent Hope is set in a fantasy world where a king hides himself underground but not before stealing the world’s words and ability to talk with voices. It’s up to our 7 anime heroes to communicate with each other without words but also fight their way from top to bottom through randomized dungeons filled with monsters. You can also build your base camp and feed your group to buff up for future expeditions.
Check out the gameplay below:


Call Of Duty Warzone Developers Organize Walkout Following Layoffs

Developers and employees at Raven Software are organizing a walkout today in protest of the ongoing slew of layoffs which started last Friday on 3 December 2021. The studio is responsible for developing and working on Call Of Duty Warzone, and thus they are under Activision Blizzard.
In a statement to Kotaku, the walkout group said that they were only demanding one thing; that the company grants full-time positions to all QA testers, including everyone who’s been laid off.
The full statement reads:
â€œThose participating in this demonstration do so with the continued success of the studio at the forefront of their mind.
The Raven QA department is essential to the day-to-day functioning of the studio as a whole. Terminating the contracts of high performing testers in a time of consistent work and profit puts the health of the studio at risk.â€
The QA staff started getting laid off since Friday, 3 December 2021. As part of the first wave, 30 percent of Ravenâ€™s QA team has already been terminated, which will go into effect on 28 January 2021. More meetings will apparently be held to determine the fate of other QA testers in the following weeks.
According to the walkout group, every QA developer affected by the layoffs were in â€œgood standingâ€ with the company and that they were actually vital to the development of the game. Some of those who have been laid off were those who recently moved to Wisconsin using their own money in order to prepare for returning to offices after a long while of COVID-19 shutdown.
In a tweet by Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, around 40 QA testers will take part in the walkout and they will remain in walkout until the layoffs are reversed. All of this just adds to all the bad stuff already happening at Activision Blizzard and it looks like things won’t get better anytime soon.


FromSoftware Announces Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon

During The Game Awards 2022, FromSoftware announced Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon.
The last mainline game in the franchise was Armored Core V for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2012.
Check out the trailer below:


Good Game Asia – Episode 2 Recap

In case you missed it, Yup.gg has created the first gaming reality show, Good Game Asia airs every Friday at 7:35 PM (GMT+8) on Warner TV. In short, the game show pits 15 streamers and gaming personalities against each other to win a grand prize of US$200,000. Episode 2 aired last week and from thinking there’s a lot more to take away from this episode in comparison to the previous one which I will get into later in the Critical Take section.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’s EPISODE RECAP

Opening this episode, we’re met with a small recap provided by the contestants as they discuss amongst,themselves about last week’s events. Namely Ang Negrong Gamer (A.N.G.) discusses about his disappointment in his performance last week and also aims to redeem himself from here on out. Following this, is a monologue from Cherzinga in regards to her discomfort about being around her ex-boyfriend Hades.
CHALLENGE – GET REAL
We are then introduced to this week’s first challenge, which is themed around unboxings. Unlike tlding challenge, this challenge actually makes sense as there’s a massive unboxing community in-and-around YouTube and content creation in general. The challenge is for the contestants to produce a skit where they advertise a gaming laptop. They’re also provided with varying filming locations, some good and some bad. The contestants are also given 15 minutes to plan, 1 hour to shoot and 1 hour to edit the entire skit.
The contestants are then divided into teams of three, meaning there will be five teams in total. As the team toction process unfolds, we’re treated with interview clips of the contestants as they get selected. After the selection process is concluded, the teams a given a folder containing a picture of their designated filming location. As I said before, some will be lucky, some not. Cherzinga’s team for example, were tasked with filming in a mall, in contrast to V3nom’s team who had to film in the Fairmont Hotel’s underground service area.
We then follow the teams as they discuss their concepts and proceed to their filming locations. We’re then met with a montage as they go through the process of filming in their respective locations. Once all wrapped up, they then proceed to their rooms at the Fairmont Hotel where they begin editing the their videos.
We then accompany contestants as they watch one another’s final products. As we see the contestants’ reactions, the obvious winner is Cherzinga’s team with the highlight being MakNooN as he shows off his bubbly and goofy personality. This is later solidified through the results as Cherzinga’s team places first, followed by Team Kelvin, Team V3nom, Team Rudeism and finally Team PandaTV.
CHALLENGE – on air / BUtter royale
Directly after we’re given the results, we are introduced to the next challenge for this week’s On Air segment. The contestants will be tasked with streaming a mobile game from Mighty Bear Games, Butter Royale. We are then introduced to this week’s guest judge, Carlos Alimurung, CEO of One Esports.

As we watch the contestants go about streaming throughout the week, the segment’s highlight is PandaTV as he shows off how he innovated to incorporate funny challenges to immerse the viewers into his stream. We’re then met with an interview segment from Estelle Fly as she recaps her week of streaming, with the highlight being her Pepe the Frog cosplay.

Challenge – The Box
Like last week, the contestants will be challenged to face each other in the game they were tasked to stream during the On Air segment. In this case, it’s Butter Royale but this week they won’t be put into teams and will have to play solo amongst themselves. Syaza, the commentator walks us through as the match is being played with clips and POVs of different contestants. As one after another got eliminated, Maser claimed victory as he eliminated Kelvin to take 1st place.
WEEK 2 LEADERBOARD
Before we’re shown the results, we watch as Rai, Sezairi and guest judge Carlos Alimurung discuss their thoughts about the contestants over the past week and whether or not some have improved or not. What we can take from this is that the contestants who don’t tend to speak English in their streams are going to have a handicap going forward unless their switch languages.

As the results are shown, we find out that once again, Hades is on the bottom side of the leaderboard, but is now placed last meaning that he would have been eliminated. But it is then revealed that just like last week, no one is being sent home just yet meaning that Hades has another chance to step up his game.
We’ve then presented the rest of the standings with Estelle, Kelvin and Reby topping the leaderboard this week, meaning that they get access to the Swag Store at the end of the episode. As for the MVP, Panda is awarded an MVP for the On Air segment as his streams were the most creative and innovative. Alongside him, Cherzinga’s team of MakNooN and Ngyyelling.
As for the Swag Store segment, Kelvin goes for the same Elgato Capture Card that V3nom got last week. Estelle and Reby both go for the Nanoleaf Lights to help spice up their streams’ backgrounds.
Critical Take
To be perfectly honest, I enjoyed Episode 2 a lot more than the pilot. I found that we got to see a lot more emphasis on the contestants themselves and what makes them entertainers as we’re shown more in the On Air section.
Again, I still find it unnecessary to include the Cherzinga and Hades narrative as I feel it contributes nothing to the show other than pointless drama. I also think that the showrunners decided not to eliminate Hades to prolong the drama between him and Cherzinga which I find really unfair to the other contestants.

TAKE A LOOK at the other episodes we have recapped so far

Good Game Asia – Episode 1 Recap
Good Game Asia – Episode 3 Recap
Good Game Asia – Episode 4 Recap
Good Game Asia – Episode 5 Recap
Good Game Asia – Episode 6 Recap


Windjammers 2’s Head Of Design Talks About The Game’s Upcoming Content [Exclusive]

We love us some Windjammers 2, the 2022 2D sports game where Pong and Tennis meets extreme futuristic competitive sports. We gave it a glowing review for its unique fun gameplay and competitive potential.
Which is why we wanted to talk to DotEmu, the developers behind the sequel to the 90s underrated arcade classic from Data East. We chat with Head of Design Stephane Perez and Communications Manager Jessica Richard about the game production process and its DLC/competitive future.

Timestamps
0:00 – Intro
0:33 – How it all started
3:30 – How much of the old game was preserved
5:16 – New characters and how they fit
7:41 – ???
8:54 – The game’s future


Sony Japan Unveils Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary Walkman & Earbuds

Sony Japan has officially unveiled the Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary walkman and earbuds (via Twitter).
The Walkman NW-A105 KH 20th Anniversary Limited Edition costs ¥36,000 (which roughly converts to RM1,246+) and comes with the iconic Kingdom Hearts song, “Hikari” by Utada Hikaru.
In addition, the 20th Anniversary branded Wireless Noise Cancellation Stereo Earbuds cost ¥34,000 (which roughly converts to RM1,176+). Both products come with a 3-year warranty.

These products are now available to purchase via Sony Japan’s website. However, it’s unclear if these products will be made available outside of Japan at the time of writing.


Assassin’s Creed Odyssey The Fate Of Atlantis Dropping Anchor Next Week

Ubisoft has announced the official release date for Assassinâ€™s Creed Odyssey The Fate Of Atlantis, the second post-launch story content for the latest entry in the long-running franchise. The first episode of the upcoming episodic arc is Fields of Elysium, which is slated to release on all available platforms on 23 April 2019.
After building and losing her/his family in the first DLC expansion Legacy of the First Blade, Kassandra/Alexios ventures into the Greek afterlife to uncover the great mysteries that lie within the ancient realms of the gods.
In Fields of Elysium, players will travel to a paradise populated by fallen warriors and those who were good during their lifetimes, encountering the mighty Isu. The first episode of TheÂ Fate of Atlantis will also introduce the following:

New factions
New legendary weapons and gear
All-new Ability enhancements, which modify existing abilities to change their function, giving players the opportunity to customize their playstyles even further

Players will have two options on how to start playing TheÂ Fate of Atlantis:

After completing the main game, players will have to complete the questline Between Two Worlds, the mythological main game story arc, and Heir of Memories, the Lost Tales of Greece questline that is available after completing the former questline. Finally, they must have reached character level 28 or above.
For those who haven’t completed all of the above: There will be a shortcut, where players will enter Greece level 52 with preset Abilities and resources enabling them to start their adventure into the afterlife with the Lost Tales of Greece questline Heir of Memories. They will also have the opportunity to choose their hero. However, unlike the first option, the playersâ€™ progression using the shortcut will not carry over to the main game save, and they will not be able to obtain achievements.

The second and third episode, Torment of Hades, and Judgment of Atlantis, respectively, will be released sometime in mid-2019. While waiting for the first episode of TheÂ Fate of Atlantis to arrive, check out the trailer below to see what awaits.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mHJ9gkfMwk&w=560&h=315]


Japanese Gacha Games, & The Love-Hate Relationship We Have With Them

In the past decade, the mobile app market has thrived as a platform for enjoyable experiences on the go. The market first started out offering many complete games for flat but affordable prices. That format has maintained itself over the years, but as the number of mobile apps rose exponentially, developers had to adapt by coming up with newer strategies that would help them remain relevant.
Microtransactions were a popular solution in which publishers would release their apps for free, while instead offering in-app purchases for additional features. This allowed them to reach wider audiences in a saturated market. The design of games had to change reflect the shift to microtransactions. Over time, players started seeing more paywalls that incentivised spending money on retries, additional content, or more play sessions.
Following this modelâ€™s success, a new genre of mobile gaming started making waves in Eastern Asia. While many developers would sell in-game items in exchange for real-life cash, Japanese games were ramping up on introducing a little bit of luck into the mix.

Thinking about having a fancy dragon in your game? What if instead of being given the dragon, you only had a chance of having it? This was the idea of ‘gacha games’ in a nutshell.
‘Gacha games’ were derived from the term ‘gachapon’, a reference to the various Japanese vending machines that you could find across the country. At cheap prices of 100 yen, these machines would dispense toy capsules of which the contents would be completely unknown until opened.
Gacha games shared similarities with these vending machines, and so the public quickly settled for the ‘gacha’ term as a way of describing them. Japanese mobile games soon flourished, with the concept of gacha singlehandedly changing the landscape of gaming in Japan, for better or worse.
Japanese mobile games? Bigger than you may realise
Back in early 2019, social media giant Twitter wrote a fun blog post about the most tweeted gaming topics of 2018 to commemorate the New Year.
To the surprise (and amusement) of many people, it wasnâ€™t the popular Fortnite that trumped this list at 1st place. Rather, a lone Japanese mobile game called Fate/Grand Order cleanly beat out the sensational battle royale, which leads to laughs and jokes. Even though this information was taken in stride, for the most part, some saw this as a demonstration of how culturally significant gacha games actually were in gaming.

Throughout the top 10 list, other gacha games included the likes of Monster Strike (3rd), Granblue Fantasy (6th), and Ensemble Stars (7th). Four Japanese mobile games made the list for the most discussed games of 2018.

It comes as no surprise, then, that these games also make a lot of bank.
Fate/Grand Order, published under Sonyâ€™s Aniplex, reportedly grossed a total of $3 billion since its Japanese launch in August 2015. For comparisonâ€™s sake, Sonyâ€™s fastest-selling PS4 title, Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man, has sold 9 million copies to date, which at a $60 price point would amount to a measly $540 million in comparison.

Even Square Enix, which spearheaded the console gaming industry in the past through its Final Fantasy titles, reported mobile game revenue as 54% of its digital entertainment segment at 26 billion yen ($236 million). Its HD game revenue represented a smaller 31% of the segment. The company hosts a large number of major gacha names, including the likes of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, SINoALICE, Star Ocean Anamnesis, and more.
One gaming giant thatâ€™s been experimenting with gacha games lately is Nintendo. Though the company has offered a variety of inoffensive and family-friendly monetisation models through Super Mario Run and Animal Crossing, the bulk of its revenue is still carried by – you guessed it – gacha games.

In 2018, Fire Emblem Heroes accounted for two-thirds of Nintendoâ€™s mobile revenue at $200 million. Success would also follow Nintendoâ€™s original mobile IP, Dragalia Lost, which generated a whopping $50 million despite its late September release.

How gacha games work
Gacha games make a lot of money, so perhaps the next question to ask is whether theyâ€™re actually fun.
If youâ€™re familiar with the fiasco about loot boxes in the West, you may already be familiar with the gacha mechanic in some form. The core idea behind gacha games involves making use of in-game currency to summon virtual items such as a character, weapon, or cosmetic. The catch, however, is that these items are always randomised so that youâ€™re paying only for a chance of getting what you want. Additionally, these items are typically useful for progressing through in-game content, which creates an even greater incentive to summon specific items.

Rare items are usually featured under â€˜bannersâ€™, which are events whereby such items are given a higher summoning rate for a limited time. When desirable items are featured on these banners, the limited availability of these special rates will then drive fans to spend in-game currency (or actual money).

Though the rates of getting what you want can differ depending on the game, they still never get too generous. The 5-star rates of units can generally fall from a 1% to 6% appearance rate, the latter being incredibly fruitful by most standards.

This would normally be grounds for a revolt in other communities, but Japanese culture – and to a smaller extent otaku culture â€“ have learned to embrace gacha.
To some, the notion of only not being guaranteed their characters creates immense value for community interactions. Whenever new characters are announced, the fandom jumps on the opportunity to create memes and fanart, complemented by ramblings about the characterâ€™s design, his/her/its viability in the gameplay, and whether theyâ€™ve saved up enough of the free in-game currency to reliably summon the featured character.

The element of chance also creates a constant freshness to the games, as players are forced to adapt to different strategies whenever they fail to obtain their desired items. Equipment and party members get shifted around but ultimately create a sense of individuality in each player. This is perhaps also why so many gacha games are also designed as elaborate turn-based RPGs where customisation is king.
In a way, this behaviour is reminiscent of the trading card games of the past (and now). There was certainly some fun to be had in tearing through Pokemon TCG booster packs for that one Swampert EX card and then boasting to your friends that you finally got one.
Likewise, gacha games have expanded on this familiar concept but within the digital space instead, with experiences that can be enjoyed in the palm of your hand, wherever you go.
Although one could paint such a rosy picture about this genre, there are some dangers that must be considered before you even decide to dive into the world of gacha games.
Loot boxes, gacha, and gambling addiction
A common topic as of late in gaming has been about predatory microtransactions, specifically loot boxes. EAâ€™s implementation of gameplay-influencing loot boxes in Star Wars Battlefront II drew outrage about how players were encouraged to spend money for a chance to obtain powerful items to be used in PvP battles.

It was a perfect storm that led to many governments calling for regulation, with some countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands successfully pushing out legislation that limited how publishers could utilise loot box mechanics in their games.

Many consider loot boxes as gambling, as players could easily spend ridiculous amounts of money on them without a guarantee for what they want. Children without the mental capacity to understand finance could also be drawn into this sort compulsive gambling at an early age.
Gacha, like loot boxes, preys on the fear of missing out and capitalises on playersâ€™ impulses to obtain some value from their investment. A societal danger of this sort has slowly concerned the government higher-ups, and with good reason.

Yet while the gears on loot boxes are only just turning in the US and Europe, itâ€™s actually been several long years since gachas first met the ire of the Japanese government. Horror stories that detailed consumers spending thousands of dollars only to gain nothing from it made national news, and the Japanese mobile game industry found itself forced to self-regulate and adopt less predatory monetisation strategies.

Nowadays, Japanese mobile games are required to be transparent about their summoning rates, and many developers have taken care to include spending ceilings, in which certain rarities or characters are guaranteed after a number of summons.

Gameplay designs eased up on the gacha as mandatory for content and instead treated it as a complimentary mechanic. Difficulties and power balances were also tweaked to ensure that free-to-play players could always keep up on progress and even thrive under the right circumstances.
While no less predatory at its core, it is perhaps the notion that gacha games abide by certain codes of conduct in their design philosophy that has earned them less fury from unhappy customers.
Gacha games: yay or nay?

Should you ever decide to try a Japanese mobile game, itâ€™s always worth thinking about the elephant in the room, first. Though already regulated, and with safeguards that ease the frustration from negative outcomes, gacha games remain the same in nature and can still very much prey on your insecurities if you go in unprepared.
But because gacha has become so core to Japanese gaming, diving into these games almost goes hand in hand with experiencing the important aspects of modern otaku culture. Titles such as Fate/Grand Order, Granblue Fantasy, or BanG Dream! are massive multimedia franchises that have spawned their own anime, spin-offs, and merchandises.
Even their presence at anime conventions across the globe has simply become a matter of fact, with many fans cosplaying as their favourite characters, or coming up with fanart and phrases that only those privy to the games could understand. The trend has only accelerated now that Japanese developers are pushing for these games to be localised to English and various other languages.

The games themselves typically run as youâ€™d imagine from a service game, and are constantly updated with new stories, game modes, events and characters. Itâ€™s not uncommon to also see daily quests and welcome campaigns that may hound you to spend a little more of your time on the game.

If you do have the time and willpower to enjoy them, however, some of these gamesâ€™ art and music directions can be genuinely great.

But again, itâ€™s always worth educating yourself on each game and their monetisation strategies before diving in. Though many of these games are free-to-play, you should go in expecting to experience and fend off a sensory overload of prompts that will exploit the urge to pull out your wallet.
The future of Japanese mobile games and the return to consoles
A Japanese game industry driven by mobile phones and gambling can sound like a dismal fall from grace for a country that once revolutionised gaming with timeless classics such as Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star, Street Fighter, and more.

But with the rise of idols, concerts, TV shows, and a genuine joy surrounding these franchises, one might be tempted to argue that this shift represented nothing more than the passage of time, as a busy and connected society struggled to find ample time for games at home.

And yet, despite this reality, mobile games may soon begin to reinvest their profits into the console games that started it all.
In 2016, developer Cygames made a splash when they announced a fully-fledged JRPG title, called Granblue Fantasy: Relink, for the PlayStation 4 based on their popular mobile game of the same name.

Though this would have normally been met with glazed eyes, the crisp polish in the gameplay, as well as the name of well-known action game developer Platinum Games, invoked plenty of interest.
Further adding to the mix was a console title being developed by the company exclusively in-house, called Project Awakening.

Featuring a realistic-looking knight as he faced off against a scaly lizard, the gameâ€™s teaser in 2018 offered barely any information but at the very least reaffirmed the companyâ€™s commitment to the console gaming space.
Cut to 2019 and Cygames announces yet another title in the form of a fighting game called Granblue Versus, headed by anime fighter veterans Arc System Works.

Close to their vests were two prominent faces of the Japanese esports scene, Daigo Umehara, and Fuudo, that would inevitably help in promoting the game.

That a newcomer to console games is able to confidently step forward with three high-profile console games speaks volumes about the sheer amount of money mobile games actually make.

It also points at a possibility that another industry shift is in motion after more than a decade of money making in the mobile market. With the growing stagnation in the performance of gacha games, and a market share thatâ€™s slowly being eroded against South Korean and Chinese competitors, Japanese game developers are being pressured to diversify their businesses and transform their IPs into other mediums.
Though some may decide to delve into forays that hold very little in common with gaming, such as hotels or stage plays, perhaps a successful run by Cygames with HD games might act as a motivator behind a possible resurgence of big Japanese console games in the years to come. The market has, in truth, had the means to do so for a long time.


What You Need To Know About Scarlet Nexus, The Next Big Anime RPG Game From Bandai Namco

Article originally published on 24th March. Brought forward to be in line with the game’s release this month.
If anime games, RPGs, and the wombo-combo of both are your thing, you’ll be pleased to know that Scarlet Nexus is going to be a big one for you to get hyped about.
Thanks to a recent Bandai Namco livestream, we now know a lot more about this upcoming action RPG. Let’s break it down for you.

You Play Two Characters & Check Out Their Sides Of The Story
You can pick between two protagonists: Yuito Sumeragi, an eager recruit of the Other Suppression Force, and Kasane Randall, the mysterious female scout who has powers exceeding those of her OSF peers. You have to play both characters to unlock and discover both sides of the story.
Will there be a third story where both Yuito and Kasane work with each other and deal with forces even more dire and dangerous than plant mutants? Probably, since this is a self-contained anime game that seems to borrow a number of tropes from other anime games and shows.
You Will Be Throwing A Lot Of Cars & Objects At Enemies
Scarlet Nexus features real-time action RPG combat where you can use your “kinetic psychic” powers to throw things at the game’s monsters called the Others. Just like games with telekinesis mechanics like Psi-Ops and Control, Yuito and Kasane can use bits of the environment and chuck them hard onto bad guys for big damage and to rack up a huge combo count while your melee and ranged moves finish the job.
You Can Also Go Super-Saiyan

If you have a power gauge filled up, you can trigger a special mode where you have unlimited “brain power” to auto-throw objects at enemies and just spam unlimited special moves for a few seconds. This is going to be your trump card in case your health is low or if you are swarmed with too many Others big and small to kill.
It Probably Won’t Be That Open World
This being a game made by the Tales Of team, Scarlet Nexus is an RPG set mainly in a kinda open-world city. The main backdrop is called New Himuka, a futuristic city that’s a mish-mash of Western and Japanese aesthetics. The game will probably be about 30 hours or so, but you will be set on a linear story path with each character, with some illusion of choice and nonlinear approach to sidequesting and exploration. Almost like a Tales Of game.
Make Friends, Get More Powerful

The game’s Struggle Arms System (SAS) lets you channel your party member’s powers to use as your own, usually in a modified and more powerful way. However, these moves will not get more powerful unless you make friends and spend time with them. Through the Bond Benefits system, doing sidequests for them means more SAS moves and passives to power your character up.
Scarlet Nexus also has a skill tree that unlocks more abilities for either Yuito or Kasane, whether it’s extra attacks and cancel options or more powerful SAS and “brain super” abilities. Check out the complete skill list here.
There’s Going To Be An Anime On This Game

The 2D anime adaptation will be produced by Sunrise and will be streamed on Funimation in Summer 2021, a month or so after the release of the game. Its plot will basically be coinciding with the events of the game; think of it as supplementary material to the core Scarlet Nexus experience.
You can watch the first episode below (via Wakanim Nordic):

There Are Husbandos & Waifus For Everyone!

The most important criteria of any anime game: handsome and pretty boys & girls for you to gawk/cosplay as. Scarlet Nexus is no exception: the guys will clearly simp over Hanabi Ichijo, Tsugumi Nazar, chainsaw girl Arashi Spring, and the well-endowed Kyoka Eden.

The girls will go for Shiden Ritter, Kagero Donne, Gemma Garrison, and Nagi Karman. And maybe Luka Travers if they like guy lolis. We’re not judging.
Scarlet Nexus will be out on 25th June for Xbox Series, Xbox One, PC, PS4, and PS5. While you’re waiting for its release, check out the gameplay of both Yuito and Kasane below.


E3 2019 Heroine Ikumi Nakamura Leaves Zenimax

Ask anyone who watched Bethesda’s conference at E3 2019 and 9 times out of 10, I guarantee you that they’ll say Ikumi Nakamura was one of the best highlights of the entire expo. Her cheerful and sincere display of passion during her stage appearance still makes me smile when I remember it.
However, it seems that Ikumi will no longer be working on GhostWire: Toyko (the game she presented at E3). After 9 years of being creative director and art director at Tango Gameworks, she tweeted out an announcement stating that her journey with the company has come to an end.

After 9 years as Creative director & Art Director at Tango and Zenimax – I felt here is one of ends of the journeys . I learned from the talented people I’ve worked with and I respect. ðŸ™ðŸ˜Š Contact me if anyone wants to work with me! â†’ã€€https://t.co/4VKLdY2ejl pic.twitter.com/Hbsuta3Rgo
â€” Ikumi Nakamura @TGS2019 (@nakamura193) September 4, 2019
It’s weird that Ikumi would leave after generating so much attention towards GhostWire: Tokyo. The game still doesn’t have a release date and no gameplay footage has been shown yet which suggests it’s still pretty early in its development.
With her experience in leading the creative decisions for games like The Evil Within and its sequel, Tango (owned by Zenimax) is definitely going to have a hard time replacing her.

Nonetheless, it’s something for fans of Ms. Nakamura to be celebrating as it strongly signifies that she is excited to lead new projects and gain more experience in the video game industry.
Where will her adventure take her next?
In the words of Ikumi herself, “mite ne!”


90s Rural Indonesian Point-&-Click Adventure Is Available Now In Demo Form

We checked out Coffee Talk from Toge Productions and it was really fun. So naturally, we look forward to anything they’re either developing or publishing. Well, if you want more slice-of-life games set in esoteric locations, you may want to check out A Space for the Unbound.
The adventure game is developed by Mojiken Studio and published by Toge Productions, and is set in a 90s rural Indonesia backdrop. The game comes with themes of anxiety, depression, and childhood friendship, with a supernatural twist on top. If that sounds like a rockin’ good time for you, the demo is out now on Steam.

The demo is about 20 to 30 minutes long, and it does tug at your heartstrings with its story of innocent days in a Southeast Asian countryside-esque area. It’s also got a nifty 90s visual art style reminiscent of SCUMM-made adventure games made back in the day. Just experiencing this Makoto Shinkai-inspired game makes me want to recap all the best adventure games out there in that glorious-yet-saturated period.
Seriously, check it out now. It’s quite a chill yet mysterious game. There’s no release date yet though, but we’ll be sure to keep an eye on this hidden gem of an indie title.


Steam Replay 2022: How To Access Your Steam PC Year In Review

2022 is going to be over soon, and just like most gaming platforms, Steam has its Replay feature that lets you see how much time you’ve spent playing games on the platform.
Valve’s Steam is one of the most long-standing platforms for PC gaming and game distribution, equipped with tons of features and a near-infinite amount of titles. So yes, it needs the Steam Replay 2022 to have players see their highs and lows in this year of gaming. Here’s how you can access it.
How To Access My 2022 Steam Replay?

Easy: just head to the Steam website. Or just open up your Steam app today; the prompt will pop up. You can also change your replay’s visibility settings so that you can either keep it to yourself, or share it among friends or the public, as well as save the graphic version for your social media tool like Twitter or Instagram.
What’s On My 2022 Steam Replay?
Your 2022 Steam Replay shows off the list of games you play, as well as your playtime for each month. The replay also shows a breakdown of the total number of sessions, your longest streak, and achievements you’ve earned. You can also compare how your year stacked up against the community on average. According to the replay page, Steam users earn an average of only 21 achievements, played only 5 games, and achieved a 9-day streak in 2022.


Age Of Empires 4 Xbox Version Is Reportedly In Development

Age Of Empires 4Â launched on PC and Xbox Game Pass on 28 October 2021. Since then, itâ€™s had a very good launch, even exceeding a whoppingÂ 70,000 concurrent players at its peak.
The Twitter account @ALumia_Italia usually searches the Xbox database for codenames and other product information. What’s interesting is that they have discovered that a codename “Cardinal” had been added to the Xbox database, which apparently is related to Age Of Empires 4.

XIP_CAR_JANUARY_2022 (aka CARDINAL_JANUARY_2022) now available for internal testing in the Xbox insider Hub
— Aggiornamenti Lumia (@ALumia_Italia) January 8, 2022

What could it mean? It might mean that an Xbox version of the RTS game might finally be in development by Relic Entertainment. However, we should take all of this with a grain of salt for now, as nothing has been confirmed by Microsoft or Relic Entertainment.
For more details and information on the roadmap for Age Of Empires 4 in 2022, head on over here.


Overwatch Halloween Terror 2021 Is Now Live

What aÂ frightfully fun time of year! Overwatch Halloween Terror is now live on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch! Cosmetic unlocks from previous events will also be available, alongside new rewards you can earn this year. Log in from 12 October to 2 November 2021 for a scaryÂ good time!
JUNKENSTEINâ€™S REVENGE – WEEKLY CHALLENGES

Play 9 / 18 / 27 games in Quick Play, Arcade, or Competitive Play to earn rewards.
Winning games counts as playing two games.
All Junkensteinâ€™s Revenge missions will be available throughout the event (Vengeful Ghost, Volatile Zomnics, Mystery Swap, Frenzied Stampede, Three They Were, Shocking Surprise)
Week 1

Play 9 Games | Skeleton Genji Spray
Play 18 Games | Skeleton Genji Player Icon
Play 27 Games | Skeleton Genji Epic Skin

Week 2

Play 9 Games | Einherjar Zarya Spray
Play 18 Games | Einherjar Zarya Player Icon
Play 27 Games | Einherjar Zarya Epic Skin

Week 3

Play 9 Games | Clown Roadhog Spray
Play 18 Games | Clown Roadhog Player Icon
Play 27 Games | Clown Roadhog Epic Skin

NEW COSMETICS

Aside from the Weekly Challenge rewards, new rewards consist of five Legendary Skins:

Draugr Reinhardt
Satyr Lucio
Vampire Bat Echo
Coffin Bastion
Vampire Hunter Brigitte

In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Here Are Your PlayStation Blog GOTY 2020 Nominees

The PlayStation.Blog Game of the Year polls are now live and you can vote on PlayStation Blog now. There are 17 categories this year, and the polls will remain open until 3.59pm GMT+8 on 14 December 2020.
Malaysian-based Metronomik’s No Straight Roads managed to garner two nominations, including Best Independent Game and Best Soundtrack.
Check out the nominees below:
Best Narrative
13 Sentinels: Aegis RimBugsnaxFinal Fantasy VII RemakeGenshin ImpactGhost of TsushimaHavenKentucky Route Zero: TV EditionThe Last of Us Part IIMarvel’s AvengersMarvelâ€™s Spider-Man: Miles MoralesSpiritfarerYakuza: Like A Dragon
Best Use of the DualSense Wireless Controller
Astroâ€™s PlayroomBorderlands 3Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarDemonâ€™s SoulsGodfallImmortals Fenyx RisingMarvelâ€™s Spider-Man: Miles MoralesThe PathlessSackboy: A Big Adventure
Best Accessibility Features
Assassinâ€™s Creed: ValhallaBugsnaxCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarDoom EternalDreamsFinal Fantasy VII RemakeGhost of TsushimaImmortals Fenyx RisingLair of the Clockwork GodThe Last of Us Part IIMadden NFL 21Marvel’s AvengersMarvelâ€™s Spider-Man: Miles MoralesMoving OutOvercooked All You Can EatTorchlight IIIWatch Dogs Legion
Best Graphical Showcase
Assassin’s Creed ValhallaCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarDemonâ€™s SoulsFinal Fantasy VII RemakeGhost of TsushimaThe Last of Us Part IIMarvelâ€™s Spider-Man: Miles MoralesNBA 2K21Resident Evil 3
Best Art Direction
13 Sentinels: Aegis RimAstroâ€™s PlayroomBugsnaxCupheadDemonâ€™s SoulsDestiny 2: Beyond LightDoom EternalFall GuysFinal Fantasy VII RemakeGenshin ImpactGhost of TsushimaHavenImmortals Fenyx RisingThe Last of Us Part IIManifold GardenMarvelâ€™s Spider-Man: Miles MoralesNioh 2Persona 5 RoyalThe PathlessSackboy: A Big AdventureSakuna: Of Rice and RuinSpelunky 2
Best Soundtrack
Astroâ€™s PlayroomCrash Bandicoot 4: It’s About TimeCupheadDemonâ€™s SoulsDoom EternalFIFA 21Final Fantasy VII RemakeFuserGhost of TsushimaHuntdownThe Last of Us Part IIMarvelâ€™s Spider-Man: Miles MoralesNBA 2K21No Straight RoadsPersona 5 RoyalSackboy: A Big AdventureStreets of Rage 4Tony Hawkâ€™s Pro-Skater 1 + 2Trials of Mana
Best Sound Design
Assassinâ€™s Creed ValhallaAstroâ€™s PlayroomCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarDemon’s SoulsDestiny 2: Beyond LightDoom EternalFuserGhost of TsushimaThe Last of Us Part IIResident Evil 3Spelunky 2Watch Dogs: Legion
Best Multiplayer
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarCall of Duty: WarzoneDemonâ€™s SoulsDestiny 2: Beyond LightFall Guys: Ultimate KnockoutGenshin ImpactGhost of TsushimaGodfallMarvelâ€™s AvengersPredator: Hunting GroundsStar Wars: SquadronsWorms Rumble
Best Sports Game
Dirt 5F1 2020FIFA 21Madden NFL 21MLB The Show 20NBA 2K21NHL 21Ride 4Skater XLSuper Mega Baseball 3Tony Hawkâ€™s Pro-Skater 1 + 2
Best New Character
Abby (The Last of Us Part II)The BugsnaxEivor (Assassin’s Creed Valhalla)The Fall Guys (Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout)Ichiban Kasuga (Yakuza: Like a Dragon)Jin Sakai (Ghost of Tsushima)Kamala Khan (Marvelâ€™s Avengers)Kasumi (Persona 5 Royal)Miles Morales as Spider-Man
Best Independent Game
BugsnaxCreaksFall Guys: Ultimate KnockoutHavenIkenfellManifold GardenNo Straight RoadsThe PathlessSkater XLSpelunky 2SpiritfarerWorms Rumble
Gaming Moment of the Year
Astro’s Playroom: Experiencing haptics and adaptive triggers for the first timeAssassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla: Blowing the raiding hornControl: Jesse Faden starring in Swift PlatformDemonâ€™s Souls: Beating Tower KnightDoom Eternal: Firing the BFG 10KFall Guys: Ultimate Knockout: Getting your first CrownFinal Fantasy VII Remake: Honeybee Inn performance sceneGhost of Tsushima: Horseback title sequencePersona 5 Royal: Kasumiâ€™s Phantom Thief transformationThe Last of Us Part II: Final showdownMarvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales: The bridge sequenceSackboy: A Big Adventure: Playing the first musical stage
Best PS VR Experience
DreamsMarvelâ€™s Iron Man VRPaper BeastPistol WhipPixel Ripped 1995Star Wars: SquadronsThe Room VR: A Dark MatterThe Walking Dead: Saints and SinnersUntil You FallVader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series
PS4 Game of the Year
Assassinâ€™s Creed ValhallaCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarCrash Bandicoot 4: Itâ€™s About TimeDoom EternalDreamsFinal Fantasy VII RemakeGenshin ImpactGhost of TsushimaThe Last of Us Part IINioh 2Resident Evil 3Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man: Miles MoralesSackboy: A Big AdventureStar Wars: SquadronsWatch Dogs: Legion
PS5 Game of the Year
Assassinâ€™s Creed ValhallaAstro’s PlayroomBugsnaxCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarDemonâ€™s SoulsGodfallHavenMarvelâ€™s Spider-Man: Miles MoralesSackboy: A Big AdventureWatch Dogs: Legion
Most Anticipated Game
DeathloopElden RingThe Elder Scrolls VIFar Cry 6Final Fantasy XVIGhostWire: TokyoGran Turismo 7Hogwarts LegacyHorizon Forbidden WestNew God of War titleNieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139â€¦Project AthiaRatchet & Clank: Rift ApartResident Evil VillageReturnal
Studio of the Year
Bluepoint GamesInsomniac GamesNaughty DogMedia MoleculemiHoYoSquare EnixSucker Punch


Samsung’s Latest Neo QLED TVs Will Return Living Rooms Into the Focal Point of Home Entertainment

For many households, the television has always been the focal point of the living room. However, all of this changed with the advent of smaller, nimbler and more capable computer monitors. Instead of consuming media like watching shows and playing games on the largest screen at home, trends have shifted to these smaller yet more capable screens.
Just like most of you reading this, we too, subscribed to this idea for long until recently. Having spent a good amount of time not only watching our favourite shows on Samsung’s latest offering which we recently unboxed, we also dabbled in playing console games on it and boy we have to tell you. It’s hard to go back to our old habits.
Thanks to our friends at Samsung, we managed to test out the latest range of top-shelf, high-end TVs, specifically the 75-inch Neo QLED TV. The unboxing portion was an experience itself, with Samsung opting for a more environmentally-friendly packaging approach. This is part of the company’s global approach to increasing its eco-friendliness one of which, involved using recycled materials as seen in their recent smartphones and lessening wastage when it comes to packaging.
Not only focusing on the product being delivered, the steps required to unbox and install the device were also taken into account to ensure minimal chance of disaster even before you turn it on. Aces!
Giant-Sized Clarity

And now, the product itself. The word ‘huge’ alone does not do it justice. It’s massive, and the 75-inch model which we reviewed isn’t even the largest model in its lineup. The award goes to the 85-inch variant and we highly recommend you bring a tape measure if you do not have a point of reference. Sporting an ultra-sleek design with super-thin bezels, the Neo QLED TV instantly transforms itself into the highlight of any living room while at the same time, elevating your media consumption experience.
For the purpose of the review, the Neo QLED TV was set up in a brightly, naturally-lit room. Even with the sun at its peak (if you’ve been in Malaysia these past few weeks, you’d know how hot the days have been), we didn’t experience any drop in picture quality. The tech and marketing jargon which came with the model emphasises on the processing power – the Neural Quantum Processor 4K – which, using artificial intelligence, upscales what’s on-screen regardless of the quality of the original source. In layman’s terms, this allows ‘older’ content to feel more current, even though they were never originally meant to be viewed in 4K.
On paper, lovers of older movies or streaming content in lower resolution would instantly notice this effect. We have to attest – it works brilliantly. Re-consuming our classic shows such as Ghostbusters and Back to the Future have never been so satisfying and this alone is worth the price of admission (and this is huge, but more on that later).

Another feature heavily emphasized when marketing the product was the Quantum Matrix Technology. Based on our experience consuming various types of content in varying levels of lighting, this feature ensures what is being shown on the screen remains consistent. You know how for some shows, there is a ‘best’ way to consume them – like in a dimly-lit or bright setting for example in order to capture all the details on screen. With the Neo QLED, this requirement has been cast aside making it perfect for those who want to upgrade their living room with a plug-and-play addition, sans the need to renovate or rearrange their present setup.
Massive & Multimedia-Made
Sports fans would love this feature considering the varying lighting conditions shown in different arenas. One second you’re enjoying the outdoor atmosphere of an F1 race crowd and next, intense lighting on the pitch of the Champions League final.
Sound-wise, the TV is best paired with a soundbar to extract the best viewing experience regardless of content. We’ve paired the Neo QLED TV with the Q800 Q-Series soundbar which serves as the perfect audio complement to the already astounding picture quality. A smart TV supported by a ton of apps, it is needless to say that the Neo QLED TV instantly elevates any living room or entertainment hall setup. Your standard streaming apps like Netflix, HBO GO, Prime and even the local sports-centric app Sooka all work well on the Neo QLED. Navigation around the system is pretty straightforward and intuitive even for the most non tech-savvy folks out there.
Eyes will immediately be drawn to it regardless of what’s showing and weirdly enough, its modernistic silhouette fits right in regardless of aesthetic. There are four HDMI ports, including 1 dedicated eARC port all situated at the rear. On top of that, two USB ports and a dedicated LAN port complete the input/ output array.
But Kakuchopurei’s main trade is video games media consumption and we will tell you this. Once you’ve hooked up your console to the Neo QLED TV, you’d be hard-pressed to return to your older screen. Be it Diablo IV, FIFA 23, Elden Ring, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 or F12023 – gaming on 4K, 120Hz is oh so satisfying. Each detail is captured majestically and fans of games showing off vast vistas or dense urban environments would instantly notice the upgrade. Of course, all of these are console-reliant, like the Xbox Series X or the PlayStation 5.
Nonetheless, the gaming experience does not diminish even with ‘older’ or ‘lower powered’ machines like the PlayStation 4 Pro or the Xbox Series S. You still get crispier graphics, a high refresh rate, and lots of real estate to enjoy compared to on screens you played on before. Although we have to admit, it did require some getting used to as you’ll now have to actually move your head a bit to spot what’s at the corner of the screen, rather than simply glancing at it quickly.
Certain gaming consoles, like the Xbox Series X/S, allow you to control the TV with the controller allowing a quick startup for those short bursts of gaming sessions. As an added advantage to present Samsung smartphone users, they can navigate through the Neo QLED by using the SmartThings app as long as both devices are connected to the same Wifi network. Talk about convenience.
Overall, you can’t go wrong with the Samsung Neo QLED TV. TVs are at the very least, a medium-term investment, something that will stay with you for at least for a couple of years. It will set the tone and aesthetics of one’s living space; influencing the ways you spend your downtime at home. Starting at a hefty RM 13,309.00 for the 75-inch variant, it is indeed a sizeable chunk to spend on. Add another RM 3,079.00 for the soundbar to complete the mini home theatre set, that’s already a small fortune. But the value of quality entertainment lies in the eyes of the beholder and if you have the means to afford one and are looking for a setup that’s a solid all-rounder, look no further than this giant.

Final Score: 90/100
Review units of the Samsung QLED TV (75-inch) and the Q800 Q-Series soundbar was provided by Samsung Malaysia. For more details to purchase your own Neo QLED TV, head on over here.


The Assassin’s Creed Universe Is Growing With New Comics, Novels & More

Ubisoft has announced collaborations with a host of acclaimed publishers, talented authors and illustrators to continue expanding the Assassinâ€™s Creed universe to new forms of media. Assassinâ€™s Creed fans around the world can find out more about the various stories springing from their favourite franchise by visiting the new website detailing the publishing line for 2021 and beyond at the official website here.
With the upcoming launches of new novels, graphic novels, manhuas, webtoons and more recently a series of podcasts, the Assassinâ€™s Creed narrative is expanding across all formats: novels, illustrated fiction, and digital works.
Ubisoft is currently working with a large network of publishing partners, each bringing their own expertise, to further develop the Assassinâ€™s Creed universe. Aconyte Books, Editis, and Starfish are developing original novels in their respective languages (English, French, and Chinese).
On the comics and graphic novels front, Glenat will publish original French graphic novels, while Dark Horse Comics has released an Assassinâ€™s Creed comics mini-series in English and Ulab has developed original manhuas. On the digital side, Chinese partner Ximalaya is about to launch its first Assassinâ€™s Creed narrative podcast, while Korean studio Redice will produce the first Assassinâ€™s Creed webtoon ever.
To better classify the wide range of existing and upcoming Assassinâ€™s Creed transmedia offerings, Ubisoft is creating three labels that will help fans to choose their next read:

Classics: direct adaptations based on stories from the video games.
Chronicles: new adventures featuring favourite iconic Assassins.
Originals: new narratives featuring new protagonists and time periods.

Here is a selection of the new releases slated for this year:
ILLUSTRATED FICTION:

ASSASSINâ€™S CREEDÂ BLADE OF SHAO JUN (MANGA) (ORIGINALS):Â A griping manga adaptation of Shao Junâ€™s story from Assassinâ€™s Creed Chronicles China. Readers can unveil a tale set in 1526AD, where faced with turmoil and the decimation of her comrades, Shao Jun has become Chinaâ€™s last Assassin. After escaping to Europe, she has now returned alone to her homeland. Her purposeâ€“vengeance.

Assassinâ€™s Creed Blade of Shao Jun can be found in bookstores across Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. For more info, visit Shokagukan Asia. https://shogakukan.asia/distribution-network/

ASSASSINâ€™S CREEDÂ DYNASTY (MANHUA) (ORIGINALS):Â First launched as a webcomic in China by local developmentÂ partner ULAB, Assassinâ€™s Creed Dynasty has already garnered more than 150 million views online, and ranked top 3 of the Wuxia genre on Tencent platform. It will soon be available in other territories in paperback. Readers will be able to follow the adventures of Li E, an Assassin trying to save the Tang Dynasty from a civil war.

ASSASSIN’S CREEDÂ VALHALLA: BLOOD BROTHERSÂ (MANHUA) (CHRONICLES):Â Fans will soon be able to discover the epic tale of two brave Viking brothers in this manhua set in the world ofâ€¯Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, not long before the exploits of Eivor the Wolf-Kissed.
ASSASSIN’S CREEDÂ VALHALLA FRENCH GRAPHIC NOVEL (CHRONICLES):Â GlÃ©nat Editions will release this original graphic novel in Fall 2021 in France. Readers will discover the tale of an aspiring Assassin and a Christian monk, as they set out on a quest that will take them from Ravensthorpe to the mystery-filled heights of Scotland.

NOVELS:Â

ASSASSINâ€™S CREEDÂ FRAGMENTS YOUNG ADULT TRILOGY (ORIGINALS): Fragments is a newÂ young adult book series developed in partnership with the French publishing houseÂ Editis. This action-adventureÂ historical fiction saga will feature teens caught up in the centuries-old Assassin-Templar feud and explore the nature of the relationship between the siblings. Each book in the series will take readers to a different time period and location, with new protagonists.Â The first volume is set in 19thÂ Century Japan, the second inÂ 13thÂ Century Scotland and the third in 17thÂ Century France.

ASSASSINâ€™S CREEDÂ THE JADE SEALÂ COLLECTION (ORIGINALS): From the Zhou Dynasty (4th Century BC) to the Ming Dynasty (17th Century), this collection expands our franchise through a range of ten novels exploring Chinese history at large. Emperors, courtiers, legendary martial artists, poets, philosophers, and many other important figures from Chinese history will play their part in this multi-secular fight. New Assassins, but also new arch-enemies will join the ranks of our franchise from these epic novels written by six well-known Chinese writers and soon to be available in China.

ASSASSINâ€™S CREEDÂ THE MING STORM (CHRONICLES):Â Written by bestselling Chinese authorÂ Yan Leisheng, this novel is the start of an action-packed trilogy set in 16th century China featuring Shao Jun, a young Assassin and already a fan favourite from the franchise as the main protagonist of the Ubisoftâ€™sâ€¯Assassinâ€™s Creed Chronicles: Chinaâ€¯video game. Aconyte Books will publish the novel in the US and Canada on June 1, 2021.

DIGITAL:

ASSASSINâ€™S CREEDÂ TURBULENCE IN THE MING DYNASTY PODCAST (CHRONICLES):Â Developed and broadcastedÂ by Chinaâ€™s leading podcast platformÂ Ximalaya, this audio adaptation of the Ming Dynasty novel is voiced by a first-rateÂ cast fromÂ the Chinese film industry, including Liu Yan as Shao Jun. Enriched with audio FX and a moving score, this podcast is the perfect format to become fully immersed in China during 16thÂ Century Ming Dynasty.

WEBTOON (ORIGINALS):Â This Korean webtoon will serve as a sequel to Assassinâ€™s CreedÂ® Black Flag and expand Edward Kenwayâ€™s storyline. It is currently in development with partner Redice.

In the meantime, check outÂ our full review ofÂ Assassinâ€™s Creed ValhallaÂ here, orÂ head on over here for our guideÂ on how to be the best Viking in the game.


Rhapsody Marl Kingdom Chronicles Announced, Sequels Getting Localized For The First Time

NIS America has announced Rhapsody Marl Kingdom Chronicles for the PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It will include 1999’s Rhapsody II: Ballad Of The Little Princess and 2000’s Rhapsody III: Memories Of Marl Kingdom, both of which are getting English localizations for the first time.
It will launch sometime in summer 2023 with English and Japanese audio, and English-only text. However, the PC versions will only be available individually.
Players will experience the continuation of 1998’s Rhapsody A Musical Adventure told through two of the sequels coming to the West for the first time. Following in the footsteps of her mother Cornet, young Kururu sets out on a journey to find her own prince in Rhapsody II Ballad Of The Little Princess.
In Rhapsody III Memories Of Marl Kingdom, a series of charming chapters concludes the stories of Rhapsody and its characters. Players will experience events that occur before, during, and after the previous Rhapsody titles, including a heartfelt conclusion about Cornet’s mother, Cherie. The revamped and refined battle system comes with combined character attacks and the addition of a 3D camera.
Check out the trailer below, and stay tuned on the official website here:


Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Is Like Empire to Fallen Order’s A New Hope

Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
Genre: Action Adventure Soulslike In A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Everything any Star Wars fan seek for when they play as a Jedi in a video game, the action-adventure sequel Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has it all.
Improving on an already solid debut with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order in 2019, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor serves as a perfect sequel to not only expand the story of Cal Kestis in the video game, but it also seamlessly bridges the TV shows and films together. While those who did not follow the Disney Plus shows like The Mandalorian, Andor and The Bad Batch won’t feel lost, those who watch these shows religiously will instantly feel rewarded thanks to the numerous easter eggs and references peppered throughout.
In our review of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, we labelled the game as ‘the best Star Wars game in years’. Thankfully, Survivor didn’t suffer the dreaded curse of the sequel by delivering an improved game in all aspects.
Stayin’ Alive … And Prospering

Survivor picks up several years following the end of Fallen Order. A more mature and grizzled Cal has carried on with his mission of fighting against the Galactic Empire but the same cannot be said about the original crew of The Mantis – Greef, Cere and Merrin. Due to a major turning point revealed as you progress deeper into the game, we will learn what caused this breakup but also what everyone else has been up to.
Following a chain of events, Cal encounters an ancient threat which would either save the Jedi Order or destroy it completely. This takes gamers to familiar territories as Cal uses his advanced movements set to get through obstacles and solve puzzles throughout.
Exhilarating, challenging yet rewarding lightsaber gameplay like in the original game? Check, and there’s more. In the first game, Cal was limited to only a handful of lightsaber stances – the standard, double-bladed and towards the end, a dual-wield. In Survivor, he’s expanded his arsenal with a bevvy of tools and tricks to take down his enemies.

Unlocked quite early in the game, Cal gets an option to pair his lightsaber with a blaster or if he feels like it, a fighting stance which focuses on heavy hits. Opting for this stance gives Cal’s lightsaber vents for that cross guard look popularized by Kylo Ren in the sequel trilogies. Mounts have also been introduced to help Cal traverse wide areas or to reach specific sections on the map. Yes, as shown in the trailers, you get to engage with enemies while on the mount but we feel you are better off with both feet on the ground.
Developers Respawn also took note of the biggest complaint from the first game – the limited customization options. In Survivor, not only get to change Cal’s attire this time around, but also dabble with his facial features – facial hair and hairdo. These looks are stashed in hidden loot crates scattered throughout the map hence more the reason to venture off the main questline path.
Killin’ Stormtroopers Like A Boss

The lightsaber customization is even more detailed this time around, down to your ability to choose the look of the vents of your lightsaber if you have the cross guard stance selected. The materials and looks for Cal’s weapons are also scattered in loot crates around the map, and if you’re lucky enough, would be able to score Beskar steel which in turn, can be equipped as Cal’s lightsaber.
Gameplay-wise, Survivor does not stray away far from the potent formula set in Fallen Order. A semi-open world is unleashed upon you and you will have to find your own way to navigate through the labyrinth laden with enemies, traps and deadly local flora and fauna. Unlike the first game where Cal had to relearn all of the traversal and combat skills, Cal comes with all of these skillsets which he is equipped with towards the endgame of Fallen Order.
Traversal is also fluid as in the first game and Titanfall 2, if not better. As the game progresses, you will be forced to utilize all the tricks available to you to get to a certain point on the map or gain an upper hand in combat. Getting the jump on unsuspecting grunts is always satisfying.
And the best kicker of all? HUMAN. DISMEMBERMENT. Many complained about the lack of human and humanoid creatures’ limbs getting chopped off in the last game so this time around, killing blows will mostly result in some appendage getting detached. Of course, this effect can be toggled off, but why would you?
This Is Not The Way
However, just like Emperor Palpatine’s unwelcomed return in The Rise of Skywalker …

…some frustration from the previous game managed to reappear. Imagine getting constantly lost in multiple areas simply due to either not having the necessary skillset or equipment to get past a certain obstacle. We blame this mostly on hints blending in too well with the surroundings and the (still) terrible navigation map which was among the worst parts brought over from the original game.
More often than not, we found ourselves squinting at the surrounding areas for clues on how to get to the other side of the gorge instead of bulldozing our way through waves of Stormtroopers. This can get annoying quickly, and while Respawn did add a Navigational Assistance which at least alert players whether they are on the right track, feels quite lackluster.

Another issue we encountered are the constant bugs – the tech sort, not the in-game ones although they too can be annoying – and crashes (happened about twice if we recall correctly) when reviewing the game on PC. Now our machine is no chump. It runs on a decent RTX3070 card but we still suffered stuttering, and drops in frame rates especially when being swarmed by enemies which is the norm. This case isn’t entirely new, as even in Fallen Order, Respawn had to contend with countless bugs after launch.
Hence, we highly recommend either play this game on your home consoles, or wait for at least two rounds of patches & PC fixes for a much more hassle-free experience.
This Is…
When it comes to the battles, those who have sharpened their reaction times in Elden Ring, for example, would have a field day parrying attacks and deflecting blaster fire while simultaneously juggling their Force meter. The skill tree has been expanded to cater to a much wider array of playstyles which should satisfy all types of players. In certain instances, Cal also gets to team up with another team member to take down hordes of enemies. A well-timed combo with the team member will result in a cool finishing move so keep an eye out on the the ally meter and their positions on the map. Boss battles are varied enough and as fun as ever which adds a ton of replayability via the Training Mode.

In short, these battles, while ridiculously challenging at higher difficulties, are super rewarding once you are able to pull off that perfect run while taking in zero damage. Of course, when things get too hot to handle, you can always reduce the challenge on the fly in the game settings.
Apart from the main questline which should take you anywhere between 25 to 35 hours to complete depending on your difficulty settings, Cal is able to take up a ton of side quests which include exploring hidden parts of the map or simply go hunting for specific targets. These activities normally reward you with cosmetic items but the XP gained definitely contributes to Cal’s skill tree.
A New Hope
In Survivor, Respawn again was able to craft a Star Wars Jedi-centric game which is befitting of the franchise. Everything good from Fallen Order was either brought over or improved, like its combat & lightsaber styles. Gripes especially in the cosmetics department were fully addressed while post-end game activities were also beefed up. Our complaint still lies with the navigation throughout the maps, especially for first-time players.
Sure the navigation part and bugs on PC provide a slight wrinkle. But don’t let that dissuade you from picking up what is essentially, THE BEST Star Wars game in the market come release day, supplanting its prequel – like The Empire Strikes Back to A New Hope. Easy said, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the most fun we’ve had with a Star Wars game since, well, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. And that’s a huge deal.

Pros

Brilliant overall game design.
Engaging story.
Well-written characters.
Deeper dive into modern Star Wars lore.
Exciting set-pieces and combat scenarios.
Fun boss fights.

Cons

Navigation UI didn’t change much from the first game.
Technical issues (PC version) that detract from the immersive Star Wars experience.

Final Score: 90/100
Review copy provided by EA.


Guardian Tales Celebrates The New Year With Free Summon Event

Kakao Games’ Guardian Tales is a mobile adventure RPG game and it’s welcoming the new year with a special event that allows players to summon heroes or equipment for free. The game is fully packed with addictive puzzles and deep storyline quests.

Guardian Tales celebrates New Year 2021 with a Free Summon Event up to 50 times, whether it’s heroes or equipment. The event allows players to summon ten times per day in five days straight for a limited time, from today to 25 January 2021.

 Besides that, Guardian Tales has been updated with new various features and events. These include the New Year Road Map event and the Guardian Pass, which players can collect points and exchange for more exclusive rewards.

Guardian Tales is now available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.


[Report] Spider-Man: Far From Home Spoiler Could Change The MCU Forever

Now that Avengers: Endgame has arrived, fans are looking forward to seeing what’s next for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and that comes with Spider-Man: Far From Home. A rumor has popped up, one that could change the MCU forever, so keep in mind that spoilers will be flowing freely below.

We already know that the upcoming movie will highly likely be featuring a post-Avengers Endgame world, and that means a lot of people will be settling into a world that’s five years ahead. Thanos is gone, and so has several founding members of the Avengers, in a world with such a different status quo than it was before.
According to MCU Cosmic, a rumour states that the Mysterio that Nick Fury introduces to Spider-Man in Far From Home will say that he’s actually from a different Earth.
Think about that for a second. A different Earth doesn’t simply mean a different timeline, but instead another version of Earth from an alternate reality. In the comics, parallel Earths and the existence of a Multiverse (many alternate universes) are well-established, but the implications of introducing those concepts into the MCU are massive.
The Multiverse has actually been explicitly mentioned in the MCU once before by the Ancient One in 2016’s Doctor Strange. During Stephen Strange’s iconic acid trip scene in the movie, she said, “Who are you in the vast Multiverse, Mr. Strange?”, confirming even back then that the Multiverse exists.
In Marvel Comics, the MCU is unofficially designated Earth-199999, while the ‘prime’ Marvel universe is based in the reality of Earth-616. Directly referencing other Earths and universes could change the fabric of the MCU forever, bringing infinite possibilities to future stories.
Marvel Studios could even potentially use the Multiverse concept as a simple backdoor excuse to introduce mutants, or the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four into the MCU. However, this rumour is currently unsubstantiated and should be taken with a grain of salt.
There’s an equally-high chance of all this just being a blatant lie by Mysterio, even if he does claim to be from another Earth (if he even says it at all). Perhaps we’ll learn more about Spider-Man: Far From Home when the next trailer arrives, whenever that turns out to be.
Not to mention that other villain in Spider-Man Far From Home.
In the meantime, check out our spoiler-free review ofÂ Avengers: EndgameÂ here, our discussion for whatâ€™s next post-Avengers EndgameÂ here, or the upcoming movies you can look forward to in the MCU Phase Four (4) post-Avengers EndgameÂ here, or what the future holds for the MCU cast we all know and loveÂ here.


New Starfield Vanity Feature Video Teases New “Step Out Moments”

Bethesda and Todd Howard has given the internet a new look at its upcoming sci-fi RPG Starfield in a new video feature starring the producer himself.
The video details how different and similar the game will be from the Elder Scrolls open-world RPGs apart from the obvious genre switch. Here are a few quotes from Todd and Bethesda about the upcoming title and the company’s vision for the title.
“We were doing Morrowind and looking at what we might do after that and beyond that, and we had a list of, ‘What are the other types of worlds we want to go to? And obviously Fallout was at the top of the list, if we could do that. And that magically, luckily, came true for us. And right behind that was science fiction.
Whereas Skyrim is sort of an epic fantasy, this is a more grounded game and a grounded setting about exploration. I think that gives us a different take on how we make everything. So that’s the sort of thing you latch onto when we’re making new areas, making environments, making characters.”

Todd Howard also said that the game will have “step out” moments that will immerse players further in its sci-fi universe.
“We always have that ‘step out’ moment into the world, so to say,” Howard says. “The technology has changed. We’ve all changed. So our expectations when loading up a game, like, ‘Okay, I’m going to step out and there’s going to be this moment.’ Us being able to do that and have it feel new every generation, every game, is something that is really special about what we do.
I like to say that Starfield has two ‘step out’ moments. That’s cryptic.”
There you have it, folks: two big “step out” moments. Starfield will be out on 11th November 2022 for Xbox consoles and PC.


Paradox Interactive Is Holding A Sale To Help Out With COVID-19 Funds

Swedish game publisher Paradox Interactive is best known for its grand strategy and RPG franchises. Now they’re helping to raise funds for the World Health Organisation’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund by holding a sale on Steam.
The fundraiser sale will run on Steam from now until 7pm CEST on 3 April 2020 or 1am GMT+8 on 4 April 2020 for countries in Southeast Asia like Malaysia or Singapore. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to the WHO in their battle against the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.
Games on sale include several of Paradox Interactive’s best. Check out the full list of titles and their discounted prices below:

Age Of Wonders: Planetfall – RM40
Cities: Skylines – RM11.20
Hearts of Iron IV – RM30
BATTLETECH – RM22.10
Surviving Mars – RM17.34
Pillars of Eternity – RM33.60
Tyranny – RM25.50
Shadowrun Returns – RM7.75
Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Director’s Cut – RM7.75
Shadowrun: Hong Kong – Extended Edition – RM9.50
Knights of Pen and Paper 2 – RM4.75

Head on over here to the Paradox Interactive fundraiser Steam page to purchase any of these games and contribute to the WHO’s effort against COVID-19. I personally recommend any of the Shadowrun games (all of which are great turn-based sci-fi RPGs) and Tyranny (by RPG masters Obsidian Entertainment).

Want to play games and help the relief efforts against the COVID-19 virus?
Until 7p.m. CEST of April 3rd the proceeds from a number of Paradox games on Steam will go to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the WHO!
Get our games and contribute here: https://t.co/eISwu27Cg0 pic.twitter.com/4ieERnVGzq
â€” Paradox Interactive (@PdxInteractive) March 31, 2020
Several days ago, the WHO announced their #PlayApartTogether campaign to encourage playing video games as a healthy habit and hobby to pass the time when staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.


James Gunn & DC Studios Reveal Chapter 1 Of The DCU, Includes 5 Movies & 5 TV Shows

James Gunn, Peter Safran and DC Studios have revealed their new slate for upcoming DC Comics adaptations set in the new DC Universe (or DCU), which includes 10 new projects. Five will be movies and five will be TV series.
However, no directors or actors are attached to any of the projects as of yet, though all of them will be in one universe. These 10 projects will be Chapter 1: Gods And Monsters of the new DC Universe. Viola Davis is the only one confirmed to reprise her role as Amanda Waller.
To build the overarching story for the DCU, Gunn assembled writers such as Drew Goddard, Jeremy Slater, Christina Hobson, Christal Henry and comics writer Tom King.
Exceptions will be movies like The Batman Part II (which will release in October 2025), Joker Folie à Deux (which will release in October 2024) and a separate Superman movie produced by J.J. Abrams through Bad Robot, and written by Ta-Nehisi Coates. These will be outside of the DCU and will be part of DC Elseworlds (the multiverse).
Check out the new DC Universe Chapter 1: Gods And Monsters slate of movies and TV shows below (courtesy of Variety):
MOVIES
Superman: Legacy

It will release on 11 July 2025 and mark the proper start of the DCU.
Peter Safran said:

“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”

The Authority

Superman: Legacy will lead directly into The Authority, an ensemble movie about superhumans who have a less-than-idealistic approach to saving the world.
These characters come from Wildstorm comics, which are now part of the DC Universe. The Authority was originally created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch as a superhero team that is darker than conventional teams like the Justice League.
James Gunn said:

“It isn’t just a story of heroes and villains, and not every movie and TV show is going to be about good guy versus bad guy. There are people that are very questionable, like the Authority, who basically believe that you can’t fix the world in an easy manner, and they take things into their own hands.”

The Brave And The Bold

This movie will introduce the DCU’s version of Batman and the Bat-family.  This version of Robin is Damian Wayne; who is the son of Batman. The project is based on the run of Batman comics by Grant Morrison.
Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow

This movie will be based on Tom King’s comics run of the same title from 2021 and 2022, featuring Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El.
James Gunn said:

“We see the difference between Superman, who was sent to Earth and raised by loving parents from the time he’s an infant, versus Supergirl, who was raised on a rock chip off of Krypton, and watched everyone around her die and be killed in terrible ways for the first 14 years of her life.”

Swamp Thing

Swamp Thing will investigate the dark origins of Swamp Thing via horror. Swamp Thing is a humanoid/plant elemental creature who is given the power of The Green, the primordial power/element of plants in the world, by the Parliament Of Trees.
TELEVISION
Creature Commandos

This animated series for HBO Max is the very first project greenlit by Peter Safran and James Gunn, who has written every episode. The show is already in production.
The Creature Commando characters were first launched in 1980. The premise features Frankenstein’s monster teaming up with a werewolf, a vampire and a gorgon to fight Nazis in World War II.
Waller

This is a sort of sequel to Peacemaker as the Peacemaker team will appear alongside Viola Davis as Amanda Waller.
Along with Christal Henry, who was part of the DCU writers room, Waller will be executive produced by Jeremy Carver, who created the beloved DC series “Doom Patrol,” which was recently cancelled by HBO Max.
Both Creature Commandos and Waller will premiere before Superman Legacy.
Lanterns

Lanterns will focus on two of the best-known members of the Green Lantern corps.: Hal Jordan and John Stewart, who investigates a mystery together.
This will not be related to the cancelled Green Lantern series by Greg Berlanti.
Peter Safran said:

“Greg’s vision was more of a space opera. Our vision is much more ‘True Detective,’ terrestrial-based investigation story.”

Paradise Lost

This “‘Game of Thrones’-ish story,” Peter Safran said, is set on the island of Themyscira before the birth of Diana (a.k.a. Wonder Woman).
James Gunn added:

“How did that come about? What’s the origin of an island of all women? What are the beautiful truths and the ugly truths behind all of that? And what’s the scheming like between the different power players in that society?”

Booster Gold

Finally, there’s Booster Gold, which focuses on the time-traveller named Mike Carter, who is a loser from the future who uses basic future technology to come back to today and pretend to be a superhero. In the 25th century, Mike is a disgraced former football star who uses a time machine on display in the Metropolis Space Museum.
You can check out James Gunn presenting the DC Studios Chapter 1 Gods And Monsters slate below, as well as our thoughts on the new DCU slate:


Netflix Reveals One Piece Live Action Adaptation Cast

Eiichiro Oda’s manga masterpiece pirate saga One Piece is getting a live-action adaptation on Netflix, and we have a first glimpse of the cast.
Here’s the list of actors and actresses who will be representing the Straw Hat Pirates:

Inaki Godoy (Go) will be Monkey D. Luffy.
Mackenyu (Rurouni Kenshin: Final Chapter) will be Roronoa Zoro.
Emily Rudd (Fear Street) will be Nami the big-tittied navigator.
Jacob Romero Gibson (All Rise) will be Usopp.
Taz Skylar (Boiling Point) will be the ship cook Sanji.

No word on who will be playing Chopper, the Marines, and the rival pirates and weird-ass denizens in the Seven Seas of the universe. Eiichiro Oda will be serving as the show’s executive producer, with this to say:
“Weâ€™ve been working with Netflix and Tomorrow Studios on the massive project that is the Hollywood live-action series adaptation of ONE PIECE. How many years has it been since it was announced, right? I know, I know! But rest assured weâ€™ve been making steady progress all along. Itâ€™s not easy when youâ€™re working with people from different cultures, but itâ€™s precisely that process that can yield something special!”
No release date or window has been announced as of yet.


Halo Infinite Will Feature Cross-Marketing With TV Series One Day

If you’re wondering why the Halo TV show on Paramount+ and Mola.tv aren’t doing any immediate tie-ins with last year’s hit multiplayer shooter Halo Infinite, here’s why.
According to a Washington Post report, 343 Industries community director Brian Jarrard said the team is looking at ways to feature the show within the game’s established universe and canon. Here’s the official word:
“We will have some content that is inspired by the show that will be coming out in the game a little bit further down the road.”
He and 343 Industries hope the show would be an onboarding process for people who are fans of the show at first but want to try the game(s) out one day.
“The hope is that we see a lot more cross-pollination. ‘You like the show? Check out the game, by the way it’s free to play.
We are looking at threads and nods we can bring into ‘Infinite’ because it is a service, and we’ll have the ability to shape and influence experiences and content over time, even though they are technically different universes and timelines,” Jarrard said. “I do think that you’ll see some eventual nods back and forth between the two … to look at ways to pull the show in fun ways.”
The Halo TV show has reportedly set the Paramount+ streaming service’s record for most-watched series premiere on a global scale.
Where Is Halo Infinite Season 2?

The second season of Halo Infinite will be out on 3 May, with 343 Industries expected to ramp up communication on new content during the season. Truth be told, the company didn’t do a bang-up job in that aspect for Season 1, so it will learn from its mistakes and do better.


John Cena’s Peacemaker From The Suicide Squad Gets His Own Series

James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is slated to release on 6 August 2021, but itâ€™s already getting a prequel TV series spinoff.
John Cena will reprise his role of Peacemaker from The Suicide Squad for Peacemaker; an action-adventure-comedy series for HBO Max.
The streaming service has ordered an eight-episode first season, with Gunn writing all eight episodes and directing several of them, including the pilot.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the HBO Max Peacemaker series will explore the origins of the character.
Gunn and Peter Safran (a producer on The Conjuring franchise and 2018’s Aquaman) will serve as executive producers, along with Cena himself. They are currently planning for Peacemaker to go into production sometime in early 2021.
Peacemaker first appeared in a 1966 comic published by Charlton Comics, which was later acquired by DC Comics. His real name is Christopher Smith, who is a man who â€œbelieves in peace at any cost â€“ no matter how many people he has to kill to get it”.
He’s sort of like a more bizarre and outlandish version of Marvel’s Punisher.
In a statement, Gunn said:
â€œPeacemaker is an opportunity to delve into current world issues through the lens of this superhero/supervillain/and worldâ€™s biggest douchebag. Iâ€™m excited to expand The Suicide Squad and bring this character from the DC film universe to the full breadth of a series. And of course, to be able to work again with John, Peter, and my friends at Warner Bros. is the icing on the cake.â€
No release date has been announced for HBO Max’s Peacemaker. In the meantime, check out the goofy key art for the upcoming TV series below, which should give you an idea of what tone and vibe to expect.


New Fire Emblem, Link’s Awakening Remaster, & New Platinum Action Game Highlighted In Latest Nintendo Direct

Nintendo just wrapped up its monthly Nintendo Direct video stream with a bunch of new announcements that will make a lot of fans happy and placated this year. We’ll break it down in order of highest importance to us at Kakuchopurei.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses Brings In Turn-Based Strategy Gaming & Waifus/Husbandos This Year

In this latest Fire Emblem game, players control a male/female mercenary-turned-war-professor in a war school that happens to teach students and royalties from three houses in the continent of FÃ³dlan. You can side with either houses (Edrestrian, Faerghus, and Leicester Alliance), each with their own warriors and students (ie future waifus/husbandos).

In true Fire Emblem tradition, the combat is all turn-based and features different classes and the patented triangle system. The game is slated for a 26 July release this year.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening Remaster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U-_XfDGgDw
The Game Boy classic is getting a much-deserved remaster complete with cute 3D graphics while retaining its top-down action adventure view and trappings. Players control Link as he battles his way in the dream-like island of Koholint. Out 2019 for Switch.
New Platinum Game Features Future Cops Tag-Teaming Mutants
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brmmV3g4qqo
Supervised by Hideki “I Made Devil May Cry Dammit” Kamiya and directed by Takahisa Taura (for the combat side of NieR: Automata) comes this futuristic tag-team action game. It seems you can have one player control a cop together with an AI-driven cop, or even have players play co-op together. You can also ride on your police robot dog and even wear an anime mecha battlesuit thing for certain action segments.

You also dress up in a police mascot suit to pick up trash in the street. Because Platinum Games still has a sense of humor about these things. Out 30 August; which means Bayonetta 3 may be pushed back for this game, possibly for next year.
Super Mario Maker 2 For Nintendo Switch

Come June 2019, you can now troll more people online with new Super Mario Maker levels on this Switch exclusive. Or be a regular level designer in the making and share your new Super Mario level ideas to the world.

Here are the other highlights from today’s Nintendo Direct:

We’re still getting Joker from Persona 5 for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The Spring Update is slated for, well, later.
Dragon Quest XI: Definitive Edition S is coming Fall 2019. Features a 16-bit mode and extra story missions involving your party members.
The folks who made I Am Setsuna has an upcoming JRPG out called Oninaki. It features a JRPG protagonist who can summon dead spirits during missions and story quests. Out Summer 2019.
There’s going to be a Rune Factory 5. No release date yet though.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is slated for Switch this Spring 2019.
Demos for Daemon X Machina (that awesome Switch mech game) and Yoshi’s Crafted World (29 March) are out on the Nintendo eShop today.

The top three highlights for today are more than enough to make 2019 a fruitful one for the Nintendo Switch. Let us know your favourite announcements and games either on this story or on Facebook.


Godzilla Vs. Kong Poster Unveiled, Trailer Coming This Sunday

Legendary has unveiled a brand new poster for Godzilla Vs. Kong in anticipation of a first full trailer, which is slated to release on Sunday, 24 January 2021.

TRAILER SUNDAY. #GodzillaVsKong pic.twitter.com/Ndc7HrsdeG
— Legendary (@Legendary) January 21, 2021

The new Godzilla Vs. Kong poster shows Godzilla swimming toward a city with Kong in the centre. It’s unclear if or whether one of these monsters will be playing the antagonist. Or will there be a mutual enemy kaiju which will require them to team up? Anything can happen at this point.
We’ve already seen King Ghidorah in the Monster-Verse, but perhaps we’ll see other monsters like the alien monster Orga (which appeared in 1999’s Godzilla 2000 Millennium) or maybe even a Mecha-King Ghidorah (which first appeared in 1991’s Godzilla Vs King Ghidorah).
This new poster comes only a week or so after the movie was announced to be premiering on 26 March 2021. Godzilla Vs. Kong is a sequel to 2019’s Godzilla: King Of The Monsters and 2017’s Kong: Skull Island. It will star Millie Bobbie Brown, Alexander SkarsgÃ¥rd, and Rebecca Hall, as well as directed by Adam Wingard, who is best known for You’re Next, V/H/S, and Blair Witch.
In the meantime, check out the poster in all its glory below to tide you over until the poster’s eventual release:


RIP Carl Reiner

The man, the myth, and the comedy legend known as Carl Reiner has died. He was 98 years old. He passed away due to natural causes (via Twitter).

Last night my dad passed away. As I write this my heart is hurting. He was my guiding light.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) June 30, 2020

For those too young to recognize his significance, he was the man who directed comedy classics such as The Jerk, All Of Me, and The Man With Two Brains. He is also associated with his friend and colleague Mel Brooks, also another renowned comedian.
Rest in peace, you genius of comedy you. Here are my favourite skits and works from the man himself.


Fantasy Author Brandon Sanderson Will Collaborate With From Software For Future Project

Brandon Sanderson, a fantasy author renowned for the Mistborn series and finishing Robert Jordans’ The Wheel of Time, has been a fan of From Software for quite a while. In fact, he recently joked about being bitter for not being picked to write Elden Ring since George R.R. Martin was all over that.
His dream of doing a From Software project seems to be coming true. During a recent livestream he did on his YouTube channel, Brandon revealed that Bandai Namco has contacted him for a possible collaboration for a future FromSoftware project. And since the recently-released Elden Ring will be the talk of the town for years to come, it’s safe to say that this collaboration will involve that game.
You can check out the announcement and his unboxing of Bandai Namco and From Software’s exclusive Elden Ring swag tailored just for him.


Our Neighbours Down South Have A Final Fantasy CafÃ©…

Update: we reviewed the special set. Head here to see the verdict.
Remember that Square Enix Final Fantasy cafÃ© four years ago in Tokyo? Well, someone in the company finally realized that there are a heckaton of Final Fantasy fans in Southeast Asia. Ergo, they figured it was high time they received the same kind of promo.
Better late than never, eh? In lieu of Dissidia Final Fantasy NT’s release next week, the company is teaming up with Avex Asia to host a Final Fantasy-themed cafe starting tomorrow onwards from 24 January until 10 February. In Singapore.
If you’re a big fan living in Malaysia, it might be worth a bus trip down. Here are the details:
Venue: Watanabe Coffee, Orchard Scotts, Singapore
Date: 24 January until 10 February
Public Opening: 12pm on 24th January 2018
Operating Hours After 24 Jan: 8am to 10pm (Sun-Thurs),Â 8am to 11pm (Fri-Sat, Eve of Public Holiday)
Additional notes:Â Ala-carte and Set Menu available from 11am onwards daily.
And here are some more pictures and promos at the place, with the latter featuring a special set menu comprised of Moogle Curry & White Stew, and your choice of either a Moogle drink or a MateriaÂ mocktail.

We’re not really warming up to the interior since it looks like any other goddamn hipster cafÃ© (like the ones in Eos), but damn if that Moogle Curry doesn’t look enticing.
That’s not all. The cafe will also be selling exclusive merchandise from Square Enix’s Final Fantasy store from Japan like plushies, keychains, figurines, and rubber straps.

It’s not an extensive catalogue; where are the Final Fantasy playing cards, limited character busts, and music CDs? But it’s a start, so A+ for effort.
The full press release from Avex Asia is below and in lovely italics:
[FINAL FANTASY THEMED CAFÃ‰ LAUNCHES IN SINGAPORE]
Mark your dates Final Fantasy fans!
DISSIDIAÂ® FINAL FANTASYÂ® NT comes to life at Watanabe Coffee, Orchard Scotts from 24 January till 10 February 2018!

Gorge down the Special DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY NT Set Menu is inclusive of a Moogle Curry & White Stew with Special Drink priced at S$28.90 (excluding GST and Service Charge).
Collect all 6 different types of exclusive Final Fantasy coasters and premiums at random with every order of either food or drinks!
In conjunction with the new game launch of DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY (PlayStationÂ®4) on 30th January 2018, there will be trial stands at the cafÃ© to try out the game (Japanese/Chinese version) for free from 24th January 2018. Additionally, do not miss the chance to get your hands on Final Fantasy merchandise air-flown from Japan.
Donâ€™t miss this 2.5 week limited period pop-up store!
Final Fantasy CafÃ© Information:
Duration: 24th January 2018 to 10th February 2018
Public Opening: 12pm on 24th January 2018
Regular Operation Hours henceforth:
8am to 10pm (Sun-Thurs), 8am to 11pm (Fri-Sat, Eve of Public Holiday)
Ala-carte and Set Menu available from 11am onwards daily.
Location:
Watanabe Coffee
350 Orchard Road Shaw House
#01-00 Isetan Scotts
238868
*First come first serve and no reservations are allowed.


PUBG MOBILE Celebrates 5th Anniversary With Epic New Build Mode & Multi-Map Imagiversary Makeover

PUBG MOBILE, one of the world’s most popular mobile games, is celebrating its 5th year anniversary with a packed Version 2.5 Update that will include a brand new build mode, World of Wonder, which will in time allow players to construct their own in-game content, from modes to maps. In addition, new areas, items and rewards are coming as part of PUBG MOBILE’s 5th-year anniversary celebrations, Payload and Metro Royale modes have been updated, and Cycle 4 Season 11 and Royale Pass Month 21 are bringing a variety of new cosmetics to unlock.
Today, PUBG MOBILE is pleased to announce World of Wonder, a free build mode equipped with endless possibilities to give players a brand new way to play PUBG MOBILE. Launching in beta on March 16th, players will immediately be able to witness the possibilities the new mode provides by jumping into a multitude of new maps and game modes as part of World of Wonder’s exciting rollout. During the Beta phase of World of Wonder, players will also have the chance to apply to become creators to get their hands on World of Wonder’s editing features themselves. Stay tuned for more updates on World of Wonder’s editing access in the near future.
In the next stages of World of Wonder’s testing, the battleground will become an architect’s playground with four landscapes to build in from the ground up, inspired by some of Erangel’s iconic locations – Bird’s Perch, Coral Reef, Jade Realm as well as the entire Erangel landscape itself. Construct the skyline with different objects, materials and building types using a range of specially designed tools to copy, delete, rotate, zoom in and out, free fly, and more with just a swipe.
With more advanced features, budding game designers will be able to set game parameters, and within them a host of gameplay devices and objects, that together can introduce new mechanics and ways of playing PUBG MOBILE! The World of Wonder creators will be capable of creating experiences that cover a wide selection of play genres including Arms Races, Deathmatches, Racing, Battle Royales, and much more.
But not to worry – those who find starting from scratch a little too daunting will be able to begin with two preset gameplay templates: Erangel Mod, featuring a default classic battle royale format, and Craft Mod, which will work as a 4v4 Team Deathmatch on a brand new map constructed using World of Wonder.
Whilst these editing features will not yet be widely available in the Beta version, beginning on March 16th, players will be able to explore maps and modes created by other players to get inspiration for their own forthcoming builds! World of Wonder has a list of suggestions to show the officially recommended and most popular builds to try out.
Also coming in the Version 2.5 Update on March 18th are PUBG MOBILE’s 5th-year anniversary celebrations including the Imagiversary multimap makeover! Players can wish their favourite mobile battle royale a happy birthday by heading to the two new Imagination Plazas in Erangel and competing for the large crate in the centre or visit the ten smaller Imagination Districts located around Erangel and Livik to load up on supply rewards.
Four new items will also be available to liven up the party, including the colourful Block Cover to shield enemy fire or bridge crossings, the Supply Converter which transforms supplies into items from past seasons or all new items, the bouncy Portable Trampoline to fling players into the air, or the Dual-Purpose Cannon to send throwables flying – as well as the players themselves!
In addition, the Version 2.5 Update brings updates to the existing Payload and Metro Royale game modes to enhance the player experience including a new heavy-duty vehicle in Payload and new consumables plus game-aiding reward mechanics in Metro Royale.
Players should prepare themselves for the upcoming Cycle 4 Season 11 and Royale Pass Month 21 that will bring additional new content, rewards and cosmetics.
Complete details about what’s included in PUBG MOBILE’s Version 2.5 Update can be found in the official patch notes available here.
Something special will also be arriving on the battlegrounds in the coming days for players who like to live life in the fast lane. Stay tuned for further updates as part of a yet to be announced new collaboration with an iconic and world-renowned car manufacturer.
PUBG MOBILE’s Version 2.5 Update will be available soon! Download the game for free on the App Store and Google Play Store.