Concrete Genie Is Several Brush Strokes Away From Greatness

Not many games incorporate the act of painting or drawing art directly into gameplay. Several notable examples of iconic games that have done so include Smilebit’s Jet Set Radio for the Sega Dreamcast and Clover Studio’s Okami for the PS2. Both games were pretty much overlooked on release, receiving long-overdue appreciation only when they were re-released or remastered on future gaming consoles/platforms.
Concrete Genie is a new PS4 exclusive by indie developer PixelOpus, with the same focus on incorporating painting or drawing into gameplay. I was initially apprehensive of this game at first, as it felt like a gimmick that wouldn’t translate well into actual gameplay mechanics. I was ultimately proven wrong, as the game did manage to win me over (despite its flaws).
Paintshop Pro

In Concrete Genie, players assume the role of Ash, a young boy who lives in a small dilapidated and dreary town named Denska. He starts the game as a loner and budding artist, often doodling in his book. When aÂ group of bullies steals his book, they rip out the pages, scattering them throughout Denska in the process.
While attempting to recover his lost pages, Ash discovers a paintbrush that can bring his creations (drawings) to life, and that his living works of art can, in turn, literally bring the light of life back into the town (which is being corrupted by darkness). He then makes it his mission to do just that, while avoiding the bullies who continue to torment him.
Just like Mickey Mouse in Junction Point Studios’ platformer Epic Mickey, the protagonist in Concrete Genie is equipped only with a paintbrush. Unlike Mickey in that underrated Nintendo Wii title, Ash lacks the ability to attack or initiate combat in any way. That’s what mainly distinguishes Concrete Genie from other platformers.

The player’s main objective in the game is to drive the darkness away from Denska. In order to do that, Ash has to turn on the lights strewn throughout the various zones in the town. He achieves this by creating Genies, painted creatures brought to life who act as his companions in his quest.
Painting in the game is accomplished by using the DualShock 4’s motion controls. Since that was the game’s default setting, I tried playing the game as the developers wanted me to. As expected, it took me a while to get used to using the controller’s motion controls to paint, which (even then) still made for a janky and uncomfortable experience.
That is why I truly appreciate that the developers have included the option to paint using your right analogue stick/joystick as an alternative instead. While this is available from the very beginning, the game doesn’t exactly inform you of that fact. I discovered it from exploring the options (which should always be customary when playing any new game).

I changed to analogue stick/joystick several hours into the game, which instantly improved my overall experience. Even if the game was made to be played with the Dualshock 4’s motion controls, let’s not kid ourselves; they’ll never be as responsive, precise and intuitive as traditional analogue sticks/joysticks.
Players paint and draw on walls in the game, choosing from an established variety of designs, patterns and shapes (more of which unlocks as you obtain and recover more of your lost pages). These include everything from suns, stars, different types of plants and animals, as well as weather effects like rain or thunder.
You basically slap any of these designs you so wish onto the empty canvass wall of any building in Denska, using the motion controls (or analogue stick/joystick) to place them in whatever position you wish. This applies for the creation of your Genies as well, with arrays of body parts of all shapes and sizes (horns, limbs, etc.).
True Colours
One of my Genie creations (don’t judge my design, please).
More creatively-inclined players may be disappointed to know that they’re not really free to paint or draw anything they set their mind to. You’re relegated and limited to using pre-existing assets as fodder for your paintings, but I believe that’s actually better to provide for tighter and more polished gameplay.
Alas, it doesn’t hide the fact that what I mostly did in Concrete Genie is essentially just copying and pasting animated stickers to fulfil the game’s objectives and progress through the plot. Despite that, I like the fact that there’s no rating or grading system for the player’s paintings, which does encourage them to go wild with their creations.
Like I previously mentioned, Ash doesn’t have combat abilities until much later in the game (more on that below). This means that while you’re busy recovering lost pages, turning lights on, painting genies and eradicating darkness, the bullies will be there to kick your butt. Don’t worry though, as the game doesn’t even have a health bar, so it’s not possible to get a game over screen.

Escaping from the bullies will require you to jump on buildings and stuff, which is where the platforming comes into play. The jumping and platforming sections don’t feel as polished as it should be and comes across as just there for the sake of traversal. You don’t have to expect any Super Mario or Crash Bandicoot-levels of insane difficulty here.
If you’re worried that Concrete Genie would be boring due to the lack of gameplay, I guarantee that you’ll still have a lot of fun creating Genies and figuring out which type to use in solving puzzles, which is what you’ll be doing for the majority of the game. Some breath fire (which can burn obstacles), while some are electrically-charged (which can activate machines).
The cycle of turning on lights in each zone in Denska, creating Genies and using their abilities to progress to the next zone, and literally painting away the darkness, might get too repetitive or boring for players who expect more combat or excitement from their games.
Colour Me Bad

I won’t spoil what happens, but at a pivotal point in the game’s story, the game finally does eventually open up by adding combat, giving players dedicated buttons to not only different types of attacks but also dodging, locking-on to enemies, and a means of conveniently moving faster.Â It’s a bit jarring when this eventually happens, in both a good and bad way.
Combat is fun when it’s finally introduced, but unfortunately, it arrives too late into the game. Concrete Genie is a relatively short game, with its main story clocking in at only about 5 hours. The combat only comes into play in the final hour of the game, which makes players feel like they’re suddenly playing a completely different game tacked on at the last minute.
While Concrete Genie does offer post-game activities like collecting leftover collectibles and completing additional puzzles, there is currently no way of playing more of the game’s combat. Perhaps the developers plan to add more combat sections in the future, but as of right now, there’s not much incentive for players to continue playing after completing the main story (besides for Platinum trophy hunters) or replay value (unless you like tinkering with painting).
Dark And Beautiful

Concrete Genie might look like a kid’s game, but it actually explores some dark and sensitive subject matter. The main themes include the psychological impact of bullying, as well as the cycle of anger and negative feelings that lead to that in the first place. As you progress through the game, you learn how the darkness in Denska manifested itself from the negative emotions suffered by these children, stemming from dark situations like parental abuse/neglect and more.
The graphics in Concrete Genie is mesmerizing, especially when your own paintings and creations come to life, exuding a myriad of light and particle effects. The facial animations and movements in the game remind me of the stop-motion animation employed in movies like Studio Laika’s Coraline.
SIE Worldwide Studios adds another great indie PS4 exclusive to its library with Concrete Genie. Despite its short playtime and lack of focus (in terms of combat being tacked onto the last hour of the game), I cannot deny that I had fun bringing my adorable Genie companions and paintings to life, which is what matters in the end.
Pros

Bringing Genie companions and paintings to life never gets old.
Beautiful graphics with vibrant lighting particle effects.
A dark story lying underneath the surface amidst all the cute Genies and painting.
Varied of gameplay focus, especially in last part.

Cons

Relatively short playtime.
Limited creative options.
Gameplay changes came in too late.

FINAL SCORE: 70/100
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoIf3HNI-DQ&w=560&h=315]


Here’s When You Get To Play The Division 2 Private Beta

Ubisoft has announced that the Private BetaÂ for Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 will be arriving next month, from 7 to 11 February 2019. Those who have pre-ordered the game will automatically receive access while everyone else will have to register for the Private Beta at the official website here.

In other related news, a new The Division 2 Story Trailer was recently released, revealing all 3 enemy factions featured in the upcoming game and expanding on the background lore of the game’s setting.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwLq4X_AHsg&w=560&h=315]
According to Ubisoft, these are the official descriptions for the 3 enemy factions in The Division 2:
True Sons:

A paramilitary force that relies on combat expertise and overwhelming firepower to dominate their enemies and expand their territory.
Smart and organized,
Led by a former JTF officer whose ruthlessness and cunning make him a dangerous adversary.

Hyenas:

A loosely organized gang of opportunistic raiders that prey on struggling civilian encampments through violence and intimidation.
These hedonistic scavengers take everything they can steal and destroy everything else to deprive their enemies of valuable resources.
Led by a council of the strongest pack leaders.

Outcasts:

Bitter survivors of a forced quarantine bent on revenge against those who brutally imprisoned them and the society that stood by and let it happen.
Their charismatic, bloodthirsty leader believes everyone is complicit and urges her followers to punish the guilty by spreading sickness and murdering indiscriminately.

Ubisoft also recently confirmed that the PC version of The Division 2 will exclusively be available on the new Epic Games Store and its own platform, Uplay. It will no longer be sold on Valve’s Steam store.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC on 15 March 2019.


Razer Announces Inaugural SEA Invitational 2020 Featuring PUBG Mobile, Dota 2 & Mobile Legends

In partnership with Tier One Entertainment, Razer has announced the Southeast Asian (SEA) Invitational 2020 esports tournament, which will feature PUBG Mobile, Dota 2, and Mobile Legends. It aims to prepare the region’s esports athletes and federations for next year’s 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam.
The SEA Invitational 2020 will kick off on 22 June 2020, and conclude with the grand finals from 3 to 5 July 2020. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the esports tournament will follow a new and unique online tournament format, the details of which have yet to be revealed.
Participating countries include Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The matches will be streamed live on the official Razer YouTube, Facebook and Twitch accounts.
The tournament will only be open to esports athletes who have officially signed up with their respective country’s esports federation, as it will be the federations who will select who the participants will be via their own qualifiers. More information will be updated on the official website in the near future.
Razer Global Esports Director David Tse said:

“The SEA Games 2019 was a new adventure for all of us in the region, with Razer and the federations working in tandem to bring the dreams of many budding esports athletes to life.
We hope to extend this dream to many more talented individuals within the region through the SEA Invitational, and hope the athletes can utilize this as preparation to hone their talents and acclimatize to a structure and format similar to SEA Games.â€


This Job Listing Indicates That Xbox Might Finally Expand Further Into Southeast Asia

It’s been a longtime dream of many gamers in the Southeast Asian region (outside of Singapore) to finally receive that sweet official regional support for Xbox consoles and services.
We might be one step closer to that happening, as Microsoft is currently looking Global Expansion Incubator Manager for the Southeast Asian region in a new job listing via Linkedin.
The job description states the following:
Xbox is seeking an experienced individual to join the newly-established Global Expansion Incubator team to grow our content acquisition pipeline and strategic partnerships in the regional markets.
This manager will lead efforts in engaging with local gaming content creators and closely partner with internal stakeholders to achieve globalization of Xbox.
The keywords here are that this Global Expansion Incubator team is “newly-established” and its purpose is for growth in the “regional markets”. Anyone who gets the job will have to engage “local gaming content creators” and more to “achieve globalization of Xbox”.
How does one “achieve globalization”? By expanding to more regional markets, of course. Last year in 2021, we already had the Xbox Singapore Facebook account renaming and rebranding itself as Xbox SEA, including having localised translations for live streams in Malay and Thai.
However, like always, there’s nothing concrete or official here as of yet. Plus, the job listing is located for working somewhere in Singapore, so it might just be an expansion of the Singaporean team. Perhaps one day Xbox will expand to more Southeast Asian regions beyond just Singapore, but it will likely be further in the future.
In the meantime, stay tuned on Kakuchopurei. You canÂ head on over hereÂ for our thoughts and review of both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.


Here Are Some Xbox Series Stats That’s Making The Company Happy In 2021

To say that the Xbox is having a good time in 2020 onward is an understatement.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed the following stats regarding Xbox, Xbox Series X and S, and its Game Pass numbers during the company’s most recent earnings call with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood (via Resetera):

The Xbox Series X and S launch has moved the most devices in an Xbox launch month.
The company’s gaming revenue has hit US$5 billion, making this quarter the highest ever in earnings.
The company has earned US$2 billion in revenue from third-party game sales.
The company’s Xbox Live service has hit 100 million in monthly active users.
The Xbox Game Pass has 18 million subscribers since January 2021, and it’s still going upward.

For comparison, the Xbox Game Pass had 10 million subscribers back in April of 2020. That’s quite a leap that’s clearly influenced by the new console launches.
The company is expecting significant demand for the Xbox Series consoles, which will face supply constraints because of the pandemic messing up production and so forth in the next fiscal quarter, according to CFO Amy Hood.
At the very least, the company is expecting revenue growth of around 40% next quarter thanks to Xbox content and services. To quote Satya Nadella:

“Iâ€™m energized by our increasing momentum, and the expanding opportunity fueled by the structural change brought about by the rapid adoption of digital technology. We are investing to meet these needs in the coming decade.”

Since ~May of 2020, Microsoft has been adding 1 million GamePass subscribers, per month.
— Brad Sams (@bdsams) January 27, 2021

Microsoft CFO Amy Hood says the company expects ""Significant demand for the Xbox Series X / S consoles, that will still be constrained by supply" next fiscal quarter
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) January 26, 2021

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella:
– Series X|S launch moved the most devices in an Xbox launch month– gaming revenue hit $5B, the highest-ever for a quarter– $2B in revenue from third-party game sales– Xbox Live hit 100M monthly active users– 18M Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
— Eddie Makuch (@EddieMakuch) January 26, 2021

Satya: "I’m energized by our increasing momentum, and the expanding opportunity fueled by the structural change brought about by the rapid adoption of digital technology. We are investing to meet these needs in the coming decade."
— Frank X. Shaw (@fxshaw) January 26, 2021

The fact that Xbox is earning a lot from just third-party games sales means that the Bethesda buyout could mean bigger returns for the company. For more on why we thought the Xbox Game Pass was an awesome 2020 exclusive, head here.


Chinese Tanks Drops In With World of Tanks 4.6 Update

Talk about timing. Here we are, about two weeks away from the Chinese New Year and the folks at Wargaming conveniently conveniently revealed that Chinese tanks are now available in the game.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lLQPVYWDsg&w=560&h=315]
The medium line introduces 10 vehicles with the baddest of all being the 121 at Tier X. Other highlights in the Chinese lineup include theÂ Tier III Type 2597 Chi-Ha, Tier IV M5A1 Stuart and our personal favorite, the Soviet-inspired Tier V Type T-34. Those who can’t get enough of the T-34 would be glad to know that an impressive T-34-1 await once they hit Tier VII.

Mained Russian tanks? Well you’d be happy to know that the Chinese version to Russia’s T-44 makes an appearance at Tier VIII – the T-34-2. Just like its Russian cousin, the Chinese tank comes with two options for its main gun, the slow yet powerful 122mm or the rapid firing 100mm. Tier IX presents a souped up version of the T-59 which can be equipped with a Tier X gun while the 121 at Tier X should be everyone’s ultimate goal. Just look at those stats:

Along with these new tanks, Update 4.6 comes with a host of game balances and cosmetic upgrades including:

Balance Improvements – The reduction of penetration spread on all vehicles
New Rating Battles
Winter camouflage

The updated version of the game is now live so you’ll have to update your client and game to access them. For more detailed reading, head over to Wargaming’s website here. Happy hunting!


Exclusive Benefits Await PUBG Players Currently On Yoodo

Malaysia’s first PUBG MOBILE National Championship (PMNC) recently took place at Sunway Velocity, Kuala Lumpur, with the winning team walking away with a whopping RM20,000 and free one-year mobile plans from Yoodo. The tournament was organized by PUBG Corporation and Tencent, as well as Yoodo as its official digital telco.
During the event, Yoodo announced an exclusive PUBG Mobile add-on, which is currently available for free to all Yoodo users. With the new add-on, players will receive an incredible 20GB of monthly data dedicated to just PUBG Mobile. According to Yoodo Head Chow Tuck Mun, this will give gamers “greater choice and control of how they purchase and consume data.”
To enjoy the free 20GB data for PUBG Mobile, Yoodo users only need to navigate to the add-on tab within the Yoodo app and select the ‘PUBG MOBILE Add-on’ from the list.
Take a look at the images below for more detailed instructions on how to activate the PUBG Mobile Yoodo add-on.

â€œThis means that Yoodo users will get their chance to feast on chicken dinners every day no matter where they are!” added Tuck Mun. “They can leverage on our widest 4G coverage and best of all they wonâ€™t have to worry about spending a cent on data to play the game.”
Additionally, several popular influencers and streamers also participated in the PMNC grand finals, including Luqman Podolski, AdibAlexx, Christina Xiao Ting, Liyee and The Face Gaming team (Chii, Revoluzion, Han10k, and Rascal).


Dota 2 Gets Netflix Anime Series

We live in an interesting time where a mod of Warcraft, not Warcraft itself, is getting its own anime series on the world’s biggest movie-streaming service.
Netflix has announced that it will be doing an anime adaptation of the hit MOBA Dota 2. It’ll be called Dota: Dragon’s Blood and will be slated for 25th March. The anime series will be produced in collaboration with Valve and will feature the Dragon Knight.

We do wonder how this will stack up with upcoming League of Legends anime Arcane.Â


KKP Best Of 2020: Game #1

For the full list of awesome 2020 games, head here.Â
#1. Ghost Of Tsushima (PS4)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/yMot-Xz9sCA

Ghost Of Tsushima is the Assassin’s Creed Japan game we’ve been waiting for all this time. It delivers on almost every aspect, from its satisfying combat and thrilling story, to its beautiful aesthetics & tone. And it’s from the folks that gave us the Sly Cooper franchise.
The best aspect of the game is its combat, which feels like one of the most polished and refined systems in an open-world game. You can feel every swing of your katana, and the variety of stances and tools at your disposal add even more depth.
If the base game isn’t enough, Sucker Punch also saw fit to give us one of the best multiplayer companions to a single-player game I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. Of course, I’m talking about Ghost Of Tsushima Legends, which is free for everyone who owns the base game.
Even after obtaining the Platinum trophy for the base game, I jump back into Ghost Of Tsushima Legends from time to time. Nothing feels more exhilarating than fending off wave after wave of Mongols with three of your fellow Ghosts.


E3 2019: Watch Dogs Legion Out Next Year, Lets You Play A Heckaton Of Characters

During its E3 2019 press conference, Ubisoft announced the third entry in its dystopian hacking open-world action franchise, Watch Dogs Legion. Set in a post-Brexit London, the upcoming game certainly won’t be shying away from depicting controversial political climates.
Instead of playing it safe with a cinematic trailer, Ubisoft surprisingly presented actual gameplay footage of Watch Dogs Legion, showcasing the game’s diverse and quirky set of playable characters. You see, it will allow players to play as anyone they want by recruiting whomever they want, including punk drone hackers, tough Jason Statham types, and more.
All of these characters will purportedly be fully-voiced with extensive backstories. However, one character, in particular, grabbed everyone’s attention, and it’s an ex-assassin named Helen. What’s so interesting about her? She’s an ass-kicking wise-cracking hacker grandma.

Be careful though, because Watch Dogs Legion also features permadeath, which means that these same characters can die for good. This can be seen in the 10-minute gameplay trailer, with British gentleman Ian kicking the can earlier on.
Watch Dogs Legion is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC on 6 March 2020. In the meantime, check out the gameplay trailer for the upcoming game below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3orYqGDSDUk&w=560&h=315]


Diablo 4’s Week 1 Was Hell of a Launch

Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo 4 is definitely doing numbers. It has only been week 1 and it has already blazed past $666 million in sales.

Here’s a look at Diablo IV’s fiery first week:

276 billion total monsters killed since launch
317 million player deaths (…time to git gud)
276 million total hours played since early access (that’s more than 30,000 years, or enough time to watch everything on YouTube with 13,500 years to spare)
More 166 million player parties created (party on!)
5.8 million total deaths served by The Butcher
430,000 players killed in PvP battle
No. 1 on Twitch from early access on June 1 through June 9, breaking previous Blizzard records for hours streamed and watched over a similar period

The fun doesn’t stop there. Players are still competing in the Hardcore race to Level 100 without dying for a chance to be immortalized.
The Mortal World Celebrates
Lilith showed up on the streets of Sydney and Taipei, appeared at a baseball game in Anaheim, partied in Los Angeles with Zedd DJing, and popped up on buildings in Las Vegas and New York. Forces of darkness overtook a subway station in Seoul, a cathedral in northern France, and a most unusual chocolate shop in London. (Try the entrails.)
Not forgetting the demon meat shake! Yeah, that’s a thing. Chow it down with a KFC Chicken Sandwich… or a hot sauce only a mortal could hate.
The collaboration of Halsey and SUGA (of BTS) “Lilith (Diablo IV Anthem)” has also topped the charts in more than 70 countries on iTunes.

You can still join in on all the fun. Diablo IV is now available to play on Windows PCs, Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, and Sony’s PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.


Google Is Now Joining Apple In Countersuing Epic Games

This month is turning into a legal battlefield between corporations as Epic sues Google and Apple. Both Google and Apple are also countersuing as a result.
According to a ZDNet report, Google has claimed that it is owed money for purchases made on versions of Fortnite downloaded from the Google Play Store.
Epic has evaded a contractual service fee and continues to do so. After “poor” sales for Fortnite in 2019, Epic launched on Google’s Play Store without any intention of paying associated service fees. Google said that this “was an act of deception designed to provoke litigation”.
See, Fortnite players are allowed to pay for microtransactions using either Google Play Store’s payment system or direct payment to Epic. The latter basically means that Google won’t be seeing the aforementioned extra fees and payments from Epic.
As a result, Epic broke Google’s Developer Distribution Agreement (DDA), removing Fortnite from the Play Store. Players who downloaded Fortnite from the Play Store can still play the game on their Android phones. Right now, Google is seeking “restitution of any amounts by which Epic has been unjustly enriched at Google’s expense”.
On a related note, Apple has counter-sued Epic Games, accusing the company of “commission-theft”. As of now, Fortnite is now reinstated on the iOS store while these new cases are ongoing.


Genshin Impact Labyrinth Warriors Event Guide: How To Score A Free Xinyan

Genshin Impact’s latest event, the one that’s on display on the version 2.2 update, is a domain event that lets you beat enemies up, get some rewards, and score a free 4-star Pyro user who is arguably the best girl there is: Xinyan.
The event will last from 21st October to 15th November, so you have ample time to get the most out of the event.
Genshin Impact Labyrinth Warriors Event Requirements
To unlock Labyrinth Warriors, you need to reach Adventure Rank 30 or above, and also complete the Omnipresence Over Mortals Archon Quest. Here’s a video walkthrough if you’re stumped.
Keep in mind that the event will be divided into multiple stages; it won’t be available in one shot. Each of these segments will release within every 3 days.
How To Get A Free Xinyan
Here’s what you need to do overall if you want the game’s best exotic waifu: just play through the Event Domain. You can only invite Xinyan after completing the questÂ Path of the Taishou, and accumulatingÂ 4,000 Aged Tokens. You can then invite Xinyan with1,000 Aged Tokens.
You can only score one free Xinyan; you’ll have to gacha the rest to boost her Constellation and so forth.
How To Get A Free Childe
You can’t; sorry. You’ll have to gacha him like everyone else.
How To Set Up Event Teams
You will have to choose two teams before the event starts: a Combat team and Support Team. The Combat team is your initial fighting team, while the Support team is the substitute.

Choosing The Right Shikifuda

There are a total of 9 different Shikifuda to choose from. You can select a maximum of 3 for a trial. Each of these Shikifuda will provide players with different buffs for the trials. Ideally, you want to pick at least one Shikifuda that covers a missing Element or Party Function on your composed Combat or Support team.
Example: if you’re missing a Healer, choose Ensorcelled Waters as one of your Shikifudas.
Shikifuda List
Seal of Fierce Flame: Creates a Flame Barrier. When you are within the barrier, your active character deals 60% increased DMG and takes 20% increased DMG. The barrier lasts for 12s. Only one Flame Barrier can exist at any one time.
Seal of Flashing Lightning: Creates a Lightning Barrier. Within it, your active character has 10% decreased CD for their Elemental Skills and Elemental Bursts. Additionally, all party members will regenerate 4 Energy every 3s. The barrier lasts for 12s.
Only one Lightning Barrier can exist at any one time.
Seal of Cataclysmic Wind: Creates a Wind Barrier. While within this barrier, the active character gains a great amount of extra jump height, 10% bonus ATK SPD and 10% bonus Movement SPD. The barrier lasts for 12s.
Only one Wind Barrier can exist at any one time.
Streamsurge Summoning: Summons a Streamsurge Spirit that will continuously attack surrounding opponents, dealing one instance of AoE Hydro DMG every 2s. The spirit will remain on the field for 6s. When the Streamsurge Spirit is destroyed or its duration ends, it will explode and unleash a shockwave that deals AoE Hydro DMG before releasing Mist Bubbles to imprison 3 surrounding opponents. Imprisoned opponents receive 70% less healing for 10s.
Only one Streamsurge Spirit can exist at a time. If the only nearby opponent is one of a larger size, the Streamsurge Spirit will not release a Mist Bubble when it explodes.
Snowstorm Summoning: Summons a Snowstorm Spirit that will continuously attack surrounding opponents, dealing one instance of AoE Cryo DMG every 2s. The spirit will remain on the field for 8s.
Opponents attacked by the Snowstorm Spirit will have their physical and all Elemental RES decreased by 20% for 10s[nl. Only one Snowstorm Spirit can exist at a time.
Strixwind Summoning: Summons a Strixwind Spirit that will continuously pull surrounding opponents. The spirit will remain on the field for 6s.
When the Strixwind Spirit is destroyed or its duration ends, it will explode and unleash a shockwave that deals AoE Anemo DMG and launches opponents.
Only one Strixwind Spirit can exist at a time.
Ensorcelled Waters: Restores 4,000 HP to all current party members and regenerates 800 HP and 20 Stamina every second for the next 5s.
Bedrock: Increases active character’s resistance to interruption and decreases the DMG characters take by 50% for 12s.
Thunder Orb: Unleashes a Thunder Orb that deals AoE Electro DMG. Every opponent hit will generate 2 extra Elemental Particles. A maximum of 6 Elemental Particles can be created in this way.

Domain Explanation
The event is easy to play through:

Once you’re in, select your teams and your Shikifuda. The Shikifuda will give you buffs during the fights.
Complete the Decisive Emplacements, while using the event features to your advantage.
When you win, use your Aged Tokens and exchange them for rewards.

Decisive Emplacements

The domain has two floors and multiple rooms. You will need to complete a floor’s ”Decisive Emplacement” section before you proceed to the next floor. Once all Decisive Emplacement challenges are complete, the trial will be considered complete as well!
You can check your Domain map to see which rooms have the Decisive Emplacement challenge.
Domain Rooms & Emplacements
Special Emplacement mechanisms can be challenged as well. You can complete these challenges for charms, party recovery, or battles.
Some rooms are also marked by a Treasure Chest icon, meaning you can open a Treasure Chest there. Drop by these rooms for rewards. Just remember, each Trial room has traps called Cursed Fields. Stepping into them can either cause explosions or activate a Cursed Seal’s negative effects.

How To Draw And Use Labyrinth Warriors Charms

Completing Arrayed, Ferocious, and Decisive Emplacement challenges or visiting Charm Emplacement rooms will give a chance to draw a Charm. These Charms will give you additional buffs during the trial.
If none of the charms will be helpful to you, you can use Battered Shikifuda to refresh the list. You get these Battered Shikifuda by completing trial challenges.
Charms List
This list will be updated periodically.
Concealment Frugality (Shikifuda Buff): When you use a Shikifuda successfully, you have a 33% chance of not consuming an equipped Shikifuda.
Exposure: Scorching Sky (Character Buff): When an active character triggers a Vaporize reaction on a nearby opponent, they will trigger a shockwave at the position of the opponent affected by the reaction.
Concealment: Signal Flare (Exploration Buff): Clears the fog from the current floor, showing the nature of various rooms.
Exposure: Bastion of Order (Character Buff): 4 randomly selected characters (from both combat and support parties) will have their constellation effects increased by 1 level.
Exposure: Maddening Mist (Character Buff): All party members gain a 30% Anemo DMG Bonus.
Exposure: Scarlet Flame (Exploration Buff): All party members gain a 10% Pyro DMG Bonus.
Exposure: Mist’s Edge (Exploration Buff): All party members gain a 10% Anemo DMG Bonus.
Concealment: Cutting Edge (Character Buff): All party members deal 20% Normal Attack DMG.
Concealment: Thunderbomb Explosion (Exploration Buff): Explosive barrels deal 2000% DMG against opponents.
Exposure: Fierce Blade (Character Buff): When your active character’s attacks deal CRIT Hits, they will unleash a shockwave at the active character’s position that deals AoE DMG to opponents. This effect can be triggered once every 5s.
Exposure: Driving Lightning (Shikifuda Buff): When an active character triggers a Superconduct reaction on a nearby opponent, they will trigger a shockwave at the position of the opponent affected by the reaction. The shockwave will deal AoE DMG. This effect can be triggered once every 10s.
Exposure: Scroll of Victory (Exploration Buff): When active character’s HP is greater than 70%, Elemental Skill DMG dealt is increased by 10%.
Exposure: Swift Severance (Exploration Buff): The active character obtains the aura of the Swift Severance Seal, increasing their ATK SPD by 20%. If there are more than 3 opponents within the aura’s AoE, the aura’s effects will disappear permanently.
Exposure: Resounding Rock (Character Buff): All party members gain a 10% Geo DMG Bonus.
Concealment: Armory Maintenance (Character Buff): All carried shikifuda have their numbers replenished to the maximum amount.
Concealment: On The Shoulders of Giants (Exploration Buff): Explosive barrels will not launch characters, nor will they deal DMG to them. If there are opponents affected by Electro nearby, the explosions from these barrels will still cause the Overloaded reaction, which can launch characters and deal DMG to them.

How To Use Damaged Replicas
You can only use Damaged Replicas to enhance Shiki Taishou’s Charm magic. This in turn will make completing trials easier; just go to the Labyrinth Warrior’s in-game event page to use the Damaged Replicas.
To obtain Damaged Replicas, just explore the event Domain and finish the trials.
Charm Magic List
This list will be updated periodically.
Ingenuity: When drawing a Charm, the chance of drawing high-grade Charm is increased by 2%. Requires Damaged Shikifuda x100.
Infinitesmal Force: The maximum number of destructible objects on each floor is increased by 10. Requires Damaged Shikifuda x300.
Fuel to the Fire: The maximum number of Explosive Barrels on each floor is increased by 5. Requires Damaged Shikifuda x300.
Purity: When drawing a charm from a Charm Emplacement, the odds of encountering a cursed seal are decreased by 4%. Requires Damaged Shikifuda x200.
Smooth Running: The maximum number of Cursed Fields in the trial is limited to 5. Requires Damaged Shikifuda x300.


Kirby’s Dream Buffet Is A Food-Filled Party Game Out This Summer

Nintendo’s vacuum-powered mascot has a new party game coming soon.
It’s called Kirby’s Dream Buffet and it’s slated for Nintendo Switch this summer. Nintendo will be releasing the game in both digital and physical form. Here are the game’s key features:

Roll through delicious, food-themed obstacle courses in four-player matches.
Collect strawberries to grow bigger and prepare for the final battle.

So it’s a four-player game where you roll down a course, suck strawberries, grow big, and duke it out. Fun for the whole family!


How To Score A Double-Bladed Lightsaber Early In That New Star Wars Game

Did you know that you can find aÂ  double-bladed lightsaber in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order? Not only does it look cool, but it can also deflect more blaster fire, handle more enemies than usual, and open up a few more combat options.
To unlockÂ  it early, here’s what you need to do (via GamesRadar and Gosu Noob):
1. Leave Bogano
This one’s aÂ  given; you need to access new locations by completing Bogano campaign missions for the first time. Once you’ve done that, you will unlock two planets: Zeffo and Dathomir.
Zeffo is where you need to head to story-wise, which makes Dathomir a side option until later on. You can unlock the double-bladed Lightsaber on Zeffo but you’ll have to play through most of that planet to get to it. On Dathomir you can more or less nip out the ship, grab it and leave.
2. Head to Dathomir
Flying to Dathomir is easy, but going through it underleveled is going to be aÂ  challenge. You can unlock the double-bladed Lightsaber with minimal enemy contactÂ but you will have to fight a few things along the way.
3. Follow this particular path

To get started head out of the ship and take the path to the right that leads down to a climbable wall. Head up and along to the right. A monster will look over as you go.
When you reach the top of the climbing wall make your way up the ledges on the right and look for an alcove you can wall run up to reach a higher level.
Head up and look for a climbable wall you want to go up. There’ll be some spiders here you can fight if you want, or just try and run past. At the top turn around to see a branch you can use to reach a wooden crane-like structure.
Head over the wooden branch and fight some spiders. You can cut the crane structure to release a shortcut down to the area you originally climbed up to. However, don’t do down. Instead keep going past until the path veers right. You’ll see a big doorway ahead of you which is where to go next.
Head in and you’ll trigger a cutscene that will introduce you to the locals – a Night Sister and her Night Brother warriors. You’ll need to defeat the last two once she’s gone to push on. Once you’ve killed them head out the back of the room and you’ll see two ropes to swing on ahead of a Meditation Spot.
Use the ropes to swing over and prepare to be attacked by a Night Brother and two archers. Kill them and head up the stairs. The door will be locked so go around to the right where one of the archers was and head through there where you’ll be ambushed by another Night Brother. After you defeat him, keep going andÂ anotherÂ Night Brother will jump out of the corridor you need to go down. Kill him and then defeat the archer around the corner.

There will be two more archers through the door on the left, on a ledge, so take care and be ready to parry as you go in. When they’ve eaten their own arrows wall run to the branch and use it to get to the archers level. Keep moving along the path and you’ll pass over the locked door which is now below you.
The path will take you back inside where you’ll be above a Night Brother and spider you can drop down on to attack. From here the passage will take you to the other side of the locked door which you unlock for a shortcut on the way back.
However, the main thing to look for is the ledge that looks over a bridge ahead with a cloaked figure on it.
If you drop down at this point and go left you’ll find a bench where you’ll unlock the Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order double-bladed lightsaber.
You can still get this nifty weapon on other planets too, but if you want it REALLY early, Dathomir’s your best bet.


Malaysia’s Astro Has Shut Down Esports Channel eGG Network HD

So much for an esports Malaysian channel sticking around for long.
After 7 years, Astro has announced that pulled the plug of its esports broadcasting network eGG Network HD on channel 800 (via Amanz). No official reason for the cancellation has been given at this point in time.
However, Astro has assured that its future esports broadcasting will be shown on Astro Arena (CH801) and Astro Arena 2 (CH802).
Why Did Astro Shut Down eGG Network ?
We can probably take a guess: the majority of esports being broadcasted are usually on YouTube or Twitch in high-res format and handled by the companies who created the game (Riot for Valorant & League of Legends, Valve for Dota 2, and so forth). Unless you’re already subscribed to Astro, no one will solely go out of their way to subscribe specifically for an esports channel when they can tune in for free on PC or on their phones.
Some channels do create their own esports-related content to engage viewers and make themselves relevant. However, can you name us one popular and long-running original show that eGG Network has created and maintained within its 7 years of being on air on cable?


Video Games Orchestra Will Be In KL This 9th November

Music fans in Malaysia and Southeast Asia: this one’s for you.
The Video Games Orchestra (or VGO) announced that it will be bringing its brand of live video game music covers to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre this 9th November.
Thanks to the efforts of Level Up KL, the concert will play tunes from Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Sonic The Hedgehog. Maybe; the playlist isn’t confirmed yet,Â  but rest assured the group will play the best video game music pieces of the past decade and beyond. Which means you may hear your favourite Square Enix tunes being played. What is confirmed is that tunes from Malaysia-made games No Straight Roads and Re: Legend will be on the setlist.
VGO is a Boston-based “Rockestra” that performs their own arrangements of video game music with a rock band, full orchestra and choir creating the most epic and massive sound force. Remember that interview we did with Falk? Yeah, he and his boss Shota Nakama are involved with this group.
Here’s a taste of their past works; it totally rocks.

Sounds good? Get your tickets here and support this endeavour.Â


Diablo Immortal’s First Major Update Is Coming 28 September

Diablo Immortal will receive its first major update “Forgotten Nightmares” which will go live on 28 September and will include a brand-new dungeon dubbed the Silent Monastery and will continue the story’s questline.
NEW DUNGEON: SILENT MONASTERY

The Silent Monastery is described to be a dungeon shrouded in eternal night, you’ll need to find light sources to illuminate its halls and weaken the nightmare hordes within to confront the darkness rising at its heart. In this new dungeon, players who are level 60 and above can group up in parties of two to four to relive the history of the Zakarum crusades through the lands of Ivgorod.
CASTLE CYRANGAR

Warbands have a new place to call home in the ancient fortress, Castle Cyrangar. This new feature will replace Warband Camps and offer new game features. In Purge the Depths, members can gain individual power and claim Remnants which can be placed in Warband Rooms to offer buffs to the occupants.
In the Defense of Cyrangar work with your Warband to earn additional rewards by fighting off waves of demons. Taking part in these events will also give you a chance to find Ancestral Weapons which can be used to confer a portion of their Attributes onto all members of your Warband.
SEASON 5 BATTLE PASS & NEW RAID BOSS

In addition, we have many other updates coming to Diablo Immortal Season Five Battle Pass: Scions of the Storm kicks off with updated challenges, rewards, and a new cosmetic on 29 September.
Our fifth Helliquary Boss, Izilech the Misshapen, is a vicious new combatant ready to take on only the toughest of adventurers starting 2 October. Brand new Set Items are also here in the form of Gloomguide’s Prize and carry a focus on the Dash skills and terrifying your enemies.
For more information on all the exciting new content, check out our blog here. Below you can also find Diablo Immortal’s Developer Update.


Here Are The Most Awesome Game Of Thrones Toys You Can Buy

Game of Thrones is back, as Season 8 finally begins with the fury of both fire and ice. Winter is here, and fans are ravenous for everything Game of Thrones-related. How about checking out some of the best Game of Thrones toys that money can buy on this side of Westeros, courtesy of manufacturer Threezero?
First up is a 1/6th scale collectible figure of Arya Stark complete with her iconic sword Needle and even the Braavosi coin given to her by Faceless Man Jaqen H’ghar. It is available for purchase now at a price of $178 or around RM733.

A 1/6th scale collectible figure of Cersei Lannister wearing her royal Queen coronation gown as seen in Season 7 and Season 8 of the series, along with an intricately-designed crown. It is available for pre-order now at a price of $178 or around RM733.

A 1/6th scale deluxe version collectible figure of Brienne of Tarth. It comes with her complete armor set and cloak, as well as her Oathkeeper sword and scabbard (which was given to her by Jamie Lannister). It is available for pre-order now at a price of $208 or RM856.

A 1/6th scale deluxe version collectible figure of Tyrion Lannister all decked up in his new tailored garb and Hand of The King brooch, as well as a jug and a goblet for good measure (let’s not forget that he proclaimed himself the god of tits and wine). It is available for pre-order now at a price of $198 or RM815.

A 1/6th scale deluxe version of a White Walker along with removable armor pieces and an incredible ice spear. Although this isn’t the Night King himself, fans might recognize this guy as the bearded White Walker that Jon Snow killed with Longclaw in Season 7. It is available for purchase now at a price of $208 or RM856.

And the piÃ¨ce de rÃ©sistance: aÂ 1/6th scale collectible figure of Drogon, the biggest and meanest of Daenerys Targaryen’s three dragons. I don’t have to tell you why this one is the most awesome of them all, but be prepared to cough up some real big bucks to pre-order this oversized lizard, a whopping $1,499 (or roughly RM6,169).

A new episode of Game of Thrones Season 8 will air at the same time as the U.S. at 9am GMT+8 every Monday with a same-day encore at 10pm GMT+8, exclusively on HBO (Astro Ch 411 / 431 HD), Astro On Demand, Astro GO, and NJOI Now.
In the meantime, check out all our Game of Thrones interviews and coverage here, or watch us discuss the first episode of the final season with our friends at Buzzpop here.


E3 2018: Tetsuya Nomura Breaks Silence On FFVII Remake

While Square Enix fans are happy with the recent reveals of Kingdom Hearts III, they are still wondering if they’ll ever talk about that one other anticipated game they teased back in E3 2015 on the PlayStation press conference. We are referring to the spikey-haired Buster Sword-wielding elephant in the room: the Final Fantasy VII Remake.
We’ve got some public info about it. According to a report on The Verge,Â Square Enix director Tetsuya Nomura said that the game is still in development. “We are developing [Final Fantasy VII] in parallel [with Kingdom Hearts III], and it’s not just in the early concept stages. We are actually in development.”
Furthermore, the developer said that he was giving equal treatment and dev time to both FFVIIR and KHIII. “[…]I’ve been putting in 100 percent into Kingdom Hearts, 100 percent into Final Fantasy VII, 100 percent into Kingdom Hearts…just going back and forth. It’s just like [working on] two titles is just going to be one after Kingdom Hearts III’s launch]. That’s pretty much how I see it.”
That’s that; guess every Final Fantasy fan can now rest assured that its development is anything but troubled. We’ll still give it until Wawasan 2020 release state-wise.


New Marvel Studio’s Shang-Chi Trailer Features Mandarin & Michelle Yeoh In Mom Mode

The latest Marvel Studio’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten RingsÂ trailer just dropped, and showcases a bit more story about the Ten Rings and The Mandarin. The real supernaturally-powered one.
The new trailer features the Ten Rings, the Mandarin kicking ass (played by Tony “MF” Leung), Shang-Chi also kicking ass (played by Simu Li), a CGI beastie, and Michelle Yeoh teaching kung-fu to Shang-Chi as a sifu-slash-mom-archetype called Jiang Nan. Here are some screencaps to whet your appetite when the film comes out this 3rd September.

Here are a few shots of Michelle Yeoh’s character acting as a sifu and as the mom figure to Shang-Chi in the film. Together with Awkwafina’s wacky best friend character Katy, it looks like the movie may be channelling a bit of the Crazy Rich Asians family formula into the mix. Except with less “Rich” and more “Martial Arts Fantasy”. I doubt Tony Leung’s Mandarin is going to duel Simu Li’s Shang-Chi in mahjong anytime soon.

Also, here are the baddies ranging from The Mandarin to his possible henchpersons, as well as a few CGI beasties and a green goliath that may either be the Abomination or some Shang-Chi monster I haven’t heard about.

Check out the trailer below.


PlayStation Days Of Play Sale & Discounts Returns This Friday

Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore (SIES) has announced that the global Days Of Play sale this year starts on Friday, 2 June 2023 till Monday, 12 June 2023. The special offers include various deals on DualSense Wireless Controllers and software titles. Offers are available at all PlayStation Authorized Dealers and Sony Stores while stock lasts.
For both new and current PlayStation Plus members, all 12-month plans will be offered at 25% off – this includes Essential, Extra, and Deluxe. Current PlayStation Plus Essential and Extra members can also receive 25% off a 1-month, 3-month, or 12-month membership when upgrading to a higher tier plan – it’s a great time to try PlayStation Plus Deluxe.
Furthermore, many game titles will also be available at a special price in the digital PlayStation Store (PS Store) from Friday, 2 June 2023 till Monday, 12 June 2023.
“Days of Play” Sales Offers
From 2nd June till 12th June 2023, customers can enjoy various offers upon purchase of the below products. Details are as follows:

 DualSense Wireless Controllers

DualSense Wireless Controller*1

Special Price

White / Midnight Black

RM269

Cosmic Red / Starlight Blue / Nova Pink / Galactic Purple / Gray Camouflage

Select PS5 and PS4 Software (Blu-ray Disc version)

Select PS5 and PS4 titles (Blu-ray Disc version) will be available at special prices as followed:

Platform

Software Title
Special Price

PS4

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

RM129

PS5

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

RM129

PS4

God of War Ragnarök

RM169

PS5

God of War Ragnarök

RM209

PS5

Horizon Forbidden West

RM169

PS5

The Last of Us Part I

RM209

PS5
Gran Turismo 7

RM169


Here’s Where You Can Pre-Order An Xbox Series X & S In Singapore

We’ve already covered earlier this month where you can pre-order Microsoft’s upcoming next-gen gaming box in Malaysia; hint – down south. If you happen to be in Southeast Asia’s Republic of Singapore, you may have a bit more options.
Preorders for the Xbox Series X and Series S will begin in 37 countries on 22nd September, including Singapore. The Xbox Series X costs S$699 while the Series S costs S$459. You can start at 6am SGT and call up/follow up with the listed Singapore retailers below:

Microsoft Store
Challenger
Harvey Norman
Qisahn
GameMartz

The first three stores have different outlets populated all over the country, so you should be fine in preparing instead of going through a mad dash due to a last-minute pre-order fiesta.
For more news on Xbox Series X and its games, head here. To read about what its competitor has, head here.Â


KKP Best Of 2020: Game #3

For the rest of the best in 2020, head here.
#3: Spiritfarer

We’re not sure who asked for a Metroidvania-slash-house-ferry-simulation combo that deals with dying and death, but in a whimsical, relaxing, and uplifting way. But I’m glad Spiritfarer exists.
It’s really hard to list a game these days that conveys its key message about saying goodbye without wanton antagonism. Somehow, Thunder Lotus’ simulation and platformer hybrid manages to convey its 20-hour gameplay without the lead character Stella actively fighting and killing anyone, or anything. Instead, all supposed bad beasties want to be your friend, and the only way to progress is to build up your boat base with gardens, chicken coops, and a foundry, as well as help your new boat companions with whatever last requests they have.
The only “killing” you’ll be doing involves sending your spirit companion through the Everdoor. But not without hearing their final words and a really touching theme playing while you’re paddling the boat to their final destination. You will have your “breakdown and cry moments” especially with companions like Alice and Atul when you’ve completed their respective story arcs.
Furthermore, Spiritfarer doesn’t bludgeon you with its message, unlike most indie games that have a point that they want to get across but somehow forced in gameplay elements that just hit you as subtly as a sledgehammer. You’re left to piece together the info you’re given, and the fact that the houses you built for your companions (as well as their respective resource-gathering activities) still remain once they’re past the Everdoor, reminding you that they’re gone for good.
If there’s a game that really brings in the feels this year, Spiritfarer is it. And it does so in a somber yet charming fashion.


Yoodo PUBG Mobile Team Welcomes New Player

The upcoming PUBG Mobile Club Open (PMCO) Fall Split 2019 will have a few Malaysian teams participating and Yoodo Gank is one of the teams who have qualified. In conjunction with the opening of PUBG Mobile Malaysia National Championship (PMNC) 2019, the team revealed their new team member.
Aiman “ManParang” Amirul, captain of Yoodo’s PUBG Mobile team personally invited new teammate Raymond “iSH0Tz” Tan Boon Sheng after deliberating on lessons learnt from his experience at the PMCO Spring Split 2019.
Yoodo Gank team members. From left: iSH0Tz, JimBoy, ManParang, and Draxx.
The Yoodo Gank team captain explained that he had been interested in forming a team with iSH0Tz since they first met several months ago. Prior to joining Yoodo Gank, iSH0Tz played in squad tournaments with his friends. This will be his professional debut and the PMCO Fall Split will be his first international tournament.
Yoodo Gank finished 15th place last month at the PMCO Spring SEA Championship 2019 and brought home US$1,400.Â  For being the top Malaysian team at PMCO SEA Spring Split qualifier in Shanghai, they automatically qualified for the Fall Split. 4 top winners of the PMNC 2019 will also be joining them at the Fall Split.


[Report] Nintendo Switch Capable Of 4K Coming Later This Year

There have been rumours since even late last year that Nintendo was planning to launch a new Nintendo Switch model in 2021. That might turn out to be true if a new Bloomberg report is to be believed.
According to an article by Bloomberg’s Takashi Mochizuki and Sohee Kim, Nintendo is planning to release a new model of the Nintendo Switch with a bigger seven-inch 720p Samsung OLED display capable of 4K resolution when connected to a TV.
The same sources claim that this new Nintendo Switch Pro model will start production in June 2021 with an initial monthly target of just under a million units and slated to ship to assemblers sometime in July 2021.
Display consultancy DSCC co-founder Yoshio Tamura (who was cited in the same Bloomberg article) said:
â€œThe OLED panel will consume less battery, offer higher contrast and possibly faster response time when compared to the Switchâ€™s current liquid-crystal display.â€
However, we should take all of this with a grain of salt for now. Representatives from both Nintendo and Samsung have declined to comment when contacted by Bloomberg. Plus, just last month in February 2021, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said that the company is not planning to release a new Nintendo Switch model “anytime soon”.
It remains to be seen if the Nintendo Switch will be as relevant to this gaming generation as it was during the PS4/Xbox One era. Can it stand up to the technical prowess of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, or will it finally falter? Only time will tell, but so far, the Nintendo Switch is still going as strong as ever.
With upcoming games like Monster Hunter Rise and Pokemon Legends Arceus, it doesn’t seem like Nintendo Switch fans need to worry for now. We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, stay tuned on Kakuchopurei!


Third Batch Of PS5 Pre-Orders In Malaysia Starts Tonight

Sony Malaysia has announced that they are opening the third batch of official pre-orders for the PlayStation 5 starting tomorrow at 12am midnight on 19 February 2021.
This time around, PS5 pre-orders will only be available online exclusively via the Sony Malaysia Official Store on Lazada.
The PS5 Digital Edition will be available at RM1,869 while the PS5 Standard Edition will be available for RM2,299.
However, itâ€™s worth pointing out that while pre-orders for the third batch will begin tomorrow, we still donâ€™t know when the new PS5 stock will arrive or even how many of them are available.
Due to that reason, anyone interested in grabbing their own PS5 will have to be quick starting tomorrow.
https://www.facebook.com/SonyMalaysia/posts/10165176619405601
Other PlayStation-authorized stores, like Gamers Hideout, will also be opening pre-orders for PS5 starting tomorrow. For the full list of PlayStation-authorized stores, head on over here.
https://www.facebook.com/GamersHideout/posts/10158055973445914


Dumb & Dumber Director’s Latest Film Won Best Picture For Oscars 2019

Dreams do come true if you persevere and work your ass off doing dick joke movies. In this case, it’s for Peter Farrelly, the half that directed such classic such as Dumb & Dumber, Kingpin, and Me, Myself, & Irene.
His recent directorial work, Green Book, won best picture during the 91st Academy Awards ceremony that was aired a few hours ago. The film beat out other nominees such as BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, Roma, A Star Is Born, Vice, and…Black Panther.
Speaking of comic book movies, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse won Best Animated Film, and Black Panther won Original Score, Production Design, and Costume Design. Hooray for them.

Until Dawn‘s Rami Malek also got an award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.
Check out the full list of Oscar 2019 winners below. Stay tuned for an Oscar-worthy feature on Kakuchopurei & our pals The Last King Podcast this week. We are going to break it down like nobody’s business.
Image credit: New York Times
-Best Picture: Green Book
-Director: Alfonso CuarÃ³n, Roma
-Actor: Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
-Actress: Olivia Colman, The Favourite
-Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, Green Book
-Supporting Actress: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
-Original Screenplay: Green Book
-Adapted Screenplay: BlackKklansman
-Foreign Language Film: Roma
-Animated Feature: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Image credit: New York Times
-Sound Editing: Bohemian Rhapsody
-Visual Effects: First Man
-Film Editing: Bohemian Rhapsody
-Animated Short: Bao
-Original Score: Black Panther
-Original Song: “Shallow” from A Star Is Born
-Production Design: Black Panther
-Cinematography: Roma
-Costume Design: Black Panther
-Makeup & Hairstyling: Vice
-Documentary Feature: Free Solo
-Sound Mixing: Bohemian Rhapsody


Wonka Trailer Looks Magical, Teases The Rise Of Willy Wonka

Warner Bros. Pictures has unveiled the first trailer for the upcoming Wonka movie.
Based on the extraordinary character at the centre of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl’s most iconic children’s book and one of the best-selling children’s books of all time, Wonka tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today.
From Paul King, writer/director of the “Paddington” films, David Heyman, producer of “Harry Potter,” “Gravity,” “Fantastic Beasts” and “Paddington,” and producers Alexandra Derbyshire (the “Paddington” films, “Jurassic World: Dominion”) and Luke Kelly (“Roald Dahl’s The Witches”), comes an intoxicating mix of magic and music, mayhem and emotion, all told with fabulous heart and humour. Starring Timothée Chalamet in the title role, this irresistibly vivid and inventive big-screen spectacle will introduce audiences to a young Willy Wonka, chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time—proving that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible.
Starring alongside Chalamet are Calah Lane (“The Day Shall Come”), Emmy and Peabody Award winner Keegan-Michael Key (“The Prom,” “Schmigadoon”), Paterson Joseph (“Vigil,” “Noughts + Crosses”), Matt Lucas (“Paddington,” “Little Britain”), Mathew Baynton (“The Wrong Mans,” “Ghosts”), Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water,” the “Paddington” films, “Spencer”), Rowan Atkinson (the “Johnny English” and “Mr. Bean” films, “Love Actually”), Jim Carter (“Downton Abbey”), with Oscar winner Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”). The film also stars Natasha Rothwell (“White Lotus,” “Insecure”), Rich Fulcher (“Marriage Story,” “Disenchantment”), Rakhee Thakrar (“Sex Education,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral”), Tom Davis (“Paddington 2,” “King Gary”) and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (“Paddington 2,” “Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” “Mary Poppins Returns”).
Simon Farnaby (“Paddington 2”) & Paul King wrote the screenplay, based on a story by King and characters created by Roald Dahl. Michael Siegel, Cate Adams, Rosie Alison and Tim Wellspring are serving as executive producers. King’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Chung-Hoon Chung (“Last Night in Soho,” “Ah-ga-ssi”); Oscar-nominated production designer Nathan Crowley (“Tenet,” “Dunkirk”); editor Mark Everson (the “Paddington” films); Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (the “Paddington” films, “Topsy-Turvy”); and composer Joby Talbot (the “Sing” films). Neil Hannon of the band The Divine Comedy is writing original songs for the film.
Wonka premieres in Malaysian cinemas on 14 December 2023.
Check out the trailer below:


Life-Sized Godzilla Terrorizes Theme Park In Japan

Japan already has a life-sized Gundam for mecha fans to marvel at when they visit the land of the rising sun, but what about kaiju fans? Wait no more, as a life-sized replica of Godzilla (specifically the version from 2016’s Shin Godzilla) has been erected as a theme park attraction.
The “Godzilla Interception Operation Awaji” attraction is located in the Nijigen no mori theme park on Awaji island, Hyogo Prefecture in Japan. It depicts Godzilla emerging from the waters of Tokyo Bay, with most of his body still submerged.

However, it is still of an awe-inspiring size, measuring approximately 20m high, 25m wide and 55m long. It will be the world’s first theme park attraction to feature a permanent full-scale version of the monster.
Toho Corporation Chief Godzilla Officer Keiji Ota said (via Kyodo News):

“(The attraction) will have a huge presence and tremendous impact.”

Starting from summer 2020 (which is when the Godzilla attraction will begin operations), visitors will be able to assume the role of researchers and use pulleys to enter Godzilla (via his wide and gaping mouth) to take part in various missions, including trying to destroy its cells in shooting games.

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Godzilla is now arguably at the zenith of his popularity, thanks to 2019’s Godzilla: King Of The Monsters (which I thought was one of the best non-Japanese Kaiju movies ever made, check out my review of the movie here). Despite that, Japan is still promoting 2016’s Shin Godzilla as the current definitive version of the King of Kaijus.
That’s understandable considering how great the movie is, as it explores the political issues arising from a kaiju attack in modern Japan and once again making Godzilla the antagonist. It also won multiple Japanese Academy awards in 2016 (including Picture of the Year) and is the highest-grossing Japanese Godzilla movie of all time.


Ex-Riot Developers Are Making A Community MMO Called Palia

Sometimes, you just want an online MMORPG experience that isn’t just about fetch quests and grinding. You just want to build a homestead of your own, invite your pals over, and even interact with the nearby villagers while tending to your crops & outdoor furnishing.
That’s what Palia is all about: it’s an MMORPG that’s all about community-building & hanging out with your pals (ala The Sims, Animal Crossing, and so forth) but in a vast MMO scale. The game is made by a group called Singularity 6, which is started up by ex-Riot Games developers Aidan Karabaich and Anthony Leung.
Palia took them three years to build, which is understandable given the scope they’re going for. Not only can you build your dream home and customize it to your whim, but you can also romance NPCs. This might be a bit odd since an NPC might also be romanced by someone you know on an MMO setting, but we’ll see how this plays out later down the line.
And yes, you still need to head out to the woods and farm for materials, but at least you can get more rewards by grouping together with your pals.Â Check out the announcement trailer below. The game will host a pre-alpha session which you can sign up for right now.


Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse Animators Speak Out On Crunch, Claims Next Movie Will Be Delayed

Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse has been a sensational success for Sony Pictures Animation, having surpassed a whopping US$500 million at the worldwide box office at the time of writing. However, it seems like things might not have been all rosy and perfect during production, as several animators who worked on the movie have come out and spoken out on alleged severe crunch and other issues.
According to the animators (via Vulture), over 100 artists and animators left before production ended and they sometimes had to work 11-hour-days, seven days a week. They also said that a lot of the crunch during production is due to how indecisive the movie’s writers/producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were, which led to countless revisions and edits that resulted in more work.
The sequel, Spider-Man Beyond The Spider-Verse, is slated to premiere in March 2024. However, the animators who worked on Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse claimed that not much work has been done on the movie; since they had to focus all their efforts on Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse. What this means is that the movie will very likely be delayed.
They said:
They’ve announced that Beyond the Spider-Verse will be released in March of next year. I’ve seen people say, “Oh, they probably worked on it at the same time.” There’s no way that movie’s coming out then. There’s been progress on the pre-production side of things.
But as far as the production side goes, the only progress that’s been made on the third one is any exploration or tests that were done before the movie was split into two parts. Everyone’s been fully focused on Across the Spider-Verse and barely crossing the finish line. And now it’s like, Oh, yeah, now we have to do the other one.
At the time of writing, Sony Pictures Animation has yet to officially respond to the crunch allegations or whether Spider-Man Beyond The Spider-Verse will be delayed. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
In the meantime, check out my review of Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse here, as well as the biggest cameos in the movie, my ending explained and post-credits scenes breakdown, and what to expect from Spider-Man Beyond The Spider-Verse.


NieR: Orchestra Concert Coming To Bangkok, Thailand Next Year

Need a quick Thailand trip and also catch some orchestral tunes of the NieR series? Then you may want to plan for the upcoming NieR Orchestra Concert 12018.
The NieR-themed concert made its debut in Tokyo, Japan back in September 2018 and will be coming to Chicago and London as well. But since Thailand is closer to a lot of us, we’ll just head down there instead. Plus, it’ll be held for two days.
Here are the details:
Venue: Prince Mahidol Hall
Date: 15th and 16th February, 2020
Additional Info: https://nierconcert.com/concert/bangkok2020/
Tickets will be on sale soon, according to the website. If you buy the VIP tickets, you will be able to take photos with vocalist Emi Evans, composer Keiichi Okabe, director Yoko Taro, and conductor Arnie Roth.
The music of the NieR series is composed by the aforementioned Okabe, Kakeru Ishihama, and Keigo Hoashi. The concerts will be performed by a full symphony orchestra and chorus, conducted by Arnie Roth of Distant Worlds fame. So you know you’re getting quality orchestra work by attending these live.
And in case you need a reminder as to why NieR‘s OST is freaking godlike, just check out the tunes below.


A First Look At Call Of Duty: Warzone Mobile

Last night saw Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty: Next event where they showcased a bunch of highly anticipated releases to come. One of which was the official reveal of Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile where we got a glimpse into what they have in store for us.
That’s right, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile was one of the many showcases unveiled during Call of Duty: Next. We’ve known that the game was in development for a while and had undergone alpha-testing but has been radio silent since.
Free pre-registration is open now for Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile on Android ahead of the anticipated worldwide release on Android and iOS devices in 2023.
During the reveal, we were presented with thrilling gameplay that perfectly showcases Call of Duty: Warzone’s combat along with authentic content like Operators, Weapons, and locations. A massive question was whether or not the game would be able to sustain the traditional 120 players system like in its PC counterpart and fortunately, we learned that Warzone Mobile will indeed be able to support 120 live players in a match on mobile.
Co-developed by a multi-studio mobile organization that includes teams from Activision Shanghai Studio, Beenox, Digital Legends, and Solid State Studios, the game is set to feature mobile-specific events, playlists, and content as well as deep control customization options to support both veterans and new recruits alike.
WHAT TO EXPECT?

Mobile Players: Welcome to Verdansk! – At launch players will drop into the legendary Verdansk map on mobile for the very first time. From the snow-lined ridges near the Military Base to the hot drop of SuperStore, get ready to fight through hallmark vistas, urban areas, open battlegrounds, and everywhere in between.
The Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 map: Al Mazrah – Will arrive in the game in the future.
Roll Up and Take Off – Take the fight to your enemies on the ground or in the skies with a variety of land-based vehicles and aircraft.
Buy Stations Confirmed – Gather Cash and spend it at Buy Stations scattered across the map, enhancing your armaments and helping turn the tide in battle.
Contracts Confirmed – Take on Contracts located throughout Verdansk; these optional mini-missions enable you to gain the upper hand in the competition.
Second Chance: The Gulag! – Face off in a 1v1 winner-takes-all gunfight and earn a second chance at survival! If you’re eliminated in Verdansk, take down a foe in the Gulag; win and redeploy back into the match.
Mobile Optimization – Everything from movement, aiming and weapon handling, to physics, animations, and audio have been optimized for mobile gaming in order to deliver the ultimate accuracy, authenticity and performance you expect from Call of Duty.
Built for the Way You Play – With deep control customization options for mobile devices, you’re able to pick up and play no matter your skill level.
Customized Content – The game will also feature a robust selection of mobile-specific events, customized playlists, and a variety of special content.

CROSS-PROGRESSION
We also learned that in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Warzone 2.0 and Warzone Mobile, players can share many social features and cross-progression enabling a shared Battle Pass and more for a connected Call of Duty experience. Meaning that if you level up your Battle Pass in Warzone Mobile, it’ll also level up your Battle Pass in MWII and Warzone 2.0.

Deeply Connected Weapons and Operators – Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is loaded up with many of the same weapons and Operators coming in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 on console and PC.
One Shared Experience – With cross-progression players can advance the Battle Pass and more across Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0.
Example Unlock #1 – Unlock a new weapon when playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II or Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 on console or PC, then access it on your mobile device in Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile.
Example Unlock #2 – Unlock a new Operator in Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile and take them with you when playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II or Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 on console or PC.
Enhanced Social Innovations – Friends lists and chat channels are also shared across Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II or Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, so you can stay in touch with your friends no matter where they choose to play.

So pre-register now on Android by heading over to the Google Play Store. Be sure to keep an eye on Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile socials, or the Call of Duty Blog for updates on pre-registration and launch. If the community rallies and global pre-registration player milestones are met, expect to receive a number of impressive rewards when the game launches.


Gabe Newell Used To Farm Gold In WoW, Shares Opinion On Game Store Competition

We all probably know Gabe Newell best as the head honcho of Valve. But once upon a time, he was also a World of Warcraft gold farmer.
Speaking to Edge magazineÂ (via PC Gamer) Newell spoke of how Valve began to consider games as “productivity platforms”, and how he decided to farm gold in the MMO as “a sort of proof-of-concept”.
“I was making US$20 an hour farming gold,” he said. “I was making what was a spectacular wage for most people in most parts of the world.”
Steam Workshop came about after that, and Newell shared the story of a kid who made so much money on PayPal by selling Steam Workshop items that his parents called Valve.

“What happened was PayPal pinged the parents and said, ‘Your kid is exceeding our limits of how much money they can put into PayPal per month. They’re probably selling stolen goods or drugs because thereâ€™s no other explanation.’

“So the parents called us up and I said: ‘He makes items on the Team Fortress Workshop.
Heâ€™s making US$500,000 a year.’
That to us was an indication that this was a helpful way of thinking of games – as platforms – and it’s informed all of our decisions about multiplayer games subsequently.”

Newell also spoke about competitions between game stores in the interview. As reported by GamesRadar, he considers competition to be “awesome for everybody” as it ensures honesty, although it’s “ugly in the short term”. But “in the long term, everybody benefits from the discipline and the thoughtfulness it means you have to have about your business by having people come in and challenge you”.
Newell also revealed that Valve is more concerned with people who try to “preclude competition” than having competition.
Singling out Apple, he said, “If you ask us which is scarier, it’s people falling in love with Apple’s model of controlling everything and having faceless bureaucrats who get to keep your product from entering the market if they don’t want it to, or designing a store in a way that minimises software’s value-add to experience and stuff like that.”
It’s another interesting peek into the mind of the CEO of an important game company like Valve, who released Half-Life: Alyx over a decade after their last Half-Life game. On the gaming storefront, Steam recently hit a record user count a week ago due to the number of people stuck at home because of Covid-19. But with Epic grabbing more exclusives (although some are only timed) and entering the publishing realm, I wonder what Newell will think of this competitor in the future.


The Best Legendary Weapons & Guns Of Borderlands 3 [Updated for 2021]

2020 is over, but Borderlands 3 still lives on. After 5 major DLC expansions, with more on the way thanks to the Season 2 pass, Borderlands 3 is still up and running. Why? Because it’s still fun to team up with people and loot-and-shoot bad guys & skags for that dopamine rush for bigger and better guns.
Now that the game is fully updated (until the next hotfix later in January), we can determine what the best Legendary guns are with a simple tier list from S (the best) to D (the worst). Just some ground rules:

We are factoring in updates and hotfixes for weapons that are done up until 17th December. In other words, what was useless back in September 2019 may not be as such in December 2020.
Weapons up until Designer Cut will be included in this updated tier list.
Vault Hunter-specific weapons will be demoted to A-Tier. All-purpose damage-savvy weapons automatically go to S-Tier.
We’ll be referring each expansion with its DLC number. Handsome Jackpot = DLC 1, Guns Love Tentacles = DLC 2, Bounty of Blood = DLC 3, Krieg & Fantastic Fustercluck = DLC 4. Arms Race is still Arms Race.
Some guns here have better support abilities than damage-dealing abilities, so we’re classifying these under Support Tier.
If there’s a gun missing, let us know. There’s a heckaton of them in Borderlands 3, so we’re bound to forget one or two.

With that out of the way, let’s begin!
S Tier

Pistols
Light Show – Fast firing rate, great at close to mid-range, and perfect for most builds. What’s not to love about 2020’s most-beloved elemental pistol in Borderlands 3? Found in DLC 3.
Gargoyle – Elemental-locked, but still deals great damage super-fast. Found in DLC 3.
Tizzy – It’s one of the best boss melters in the game with most builds, bar none. Just switch out if you’re mobbing; you’ll run out of ammo quick if you do. Found in Arms Race.
Free Radical – From the Director’s Cut DLC comes this funky rapid-fire pistol that shoots out additional rockets without the need for alt-fire nonsense. All Vault Hunters can benefit from the perks of this pistol and its generous firing rate.
SMGs

Blood-Starved Beast – Another tough-to-farm gun, but it’s worth it just for its damage and output. Found in DLC 4 via Evil Lilith.
Plasma Coil – One of the best reasons to farm in Arms Race. This SMG kills things really, really fast even though it’s Shock elemental-locked. Even if it fires in a burst rate, this is one weapon that will get you through most of the harder content, regardless of the Vault Hunter you’re using. Found in Arms Race.
Flipper – We love the Flipper’s damage output, elemental prowess, and firing rate after its charge. It’s way better on Moze, but it’s great on other Vault Hunters too. Available from the Minosaur and as a World Drop from DLC 3.
SMOG – This SMG is significantly better in the hands of a tanky Amara build that doesn’t mind shooting enemies in a stationary manner; you need to put up the SMOG’s weapon shields to get the best damage (ie: use iron sights). It’s also great with other classes, just so you know.
Get this from the final boss in the Guardian Takedown.
Assault Rifles

OPQ – This Assault Rifle is really good because of its damage output and decent splash damage. The only fault it has is that it does cause splash damage, which can FFYL you quickly if you don’t fire it at the correct distance. Moreso with Moze and Amara. Found in the Cartel limited event, which you can now toggle on and off in the main menu screen.
The Monarch – Hardest weapon to farm, but it’s worth it especially since it comes in many elemental flavours and deals great damage for all Vault Hunter builds. Farmed from Killavolt at Mayhem 6 and above difficulty.
Clairvoyance – The high amounts of damage and Cryo effect this gun features saved many Vault Hunter builds since its debut in Guns, Love, & Tentacles. Definitely a high-priority gun to farm in DLC 2.
Soulrender – Thanks to the 17th December update, the skulls that shoot out of this gun deals more damage, and can be amplified from Vault Hunter passive skills like Moze’s Fire in the Skag Den. Speaking of which, this assault rifle is best on Moze and Zane, though Amara and Fl4k can use them too with their respective builds. Found in DLC 2.
Shotguns

Hellwalker –Â This ode to Doom went from chump to champ within a year plus thanks to its damage buff. Even if it’s Incendiary-locked, this shotgun still shreds all enemies regardless of their resistances. Keep this one close if you’re planning a heavy damage build with shotguns. World drop, but found on Road Dog on Splinterlands, Pandora.
Anarchy – One of the best shotguns in the game, as long as you get the stacks going. Farm in DLC 2.
Reflux – Hard to farm due to its low drop rate, but worth it because of its high damage output. It’s essentially a better version of Brainstormer and Conference Call, but Corrosive. Found on Gen-IVI on Mayhem 6 and above difficulty.
Face-Puncher – Hands-down the best and highest damage-dealing shotgun thanks to the Groundbreaker Guardian rank perk.
Sniper Rifles

Boogeyman – A Vladof sniper rifle that will mess enemies up with its high rate of fire and a chance to return bullets back at you? And comes in multiple elements & splash damage? This sniper rifle is another chief reason to keep farming for guns in Arms Race.
Complex Root – While nerfed due to the ASE changes in projectiles, this unique one-shot sniper rifle is still a beast for most builds, especially for Fl4k. Found in DLC 3.
Sandhawk – A rifle that is unwieldy unless you are familiar with its firing rate and projectile trajectory. However, it is a one-hit kill weapon in the hands of a Zane clone. Rare drop from Katagawa Jr (on Mayhem 6 and above); worth the farm if you focus on Zane clone or if you’re willing to handle a tough weapon. The damage is worth it.
Rocket Launchers

Backburner – You have to learn how to fire and get max damage out of this rocket launcher properly. But once you get the hang of it, you will basically kill anything within its AoE. Farm from Agonizer-9000 on Carnivora’s Guts (Mayhem 6 and above).
Globetrotter – Thanks to recent buffs in 28th April 2021’s hotfix, this super-spread rocket launcher is now godlike in the damage-dealing department. Best on splash damage-immune build vault hunters like Moze.
Plaguebearer – Hard to get good anoints for, given its low drop rate. But this rocket launcher is great for all builds and awesome for mobbing. Get this gun from the Warden in The Anvil on Eden-6 (Mayhem 6 and above).
Ion Cannon – The best FFYL weapon to pull out. Also deals great one-shot damage even with the nerfs as of late. Found in DLC 1.

A Tier
Pistol

Beacon – A superior Hellshock. Turbo-shots, different elemental flavours, great nova effect when reloading, and fast charge time. Can be farmed in DLC 3.
Prompt Critical – Remember Unkempt Harold in Borderlands 2? This is the Borderlands 3 equivalent. Amazingly, it’s even better than BL3’s Unkempt Harold. Farm from Evil Lilith in DLC 4.
Craps – The “fire four additional projectiles for each shot” bonus gets a buff in late 2020, so Craps is worth keeping. Found in DLC 1.
Hornet – This Corrosive pistol got a late 2020 damage buff, and it’s revered for it if you want a nice Corrosive sidearm. World drop.
Lucky 7 – If you put the work in with certain builds, Lucky 7’s reload bonuses can really rack in the damage. Farm in DLC 1.
Dastardly Maggie – The former king of 2019’s Borderlands rapid-fire pistols is now taken down a couple of notches. It’s still worth keeping if you’re starting out since it’s a World Drop.
Moonfire – Getting headshots on this thing delivers. Thanks to its fire rate buff, this gun is a decent hand cannon for your Vault Hunters. Farm from Maliwan Takedown; higher chance drop from Wotan The Invincible.
Pestilence – Great for Fl4k radiation builds with the Red Suit shield, especially the nova effect that pops up when you reload your pistol. It’s not S-tier because you need a bit of planning around it. The nova deals damage to you, so handle with care.
Scoville – A great pistol primarily for Moze users, but also decent for other Vault Hunters. A Crew Challenge reward on DLC 1.
SMGs

Ember’s Purge – Better with Zane’s clone. The puddle damage this gun does scales well with Mayhem levels. This can be acquired in a mission on DLC 1 (Handsome Jackpot).
Cutsman – While not an S-Tier weapon back in 2019 and early 2020, this weapon is still pretty good with most Vault Hunter builds. World Drop.
Kaoson – Great damage still, even with the nerf. It’s just hard to farm, since it’s a rare drop from Captain Traunt at the end of Athenas.
Pat Mk III – Don’t use its direct fire, since its Tediore raptors when you reload the gun are more useful. Found on DLC 4.
Proprietary License – A good if inconsistent weapon for all Vault Hunters. Farm from DLC 3.
Sleeping Giant – Formerly crap, but now a great damage-dealing SMG thanks to the recent buffs in 2020. Even if the buffs you get from Sleeping GIant is random, it’s definitely better than what it was.
Dark Army – If you want a Tediore gun-spawning build, this is the gun you need.
Assault Rifle

Kaos – Who knew a Dahl weapon would be capable of “smallhands” explosions that can benefit most of the Vault Hunters? This weapon has seen some neglect until recently thanks to recent buffs in 2020. World Drop.
Shreddifier – Still good even if you’re not using Moze (for unlimited fire builds). High rate of fire and good damage, but eats up bullets super-quick. World Drop.
Boom SickleÂ  (Elemental) – The normal version sucks. Go for the elemental versions if possible. World Drop.
No Pew Pew – This Cartel event gun has been given a mid-2021 buff. It deals a bit more damage and is better if you can pass it to someone who has great aim and a no-miss firing record. Like, oh say, a Zane Clone. Seriously, putting this on a Zane Clone will make you score quick kills arguably better than with a Sandhawk.
Shotgun

Thug – As long as you hit your shots, its ricochet will deal a lot of damage to mobs. Definitely a keeper and a chief reason to farm Arms Race.
Brainstormer – Previously a top-tier weapon, but now relegated here due to nerfs and the Reflux being better. Easier to find, though. World Drop.
Conference Call – Similar to Brainstormer. World Drop.
Convergence – A great shotgun that features “converging” pellets on a target. Ideal for killing bosses. World Drop.
Flakker – This shotgun has been nerfed a while back, but somehow got upgraded back again in late 2020. Definitely worth keeping for high-damage situational builds. World Drop.
One Pump Chump – High-damage shotgun with decent range. Get this from One Punch in Lectra City, Promethea.
Redline – Fast fire rate and great damage all-around. Farm from Road Dog in The Splinterlands, Pandora.
Robin’s Call – One of the best Jakobs shotguns out there. Farm this in DLC 3.
The Lob – Formerly an S-Tier weapon, but bumped down a bit thanks to recent buffs on other shotguns. Still worth hanging onto and can still mobs & bosses up-close. World Drop.
Sniper Rifle

Wedding Invitation – Even at a low-level cap (it’s fixed at level 53), this sniper rifle still does more damage than the other incendiary-based sniper rifles. And also the best Jakobs sniper rifle. Valentine’s Day event weapon, usually on February.
Skullmasher – Great burst damage for a sniper rifle. Goes well with FL4K Fade Away and Zane Clone builds. World Drop in DLC 2, so it’s a bit of a chore to farm.
Rocket Launcher

Major Kong – Better on Zane and Amara, because it’s pretty hard to use if you aren’t aware of how it fires and how to utilize its damage.
Yellowcake – This rocket launcher was hit the hardest with the post-Cartel nerfs, but still worth using.

B Tier
Pistol

King’s Call, Queen’s Call – One of the better pistols in the game, though it’s best on specific builds like for Fl4k or Zane.
Hydrafrost – Fancy Legendary cryo ability that’s practical too. From DLC 2.
Bangarang – Can only deal a lot of damage with specific builds.
Bloom – Nice charge mechanic, but it deals OK damage. From DLC 3.
Unkempt Harold – A good pistol, but outclassed by Prompt Critical. Farm in DLC 3.
Thunderball Fist – Still a decent weapon even until now. Great for Shock and splash damage.
Hellshock – A previously top-tier Maliwan pistol in 2019 and early 2020 before the Beacon came into play. Still has its uses, since it’s a world drop.
Little Yeeti – Better than the sum of its parts, especially if you like knocking enemies off of cliffs. Farm from Yeti in DLC 2.
Multi-Tap – Two bullets for the cost of one; can’t go wrong with this. Farm from Katagawa Ball.
Nemesis – A decent pistol, though outclassed by Hornet.
Skeksil – The pre-Gargoyle weapon. Still has a place in most Vault Hunter’s arsenals.
Trick ShotÂ
Wagon Wheel – Inconsistent, but works with certain crit builds.
SMG

Redistributor – Better with Zane and Seein’ Dead mod build; doesn’t work for any other Vault Hunter build.
The Bitch – A solid weapon when you’re starting out. World drop.
Boomer – Explosions! You can’t go wrong with great AoE from an SMG. Farm from DLC 1.
Kyb’s Worth – A formerly great SMG that’s outclassed by DLC 3 and DLC 4’s SMG offerings. Still a keeper.
Cheap Tips – Unless you have a Vault Hunter build that can take advantage of its damage-boosting abilities, this SMG isn’t that straightforward to use.
Destructo Spinner – Still useful in some circumstances if you like laying out spinners for mobs to trip onto.
Handsome Jackhammer
Ion Laser
OldridianÂ
Polyaimourous – A cool damage-dealer weapon that uses up too much ammo. Valentine’s Day weapon.
Assault Rifle

Lucian’s Call – A former top tier weapon on the base game, only made redundant because of new weapons in the DLCs that came out in 2020.
Rowan’s Call – Same as Lucian’s Call.
Good Juju – Fun mechanic for niche builds. But as a general damage dealer, it might be lacking.
Lasersploder – Laser + Rockets + Elemental flavours = good weapon.
Hotfoot Teddy
Breath of the Undying – The gun’s corrosive explosion effect is useful, but it can backfire if you aren’t careful.
Barrage – Not as good as Kaos, but still has its uses.
Faisor – It’s got a few good buffs, so it’s worth keeping for a bit.
Bekah – A lovely mission reward weapon, though it has been superseded by other Assault Rifles in later DLCs.
Contained BlastÂ
Shotgun

Insider – A decent shotgun when you’re starting out in DLC 2.
Trevonator – A strong weapon that just eats up too much ammo. World Drop.
Recursion – Thanks to the projectile nerf, this high-tier shotgun is now a few tiers lower. It’s still good for certain Vault Hunter builds, but it has lost its luster.
Mind-Killer – Another shotgun that deals OK damage.
Tigg’s Boom – A great shotgun to farm from Maliwan Takedown, but you need a decent roll to make the pellets do a lot of damage.
Phebert
Nothingness
Polybius
Sniper Rifle

Headsplosion – A Jakobs rifle with explosive rounds. Can’t go wrong if you can consistently land headshots.
Unseen Threat – Heavily nerfed by the ASE projectile update; this former one-shot boss weapon has gone down a few tiers.
Cocky Bastard –
Monocle – Thanks to the 2020 buff, it’s a good mob killer.
Krakatoa – A sniper rifle that summons tiny volcanos and deals decent AoE is A-OK in our book. Also has great rate-of-fire too.
Lyuda – A formerly S-tier sniper rifle back in 2019, this gun is outclassed by DLC 3, DLC 4, and Arms Race’s offerings.
Septimator Prime – Cool abilities, but not enough damage output to sit alongside guns like Sandhawk and Complex Root.
Tankman’s Shield – A decent sniper that will kill most mobs and bosses quick if you have the right Vault Hunter build, like Fl4k Fade Away and Moze’s Bottomless Mag tree.
Rocket Launcher
Nukem – Works only with overkill properties.
Scourge – A weaker Plaguebearer, but still worth using.

C Tier
Pistol

Devastator – It’s loud and has a cool name, but it’s a pretty standard Torgue legendary.
Firefly – A decent Vladof pistol that’s outclassed by A and S tier pistols that are easier to farm.
Infinity – A Borderlands staple; it’s better on a Zane + Seein’ Dead build, but pretty crappy on other Vault Hunters.
Linoage – Meant for melee builds, but not so efficient for anything else.
Psycho Stabber – Meant for melee builds, but not so efficient for anything else.
Miscreant – Ammo consumption on this gun is terrible, but it’s good on Moze builds that highlights splash damage. Found in DLC 3.
Love Drill – Nothing special.
Seventh Sense – Thanks to the projectile ASE nerf, this formerly great pistol isn’t so hot.
Blanc – Features a cool mechanic to stack up damage, but isn’t practical in the long run.
Companion – Has some uses.
Duc – Also has some uses.
Gunerang – Too unwieldy to properly use damage-wise.
Occultist – A pretty weapon with pretty firing, but otherwise it’s unremarkable.
Triple AÂ
Foursum
Breeder
Echo
Frozen Devil
Baby Maker
SMG

Night Hawkin – Not as good as Kyb and Kaoson, but still decent.
Dictator – The lesser Monarch. Ditch it as soon as you get your first few Monarchs.
Musket – The close-ranged flamethrower SMG has seen better days. It got nerfed and outclassed by other better SMG choices.
Hyperfocus – Not as good as its 2019 debut version, but still a keeper.
Hive
Tsunami
Wester GunÂ
9 VoltÂ
Assault Rifle

Alchemist – Its drawback far outweighs its usefulness. This used to be a decent weapon at launch, but subsequent buffs to other assault rifles put this one back on the gun rack.
Dowsing Rod – A decent rocket launcher assault rifle that’s better on Moze than any other Vault Hunter.
Damned – A poor man’s Legendary Vladof gun, but at least it has its uses damage-wise.
Gatling – Outclassed by Shreddifier and its pals.
Dazzle
StonethrowerÂ
SawbarÂ Â
Webslinger – More a trophy from Guardian Takedown than a practical weapon. It deals decent damage, but there are better weapons to farm.
Shotgun

Brightside – Nothing special about it, though it has some tricks with some builds.
Fearmonger – You could do worse than this Halloween terror-inducing weapon.
Spade – It’s got decent penetration and sticky bomb power.
Frequency – A shotgun built for Amara & her Ties That Bind build. Not much else, though.
Nimble Jack – Only effective if you’re bunny-hopping.
Shocker – A worst version of The Lob.
Kill O The Wisps
Tidal Wave
Sniper Rifle

ASMD – Not as good as it used to be back in 2019.
AutoAime – There are better sniper rifles out there, even with its homing properties.
Firestorm – An OK gun if you’re into Incendiary snipers.
Storm – An OK gun if you’re into Shock damage sniper rifles.
Masterworks Crossbow – Deals good damage, but can be hard to land headshots with to get consistent damage.
Stalker – Terror weapons aren’t as hot for most builds. This sniper rifle isn’t going to cut the mustard in B-tier and above.
Woodblocker – Not as terrible as you would think. It has its uses damage-wise.
Rocket Launcher
Jericho
Mongol

D Tier
Pistols

Amazing Grace – The quest that gives you this gun is great and all. But after many buffs on other pistols, this gun didn’t bother catching up with the rest of the pack.
Magnificent – Terrible to use.
Roisen’s Thorn – A pretty gun, but does little else.
Scorpio – A terrible tribute pistol to a great Borderlands Vault Hunter.
Night Flyer – The gun we don’t need. And deserve.
Superball – A meme weapon; nothing more.
Flood
SMG

DNA – While it shoots out a cool bullet pattern, this SMG is a lesser Cutsman. Just go for the real deal.
Crossroads – This SMG is nerfed to high hell since its September 2019 debut. Skip it.
Hellfire – How the mighty has fallen. This BL2 top tier weapon gets the shaft in part 3. Skip it.
Mother Too – A crappy SMG.
Nail Gun – Not so good.
10 Gallon – Sucky SMG. Don’t bother.
Vanquisher – No one likes sliding to get damage buffs in BL3.
RipperÂ
SF ForceÂ
Assault Rifle
Bearcat – So not worth your time, despite its splash potential.
Carrier – A previously top-tier assault rifle that’s heavily nerfed by the new projectile debuff in the game.
Hand of Glory – A non-essential mission weapon. Hang it up on your Vault Hunter wall.
Shotgun

Flame Diddle – One of the worst shotguns to own.
Sage – Not worth the effort.
Chandelier – Terrible shotgun; just use the Recursion.
Creeping Death – Don’t bother.
Garcia – A crappy version of the Robin’s Call.
Event Horizon
Sledge’s Shotgun
SlowhandÂ
Iceburger – Arguably a POS shotgun from the Cartel mini-event.
T.K’s Wave – Et tu, T.K.?
Butcher – A formerly great weapon in 2019, but it’s not so hot now.
Boring Gun – Not worth the effort in using its saws.
Vosk’s Deathgrip
Sniper Rifle
Malak’s Bane – Useless in both its sniper and shotgun form.
NARP – Don’t bother. It’s too specific and unwieldy to use.
Operator – Why would you want this gun?
Rocket Launcher
Creamer – A crappy rocket launcher with healing properties. There are better ways to heal in this game than with this.
Ruby
Satisfaction
Tunguska

Support Tier (Weapons that are used mostly for their non-damage properties)

EMP 5 – You’re using this SMG to boost speed and character movement; nothing more.
Clockwork Res – Meant to bring allies out of FFYL mode.
Zheitev’s Eruption – A weapon that debuffs enemies than deals damage. Once you do this, immediately switch to your main damage dealer for effective damage.
S3RV-80S-EXECUTE – One of the best utility weapons against bosses. Make sure to equip your best high-damage weapon after applying its effect.
Unforgiven – A crit-boost weapon, meant for the next gun you’ll switch to.