Toss Coins At This Blacksmith & Forge Your Own Authentic Witcher Swords

Netflixâ€™s The Witcher is now one of the most popular TV shows in the world. The streaming giant already renewed the series for a second season, and it’s encouraging more people to check out CD Projekt Red‘s masterpiece, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Now, you can increase your Witcher fan cred if you have enough coin.
A Polish blacksmith named Artur Wysocki is the only person in the world officially licensed by CD Projekt Red to actually forge and sell authentic swords based on the designs from the games (via PCGamer). His hobby and side business is named Kaer Morhen Forge, after the abandoned Witcher fortress of the same name.

Wysocki doesn’t keep any stock but he crafts the Witcher swords for between â‚¬400 to â‚¬900 (or roughly between RM1800+ to RM4000+) on commission. However, rune inscriptions and handmade scabbards will come with an additional cost. He’s certainly going the extra mile to be faithful to the game if do say so myself (you have to pay extra for those in the games as well).
The silver swords that Wysocki forges (such as the Master-crafted Wolven Silver Sword, which you can check out below), are actually made of steel, but can be galvanized in silver. Last month, he revealed a sword with a 1-millimetre silver coating, which cost extra (of course).

If you’re really interested (and have the coins to spare), Wysocki ships his Witcher swords internationally as well, even though he’s based in Poland. Head on over to his official website here to check out more of his awesome work and perhaps order your own Witcher swords.
He even forges Aerondight, the most powerful sword in the game!


Event Alert: Jakarta – FIFA 19 Midnight Launch Event is A Go(al)

Heads up, FIFA fans in Jakarta. The Midnight Launch Event hosted by GS Shop IndonesiaÂ is set to take place tomorrow night at the Senayan City mall starting 0000hrs, 28th September 2018.

As detailed on their Facebook page, pre-orders are still open and you can pick up your copy(ies) of the game past midnight on the 28th. As an added incentive, pre-ordering will put you in the running of winning a FIFA 19 PS4 Slim bundle, as long as you submit your order before the revelries begin.
Still undecided? Well, the demo for the game is downloadable right now in the PlayStation Store to help you make that decision. This year’s iteration comes with the biggest carrot of all – the inclusion of the UEFA Champions League – the much-coveted license which EA Sports wrestled away from Konami’s PES.
You will also get to witness the conclusion of Alex Hunter’s life as a pro player in FIFA19’s Story Mode “The Journey” on top of other incremental improvements to the highly popular football arcade franchise.


Star Wars Ahsoka Has Found Its Ezra Bridger

At D23, the Star Wars Ahsoka series has finally found its Ezra Bridger, with Eman Esfandi slated to bring the character to live-action (via The Hollywood Reporter). Esfandi is best known for starring in Robert Rodriguez horror film Red 11 and a small role in King Richard.
Fan favourite Ezra Bridger originally debuted in 2014 in the animated Star Wars Rebels, where he was voiced by actor Taylor Gray. He will next appear in the live-action series Ahsoka, which will focus on Ahsoka Tano, who is played by Rosario Dawson.
Ahsoka will also star Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ivanna Sakhno, Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker and Ray Stevenson playing a mystery villain.
Currently, plot details for Ahsoka remain unknown but it seems like Ahsoka Tano will be in search of antagonist Grand Admiral Thrawn.


Atelier Ryza Producer Surprised About Lead Character’s Allure

JRPG heroines come in many sexy flavours, but most of them cater to aÂ  particular type, from your meganekos to your tsunderes, to even your Xenoblade Chronicles 2 oddities like Pyra and Mythra who are drawn up by hentai artists.
But in an Atelier game where girls are basically wholesome? Surprise, surprise: JRPG fans from Japan found Atelier Ryza’s main heroine quite sexy due to her ensemble. According to a Nintendo Everything interview, producer Junzo Hosoi was not expecting fans to find protagonist Ryza and her getup “sexy”. In fact, sexiness was actually the furthest thing from his mind when it came to the RPG.

“In this case, the setting is that sheâ€™s a farmerâ€™s daughter, but then we thought, â€œWell a skirt and farming â€“ that doesnâ€™t go well together.â€ We donâ€™t really want their underwear showing as well. So we decided to go with the short-shorts. The other aspect is that because itâ€™s summer â€“ thatâ€™s the theme â€“ so thatâ€™s how we came up with the design.
So surprisingly a lot of people are paying attention to her thighs. We didnâ€™t create her with the intention of her thighs being the key point, but a lot of people seem to be reallyâ€¦ (Laughs)
Our approach was to make a cute character without any sexual innuendo whatsoever. Everyone sort of looks at her as sort of being sexy, and thatâ€™s completely not how we look at her, so that really caught us by surprise. (Laughs)”

Yep, I do find it believable that an anime girl wearing hot pants and has Chun-Li thigh have no fetish-catering capabilities that can be exploited intentionally by developers and their art directors. No siree.
Check out the trailer of Atelier Ryza if you’re still unconvinced. Game’s coming out in English 29th October for PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.


The Sights & Sounds Of Animangaki 2018

This feature is still in development since the event isn’t over yet at this time of posting.Â
Animangaki 2018 is still ongoing, but we can’t help but share the cool stuff we saw at the show right after our intense video game talk panel.
If you can’t make it today, you can always catch the anime expo tomorrow at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre. In the meantime, check out these awesome pics of toys, anime culture, cosplay, and miscellaneous vids of Malaysia’s anime and video gaming community having fun in this community-run content-packed show.


Y: The Last Man TV Series Begins Production

FX’s highly-anticipated TV series adaptation of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s Y: The Last Man is finally officially starting production after years being stuck in development hell, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The current showrunner for FX’s Y: The Last Man is Eliza Clark of Animal Kingdom and Killing fame. Actor Ben Schnetzer will portray protagonist Yorick Brown, a young escape artist who finds himself and his pet monkey, Ampersand, to be the last two surviving males on Earth after an apocalyptic event that annihilated everyone with a Y chromosome.
The cast for Y: The Last Man also includes Diane Lane, Ashley Romans, Olivia Thirlby, Amber Tamblyn, Marin Ireland, Diana Bang, Elliot Fletcher and Juliana Canfield. Vaughan himself will be an executive producer, along with showrunner Eliza Clark, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Mari Jo Winkler-Ioffreda, and Melina Matsoukas.
Oh, and in case you missed it, Ampersand the monkey has also been cast as well (that’s extremely important).
FX’s Y: The Last Man is slated to premiere on FX on Hulu in 2021.


Nightmare Alley’s Noir Tale Burns Bright & Really Slow

If there’s one thing you can fault auteur filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, it’s his indulgence. The man is known for lavish setpieces and ephemeral shots and cinematography, but his penchant for handling talking heads can drag a bit.
Juggling Act

This is definitely exemplified in his remake of the 1940s novel and film Nightmare Alley. There is really no fault in the casting here. Bradley Cooper plays an aspiring grifter and con artist named Stan, learning the tricks of the trade and rising to the top of society. Rooney Mara plays the moral compass love interest and circus act assistant Molly to try to get his act straight at times. Cate Blanchett steals the scene as the psychologist Lilith who ends up in the middle of it all during Stan’s time with fame and high society, as well as instigates Stan to pull off a bigger con.
The soundtrack also bears mentioning. The menacing score of Nathan Johnson is just as ominous as the storm clouds and rain in the film’s noir setting, which is just lavishing to absorb and behold thanks to Toro’s direction.
Freaks & Geeks

Unfortunately, Nightmare Alley’s ephemeral vision is the contrast to the film’s narrative and pacing. The more beautiful and alluring the film is, the more tedious and bloated the film shows itself to be. While the backdrops and literal alleys speak for themselves, the characters aren’t as fleshed-out as you would think, coming off as just enhanced tropes you’ve seen in thrillers and film noir made for the generation. The show really needed to be trimmed and tightened up from its 2 hours and 30-minute runtime, with the second act being the main culprit, though it does pay off at the very end.
Still, you can’t fault Guillermo del Toro for sticking to the trappings of the original 40s film. At the very least, Nightmare Alley is a lavish and meaty remake that could lose its many moments of self-indulgence. Still, a middle-tier film in Guillermo’s portfolio is still a better and memorable cinematic experience in general, at least for the start of 2022. Just prepare to steel yourself for a slow burn of a flick if you’re planning a trip to this alleyway.
Final Score: 70/100


Yuzo Koshiro & Friends Will Be Composing Streets Of Rage 4’s Soundtrack

All is right with the world. Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima, two Japanese video game composers renowned for their works on the Streets of Rage series, will be teaming up with Guard Crush, Lizard Cube, and Dotemu for the fourth Streets of Rage game.
Alongside the duo, famed composers Yoko Shimomura, Hideki Naganuma, and Keiji Yamagishi will also be contributing music to the title’s soon-to-be eclectic soundtrack. Basically, the trio developer/publisher combo, with the help of Brave Wave Productions, has landed not one but FIVE legendary video game composers who may be creating 2019 iterations of late 80s/90s hip hop and club tracks.
Documentary video announcement type-thing at the bottom; do give it a watch!

Here’s A Primer On Why This Is A Big Deal
Having both Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima return to their earlier musical works is a huge seal of approval to get fans hyped for the upcoming sequel. Here are but a few examples as to how catchy and influential their 80s/90s dance hits are in video game history.

The other special guests aren’t no slouches. You already know who Yoko Shimomura is; she did Street Fighter II‘s OST among a ton of others.

Hideki Naganuma is renowned for his Jet Set Radio work.

Keiji Yamagishi is essentially a pioneer in chiptune music, having created the awesome tracks for the NES version of Ninja Gaiden.


Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice Coming To PS VR 2, Quest 2 & Quest 3

Fast Travel Games recently dropped some exciting news for all you virtual reality enthusiasts out there. They’ve just announced their upcoming game, Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice, and it’s set to launch in late 2023. This immersive adventure RPG will be available for PlayStation VR 2, Quest 2, and Quest 3.
So, what’s the deal with this game? Well, imagine yourself as a vampire, lurking in the shadows and feasting on the blood of mortals and other vampires. In Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice, you’ll embark on a gritty main narrative filled with thrilling side missions and dialogue options. Your journey will take you to the dark and enigmatic city of Venice, where you’ll hone your vampire skills and strive to become the ultimate creature of the night. Get ready to sink your teeth into this first-person single-player VR adventure RPG, set in the captivating World of Darkness.

According to Erik Odeldahl, the creative director and co-founder of Fast Travel Games, this game will give players an unprecedented experience of the alluring Vampire: The Masquerade universe, thanks to the immersive power of virtual reality. Prepare yourself to come face-to-face with allies, enemies, and, of course, your prey, all in stunning VR. And let’s not forget the vast array of mysterious Kindred to encounter, exotic locations to explore, and foes to obliterate against the backdrop of striking architectural wonders.
Sean Greaney, the vice president of World of Darkness at Paradox Interactive, couldn’t contain his excitement either. He praised Fast Travel Games as an exceptional partner, highlighting their previous VR titles like Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife and Ghost Signal: A Stellaris Game. It was a natural progression for them to bring the beloved Vampire: The Masquerade story world into the realm of virtual reality. Greaney is confident that Justice will capture the dark and intense essence of Vampire: The Masquerade, providing both dedicated fans and newcomers with an unforgettable experience.
With Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice on the horizon, Fast Travel Games is once again raising the bar for VR gaming, and we can’t wait to sink our fangs into this thrilling adventure when it finally arrives in late 2023.

Key Features

Be a Stealthy Vampire – Hide from the guilty in plain sight with Cloak of Shadows, boil the insides of your victims with Cauldron of Blood, or place a Shadow Trap to drag them into Oblivion. Drink the blood of mortals and other vampires to keep your Hunger at bay. The crossbow attached to your arm can be used for both puzzle solving and combat.
Become the Apex Predator – You start off as a strong vampire, but can grow even more powerful by upgrading and purchasing new disciplines in skill trees for stealth, combat, and high speed traversal. Explore, complete missions and optional objectives to gain XP and become the ultimate arbiter of Justice.
A Dark and Mysterious Venice – Uncover a conspiracy in a Venice you don’t see in the tourist guides… Explore dark alleyways, blood-soaked canals, forgotten catacombs, and opulent palazzos in your quest to bring your sire’s murderer to justice. Play a gritty main narrative with several side missions, where your dialogues with NPCs and choices you make bring you closer to the truth.


River City Girls 2 Cleans Up The Streets In 2022

During the Limited Run Games live stream at E3 2021, Arc System Works and WayForward announced River City Girls 2 for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam).
Limited Run Games will produce a physical edition of the game. The next game in the Kunio-kun series slated to launch sometime in 2022.
The synopsis of the game reads:
Picking up shortly after the original,Â River City Girls 2Â once again put players in control of Misako and Kyokoâ€”as well as Kunio, Riki, and other charactersâ€”as they set out on an all-new beat-â€™em-up adventure across the mean streets of River City.
New moves, new enemies, new recruits, new environments, and the return of an old foe await, along with the same over-the-top sense of humor and adrenaline-pumping combat of its predecessor.
The game will also feature two-player co-op action both locally and online.
In case you couldn’t tell from the artwork below, WayForward will be adding in a Double Dragon character in the playable roster mix: former damsel-in-distress-and-now-River-City-shopkeeper Marian. River City Ransom Underground’s Provie will also be a new character in the RCG series, bringing her breakdancing and capoera fighting mix to the upcoming 2D pixel art brawler.

You heard it right: @Wayforward's River City Girls 2 is getting a physical edition on PS4, PS5, and Switch! #LRG3 pic.twitter.com/AI9psIjZVW
— Limited Run Games (@LimitedRunGames) June 14, 2021

2019’s River City Girls was a side-scrolling beat-em-up game that we named one of our best games of that year. You can check out our review of that game by heading over here, or check out the music/gameplay from the game below:


Mastercard Gamer Xchange Allows You To Convert Points Into In-Game Currency

Mastercard has officially announced the launch of Mastercard Gamer Xchange (MGX). It’s a way for consumers to convert their unspent rewards points into gaming currency across nearly 4,000 games.
In an official statement, MGX is described as a scalable solution that operates within the app or website environment of loyalty platforms. It also facilitates a convenient exchange through a simple API integration, allowing for fast and seamless redemption, the company added.
Kaveri Khullar, Vice President Consumer Marketing & Sponsorships at Mastercard Asia Pacific, said (via Digital News Asia):
“The gaming audience in Asia is growing incredibly diverse – be it in terms of age groups, genders, life stages, or income levels. The market is booming with possibility, and with the dynamics of the rewards redemption industry being irreversibly modified, there is no better time than now for brands and consumers to benefit from stepping into the gaming arena.
Through one simple, seamless solution that integrates flexibility and functionality, MGX creates a whole new category in rewards redemption programs, one that doesn’t currently exist, and allows owners of reward programs to connect with the world’s fastest-expanding entertainment market in ways that truly matter to them.”
Asia Pacific will be the first region to launch MGX because it’s home to 54 percent of the world’s gaming audience, and with an estimated gaming community size of 1.8 billion by 2024. However, it will still work internationally and support gaming products and currencies in local languages across 75 countries worldwide.
The MGX solution will probably be useful for those who play a lot of games like Genshin Impact. Imagine having the ability to turn your reward points into Primogems or something.


Silent Hill Creator Explains What The Heck His New Game Slitterhead Is

Keiichiro Toyama, the man behind Silent Hill and Gravity Daze/Rush, will be making a new horror game alongside his company Bokeh Game Studio called Slitterhead. But what it is really apart from a Game Awards 2021 trailer and a potential slur for something?
In a new Q&A video from Bokeh Game Studio, Toyama himself, CTO/game director Junya Okura and COO/producer Kazunobu Sato revealed more about the game. Here they are in bullet point form:

While Slitterhead seems like a horror game, it isn’t a straight-up horror game. Toyama said that the game spans over multiple genres where horror is expressed, mostly on action and drama. “From there, I wanted to widen the player base who could access the game, including players who don’t usually play horror games. I wanted a game that could be enjoyed for its action, yet whose concept doesn’t solely revolve around killing enemies. It conflicts the mind, making the players reluctant to enter certain fights.”
Slitterhead will be a third-person game though it’ll feature multiple perspectives.
The game will focus on entertainment than pure horror. Okura said: ” [T]here shouldn’t be any parts where players decide to give up because they’re effectively frozen with fear. That doesn’t mean there won’t be some tough slogging, though. There is a terror aspect that I want to include even if the game lays more towards action.”
Toyama said he would like to get back to his Silent Hill roots someday, but only under the right conditions. “I want someday to do something with some classic psychological horror themes as I did with Silent Hill. However, Iâ€™d rather do that when working with really limited resources, such as budget or having to focus on one individual. Right now, we have staff with the ability to work on action. I want to leverage their skills to go in another direction. Still, I also want to make something more personal someday.”

Long story short, Slitterhead sounds like it’s leaning towards action with a tinge of horror ala Ghostwire: Tokyo and Shadows of the Damned (to an extent). But with that Keiichiro Toyama touch and in the third person. Check out the 23-minute video below. This is just the first part; the second part will be out on 4 March.


Apex Legends Mobile Launches In Malaysia & Selected Countries Next Week (Update)

(Updated on 8 March 2022):
Today marks the start of the Apex Legends Mobile limited regional launch. This regional launch is only happening in 10 select countries: Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Argentina and Colombia.Â
This limited regional launch will help the dev teams at Respawn and Lightspeed test the matchmaking and progression systems, backend infrastructure and in-game commerce, as well as the regional live operations capabilities. In this limited regional launch, players will be able to play Battle Royale on the classic Worldâ€™s Edge map.
They can also test their mettle in three exciting game modes, Team Deathmatch, Mini Battle Royale, 3v3 Arenas, and compete in Ranked Battle Royale matches.

It’s worth pointing out that while player progression will reset once the limited regional launch concludes, players will be able to complete limited-time challenges and earn limited, unique rewards like badges, weapon charms and a beta banner frame, which can be taken into the worldwide launch.
Players in participating countries can join the limited regional launch by downloading the game from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Moreover, players can join the official Apex Legends Mobile Singapore and Malaysia Discord server where they can get the latest updates, local events, and be part of the Apex Legends Mobile community.

EA and Respawn Entertainment have announced that Apex Legends Mobile will have a limited regional launch in selected countries starting from next week. From 28 February 2022, Apex Legends Mobile will be available on Android and iOS in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Colombia.
During the limited regional launch, players will be able to take part in a select number of exciting systems and features available for testing. Players will be able to play as Bloodhound, Gibraltar, Lifeline, Wraith, Bangalore, Octane, Mirage, Pathfinder, and Caustic.
In the upcoming limited regional launch test, the game will be available on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Apex Legends Mobile was originally announced back in 2019.Â Respawn Entertainment will be sharing updates on the eventual global launch once they’ve had more data from the limited regional launch.


Episode Intermission Yuffie DLC Feels Like Final Fantasy VII Remake 1.5

Platform(s): PS5
Genre: JRPG omake
Final Fantasy VII Remake was one of the best games in 2020, and it showcased what a proper AAA remake could achieve, turning out to be one of the best games in the franchise in years. To clarify, this won’t be a review of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (since the base game is almost exactly the same; it only runs better on the PS5). You can head on over here for our review of 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake; we loved the ever-living Materia out of it!
What you’re getting in this article is a review of the Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Episode Intermission Yuffie DLC, which is exclusive to the PS5. It is available separately from the base game at the price of RM80 on the PlayStation Store, if you already have the base game and upgraded from PS4 to PS5.
Enter The Ninja

The Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Episode Intermission Yuffie DLC starts with the player already at level 25 at the very beginning and doesn’t bother to explain most of the base game’s core mechanics, which means that the developers are assuming you’ve already played the base game before booting up the DLC. That said, the game doesn’t actually require you to complete the base game in order to access the DLC. If you own it, you can just jump right in.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Episode Intermission Yuffie DLC begins in the middle of Final Fantasy VII Remake’s main story campaign. I won’t spoil when exactly, but just know you’ll still be exploring the same slums of Midgar you’ve already seen in Final Fantasy VII Remake during Chapter 1 of the DLC. It’s only during Chapter 2 of the DLC that you’ll be able to explore a brand new level and area exclusive to the DLC.

Oh, did I mention that the DLC is only two chapters long? If you’re wondering how long that takes to complete, it took me around six hours to finish the Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Episode Intermission Yuffie DLC. Out of six hours, I probably spent almost two hours alone playing the Fort Condor minigames (more on that later), so the meat of the story is likely a lot shorter than six hours if you’re just looking to play through for the plot. If you’re aiming for a Platinum trophy, that will take at least two full playthroughs so you’ll get more bang for your buck that way.
Gameplay-wise and in combat, Yuffie Kisaragi is an enjoyable blast to play with. Just like each of the playable characters in the base game, Yuffie’s playstyle and move-set feel distinct and unique, distinguishing herself with acrobatic and fast attacks with a mix of both melee and ranged attacks. She might not hit as hard as maybe Cloud or Tifa, but her versatile abilities and fast moves make for a great time. All that is great, especially since she’s the only playable character in the DLC.

The only other character joining Yuffie in combat is Sonon, and he’s not actually playable or controllable. To make up for that, the Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Episode Intermission Yuffie DLC introduces an exciting new combat mechanic that allows Yuffie to “synergise” and coordinate her attacks with Sonon. This can be toggled on and off at any time by pressing L2. Synergising your attacks not only results in flashier and awesome attacks but also deals a lot more damage and is important to defeat more powerful enemies.
Outside of combat, you can choose to partake in the excellent minigame that is Fort Condor. Let me be candid here; I usually hate tacked-on minigames in JRPGs that are just added to pad out the game as a meaningless filler (all those fishing minigames usually come to mind). However, I was pleasantly surprised by Fort Condor, and not just because I’m a fan of real-time strategy games.

You see, Fort Condor is basically like a castle defence game with RTS gameplay elements. It works with a simple rock-paper-scissors approach that works well. It can be fun and challenging, as the board and units you choose will determine who wins.
Fort Condor is surprisingly deep on a strategic level as well, and it’s no wonder that I managed to pour almost two hours just finding and defeating all the NPC challenges in the game. It’s definitely standing on the gold pedestal next to Final Fantasy VIII’s Triple Triad.
Most of your time will be spent with cutscenes, dialogue, combat and Fort Condor, but there’s also a Whack-A-Box minigame and a combat simulator similar to the ones from the base games. While you will definitely enjoy whatever content the DLC has to offer, it does suffer from several other issues (besides the length of the game or lack of content).

A Stepping Stone To The Sequel
One issue I had with the Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Episode Intermission Yuffie DLC is that Chapter 2 is supposed to be the epic climax and highlight of the entire episode. It certainly is; don’t get me wrong, but it also feels very rushed and unpolished. The level is too short, and it basically amounts to gauntlets of combat encounter after combat encounter with nothing else to it. Loads of padding leading up to the end, in other words.
The ending of the DLC brings massive ramifications for the lore and story of the game moving forward. Unfortunately, due to how rushed everything is near the end of the DLC, more casual fans who are not up to snuff on their Final Fantasy knowledge will feel confused and perhaps even a bit cheated.
As someone who’s not particularly much of a fan of the franchise, I was left muttering to myself; “Is that really it?” Still, I’m pretty sure hardcore fans will be happy, and those are ultimately who the DLC is for.

Last but not least, I found myself asking why this DLC couldn’t have been made available for those on the PS4. There’s literally nothing in the DLC that feels like only the PS5 is capable of running it. There’s no valid reason why the PS4 can’t get this DLC. Like I’ve previously mentioned, it’s just more of the base game and that reeks of Sony probably trying to get more people to buy the PS5 just for the opportunity to play this DLC. That might sound harsh, but it’s true.
The Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Episode Intermission Yuffie ultimately feels more like an appetizer for the eventual full-blown sequel to Final Fantasy VII Remake, which might still be years away at this point. If you’re already a fan of the franchise or Final Fantasy VII Remake, the ending of this DLC alone might be enough to make it an essential purchase. However, for more casual gamers, it doesn’t offer anything much more than just a few more hours of what’s already in the base game.
Pros

More of the base game’s lovely combat and visuals.
Yuffie feels distinct, unique, and extremely fun to play as.
Fort Condor minigame is surprisingly great.
The ending feels substantial in building the story and lore moving forward.

Cons

No reason why this game couldn’t launch on PS4 too.
Rushed ending.
Roughly only six hours long (even shorter if you skip the minigames and side content).

Final Score: 80/100
Review copy provided by Square Enix. Played on a PlayStation 5.


Good Smile To Release 1/7 Genshin Impact Figma Of The World’s Poorest Astrologist; Pre-Orders Start Now!

News originally published on 30th September.
Update [11/11/21]: Pictures added, and pre-orders have started now. You can get it here.
Update [3/10/21]: Added pictures of the figma from TGS 2021’s Genshin Impact showcase.
Original story
Who loves themselves some 5-star water element-casting witch hat-donning heroes who enjoy saving money, doing astrology, and munching on tossed salads? You’re in for a treat with this piece of news.
Turns out that Good Smile Company will be releasing a 1/7th scale figma figure of Genshin Impact’s 5-star Hydro user Mona according to a recent Weibo post. The figure will be available for preorder on the Genshin Impact Tmall website soon.

So far, there’s no price announced as of yet; we predict the figure to cost about US$100 or less depending on the accessories and extras that come with it. If it’s anything like other Figma figures, you can definitely pose this version of Mona in different ways thanks to the transparent stand she comes with. She also comes with her own spellbook:

She’ll probably have different faces and hand types that figure collectors can swap out and change. Figma figures are usually pretty detailed despite their size, and this one is no exception.

The Mona figma will be out in August 2022 in Japan and October 2022 in North America. Pre-orders will close on 22nd December, 2021, so better get to it now! In the meantime, you can also check out Good Smile Company’s version of a non-figma Mona figure here.


Detroit: Become Human – All The Endings, Best Scenes, & Trophies List

So we played Detroit: Become Human. It’s a decent interactive experience, though it’s still not much of a game. But that’s pretty much the way “auteur” David Cage works.
He’s also renowned for being influenced by the medium he’s so enamoured in recreating in games: film. Though to his credit, he has done a lot of research in civil rights movement history and then putting it in an android context, much less in Detroit: Become Human’s 2038 timeline of America where this sort of tech advancement may happen.
Of course, if you play it once, that’s your story. Want to see the outcome for the rest of the game, without the need of playing it? Look no further than the magic of YouTube and Kakuchopurei’s due diligence in gathering them all in one convenient location.
That’s what your games were built for, David Cage. Be proud.
Since we’re dealing with sensitive material here, there are a ton of spoilers featuring trigger moments. So tread lightly. Also, this one-page stop will be periodically updated since the game just came out and all.

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Alright, you were warned.
Android Hell
Remember that scene about android hell in our review? Here it is in all of its creepy glory. FYI I ripped out the core of the first near-dead woman android in my first playthrough. That speaks a lot about me than anything.

Hank Anderson Gets Drunk
Bonus points to Clancy Brown for selling the grizzled detective persona for this game. Extra bonus points for the introduction of the loveable Saint Bernard Sumo.

The Detroit Freedom March Of 2038
Markus and his Jericho group of freedom fighters march out in public to protest. Police come down to shoot and wreck havoc. Protip: If you don’t run away, you get gunned down and will have a Markus-less game.

On the flip-side, you can beat the s*** out of the cops…

…or just hightail it from here. Running away is the only way to get the “Survivor” achievement.

How Detroit: Become Human Ends
Here’s the good ending where everyone survives. Basically, you need to make sure the public’s perception of androids is neutral to peaceful. Markus needs to do a peace march for the Battle of Detroit segment,Â especially if you want to keep Kara, Alice, and Luther alive. Trust me on this: the trigger point is at the Canadian immigration border.
Connor needs to be friends with Hank and also turn deviant, which will lead to the path where he joins Markus’ cause and head to CyberLife to turn inactive androids to their cause. You’ll know you’ve done well when Hank saves you during the CyberLife infiltration.
David Cage’s plot comes full circle: androids are good, humans are bad and need reprimanding, they’re the real monsters and so forth. Still, it’s worth a watch (via PowerPyx)

Want to see the saddest possible ending for Kara’s storyline? Head here if you want a dose of the feels and see David Cage’s direction taking full effect.

Trophies List (via PlayStationTrophies.org)
Mission AccomplishedÂ Â – Connor saved Emma.
SecretsÂ Â – Kara discover the content of Alice’s box.
Deviant LocatedÂ Â – Connor found the deviant in the attic.
We Are FreeÂ Â – Kara and Alice escaped Todd’s House.
Defend YourselfÂ Â – Markus pushed Leo.
Self-ControlÂ Â – Markus let Leo win.
ConfessionÂ Â – Connor made the android confess.
ShelterÂ Â – Kara and Alice slept in the motel or the squat.
Know Your PartnerÂ Â – Connor found all clues about Hank.
Run Kara RunÂ Â – Kara and Alice escaped the police.
Catch ItÂ Â – Connor caught up with Rupert.
Save HankÂ Â – Connor saved Hank.
Escape the ManorÂ Â – Kara and Alice escaped Zlatko’s house.
RuthlessÂ Â – The Tracis were killed.
DoubtsÂ Â – The Tracis escaped.
Jericho’s HeroÂ Â – Markus got enough parts.
Just A MachineÂ Â – Hank killed Connor.
A Smile On Her FaceÂ Â – Alice enjoyed a ride on the merry-go-round.
When A Plan Comes TogetherÂ Â – Markus broadcasted his message without raising an alarm or having a team casualty.
A Glimpse of JerichoÂ Â – Connor connected to Simon.
Send A MessageÂ Â – Markus conducted a pacifist riot.
Burn The PlaceÂ Â – Markus conducted a violent riot.
Nothing To See HereÂ Â – Kara succeeded to make the cop go away.
ConfrontationÂ Â – Markus attacked the police.
Stand Your GroundÂ Â – Markus stood his ground against the police.
PrioritiesÂ Â – Connor killed the Chloe.
KinshipÂ Â – Connor refused to kill the Chloe.
BloodhoundÂ Â – Connor got the location of Jericho by himself.
Three At JerichoÂ Â – Bring the three characters to Crossroads.
Scorched EarthÂ Â – Markus or Connor detonated the freighter.
LiberationÂ Â – Markus reached the camp and liberated the androids.
Moral VictoryÂ Â – Markus succeeded in making the soldiers stand back.
Escape DeathÂ Â – Kara and Alice escaped the recycling centre.
Safe HarborÂ Â – Kara and Alice passed the border.
An Army of MeÂ Â – Connor converted the androids.
Mission CompleteÂ Â – Connor killed the leader of the deviants.
My Turn To DecideÂ Â – Connor resisted hacking attempt from CyberLife.
CompliantÂ Â – Connor stayed a machine.
One Of UsÂ Â – Connor became deviant.
UndefeatedÂ Â – Don’t lose any fight before reaching the end.
BookwormÂ Â – Find every single magazine in the game.
PartnersÂ Â – Hank and Connor were friends until the end.
Happy FamilyÂ Â – Kara, Alice, and Luther are together at the end.
I’ll Be BackÂ Â – Connor died and returned at every opportunity before reaching the end.
This Is My StoryÂ Â – Finish the game once.
These Are Our StoriesÂ Â – Spend 20,000 bonus points.
SurvivorsÂ Â – Everyone is alive at the end.


Why Are People Making A Fuss Over This Guy Streaming Gears 5 Before Everyone Else?

Ninja, a Twitch streamer who is now on Mixer because Microsoft has a lot of money on hand, streamed an exclusive first look at Gears 5’s campaign. Seeing as Mixer is part of Microsoft, Gears 5 is an Xbox exclusive, Ninja has a contract to stream exclusively on said streaming platform, and the fact that he didn’t reveal the fact that the stream is additional paid sponsorship, this poses to be a problem.
Games industry analyst Mike Futter said online on Twitter that even if Blevins wasn’t receiving additional payment for streaming Gears 5, viewers should at least know. The stream was considered a partnership with Microsoft to showcase the game a bit more.
https://twitter.com/Futterish/status/1168899247871275008
The other part of the story? Ninja actually “received a complimentary” copy of the game according to a Verge report. He wasn’t required to stream it though, so it’s most likely he just wants the extra traffic for a game that isn’t out until tomorrow, like most streamers and content creators. Mixer further clarified this in a statement:
“Mixer partners are compensated for streaming to the service but they choose what content to stream and when. Mixer partners are required to comply with FTC guidelines on endorsements and testimonials.”
The exclusive stream also made a few other content creators feel a little sour. According to Many A True Nerd’s Jon, he said online that having a “well-known Gears” player would have made more sense as it would help boost huge communities and even bring in new and curious members.

Hmmmm.
Ninja being gifted exclusive first rights to the new @GearsofWar campaign leaves a bad taste.
First, it's another example of streaming platforms helping to further boost already huge communities.
Second, surely a well-known Gears lets-player would have made more sense?
— Many A True Nerd (@ManyATrueNerd) September 3, 2019

To be fair, Ninja has played his fair share of Gears of War back in the Xbox 360 days and even a few Halo titles before making it big with Fortnite. But one does wonder if Microsoft will continue giving first dibs of their games to Mixer-exclusive streamers like Ninja without any kind of discloser of sorts.
There’s Halo Infinite coming out, FYI. And also the upcoming Xbox Scarlet project too. Will guys like Ninja pimp that like no tomorrow without any mention of it being an ad? Or just extra freebie streams just to be in Microsoft’s good books?
Why you could say that this is as egregious as supposedly partisan video game publications getting first dibs from game publishers as long as even their subpar titles get high scores. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
*coughDriver3cough*


Dark And Darker Gets Another Playtest Session In April

Due to the overwhelming popularity of the Dark and Darker alpha playtest, developer Ironmace is hosting another one later this year.
The company is hosting another round of playtesting before a planned launch in Early Access. The next playtest will happen on 14-19 April.
“We hope to test some pretty substantial additions for this playtest that requires a bit more development time than in the past. Therefore, the next playtest is scheduled for April 14-19th. We know the extended downtime between the playtests may be disappointing to our fans but we will work our hardest to make the next one even better than before.”

Many adventurers thought the Early Acces would come on April but @IronmaceGames need more development on the game so its gonna be a new playtest.
The next playtest will be scheduled for April 14-19th.#DarkAndDarker
— Dark and Darker (@DarkandDarkerEN) February 24, 2023

This will be Dark and Darker’s fifth playtest. The game’s Early Access launch date has yet to be announced.


Jujutsu Kaisen 0.5 Free Manga Being Scalped By TGV Malaysia Employee

Scalping rare collectibles never pay, especially if you have the gall to be ahead of the curve through illegitimate means.
See, the recently-out anime film Jujutsu Kaisen Zero film features a special promotional Jujutsu Kaisen 0.5 manga booklet from the series creator Gege Akutami. TGV Malaysia was giving it out for free to promote the prequel anime film alongside 2 ticket purchases to watch the show, at least while stocks last since 16th March. The free manga was sold out at 18 March, which means fans who missed out had to resort to purchasing it from resellers.

Being sold a rare collectible for a huge price tag may seem normal (you snooze, you lose). However, it turns out that one of the resellers is a working staff member from TGV Malaysia. Furthermore, this same reseller has opened pre-orders for the free booklet, which seems to allude that this reseller has been hoarding the Jujutsu 0.5 manga as soon as he/she/they got their hands on it in advance prior to 16th March. If this sounds similar to the idea of insider trading, that’s because it pretty much is.

Would’ya explain this to me @TGVCinemas ? this is too much i need to share for all malaysian citizens who seek those booklets for free redeem when they bought 2 tickets ! Where’s your empathy? What about students wasting their money just for free to you guys? #JujutsuKaisen0 https://t.co/jNHwsikNdM pic.twitter.com/rRCjHOneBU
— yi ?| into magic (@dazaistsg) March 22, 2022

TGV Malaysia are investigating the matter and will take strong disciplinary action against any staff who has committed this, asking for solid evidence to identify the perpetrator.

pic.twitter.com/82GOjm31pp
— TGV Cinemas | #TontondiTGV ?? (@TGVCinemas) March 22, 2022


Little Red Dot To Host Dota 2’s T11

Dota 2 developer Valve has announced that The International 11 (also known as TI11 or The International 2022), which will be this year’s iteration of the MOBA game’s annual world championship esportstournament, will take place in Singapore. This will be the first time in the tournament’s decade-long history that it will be held in a country in Southeast Asia.
The news was revealed during the grand finals of the ESL One Dota 2 Stockholm Major.

The International 11 comes to Singapore! pic.twitter.com/BENpmMZVeZ
— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) May 22, 2022

The road was long. The show is near.Raise your cups — we'll meet you here. pic.twitter.com/1tj2imqkOA
— DOTA 2 (@DOTA2) May 22, 2022

Singapore has previously played host to other international esports tournaments like the ONE Esports Dota 2 Singapore Major in April 2021, the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang M3 World Championship in December 2021 and the upcoming League of Legends: Wild Rift 2022 Icons Global Championship in June 2022.
Southeast Asia represent! Last year’s TI10 in Bucharest, Romania, saw Team Spirit emerging as the champions.


Cyberpunk 2077 Lets You Switch Off Nudity… If You Want To

Cyberpunk 2077 was never meant to be a game for younger gamers, what with its 18+ content. However, for those not as comfortable with nudity, we’ve learnt that CD Projekt Red actually gives you the option to turn it off.
CD Projekt Red QA Lead Lukasz Babiel confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 players will be able to turn off nudity if they want to.
There will be a censored mode of sorts, which is good news for those with consoles or PCs smack dab in the living room where it would be awkward for nude scenes to suddenly appear.

Yes.— ?ukasz Babiel (@pjpkowski) November 22, 2020

Cyberpunk 2077Â is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Google Stadia on 10 December 2020.Â
In the meantime, check outÂ the latest PC specs for the game here, orÂ head on over hereÂ for the contents of the gameâ€™s final Night City Wire live stream.


Colonization-Themed RPG Greedfall Trailer Reveals Release Date

Greedfall is a new epic RPG is coming from Spiders, the developer who gave us Bound By Flame and The Techonmancer, and publisher Focus Home Interactive. It looks like the biggest and most ambitious game yet from the French-based games studio.
Unlike other western RPGs, Greedfall is going to explore colonization in a unique way. The player’s home nation is crumbling due to disease, so when a cure is said to be found on the recently-discovered island of Teer Fradee, you join the expedition to this new undiscovered world filled with magic.
Unfortunately, there are many other factions with differing agendas. The question is ultimately this; will you partake in colonization and align with one of these factions, or help the natives in their struggle to resist these invaders? It’s a compelling setup for an RPG on this scale.
According to the official description for Greedfall:

“Player freedom and choice are core to GreedFall, as your decisions will build friendships, break alliances, diffuse conflicts and shape the future of the island.
Exploring a brave new frontier, your search for lost secrets will rely on more than just skill in combat.
Everything, whether a dialogue option, choosing a stealthy approach, or even your choice of companion in a given situation may alter the outcome.”

From the looks of the trailer, even the clothes you initially have equipped looks like what a European colonizer from the old days would wear. The setting for the game seems to be a mix of fantasy and 17th-century aesthetics.
Mass Effect and Dragon Age fans will probably like this game, with its heavy emphasis on player choice and their consequences. Its combat also seems to be inspired by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Greedfall is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC on 10 September 2019. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5F5B9VtLik&w=560&h=315]


Plan 8 Is A Futuristic MMO Shooter From Counter-Strike’s Co-Creator

G-Star 2019, the South Korean equivalent of Gamescom, just began today. Renowned games studio Pearl Abyss has announced a bunch of new games that they are working on. One of them is an MMO shooter that seems to be a combination of The Surge and Tom Clancy’s The Division.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX_Vab2KQAw&w=560&h=315]
Judging by the reveal trailer, Plan 8 is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a Terminator-like scenario has occurred and evil murderous robots roam the world. According to the developers, players will not only use guns and melee weapons but also wear various exo-suits that give them different abilities.
The game’s lead producer Lee Seungki says that the title Plan 8 has a deeper meaning that’s tied to the game’s setting. It seems that he’s aware of other games in the genre and said that they’re aiming to create “something above and beyond the conventions of shooter games” already in the market. I’m assuming they’re talking about games like Destiny and The Division.
Also working on the game is Minh Le, the co-creator of Counter-Strike. He makes it clear that the game is an “Exo-suit MMO Shooter” which doesn’t exactly sound all that unique when compared to a game like Bioware’s Anthem. Hopefully, it’s not going to go down that same road.

Judging by how the “8” in the title resembles the symbol for infinity and one of the characters saying “Damn it, not again.” at the end of the reveal trailer, I’m going to guess that it has to do something with a time loop or maybe an unavoidable future kind of situation. I just realised that that makes it even more similar to Terminator.
There’s no release date yet so it’s safe to assume that Plan 8 is far from being complete. Lee stated that the game is being developed for PC and consoles but didn’t specifically name which consoles. The reveal trailer really does a good job of making it look exciting so let’s wait and see what the gameplay looks like.


New Devil May Cry 5 Update Removes Denuvo

Capcom has officially removed Denuvo from Devil May Cry 5Â on PC via its latest update. Although the company has yet to unveil the full patch notes, website SteamDB noticed a change to the gameâ€™s .exe file after the most recent update.
The only change in the latest patch of Devil May Cry 5Â is the removal of Denuvoâ€™s anti-piracy DRM. Denuvo is infamous for causing issues in games like lowering performance due to unusually high CPU usage and sometimes even damaging SSDs.
This move is normal for Capcom, who often removes Denuvo within a year from a gameâ€™s initial release. For instance, Resident Evil 2 Remake had its Denuvo removed in December 2019. Notably, Monster Hunter World is so far Capcomâ€™s only relatively-recent title still with Denuvo.
However, Capcom will continue using Denuvo for its future games, including the upcoming Resident Evil 3 Remake. In the meantime, check out our review of Devil May Cry V and Resident Evil Remake 2, respectively.


BlizzCon 2018 Dates Confirmed – Here’s What We Know

Mark your calendars as BlizzCon is returning to Anaheim this November and tickets will be on sale next month. Officially announced earlier today, you can expect awesome stuff from the event as you immerse yourself with everything Blizzard – be it Starcraft II, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone to Overwatch.
Like last year, this yearâ€™s event will commence with the esports action of BlizzCon Opening Week, taking place at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles from October 25 to 29, where the early rounds of theÂ StarCraftÂ IIÂ World Championship Series Global Finals, theÂ Heroes of the StormÂ Global Championship Finals, andÂ World of WarcraftÂ Arena World Championship Finals will take place.
These competitions will culminate in Anaheim on November 2 and 3, where the champions of these tournaments along with those of theÂ OverwatchÂ World Cup andÂ HearthstoneÂ Global Games will be crowned.

The first BlizzCon ticket sale will take place Wednesday, May 9 at 7:00 p.m. PDT – that’s around 10:00 a.m on the 10th for us here in Asia whileÂ the second ticket sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 12 at 10:00 a.m. PDT, or 1 a.m. on the 13th of May 2018 (Asia).
Tickets can be purchased for $199 USD each – about MYR770 (plus applicable taxes and fees) through the online ticketing serviceÂ Universe. Tickets include two-day admission to the main event in Anaheim on November 2 and 3, and attendees will receive a commemorative BlizzCon goody bag containing a cache of loot for their favorite Blizzard games.
For full info, head on over toÂ www.blizzcon.com
Unable to attend? Fret not as Gamers you will have the chance to enjoy BlizzCon from just about anywhere via the Virtual Ticket, which offers live streaming coverage of the event and a variety of bonus content, including this yearâ€™s BlizzCon in-game items. More details on the BlizzCon 2018 Virtual Ticket, including pricing, availability, and programming information, will be announced at a later date.


Mechwarrior 5 Delayed & Won’t Come Out On Steam

Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries was initially scheduled for a September 2019 release. Developer Piranha Games has just dropped two shocking announcements. One, the game’s release will be delayed to 10 December 2019. Two, it will be an Epic Games Store (EGS) exclusive.
According to the game’s FAQ page, there are several reasons behind the delay.

“Once we started to look for a new release window it was natural that we wanted to move into our normal early December event window we have enjoyed these past 4 years. This would allow us to put considerable more quality into the game while also giving us the time needed to localize to other languages and to put considerable effort into marketing the game’s release.”

A congestion of big releases in September was also cited as one of the reasons which makes sense because among other games, Borderlands 3 will be releasing mid-September. There’s no winning against a game that big.

As for the decision to become an EGS exclusive, the developers said that partnering with Epic will basically allow them to make a better game and reach a wider audience.

“Partnering with Epic gave us the ability to delay our release to early December so that we could make the quality of game we desired as well as the financial footing to make sure MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries could be properly localized with a significant marketing effort.”

For fans who’ve pre-ordered game expecting a Steam key, you’re out of luck. No Steam keys will be provided but full refunds can be requested. However, the game won’t be a permanent EGS exclusive. It’s stated on the FAQ page that the game will be available on other digital game stores in the future.
It seems that Epic Games still isn’t done with their aggressive tactic of procuring exclusive to beat out Steam and other platforms. In the end, practices like these may level the playing field but gamers themselves are the ones losing out. You’ll have to use multiple different platforms of varying quality to play the games you bought and that isn’t exactly an optimal situation.


Cyberpunk 2077 – How To Get One Of The Best Pistols Early In The Game

Cyberpunk 2077 features iconic weapons, which are basically one-of-a-kind weapons that can be upgraded to Legendary status any time during the game. One of these is called the Kongou pistol; it’s not only beefy when upgraded to high levels, but you can score this early in the game.
Here’s what you need to do to get this iconic pistol.
Participate in the story mission “The Heist”
Without spoiling anything, you can only get the gun in Konpeki Plaza during this early story mission. You’ll come across it within the first few hours of the game and it’s the mission set in the prologue phase of Cyberpunk 2077.
Note that the Konpeki Plaza will be in lockdown after this mission. Which means you can miss out on getting this gun early on.
Get to this point in the story mission (see below)

Once you’re in this location with this objective, start your search at his bedroom. The gun is on the right bedside desk.

The stats may not be impressive right now at this point in the game, but it’s worth upgrading to Legendary status later on. Why? Because its Power ability does not require any cyberware unlike other weapons of its ilk and class. You can equip cyberware that focuses on Smart modules and Smart class weapons, and still exploit the ricochet properties of the Kongou.
Check out its final form below:

Big thanks to ESO for the tip.Â For more tips on Cyberpunk 2077, head over to our skill guide and recommendations list.Â


Halo TV Series Gives Update & New Set Photos

It’s been a while since we last heard from Showtime’s Halo TV series. It is currently in production in Budapest, Hungary.
In a new blog post, co-showrunner Kiki Wolfkill has provided an update for us, along with some sweet new set photos of props and stuff.
Wolfkill said:
As you may have seen on IG last month, after a herculean effort on Showtime’s part, we were able to go back to Budapest a few months ago and resume production on the Halo television series! While we were able to cover a lot of ground during the pandemic ‘hiatus’, the thing we couldn’t do while working from home was to actually shoot. So with a rigorous covid protocol in place and our fingers crossed, we picked up where we left off in March and were able to get some amazing footage in the can. Oh, and this time I got to pack Jen Taylor in my luggage to bring her Cortana magic to the show!What a gift to have her on our set and in Budapest with me. So much to share in 2021 but in the meantime, stay safe, Spartans and enjoy this tiny sneak peek!
It looks like the next update we’ll get will be sometime in 2021, but at least we have several set photos of the Halo TV series to tide us over until then.
First up is Jen Taylor, who is best known as the actress who portrays both Master Chief’s AI companion Cortana and her creator Dr. Catherine Halsey in the Halo games. However, in the Halo TV series, she will only be voicing Cortana while the role of Halsey will be played by Natascha McElhone.

This looks like it’s the hand of a Elite or Sangheili wrapped in plastic. Halo fans will recognize them to be part of the Covenant’s army.

There’s also a Halo crate of sorts.

Best of all, here are some real Halo prop weapons; namely the the BR85 battle rifle.

That’s all we have for today, Halo fans. Maybe we’ll catch a glimpse of Pablo Schreiber in the iconic Master Chief armour sometime next year.
Showtime’s Halo is slated to premiere sometime in 2021 (for now).


Slayers Anime Cast To Talk At Series’ 30th Anniversary Event Next Year

If you love fantasy and D&D tropes made fun of anime-style, you’ve no doubt seen and read the SlayerÂ anime/manga series which stars the sorceress-and-knight duo Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev. The series will be getting a 30th-anniversary event celebrated on 29th March 2020 that takes place in the Tokyo Dome City Hall.
Called “Slayers 30th Anniversary Event ~ If You Don’t Gather Everything Will Explode!~”, the event will feature the original voice actresses and actors from the series. These include legendary seiyuu Megumi Hayashibara who played Lina Inverse, Yasunori Matsumoto who played Gourry, and Maria Kawamura who played Naga The Serpent.Â  The trio will be talking about their experiences and retrospectives with the series.
If you happen to be in Japan around that time, you can get tickets at the event here at E-Plus; there will be a 2pm and a 7pm session. So if you’ve been a fan of the series since the 90s and can understand Japanese, this is one event you don’t want to miss.


Bye, Harley, Say Hello To Joker’s New Girlfriend

It’s been several years since Harley Quinn famously broke up with the Joker, after putting up with his abuse for so long. The Joker has remained single since then. Until now, that is. The Clown Prince Of Crime has seemingly found a new love interest in the form of the mysterious new character, Punchline.
DC Comics has confirmed that Punchline will make her historic single-panel debut in the upcoming issue of Batman #89 (James Tynion IV, Guillem March and Tomeu Morey) on 19 February 2020, before making her full appearance in Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #3 the following week (James Tynion IV, Steve Epting, Javier Fernandez and Nick Filardi) on 26 February 2020.

James Tynion IV initially teased Punchline as the Joker’s new girlfriend back in January 2020, hinting that she will play a significant role in the upcoming Joker War story arc. She will receive the honour of getting her very own variant cover for Batman #94, drawn by Singaporean artist Stanley ‘Artgerm’ Lau (check it out below).

The synopsis for Batman #89 reads:

“Batman must stop Deathstroke from killing the mayor of Gotham City!
But to do so he has to figure out who ordered the hit in the first place.
If his four main suspects aren’t ‘fessing up to the crime, then is there someone even more sinister lurking in the shadows waiting to deliver the coup de grÃ¢ce?
Whoever it is, one victim will fall under their attack!”

It remains to be seen what deeper role Punchline will play in the DC universe, but I’m looking forward to her eventual and inevitable encounter with Joker’s ex, Harley Quinn. Now, that will definitely be a showdown of epic proportions.


Percy Jackson And The Olympians Trailer Teases A Darker Take Than Previous Films

At D23, Disney+ has given us our first look at the upcoming Percy Jackson And The Olympians series. The teaser features narration from Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) himself, as we get our first looks at Camp Half-Blood and more.
Based on the bestselling book series by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson And The Olympians follows Percy Jackson who is a demi-god. It’s basically a young adult series but with elements of Greek gods and other pantheons.
Riordan originally announced the Disney+ series back in 2020. There were already feature film adaptations of the books, 2010’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and 2013’s Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, both of which starred Logan Lerman in the leading role.
Percy Jackson And The Olympians also stars Leah Sava Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri as the core trio of Percy, Annabeth, and Grover. Additional cast includes Megan Mullally, Jason Mantzoukas, Virginia Kull, Glynn Turman, Tim Sharp, Dior Goodjohn, Olivea Morton, and Charlie Bushnell. Riordan and Jon Steinberg co-write the pilot directed by James Bobin. Executive producers are Steinberg, Bobin, Riordan, Rebecca Riordan, Dan Shotz, Bert Salke, Monica Owusu-Breen, Jim Rowe, Anders Engström, Jet Wilkinson, Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell, and D.J. Goldberg.
There is currently no release date for the Percy Jackson And The Olympians but it is slated to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar.


[Report] Call of Duty Will Skip A Year; A First For The Series

Is Call of Duty what it used to be? Turns out it may not be from the inside.
According to a Bloomberg report, Activision may be delaying next year’s Call of Duty game. 2023’s expected CoD entry will be pushed back following poor sales of Call of Duty Vanguard. This marks the first time the franchise has skipped an annual release in 20 years.
2021’s Call of Duty Vanguard failed to meet expectations sales-wise, with Activision executives believing that the company is “introducing new versions too rapidly”, which could lead to quality control and development issues, and apathy towards a franchise that build up over time.

Still, Activision is working on other projects to fill the 2023 CoD-less gap including CoD DLC and expansions, and a “new free-to-play online title”. Plus, there’s a CoD title this year: the sequel to the 2019 Modern Warfare reboot.
A CoD-less 2023 may be significant since that series is quite a huge draw for most fans in spite of its declining quality and features.

This would be a huge blow to retail, and to the premium gaming segment as a whole.
Would also accelerate the shift away from premium releases where consumers purchase upfront, to games supported by sales of DLC/MTX. Not sure that accleration could be slowed afterwards. https://t.co/fytOoEzjYV
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) February 22, 2022

Honestly, the only thing Activision needs to do right now is fixing CoD Warzone and make that the mainstay for CoD online games to fill in 2023, since the groundwork is already laid out.


Monark Will Be Out In English Next February

Upcoming school-based JRPG Monark finally has an English release date.
The upcoming RPG from developer Furyu and Lancarse will be out for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam) on 22nd February, 2022. The game will be published by NIS America, hence the English dub in the trailer below.

If you’re curious, the RPG’s key features are below (via Steam product page):

Descent into MadnessÂ â€“ Jump between exploring the Mist of the real world and fighting within the enigmatic Otherworld. Call upon allies, fight enemies, and unravel the mysteries surrounding your academy. Will you save the world or go mad and destroy yourself?
Into The Mist and BeyondÂ â€“ Dive into a dark realm where reality and the self collide. The mysterious worlds youâ€™ll explore are brought to life in a surreal, dark neo-fantasy style, with intricate character designs and evocative settings.
Power of the EgoÂ â€“ Strengthen your Ego and customize the appearance and abilities of your Fiends. Unlock different Fiends to command in battle, and use the freeform tactical system to position your units and unleash destruction upon your enemies.


Hitman Developers Team Up With Warner Bros. Interactive For New Game

Danish game studio IO Interactive (IOI) is well-known for creating and developing the Hitman franchise. They’ve recently announced a worldwide publishing and distribution agreement with Warner Bros. Interactive for a new non-Hitman game.
This isn’t the first time the two companies are partnering up. Warner Bros. published a few games in the Hitman series including Hitman 2, Hitman: Definitive Edition, and Hitman HD Enhanced Collection. This next game they’re working on will be made for both PC and consoles.

â€œOver the past few years, Warner Bros. has shown us first-hand that they understand and respect our creative vision, and weâ€™re looking forward to continuing this relationship.â€
– Hakan Abrak, CEO of IO Interactive.
The announcement also came with news of IOI seeking new talents. The company is currently looking to recruit programmers, animators, and more. Check out the full announcement here.


Project Sekai Anime Short Pulled By Sega For “Blackface” Allegations From Western Fandom

Talk about overreacting a bit much from one corner of the world.
Much like past F2P music game franchise Bang Dream! Girls Party, Project Sekai has a series of anime shorts called Petit Sekai featuring 3 minutes of the musical cast’s funny antics while in chibi form. These episodes take a while to translate to English, so there are dedicated groups who fan sub the project in English.
Turns out that the latest fansub (not official one, mind you) of Petit Sekai episode 6 features a punchline that has somehow offended the Western fandom of Project Sekai (via Reddit). It involves the band Leo/need attempting to look like lions in tribal outfits; the joke is apparently a jab at Japan’s ganguro culture.

The Western fandom, however, interpreted this as “blackface” and cultural appropriation of Africans. The (presumably) offended fandom expressed their outrage at the official upload of the episode.
Publisher Sega has set the official upload of episode 6 to Private on its Project Sekai YouTube channel and apologized in both Japanese and English via Twitter.

Regarding ???? (Petit Sekai) Ep. 6:We would like to issue a sincere apology regarding the use of inappropriate expression in the episode “Leo/need Style.”For now, we will be taking down the episode “Leo/need Style” indefinitely.#???? #???? pic.twitter.com/mxuwk0JTUy
— ????????? ????????? feat. ?????????? (@pj_sekai) February 18, 2022

File this one under “bizarre censorship”, as a number of tweets from Japanese Project Sekai players are confused about the innocent joke’s “controversy”. Just to put things in perspective, this is Japan’s ganguro culture…

…while this is blackface.

The fact that the Petit Sekai anime short started with a girl who has a ganguro hairstyle to lead in to the lion ganguro punchline is further proof that the joke has absolutely nothing to do with blackface. Still, it is a bit bizarre for Sega to cave in like that for the Western fanbase.


Resident Evil Village Guide: How To Survive Lycans & Tall Vampire Ladies

This guide will be updated periodically if we find new strategies and tips, especially for Hardcore mode.
Resident Evil Village is out right now, and it’s quite a doozy from the last game. If you want a great callback to the action-heavy survival horror nonsense from Resident Evil 4, this entry will be perfect for you.
Of course, walking around the village and Castle Dimitrescu isn’t going to be an easy feat, so here are a few tips to keep surviving. We’ll divide this guide into two sections: one basic guide and one boss guide. The latter will be filled with major spoilers, so we’ll put up warnings in case.
Let’s start with the basics.
Play Through The Story
This one’s pretty obvious: Ethan’s arsenal and tools won’t expand unless you progress deep into the story. Key items you get will unlock many parts of the village. If you hit a brick wall during the exploration bits, just play through the story and fight through the story sections.
Change Red Map Spots To Blue
Exploration is pretty important in RE Village: you need to scavenger for items and treasure to sell off if you want to stand a chance against the lycan horde in the game.
Open up your map: you’ll see a lot of red and blue locations. If a map location is red, that means that there are still items and goodies to search in the village. If it’s blue, you’ve exhausted the location of its goods. This will help add more items you can sell to the Duke, which also means more bullets and weapons.
You Have Weapon Slots: Use Them
Map your weapons to each of the d-pad directions so that you can access them easily. It’s best to swap between weapons; the basic combo involves going back and forth between the pistol and shotgun. The pistol can pick off faraway targets while the shotgun just deals more hurt to enemies.

When Aiming, Let Lycans Sway To Your Reticule
Resident Evil veterans should know this tip by heart. Usually, when you’re aiming down sights, it’s best to let the shuffling undead and lycans in RE Village just sway towards your reticule. It’s a lot easier than you fiddling on the controller/mouse to aim at its head.
Only Craft Items When You Need To
RE Village is built in a way that you’ll be fighting the unexpected. As such, you need to craft items on the fly to counter the obstruction and solve the situation. Which is why it’s a bad idea to create extra shotgun ammo for example; you might be fighting a long-ranged foe or an enemy who is way more effective at close range.
Safe your resources for later and when the time comes; pausing the screen to craft will stop time anyway.
When In Doubt, Melee/Knife & Guard/Parry…
It’s not the most effective, but your melee/knife attack saves ammo. Ditto your guard move; time it right and you can push back bad guys.
..Or Just Run
Running away from enemies saves you bullets. Using your guard/parry helps push enemies back so you can amscray safer. Most of the time, the game has bits where you can escape from the stage itself.
Protip: use quick turn (press back + B) so that you can do a quick 180-degree turn and hightail it when needed. Get used to doing this a lot if you want to save ammo for future battles.
When You’re Selling Stuff, You Can Combine Certain Objects
Combining two treasures will yield bigger cashouts from the Duke. Before selling any treasure, just double-check to see if it’s missing any pieces. Chances are you should be able to spend a bit of time searching for the missing bits in the vicinity of the village, or any place you can revisit. Good examples include necklaces with matching jewels in its socket, or a separate head and body of a doll.
You Can Guard And Shoot Your Pistol At The Same Time
This is pointed out by RE content creator Sphere Hunter on Twitter. Pretty handy once you’ve successfully pushed back an enemy.

Did you know Ethan can guard and shoot his pistol at the same time? pic.twitter.com/DOj3pam8mX
— Suzi Hunter (@TheSphereHunter) May 8, 2021

Yes, There Is A New Game Plus…
After you’re done with the main story, which should take you about 10 to 12 hours, you can replay the game with all of your weapons, upgrades, items, and treasures. But it’s not made entirely clear on how to access it.
Let’s sort that out: to access the feature, you’ll need to choose Load Game from the main menu, then scroll down to wherever your completed save game file is. Select and confirm it and you’ll get the prompt to start a new game.

How To Survive The Lycan Invasion When You Start Out (On ANY Difficulty)
Here’s a guide from Kumikones on how to survive the Lycan onslaught at the start of the game on any difficulty, even Village of Shadows. Just one protip: the Lycan ambush runs on a timer, so stalling and “laming out” is the best strategy here.

Resident Evil Village Boss Guide
This one is spoiler-filled because we’ll be mentioning the big bads you’ll be confronting, so here’s your warning.

Vampire Daughters Bella, Daniela, and Casandra

Reward: Crystal Torso (5,000 Lei)
Lady Dimitrescuâ€™s three daughters may seem invincible at first, but they can be defeated if you can find a way to expose them to cold air.
Bela is the first daughter to try her luck against Ethan right after we explore the Castleâ€™sÂ lower floors. When Bela starts to attack you, immediately shoot the other window to ensure she is vulnerable no matter where she stands in the room. From this point onwards, all you need to do is shoot her until she crumbles into dust.
Daniela is hidden behind the locked Iron Insignia door near Lady Dimitrescuâ€™s bedroom. You can make the room colder by opening theÂ roof windowÂ using the handle on the posts. Once Daniela starts to feel the cold, blast her to smithereens.
Finally, Cassandra is in the room next to the Mask of Pleasure. Right before you begin the fight, you should find a pipe bomb along with some ammo. Once the fight begins, push the bookcase to expose the crack in the wall. Throw the pipe bomb at the wall to make Cassandra vulnerable â€“ shoot her until she turns to dust.
Tall Vampire Lady Dimitrescu

Reward: Crystal Dimitrescu (25,000 Lei)
Complete the four masks puzzle at the Castle to unlock the poisoned dagger. The following cutscene shows Ethan stabbing Lady Dimitrescu with the dagger, transforming her into a winged beast. Who knew?
Lady Dimitrescu takes the fight to the top of the castle as she drags Ethan to a new location. Head up the stairs and grab the ammo placed on the barrels. Donâ€™t forget to smash the jar to find 25 handgun bullets.

In her final form, Lady Dimitrescu is incredibly slow when walking along the top of the castle. This gives you plenty of time to avoid any of her attacks. Fire at Lady Dimitrescuâ€™s face, not her mountâ€™s head. Use the shotgun in order to deal the most damage. When Lady Dimitrescu takes to the air, switch to your rifle or handgun toÂ shoot her out of the sky.
Lady Dimitrescu will alternate between these two phases before crashing into the middle of the castle. Make your way up the stairs, collect the ammo hidden in the jars and repeat the process until she dies.
Beneviento/Angie

Reward: Unborn Key, Angie (28,000 Lei)
Love hide & seek? Then you’ll enjoy this thrilling boss fight.
Donna Beneviento has transformed herself into Angie, a creepy talking doll. Find Angie three times as she blends in with the rest of the dolls at House Beneviento. As soon as the fight begins, head to the first door on the left, go up the stairs and enter the room on the right. Angie is leaning against a chest of drawers found at the end of the room.
Go back downstairs back to the room you started in, enter the connected room and find Angie on the left side of the sofa. Finally, leave the room and follow the bloodstains on the wall to find Angie sitting on a rug. Donâ€™t forget to pick up Angie before leaving House Beneviento.
Moreau

Reward: Crystal Moreau (40,000 Lei)
Once you are in Moreauâ€™s arena, look out for any barrels as you will find plenty of ammo for your weapons. You want to attack Moreau when he appears out of the monsterâ€™s mouthÂ to deal the most damage. You can also make use of anyÂ land minds or pipe bombs to stop Moreau in his tracks. There are a few explosive barrels dotted around the arena; blow these up when Moreau gets close.
Moreau will climb on top of the roof and perform his acid raid attack; take shelter. This attack marks the second phase of the fight, though Moreau will likely use this ability a second time before dying. Avoid taking any damage by heading to any building with a cover above it. Once the acid rain stops, walls of slime will block your path. You can either shoot them down or use your knife to destroy them. Keep hammering Moreau with bullets until he’s dead.
Urias, Lycan King

Reward: Crystal Hammer (35,000 Lei)
Yes, you can take down the giant lycan with the big hammer. However, you might be out of ammo. Find ammo on the ledges next to the lamps; these will regenerate for the duration of the fight.
The trick to beating Urias is to circle strafe around a pillar, forcing him to attack an empty space. As long as you stay behind the pillar, it is unable to hurt you.
Urias will hop to the middle platform, summoning Lycans to make the fight even harder. Use this opportunity to search for ammo, reload your weapons, and plant land mines if you still have any in your inventory. This fight is very easy if you master the circle strafe technique, as you should have plenty of time to shoot the giant in the face multiple times.
Heisenberg

Reward: Crystal Heisenberg (70,000 Lei)
In perhaps one of the most tonally jarring segments and fights, and that’s saying a lot for this series, you fight mutated “cyborg” Heisenberg. In this fight, you’re thrown a bone in a form of a mini tank. Before the battle, try to equip a sniper rifle on the ready.
Heisenberg charges at you blades first â€“ aim your machine gun at hisÂ glowing red pointsÂ to stop his attack. If you canâ€™t damage his weak points in time, you canÂ block his sawsÂ to receive significantly less damage. You can also fire your cannon, blasting Heisenberg back to the other side of the battlefield.
Keep your distance from Heisenberg. If youâ€™ve dealt enough damage, Heisenberg will hit you with an attack that knocks you out of your mini tank. Don’t panic: you’re close to defeating him. You can find spare ammo near the metal walls, though these walls can be knocked down by Heisenbergâ€™s attacks. On foot, you need to attack Heisenberg’s “head”, preferably with a sniper rifle. With enough shots, Heisenberg will perform one last big attack before finally crystalising.
Urias Round 2

Reward: Crystal Mace (60,000 Lei)
Urias is back for a rematch. Fortunately, you’re playing as Chris Redfield in this short-but-sweet segment. You have a lot of ammo at your disposal, so go nuts.Â
However, you can’t use brute force here: aim at Urias’ tentacles on its back. Chris’ squad will also offer you support in the form of an orbital strike. You need to find a safe spot, charge the attack, and fire at it. Urias is pretty slow, so just judge your distance accordingly, charge, and let loose. Three orbital strikes should put this uber Lycan down.
Mother Miranda

Reward: You win the game!
Mother Miranda has many forms in this battle, as per tradition in an RE game.
In her spider form, you can avoid being attacked by keeping your distance. The perfect weapon to use in this fight is the sniper rifle (without the magnifying scope) as it can handle Mother Miranda no matter what form sheâ€™s in. When Mother Miranda starts to fly around the stage, she will summon three balls which turn into fire. You canÂ shoot these projectilesÂ before she has the chance to hurt you.
In the second phase, Mother Miranda removes all colour from the scene for a short bit; you need to fight in the dark her. Take a few hits, then the scene returns to normal. She will do an AoE attack but will summon pillars before that happens. Hide behind the pillars to avoid taking damage.
Continue to avoid her attacks. Keep firing at her as often as you can to trigger the final event, in which Mother Miranda ties you to the ground as she prepares her final attack. Fire your weapon at her to interrupt her attack, and don’t stop until she’s dead.


The Suicide Squad Ending Explained & Easter Eggs Breakdown

The Suicide Squad is now showing in selected cinemas in the US and on HBO Max. And we have to say: the film is definitely a wild ride.
From the beginning of the movie right to the end, director James Gunn makes full use of the movie’s R rating. It has more of a comic book vibe and it’s probably the most fun DCEU movie to date thanks to Gunn’s signature humour, gore, and stylistic choices.
However, this isn’t a review of The Suicide Squad. I’ll be explaining the ending of the movie and breaking down some elements, so if you haven’t watched the movie or planning to at some point, here’s where you can stop reading before we directly enter spoiler territory.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you:

The Suicide Squad: Who Lives And Who Dies

The movie starts with a cold open, where several members of the team apparently die in the first few minutes, including Weasel (Sean Gunn), Blackguard (Pete Davidson), Mongal (Mayling Ng), T.D.K. (Nathan Fillion), Savant (Michael Rooker), Javelin (Flula Borg) and surprisingly enough, even Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney). It turns out there are actually two teams infiltrating the island of Corto Maltese.
After this violent opening, the movie flashes back to three days earlier before all these villains were recruited by ARGUS director Amanda Waller to go on that ill-fated mission. This segment introduces us to the true main characters (or protagonists) of the movie before eventually returning to the present (where the mission is taking place).
The Suicide Squad is tasked with destroying Project Starfish, which is located at the Jotunheim science facility in Corto Maltese (more on Project Starfish below). More important characters die throughout the duration of the movie, including The Thinker (Peter Capaldi), Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) and apparently even Peacemaker (John Cena).
At the end of the movie, it’s revealed that Weasel (Sean Gunn) didn’t drown and is actually still alive. In the post-credits scene, it turns out that Peacemaker survived his duel with Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and that will have ramifications for the future (more on that below as well).
Project Starfish: Starro The Conqueror

In the comics, Starro The Conqueror is an alien being resembling a giant starfish with a single central eye. He is extremely powerful, having the ability to spawn small duplicates, spores or clones of himself to attach to other living things in order to take control of their consciousness and host bodies.
Anywho finds themselves controlled will essentially be an extension of Starro himself, which means that Starro can communicate and speak via these hosts.
In The Suicide Squad (and by extension, the DCEU), American astronauts were the ones who discovered and captured a tiny Starro, who was simply floating through space at the time. They brought him back to Earth and experimented on him by using his duplicates on actual human beings, including innocent men, women and children.

To avoid scrutiny and attention, the US government chose to conduct the Starro experiments (codenamed Project Starfish) in the unassuming and small island nation of Corto Maltese. This is also the reason why Peacemaker killed Rick Flag, the latter of whom only wanted to reveal the atrocities committed by the US government to the world.
At the end of the movie, Starro escapes and wants to take revenge on humanity, but the surviving remnants of the Suicide Squad manage to stop him. They then use the information of the US government’s involvement with Project Starfish against Waller, demanding that she free them in exchange for keeping the secret.
The movie also makes a final twist at the very end when Starro dies. Just before his death, Starro imparts the following final words, indicating that he too was innocent at the very beginning and that the US government exploited him against his will:
“I was happy, floating, staring at the stars.”
Starro The Conqueror in his full glory.
Will We See Starro Again? Who Is Jarro?

The answer to the first question is likely no, considering that Starro is dead. Still, that doesn’t discount that he could somehow come back to life via a small surviving piece that grows into a new duplicate of Starro, just like it did in the comics pretty recently.
In the comics (during the events of Justice League No Justice by Scott Snyder and Francis Manapul), the giant version of Starro The Conqueror redeemed himself by sacrificing himself to defeat the universal threat that was the Omega Titans. However, it turns out that Batman managed to preserve a tissue sample that grew into a new individual named Jarro.
This Jarro is much closer to the size of an actual Earth starfish (just like Starro originally was), and he has the added advantage of being raised by Batman. Jarro is now a fan-favourite character for his father-son relationship with Batman and his dreams of becoming a Robin, both of which are amusing and heartwarming at the same time.
It’s hilarious that this all only happened in Jarro’s active imagination.

The Suicide Squad Cameo: John Ostrander (Writer Of The Suicide Squad Comics In The 80s)
John Ostrander is the scientist wearing spectacles behind Savant.
At the beginning of the movie (in a scene that takes place at the Belle Reve prison), we can John Ostrander playing the role of Dr. Fitzgibbon, who injects the bomb into the head of Savant (Michael Rooker). Ostrander is best known for writing one of the most influential and iconic runs of the Suicide Squad comics in the 80s, which is cited by director James Gunn as one of the main influences for the movie.
He even speaks a line in the movie, saying “Good dog” to Savant after injecting him with the head bomb.
The Suicide Squad Cameo: Taika Waititi As Ratcatcher 1

In case you missed it, Taika Waititi portrays the role of Ratcatcher I, the father of Daniela Melchior’s Cleo AKA Ratcatcher 2. In that brief flashback scene that barely lasted a minute or two, Waititi played a small role in The Suicide Squad. Yes, the same Waititi who directed Thor Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit and the upcoming Thor Love And Thunder.
The Suicide Squad Cameo: Sylvester Stallone As Nanaue / King Shark

If Nanaue AKA King Shark sounds familiar, that’s because he’s voiced by none other than Sylvester Stallone AKA Rocky Balboa and Rambo himself. His performance brings an endearing quality to the character, making him a beloved one from start to end.
The Suicide Squad Cameo: Lloyd Kaufman of Troma Entertainment

James Gunn’s Troma collaborator Lloyd Kaufman also makes a “blink-and-you’ll-miss” cameo during the show’s nightclub scene. Without Troma Entertainment, there would not be a James Gunn, so kudos to him for this spot.
The Suicide Squad Cameo: Belle Reve Inmates

In the early parts of the film, a number of DC Comics villains pop up in Belle Reve. These include Natalie Safran as Kaleidoscope (above), Sean Gunn as Calendar Man (below), and Jared Leland Gore as Double Down (below).

The Suicide Squad Cameo: Mantis from Guardians of the Galaxy?

Not really, but the actress who plays GotG’s Mantis, Pom Klementieff, cameos as a dancer in the nightclub The Suicide Squad heads in as part of the mission.
The Suicide Squad: Post-Credits Scene Leads To The Peacemaker Series

There are actually two post-credits scenes in The Suicide Squad. The first one (which actually shows just as the movie ends) reveals that Weasel (Sean Gunn) is still alive after we initially thought that he drowned to death at the beginning of the movie.
It’s the second post-credits scene that is especially important. Peacemaker is still alive and survived his shootout with Bloodsport. Waller’s lackeys John Economos (Steve Agee) and Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) appears at the hospital to retrieve Peacemaker for a new mission to “save the fucking world”.

John Cena is set to reprise his role as Peacemaker in the upcoming HBO Max exclusive series Peacemaker, which will premiere sometime in January 2022 and consist of eight episodes. Agee and Harcourt will also reprise their roles as John and Emilia, respectively.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, John Cena confirmed that the series will pick up from where The Suicide Sequel left off, making it a sequel to the movie.
“I would venture to say that Peacemaker actually turns up the volume on anything that you see in The Suicide Squad.
I want people to enjoy The Suicide Squad and I really think they will.
Once they get a feel for these characters they’re going to want more and that’s where Peacemaker picks up.”
Conclusion

Ultimately though, there aren’t many easter eggs or even overt connections to the larger DC universe in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. However, that doesn’t make it a bad movie in any way. It’s still worth a watch and one of the most enjoyable movies in the DCEU to date. It has entertaining and manic energy only someone like James Gunn could pull off.
So, yeah, it’s definitely recommended by me; the ComicsLord.


We Talk To PlayStation Studios Malaysia’s Hasnul About Video Games & The Future

It’s been a year, and it looks like the Malaysian branch of PlayStation Studios is shaping up just great. But is it really?
Kakuchopurei talks to PlayStation Studios Malaysia’s head Hasnul Hadi Samsudin on how’s it been for the studio since its inception within a year or so, as well as some game industry tidbits.


E3 2021: The Best Game Demos You Can Play Right Now

E3 2021 week is pretty much done and over with, but you can still join in the festivities. All those games you saw in the press conferences? You can play the demos; well, some of them anyway. But they’re definitely worth your time.
Here are our top picks; these demos are available for PC and consoles and are available right now. Keep in mind that some of them are available for a limited time until 22nd June. Better get to playing them, chop chop! And if you want to see the most popular demos this week, head here to this SteamDB chart info page.
Kabaret

A Malaysian-made adventure game where you decipher tea leaves, play traditional games, converse with spirits in the underworld, and question your humanity. This title is definitely one for the spiritual books if you even have an inkling & love for adventure titles.
Demo’s out now for PC.
Death Trash

Part Fallout, part Shadowrun, and part real-time action RPG: this wombo combo indie title is gritty, dark, and full of its namesake. Get the demo now on Steam and on Xbox. The Early Access version is slated for 5th August.
AK-xolotl

Play a mythical lizard who is packing heat, top-down 2D shooter style. You can play the demo on Steam right now. Scheduled for 2021.
Arietta of Spirits

This one’s a story-focused adventure with 2D combat and gameplay like your Zelda action-adventure entries. It’s about a girl who starts to see ghosts after her grandmother’s death. The demo is out on Steam and Xbox.
The Big Con

In the bustling era of the 90s, your mom’s video store is in debt to a loan shark for a huge sum of money. To help her out, you need to start stealing from people and fleecing them with big cons. Hence the title. This adventure game lets you scam folks for a personal cause and is portrayed in a colorful manner. Demo’s here.
Wolfstride

A turn-based RPG where you control a giant mech and defeat other mechs. The black-and-white comic book animations and flair help make this one stand out. Check it out on Steam.
Cris Tales

This 90s JRPG tribute puts you in the shoes of a girl who can foresee different timelines and plan out your attacks in turn-based fashion. Like an indie Monado sword. The full game will be out 20th July, so in the meantime, you can play the demo.
They Always Run

A 2D platformer where you play a bounty hunter chasing after rogue robots.
Toem

Snap beautiful nature pictures for a quirky forest community. This hour-long demo is as relaxing as they come as you take in the sights and just roll with the nature theme. Demo’s here.
Terra Nil

Want a reverse city builder-type game where you restore a wasteland to its proper ecosystem? This one’s for you then. Plot out river courses and greenery to clean up the earth plot you’re given; it’s about as relaxing and positive as you can get with an environment-savvy game without coming off as preachy. Here’s the demo.
My Lovely Wife

Part dating sim, life management, and alchemy where you play a man grieving over his dead wife and learning to get over it. Made by Indonesian studio Toge Productions and GameChanger Studio; demo’s here.
The Legend of TianDing

We talked about this 2D action game in great length here. Go download the demo if the idea of liberating 1930s Taiwan from Japanese occupation oppression in over-the-top comic book action form entices you to no end.
To The Rescue!

We have a preview of this floating around: you just build your shelter and rescue dogs while sending them out for adoption.Â Get to rescuing dogs here!
Len’s Island

Part building sim, part dungeon crawler: Len’s Farm lets you explore the mysteries of the titular island while you find ways to survive. Link to the demo’s here.
Naraka Bladepoint

Battle royale with kung fu and swords. Seems fun; here’s a demo.


You Won’t Believe What The Dark Souls/Sekiro Director Wants To Do Next

From Software’s game director Hidetaka Miyazaki is renowned for helping out the gamepad peripheral industry. How? By having fans of his games break controllers out of pure frustration at the no-nonsense sink-or-swim challenge imposed by the Dark Souls trilogy, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
It seems that Miyazaki may want to be more than the guy who made those “git gud” games, as evident in a keynote for Reboot Develop, a boutique games industry event. He wants to work on a story-focused game one day.
In the same keynote also featuring ICO/Last Guardian director Fumito Ueda, Miyazaki was on the same boat as his peer, stating that games are organic and feel that changes in tech can help with informing players about the narrative. High-level plot and visuals/art usually starts first in the design process, followed lastly with story and dialogue.
Miyazaki added that the creation of a world and the levels can affect the story; it doesn’t make sense to start from there. Gameplay is the soul of the game; once that’s in place, he can form a story that fits and augments the experience.
Hidetaki Miyazaki.

“Youâ€™re playing with clay and it slowly comes into focus.”

Having said that, the From Software director said that this isn’t the only way to see game design. As stated before, he loves to one day create a game where story is the focal point like Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2. This also confirms that the recent Bandai Namco George R.R. Martin collaboration rumour may have some ring of truth to it.
Of course, to do that, he needs to get better at communicating the story of the game to his team, who often do not understand the overall plot of the games they’re working on. I’m guessing that’s what a director wants to focus on after making so many punishing and hardcore titles; it’s fine to take a break or two doing your equivalent of a story-based walking simulator.


Dying Light 2’s Big Story DLC Will Be Out This October

Techland is bringing you to a literal circus with its new Dying Light 2 DLC.
Announced at Gamescom 2022, Dying Light 2’s big story DLC will be called Bloody Ties and will pit you against a huge number of circus and acrobatic ass-kickers and killers in a gaudy and glitzy circus-like arena. Don’t worry: there are still zombies in here, though in this trailer they’re caged up. Based on the title, we’re guessing we might find out more about how our main hero Aiden learns his parkour skills from.

Dying Light 2: Bloody Ties will be out on 13th October for PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4.


Overwatch League Cancels South Korea Plans Due To Coronavirus

The Overwatch League 2020 matches that were due to be held in South Korea in weeks five, six, and seven have been cancelled. This includes the home event for Seoul Dynasty, South Korea’s Overwatch League team.
The Overwatch League Twitter page announced the decision today, saying that it was done “in order to protect the health & safety of our players, fans, & staff”. A few hours before the announcement, ChannelNewsAsia wrote that South Korea had reported 161 new coronavirus cases, making the country the world’s largest total outside of China with 763 cases.

In order to protect the health & safety of our players, fans, & staff, we are canceling plans to host #OWL2020 matches in South Korea in Weeks 5, 6, and 7, including the @SeoulDynasty home event.
We’ll share more info about when and where matches will take place at a later.
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) February 24, 2020

The new location and dates for the cancelled Overwatch League 2020 matches will be announced in a future date.


One Piece Manga Is 80% Close To The Finish Line, Says Creator

Since its inception back in 1997 (most of us were in high school at that point; Jesus…), the high seas pirate shonen manga One Piece has been cruising on just fine. But all things have to end, so it’s good to know that creator Eiichiro Oda officially said that there’s 20% more plot to wrap up.
According to a Yomiuri interview, Oda said that the story was stretched out because the characters are acting on their own.

“It has taken twenty years and the story has arrived at the 80 percentage point, but there are still nine members [in the crew].”

In a separate interview on Weekly Jump, he said that he will end the series on his own terms.

“If the time for One Piece to end comes, I don’t want to hear the editorial department say “please continue doing it longer”. My ending is as I please.”

There could be a chance that this 20 percent of story will take a while to wrap up. Back in 2016, Oda said that One Piece was around 65 percent finished. But he said that the story was 60 percent done in 2012. In other words, it’s not ending anytime soon, but there is a finish line and the Straw Hat crew will find their goddamn One Piece treasure.
One Piece has been a commercial juggernaut since 1997. There’s been a number of video games based on the franchise; one of them may be out later this year and it’s going to be an open-world action adventure game ala the Grand Theft Auto and inFamous series.