Assassin’s Creed Valhalla To Add River Raids In Massive Update Later Today

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is getting a massive update later today on 16 February 2021, which adds a brand new game mode called River Raids, introduces more abilities and skills, as well as features truckloads of bug fixes and improvements.
River Raids will take players to previously undiscovered regions of England where they can take part in more raids with new loot and rewards to look forward to. This is part of the Yule Season event and will be free to everyone who owns the game.
Some of the new abilities are Berserker Trap (attaches a “hallucinatory powder” trap to your arrows), Battle Cry (Eivor gains strength and makes foes stumble due to fear), and Shoulder Bash (Eivor bases stuff with her shoulder). Meanwhile, some of the new skills include Power Stroke (speed boost on a longship), Assassin’s Slide (lets Eivor slide into enemies and knock them down), and Assassin Carry (automatically carrying a body after an assassination).
Other improvements include added controller rumbling when players go fishing, and fishes will now apparently respawn properly. There are also a number of lighting, graphical, and texture issues.
In the meantime, check outÂ our full review ofÂ Assassinâ€™s Creed ValhallaÂ here, orÂ head on over here for our guideÂ on how to be the best Viking in the game.
Check out the full patch notes below (via Ubisoft):
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Update 1.12 Patch Notes
PATCH SIZES:

Xbox Series X|S: ~19.53 GB.
Xbox One: ~15.27 GB.
PS5:â€¯~11.18 GB.
PS4: ~10.23 GB.
PC: ~18.04 GB.

RELEASE TIMING
All platforms:â€¯8pm GMT+8.
YULE SEASON: RIVER RAIDS GAME MODE
We added in-game support forâ€¯River Raids.

Prepare your Jomsviking crew for this new highly replayable mode that will take you to unexplored regions of England, which is full of raiding opportunities. New loot, rewards, and challenges await the Raven Clan!
The River Raids Mode is part of the Yule Season content. It is free for all Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla players, and it is accessible in-game after downloading Title Update 1.1.2.

NEW ABILITIES

Berserker Trap:â€¯This attaches a trap to your arrow, spreading hallucinatory powder. Any nearby movement causes the trap to trigger. Surprise cluelessâ€¯passersby!
Battle Cry:â€¯In a fit of rage, Eivor lets out a blood curdling scream, gaining strength and causing nearby enemies to stumble backwards in fear, interrupting their attacks.
Shoulder Bash:â€¯Eivor performs a shoulder bash that pushes back enemies and destroys objects.

NEW SKILLS

Assassin Carry:â€¯Automatically carry a body after a successful assassination.
Assassin Slide:â€¯Slide into enemies and knock them off balance while sprinting.
Power Stroke:â€¯Trigger a speed boost on the long ship at the cost of stamina.
Arrow Looter:â€¯Eivor has a greater chance of looting arrows from archers.
Fight Ready:â€¯Always start a fight with an adrenaline-filled slot.
Long Ship Brace:â€¯When you are in command of the long ship, the crew will raise their shield with you.

GAME IMPROVEMENTS
MISCELLANEOUS

Runes and used resources to upgrade Berserker gear will be returned to the player inventory when an item is lost.
Improved vibration feedback during fishing.Â Fishing goes BRRRR.
Addressed an issue that caused players to leave disguise mode if players perform any attack while riding.
Addressed an issue that prevented players from catching fish in the sea or on coastlines.
Addressed an issue that caused school of fish to take a long time to respawn after one was caught.
Items purchased at the Animus Store will only be given to players after returning to England from Vinland.
Changed predator charge attack animations to give players a little more time to react.
Addressed an issue that prevented fabric from being available.Â Everyone liked that.
Added date of purchase to items listed in the owned section of the store.

BALANCING

Removed diamond rune slots from gear set pieces other than torsos. Runes that were slotted into these will be returned to the player inventory.

GRAPHICS, AUDIO, AND ANIMATION

Addressed various graphics or lighting issues.
Addressed various texture issues.
Addressed an issue that caused explosion VFX to be missing when oil jars explode. Oil jars will now go BOOM.
(PS4/PS5) The Muspell Warg mount will now burn with the fires of Hel!
The blood of your enemies will now soil all clothing.
Addressed various character or NPC animation issues.
Addressed various clipping issues.
Addressed an issue that prevented visual effects of the Draugr set to be displayed.
Addressed an issue that caused arrows to disappear from the quiver after reequipping the bow from the inventory.

QUESTS, WORLD EVENTS, AND SIDE ACTIVITIES

Addressed an issue in Storming the Walls, preventing players from completing the quest. Gunnar has decided to join the festivities in The First Night of Samhain, allowing players to complete the quest.Â Party Time!
Addressed an issue that allowed NPC in The Good Men of Sherwood world event to be killed.Â Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, golly, what a day.
Jomsviking gear will now display their quality properly in the customization page.
Addressed an issue that could cause Jomsviking to change shapes and sizes in the menu when being recruited.
Randvi is ready to hear the news after completing the Sciropescire Arc, allowing completion of the alliance.
Addressed an issue that prevented players from interacting with Tove after having completed Carrying the Torch.
Addressed an issue that caused some dice to be reused when both players used the God Favor giving 3 additional dice.Â Nothing up your sleeve anymore.
Addressed an issue with the Fishmonger encounter that prevented the quest from being marked as complete after confirming the kill.
Players will no longer be ashen if escaping before fighting the Bard in The Devil Has All the Best Tunes.
Players loading a save created after knocking in Clues and Riddles, will now be able to complete the objective.
Addressed an issue in Extended Family that caused the boss not to deal any damage during underground attacks.
Addressed an issue in Extended Family that caused the boss to get stuck near walls, stay underground, or not engage in combat altogether.
Addressed an issue that prevented the final order member to be revealed.Â No more Revealio!
Addressed an issue in Binding Fate that prevented players from completing the boss encounter, as the boss may get stuck underground.
Addressed an issue in Binding Fate that prevented players from completing the quest after talking to Tyr.
Addressed an issue in War Weary that prevented players from completing the quest after having defeated all NPCs outside.
Addressed an issue that caused all Order members to be killed after killing a Zealot.Â This may just be the wildest issue ever seen.
Addressed an issue in The Big Finish that prevented players from completing the quest when the hideout was visited before starting the quest.
Addressed an issue in Blood from a Stone that prevented players from moving a stack of cargo.
Addressed an issue in The Prodigal Prince that caused the objective to remain stuck if Eivor assassinates the first training dummy before reaching the checkpoint.
Addressed an issue that prevented players from interacting with Gotafrid Fair-Robes post fight, if the players threw them in the river.Â Yeeeeeet!
Addressed an issue in The Twit Saga Part I, where the house would sometimes not catch fire preventing players from completing the world event.
Addressed an issue in Degolas the Beautiful that caused the kid to grow in size.Â HOLD UP.
Addressed an issue in Degolas the Beautiful that prevented Degolas from leaving the water.
Addressed an issue that prevented players from interacting with Settlement NPCs.
Addressed an issue in Crushed Dreams that prevented players from completing the world event as the wife is in a dead state.Â Quest name checks out.
Addressed an issue that caused the world map to become unavailable after speaking to Ceolwulf.

GAMEPLAY, COMBAT, AND AI

Addressed several NPC behavior issues.
Mounts will heed Eivor’s call from the Quick Actions Wheel.
Addressed an issue that caused NPC to die before they’re being hit.Â Calls an emergency meeting.
Addressed an issue that caused Eivor to end up standing on their toes after being idle for a while.Â Eivor en pointe.
Addressed an issue that caused decorative elements to spawn in miniature form.
Addressed an issue that allowed players to obtain Nodens’ Arc using save/load actions.Â It had to be done.

AUDIO

(PS4) Addressed an issue that caused crackling sounds to be heard.
Addressed an issue that caused dead swarm animals to make idle sounds.Â I know an Animus glitch when I see one.

PHOTO MODE

Addressed an issue that caused Photo Mode frames not to scale to game window size.
Addressed an issue that caused terrain rendering issues when moving the camera.

USER INTERFACE/HUD

Addressed various UI/HUD issues.
Addressed an issue that caused Premium Start Pack items to appear in Fine instead of Mythic quality.
After encountering Cola, their appropriate icon will be shown on the Order tab.
Addressed an issue that caused acquired Reda contracts to appear under the Cent quest log section.
Addressed an issue that caused contracts not to count towards the Viking for Hire progression.
Addressed an issue that prevented players from interacting with any items in Reda’s shop when Focused Navigation is enabled.
Players will be able to switch targets with the mouse wheel by using M and K.
Addressed an issue that was causing stick input to stick after enabling Swap Sticks option during Cairns.
Addressed an issue that caused the Call Mount prompt to appear every time when whistle is used to attract enemies.
Addressed an issue when pressing D-Pad down causing Daily Concept Art to remain.
Addressed an issue that caused several Daily Concept Art to be displayed on the world map.
Addressed an issue that caused the mouse curser not to be displayed when switching back to M&K after controller was used as single source.
Addressed an issue that prevented Order of Ancient icons not to change based on selected colorblind settings.
Addressed an issue that caused control conflicts in Photo Mode if Swap Sticks option is set to ON.
Addressed an issue that caused the slider value of subtitle backgrounds not to reset to the default value.
Addressed an issue that caused exploration difficulty to be reset to Adventurer instead of Explorer when resetting to default.
Addressed an issue that prevented the adrenaline bar from filling after the second assassination was performed using chain assassinations.
Added a quit fishing button during aiming state.
Addressed various instances where Odin’s Sight highlighted props that it shouldn’t.
Addressed an issue that caused â€œdata corruptâ€ errors after entering the save menu.
Addressed an issue that prevented the ingot that was looted off the destroyer (Hamptun Blockade) not to be counted towards wealth completion.
Addressed an issue that caused Fly Agar mysteries not to be highlighted with the appropriate mystery icon.

SYSTEM

(PC) Addressed issues with various Ubisoft Connect achievements that were not unlocking correctly when conditions were met.
o Take My Hand
o The Enemy of My Enemy
o Disorder of the Ancients
o Completionist All The Way
(PC) Addressed an issue with the unlock condition of the Equine Attack achievement.
Addressed an issue that caused online service errors to be displayed when creating or hovering over photos.
Addressed an issue causing the game to remain stuck during loading after entering the save/load menu.
Addressed an issue that caused the MSI voice command feature to stop working after save/load.

PERFORMANCE AND STABILITY

Improved performance and stability.


The Borderlands Movie Adds Jack Black As Claptrap

Just days after the last cast reveal, the Borderlands movie announces another and it’s a big one this time.
Variety reports that Jack Black is joining the cast of the Borderlands movie in the role ofÂ Claptrap, a persistently sarcastic robot that isnâ€™t all that invested in the survival of his teammates. The news was later confirmed by the official Twitter account for BorderlandsÂ franchise developer Gearbox.

Lets get this party started!The Borderlands Movie has casted @jackblack to play the most okay-est robot in the universe, CL4P-TR4P!https://t.co/OebiXKtJnd
— GearboxOfficial (@GearboxOfficial) February 11, 2021

Speaking with Variety, Borderlands director Eli Roth said:
â€œI am so excited to reunite with Jack, this time in the recording booth.
Claptrap is the funniest character in the game, and Jack is perfect to bring him to the big screen.â€
Jack Black is a fan-favourite comedic actor best known for starring in many comedies over the years, including School Of Rock, Nacho Libre and Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. He joins Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart and Jamie Lee Curtis in the Borderlands movie, who will play Lilith, Roland, and Patricia Tanner, respectively.
Directed by Eli Roth, theÂ BorderlandsÂ movie doesnâ€™t have a release date yet but is slated to begin production soon inÂ Hungary.


Bandai Namco Partners With Aardman Animations On Cross-Media IP

Aardman Animations has officially entered an agreement with Bandai Namco on a mysterious brand new IP. The UK-based animation studio is best known for legendary claymation content like Wallace And Gromit, Shaun The Sheep and Chicken Run.
According to GamesIndustry.biz, the collaboration is expected to extend over multiple projects and the first project will “exist across multiple media.”
What that means is that we will probably get a video game and perhaps an animated series or movie alongside it.
The development will start in early 2021, with Aardman and Bandai Namco hoping to “create stories tailored for current and future platforms.”
More details will be announced at a later date.
Aardman managing director Sean Clarke said:
“Interactive Entertainment is a huge growth area within the entertainment world. With new emerging technology blurring the lines of watching and playing, we are keen to develop strategic partnerships with partners such as Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe that share our vision of creating new IP that embraces this new world and cement our studio’s reputation as a multi-disciplinary creative hub.”
The two companies have previously worked together on 2018’s 11-11: Memories Retold, a narrative-driven interactive game set during World War 1 for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.


How Metallica’s BlizzCon 2021 Performance Got Nerfed By Twitch

BlizzCon 2021 viewers got to watch heavy metal group Metallica perform its hit song “For Whom The Bell Tolls” to an online audience. If you’re one of the many who watched it on Twitch, however, you were in for a hilarious treat.
See, in order to avoid a DMCA takedown on Twitch, Metallica’s performance was replaced with the most non-heavy metal-sounding music imaginable from its royalty-free library.
Check out the “smooth” transition below:

the current state of Twitch: the official Twitch Gaming channel cut off the live Metallica concert to play 8bit folk music to avoid DMCA pic.twitter.com/sCn56So8Ee
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) February 19, 2021

Twitch did not obtain the proper rights to allow Metallica’s music to be played on the channel. At the very least, the full Metallica performance was on YouTube and Blizzard’s own Twitch channel.
Would one call this poetic justice as Metallica were one of the bands who led the incredibly strict music rights charge to the point where DMCAs are the norm? After all, the Metallica vs Napster lawsuit redefined how we listen to music since 21 years ago. Sound your thoughts either on this post or on our social networks.


New Caledonia-Set Game Tchia Launches Next Month

During PlayStation State Of Play February 2023, Kepler Interactive and Awaceb announced that Tchia will launch for PS4, PS5 and PC via Epic Games Store on 21 March 2023.
Tchia was originally announced back in 2020 during The Game Awards from Awaceb, a developer from New Caledonia, an island located in the Pacific Ocean. It’s essentially an open-world sandbox adventure game set on the islands of New Caledonia.
In the meantime, check out our hands-on preview of the game by heading over here.


Official PS5 Website Is Live But “Not Quite Ready” For Full Reveal

Without warning or fanfare of any kind, Sony Interactive Entertainment has launched an official PS5 homepage on the PlayStation website earlier today, seemingly gearing up for the rumoured February PS5 reveal event. Interestingly, users can sign up for all the latest PS5 updates to be sent directly to them via email from PlayStation themselves.
The paragraph on the official PS5 homepage reads:

We’ve begun to share some of the incredible features you can expect from PlayStation 5, but we’re not quite ready to fully unveil the next generation of PlayStation.
Sign up below to be among the first to receive updates as we announce them, including news on the PS5 release date, PS5 price and the upcoming roster of PS5 launch games.

The banner showcases the recently-revealed PS5 official logo and the previously-confirmed Holiday 2020 release window. Besides that, it doesn’t reveal much, other than the fact that PlayStation is admitting that they likely won’t be revealing the PS5 as soon as most gamers are anticipating.

However, the PS5 homepage going live does indicate that Sony is clearly gearing up to officially reveal more about the PS5 itself in the near future. With Sony once again skipping E3 2020 later this year, it seems like they have their own plans for the ultimate unveiling of the upcoming next-gen console.
In the meantime, stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for all the latest news on the PS5, and check out all the latest updates and developments on all things PS5 to date here.


A Lollipop Chainsaw Remake Is Coming Next Year

Publisher Dragami Games has announced that a Lollipop Chainsaw remake is coming out in 2023. However, an official title and the platforms have yet to be revealed.
Led by the original game’s producer, Yoshimi Yasuda, it will be developed by “a combination of development staff from the original version, including Yasuda as producer, and new development staff from Dragami Games”. According to Yasuda, the remake will feature more realistic graphics and a brand new soundtrack (because they lost the license to the original game’s music).
Lollipop Chainsaw was originally released in 2012 for the PS3 and Xbox 360. It features Juliet Starling (voiced by Tara Strong), a cheerleader zombie hunter fighting zombies in a fictional California high school, and the game was a collaboration between game designer Suda51 and filmmaker James Gunn (best known for the Guardians Of The Galaxy movies, The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker).
Speaking with IGN, Yasuda explained:
“Unfortunately, various factors resulted in things making it so that fans can no longer easily play Lollipop Chainsaw, and it has been some time since players have not been able to access the game on current consoles. We, the original development staff on Lollipop Chainsaw, think of the game as very precious to us, and did not want to leave it in limbo, where players who want to play it cannot.
As such, we purchased the Lollipop Chainsaw intellectual property from Kadokawa Games, and decided to develop a remake. We have already contacted Warner Bros. about development, and are being supported by them in this endeavor.”


Rampage-Like Terror Of Hemasaurus Gets Release Dates Across Platforms

Digerati and Games By Loren Lemcke have announced that Terror Of Hemasaurus will launch for PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG, and other storefronts on 17 October 2022, followed by 5 December 2022 for PS5 and PS4, 6 December 2022 for the Nintendo Switch, and 7 December 2022 for Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
In Terror Of Hemasaurus, you play as a giant monster and wreak havoc on humanity in this retro city smash ’em up. If you’ve played the classic Rampage games, this will be pretty similar to that in terms of gameplay. Earth is on the brink of a climate catastrophe. The Church of the Holy Lizard hatches a dubious plan to save humanity from its own reckless disregard of the planet, unleash a monster to kill, destroy, and inflict terror.
Check out the trailer below:


Disney+’s Willow Gets New Special Look Teaser & Poster

Disney+ and Lucasfilm have unveiled a new Special Look teaser and a poster for the upcoming Willow series, which will be a sequel to the classic 1988 fantasy movie of the same name.
The official synopsis reads:
The story began when an aspiring sorcerer, played by Warwick Davis, is whisked away on a journey to protect an infant empress Elora Danan and vanquish the evil Queen Bavmorda from their world of Andowyne. Now, the story continues with Davis reprising his titular role, as he leads an unlikely crew of heroes on a quest to protect Andowyne from an even larger foe than they had imagined possible.

Willow also stars Ellie Bamber, Ruby Cruz, Erin Kellyman, Tony Revolori, Amar Chadha-Patel, Dempsey Bryk, and Joanne Whalley. Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, Jonathan Kasdan, Tommy Harper, Wendy Mericle, Roopesh Parekh, Ron Howard, and Samie Kim Falvey serve as executive producers. The writers are John Bickerstaff, Hannah Friedman, and Jonathan Kasdan. The producers are Stephen Woolfenden, Julia Cooperman, Hameed Shaukat, and Max Taylor.
Willow premieres on 30 November 2022 on Disney+ Hotstar.
Check out the Willow Special Look teaser below:


Mortal Kombat (2021)’s Sub-Zero Will Be Signed On For Four More Movies

Despite what we thought of the 2021 reboot of Mortal Kombat, one thing is constant: Joe Taslim was made for the chilling role of Sub-Zero.
He gets a ton of polarizing reactions from his family, friends, and fans according to a Variety interview.
“Everybody got surprised because they said, â€˜Oh my God, youâ€™re so evil onscreen. And look at you. In reality, youâ€™re so funny. verybody was like, â€˜This is the first time that I want you to die. Youâ€™re a nice guy, and I donâ€™t want anything to happen to you, but on the screen, when I watch you, I want you to die. Youâ€™re just so vicious.
Well, thatâ€™s the role. Thereâ€™s nothing I can do, right? If you feel that way, then it means itâ€™s good.”
He’s so good that Warner Bros. has already signed him on for four more Mortal Kombat films, assuming the production house and studio decides to move forward with the franchise. With the film doing gangbusters in the US, taking in US$22.5 million from 3,000 venues, the future is looking bright and bloody for the R-rated fighting game series and its live-action adaptations.
Some spoiler-filled casting takes, by the by.

The question is: who will Joe Taslim play after the events of the MK films? After all, Bi-Han met his end at the hands of Scorpion at the end of the 2021 reboot.

Well, Warner Bros. can just create a Sub-Zero-focused origin story ala that PS1 spin-off game Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, possibly introducing characters that made the Lin Kuei ninja become what he is like Quan Chi and Shinnok. Or they could have him appear as a flashback kharacter for the new Sub-Zero; Bi-Han’s brother Kuai Liang. They can save casting money and just make Kuai Liang his twin brother.
Better yet, they may cast Joe Taslim as the undead version of Bi-Han: Noob Saibot. The possibilities are endless especially when given four new films to work with.


Everything Announced In Honkai Star Rail 1.2 Livestream, Mommy Kakfa Included

IT’S ALMOST HERE! We’ve finally got all the details for the 1.2 update. After all the hype and leaks surrounding it, we finally have confirmation, and it looks pretty darn amazing. So what do we have?
Honkai Star Rail Version 1.2: Special Program
The wait is over, and we’ve got the infamous Mommy Kafka and Blade banners in this update. Most importantly, we get to continue the main story.
We also get access to 2 new areas, which is exciting! With these new areas also come new puzzles!

Alchemy Commission

 Scalegorge Waterscape

2 new light cones are available:

The Unreachable Side

Patience Is All You Need

We get new enemies and a new boss as well:

The Malific Ape

The Ascended

Vantilia the Undying

Version 1.2: Release date
According to the livestream date and the schedule that was followed for the 1.1 update, the release date for the 1.2 update is set to be on 19 July, 2023.
Version 1.2: Banner Schedule
This is what we’ve got for the 1.2 Banner Schedule.

Phase 1: Blade (5-star Wind Destruction)

Phase 2: Kafka (5-star Lightning Nihility) and Luka (4-star Nihility)

Version 1.2 Events

1. Tales of the Fantastic

The crisis on the Luofu has subsided, and stories of the feats of the Nameless can be heard on ever street corner of the Luofu. The storyteller, Mr Xiyan of Starskiff Haven, seems to be interested in your adventure and wants to retell it in story form…

2. Underground Treasure Hunter

Treasure Hunters go into sealed areas of the ancient ruins in the Great Mine.

3. Where are you, Mystery Trotter?

Regin of Belobog has a new scientific research gadget than can find abnormal readings of certain areas.

4. Forgotten Hall Updates

After clearing the ”Forgotten Hall: Memory of Xianzhou Stage 1”, Trailblazers can obtain the 4-star character Yukong.

5. Simulated Universe Updates

World 7 opens with new ornaments as rewards.

6. Cavern of Corrosion Update

New brand new cavern relics.

7. The Gift of Odyssey Returns

Log in every day to collect 10 Special Passes. It does not have to be 7 consecutive days!
Trailblazers will also get the chance to get this cute Rabbit Chatbox so stay tuned!

VERSION 1.2: Companion Quests

2 new companions missions will be available for Kafka and Yukong!

Version 1.2 Redeem Codes

7B6B7GBZTVTB
MSPT7HAZTCTX
5TPBPGAGBDAK

That’s all we’ve got for the updates from the livestream on Version 1.2. We will keep you updated as we get more updates.
You can watch the trailer for the 1.2 update here:


Razer Is Selling Its Phone For Cheap Starting Now

Following the news of Razer not manufacturing new versions of its phone, the company is selling off its Razer Phone 2 for a pretty sweet price.
The company will be selling its phone on Razer.com for RM2,749, down from its original RM3,499. That’s an RM750 discount, which is pretty significant given Razer’s penchant for selling its peripherals for a pretty darn high price.Â  Conversely, the US store is selling the phone at RM2,034.
If you’re looking for a new phone, you may want to check out the Razer Phone 2. It has a sleek screen, it’s running with a high-end processor, and it has Android 9.0 PIE. The latter comes with a ton of features: adaptive battery for your gaming, Dark Mode, Slices that let you see informative data when searching for apps, and easier text selection.


HoloCure Is Basically Vampire Survivors, But With VTubers & A Broken Leaderboard

We’ve talked a bit about the potential 2022 GOTY candidate Vampire Survivors, which is a top-down 2D action game where you survive against hordes of the undead clearly tailored after Castlevania sprites. The game is so popular (and insanely cheap on Steam) that it inspired a clone that’s using VTubers and Hololive characters.

That clone is called HoloCure and it has exploded in popularity since its release 18 hours or so ago. It’s so popular, its developers had to disable its overloaded leaderboards. Here’s a post from lead developer Kay Yu.
“Due to the incredible amount of people playing, the scores data load has become too much for what we are able to keep up with and we have to restructure it in a future update. We anticipated maybe a few thousand people to play, which seemed reasonable, but it turns out there are almost 50,000 downloads in less than 24 hours, and 20gbs worth of data downloaded from the scores database.”

Due to the INCREDIBLE amount of people playing, the scores data load has become too much for what we've are able to keep up with and we have to restructure it in a future update
I hope you all understand and continue to enjoy the game!
— Kay Yu (@kaynimatic) June 25, 2022

While the game is mechanically similar to Vampire Survivors, it also has elements from mobile game Magic Survival. You walk around the screen grabbing as much loot as possible for level-ups, collect weapons and armour, and kill off hordes of enemies with your automatic attacks. You can also gacha for different Vtubers to use as your avatar, but you use in-game currency instead of real money. Each Vtuber have their own strengths and weaknesses, like Amelia’s 3-projectile attack and Gawr Gura’s trident stab. It also helps that the game is quite a looker with its lovely 2D sprite artwork and catchy pop music.

This being a fangame, HoloCure is free. So go check it out if you’re curious. Link’s here.As for the game’s future, the devs are focused on making new content.
“Our small team wants to focus on new content and bugfixing first and foremost at this time. There are no plans for a mobile version.”


Hi-Fi Rush Is Early 2023’s Surprise Jam Session From The Evil Within Folks

Platform(s): Xbox Series (version reviewed), PC
Genre: Character action game with music rhythm elements
Trust Tango Gameworks and its founder Shinji Mikami to somehow break their own mold of horror and spooky games. The makers of the Evil Within titles and last year’s ho-hum Ghostwire Tokyo have gone back to its supposed 2000s action game roots in what could be a spectacular debut of a new IP: during a January Xbox developer showcase.
Many were taken by surprise with the newly-announced-and-released-on-the-same-day Hi-Fi Rush, and with good reason: it looks like a beauty and plays great. At least from my 8+ hours with the title; it’s clearly gunning for the 2023 gaming top spot.
Jam Session

Hi-Fi Rush is about a guy named Chai who wants to be a rockstar but somehow ends up being labelled “defective” by a sinister tech company while getting refitted with cybernetics. As he escapes from killer robots, he gets embroiled in a corporation takedown orchestrated by a lone woman named Peppermint and a robot cat name 808. The story is fine, as it seminally entertains and is told in a goofy fashion with its loud-but-proud protagonist trying to work with his more orderly companions.
What separates Hi-Fi Rush from other 3D action games with combos and high-flying moves, apart from its outlandish presentation, is its emphasis on music and rhythm. All combat in the game is tied to the rhythm and tempo of the background song and stage. Every successful hit builds up to a Beat Hit, leading to bigger damage as long as your inputs are in sync with the beat.
If you’re not musically inclined, it’s OK because your robot cat acts as a metronome to get you in sync with the timing. You can also press the options button on your Xbox controller to bring up a bottom-screen visual guide in case the cat’s blinking lights aren’t enough. However, if you want to effectively deal with enemies in the later stages and attempt the other tougher difficulties, you’ll definitely need to master each stage’s rhythm.
Chai’s basic attacks are powered up if you land the rhythm, which the game does a great job at telling you without being distracting. Land a hit to the beat, and you’ll hear a “hey!” or “Chai!” chant. Successfully “Beat Hits” inputs (the circle that appears and closes in when you’re at the end of your combo) means extra attack properties like projectiles, area-of-effect hits, and more damage. Dodging to the beat means you can chain two extra dodges for extra invincibility and close in on enemies faster. Parrying beats automatically reflects damage back at enemies no matter where they are.
And if you want more, you can buy moves and Special Attacks (fill up Power Meter, expend it for a strong powerful attack), as well as slot in chips that buffs your character, and purchase the standard health, energy, and equipment/chip slots. This gives you the incentive to play the game further and replay it to amass more Gears (the game’s currency) and power up Chai to be a countering and fighting half-machine.
Five For Fighting

And let me tell you: landing these attacks and dealing with multitudes of mechas in grand fashion is just fun, especially with the feedback you get, Chai’s agility and many great defensive options, and the responsive controls overall. Coupled with partner attacks (Peppermint’s laser blast and Macaron’s ground slam) that are required to deal with certain shielded enemies to even grounding flying foes, and you have ample moments to land huge combos, juggling foes for big points, and deal with them as quickly as possible to get that coveted S rank. My go-to setup is to have chips that lessen the cooldowns of my support attacks, while using my single-target and AoE Super for elite enemy killing and crowd control.
Amidst all the fighting, there are also platforming and traversal puzzles, with some of them being timed and tricky to navigate, requiring split-second decisions. There are even on-rails sections where you’re on a zipline speeding through the giant-as-heck tunnel system and short 2D platforming segments to liven things up.
Hi-Fi Rush is essentially a royal mash-up of Devil May Cry, Rhythm Tengoku, and Viewtiful Joe (style-wise) that just gels well from start to finish. The game wears its 2000s-era style-and-substance old-school action sleeve loud and proud, especially with the boss fights that will make use of your rhythm game skills in intervals.
Being a rhythm-heavy title, one expects Hi-Fi Rush’s soundtrack to be just as attention-grabbing as its polished cel-shaded Saturday Morning cartoon look which transitions seamlessly between cutscenes and gameplay. Both the licensed music and original music do their job adequately and do fit well being in sync with the tone and feel, but I feel that it isn’t completely memorable especially when you compare it with its clear inspiration, No Straight Roads.
Art and music tastes are subjective though, but call me someone who likes a lot more genres that tie well together. I also do wish that the stage replay option is available earlier rather than after finishing the game, as well as the option to visit certain sections instead of going through the 30 to 40-minute stage over and over.
For Those About To Rock…

To address the elephant in the room, Hi-Fi Rush is to No Straight Roads like how Dune 2/Warcraft is to Herzog Zwei for RTSs. Tango Gameworks takes inspiration from an already-awesome hybrid idea and put its own spin on it, arguably making its gameplay better given the pedigree of the company.
The game’s tight controls, fun action, and a multitude of stages spanning for 6 to 8 hours across different sci-fi factory & corporate locations along with fun characters to hang out with make for an exhilarating and unique mash-up. Hi-Fi Rush is clearly one of 2023’s most pleasant gaming surprises, as well as a respectful nod to the glorious 2000-era of action titles where you just want to have pure unadulterated fun with simple mechanics to comprehend.
Unless you really, REALLY hate music rhythm games or anything resembling that genre’s traces, you’ll want to tune into this rock festival for the full tour.
Pros

Stylish art style & presentation.
Fun combat system and rhythm game mechanics.
Chai is fun to control and play as.
Loads of gameplay and boss battle variety.

Cons

Stages can get long in the tooth.
Replaying main stages seem limited.
Might turn off non-rhythm game fans (who may struggle in the quick time events).

Final Score: 80/100


The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Gets One Last Action-Packed Trailer

Marvel Studios and Disney Plus have released the final trailer for the upcoming The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, which will debut on 19 March 2021. Running at just under two minutes long, here’s some of the interesting stuff that I noticed during the trailer:
Sam Wilson AKA The Falcon Is Training Using Captain America’s Shield

The trailer begins with Sam Wilson AKA the Falcon (Anthony Mackie) lamenting that the shield feels like it belongs to someone else; all the while training with Captain America’s shield by throwing it at trees and catching it. He doesn’t have super strength, so we see that he has to perform a somersault in order to compensate for the shield’s force of inertia.
Is Captain America Dead?

The next few scenes focus on Sam Wilson speaking at what seems to be a eulogy (again, this is speculation). He says:
“Symbols are nothing without the men and women that give them meaning.”
At this point, it’s unclear if Steve Rogers is still alive or if he’s already dead. The last time we saw him in 2019’s Avengers Endgame; he was already a very old man.
The Government Is Looking For A New Captain America; Enter US Agent

A government official can be heard saying;
“We need someone to inspire us again.”
This will very likely be John F. Walker AKA US Agent (Wyatt Russell) making his debut as the US government appoints him as the official Captain America, much to the chagrin of both Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). In the comics, John F. Walker was a super-soldier who started as a villain called the Super-Patriot, before replacing Steve Rogers as Captain America when the former refused to follow the orders of the government agency Commission On Superhuman Activities.
A Member Of The Flag-Smashers

This (above) is one of the Flag Smashers; an anarchist terrorist group of some sort. In the comics, the Flag-Smasher has always been an individual supervillain who is basically anti-patriotism, so the MCU has basically adapted the character into an entire group/organization instead.
Below is actress Erin Kellyman in an unknown role, but itâ€™s clear that sheâ€™s also one of the Flag Smashers.

The rest of the trailer is mainly action scenes and explosions, which you can check out in the final trailer below.
The Falcon And The Winter SoldierÂ will premiere onÂ 19 March 2021, with six episodes planned.


Blizzard Will Show Off Overwatch 2 & Bastion’s New Hat During Overwatch League Grand Finals

After quite a long silence, Blizzard is ready to showcase bits of Overwatch 2 later this September.
Blizzard will be giving audiences and fans a closer look at new Overwatch 2 content on 25th September GMT+8 during the preshow and halftime event at the 2021 Overwatch League Grand Finals. The team will be showing off reworks of DPS/Offense characters Sombra and Bastion, as well as the latter’s new look. Also, there will be an Overwatch 2 exhibition match.

Woo woo woo whee woo whee!
Group up with the Overwatch team on September 25 as we reveal new Overwatch 2 updates live during the @OverwatchLeague Grand Finals.
??  Sombra and Bastion’s reworks?  Bastion’s New look?  OW2 Exhibition Match pic.twitter.com/fDdohgGuNA
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) September 16, 2021

You can catch the show later next week on the official YouTube channel for Overwatch. The full schedule is up on the official website.


EA’s Skateboarding Game Will Be Free-To-Play & Support Crossplay; No Skate 4 In Sight

Great news for skateboarding video game fans: EA will be making its upcoming skate. game free-to-play.
skate. will not only be F2P (with cosmetics-focused microtransactions), but also feature full cross-play and cross-progression between last-gen, next-gen, and PC platforms and consoles. There’s even a mobile version in the works, according to developer Full Circle.
“We really want folks to get the most value out of their playing experience as possible, and be able to play on their favorite platforms the way that they like to play. And so skate. will be full cross-play and cross-progression, across last-gen, next-gen, and PC. We’ll take it even further, and as we’re continuing down this road, and do the same thing with mobile. We want cross-play and cross-progression on mobile. We’re pretty early on mobile, but we want to get the controls and everything to feel great. And when that’s ready, we’ll bring it all together and you’ll be able to play on whatever platform you want with your friends, and that’s going to be awesome.”
The fact that it’s not labelled Skate 4 means that this is an all-purpose and “catering to everyone” entry for the skateboarding franchise that was long since dormant.
“It’s not Skate 4. And here’s the reason: This isn’t a sequel. It’s not a remake. It’s not a reboot, a prequel; it’s not any of that. It’s not a remake or a remaster, whatever ‘re’ you can do. This is it, it’s skate. We’re in this for the long haul. That means we’re not an iterative title. There won’t be a Skate 5 through 10. We won’t be pumping them out all the time.
We’re going to do this. We’re going to listen to what you guys say over the course of time, and put the features that you guys want into it. Okay, and one more time for the people in the back, it’s skate. It’s NOT Skate 4. Just skate. Period. That’s why we put a little period after it.”
The company also stressed that its F2P model isn’t pay-to-win or isn’t going to lock the game’s important content behind paywalls.
“When we were looking at this model, we looked at versions of it out there that we liked and those we didn’t. And we’re still continuing to explore different options, but we are taking inspiration from games like Apex Legends, or other popular titles that are free to play, where spending money is totally optional, and it’s mostly about cosmetics and convenience. With such a model, we’ll be able to keep the community united between the players who decide to spend and those who don’t. And that means that those social connections, those friendships made in-game, can flourish without splitting our audience.”
skate. will be out “when it’s ready”. Head to the official website for future updates.


Garena Undawn Opens Pre-Registrations On iOS & Android

Undawn, the much-anticipated open-world zombie shooter, is finally up for pre-registrations on their official website, as well as the App Store and Google Play. The game had a closed beta test last month, and the lucky ones who got in got a sneak peek into the immersive world of Undawn.

During the beta, players had a blast exploring the post-apocalyptic setting and dealing with the harsh realities of survival in the game. The graphics and animation were top-notch, making the gameplay even more enjoyable as players ventured through various realistic landscapes. The game’s seamless map made it easy for players to fully immerse themselves in the open world, scavenge for resources, navigate challenging terrain, and battle hordes of zombies.
Players were also thrilled with the customisation options available in Undawn, allowing them to personalise their characters, resources, and equipment to fit their playstyle. The in-game AR camera selfie feature was a big hit among beta testers, who loved being able to share their photos with the Undawn community.

If you pre-register now, you’ll be in the running for exclusive rewards like a permanent Motorcycle and permanent M3 Shotgun Skin when the game officially launches in June. Undawn will be available to players in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity!


Code Vein Demo Gets New Bosses And Online Co-op

Bandai Namco has announced yet another update to the Code Vein free trial which has been getting more content as the game’s release date draws near. The latest update adds three very exciting new features, one of them is something fans have been waiting for since the demo’s launch.
For those of you who have been itching to do some Code Vein co-op with your friends, it’s time to celebrate because this update will be adding online multiplayer co-op. It’s time to watch your friends get bodied by the game’s bosses. Then, you get bodied too, of course.
A new high-level zone called ‘Depths: Town of Sacrifice‘ will be added into the demo. As usual, a new zone means new bosses so get ready and gather your friends.
The third new feature is demo character migration. Basically, you’ll be able to transfer your character from the demo into the full game. No details on whether it’s just the appearance or together with experience and progress.
By the way, it’s still not too late for Southeast Asian fans to take part in the Custom Character Design Contest hosted by Bandai Namco SEA. The contest ends on 22 September 2019; more details here.


The Star Wars: Battlefront II Launch Trailer Will Give You Goosebumps

EA earlier today unveiled the launch trailer for Star Wars: Battlefront II and it is epic as f**k. Play as flametroopers, fly past (and through) Star Destroyers and even ride a tauntaun across all three Star Wars trilogy timelines! This may easily be the most epic Star Wars game to date. Don’t believe us? Have a look yourself.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvmx94cUVEY&w=560&h=315]
However it does not hide the fact that we are still very skeptical of EA following the microtransactions which are set to be implemented into the multiplayer aspect of Battlefront II. We discuss about it in another article here.
Star Wars Battlefront II will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on November 17, 2017. The special PS4 bundles for the game are also available, one of which allows early access to the game a full three days before everyone else.


This Singapore-Made Clicker Game Will Turn You Into A Fake Billionaire

Fact: Singapore is one expensive city to live in. So unless you have aspirations to be a financial sector drone for the rest of your life, it’s hard to have fun when you’re just “getting by”. With Alpha Beta Omega’s first-ever game, Marina Bay Billionaire Clicker, you can at least pretend as you earn your millions tapping the screen away; for the greater good of a money-minded “kiasu”-cultured island anyway.
In all seriousness, Marina Bay Billionaire Clicker is meant to be a tribute to Singapore’s late Minister Mentor and founding father Lee Kuan Yew; his death anniversary is 23 March. Here’s what CEO Michael Khoo said about the title:

“Our game challenges players to rebuild Marina Bay to what it is today, as he once described it – “a beautiful skyline, absolutely world class”.”

This clicker game features cute graphics, iconic buildings from Singapore like the Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands, and an “influencer” picture mechanic where you tap the screen to get tourist/influencer pics that generate income. You should ask the Singapore Tourism Board how that works; the math is more in-depth than you think.
The game is available now. So far it looks and plays just fine like any colourful clicker game, though it’s weird that there’s no audio feedback of any kind; that’s usually an important element in a clicker game.
This is the first of many games ABO will be developing and creating for the mobile space. If you want to know more about the team behind this tribute, check out our exclusive Alpha Beta Omega interview.Â


(Updated)- Iron-Spider Confirmed As the Second Pre-order Bonus Suit in Insomniac’s Spider-Man

Insomniac Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment today have confirmed the news above (which we dropped two week ago) by unveiling the teaser trailer for the game’s pre-order. However, having seen Avengers: Infinity War (review here), we seeno hints of Spidey’s additional Iron Spider arms coming with the skin in the trailer. Perhaps a special move obtainable later in the game? Only time will tell.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTfrF35eKfQ&w=560&h=315]

In an earlier announcement of the release date for the highly anticipated Spider-man game on the PS4, we knew that there will be three bonus skins for pre-orders. Back then, we only know that a Spider-Punk is going to be the first of the three, with just silhouettes of the other two. Today, thanks to a leak (via VG247), we are happy to report that the second pre-order skin will be the Iron-Spider suit which was last seen at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming and will be Peter Parker’s main suit in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity Wars movie.

Also confirmed by developers Insomniac was that this MCU version of the Iron-Spider suit will come with its own unique abilities which makes pre-ordering the game even more worth it.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4zm30yeHHE&w=560&h=315]
Insomniac’s Spider-Man, exclusive on the PS4 lands September 7 2018. Published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the game will tell a new story about Spider-Man that is not tied to a film, comic book or video game and features an adult Peter Parker.


New The King of Fighters XV Character Is Fresh As All Heck

SNK just revealed the name of the mysterious trendy girl in earlier The King of Fighters XV trailers a month or so ago. Her name is Isla, she’s voiced by Lynn of Keijo! and Fuuka fame, and she kicks all kinds of ass.

As you can tell from the trailer and high-level gameplay above, Isla has nice spacing and footsie tools thanks to her purple magic hands, has a couple of air Desperation Move (like her sweet dropkick), a divekick, and a double jump. Something tells us she’s going to be a crowd favourite, especially with her cocky & crass attitude towards the cast and the fight she’s in.
Isla is going to be one of the spotlight characters next to KOF XIV Shun’ei; seems like they have a rivalry going on in the game’s new story mode. Unlike Shun’ei, Isla always has her purple magic hands out, thus she fights with her actual hands in the pockets of her bomber jacket. If that doesn’t scream fighting game coolness, we don’t know what does.
The King of Fighters XV will be out on 17th February 2022 for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.


Moira Now Playable on PC, PS4 & Xbox One Ahead of Overwatch Free Weekend

Moira is finally playable to the public. An update dropped in last night which opens up the new support character to all, ahead of the free Overwatch weekend which starts early morning Saturday (KUL/ SG/ HK).

Time to unleash the potential within.
Play Moira now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One!
Learn more @ https://t.co/JCSkZJGOzc pic.twitter.com/0MKXTzpGNu
â€” Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) November 16, 2017
The update also makes a few bug fixes to the game, and brings a minor buff to Ana, a nerf to Mercy, and slight playability improvements to Lucio and Winston. To learn more about Moira’s kit and her available skins, we have it covered here.Â


DNF Duel Team Will Plan Improvements Before Game’s Final Release

With the New Year rolling in, we have a ton of developer welcome messages oncoming. The latest is from DNF Duel director and lead producer Ryosuke Kodani.
Kodanidn thanks everyone for trying out the DNF Duel beta last month (which we played a lot of), and did mention that the team are aware of the test server’s instability and lack of options. The director and his team will be fixing the game’s netcode, options, and many character imbalances for the final game. The latter includes the Grappler’s infinite, the Striker’s combat style, and the Crusader’s OP kit.

DNF Duel will be out in Summer 2022 for PS4, PS5, and PC.


Disney+ Hotstar Is Getting More Korean & Indonesian Content

The Walt Disney Company has announced additional South Korean shows spanning multiple genres anchored on quality storytelling that will soon debut on Disney+ Hotstar across APAC markets this year.
Audiences will soon be able to enjoyÂ Big MouthÂ a thriller starring Lee Jong-suk and Lim Yoon-a;Â Soundtrack #1Â a music-centred romantic drama about two friends walking the line between romance and friendship; Crazy LoveÂ an unexpected rom-com andÂ The Zone: Survival MissionÂ a survival gameshow where celebrities are challenged to break out of escape rooms. This is part of Disneyâ€™s Korean content slate on Disney+ Hotstar in 2022, which will feature over 20 titles, including at least 12 Korean Originals. In the coming months, Disney will be announcing additional titles as part of this slate.
Todayâ€™s announcement follows the successful launches ofÂ Grid,Â Snowdrop,Â Rookie Cops, Outrun by Running ManÂ andÂ BLACKPINK THE MOVIE on Disney+ Hotstar over recent months. Since its premiere in mid-December, Snowdrop has secured a spot in the top five most-watched titles in the majority of APAC markets on Disney+ and is the number two most-watched series in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
Rookie Cops, a coming-of-age drama series starring K-pop star Kang Daniel, has also been well received in several markets including South Korea and Indonesia.
Jessica Kam-Engle, APAC Head of Content & Development, said:

â€œWe are really excited to showcase our curated collection of unrivalled Korean stories that we believe will captivate viewers globally. Our focus is on quality storytelling and uncovering narratives that have great emotional and cultural impact. As long-term creative partners, we work alongside the best and most imaginative creators in the region to deliver their content alongside the worldâ€™s best stories.â€

Stories of Survival, Revenge and Family
Big Mouth

When a third-rate lawyer is forced to take on a murder case in an attempt to turn his life around, he ends up getting tangled in a complex conspiracy that threatens more than just his career. Starring Lee Jong-suk (Romance is a Bonus Book, W, Pinocchio) and Lim Yoon-a (Miracle, Exit, Hush),Â Big MouthÂ is written by Haram, in collaboration with creator Jang Young-chul and Jung Kyung-soon, and directed by Oh Choong-hwan (Hotel Del Luna, Start-Up, While You Were Sleeping).

Soundtrack #1

Songwriter Eunsoo asks her best friend to stay with her for two weeks to help her write lyrics for a song about unrequited love. Forced to walk the fine line between friendship and romance, viewers will be captivated as the two work together to write a hit song and figure out what will happen to their friendship. Starring Han Sohee (My Name, Nevertheless, The World of Married) as struggling songwriter Eunsoo and Park Hyungsik (Happiness, Suits, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon) as her best friend Sun-woo,Â Soundtrack #1Â is directed by Kim Hee-won (Vincenzo, The Crowned Clown, Money Flower).

The Zone: Survival Mission

Beloved emcee Yoo Jae Suk, Actor Lee Kwang Soo and Yuri from Girlsâ€™ Generation are united forÂ The Zone: Survival Mission. The show throws these celebrities into different themed rooms and virtual spaces â€“ challenging them to overcome the unexpected and to survive in order to win.Â Produced by Cho Hyo Jin (Running Man, Family Outing, X-Man),Â The Zone: Survival Mission promises to be a fun adventure for both viewers and participants alike.

Crazy Love

When mathematical genius CEO Noh Go-Jin begins to receive death threats from an unknown person, he hatches an elaborate plan to track them down. Shortly after the start of his plan, Lee Shin-a, an introverted hard-working secretary who has recently been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease and who plans to take revenge for her poor treatment at his company, discovers Go-Jin in an unusual situation. Full of unexpected twists and turns, this romantic comedy stars Kim Jae Uck (Her Private Life, Voice) as Noh Go-Jin, and Krystal Jung (The Heirs, Prison Playbook, Player and Search)Â in a story written by Kim Bo-kyum (DRAMA STAGE, Everything About My Rival).

Previously announced Korean titles that will be on Disney+ Hotstar includeÂ Moving, an action hero thriller based on the webtoon by Kang Full about three teenagers discovering their unusual powers, andÂ King of Savvy, starring Choi Min-sik (Old Boy, The Admiral) in his first television role in 24 years, Sohn Seok-gu, Lee Dong-hwi as well as Squid Game duo Heo Sung-tae and Kim Joo-ryoung.
New Indonesian Stories Coming Soon

Todayâ€™s announcement was also exciting for viewers in Southeast Asia, who can continue looking forward to an ever-expanding slate of original local language content throughout 2022. From Indonesia, based on the bestselling novel and popular film of the same name,Â Wedding Agreement The SeriesÂ will premiere this month on Disney+ Hotstar in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Currently in production areÂ Jurnal Risa,Â from the Danur Horror Universe,Â created by the talented Risa Saraswati, andÂ Keluarga Cemara The Series, a spin-off of the 1996 TV series and 2019 hit movie. Production has also wrapped on the hotly anticipated horror seriesÂ Teluh Darah, directed by the acclaimed Kimo Stamboel.
Wedding Agreement The Series.
Todayâ€™s exciting additions to the Disney+ Hotstar content catalogue are the latest to feature as part of The Walt Disney Companyâ€™s commitment to showcasing the best local language stories from across the Asia Pacific region. First announced in October 2021 as part of theÂ APAC Content Showcase, the company has confirmed its ambitious plans to greenlight over 50 APAC Originals by 2023.


All The Games From PlayStation State Of Play October 2021

The last PlayStation State Of Play took place inÂ October 2021 and revealed several games. Several months later, another PlayStation State Of Play live stream hasÂ taken place on 27 October 2021, showcasing around 20 minutes of games.
Check them out below:
Little Devil Inside

Set in a Victorian-like era where creatures, monsters and other mysterious lifeforms DO exist, Little Devil Inside is a stylish action-adventure from independent developer Neostream Interactive.
You are hired by a professor at the local university to help research, investigate and study paranormal activities that are reported but rarely acknowledged as legitimate threats.
Embark on risky and dangerous missions, engage in side quests, encounter unexpected events, roam and explore a world where industrial advancements are well underway. Do whatever it takes to stay alive and fulfil your assignments.
It’s coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch and PC at an unspecified release date.

Deathverse Let It Die

Publisher GungHo Online Entertainment and developer Supertrick Games have announced Let It Die follow-up Deathverse Let It Die for PS5 and PS4. It will launch as a free-to-play title in spring 2022.
This game is set in the world after the events of Let It Die, where players fight for stardom in the survival TV reality show Death Jamboree. The show takes place in a virtual world known as the Deathverse, which was created by the Yotsuyama Group as a final destination for peopleâ€™s souls.
As participants in the show, players will face off against a multitude of rivals. Hereâ€™s a brief explanation of how this all works:
Upon participating in Death Jamboree, all contestants will be outfitted with a special â€œWilsonâ€ unit, a robotic device that assists you in combat. Wilson units are equipped with a wide range of features made possible by cutting-edge technology. Theyâ€™re considered a must-have item by well-to-do consumers everywhere.
Wilson units can transform into drone and weapon forms.

We Are OFK

From indie pop band OFK: We Are OFK follows the lives of four friends in their 20s as they attempt to break into the music business, fall in and out of love, and figure out how to pay rent and make art in Los Angeles.
Coming in 2022 to PS5.

Bugsnax The Isle Of Bigsnax

In the Isle of BIGsnax update, explore a mysterious new land crawling with supersized Bugsnax. Back on Snaktooth, you can complete challenges from your mailbox, collect decorations to personalize your hut, and most important of all: put hats on your favourite Bugsnax!
This free content update to Bugsnax will be available in early 2022 on PS4 & PS5.

Five Nights At Freddy’s Security Breach

Five Nights At Freddy’s Security Breach unveils brand new gameplay footage in a new trailer.
It’s coming to the PS4 and PS5 on 16 December 2021.

Death’s Door

Reaping souls of the dead and punching a clock might get monotonous but it’s honest work for a Crow. The job gets lively when your assigned soul is stolen and you must track down a desperate thief to a realm untouched by death – where creatures grow far past their expiry.
Death’s Door is an action-adventure video game developed by Acid Nerve and published by Devolver Digital. It was originally released for PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on 20 July 2021.

KartRider Drift

PlayStation welcomes the newest title from KartRider, the popular racing franchise with over 300 million players! KartRider Drift is the only free-to-play, cross-platform kart racer where arcade thrills and the fastest drift fueled competition meet deep kart and character customization, all delivered in stunning Unreal Engine 4 graphics.

The King Of Fighters XV

SNK has announced an Open Beta Test for King Of Fighters XV! Players can choose from 8 characters, including our newest one, Dolores. Features modes like Online Casual Matches and Room Matches.
The open beta begins and ends at the following dates and times:

Check out the trailer below:

First Class Trouble

Six players enter the game together, but two of them are naughty Personoids, secretly trying to stop the Residents from escaping. Who can you trust?
Social deduction is your key to survival! In this video, the Invisible Walls team outlines the roles of both Resident and Personoid, and provides strategic insights to help you come out on topâ€”no matter which side youâ€™re on!

Star Ocean The Divine Force

To celebrate the franchise’s 25th Anniversary, Square Enix and developer Tri-Ace have announced the latest title in the Star Ocean RPG series, Star Ocean The Divine Force.
The first instalment in the Star Ocean series was released in 1996, and five mainline games, one spinoff game, and one mobile game have been developed to this day since then. The game features a story that blends sci-fi and fantasy, a rich lineup of characters and side stories, a battle system delivering exhilarating combat with easy controls, and more.
Key features include:

A story that changes based on the choices made, where heroes intersect between the two worlds of sci-fi and fantasy
A rich lineup of playable characters
Freedom to fly around the environment
Three-dimensional traversal and exploration where everything in-sight is a field for adventure
The Star Ocean game with the fastest and mightiest action in the series

Protagonists from two different civilizations collide
The â€œDouble Heroâ€ system returns in which the story spanning the stars and beyond will unfold from the perspective of each protagonist, one from an advanced civilization (sci-fi) and the other from an underdeveloped planet (fantasy). Events that unfold throughout the story as well as the ally characters you end up with will differ based on the protagonist the player chooses.
In this game, there is range of playable characters in addition to the two protagonists, and you can control each of the party members.
Raymond
A young man from the nonfederated planet of Verguld. He is the captain of the merchant vessel Ydas under Lawrence Logistics, a company run by his family. His confidence often sees him rushing recklessly into situations when it comes to his friends and work, much to the distress of the Ydas crew. Raymond has a big heart, affable nature, and a good nose for business. His lack of affiliation with the Pangalactic Federation means he is not bound by the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact. This sincere openness to meet others where theyâ€™re at regardless of technological advancement wins Laeticia over, but leaves Albaird wary.
Laeticia
Princess of the Kingdom of Aucerius: a large territory located on the underdeveloped planet of Aster IV. Her radiant and resolute personality is admired throughout the kingdom, but her prim demeanor betrays her penchant for wearing armor and remarkable skill with the dual blades. In order to remedy the encroaching threat of a neighboring country, Laeticia sets off on a secret journey to locate a certain individual. She meets Raymond along the way, recently stranded on Aster IV. The two agree to help one another and begin traveling together.
Elena
A crew member of the merchant vessel Ydas and Raymondâ€™s first mate. She manages the operation of just about the entirety of the ship, and her vast knowledge and cool demeanor have earned her the complete trust of Raymond and the crew. Elena is constantly surprised by Raymondâ€™s proclivity for recklessness, but all the same she holds a high opinion of his leadership qualities.
Albaird
A childhood friend of Laeticiaâ€™s, he now serves her as a knight of the Kingdom of Aucerius. He excels at semiomancy and the wielding of chakram. His strong sense of loyalty to Laeticia means he is never far from her side. Albairdâ€™s left arm is covered down to his fingertips, and he occasionally gestures as if to protect it. He does not trust Raymond upon meeting him while escorting Laeticia on her secret journey. Loathe to go against her wishes, however, he reluctantly allows Raymond to join them.
Freely fly around the environment
In this game, characters have the freedom to move around 360 degrees, and can even fly through the skies.
Players can fly in the sky and traverse three-dimensionally through one of the largest fields ever in the series.
Whether they explore by hopping around rocky stretches and rooftops, or seamlessly enter battles after jumping off cliffs, more than ever, the game will allow players greater freedom in their approach in both battles and their adventures.
The fastest and mightiest action in the series
Battles have also evolved in Star Ocean The Divine Force. Characters can make an assault straight from traversing at incredibly high speeds, disappear instantly before an enemy, or even defeat a horde of enemies with a skill that enables on-shot kills. Experience tough yet exhilarating battles while freely flying around the world.
The fate of the universe awakens when two heroes cross paths
The Pangalactic Federation. From their earliest days in the Sol System, this organization has sought to bring peace and tranquility to the galactic multitudes. As their reach has expanded through the universe, many a hero has served under their banner; saviors to planets in need.
But by the year 583 SD, things have changed. The once peaceful Pangalactic Federation is now known for assimilating planets against their will. Once standing for justice, they are now wreathed in darkness.
Raymond, captain of the merchant vessel Ydas, departs from the nonfederated planet of Verguld on a standard transport mission. The job is simple, the route familiar, yet things go awry when the Ydas is attacked by the Astoria: a battleship carrying a member of the Pangalactic Federationâ€™s preeminent Kenny family.
Raymond and his crewmate Chloe are forced to abandon ship amidst the chaos and head for the remote, underdeveloped planet of Aster IV. Before their escape pods can even land, a burst of energy resembling an EMP from the planetâ€™s surface knocks out their systems and brings them crashing down. They find themselves separated and stranded on an unfamiliar planet.
Upon landing, Raymond is immediately attacked by some of the less-than-friendly local wildlife. But when all seems lost, his life is saved by the crown princess of the Kingdom of Aucerius: Laeticia. Marveled by the sudden appearance of this man who rode into her life on a â€œshooting star,â€ Laeticia asks Raymond to help save her kingdom from the threat of the neighboring Veyâ€™l Empire. He accepts in exchange for help finding Chloe.
So begins their journey on Aster IV. However, Raymond will soon discover he has yet to escape the shadow of the Pangalactic Federation.
â€œWhence do you hail, Ray?â€
â€œIâ€™m from another worldâ”€one thatâ€™s far, far away in the sky.â€
This encounter, and the ensuing stand against an overwhelming power, marks a new chapter in galactic history.
It is slated to release for the PS4 and PS5 sometime in 2022.

You can watch the entire State Of Play presentation below:


Minecraft’s RTX Beta Is Launching Soon

Do you really need to play Minecraft with gorgeous ray tracing? If you feel the answer is “yes”, then better mark your calendars for 16 April 2020, because that’s when the Minecraft RTX beta launches.

The beta will launch with six RTX Creator Worlds, which are “designed to showcase the power of real-time ray tracing and the level of fidelity and immersion that is impossible to otherwise achieve”, according to a blog post from last month. The more recent blog post says that you can download them from the MinecraftÂ Marketplace.
The Creator Worlds are:

Aquatic Adventure RTX
Of Temples and Totems RTX
Crystal Palace RTX
Imagination Island RTX
Color, Light and Shadow RTX
Neon District RTX

There will also be a Razzleberries RTX Texture Showcase that will be available on the Minecraft wiki. “See almost every single block, entity and biome inÂ Minecraft, all laid out in exciting dioramas, and marvel at how ray tracing affects them,” says the blog post.

“And should you make your own textures, after following the steps in our PBR Texturing Guide, you can drop into the map to instantly see your textures in action.”

In addition, you’ll get the chance to create your own ray-traced worlds. There’s also a guide for those who want to convert their Java Worlds to the Windows 10 Bedrock format, which is required for RTX, although players are advised to back up their worlds and files first.
Ray tracing aside, the beta will show off NVIDIA’s DLSS 2.0 technology as well, which basically serve to provide faster frame rates. Like ray tracing, DLSS 2.0 requires GeForce RTX GPUs.
I never thought that Minecraft would be used as a tech showcase, but here we are. The game really does look gorgeous with ray tracing though, and I’m looking forward to checking out YouTubers’ videos of the beta.


Edens Zero Manga Gets Mobile Action RPG This February

The popular Hiro Mashima manga Edens Zero will be getting a mobile game made courtesy of Konami, everybody’s favourite publisher and developer who got rich from Castlevania NFTs.
Edens Zero: Pocket Galaxy will be out for iOS and Android on their respective app stores on 24 February. Here’s an overview of the gacha mobile action RPG title:
Edens Zero: Pocket GalaxyÂ is a top-down action RPG of the space fantasy mangaÂ Edens Zero, simply referred to asÂ Pocket Galaxy. Itâ€™s easy to play on your smartphone, letting you take control of its captivating characters!
Key Features

Itâ€™s true to the original, but includes original stories as well! The main storyline is fully voiced. Experience Hiro Mashimaâ€™s rich tear and laugh-filled story richly animated. Donâ€™t worry if you have yet to experience the original. Simply playing the game will get you fully up to speed with the universe ofÂ Edens Zero: Pocket GalaxyÂ will also have its own original story content! Perhaps youâ€™ll even see a side of the characters you didnâ€™t in the original?!

Take part in exhilarating, extravagant battles! A true hack and slash experience! Recreate dazzling battles using the special abilities of Ether Gear. Set up your skills and one button is all you need to easily unleash them on groups of enemies and powerful bosses. Pursue the ideal build, keep taking on quests, and customize your skills and equipment! How difficult you find quests will change dramatically depending on your skill and equipment combinations. Hack and slash your way through to upgrade your character!

There are over 100 kinds of costumes to equip, including those drawn by Hiro Mashima himself! There are also over 100 kinds of equipment to obtain through quests. Youâ€™ll have plenty of cool and cute clothes to wear. Put your favorite character in your favorite outfit! Changing their appearance is fun, but donâ€™t forget about changes in your equipmentâ€™s abilities and skill compatibility. Will you favor looks, or performance? Itâ€™s all up to you!

Battle players around the world in the Arena and climb up the rankings!Â Pocket GalaxyÂ will be released around the world in 11 languages (Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Korean). Build a crew to be proud of and test them against other players! Climbing up the rankings will earn you rewards!

Check out the launch trailer below, featuring actual gameplay.


There Are More People Playing Witcher 3 Right Now Than In 2015

Who knew that a pretty decent adaptation of a fantasy book-slash-video-game-series means more players for the latter?
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt currently has more players on the PC Steam platform right now than it had on its 2015 launch day. It broke its own record of 92,000 with 94,000+ according to SteamDB and Steamcharts. That’s higher than F2P games Path of Exile, Warframe, and Team Fortress 2 at the moment.
In fact, The Witcher 3’s concurrent player count surpassed the PC version of Red Dead Redemption 2 last week (via PC Gamer); pretty impressive for a 4-year old RPG.
We think that the current Netflix series The Witcher and the Steam Winter sale discount for the game –now at RM38.70 for the GOTY Edition– helped a ton. Also, Europe and USA are on a holiday break until after New Year’s.


Overwatch Contenders Season 1 Play-Off Round Preview â€“ Europe

If yesterday we previewed the North American teams in the play-offs of Contenders Season 1, today we are going to focus on their European counterparts who will also be competing for US$40,000 prize money and title of Champions. Following a regular season dominated by early season favorites Misfits, the final outcome of the European standings almost mirror their North American counterparts with the second-placed team only separated by a win, followed by almost equally capable third and fourth placed teams.

The pairing for the semis are as follows:

Misfits (1) vs Cloud9 (4) â€“ Oct 8, 1AM Kuala Lumpur/ Singapore/ Hong Kong
Top seed Misfits who went undefeated all season and only dropped two sets throughout will face fourth seed Cloud9 in the opening match. In their earlier encounter which was also both teams’ opening match for Contenders Season 1, Misfits cleaned house with an emphatic 4-0 win which set the tone for the rest of their season. While Cloud9 – basically a ‘reskinned’ Laser Kittenz lineup- bounced back from that defeat with wins against eUnited and Bazooka Puppiez, they struggled throughout the entire season, only securing their playoff spot by winning their final regular season match against Team Singularity.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB5T9NiyhzY&w=560&h=315]
While revenge is surely in the cards for Cloud9, we do not see them being much of a threat to Misfits who come into the playoffs in the best shape possible. Some may claim that there is a chink in Misfits’ armor following a narrow win against GamersOrigin on week 4 but they responded in the best way possible with three consecutive 4-0 wins to close out the season. It is also worth mentioning that Misfits overcame all other teams in the playoffs by the score of 4-0; emphasizing on the gulf between them and other challengers.
Prediction : Misfits by 3-0Â
Team Gigantti (2) vs 123 (3)Â Oct 8, 3AM Kuala Lumpur/ Singapore/ Hong Kong
The full-Fin lineup of Team Gigantti is proof that Overwatch puts team cohesion above everything else as the team steamrolled their way through the season and was only denied a 7-0 record by eventual first seed Misfits. Comprising of the boys from Rest in Pyjamas following Team Gigantti’s acquisition of the full roster, they pose serious threat to team Misfits’ dominance but they have 123 standing in their way.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scxL42BNy2M&w=560&h=315]
In case you aren’t aware, 123 comprise of one Russian, two Icelanders and three Swedes in their team roster hence the corresponding colors on their logo. The more you know.

Anyway, the last meeting between the teams saw Team Gigantti walking away with a 3-1 win following a tight contest on Week 4Â  so one should expect fireworks in their rematch.
Prediction : Team Gigantti by 3-0Â

So there you have it – our quick preview of this weekend’s Overwatch Contenders Season 1 Playoff matches. Winners from their respective matches will proceed to play in the finals the following day for the right to be called champions and also a cool $40,000 to boot.


Rhythm Doctor Dev Is Starting A Fundraiser For Cancer Patients To Remember Late Voice Actor

Rhythm Doctor (check out our review here) developer 7th Beat Games is raising money for the National Cancer Society Malaysia to show support for one of Rhythm Doctor’s voice actors who recently passed away.
The late Jyi Sim, who voiced the Nurse in Rhythm Doctor, passed away near the end of 2022 due to lymphoma cancer. She also sang the beautiful Chinese renditions of “One Shift More” and “All The Times”.
The game will be 10 percent off, and all proceeds from the game made during this period (Saturday, 27 May 2023 at 4.20am GMT+8 to Monday, 28 May 2023 at 4.20am GMT+8) will be made as a collective donation to National Cancer Society Malaysia.
If you already have a copy of the game and still wish to find a way to support the fundraiser, you can purchase a gift copy on Steam for any friend you have who may love music. Alternatively, you can also visit this page to learn about ways you can support NCSM directly: https://cancer.org.my/donate/
According to a Steam blog post, the reason for the fundraiser is because one of Jyi’s wishes was to share her journey with cancer so that others can learn from it. She published a number of videos on Youtube documenting her life with cancer while also sharing her experience and her music.
Check out one of those videos below, in her memory:


Sony’s Horizon 2074 TV Series Will Include Talents From The Boys & The Expanse

Sony and PlayStation’s upcoming TV show based on the Horizon: Zero Dawn and Horizon: Forbidden West titles will feature a number of A-lister crew members, it seems.
A tip-off from journalist Jeff Grubb stated that the crew members attached worked on shows like Amazon Prime’s The Boys and The Expanse. 27 names are on the Directors Guild of Canada Ontario’s official project list, including assistant director Jack Boem (The Boys) and art director Michele Brady (The Expanse).
As for the show itself? It’s called Horizon 2074 and will take place across two timelines, and it will stream on Netflix. The show will take place parallel to the games, and won’t be a reboot or a reimagining of the game’s storylines.
For more on Horizon: Forbidden West, check out our review and guides.


Star Wars Spin-Offs That Would Be Better Than Solo

The worldwide box office has made it clear that no one really wanted Solo: A Star Wars Story in the first place. It made only $140 million in its opening weekend globally, which makes Solo the worst performing Star Wars movie since 2002’s Episode II: Attack Of The Clones. With Solo turning out to be a disappointing failure, where does the Star Wars franchise go in the future? Should Disney and Lucasfilm just stop making spin-offs and focus on the main movies instead?
I believe that it’s not too late for the franchise to revitalize itself again. We desperately need another great Star Wars movie to remind us why the brand managed to inspire such a fervent fandom spanning people from different nations and different generations. I don’t claim to be the biggest Star Wars fan but here are a few suggestions I think would make great future spin-offs.
1. Darth Vader
Yes, I know the Prequel Trilogy was essentially the origin saga of how Anakin Skywalker became the Dark Lord of the Sith. However, we spent most of that time witnessing the transformation and not the actual Sith Lord in action. We only received a glimpse of him in 2005’s Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith. As many comics and past Expanded Universe/Star Wars Legends material in the past would testify, the tales of Darth Vader between Episode III and Episode IV was the most interesting timeline of his life to dissect.
The most recent canon comic book featuring Darth Vader showed us how he had to build his reputation from scratch and how he earned his iconic red lightsaber. He hasn’t completely transformed into the Dark Lord of the Sith that we saw in the Original Trilogy. And that’s what makes the story interesting, as he’s hunting the remaining surviving Jedi throughout the galaxy with only his Force powers and skills as weapons. He’s still vulnerable at that point and that makes for a compelling story. I recommend reading the most recent Darth Vader comic by Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli.

2. Knights Of The Old Republic (KOTOR)
Although Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) isn’t canon anymore in the new Disney timeline, bits and pieces of the original story are actually subtly being re-established. For example, the most recent Star Wars Annual Issue 4 published by Marvel, writer Cullen Bunn introduced a new Sith into the canon named Darth Atrius when smuggler Sana Starros attempts to sell an ancient lightsaber to a bunch of black market traders. What’s interesting here is actually what the black market trader says when he inspects the lightsaber. He confirms that the lightsaber is a “relic of ancient times when the Sith were plentiful and powerful.” It also looks almost identical to Kylo Ren’s lightsaber from the New Trilogy.
That statement is a surprising one, as it establishes the galaxy’s distant past as being similar to the KOTOR timeline. The KOTOR saga takes place thousands of years before the events of the Star Wars movies. It established that the two colliding galactic forces during that era as what is now known as the Old Republic and also the Sith Empire. There were as many Sith as there were Jedi back then, which made for a different story dynamic compared to the movies where the Sith mostly operated in the shadows.

There’s a reason why KOTOR remains one of the best and most beloved Star Wars sagas of all time, even after Disney erased it from canon. A KOTOR movie would deliver an epic story on a scale never seen before in the franchise, giving true meaning to the WARS in Star Wars.
3. Ahsoka Tano
She’s a fan-favorite Jedi for many, although most Star Wars fans wouldn’t recognize her if they’ve never watched an episode of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2014) and Rebels (2014-2018) animated series, which are canon. Anakin Skywalker was actually given an apprentice by Yoda, and it was a young Padawan named Ahsoka Tano. She developed from being an annoying character on the level of Jar Jar Binks to becoming one of the most beloved Jedi in canon.
Throughout the whopping 121 episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and several episodes in Star Wars: Rebels, she went from being an inexperienced Padawan to becoming a Jedi worthy of becoming a Knight. However, she was framed for murder and frustrated with the corruptness and idleness of the Jedi Council, she opted to leave the Jedi Order for good. She then re-appears in Rebels fighting against the Empire and even confronting her ex-master Darth Vader. At the end of the series, Ahsoka is still alive after the events of Episode VI: Return of The Jedi and was about to embark on another journey to find Rebels protagonist Ezra Bridger who disappeared.
A movie focusing on what’s next for Ahsoka Tano would be a huge service to the fans who watched both animated series, as well as providing the closure and payoff they deserve. However, a spin-off like this would be totally risky, considering that most casual audiences have no idea who Ahsoka Tano is. However, that was also the case for Marvel’s Guardians of The Galaxy and Doctor Strange movies, and people still flocked to cinemas when they were released.
(Left) Beginning of The Clone Wars (Middle) Later in The Clone Wars (Right) In Rebels

More Spin-Offs: Obi-Wan, Boba Fett, etc?
Of course, there are many more worthy characters to choose from in the Star Wars franchise for future spin-offs, besides the three I’ve mentioned above. For example, many Star Wars fans have been clamoring for an Obi-Wan movie for the longest time. In my opinion, his story has already been expanded and explored enough in both animated series, not to mention the five Star Wars movies.
As for Boba Fett, it has been confirmed that a spin-off starring the bounty hunter is already in development, with Logan director James Mangold at the helm. Fett is another fan-favorite character with big fan demand for a solo movie. It remains to be seen if this will turn out like Solo or more like Rogue One, which was a worthy addition to the Star Wars canon.
The Future of Star Wars
As a Star Wars fan, it is my ardent wish that the franchise continues to live long and prosper. No matter how bad recent movies have been (*cough The Last Jedi cough*), I still have hope for future Star Wars movies. I’m sure the legions of Star Wars fans out there each have their own spin-off suggestions on their wishlist. We at Kakuchopurei would love to hear from you. Comment below on what Star Wars character or property you would like to see from Disney and Lucasfilm. In the meantime, check out our review of Solo: A Star Wars Story here.


Japanese Game Developers Tease Plans For 2023

It’s almost the New Year and most companies, including developers and publishers in the video game industry, are taking a break. However, speaking with Japanese publication Famitsu, Japanese game developers have teased what’s coming in 2023. Some of them even tease vague new titles and announcements.
Get the notable tidbits below.
ArtPlay
Shutaro Iida
“We are currently still working on content for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, but we are striving every day to be able to make a big announcement in 2023.”
Koji Igarashi
“I’d like to finish work on the remaining content for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. And that will lead us to the next step.”
Idea Factory
Naoto Tominaga
“In 2023, I will do my best to talk about familiar works that incorporate new elemnets, as well as new titles that make you say, ‘Oh!?’ I’m working on several new titles. Please look forward to their announcements.”
Hikaru Yasui
“In 2022, we were able to release to the fans the long-awaited RPG Neptunia: Sisters vs. Sisters, with its improved game systems and evolved 3D graphics. In 2023, we are working hard to give the fans an even further ‘evolved’ game. I would like to make 2023 a year of further ‘evolution’ for the Neptunia series. There should be some new developments this year, so please look forward to them.”
Akatsuki Games
Hiroaki Iwano
“In 2023, we will announce new title(s) quite early on, so I’m determined to do what it takes to increase our fan base by the time the content is released! We’ve been silently at work on game production for the past few years, but in 2023 we should be able to make various announcements!”
Shuhei Yamaguchi
“We should be able to debut the major titles and initiatives we’ve been working on this year. While overseas companies are making great strides in the mobile games market, we will create something that can’t be beaten!”
Aquaplus
Naoya Shimokawa
“In 2022, with the release of a long-in-development game and broadcast of a TV anime, we were able to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Utawarerumono together thanks to the fans who have always supported us. In 2023, I plan to take a short rest and gather new energy for our next title. As is expected of our company, we hope to continue taking on new challenges going forward, so please look forward to it!”
Acquire
Takuma Endo
“Recently, I’m hoping to prepare a huge game as we head toward our turning point 30th anniversary year. I’m goign to devote a bit of time to creating an epic game. As for Acquire [as a company], we hope to be able to be able offer our games digitally worldwide [going forward]. A small-scale game that I personally was prototyping has been put on the development line. I hope to be able to show something around next spring, so please look forward to it.”
ATLUS
Shinjiro Takada
“The Shin Megami Tensei series celebrated its 30th anniversary in October 2022 thanks to the long-standing support of its many fans! Shin Megami Tensei V has achieved one million sales worldwide, and has caught many eyes in both Japan and overseas. In 2023, which will be the 31st anniversary, I hope be able to give something back to the fans as a thank-you.”
IzanagiGames
Shinsuke Umeda
“We should be able to announce two new game projects by the end of the year. We also plan to release the Switch version of DYSCHRONIA: Chronos Alternate produced with MyDearest this year.”
SNK
Yasuyuki Oda
“Alongside updates to The King of Fighters XV, the staff is working as one on the development of the new Fatal Fury and several other titles. Please look forward to SNK in the future.”
Nobuyuki Kuroki
“While we haven’t shared much information about Fatal Fury yet, development is progressing well, so please look forward to it.”
Kazuhiro Fujishige
“This year will mark the start of develompent on a new IP that carries the grand vision of ‘the creation of an AAA title from Japan.’ We are becoming a studio in which the strengths of our teams formed from our diverse pool of talent will be on full display!”
Onion Games
“I’m steadily progressing on our new RPG. While taking care of my health, I’m pouring all of my energy into it. It’s now been over a year since I started working on it, so it can be scary at times, but I am nevertheless moving forward one step at a time. In 2023, I hope to complete the game and exhibit it at BitSummit, Tokyo Game Show, and Digital Games Expo.”
Kazuyuki Kurashima
“I hope to be able to announce various things in 2023.”
Capcom
Hideaki Itsuno
“I’m currently immersed in the production of Dragon’s Dogma 2, so much so that I’m losing my sense of what season it is. Things are moving along well, so I hope to further our development progress so that we can share an update with you as soon as possible.”
Takuro Hiraoka
“We will release new information [about Exoprimal] next spring, so please look forward to it!”
Grasshopper Manufacture
Goichi Suda
“Grasshopper Manufacture will celebrate its 25th anniversary. We will continue to dash forward. We are dilligently developing new title(s).”
Granzella
Kazuma Kujo
“While I wasn’t able to announce the next development for Manga Ka Keru in 2022, I hope to announce something new for that title in 2023. A new Disaster Report title will definitely also be announced in 2023. I intend to do everything that I can.”
Koei Tecmo Games
Yukinori Ito
“The Kou Shibusawa brand plans to release several new titles in 2023. We will also update our mobile games, so please look forward to it!”
Mei Erikawa
“In 2023, the La Corda d’Oro series will celebrate its 20th anniversary. We are currently under review on a project to please the fans! Ruby Party also plans to start up new challenges, so please look forward to that as well.”
Kenichi Ogasawara
“As the Nobunaga’s Ambition series will reach its turning point 40th anniversary, I would like to make various preparations as to make it an even more exciting celebration with the fans!”
Yoichi Erikawa (Kou Shibusawa)
“The 40th anniversary of Nobunaga’s Ambition, and giving back to the game fans. Our company plans to release many major titles in 2023 and 2024, so we are working hard to make sure they’re a success.”
Akihiro Suzuki
“While we were unable to share any information about future developments of the Dynasty Warriors series in 2023, we hope to be able to do so in 2023.”
Konami Digital Entertainment
Noriaki Okamura
“Other than [the educational edition of Momotaro Dentetsu announced last year], 2023 will be a year of many announcements! Stay tuned!”
COLOPL
Ryoji Tsunoda
“We are working hard on an unannounced game. We hope to be able to announce it during the hot season.”
Cygames
Kenichiro Takaki
“This year will be a year that we will be able to showcase and let you play the titles we have been thoroughly preparing so far. Each team will continue their developments thoroughly, unrushed, and with love, so please look forward to our announcements and releases going forward! Did you enjoy Little Noah: Scion of Paradise? We hope to be able to show you various surprises in our lineup, including a follow-up report on Project GAMM.”
CyberConnect2
Hiroshi Matsuyama
“We will announce CyberConnect2-esque measures, developments, and works that fans around the world will be able to enjoy, and not just in games, but also in manga and anime.”
GPTRACK50
Hiroyuki Kobayashi
“Our new game announcement is still far ahead, but we are developing a new action game intellectual property, so we hope to announce it as soon as possible.”
Square Enix
Tomoya Asano
“Compared to the turbulent 2022—which saw the releases of Triangle Strategy, LIVE A LIVE, and Various Daylife; the announcement of Octopath Traveler II; and the 10th anniversary of Bravely Default—2023 seems like it’ll be a year of preparation. Thorough preparation.”
Yoshinori Kitase
“As the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy VII continues to stir up the excitement with its seven campaigns, I hope to be able to deliver an update on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth when the timing is right. Please look forward to it!”
SEGA
Takashi Iizuka
“This past year was the biggest year in Sonic history, including the release of the movie sequel, new titles Sonic Origins and Sonic Frontiers, and the Netflix animation Sonic Prime. We are preparing a second wave to keep the fans happy and maintain that momentum going into 2023. We already announced additional content for Sonic Frontiers, but there is a lot more outside of that, so please look forward to it.”
Ryousuke Horii
“It’s going to be a challengine year in which many titles are released under the restructured Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, so first and foremost, I would like to produce results with solid works that make people say, ‘The restructure and generational shift were a success!’”
Nippon Ichi Software
Yu Mizokami
“I planned a super stylish game. It’s a subject I don’t know much about, so I’m currently learning about it while working on development. I hope to be able to announce it by this time next year. The theme is ‘the joy of life.’”
FuRyu
Fuyuki Hayashi
“A new title will be released in 2023.”
Bokeh Game Studio
Keiichiro Toyama
“Production on Bokeh Game Studio’s premiere title, Slitterhead, is nearing its climax.”
Marvelous
Kenichiro Tsukuda
“In 2023, we will release several titles that we have been working on with development companies. We hope to make this a year of constant new efforts and challenges for the company. There are several titles that I’m working on, but I wonder whether or not I will be able to announce them to the world soon. It’s a vague feeling, but we are steadily creating good games. Please look forward to them!”
Mistwalker
Hironobu Sakaguchi
“I thought I was going to retire (laughs), but I decided to try to give this another go… I’ll never stop playing Final Fantasy XIV. Meet me in Eorzea. I also started writing the scenario for a new title yet to be announced. It will be a dark fantasy.”
LEVEL-5
Akihiro Hino
“LEVEL-5 will celebrate its 25th anniversary. In 2022, I feel like I personally put my heart and soul into Megaton Musashi, but in 2023, we will announce many new titles, so I hope to make an even bigger impact as a company. I’m going to do my best with the mentality of ‘Making our presence known going forward.’”
LEVEL5 Concept
Keiji Inafune
“While it is still unannounced, I’m making an interesting game. It will be a fun game that I will be able to play with my children and grandchildren.”


Panda Global Finally Remove Dr Alan As CEO

Panda Global has come out with a second statement announcing the removal of Dr Alan as CEO but it may be too little too late. In case you missed it, I did a video on our YouTube channel breaking down the drama prior to Panda’s first statement.

A day and a half after their initial statement, Panda Global come out with another statement addressing the concerns of the community. The reason why the community was up in arms was due to the fact that no actions were taken against CEO Dr Alan’s actions.
With the second statement, they’ve fixed that as they announced that Dr Alan will no longer be CEO effective immediately. This should be taken with a grain of salt as it is to the public’s understanding that Dr Alan is still involved with Panda Global, only having the title of CEO removed. Following this announcement, it was also confirmed that the Panda Cup Finale will be postponed indefinitely.

pic.twitter.com/Y7xbon04YN
— Panda (@PandaGlobal) December 5, 2022

Panda Global also addressed the ‘80% of their players’ desiring to leave the organisation. In the same statement, they stated that they will assist their players with their resignations and the termination of their contracts along with supporting them in finding a new team.
Honestly, I think the damage has already been done with the first statement. If Panda had released their second statement initially, then I think the Smash community would have been a lot more forgiving but that still doesn’t change the fact that Dr Alan is still involved with the organisation. Only time will tell to see if this will be the downfall of the org as a whole.


Black Ops 4 Blackout Mode Is Free For The Entire Month

Call of Duty Black Ops 4‘s Blackout mode is receiving a new map this week. To promote the new content, Activision is doing the rare charitable thing by making the game free to play for the entire month.
Starting today up until 30 April, the battle royale mode will be available to play for free on all platforms
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KiKb5q9d9o]
PlayStation 4 players can directly jump into the base maps as well as the new Alcatraz map today. PC and Xbox players have to wait another week for Alcatraz, but the base experience is already available for all. We’re also expecting them to release some patch notes along with the content.
This is the first time that we receive a month-long promotion from these guys. This is probably their strategy in pulling the Apex Legends crowd back. Will it work? Will Activision finally make the mode permanently F2P? We’ll have to find out later this month.


Mafia II & III Definitive Edition Out Now; Mafia Remake Out This August

2K Games announced that the Mafia Trilogy is out now. Sort of.
Fans of the series can now buy two-thirds of the Mafia Trilogy right now: you can play the Definitive Editions of Mafia II and Mafia III right now if you buy the Mafia Trilogy either on PC (Steam), PS4, and Xbox One for US$60/RM199.
If you want to buy these versions of Mafia II and Mafia III separately, it’s US$30 apiece. However, if you have the original games, the Definitive Editions are free.
The first Mafia will be remade from the ground-up using developer Hangar 13’s engine and will be out on 28th August. Everything from the game engine to the graphics will be created anew while retaining the original game’s plot about cab driver Tommy and his induction into the high-powered criminal life.
Check out the games in all their glory below, as well as 20 minutes of Mafia II Definitive Edition gameplay footage in glorious 60fps.