Not Even The Bat-Family Can Save Gotham Knights

Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Genre: Action RPG, Open World, Superhero, Comic Book
The best way to describe Gotham Knights is that it’s a massive waste of potential. It doesn’t help that the game comes with the huge baggage of being compared to the brilliant Batman Arkham games from Rocksteady, which definitely doesn’t do it any favours. It’s not all bad though, and while Gotham Knights does remind me of Marvel’s Avengers, it’s nowhere near as much of a disaster as that 2020 title from Crystal Dynamics. In comparison, Warner Bros. Montreal’s Gotham Knights is a mediocre game at best.
Death In The Bat-Family

The game begins with a long cinematic scene that leads to Batman’s death. Something like Batman’s death should have been a catalyst that made the story more exciting and engrossing. Unfortunately, Gotham Knights has one of the worst and slowest starts in a major AAA superhero game. There’s no momentum or urgency, which is weird considering Batman just freaking died. It’s jarring how nonchalant the reactions of the Bat-family is immediately following Batman’s death.
Still, as a comic book fan, it’s still amazing that someone actually made a whole video game featuring playable members of the Bat-family and no Batman, especially when even the live-action movies have yet to ‘properly’ feature any members of the Bat-family since 1997’s Batman & Robin.
While the main narrative story in Gotham Knights is bland and middling, some of the interactions and brief cinematic scenes are a highlight, as they actually feature insights into the emotional states of these grieving characters, as well as their past and shared history. They’re also intimate and heartwarming. It’s strange that these moments are mostly absent from the main story. For example, one scene shows Nightwing hiding his injury from Alfred and Alfred giving him fatherly advice about how he doesn’t have to be strong all the time. Another scene shows Tim Drake blaming himself for Batman’s death and Jason Todd comforting him with some kind words. Unfortunately, these are optional and missable, which is a huge shame since they’re some of the best parts of the game in terms of characterization and narrative. Most of these take place in the Belfry, which is the game’s main base or hub.
It’s momennts like these that make them truly feel like a family, a Bat-family.

It feels awkward to move around the city. Why? The main ways to traverse the environment in this game are the grappling hook and the Bat-cycle. Remember how you got around by gliding in the Batman Arkham games? You can’t do that in this game without first grinding for hours, and completing certain requirements in order to unlock a fourth skill tree which includes an additional gliding ability to traverse. However, they’re anything but traditional Batman-like gliding. Nightwing gets a Fortnite glider thingy while Jason can skip through the air via magical platforms. Batgirl is the only one who glides like Batman. Tim Drake is the worst of all, he can teleport but only short distances, and it’s slower than just using the grappling hook or the Bat-cycle, so what’s the point?
The worst thing about Gotham Knights is its tedious gameplay loop and monotonous grind. The core gameplay loop is basically the player running around Gotham City completing random crimes and side quests to level up and unlock story missions to progress. Yes, there are levels, gear/loot and skill trees in Gotham Knights, similar to systems in the new Assassin’s Creed games or Marvel’s Avengers. The movement and combat in Gotham Knights feels janky and nowhere as smooth as the Batman Arkham games, the last entry of which is now seven years old. You can’t even jump in Gotham Knights. You can press and hold the X button on PS5 to vault over low walls and fences but these feel less responsive than they should be.

Dick Grayson AKA Nightwing, Jason Todd AKA Red Hood, Tim Drake AKA Robin and Barbara Gordon AKA Batgirl all play similarly in the beginning. It’s only after hours of grinding and unlocking more unique skills that they start becoming more distinguishable from each other. The game’s reliance on levels and gear means that the game’s combat can get stale and repetitive fast. If you’re under-levelled or have low-level gear, enemies become damage sponges. That’s not even mentioning the game’s bosses, which are even hellish damage sponges.
There’s also no counter mechanic ala the Batman Arkham games or Warner Bros. Games’ own Middle-Earth Shadow Of Mordor. For lack of a better comparison, the dodge system in Gotham Knights is more similar to Marvel’s Spider-Man but nowhere near as good or responsive. It feels more aimless and random. The only way I could make the game’s combat fun and enjoyable is by lowering the difficulty, thereby making sure that the enemies take more damage and fewer hits to die (their behaviour and aggressiveness stay the same on every difficulty, weirdly).
By now, I’m sure the performance woes of Gotham Knights have gone viral. The fact that the game can only run in 30 FPS on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S can be acceptable, but the issue is that the game’s performance is unstable and often dips below 30 FPS. This usually happens when traversing the city or when the action gets hectic. As for the graphics of the game, Gotham Knights looks best during its cinematic cutscenes, but it’s still a bit embarrassing for older games like the 2015’s Batman Arkham Knight not only looking better than this but also running so much better.
Knightfall

Basically, Gotham Knights don’t offer anything new or interesting in terms of actual gameplay; most of the game’s mechanics have been done better elsewhere. The only saving grace of the game is that it features members of the Bat-family as playable characters in an action game, which is something that’s extremely rare and should be done more often. The combat can also be sort of fun if the game wasn’t so grindy and if it runs more smoothly.
PROS

There’s no other game you can play as the Bat-family, with some smaller intimated and heartwarming story moments, as well as easter eggs, that can be great for comic fans.
Combat can be fun, but it takes time and effort before that happens (or when you lower the difficulty to lessen the grind).

CONS

Tedious and monotonous gameplay loop with heavy grinding elements and a heavy focus on grinding for better gear/loot.
Simplistic and often janky combat with no Arkham-like counter mechanic.
Doesn’t offer much of anything new or innovative.
Performance issues that bring the framerate below 30 FPS.

FINAL SCORE: 40/100
Gotham Knights was reviewed on PS5 based on a digital copy purchased ourselves. It is out now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.


Valorant Episode 5 Act 2 Brings Battlepass Alongside New Immortalized Skins & More

Another Act, another Battlepass as it has become the usual for Valorant fans, so let’s take a gander at what Riot Games has in stall for us this time.
According to producer, Laura Baltzer, this Battlepass is the first to have a central theme, with this theme being “myths and legends”.
“We did this for a few reasons. We wanted the Battlepass to reflect some of the things that were going on in Valorant and make it feel like a memorable part of this moment in time for players. Champions is just around the corner and we can’t wait to see what legends are born from it. Also, at the beginning of Episode 5, we saw in our Shattered cinematic that our Agents saw themselves in a heroic light. When players equip the Obsidiana or the Immortalized Vandal, we want them to feel just as legendary on their ranked climb as the pros playing on the main stage, or as our Agents immortalized in comic books.”
– Laura Baltzer, Producer at Riot Games
SKINS

Immortalized

Base – Gold
V1 – Red
V2 – Blue
V3 – Green

Piedra del Sol
Premiere Collision

GUNS

Immortalized

Guardian
Sheriff
Stinger
Vandal

Piedra del Sol

Bucky
Ghost
Judge
Melee
Phantom

Premiere Collision

Ares
Bulldog
Classic
Marshal

VALORANT EPISODE 5, ACT 2 – BATTLEPASS

Price: 1,000 VP
Free Highlights:

Immortalized Sheriff
Spike Showdown Player Card
Rising Tide Player Card
Guess That’s It Spray
Magic Hummingbird Gun Buddy

Paid Highlights:

Obsidiana
Immortalized Vandal
Piedra del Sol Phantom
KAY/O K.O. Player Card
Hehehehehe Spray
Kitsune Mask Gun Buddy


Arkane Austin Releases Trailer Showcasing The World Of Redfall

Bethesda Softworks and Arkane Studios Austin have released a new trailer for Redfall, the upcoming open-world cooperative first-person shooter game. The trailer gives a sneak peek into the game’s world and how players will navigate through it.
The game is being developed by Arkane Austin, the team behind hit titles like Prey and Dishonored, and is set to continue their legacy of carefully crafted worlds and immersive sims. Redfall aims to bring the studio’s signature gameplay to this story-driven action shooter.
The trailer teases the game’s setting of Redfall Island, which is overrun by vampires and shows off some of the different characters that players will have to choose from in order to take back the island. It also gives a glimpse of some of the weapons that will be available, including crossbows and shotguns.
Redfall will be playable in co-op mode with up to four players, and players will have to work together to take down the vampire threat. The game is set to release on Xbox Series X | S and PC in May 2023 and will be available on Xbox Game Pass from day one.


Borderlands 3: What We Know So Far

Following that innocuous tweet from Gearbox Software after all the mess its CEO Randy Pitchford went through, it seems the original loot-and-shoot action RPG Borderlands is making a comeback.
Whether it’s going to be a sequel or a giant-ass remastered collection of parts 1 and 2, we’ll never know until the company’s PAX East 2019 panel on 28 March.Â So let’s gather up what we know about the possible sequel.
Borderlands release date
There isn’t any that’s concrete, but publisher Take-Two said in an earnings call that it may be out before Fall 2019.
Publisher Take-Two seems keen on a potential 2018-2019 launch window, as suggested by an investors call report from March 2017. In it, CEO Strauss Zelnick included a “highly anticipated new title from one of 2K’s biggest franchises” as part of the publisher’s fiscal 2019 outlook, a span of months ranging between October 2018 and September 2019.
Zelnick’s comments appeared again in subsequent reports in August, November, and February 2018, increasing the likelihood of a solidified timeframe. But keep in mind Borderlands 3 wasn’t named specifically so Zelnick could’ve been referring to another game. Plus, those plans could’ve changed in the past year.
Still, Borderlands 3 is a strong contender for Take-Two’s plans, especially considering the known quantities of the studio’s annual sports releases, the juggernaut omnipresence of Grand Theft Auto 5, and the radio silence from Steam sale darlings XCOM, Civilization, and BioShock. It has until fall 2019 to make that window.
Borderlands 3 rumours so far

Borderlands Reddit posters have rounded up a few slips that could indicate Borderlands 3 previews and livestream partnerships are coming in spring 2019, which could point to an impending reveal.
Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition was rated in Taiwan in January 2019 and in Korea earlier in 2018 by a developer that’s done port work and contributed to Borderlands development in the past, suggesting the possibility of an HD remaster this year. That’s not directly connected to Borderlands 3, but it may be something to hype up players for the new game. There haven’t been any recent hints about Borderlands 3 itself.
Where does Borderlands 3 take place?

Definitely outside of Pandora, if the ending to Borderlands 2 is of any indication.
While the plundered planet could make a repeat appearance (that’s five, counting the Pre-Sequel and Telltale spin-offs), it’s far more feasible that we’ll visit one of the many other Vaults dotting space, a welcome change of scenery teased during Borderlands 2’s conclusion.
Hints of a new world named Promethea were discovered by Battleborn sleuths, including hidden graffiti of a Vault symbol and peculiar audio patterns heard from portal anomalies beckoning listeners to Promethea and warning of Patricia Tannis, the hilariously crazy scientist researching the Vaults’ mysterious origins. Promethea’s candidacy was strengthened most recently by a tweet from the official Borderlands account that restated the Battleborn Easter eggs.
In the Borderlands canon, Promethea is where the gargantuan Atlas Corporation first harnessed the alien Eridian technology to manufacture advanced weaponry and starships. The Crimson Lance, Atlas’ private military and playable character Roland’s former employer, would return to prominence as it keeps a major base planetside. Promethea also houses the first Vault discovered by Atlas which would eventually kickstart the rush of hunters and rival corporations plying the stars in search of riches.
With all clues pointing to Promethea’s importance, there would be little reason to pass up the chance to understand the true nature of the Vaults, perhaps bridge the connection with the magical Sirens, and, of course, loot one of the juiciest motherlodes in the galaxy.
But what about the loot system?

Expect the usual bevy of wacky weapons and bizarre effectsâ€”and a fire-spitting gun straight out of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s laboratory.
We’re serious: back in January, Elon Musk got Randy Pitchford’s attention when he debuted a novelty flamethrower from his side. He joked on Twitter that the flamethrower was sentient and came with a free cryptocurrency blockchain. It’s dubbed the “Boring Flamethrower”.
We’re all for this; this is from the game that gave us a screaming SMG and a shotgun that makes kill-tastic comments in a robotic voice. Don’t be surprised if there’s a gun that creates physical blockchains out of cryptocurrency that explodes in your face.
What has the company said so far?

Not much, since Borderlands 3 is going to be their golden goose. That hasn’t stopped CEO Randy Pitchford from drip-feeding progress updates on the game.
During PAX South 2015’s Gearbox panel, Pitchford opened recruitment for Borderlands 3’s development team, saying, “We want to think about the future, and we want to think about what the next Borderlands is, and we’re going to need some help”.
Later, at PAX East 2016’s panel, Pitchford noted that â€œobviously there’s going to be another Borderlands.â€ He also mentioned the transfer of Battleborn art director Scott Kester onto the team in a similar role. Staff changes are common for large projects, but this aligns with Gearbox’s plans to refocus manpower onto Borderlands 3 after Battleborn was finished.

During the same panel, Pitchford pondered whether the next Borderlands would use a number or a more exotic designation. “We don’t even know if we’re going to call it that,” he said. “We could call it Borderlands 4 for all we know”. The tongue-in-cheek style of Borderlands’ comedy might involve a box cover poking fun at colons and buzzwords. Long story short, Gearbox’s intent for delivering a “really big, worthy” continuation instead of an offshoot like the Pre-Sequel, as Pitchford explained in a September 2017 IGN interview.
Another major Pitchford preview surfaced in April 2017 with a tweeted photo of the man himself wearing a motion capture rig. The getup was for a shoot that “may or may not be a psycho bandit in a video game we may or may not be working on”. Seeing as psychos are the babbling poster-mobs of Borderlands’ wastes, it’s almost assured a Borderlands 3 is on the way teeming with more masked madmen.
Also, an Unreal Engine 4 talk at GDC 2017 included a very Borderlands-looking sequence. Pitchford presented the engine’s features of improved lighting and shadow effects that would “power the next Borderlands game” but was quick to disclaim the footage as just a “technology demonstration” and not a snippet of actual gameplay. The previous Borderlands games ran on the Unreal Engine, so it makes sense if the next entry kept tradition with snazzier tech.
Around 90 percent of Gearbox is working on Borderlands 3. Pitchford told a PAX West panel audience that the studio was full steam ahead on a project “most of you guys want us to be working on”. We highly doubt it’s “Aliens: Colonial Marines 2”.


Final Fantasy VII Remake Was Supposed To Have A Tifa Chapter, But…

Final Fantasy VII Remake was a heckuva love letter for late 90s JRPG fans and PlayStation gamers, though it had a few rough edges here and there with some of its story bits. But did you know that we were robbed of a Tifa-focused section?
Turns out the game’s level designer Yuri Hioki confirmed on the Final Fantasy VII Remake Ultimania guidebook (via Twitter’s @aitakimochi) that there was supposed to be a special mission where Tifa took lead. This was after she was separated from Cloud at the Sector 5 reactor. This mission would have taken place around Chapter 7, thus connecting to the bit where she was being escorted to Don Corneo’s place.
Here are a few more quotes regarding the scrapped level:
The level concept was to show the beginnings of the tragedy that would unfold with the Sector 7 plate and also show Tifa’s charm as she takes on the role of a heroine. The scenario would start off with a rainy scene that would set the mood where you meet with Jessie.
Jessie would brief Tifa on the supposed devastating plans regarding the Sector 7 plate. There would also be some suspicious activity in the slums where the player would wonder what exactly is going on?
The second part of the scenario would show Tifa’s charm, depicting her thoughts about her friends and Cloud, her strength as a Heroine, her bravery, kindness, and style too. Characters involved would be Barret, Marlene, Jessie, and Marle.
The third part of the scenario would have involved showing more about Marle, Marlene, Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge and their own charm as well. It would also touch upon Tifa’s doubt and unease at Cloud’s disappearance. It would also have more lore about Avalanche’s ties with Wutai.
It would be great if this was future DLC for the game, given that this bit was still halfway in production before the axe. On a Tifa-related note, the guide also revealed Tifa’s bra size in her bio: Japan G70. That’s roughly a size 32″ DDD. In case you were wondering, of course.


Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Just Published A Music Video That Will Damage You Emotionally

The Cyberpunk 2077 YouTube page has gone and done it: it has published a music video that will make you bawl out in public if you’ve finished the anime adaptation Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
The song “I Really Want To Stay At Your House (Let’s Eat Grandma)” by singer Rosa Walton (in the radio stations of the game) and its new music video may seem happy, pop-ish, and chirpy, as well as features main characters/lovers David Martinez and Lucy. However, those who watched the show ends know that the song also plays in the show’s climax. And just like its intro in the 2nd episode foreshadows, it’s not all sunshine and roses. If you know, you know.
If you want to relive those painful memories in your head under the guise of a cute pop song tailor-made for Night City’s radio stations, check out the tune and music video below. For added “enjoyment”, read the many, MANY comments on this video which will give you the feels.


Fan-Made Uncharted Live-Action Short Film Proves Passion Can Do Wonders

It’s been known for the longest time that the super popular Sony PlayStation exclusive Uncharted series has the potential for a silver screen debut. With a strong narrative that spans four games, a tie-in sequel, one mobile-based adventure-puzzler, and loads of comics and merchandising deals, it is hardly any surprise that fansÂ â€“ and the game producers themselvesÂ â€“ want to make this a huge win.
Unfortunately, even with the combined efforts of Sony PlayStation (now Sony Interactive Entertainment) and Sony Pictures, this highly anticipated take has been sitting in limbo.
That changed early this year when word got out that Tom Holland is locked in to play a young Nathan Drake, the main protagonist of the Uncharted franchise. While weird, it didn’t surprise anyone since the Tomb Raider remake is doing so well and many stories now require an origin take. This isn’t a one-off decision as Joe Carnahan, the screen-writer for Uncharted, tweeted the following:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Joe Carnahan (@carnojoe)

Just so the main story focus doesn’t stray too far, here are the following confirmed facts about this prelude:

Holland will play young Nathan Drake to explain why he ended up the way he is now.
Shawn Levy, the man behind Real Steel, is set to direct this effortÂ â€“ he also worked on the script with Carnahan
They want to avoid being an Indiana Jones clone or, worse yet, be another Tomb Raider.
It will be raw as Nathan must experience things to become the tough man that he is in the games. After all, Sullivan isn’t exactly Mr Nice too.

While this is all fine and dandy, something else came to light. Some background details are necessary here. Fans of Uncharted have always wanted Nathan Fillion to put on the boots of Nathan Drake.
Fillion is a veteran actor best known for his role in the Sci-Fi TV hit series, Firefly, and acting in big blockbusters like Saving Private Ryan and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. For so long fans have campaigned for this real-world Nathan to become the game world’s Nathan.
Then this surprising short film dropped for the Uncharted faithful:

In short, eye-popping and so SO amazing! There’ll be no spoilers here. Just go watch and enjoy!
Whatever the fan creators did, treatment and narrative, it is original and to-the-point. Even the character casting and Fillion playing as Drake – perfect! The best bit: it pays homage to all the four main games AND brings into perspective Naughty Dog didn’t have the chance to explore. It all goes back to Nathan Drake’s roots with the New World explorers – Sir Francis Drake and his European compatriots.
Southeast Asian fans will be in for a real big treat. AgainÂ NO SPOILERS!Â Just go watch and dream about how much story is left untapped in the seafaring waters of this region.
The Big Tease
The surprising short-film comes 24-hours after Fillion tweeted this:

Sic Parvis Magna. 7/16/18 https://t.co/fnhK3bZ0tx

â€” Nathan Fillion (@NathanFillion) July 11, 2018

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nathan Fillion (@nathanfillion)

This isn’t a big tease over nothing? This is the meal ticket they’ve been waiting for! Many even speculated that he will be signed on for the film with Holland. Maybe as a cameo.
But how did this fan film came to be? According to a Kotaku interview, it was over a vegan dinner through a mutual friend.

“Over thai vegan dinner,” Fillion said, “[director] Allan Unguar expressed his love for Unchartedâ€”heâ€™s obviously a passionate fanâ€”and he had a vision. And then in May, we got together and put this thing together.”

He added in the same interview heâ€™s never pitched Sony on making such a movie, but that heâ€™s open to the idea.

“We wanted to scratch an itchâ€”we wanted to see something, and we didnâ€™t want to wait. Our goal has been achieved. If something comes from this, thatâ€™s just icing on the cake.”

While all the rumours didn’t turn out to be true, fans are now rallying for this fan-film to become the legit live-action effort. Please take note, Naughty Dog and Sony Pictures!
Does the whole thing stink of familiarity? It sure does – Ryan Reynolds did the same thing to get theÂ green-light for his Deadpool film. Let’s hope there is enough attention to give pause to the folks behind the upcoming prequel movie.


Kingdom Ashin Of The North Teases Upcoming Episode With Epic Posters

Netflix has released the first set of teaser posters for the much anticipated Kingdom Ashin Of The North, a special episode that will expand the horizons of the Kingdom series. This special episode reveals the origins of the resurrection plant that triggered the avalanche of tragic events that swept through Joseon and the woman abandoned by all â€” Ashin.
One of the released posters features Ashin as a young girl, the same intriguing figure as she appeared in the first teaser trailer that generated so much curiosity.Â

In another, the resurrection plant takes on a mystical, ethereal image with magenta-hued blossoms.

More images follow; the mesmerizing white eyes of an infected tiger; the gruesome bodies of those who suffered cruel and mysterious deaths; and the young Ashin standing in a field of resurrection plants that can bring back the dead. The tidal waves of fate resulting from this encounter sweep away the young Ashin, setting off the ripples of tragedy that will eventually engulf Joseon.

Kim Sia plays the young Ashin, and Gianna Jun plays the older character in unfolding the backstory of the woman who appeared at the end of Kingdom Season 2 shrouded in mystery and subject to much conjecture. Park Byung-eun reprises his role as Min Chi-rok, a young man who encounters Ashin in the freezing cold northern regions.
His character later becomes the Head of the Royal Commandery Division who helps the Crown Prince Lee Chang fight against the conspiracy to seize the throne and the infected from overtaking the royal palace. Director Kim Seong-hun and writer Kim Eun-hee, the duo leading the Kingdom series, team up again for this special episode for fans around the world eagerly waiting for the tale of Ashin.
The epic story of Kingdom: Ashin of the North delves into the very origins of the resurrection plant and the infected that have turned Joseon into a bloodbath.Â
Kingdom Ashin Of The North will be released on 23 July 2021, only on Netflix.Â


Pluto Anime Adaptation Coming To Netflix This 2023

Despite rumours of its anime adaptation in 2019, PLUTO by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki’s acclaimed manga, is closer than ever to being released.
Netflix today has unveiled a four-minute sneak preview starts with an explosive fight and other scenes from the series with no audible dialogue, yet features action-packed futuristic setting, and a grimly adult character. PLUTO then seen unsuspecting in public towards the end of the trailer.
Based on Tezuka’s signature Astro Boy manga series, Pluto was an award-winning and bestseller, reimagining Osamu Tezuka’s mid-1960s “Greatest Robot on Earth” manga series. The suspense drama takes place in a neo-futuristic world where humans and high-functioning robots live in complete harmony. However, one detective chasing down a string of murders that might have been committed by a robot.
The series will be made by GENCO, the same folks behind Sword Art Online, Toradora!, and High School DxD, with animation production by Studio M2. Takashi Nagasaki is the co-author and the series’ supervisor Macoto Tezka, son of the late Osamu Tezuka. Casts of the series are Shinshu Fuji (Gesicht), Yoko Hikasa (Atom) and Minori Suzuki (Uran).
Author Naoki Urasawa shares his message:
“I applaud the courage of everyone that has taken on the challenge of making an anime based on PLUTO. I am excited about the birth of this new series to win over people’s hearts. I hope that now more than ever, Osamu Tezuka’s message reaches the world.”
Even the son of the late Osamu Tezuka called the upcoming anime adaptation “The real deal” and excited to see how this new generation of anime will turn out.
PLUTO is confirmed to premiere later this year exclusively on Netflix.


Wildfrost Launches 12 April

The next game from publisher Chucklefish will be a tactical roguelike deckbuilder that’s cold as ice.
Wildfrost will be out for PC and Nintendo Switch on 12 April according to Chucklefish and the game’s developer Deadpan Games. The card game revolves around your character surviving the eternal winter while battling their way against enemies and the cold all the way to the Sun Temple to banish the titular Wildfrost. The game’s art style, card-collecting and combat mechanics with a pretty satisfying counter system, and a tiny hub-building sidegame will make this Slay The Spire-like indie title stand out among the rest.
Release date trailer and key features below.


Here’s When You Can Catch The Resident Evil Showcase Live Stream

Capcom will unveil Resident Evil Village news and more in a special Resident Evil Showcase live stream oat 6am GMT+8 on 22 January 2021 (Malaysian local time).
Host Brittney Brombacher will showcase new information on Resident Evil Village, including an extended trailer that unveils a bit more of the world and mysterious new characters, as well as the first look at gameplay. Producer Peter Fabiano will also be there to help guide us through the world of Resident Evil Village and the horrors that await.

There will apparently be a few more surprises in store, but you can catch all the live stream on the PlayStation TwitchÂ andÂ YouTube channels. For your convenience, we have embedded the live stream below:

In the meantime, check out the teaser below:


Here Is Your Overwatch League 2021 Season Schedule

Good news, team-based shooter and esports fans. The Overwatch League is back again in 2021 this 16th April.

Get those calendars out, we have a date ?#OWL2021 officially kicks off on April 16th!
We're moving broadcast times, bringing back tournaments, and updating our scoring system ? https://t.co/Hnr1TFDY0j pic.twitter.com/aGZ6ccc4kR
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) February 20, 2021

Leagues are divided into two regions, East and West. Teams will have to play knockout matches in their respective regions to advance to the double-elimination global bracket.
When two teams from each region conquer the competition, they will head to Hawaii for lower ping to play against each other in a double-elimination bracket (if safety permits them). One team will be crowned the winner of that tournament and will bring home US$100,000 and additional “League Points” for postseason qualification.
Here’s the schedule, which looks pretty packed. The esports league will last from April until 20th August via the Countdown Cup tournament. The majority of the league will feature four standalone tournaments, beginning with the May Melee. This is followed by the June Joust, Summer Showdown, and Countdown Cup. All matches will start at 1am GMT+8 for West teams and 5pm GMT+8 for East teams.
Qualifiers Schedule
Week 1: 16-18 April
Week 2: 23rd – 25th April
Week 3: 29th April – 1st May
May Melee Tournament: 7th May
Week 6: 21st – 23rd May
Week 7: 28th – 30th May
Week 8: 3rd – 5th June
June Joust: 11th June
Week 11: 25th – 27th June
Week 12: 2nd – 4th July
Week 13: 8th – 10th July
Summer Showdown – 16th July
Week 16: 30th July – 1st August
Week 17: 6th- 8th August
Week 18: 12th – 14th August
Countdown Cup Tournament: 20th August

Hero Pools & Patches
Just like past seasons, Hero Pools will be returning to the league during two of the monthly tournaments: the June Joust and the Countdown Cup. Basically for each tournament cycle, one support, one tank, and two damage heroes will be removed from the tournament. Only heroes with aÂ  play rate of 10 percent or higher can be removed. Also, no hero can be removed twice during the OWL season.
Prize Pool
During the four qualifier capstone tournaments, first-place teams will take home US$100,000, while second place teams will get US$75,000. Third place teams will go home with US$35,000 while fourth place gets US$20,000.
The 2021 champions will win a huge US$1.5 million along with an awesome trophy.

For more Overwatch action, watch OWL’s champions fight against the world, and also get a trashing from Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan.


Proceeds From What Comes After To Be Donated To The Late Fahmi’s Family

Pikselnesia and Rolling Glory Jam have announced that all proceeds from What Comes After on Steam will donated to the family of the late Indonesian game developer Mohammad Fahmi, who passed away last month. He was best known creating hit Indonesian adventure game Coffee Talk, What Comes After, and the upcoming Afterlove EP.
The full statement reads:
It is with our deepest sadness that we inform you of the death of our beloved friend, Mohammad Fahmi, on March 28th, 2022 from an asthma attack. Fahmi is the director and writer of What Comes After.
Fahmi was a wonderful friend of ours. He inspired us and many people through his games, his meaningful stories, and his personal touch. Fahmi was a lovely person, who will be deeply missed.
To help Fahmi’s family in this difficult time, all of the revenue from What Comes After sales in April will be given to Fahmi’s family.
Thank you,
What Comes After team.
You can buy What Comes After on Steam for RM12.50.


Metal Gear Solid 4 Could Run On The Xbox 360, But This Is Why It Never Did

Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns Of The Patriots was originally released for the PS3 in 2008, but it could have launched for the Xbox 360 as well. According to the game’s assistant producer Ryan Payton (from Steven L Kent’s book The Ultimate History of Video Games Vol. 2 via Time Extension), the game was actually “running beautifully and smoothly” on Xbox 360 at one point during development.
Payton also claims that there was no exclusivity deal to ensure the game was only released on PS3, but that the reason why Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns Of The Patriots was never released for the Xbox 360 came down to the choice of disc format used in Microsoft‘s console.
Payton said:
“Despite how downtrodden my colleagues were with developing on PS3, most of them were still hardcore Sony fans and were not in favour of spending resources on such a test. They believed Metal Gear Solid 4 would look and run terribly on Microsoft’s older and inferior hardware.
One fateful day, the Konami R&D team hosted a meeting where we got to see the fruits of their labour – Metal Gear Solid 4 running beautifully and smoothly on an Xbox 360.”
However, while the port was possible on a technical level, it wasn’t practical on a physical level. PS3 games were stored on Blu-Ray discs which could hold up to 54GB of storage. Unfortunately, Xbox 360 games were stored on DVD-ROM discs which could only hold up to 8.3GB. What this means is that the Xbox 360 version would have had to come with multiple discs.
Last month during Summer Game Fest 2023, Konami announced a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3, titled Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater, as well as a Metal Gear Solid Master Collection series. Volume 1 will contain Metal Gear Solid 1 to 3 as well as the original Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2.
To date, Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns Of The Patriots has never been re-released in any other format, which means that it remains a PS3 exclusive even now in 2023. There’s still no other way to play the game.


Overwatch League Power Rankings: Pre Season

We are about three weeks away from the inaugural season of the Overwatch League and with eleven of the twelve teams having shown what they are capable of during pre-season, we now have a better picture on where the teams stand in the pack. Via our Power Rankings, we will not only rank these teams based on their current roster, but also their form; taking into account their most recent performances. These ranks are not final and just like their position in the overall league, will change by the week.
The Power Rankings will be updated weekly and you are welcomed to share your opinions and own power rankings in the comments section below. So without further ado, here’s Kakuchopurei.com’s Overwatch League Power Rankings Week 0.
1. SEOUL DYNASTY (Pre-Season vs Shanghai (W); Houston (W); NYXL (W))

Three wins out of three with an overall pre-season record of 9-2, the Seoul Dynasty remain where everyone expected them to be – at the top of the pile. The Lunatic-Hai of old – while were almost invincible – were known for their strong tank and backline support players yet were comparatively weak at the DPS department. The issue is no more with the additions of Bunny, Wekeed, Munchkin and Fleta who showed everyone that Seoul Dynasty is now the most complete team in the Overwatch League. The dependable core of Ryujehong, Miro and Tobi ensures stability with this team and it is hard seeing them struggle against the rest of the pack. Even on their worst days, it is hard to see them fall any lower than fourth in this list.
2. NEW YORK EXCELSIOR (Pre-Season vs Boston (W); Seoul (L))

They performed as expected vs Boston and while they eventually lost to Seoul in their second pre-season match, managed to give the favorites a scare by winning the first map on Junkertown. A team with great chemistry from their LW Blue days, NYXL may have one of the ugliest logos in the Overwatch League, but they more than make up for it with their performance and potential.Â DPS star, Saebyeolbe can only get better and with Fl0w3r joining the team once the season starts, are one of the few teams posing realistic threat to Seoul Dynasty’s position up top. Add Pine to complete the DPS triumvirate and you are looking at potentially the most lethal triple DPS setups in the league. LW Blue was notorious for shitty luck of coming stuck against eventual champions during their stints at APEX and with the glaringly different approach in the Overwatch League, may finally see Saebyeolbe & Co break the hoodoo that’s been plaguing them.
3. LONDON SPITFIRE (Pre-Season vs LA Gladiators (L); San Francisco (W))

We would have ranked them higher if not for their shock loss to Los Angeles Gladiators – which showed a glaring chink in their armor; team chemistry. Fielding mostly the boys from GC Busan early on – which makes up half of the team roster – and losing against the unfancied Gladiators showed that this team is still warming up at competing on the biggest stage. Despite winning APEX Season 4, the likes of HaGoPeun, Hooreg and WOOHYALÂ  appeared rusty and only when the team reverted to the seasoned lineup of KongDoo Panthera featuring Birding, Rascal and Fissure did the team clicked, defeating San Francisco Shock 4-0 to close their pre-season on a winning note.Â  London Spitfire are definitely amongst the top tier teams and just like NYXL, pose a real threat to Seoul Dynasty. They may lose a couple games or two during the early season but mark our words – this is a team that can only get stronger as the season progresses and with such a deep talent pool, will pose serious threat come playoffs.
4. DALLAS FUEL (Pre-Season vs Houston (W); Florida (W))Â

Referred by many as ‘The Best of the Rest’, one would be foolish to dismiss the winners of the first ever APEX tournament. The first ever North American team to win an esports tourney on Korean soil as EnVyUs, Dallas Fuel is the standard bearer which every western team aspires to be. The core of that APEX-winning team remain with additions of three new players; the ever-reliable Custa, the eccentric xQc and the highly competent flex DPS Seagull put Dallas Fuel as frontrunners to break the expected Korean monopoly in the Overwatch League. While the behind-the-scenes shenanigans of xQc prove to be an unwanted distraction, the team fared as expected during the pre-season and the chemistry between core and new players seem to be on-point despite the shaky start vs Houston which Dallas eventually won. The tank depth may also be an issue with Mickie and Cocco’s shallow hero pool and a sudden meta shift may be all it takes to derail Dallas’ push.
5. HOUSTON OUTLAWS (Pre-Season vs Dallas (L); Seoul (L))

No other team had a harder pre-season schedule than the boys from Houston and while they lost both their matches – losing to Seoul and Dallas respectively – showed everyone that they are a force to be reckoned with going into the season. JAKE andÂ LiNkzr stood out from the rest of this impressive bunch as they pushed the top tier guys of Dallas and Seoul to the limit and we can only forsee good vibes coming from the second team out of Texas. If such performances shown vs the aforementioned top tier teams are replicated throughout the season, it won’t be long before we see them challenging Dallas’ position as the top team from the west. In JAKE they have a strong leader and shotcaller who can swing any fight to his team’s favor thanks to his stellar Junkrat plays. The rest of the crew aren’t bad either with likes of the dependable Muma, Rawkus and Mendo who could turn the tide of any team fight on their own.
6. LOS ANGELES VALIANT (Pre-Season vs San Francisco (W); LA Gladiators (W))

While they certainly impressed with two wins out of two during the pre-season, both wins were expected of them; coming from the predictable San Francisco Shock and their city rivals in the form of Los Angeles Gladiators. The emergence of Silkthread as a DPS option to Agilities was one of the highlights coming from Valiant in the post-season and as long as they are able to avoid any upset once the season starts; defeating the teams they are expected to beat, while pulling off several upsets against higher ranked teams along the way, could see themselves remain in the thick of the action come season end. Easily the better of the two teams representing Los Angeles.
7. SAN FRANCISCO SHOCKÂ (Pre-Season vs Florida (W); LA Valiant (L); London (L))

While there wasn’t any shock (*ahem*) results coming from the San Francisco Shock, they prove that they are a solid middle-tier team that while will find it hard to climb; not due to their own capabilities, but due to the high standard that other teams currently possess; are miles better than any teams listed after this.Â  A solid front lineup which will be boosted by Sinatraa’s involvement once he’s past the age limit, SF Shock also have another star DPS in the form of Babybay who shone during the pre-season. Couple that with the talents of iddqd and Danteh supported by dhak and Sleepy, you have a competent team that should be nipping on the heels of the likes of Valiant and Houston come mid-season.
8.Â LOS ANGELES GLADIATORSÂ (Pre-Season vs London (W); LA Valiant (L))Â

“BUT KENN! THEY DEFEATED LONDON SPITFIRE!” Yes of course they did but as the saying goes, “Sometimes even the blind cat trips up on a dead rat”. The London Spitfire team which was fielded against Gladiators were the guys from GC Busan who appeared rusty and seemed to be experimenting when it came to their approaches. LA Gladiators scraped past them (London) and were put in their rightful place when they met their city rivals, the Valiant. The over-reliance on Surefour will be their downfall and the shallow roster – only seven players at time of writing – will also be their undoing once meta shifts happen and the mid-season creeps in. The Gladiators will be easily caught out and found to be predictable due to this and unless they buff up their player roster, will have a hard time against a majority of OWL teams.
9. BOSTON UPRISING (Pre-Season vs NYXL (L); Shanghai (W))

The pre-season loss against NYXL was expected but the fact that Boston managed to steal a map from NYXL perfectly reflects on how their season will pan out. A team of the future which consists of relatively unknown players with high potential, Boston Uprising will struggle throughout the season but rest assured that they won’t take it lying down. Expect some spunk and cheeky plays from this team that has so much ahead of them thanks to a solid coaching staff that will drive them forward. We foresee them bagging some valuable wins against the likes of Gladiators, Fusion, Shanghai and Mayhem which will play a huge part in lifting them from occupying the bottom of the standings come season end. A potent force come a few seasons down the road. Mark our words.
10. FLORIDA MAYHEM (Pre-Season vs San Francisco (L); Dallas (L))

If you thought LA Gladiators had a small roster, wait til you see Mayhem’s lineup. Consisting of a sextet of ex-Misfits players, the roster is predictable, highly rigid and the last tournament they were in prior to Overwatch League – the Overwatch Contenders Season 1 Europe – saw them losing in the finals against Team Gigantti. They weren’t that impressive leading up to it either and it is hard to see them challenge even the mid-tier teams of the OWL. Sad to say, unless Mayhem adds more talent to their roster, will be one of the whipping boys come season start and we struggle to pick any team that would lose to them. We aren’t saying TviQ & Co aren’t good – but once youÂ  compare them side by side with players from other teams, the gulf is apparent and if we were the owners of the Florida Mayhem, we’d sign one of the APEX teams to this roster in order to pose some credible threat to the rest. RunAway would be perfect.
11. SHANGHAI DRAGONS (Pre-Season vs Seoul (L); Boston (L))

We had high hopes for the Chinese boys coming into the pre-season but once the first bullet was fired, we instantly know that they are waaaaaaaaaaaay out of their depth. These players may represent the Chinese circuit but they aren’t even the best Chinese lineup at the moment. That distinction goes to Miraculous Youngster who would have been ranked somewhere higher in this list. We saw shades of brilliance from Dragons’ DPS main, Diya but come on – Overwatch is a team game and overall, the Dragons will be more like tree snakes come end of the regular season – unless they pull off something really spectacular out of their bag, that is. They were soundly beaten by the unfancied Boston Uprising in their second match and this was a team no one gave much hope.
12. PHILADELPHIA FUSION (Pre-Season – N/A)

If we were to rank them solely based on paper and roster, they’d easily occupy the mid-tier, somewhere around the realms of Houston/ Valiant/ Shock. But how will they fare in the real world? We’ve seen several teams with huge names from the Overwatch pro scene fare once put against other top tier teams and feel it is unfair to include Fusion into Week 0 rankings hence, they will occupy #12 which is pretty much a placeholder spot for now. Potential-wise, they have a highly capable and diverse roster led by ShaDowBurn, Carpe and Joemeister. How will they gel as a team is anyone’s guess.

Our next episode of the Power Rankings will drop after Week 1 ends. Disagree with the placements? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.


Indy Jumps Off A Plane In Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny Super Bowl Spot

During Super Bowl 2023, Lucasfilm unveiled a new TV spot for the upcoming Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny.
In the teaser, we get to see a younger and de-aged Harrison Ford as Indy, as well as an epic sequence of him jumping off a plane in flight as if he’s starring in an Uncharted adaptation.
Directed by James Mangold, it stars Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Oliver Richters, Ethann Isidore, and Mads Mikkelsen.
Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Simon Emanuel are the film’s producers, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, is once again composing the score.
Indiana Jones 5 is slated to premiere on 29 June 2023.
Check out the teaser below:


Elden Ring: The Best Builds So Far

This guide is still in development. We’ll add more awesome builds as we find them!
Elden Ring is the latest From Software dark fantasy RPG with lovely sights, engrossing worldbuilding and places to explore, and a lot of dangerous monsters and demigods who can probably kill you in less than 3 hits. As such, building the best character is the surefire way to go if you want to survive for just a short bit.
By focusing on certain attributes and weapons, you’ll find your favoured armaments are stronger and bosses less taxing than usual. For a Dark Souls RPG game anyway; you’ll eventually die but not so worst off.
Here are the best builds we’ve found for Elden Ring so far. Keep in mind that you can respec your character by meeting with Rennala and giving her a Larva Tear to respec. She’s located in the main boss area in the Academy of Raya Lucaria.
Elden Ring: best place to farm Runes
Elden Ring boss battle guide
Offensive Melee Build

Recommended Starting Class:Â Warrior
Key Attributes:Â Dexterity and Endurance
Weapons:Â Reduvia and Eleonora’s Poleblade
Armour: Twinned Armor (set)
This class build is best if you like to close the distance and wail on enemies with barrages of sword slashes. You basically dual-wield a polearm and a dagger, which requires some levels of Dexterity to handle properly. You may need to also add in some Strength and Faith points for weapon requirement purposes.
You also need a good amount of Endurance, since attacks cost stamina and load. The more you have, the lighter stuff feels and you can swing your weapon a bit more before you’re drained of stamina. Also, you can wear a lot of great armour like the Twinned Armor set above.
The two weapons we mentioned add the bleed effect, which can drain enemy health pretty quick if you apply the bleed effect quick enough. The Reduvia dagger is dropped from Bloody Finger Nerijus early on in Limgrave near Murkwater Cave, while the Eleonora Poleblade is at the Second Church of Marika at the Alteus Plateau.
Magic Ranged Build

Recommended Starting Class:Â Astrologer
Key Attributes: Intelligence, Mind, Vigor (so you don’t die fast)
Weapons:Â Astrologer’s Staff, Azur’s Glintstone Staff
Key spells:Â Swift Glintstone Shard, Glintstone Cometshard, Carian Slicer
Armour: Twinned Armor set + Glintstone Crown
Arguably the most famous build to witness online when you see a boss walkthrough video. Generally, it involves you throwing a bunch of Glintstone projectiles quick and with less hassle while staying the hell away from the enemy.
For this build, you need high Intelligence to boost magic damage and meet certain requirements for incantations, spells, and equipment. You also need high Mind stats for max FP. You may also need a few points in Vigor so that you can at least take a hit or two before rolling and dodging away.
Equipment-wise, you’ll need a staff to cast spells. Starting off as an Astrologer means you get the Astrologer’s Staff but you can get your hands on the aforementioned staves at the Academy of Raya Lucaria.
The Azur’s Glintstone Staff (which requires an Intelligence stat of 52) makes you cast spells fast at the cost of extra FP requirements, which is negated since this build makes you pump points into Mind. You can find this at the top level of the Church of the Cuckoo at the Academy of Raya Lucaria; this requires a lot of roof jumping and exploring, so have fun!
Defensive Melee Build
Recommended Starting Class:Â Samurai
Key Attributes:Â Strength and Endurance
Weapons:Â Katana, Nagakiba
Shield:Â Tower shields
Armour: Twinned Armor (set)
If you like soaking up damage, you should try this build. This one uses the katana for quick attacks and a tall shield to provide defense and good blocking aptitude. You need to buff up your Strength and Endurance to get tough.
Spellsword Build

Recommended Starting Class: Astrologer
Key Attributes: Intelligence, Mind, Dexterity
Weapons: Carian Knight’s Sword, Carian Knight’s Shield, Demi-Human Queen’s Staff
Key spells: Swift Glintstone Shard, Carian Slicer, Carian Greatsword, Carian Piercer
Armour: Carian Knight SetÂ
This class is made for those wanting a glass cannon but a fast-hitting mage thatâ€™s all about melee. The different sword spells can be used for different scenarios making you able to tackle just about any challenge.
The Carian Slicer is your main damage as itâ€™s insanely fast and does great damage with high intelligence. Just be sure to combo them with any move beforehand like a sword swing or a dodge to cancel the initial casting animation.
After a critical hit or posture break, charge up your weaponâ€™s giant magic sword slash weapon art which would kill most enemies immediately or take a big chunk off a bossâ€™ health bar.
The Carian Greatsword is great for crowds and is relatively easy to cast if you space yourself well, while the Carian Piercer is ideal for one-shotting enemies or targeting bosses while keeping a safe distance.
Use your quick magic bullets to finish off any enemies with low health or to sneak in some hits while you gauge the situation. This build is extremely fragile though so time your dodges right and youâ€™ll make quick work of just about any foe.
Bloodborne Build

Recommended Starting Class: Thief
Key Attributes: Dexterity, Arcane (for blood slash damage), Endurance (extra dodges)
Weapons: Ivory Sickle, Urumi, Reduvia
Talisman: Assassin’s Crimson Dagger, Winged Sword Insignia, Claw Talisman
Armour: Skeletal Mask, Raptor’s Black Feathers, Traveler’s Gloves, Foot Soldier Greaves
For those missing the quick dashes of Bloodborne and looking to cosplay as a hunter from the streets of Yharnam, this build is for you. The armour itself will have you looking like Eileen the Crow, with blood slashes to satisfy your nostalgia while still being a highly lethal way to become Elden Lord.Â
This build is all about dealing death by a thousand cuts and dual-wielding your two daggers to overwhelm enemies. Do note, it’s important that you wield Reduvia on your off hand as you can rely on the Quick Step Ashe of War for a nimbler, easier dash instead of a roll, just like in Bloodborne.
To use Reduviaâ€™s blood slashes simply two-hand it and go ham. Plus, the rapid slashes will allow you to proct Wing Sword Insigniaâ€™s damage buff easier making you more lethal the more aggressive you play. Urumi is to emulate the Threaded Cane trick weapon and is great for crowds or if you wanna have more breathing room while dealing damage besides looking cool as heck.
Using the Quick Step can still be used even when youâ€™re out of FP so be sure to abuse it!
Rock Thrower Cleric Build

Recommended Starting Class: Confessor
Key Attributes: Strength, Faith, Endurance
Weapons: Battle Hammer, Clawmark Seal
Key spells: Bestial Sling, Stone of Gurranq
Talismans: Hammer Talisman, Assassin’s Crimson Dagger, Claw Talisman
Armour: Black Wolf Mask + Cleanrot Armor set
This build is all about smashing your enemies by throwing rocks. Yeap, thatâ€™s it.
Donâ€™t underestimate its effectiveness though, as your hammer along with your incantations does insane posture damage, opening them up to critical hits very frequently.Â
Your catalyst is unique since it allows your incantations to scale with Strength, so a focus on the Faith stat isnâ€™t really crucial if youâ€™ve reached the stat requirements to use the spells. The Bestial Sling is really fast to cast after an attack or dodge and can be used to compensate for your slow hammer strikes or triggering a stagger.
Once you break an enemyâ€™s posture (which will happen a lot) make use of your talismanâ€™s bonus to heal when landing a critical hit, which will have you be healthy for the most part. The focus on Strength also means youâ€™re tanky as hell, so youâ€™ll practically be unkillable. Almost. This is a From Software game, after all.
Sword of Night & Flame Build

Recommended Starting Class: Astrologer
Key Attributes: Mind, Intelligence, Faith
Talismans: Golden Order Seal, Radagon’s Soreseal

Faith All-Rounder Build (via Moxsy)
Recommended Starting Class: Confessor
Key Attributes: Vigor, Mind, Endurance, Faith
Talismans: Radagon’s Soreseal, Two Fingers Heirloom, Radagon Icon
This Build lets you use the best Faith spells while also having some melee prowess. However, you need a couple of rare Talismans to run the build and make it viable. The spells you’ll be maining are Frozen Lightning, Lightning Spear, and Flame of the Fell God. Lightning Spear is pretty fast for a Faith spell and reaches pretty far, especially with the Two Fingers Heirloom speeding things up.


Spider-Man PS4 Sales Exceed 9 Million Copies Worldwide

Spider-Man had one of its best years in 2018, the biggest of which was arguably Marvel’s Spider-Man for the PS4. That’s why it’s no surprise when Sony Interactive Entertainment Hong Kong Limited Singapore Branch (SIES) announced that sales for the Insomniac Games’ title have exceeded a whopping 9 million copies worldwide as of 25 November 2018.
This is a major achievement for both Sony and Insomniac Games, as well as Marvel Games. We at Kakuchopurei awarded Marvel’s Spider-Man our Game of the Year for 2018, despite fierce competition from other excellent games like God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2. For being what is arguably the quintessential Spidey video game experience to date, it truly deserves the amazing sales it’s getting.
Here’s Insomniac Games Community Director James Stevenson announcing the sales milestone on Twitter and thanking gamers for their support.

Sony @PlayStation just announced that as of 11/25 #SpiderManPS4 has sold-through over 9 million copies. Thank you for your support pic.twitter.com/uZ5ejZ5082
â€” James Stevenson (@JamesStevenson) January 8, 2019
Additionally, SIES also announced that the PS4 has officially sold an incredible 91.6 million units worldwide as of 31 December 2018. In fact, more than 5.6 million units were sold during the 2018 holiday season alone. That means the PS4 long overtaken the PS3’s lifetime total of 83.8 million, with a clear shot of possibly surpassing the original PlayStation’s 102.49 million units soon.

â€œThanks to the continued support from our fans during the holiday season, we are pleased to announce that PS4 has reached 91.6 million units globally,â€ said Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO John Kodera. “We are also happy to announce that the monthly active users of PlayStation Network continue to show strong growth and has surpassed 90 million as of the end of November 2018.”


Red Dead Redemption 2 Hits 25 Million Copies; More Online Content Coming

Take-Two Interactive has just released their latest quarterly earnings report and everything is looking good for the company which isn’t too surprising since they publish big titles like Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2, the Borderlands series, and more.
According to the report (dating up to 30 June 2019), Red Dead Redemption 2 has shipped 25 million copies which is a one million increase since the release of the May 2019 report.

Red Dead Redemption 2 sales have been getting slower and slower as time goes but the amount of sales is still going up. Coupled together with the continuous spending that players are investing through Red Dead Online, the game is still making a huge profit despite being released about 10 months ago.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said that fans of Rockstar’s online components (GTA Online and Red Dead Online) can expect more content to be delivered in the future.
According to Gamespot, the recent GTA Online update which introduced The Diamond Casino & Resort was a major success. On the update’s release week, GTA Online broke two records: Most players in a single day (23 July 2019) and most players in a week (23 July to 29 July 2019).

The report had also included strong performance from other major titles published by Take-Two including NBA 2K19 which has become 2K’s best-selling sports game with 12 million copies shipped.
With a slew of promising upcoming titles such as Borderlands 3, The Outer Worlds, and more content for GTA Online and Red Dead Online, 2020 will be another good year for Take-Two.


Twitch To Offer 50/50 Revenue Split Starting Next Year

Twitch has announced that starting from June 2023, Twitch will not offer a 70/30 split for content creators and streamers on the platform anymore.
The blog post reads:
For these streamers still on these premium deals, we’re adjusting the deal so that they retain their 70/30 revenue share split for the first $100K earned through subscription revenue. Revenue above $100K will be split at the standard 50/50 share split. We’re announcing this change now, but it won’t go into effect until after June 1, 2023.
After that point, streamers will only be affected once their existing contract is up for renewal. All streamers with these terms have already received this information and more via email, and we will make sure to give them exact updates and timelines as we get closer to June 1, 2023.
The provided reason for this change is because of expensive video hosting costs.
The statement reads:
Lastly, we have to talk about the cost of our service. Delivering high definition, low latency, always available live video to nearly every corner of the world is expensive. Using the published rates from Amazon Web Services’ Interactive Video Service (IVS) — which is essentially Twitch video — live video costs for a 100 CCU streamer who streams 200 hours a month are more than $1000 per month.
We don’t typically talk about this because, frankly, you shouldn’t have to think about it. We’d rather you focus on doing what you do best. But to fully answer the question of “why not 70/30,” ignoring the high cost of delivering the Twitch service would have meant giving you an incomplete answer.
There you go. This move will probably be unpopular with Twitch content creators and streamers, who will probably start looking for alternative platforms to do their stuff.


TM Unifi Denies Blocking Access to EA Servers

Representatives from Telekom Malaysia (TM) Berhad’s Digital Strategy and Engagement reached out to us in response to the issue which points all fingers to Malaysian ISP, TM Unifi denying access to EA servers, particularly Apex Legends.
They clarified that they are not in any form, blocking access to EA Servers – or any online gaming servers in that matter. Hoping to quell angry gamers and disgruntled users, TM assures that they are doing their best to investigate and solve the issue that’s been plaguing their users in recent times.
Only recently, the ISP company found themselves in similar hot soup after R6 players were unable to log in to Ubisoft servers.
The short message in Malay also stated that they have identified and are aware of several issues related to the game servers involved which apparently have blocked several user IPs due to bad logins. The message read:

“Kami juga telah mengenal pasti dan sedia maklum atas beberapa isu berkenaan sekatan akses terhadap pelayan permainan video atas talian yang telah menyekat beberapa alamat IP pengguna disebabkan log masuk yang tidak sah.”

Several solutions were proposed yesterday which include changing the DNS to Google’s (8.8.8.8 & 8.8.4.4) which appeared to work for some. It seems that things have returned to normal last night as we didn’t encounter any login issues for Apex Legends. We’ll be sure to keep you posted should this issue rise again.


[Rumour] Super Mario Galaxy & Super Mario 3D World Are Getting Rereleased On Switch

Sources from Eurogamer and VGC has confirmed that Nintendo Switch will feature a lot of old and new Mario games this 2020, to coincide with the original Super Mario Bros.’ 35th anniversary. Here’s the breakdown:

Nintendo will release most of Super Mario’s 35-year back catalogue this year, remastered for Nintendo Switch.
The banner for this news comes with artwork from Super Mario Galaxy, suggesting that the Wii Mario Galaxy games will be one of these titles.
Other titles include Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine (via Gematsu).
Super Mario 3D World, a Wii U exclusive, will also be re-released for the Switch and will feature new levels.
Paper Mario fans: you’re in luck. A new entry in this 2D cutboard RPG game will be in the mix for this announcement.

Personally, I’m hyped up for the Switch version of Super Mario 3D World, one of the few saving graces of the Wii U next to Bayonetta 2 and Wonderful 101. We’re guessing this news will happen a few months before 13th September, the release date of the original NES title in Japan back in 1985.


Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart Is Now Available For Pre-Order

Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore Private Limited has announced that the PS5 exclusive Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart pre-orders are now available.
The pre-order for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Blu-ray Disc Version will be available from 5 May 2021 at all PlayStation Authorised Dealers and Sony Stores. Customers who pre-order Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Blu-ray Disc Version will receive a Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Magnet Set, while stocks last.
Digital version pre-orders for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart are now available on PlayStation Store (PS Store). Youâ€™ll have the option to choose between the Digital Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition â€“ both of which include the full game and bonus incentives for pre-order purchase.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Blu-ray Disc Standard Edition (RM299)
The initial production of disk includes early unlocks for two in-game items:

Pixelizer Weapon*1
Carbonox Armour set*1

*1 Provided by voucher within the package. The voucher expires 30/6/2022. Internet connection and an account for PlayStation Network required to redeem the voucher.Â
Pre-order and receive the following at launch:

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Magnet Set

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Digital Standard Edition (RM299)
Pre-order and receive early unlocks for two in-game items:

Pixelizer Weapon
Carbonox Armour set

Head on over here to the PlayStation Store page to pre-order.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Digital Deluxe Edition (RM339)
Pre-order and receive early unlocks for two in-game items:

Pixelizer Weapon
Carbonox Armour set

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Digital Deluxe Edition includes the following digital content:Â

Five Armour Sets
Photo Mode Sticker Pack
20 Raritanium*2
Digital Soundtrack
Digital Art Book

*2 in-game upgrade materials
Head on over here to the PlayStation Store page to pre-order.
Game Overview
The intergalactic adventurers are back with a bang. Help them stop a robotic emperor intent on conquering cross-dimensional worlds, with their own universe next in the firing line.

Blast your way home with an arsenal of outrageous weaponry.
Experience the shuffle of dimensional rifts and dynamic gameplay.
Explore never-before-seen planets and parallel universe versions of old favourites.

PS5 Features

Feel in-game actions through the haptic feedback of the DualSenseâ„¢ Wireless Controller.
Take full control of advanced weapon mechanics, made possible by adaptive triggers.
Planet-hop at hyper-speed via the near-instant loading of the PS5 consoleâ€™s SSD.
Immerse your ears with Tempest 3D AudioTech*3 as you work to save the universe.
Enhanced lighting and ray tracing render dazzling in-game worlds â€“ displayed in crisp, dynamic 4K and HDR*4.
Choose Performance Mode to enjoy targeted 60 frames per second gameplay.

Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart is slated to release for the PS5 on 11 June 2021. You can check out more details here. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Infinix Hot 20 Firmly Punches Above Its Weight

Whenever we are given a phone to review, we normally encapsulate said device in one word after play-testing it for a few days. And in the case of the Infinix Hot 20, ‘overdelivering’ is the word that perfectly represents this sub-RM1000 phone that punches well above its weight.
Sure, the Hot 20 does not carry the pedigree of a big brand heading into the super competitive low to mid-range phones but what it lacks in legacy, makes up with delivery. A great starter phone or even as a backup device for many, the Infinix Hot 20 boasts specs that would have been rated flagship-tier just a few years back.
Hot Stuff?
The Hot 20 is available in four colours – Black, white, blue and purple – and comes with not just a charge cable and adapter combo, but a clear phone case as well. If ‘newcomer’ Infinix is able to include these accessories alongside an entry-level device, more prominent brands have no excuse not to.

The 90Hz screen on a 6.82-inch screen combo is no slouch considering many rival flagship models sporting 120Hz refresh rate are selling several thousand ringgits over the Hot 20. This makes media consumption and to a certain extent, gaming on the go a pleasant experience. The Hot 20 also supports NFC, with the Virtual RAM feature, allowing the 6GBs worth of RAM to be bumped up to a respectable 11GB. The Hot 20 is only available with a 128GB storage capacity.
And once you consider other aspects under the hood, a decent stereo speaker, a 3.5mm earphone jack, a 5000mAh battery AND a dual-50MP rear camera setup, you cannot help but ask ‘what’s the catch?’, right?
Well, there aren’t many. Sure the Hot 20 doesn’t run on the latest and most advanced smartphone chip in the market; far from it. However, the Mediatek Helios G85 processor does an admirable job in getting things done. For a phone that costs about 1/8th of many flagship models in the market, it’s actually very impressive what the Hot 20 was able to churn out.
The experience of navigating around the device is pretty good with very little stutters. We did notice a slight lag when we tried to overload the phones with several heavy apps running simultaneously. However, this is more of an outlier rather than the norm. Playing Call of Duty Mobile on the device, we were able to push the graphics quality to ‘Medium’ while the framerate is capped to ‘High’ but these settings didn’t stop us from dominating the lobby.

One prevailing issue we noticed is the fingerprint scanner which is embedded into the side power button. Throughout the period of testing the phone, we experienced failure to capture our fingerprints on numerous occasions. Experience may vary – it could be due to a software issue which can be rectified quickly with an update, a hardware issue or simply, due to us. But we feel it is worth pointing out.
The camera performance can be considered respectable for standard point-and-shoot scenarios but suffered significantly in low-light conditions. It isn’t the worst, but we wouldn’t be solely relying on this device if we are out and about at night, snapping photographs.
The mostly plastic build also left a lot to be desired but at the end of the day, befits the market segment Infinix is trying to appeal to – entry-level yet tech-savvy and discerning crowd. But it doesn’t mean that the Hot 20 feels cheap in any way. It’s got the heft of an RM2000 phone and unless you are really scrutinizing it, won’t notice the material used to assemble the device. The biggest plus from this is that the Hot 20 isn’t as bulky compared to most modern devices.
We are also not fans of the U.I but that’s mostly down to personal preference. Right out of the box, it felt clunky and gave a pre-2019 vibe. But if you are able to get through this, everything else is a breeze.
Too Hot To Handle?
Apart from these minor complaints, the Hot 20 is outstanding in all departments once you take into consideration its retail price of RM599. Definitely worth picking up if you are on a budget but are on the hunt for a secondary or backup device.
We would also recommend this as a starter phone for teens or those dabbling to dip their toes into competitive gaming. The price tag definitely belies the overall value of the Infinix Hot 20 making it at the very least, worth checking out.
Pros

A very, very impressive package for a sub-RM600 device.
Good battery life performance.
3.5mm headphone jack (YAY!).

Cons

Clunky U.I.
Passable low-light photography.

FINAL SCORE: 70/100
A review unit of the Infinix Hot 20 was provided to us by Infinix.


Guitar Hero Developer’s Latest Game Is Coming This November

Publisher NCSOFT and developer Harmonix have announced that Fuser will launch for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam on 10 November 2020.
Fuser is a DJ rhythm game with a library of over 100 songs, including tracks from the worldâ€™s top artists. Players can complete challenges to unlock new skills and content in Campaign play or create incredible mixes and custom effects in Freestyle play.

? Control the Music  ?  Master the Mix ? Share with the World ?Headline #FUSER's non-stop digital music festival releases on console and PC November 10! https://t.co/BlBaQOFtpl #PlayFUSER #Xbox #Playstation #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/t1a4sV31S2— FUSER (@FUSERgame) September 3, 2020

The list of songs is extensive, featuring Billie Eilish’s bad guy, a-ha’s Take On Me, Amy Winehouse’s Rehab, and a lot more. Those who pre-order the game will receive three bonus DLC songs.


Four Warner Bros. 100 Years Documentary Specials To Debut On HBO GO

100 Years of Warner Bros., four Max Original documentary specials narrated by Morgan Freeman and directed by Academy Award and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks (The Imagineering Story, Recycled Life), debut Thursday, 25 May 2023 with the first two specials on HBO GO. The third and fourth specials will stream on 1 June 2023.
The first two specials will premiere at the Festival de Cannes on May 24 as a 2023 Official Cannes Classics Selection. 100 Years of Warner Bros. tells the unprecedented story of the fabled entertainment studio on its 100th anniversary. Featuring insights and first-person stories from directors, actors, executives, journalists and historians, the four specials trace Warner Bros.’ underdog origins – from its founding in the early 1920s by four brothers from an immigrant family, through decades of creative risks and impactful storytelling, to the historic mergers of the 2000s that transformed the company into a global entertainment powerhouse.
With narration by Morgan Freeman and clips from iconic films and hit TV series, 100 Years of Warner Bros. offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look into the indelible stories that have spoken to audiences around the world for generations.
Loglines for Each Documentary Special:

1.     100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS.: THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF

Four brothers set out to build a movie studio from the ground up–while making a giant leap from silent films to “talkies.” As the Warners stand up to WWII Nazism, personal ambitions lead to family betrayal.

2.     100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS.: CLINT, KUBRICK AND KRYPTONITE

After a historic sale, Warner Bros. navigates the upheavals of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Under a new strategist CEO, the company enters an era of unmatched storytelling with groundbreaking projects.

3.     100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS.: HEROES, VILLAINS AND FRIENDS

In the ‘80s, a new generation helps crown Warner Bros. as a forerunner in Hollywood’s blockbuster age. After a historic merger, the company becomes one of the biggest entertainment giants in the world.

4.     100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS.: WIZARDING WORLD AND THE BIG BANG

As the millennium brings a new era of business partnerships bookended by mergers, Warner Bros. continues to champion authentic voices while harnessing the latest technologies of the digital age.

The four documentary specials feature over 60 interviews with legendary filmmakers, actors and executives, including:

Kim Basinger.
Candice Bergen.
Linda Blair.
Orlando Bloom.
Quinta Brunson.
LeVar Burton.
Tim Burton.
Lynda Carter.
Jon M. Chu.
George Clooney.
Chris Columbus.
Kevin Costner.
Alfonso Cuarón.
Ellen DeGeneres.
Robert De Niro.
Ernest Dickerson.
Clint Eastwood.
Toby Emmerich.
Morgan Freeman.
William Friedkin.
Gal Gadot.
Andy Garcia.
Tony Gilroy.
Ron Howard.
Ke Huy Quan.
Patty Jenkins.
Harvey Keitel.
Linda Lavin.
Chuck Lorre.
Baz Luhrmann.
Leonard Maltin.
Ben Mankiewicz.
Matthew Modine.
Gregory Nava.
Christopher Nolan.
Edward James Olmos.
Gregory Orr.
Jesse Palmer.
Todd Phillips.
Daniel Radcliffe.
Keanu Reeves.
Charles Roven.
Martin Scorsese.
Jacqueline Stewart.
Oliver Stone.
Emma Thomas.
Cass Warner.
John Wells.
Oprah Winfrey.
Constance Wu.

100 Years of Warner Bros. is produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, Warner Horizon and Iwerks & Co. The four documentary specials are executive produced by Leslie Iwerks, Mike Darnell, Brooke Karzen, Dan Sacks and Bridgette Theriault. Rebecca Ratliff Cameron, Richard Burgio and Stacey Thomas-Muir serve as co-executive producers.
You can subscribe to HBO GO online at https://www.hbogoasia.my/ or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store for RM23.30 per month. You can also access HBO GO via Astro. HBO GO is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.


Ebenezer Scrooge Is Starring In His Own Metroidvania Side-Scrolling Game

During PC Gaming Show 2023, Orbit Studio and Play On Worlds announced Ebenezer And The Invisible World.
Ebenezer And The Invisible World Embark is a 2D Metroidvania adventure with breathtaking hand-drawn art, playing as miser-turned-hero Ebenezer Scrooge in a reimagined Victorian-fantasy based on Charles Dickens’ classic novel, A Christmas Carol.
Players will enlist the help of ghosts to save the people of London before it’s too late.
The demo is now playable on Steam.
Ebenezer And The Invisible World will launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC. However, there is still no release date.


E3 2019: Wolfenstein – Youngblood Is A Rockin’ 80s-Esque Co-Op Shooting Trip

BJ Blazkowicz may have been the highlight brooding tough guy in Machine Head’s take on Wolfenstein, which balances gun-heavy combat and akimbo shotguns alongside good storytelling, but the formula needs to change. Enter his twin daughters, Jess and Soph, who are given the task to find their dad after we went missing during a Paris covert sting. That’s the premise of the new entry in the series: Wolfenstein – Youngblood.
While it’s cool and all to see the New Order universe through the eyes of a battle-weary older gent, it’s even more refreshing to see it through the eyes of two in-training soldiers who think this is a lot of fun. Of course, with narrative changes come gameplay tweaks: you can still run and gun Nazis and baddies left and right, but there’s bit more of a stealth and speed element this time around.
Half And Half
Seeing as half the game is co-developed by Arkane (the Dishonored folks), your protagonists are fast and agile. They have a double jump and can climb on ledges faster than anyone to get to higher ground. When their health runs low, they can use “pep” gestures to give their sister a temporary boost. A “thumbs up” grants health, while a “metal horns” dishes out armour. Essentially, you are your ally’s temporary pick-me-up in a dire situation.

Levels are also a bit more open-ended than the previous Wolfenstein titles. The duo gain access to three distinct city districts and can use the Metro system to traverse to either one of them. And each district has their own “gimmicks” and level design to make them distinct from each other.
And just like the Dishonored games, the sisters can upgrade themselves via Silver coins. You can use them to either make your weapons have bigger magazine sizes, or just attach better scopes and silencers for stealthy kills. Leveling them up also opens up new moves, like a bone-crushing tackle when you sprint into Nazis or a temporary invisibility cloak. Those neo-Daft Punk suits on the screenshots aren’t just for show.
A New Lens
The fact that the sisters are novices in this means that the dialogue and banter is a lot more light-hearted and intentionally awkward, but in a good way for viewers. Never have I seen such joy when both of them scored their first explosive Nazi kill, followed up with guffaws from the twins. They are certainly chattier than their dad, which means that this may be subjective to taste if you prefer New Order and New Colossus’ approach to narrative while gunning.
As for gunplay, it seems that the SMGs and the shotguns are the go-to guns during the E3 demo. As much as we would like to go into detail, we can judge the rest of the game when it’s out this 26th July. As it stands so far, the sister-to-sister banter, the fresh non-grim perspective, and the open-ended approach to taking down Nazis are the jumpstart the new Wolfenstein series needed.


The Epic Games Store Will Continue Giving Away Free Games In 2020

When the Epic Games Store (EGS) first came out, almost nobody anything had anything positive to say about it. Feature-wise, it was embarrassingly barren compared to Steam and there were even claims of it being used to siphon data from users to the Chinese government.

A year later, things are looking up for EGS. Epic recently announced that they’re continuing the act of giving away free games each week in 2020. Right now, you can still claim Sundered: Eldritch Edition on the store.
What’s more interesting are the numbers they achieved in 2019. In the same announcement, they showed that PC users have spent more than US$680 million on EGS. Out of that amount, US$251 million were spent on third party games. Mind you, that’s just the actual spending amount, it doesn’t take into account coupons, Epic funding of developers and other promotions.

In 2019, EGS gave away 73 free games. Those games costed a total of US$1,455 (based on US prices). That’s pretty amazing because who else would give away more than a thousand dollars worth of free games?!
The EGS is still far away from being able to beat Steam but it’s definitely making a name for itself. With more platform exclusives such as Magic: The Gathering and Godfall coming our way, I’m confident the store will grow even bigger in 2020.


Horror Movie Poster Artist Enzo Sciotti Dies At 76

Enzo Sciotti has passed away at the age of 76. He was a legendary Italian horror movie poster artist best known for a lot of classic posters from the 80s and 90s.
According to CBR, Sciotti was born in Rome to a family of painters, and he started drawing at a young age. Sciotti’s mother helped get him a job making movie posters when he was just 16 years old. He later joined forces with another movie poster artist named Ezio Tarantelli to build a movie poster studio of their own.
He has previously made many movie posters, including 1981’s The House By The Cemetery by Lucio Fulci.

1984’s Blood Simple by the Coen Brothers.

He also did the Italian posters for 1988’s Beetlejuice by Tim Burton and 1992’s Army Of Darkness by Sam Raimi.

RIP to a legend who made posters for over 3000 movies in the span of more than six decades.


First Official PlayStation 5 Details Finally Revealed

The PlayStation 5 is undoubtedly in the works. Analysts have predicted the console to arrive somewhere in 2021 to 2022, and based on this report by Wired, it seems about right.
If you thought the PlayStation 4 Pro was a beast of a console, the next-generation console is a gargantuan behemoth.
The Main Chips
According to Mark Cerny, the console will have a new CPU and GPU. While the PS4 family had AMD Jaguar CPUs, the next-gen console will have a CPU based off the AMD’s 3rd-Gen Ryzen line and will have eight cores of the companyâ€™s new 7nm Zen 2 microarchitecture.
The GPU, on the other hand, will feature a custom variant of Radeon’s Navi family, and will have Ray Tracing support. Ray Tracing is a technique that simulates light rays in real time, rather than being pre-rendered. The only gaming GPU to support ray tracing at this moment is Nvidia’s RTX lineup, which costs as much as a 2nd hand car.
The Navi GPU family is rumoured to be as powerful as an Nvidia RTX 2080. That’s very, very powerful considering it’s almost as powerful as the beefiest GPU the market has right now.
Ray tracing can also be used to simulate spatial sounds.

â€œIf you wanted to run tests to see if the player can hear certain audio sources or if the enemies can hear the playersâ€™ footsteps, ray tracing is useful for that. It’s all the same thing as taking a ray through the environment,â€ said Cerny to Wired.

Sound Quality
Speaking about sound, the AMD chip will include a custom unit for 3D audio. While the jump between the PS3 to the PS4 was small in terms of audio, this time it will be massive.
Cerny points out that the effect will make you feel more immersed in the game as sounds come at you from above, from behind, and from the side. The effect needs nothing more than your TV speakers and visual surround sound. Cerny still maintains that headphones are the ‘gold standard’ of audio.
System Storage
With games heading into the hundreds of GBs of info, such as Red Dead Redemption 2, we’re going to need something that can store that much and more.
Storage does not only affect how much you can store, but also how fast can you load.
So, Cerny said that a solid state drive (SSD) could help with that. But what’s inside Sony’s next-gen monster is something better.
A specialised storage kit has been developed and was demonstrated to Wired. For example, Cerny booted up Marvel’s Spider-Man on a PS4 Pro. An open world game is notorious for loading multiple items, making load times long. He then fast-travels to another location, which takes about 15 seconds to finally load.
Then Cerny pulls off the same thing on a next-gen devkit hooked to a different TV. Guess what, it took them 0.8 of a second to load. Less than a freaking second.
Well, you could argue that you could plop in the fastest SSD on the market to your PS4 Pro, but you’ll only get about one-third faster than your original storage. Cerny claims that the PS5’s SSD has a raw bandwidth higher than any SSD out there, but hasn’t revealed the manufacturer, or if it uses the new PCIe 4.0 standard.
Anything Else?
For starters, the console will still accept physical media. Since the console is built in part from the PS4’s architecture, it will be backwards compatible with current gen games.
Sounds like whatever is coming from Sony in the next-generation console is basically beefier than anything we’ve ever seen on the market. This is one way to top the current generation of already powerful gaming consoles.


Fortnite Adds 50v50 Mode

PlayerUnknown Battleground’s rival, Fortnite is getting a variation of their 100-player free for all; a 50v50 mode available from now til 17th December 2017 on the PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNln_1MoR2M&w=560&h=315]
In the new game mode, players can form squads of up to four people and then merge them into a random team to be either part of a 50-player side and teammates will appear with chevrons on each of their characters. In this new mode, friendly fire will be turned off and teammates are able to aid those on their side- those have been downed but not killed off. So instead of the last man standing, the winner will be determined on the last of the two teams that remain.
Publishers Epic claims that 30 million accounts have been created since the game’s launch to download and play the game and this figure include users who paid full price forÂ Fortnite Â as well as those who downloaded the free-to-playÂ Battle RoyaleÂ version.


New ASUS ROG Strix Laptop & Peripherals Go Cyberpunk Pink

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has announced a new Electro Punk series that consists of a special-edition gaming laptop and peripherals decked out in a sleek black-and-pink combination.
With the new Electro Punk series, the ROG colour palette is expanding to include a new cyberpunk-inspired shade with the hex colour code #F7266B. To make the coloured highlights stand out, classic black was selected as a backdrop to the bold pink.
The Electro Punk colour combination is available across a full set of matching ROG devices that includes the ROG Strix G15 gaming laptop, ROG Strix Go 2.4 headset, ROG Strix Scope TKL keyboard, ROG Strix Impact II mouse, ROG Sheath mouse pad, and ROG Ranger BP1503 backpack.
ROG Strix G15 Electro Punk Gaming Laptop

The 15-inch ROG Strix G15 features the latest 10th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU with 8 cores and 16 threads, as well as an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER GPU. Combined with a 240 Hz gaming display, ultrafast WiFi 6, and up to two NVMe PCIe Â® 3.0 SSDs, this is one powerful gaming machine.

Check out the full specifications below:

Processor:

Up to Intel Â® Coreâ„¢ i7-10875H

Operating system:

Windows 10 Pro

Graphics:

Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER

Display:

Up to 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS FHD 240 Hz (3 ms)

Memory & Storage:

Up to 32 GB DDR4 3200 MHz SDRAM
2 x M.2 NVMeÂ® PCIeÂ® 3.0 x4 up to 1 TB SSD with RAID 0 support
Up to 3 SSDs

Connectivity:

2×2 IntelÂ® WiFi 6 (802.11ax)
RangeBoost support
BluetoothÂ® 5.0

Audio:

2 x 4.2-watt speakers
Smart amplifier

Keyboard:

 Backlit chiclet keyboard
Aura Sync
Four-zone RGB
Pink WASD

Interfaces:

 Left-side I/O

3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
1 x Audio combo jack: Mic-in and Headphone

Rear-side I/O

1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-Câ„¢ (supports DisplayPort; no PD charging)
1 x RJ45 Ethernet LAN jack
1 x HDMI (HDMI 2.0b, supports 4K HDR), HDCP 2.2

Software:

 Armoury Crate
GameFirst V
Sonic Studio
GameVisual
Aura Creator

Accessories (Optional):

ROG Ranger BP1503 backpack
ROG Strix Go Core Electro Punk gaming headset
ROG Strix Impact II Electro Punk gaming mouse / ROG Gladius II (alternative)
ROG GC21 Webcam

Battery:

 66 Wh

Dimensions:

 36.0 x 27.5 x 2.5 cm

Weight:

 2.39 kg

ROG Strix Go 2.4 Electro Punk Gaming Headset

ROG Strix Go 2.4 Electro Punk is a USB-C 2.4 GHz wireless headset, enabling ultra-stable cordless connections for multi-platform on-the-go gaming, lag-free audio on PC, PS4, Xbox One or smart devices, and the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode.
The lightweight Strix Go 2.4 also charges fast, has a long-lasting battery for nonstop gaming sessions, and comes with a USB-C to USB 2.0 adapter plus a 3.5 mm connector, making it easy to connect to different devices.
ROG Strix Scope TKL Electro Punk Gaming Keyboard

The new ROG Strix Scope TKL Electro Punk keyboard features the brand’s iconic Aura Sync lighting shining under every key, through the ROG logo, and even casts an RGB under-glow from below.
It was also created specifically for fast-paced multiplayer gaming, albeit lacking a full
number pad, making up for that with an enlarged left CTRL-key.
ROG Strix Impact II Electro Punk Gaming Mouse

The new ROG Strix Impact II Electro Punk gaming mouse comes with five programmable buttons, as well as Aura Sync-enabled RGB lighting integrated into the logo, scroll wheel, and front.
Designed with pro gamers in mind, it delivers smooth gameplay with a whopping 6,200 dpi optical sensor ensures accuracy and responsiveness, while an on-the-fly DPI button can switch between four sensitivity profiles.
Meanwhile, an exclusive push-fit switch socket design makes it simple to change click resistances and extend a mouseâ€™s lifespan.
ROG Sheath Electro Punk Gaming Mouse Pad

At 35 inches across and 17 inches deep, every Electro Punk edition Strix G15 laptop comes with a special ROG Sheath desk mat that dials up pinpoint precision for gaming mice.
ROG Electro Punk Backpack
Made with a durable, lightweight water-repellent exterior, the ROG Ranger BP1503 backpack is customized with pink piping, patches, and a saucy slash across the front.
Local Price And Availability
At the time of writing, ASUS ROG has yet to announce the official price for the products above, or where they can be purchased.


Lupin III 3D Film Gets Release Date & New Trailer

I never thought humanity would survive long enough to see a 3D film version of anime cat burglar heist classic Lupin III, yet here we are. And it’s still looking sweet.
Called Lupin III: The First, this CGI adaptation of the series starring artist Monkey Punch’s lanky characters and curvy badass females will hit Japan theatres 6th December.

The trailer introduces a new character into the fray: Leticia. Seems like she’s in search of the show’s MacGuffin and she needs the thief’s help. The film is directed by Takashi Yamazaki and music is by Yuji Ono.
So far, it’s looking just as sexy as Fujiko Mine. The CGI here is using the same style as that Dragon Quest movie and it’s accentuated further with Monkey Punch’s highly-flexible characters and its pulp action beats.
Expect Southeast Asia to have this film in theatres a month or so after Japan’s release, if other distributed animes like Weathering With You is of any indication. While you wait, here are more trailers of the adaptation; it looks hella gorgeous!


Crime Drama Poker Sim Sunshine Shuffle Drops This May

Strange Scaffold, the developers of the much-awaited crime drama poker game Sunshine Shuffle, has announced that the game will hit the shelves on 24 May. The game will be available for Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
Sunshine Shuffle is not your typical poker game. It’s a narrative adventure that takes you on a wild ride with talking animals who have a bit of a shady past. These creatures are part of the “Morning Shift,” a group of working-class critters who tried to pull a Robin Hood and ended up crossing paths with the Fishie Mob. But hey, they lived to tell the tale!
As you play through the game of Texas Hold ‘Em, you’ll uncover the story behind how the largest bank on the Eastern Seaboard got robbed in a single afternoon. And that’s not all – you’ll also earn tokens with each win, which you can use to spruce up your ship, the S.S. Sunshine. Deck it out with new light fixtures, chairs, card decks, and more!
But watch out – you’ll also be facing off against some pretty tough opponents. Picture staring down a 12-year-old kitten who has nothing left to lose.
At least you’ll have the game’s vibrant ska soundtrack to keep you pumped up and wiggling in your seat. So, mark your calendars for 24 May and get ready to shuffle your way to victory!

Key Features

A fusion of poker and narrative adventure, with a story that unfolds as you play!
Deep neo-noir story told with style, care, and the pain of hindsight.
Unlockable conversations that further reveal the story of the Morning Shift, and their lives before and after forming the infamous heist crew.
Rewards for careful strategy that let you decorate the S.S. Sunshine your way; with plastic skeletons and fish bowls and a dice-themed carpet; as the universe intended.
Original ska soundtrack from acclaimed musicians Skatune Network and RJ Lake!
A seadog with an eyepatch named Fidelius.


New PS5 Demon’s Souls Gameplay Trailer Showcases More Bosses

Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Bluepoint Games have revealed a new gameplay trailer for the upcoming Demon’s Souls remake.
It offers over five minutes of new gameplay footage, featuring boss enemies like the Armoured Spider and Flamelurker.
Previews of the game have also gone up on several Japanese websites, which Gematsu has translated. Here’s what we’ve learned so far:
Hidetaka Miyazaki and FromSoftware (who originally created the game) were not involved in the development of the remake.

There is a new option within the Nexus where players can â€œstoreâ€ their character, and players can change their character by paying a certain amount of souls.

Players can switch between a new camera or the old one from the original game.

There will be a black and white filter visual option.

World Tendency will work like before. The UI has been adjusted to make it easier for players to understand which state the World Tendency is in.

Players will have a more limited supply of healing grasses, and better grasses like â€œFull Moon Grassâ€ will weigh more than less effective grasses.

Everything that was in the original PS3 version is in the remake, but there will also be â€œa ton of new content to find.” However, there is no sixth Archstone.

There are two gameplay modes: â€œCinematic,â€ which is native 4K resolution at 30FPS; and â€œPerformance,â€ which is dynamic 4K resolution at 60FPS.

There will be a Photo Mode.

There are no difficulty settings, just like the original (or any other FromSoftware game).

Fractured Mode is basically the Fractured World and itâ€™s a mirror mode, where the map is reversed.
Demon’s Souls will be available exclusively for the PS5 at launch. In the meantime, check out the gameplay trailer below: