ICBC (Asia) eSports & Music Festival Gives You An Extra Reason to Visit Hong Kong This August

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has confirmed that the ICBC (Asia) e-Sports & Music FestivalÂ HongÂ Kong which is set to take place this 24-26th August 2018 will featureÂ three international esports tournaments including League of Legends, CS:GO and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.Â
Details of the tournaments are as follows:

In the â€œReturn of the Legends 2018â€, former winners of world championships and other legendary players will form two teams, Team East and Team West, to compete for glory.
The prize pool of the â€œZOTAC CUP MASTERS CS:GO 2018 Grand Finalsâ€ is US$300,000
(over HK$2 million), setting a new record in Hong Kongâ€™s e-sports tournament.
14 international and 2 local teams will compete for the â€œHong Kong PUBG World Invitationalâ€ championship with prize money of US$150,000 (over HK$1 million), which is the largest amount ever in local PUBG tournaments.
Over 110 local and international players will participate in the three e-sports
tournaments, including renowned local player Tabe, who was on the first runner-up team in the â€œLeague of Legends World Championshipâ€.

To be held atÂ Hall 3 of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), the event is offering the largest prize pool in Hong Kong esports history.
In addition to the tournaments, attendees will be able to enjoy the floor via theÂ Experience Zone, which showcasesÂ e-sports-related brands and products includingÂ  game displays, VR experience, mobile game trials, KOL stages, and music performances.
The HKTB is also partnering with the CHKCI (Chamber of Hong Kong Computer Industry) to provide a special ticket promotion with the Hong Kong Computer & Communications Festival. Visitors can enjoy a special ticket price to enter the two events.
Tickets for all e-sports tournaments in the ICBC (Asia) e-Sports & Music Festival Hong Kong will be available for sale at hkticketing.com from 12 July onwards and are priced at HK$250 (MYR130, SG$43) HK$120 (MYR62, SG$21) and HK$50 (MYR26, SG$9). Just interested in the Experience Zone? Then you’d be glad to know that the admission fee is HK$10 (MYR5, SG$2).
For those who prefer buying on the day, fret not as tickets will be available at the HKCEC box office during the festival.
Ticket holders of the Hong Kong Computer & Communication Festival 2018 will be entitled to free admission to the ICBC (Asia) e-Sports & Music Festival Hong Kong â€” Experience Zone on the same day; and ticket holders of the ICBC (Asia) e-Sports & Music Festival Hong Kong e-sports tournaments will be entitled to free admission to both the Experience Zone and the Hong Kong Computer & Communication Festival 2018 in Hall 1 of the HKCEC on the same day.
For more ticketing info, head over to their website here.


Diablo 4 Will Receive New Story Content Every Season & Quarter Post-Launch

If you’re done with Diablo 4’s story campaign, rest assured that there will be more.
True to the past games, Diablo 4 will get seasonal content every three months; said content will introduce new storylines according to a Game Informer cover story. The game’s associate game director Joe Piepiora said that the quarterly DLC shouldn’t be labelled as an “expansion” but rather post-launch content with additional story content tied with new mechanics and features, all related to the season update. Each update comes with a seasonal battle pass which has both free and premium forms.
Blizzard has confirmed that the game’s first season will not go live with Diablo 4’s launch, which is on 6 June for PC and consoles. For more on Diablo 4’s endgame and loot, head to our feature hub.


Crash Bandicoot 4’s Hardcore Platforming Will Toughen You Up

Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One
Genre: 3D platformer with 2D 90s fruit-collecting crate-smashing roots
When I think transitional 2D to 3D period of gaming, I think “PlayStation”, “Nintendo 64”, Super Mario 64, and Crash Bandicoot. Well, mostly the latter, especially when it comes to 3D platforming. Sure there were a couple like the Pandemonium games and Croc, but the Naughty Dog Crash Bandicoot trilogy was where it was at with punishing platforming and pitch-perfect OCD-inducing collectathon gameplay.
Fast forward to now, and the folks who did the Crash Bandicoot: NSane Trilogy remake, new physics and all, have splintered off to another dev house and have made a new Crash title; an official sequel to the trilogy that pretends that the previous multiplatform efforts weren’t canon.
At the same time, this sequel attempts to balance the nostalgic tendencies of the past games while offering modern takes on hardcore platforming to keep things fresh. So did it work? As someone yearning for some good 3D platforming that isn’t Nintendo-made, the answer is a resounding “yes”.
Twinsanity

Crash Bandicoot 4’s plot is as simple and as platform-ey as you can get: bad guys Dr. Neo Cortex and N-Tropy break out of their prison and wreak havoc across all dimensions, time, and space. It’s up to Crash and Coco Bandicoot to find the Quantum Masks to save the day, alongside surprise guests like an alternate version of Crash’s girlfriend Tawna and former bad guy Dingodile.
If you’ve at least touched a recent 2D-slash-3D platformer like the recent Mario games and the Yooka Laylee series, you’ll be familiar with Crash 4’s gameplay. You run, you jump, you stomp on enemies or use your Crash Spin, you avoid obstacles and pitfalls, you die in one hit, the Aku Aku masks give you an extra hit point or two, and the levels get more and more devious.
The game’s subtitle “It’s About Time” isn’t just for kicks: the game literally throws you around the different time periods in the Crash Bandicoot universe from dinosaur-filled prehistoric periods to Mad Max-esque desert stages.

You even get teleported to a Mardi Gras world filled with ghosts and skeletal beings playing instruments, and the whole level moving in sync with the music. It’s pretty fun to play through, to the point where I don’t mind dying a number of times getting to the swing of things.

And die you will, a lot. Crash 4 is anything but a walk in the park. Taking a cue from the Rayman Origins/Legends games, the game ditches the life system in favor of a death counter and a generous amount of checkpoints. While the early parts of a stage will reel you in gently through its stage gimmicks and pitfalls, they start ramping up in full force halfway through. You’ll be succumbing to respawning from just experimenting the going-ons with a stage, or finding out the hard way that the last platform to a sequential jumping bit houses a poison-spitting plant to mess with you.
The game even throws you a bone or two by generating earlier checkpoint crates and giving you an Aku Aku shield if you died enough times. I should know; I racked up to 20 deaths in the final two worlds and its sci-fi space setting. There’s a lot of gravity flipping, alien-riding, and space traffic platforming that’s enough to make you break your controller in two. God forbid if you’re playing this on a giant TV that does not have its lag input calibrated.
Still, practice makes perfect, and pretty soon you’ll be a better platformer out of Crash 4’s trials and tribulations. If you want, you can change the difficulty to Retro mode where you’re given a set amount of lives to proceed. After playing through Modern mode, it’s a nice touch but why would you go back?
Marsupacalamity

Thankfully the controls and character choices aren’t going to be your downfall, because they’re spot-on and makes the journey extra fun.Â While Crash and Coco are identical in control scheme (double jumps, spin, ground pound, and so forth), Tawna and Dingodile control differently.
Tawna has a grappling hook that hits foes and switches from afar, as well as do wall jump at certain spots. Dingodile hovers ala Princess Peach with his high-powered vacuum device. He also sucks enemies and crates with it, as well as use it to suck and spit out TNT crates to blow stuff up. These new playstyle additions are in the main game and alternate stages where you see certain things happen from a different perspective during the time-spanning adventure.
Heck, you even play as the bad guy Dr. Neo Cortex in some of these stages; he comes with his own gimmicks like transforming foes into platforms and an air dash at the cost of no double jump. They’re all fun to play as and experiment with, and they don’t hog the spotlight that’s meant for the true Crash experience. The aforementioned masks are the game’s highlight: they give different powerups in certain segments of a stage to open up new avenues of platforming challenges.
One mask lets you phase objects in back and forth, which means jumping sections where you have to press the phase button midway at the right time so that you land on your new platform. Failing that results in a bottomless pit death or phasing into the platform, also fatal, mind you. Another lets you slow down time, making the volatile Nitro crates as viable bouncing platforms for a few seconds. The last two masks let you do an infinity spin move that makes your jumps floaty and flip gravity in reverse (and back again) at will respectively.Â  The latter throws in levels clearly inspired by gravity-switching indie wunderkind VVVVVV; it’s exhilarating to a degree just switching gravity mid-jump to narrowly avoid spikes and acid pits while proceeding forward.
While they’re fun and the levels they come with are challenging, they do lead to death via muscle memory mix-ups. But like I said, practice makes perfect.

I am completely down with a 2D/3D 90s-style platformer remade for this generation with new and inventive power-ups that help bolster the challenge to a game reliant on collectibles and solid level design. Crash 4 does this well to a tee and is pretty fun, and features a ton of replayability thanks to unlockable endings and secrets if you collect enough fruit, break enough crates, or not die more than 3 times.
The game may take less than 8 hours to finish in one sitting, but you’ll spend more time trying to get all the gems and playing different versions of completed stages called N’Verted mirror levels. Here, a particular stage is remixed with different visual filters that either make it easier or harder to play. Some include a grey and dark filter where you need to spin to emit a “bat-like sonar” to ping platforms and enemies, while others just have obnoxious filters to just mess with your eyes.
I do have some complaints. In later areas, the platform edge “detection” feels a bit off, meaning that platforms may not be as close as you think if you don’t push the forward button enough mid-air. At the same time, you can also overshoot your landing. Even with the yellow circle that shows where Crash is landing when he’s in the air helping players like myself immensely, these “detection” issues feel deliberate and apparent in the final few stages. The 3D depth perception for stages that require you to move in a third-person angle can get tough to gauge, especially in the later sci-fi and prehistoric stages where the platforms mesh with the background. It could be my lack of reflexes that rack up the death counter for these parts, but it does come off as cheap at times.
Bandicool

Still, even Nintendo’s plumber games can’t quite fix these kinds of perception problems in a 3D platformer, and they’re the apex of these games.

Even with its few flaws, Crash Bandicoot 4 is a true return to form. It’s essentially the modern version of a 90s 3D platforming genre that still retains its challenge & freshness.

At the same time, it also brings in new ideas & stage gimmicks that do not wear out their welcome; just nice for both younger gamers who like a challenge and colourful graphics, as well as older folks who yearn for the late 90s era of 3D-esque platforming.
All in all, welcome back, you crazy bandicoot. We’ve missed you.
Pros

Incredibly fun & challenging 90s 3D platforming action.
Great implementation of new platforming & quantum masks gameplay ideas.
Balanced difficulty curve for the most parts.
Great controls.
Lovely visuals.

Cons

Platform edge “detection” feels off at times, resulting in cheap deaths.
3D depth perception problem gets troublesome in final few stages.

Final Score: 80/100


Let’s Talk About The Best Soulcalibur Game Ever Made

When you bring up 3D weapon-based fighting games, the SoulCalibur series can’t be beaten. From its remarkably fast-paced gameplay to its baritone-laden announcer, it’s a franchise worth following if you so much have an inkling of love for good fighting games.
However, the tale of souls & swords that is eternally retold has its fans that can’t decide which is the better game: SoulCalibur or SoulCalibur II. Frankly speaking, there aren’t any wrong answers when it comes to choosing between the two.
Personally, it all boils down to context and personal experiences with the franchise.Â  From where I stand as a veteran fighting game nut, as someone who has seen fighting game franchises rise and fall (and rise again), I’d say the victor goes to Soulcalibur.
I’ll explain.

A Look Back At The Mid-90s
Let me bring you back to 1996; the time when PlayStation & its flagship PlayStation One console could do no wrong in being the new kid on the block. The kid who took Nintendo’s lunch money and gave it a blanket party with its other third-party pals like Namco (post-Bandai) and EA. Back in that year and the next few, 3D arcade games were being upstaged by their PlayStation ports. The best version of the first Tekken? It was on the PlayStation.

CD load times notwithstanding, you couldn’t find a better version of this 3D fighting game that tried to step out of the shadows of Virtua Fighter. And then at the same time, the PlayStation version of Soul Edge came out.
Soul Edge was the 3D answer to the Samurai Shodown series; just as SNK’s prized weapons-based game was at its fourth and last leg, it seemed serendipitous that a successor of sorts would take its place in the annals of FGC history.
Yeah, I am aware that Samurai Shodown had 3D iterations, but only the most hardcore would remember those games. Soul Edge introduced an all-new cast of characters ranging from Korean sword-spear wielders to valiant knights with giant broadswords to a Sicilian gimp with katar blades. Oh, and let’s not forget the obligatory samurai, ninja, pirate, and Greek sword-and-shield amazonian warrior.
Soul Edge was flashy, was full of high-end production value, and was running at 30fps. Not exactly the smoothest, but there was a shine of greatness within its combat mechanics. You can parry attacks with the Guard Impact, but you need to be spot-on with its execution lest you eat a broadsword to the face. You can sidestep and deal on-the-ground attacks on knocked-down foes, but movement still felt restricted.

The orchestral music was a few steps below greatness. The PlayStation version had a semi-RPG campaign called Edge Master mode where each of the selectable characters had their own quests and varied fights with different stage conditions.
Soul Edge almost had it all, but it lacked an identity.Â There were a few key things missing to make this then-new series stand out. The game feels stuck in its “Tekken but swords” label.
At least until three years later when Namco decided to take another stab at it, so to speak.
Dream A Little Dream(cast) For Me
Most people would assume that graphics did not matter if gameplay was enough. But if you had both, if you had enough of a stellar production to turn heads of casual gamers, you would snatch that up, right?

Soulcalibur was basically that in 1999, at least for a lot of console gamers. It was the debut 3D fighting game for the Sega Dreamcast. God bless that machine, it was so ahead of its time.Â Soulcalibur was a remarkably huge jump from Soul Edge in basically everything. The arcade boards & Sega’s Dreamcast wonder ran the game at 60fps in that year’s definition of HD (I believe it was VGA support at the time). It looked great too, with crystal clear high fidelity graphics and a refreshing aesthetic taking place in an alternate 16th century where magic swords and lizard people existed.
It also introduced the fighting game world to the wonders of the Eight Way Run system. Every character in the game can run and walk in 8-different directions while facing his/her opponent. This gives players not just a sense of freedom within the battlefield, but also opens up new moves, new tactics, and new styles of play for tournament-savvy fighters. The game also was forgiving with its inputs, moreso than with Tekken and Virtua Fighter’s strict inputs at the time. Lastly, the patented Guard Impact from Soul Edge was given an overhaul; players can now push back or redirect attacks to stun them.
Let’s not forget the new characters and their playing style. We have the tart-tastic Ivy Valentine who can give expert 3D fighting game fans a run for their money learning curve-wise. Nightmare was basically evil Siegfried with a few new tricks and stances.

Xianghua and Kilik were great all-rounder characters with varied fighting styles associated with their weapons: the former had fast & feint-heavy sword attacks while the latter had mid-to-long range footsie tools galore with some up-close surprises. And Lizardman is just a treasure. Coupled with returning characters like Sophitia and Mitsurugi, and you have one heckuva roster to go along with your launch title fighting game.
It’s generally a ginormous improvement and fixer-upper, much like how The Dark Knight was leaps and bounds from Batman Begins. Whatever full scores it got from the mainstream press was well-deserved; this was a well-made fighting game.Â It was a necessary evolution that paved the Soulcalibur franchise to be a relevant staple in fighting game history.
One could say that it did too good of a job in setting the benchmark.
Diminishing Returns
Sadly, its sequels did not live up to the magnitude of depth the first Soulcalibur brought to the table.
Did Namco/Bandai Namco do its best to keep the series’ momentum? Yes and no. For the most parts, the only other significant entries that placate its casual, midcore, and hardcore fanbase were Soulcalibur II and Soulcalibur IV.
Part II had guest characters and a more balanced and tournament-savvy design. Part IV had a whole bunch of new features, had refined gameplay, and Star Wars characters for some reason.
Yep, this was a thing back in 2008.
As for the rest? That’s easy to sum up: Soulcalibur III was broken (until the arcade edition came out) but at least it introduced a character creation mode and a decent Chronicles of the Sword mode. Soulcalibur V catered to tournament players while taking out everything else that made the game magical, and replaced it with a half-assed story mode.
It’s clear that during Soulcalibur V’s time in 2012 a lot of fighting game developers focused too much on its niche audience when it should be doing their due diligence and perform a balancing act. If the past Soulcalibur games can do it, why not Soulcalibur V?
The Future, Eternally Retold?
Which brings us back to the present. With Soulcalibur VI coming out soon, Bandai Namco aims to blend in the old school story and trappings with new-school game design and fighting game engine fundamentals.

So far it seems to be doing right with its community and fighting game aficionados. Most of the old cast is back but now they have Soul Charge moves that help them accentuate their strengths mid-game. The addition of The Witcher’s Geralt and the new Reversal Edge mechanic (think Street Fighter IV’s Focus Attack & Injustice’s Clash but with swords & rock-paper-scissors) does help with the game’s mass appeal.
Essentially Bandai Namco took the lessons they learned from Tekken 7’s launch and runtime -the act of catering it towards newbies and hardcore gamers- and implement bits of it in this new Soulcalibur. Only this time, the game’s core DNA all stems from the foundations laid down by Soulcalibur. That is more than enough to unite new and old fans together to see what the fuss is about with this reboot of sort.
It’ll be interesting to see if this grand 2 to 3-year experiment will succeed like with Tekken 7. Or if it doesn’t; who knows? Until then, I’m sure of one thing: if you want to make an epic comeback, it helps to go back to your roots.


Spotify’s New League Of Legends Experience Helps You Find Your Gaming Style

Today, Spotify and Riot Games have unveiled a new digital experience to help fans discover their gaming style as they celebrate the highly anticipated League Of Legends‘ World Championship.

Whether one experiments with off-beat strategies or employs a fearless, confident approach during critical clutch moments, League Of Legends fans can discover which proâ€™s style they match up with, alongside bespoke music playlists that fit that style through a brand newÂ quiz.
To start the experience, users will need to head over toÂ spotify.com/lolworldsÂ and respond to questions that will help determine which playstyle theyâ€™re most closely tied to. Thereafter, Spotify matches users up with their player archetype and shares a curated playlist based on each playing style.
For additional details about the new experience and the League of Legends partnership, head to theÂ League Of Legends HubÂ on Spotify.


Levelling Out With Level Up KL: Something Brewing or Just Hot Air?

Hub.
That’s the buzzword we keep on hearing about when a country aspires to take center stage in whatever scene they are dabbling into. Be it technology, esports … or even games development.
Malaysia is currently at the cusp of achieving something great when it comes to digital economy, spearheaded by its agency – the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). Supporting local talents financially and by sharing expertise flown in from all around the world, they’ve made some great strides these past few years. They have unearthed unpolished gems and turned them into world-renowned works of art with Malaysian-based studios, having a (small) hand in building AAA games such as God of War and more recently Spider-Man.
However, does this warrant claiming Malaysia to be the hub which MDEC have often touted in their spiel? Or is it just a marketing buzzword to attract foreign investors and talent?
When asked by Kakuchopurei what gives MDEC the right and/ or confidence to claim Malaysia as the video games development hub in the region when most local companies focused more on asset creation rather than developing their own IP and AAA games, CEO Dato’Â YasminÂ bintiÂ Mahmood replied with the following:
“When we say ‘a hub’, it’s an aspiration and there are many ways you can define what a ‘hub’ is. And I think in Malaysia also, we have to be a bit more forgiving and maybe just dial down a bit on the critical component part of it.”

She then referred to an earlier speech byÂ Senior Director, Visual Arts for PlayStation,Â Michael Mumbauer, who earmarked Polar Express as an example. Pointing out that while the movie which saw a CGI version of Tom Hanks didn’t prove to be a commercial success, it provided a learning experience for everyone involved.
Mirroring it to what MDEC is undergoing at the moment, Dato’ Yasmin elaborated “That learning experience is what we need to draw from. Right now, we need to know how holistic we want to define it – in terms of the community and the ecosystem which we are building.”
“We aim to build a hub in Southeast Asia – not a global one yet. But I do not mean to say it in a negative manner; we aim to be a honeypot so that all the other aspiring games developers in the region can look forward and go to; a place where the ecosystem is most mature.”
“There are pockets of (games development) ecosystems in SEA – in Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. But what we want to become is this community and ecosystem which is as comprehensive as possible so that not only Malaysian players are thriving, but also can complement the rest of the world”.
Malaysia Boleh?
So there you have it. Via the MDEC initiative, the Malaysian games development scene aspires to be more than just an asset-building market, but instead grow into a proper, thriving ecosystem which would be central to the industry in the region.
Personally, I long to see a AAA Malaysian-made game grace the floors at E3, rather than just being relegated to the credits scene. I want to be able to proudly claim “That game’s made by Malaysians” rather than just going “Those concept art are by Malaysians” or “Malaysians had a small hand in it.”
We might not be there yet but from what we’ve seen at Level Up KL 2018, MDEC is well aware of the challenges that await them, with their gameplan firmly underway.


Can We Expect A New Avengers Endgame Trailer?

Avengers Endgame is set to be the most ambitious movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date, and yet we have seen very little in terms of promotional marketing for the behemoth of a blockbuster. However, it seems that we’re set to receive another glimpse at the upcoming movie very soon.
Speaking with ComicBook.com, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that we can expect at least another Avengers Endgame trailer before the movies releases on 25 April 2019. This is great news for MCU fans as we get closer to the eventual launch of the sequel to Avengers Infinity War.
So far, we’ve received one trailer and a Super Bowl TV spot for Avengers Endgame, both of which have revealed certain nuggets of information about the movie. Check out my detailed breakdown and analysis for the Avengers Endgame trailer here and the Super Bowl TV spot here.
Captain Marvel and Avengers Endgame will mark the very first time that two MCU movies will release just one month apart of each other. This probably means that they will be so closely connected and intertwined in a way never before seen in more than a decade of the MCU.
In the meantime, check out the one and only (so far) Avengers Endgame trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA6hldpSTF8&w=560&h=315]


PlayStation Plus Game Catalog January 2023 Adds Back 4 Blood, Devil May Cry 5 & More

PlayStation has announced the January 2023 Game Catalog lineup for Extra and Premium subscribers, as well as Classics Catalog titles for Premium subscribers.
PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog

Back 4 Blood | PS4, PS5
Join the war against the Ridden in a thrilling co-op first-person shooter from the creators of Left 4 Dead. With humanity’s extinction on the line, it’s up to you and your friends to take the fight to the enemy, eradicate the Ridden and reclaim the world. Fight your way through a dynamic, perilous world in a four-player co-op story campaign where you must work together to survive increasingly challenging missions. Play with up to three of your friends online or go solo and lead your team in battle. Choose from eight customizable Cleaners, one of the immune survivors, and a range of lethal weapons and items as you strategize against an ever-evolving enemy bent on your total destruction.

Dragon Ball FighterZ | PS4
Endless spectacular fights with iconic, all-powerful fighters await in this action game from Arc System Works. Capturing the authentic anime style of the series and combining it with easy to learn but difficult to master gameplay, the game has multiple modes to keep franchise and genre fans happy. Build your dream team and sharpen your skills to master high-speed tag combinations in 3v3 Tag matches, take on all comers in ranked matches (including 6-player Party Match) online. The Story mode includes a never-before-seen scenario with a new character created under the supervision of Akira Toriyama himself.

Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition | PS5
In Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition, blistering speed meets impeccable control for an incredibly tight gameplay experience as you work your way through the thrilling story. This optimized version of the original release represents the pinnacle of stylish action! Several years after the Order of the Sword incident, a new demonic threat has invaded our world. It’s up to the legendary devil hunters Dante and Nero to stop it, with the newcomer V joining forces with them. These three men’s fates are tied together in mysterious and surprising ways. The game introduces next-gen features such as ray tracing technology and enhanced 3D audio, fan-favorite modes including Turbo Mode and Legendary Dark Knight Mode, and the inclusion of Deluxe Edition.
The PS4 version of Devil May Cry 5 will also be available on PlayStation Plus Extra.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm | PS4
In this choice and consequence driven narrative adventure, Chloe Price, a 16 year-old rebel who forms an unlikely friendship with Rachel Amber, a beautiful and popular girl destined for success. When Rachel’s world is turned upside down by a family secret it takes their new found alliance to give each other the strength to overcome their demons.

Life is Strange | PS4
This award-winning and critically acclaimed episodic adventure game allows the player to rewind time and affect the past, present and future. Follow the story of Max Caulfield, a photography senior who discovers she can rewind time while saving her best friend Chloe Price. The pair soon find themselves investigating the mysterious disappearance of fellow student Rachel Amber, uncovering a dark side to life in Arcadia Bay. Meanwhile, Max must quickly learn that changing the past can sometimes lead to a devastating future.

Jett: The Far Shore | PS4, PS5
Take an interstellar trip to carve out a future for a people haunted by oblivion in this cinematic action-adventure. As scout Mei, be the first to deploy to a mythic ocean planet. Take the helm of a ‘jett’ and explore a vast unknown – skim low over waves, roar up pristine coastlines and carve through otherworldly woods. Adapt to an intricate, systemic open world and persevere through adversity alongside an intimate ensemble cast. Embark on an exploratory single-player adventure presented in five captivating acts encompassing monumental moments, laid-back exploration, occasional white-knuckle action, moments of heartfelt companionship, and a helping of existential dread.

Just Cause 4: Reloaded | PS4
Jump into an action-packed open-world sandbox experience and cause chaos with a wide selection of weaponry, vehicles and gear. Just Cause 4 Reloaded delivers an expansive and explosive gameplay experience in an all-new package and includes additional premium content as well as all previously released improvements and additions to the game. Strap into your wingsuit, equip your fully customizable grappling hook, and get ready to bring the thunder!
Just Cause 4 will also be available alongside the download-only Just Cause 4: Reloaded in streaming regions.

Omno | PS4
A single-player journey of discovery through an ancient world of wonders. Full of puzzles, secrets and obstacles to overcome, where the power of a lost civilisation will carry you through forests, deserts and tundras – even to the clouds. On your way you’ll discover a vibrant world full of strange and wonderful lifeforms, from cute little critters to enigmatic giants, and everything in between.

Erica | PS4
In this innovative live-action interactive thriller, your decisions shape the narrative. Become Erica, a young lady plagued with nightmares of her father’s murder. With the traumatic events of her childhood dragged back into the light via grisly new clues, it’s up to you to unearth the shocking truth. Every choice you make influences how the game develops, with multiple endings awaiting you at the finale of the gripping branching narrative.
PlayStation Premium | Classics
Syphon Filter 3 | PS1
Special agents Gabe Logan and Lian Xing stand accused of conspiring to spread the fatal Syphon Filter virus around the world. However, the trail of treason leads straight to their former employers – The Agency, and only Gabe and Lian can uncover the covert conspiracy and stop the virus in its tracks. Missions include stealth, assassination and all-out combat, plus a wide range of mini-games including evasion, retrieval and demolition. A host of secret bonus missions and the new extended two-player deathmatch mode deliver maximum longevity and replay value. This version of Syphon Filter 3 is enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters.
Star Wars Demolition | PS1
Choose from over 10 iconic Star Wars vehicles and battle it out across eight intense arenas and four game modes. Blast your way to victory with an arsenal that includes laser cannons, proton torpedoes and concussion missiles.
This version of Star Wars Demolition is enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters.
Hot Shots Golf 2 | PS1
Dust down your clubs – the game for every keen golfer has just returned to the top of the leaderboard. Combining addictive gameplay and stunning visuals, Hot Shots Golf 2 delivers a comprehensive golfing experience, with a wacky sense of humor. This version is enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters.


Soda Crisis Looks & Sounds Way Too Good To Be Just A Side-Scrolling Shooter

Platform(s): PC
Genre: Side-Scrolling Shooter
Coming out of China, Soda Crisis is a fast-paced side-scrolling shooter game developed by the aptly named Team Soda, who previously worked on Snake Force and Chinese conglomerate Bilibili.
Team Soda is an independent game developer based in Shanghai, China. Soda Crisis stands as a testament to the team’s journey from graduate students to professional game developers putting into practice all the skills and experience they have been acquiring along the way. Most notably with their 2021 release of Snake Force which did pretty well in the indie gaming scene.
PLOT PEW PEW

You play as Subject X, a living weapon of alien origin, who, at the start is based in a testing laboratory. You’re superior, creatively named Researcher 1 is running you through drills, as you learn the controls of the game.
As the tutorial progresses, you learn that there’s something fishy with the lab and its workers. Hence, Subject X begins to ignore the Researcher’s orders and you begin to progress through the facility as you try to escape. From then on out, it’s your job to discover what you are and what the lab has been up to. A variety of weapons ensure a well-stocked arsenal to do maximum damage, and loadouts can be restocked or changed up at checkpoints. You can then utilise the tactical potential of the battlefield to out-run, out-gun and out-jump your opponents.
This is achieved through making full use of vital checkpoints that can recharge health and reload weapons along their way through multiple levels. From the close-quarters combat of the dimly lit laboratory to the exposed roof of a freight train speeding through the desert with nowhere to take cover, Soda Crisis always serves up something new and unexpected at every step.

The overall aesthetic of the game is gorgeous and looks way too good to be a side-scrolling shooter. I love the bobble-head like character design as it fits the vibe of how the landscape has been designed. Moreover, the colours help bring the action to life as you play through each level.
The characters themselves and other NPCs are not voiced unfortunately as they communicate to you through speech bubbles. I don’t think this was a terrible idea as proper voice work would probably mess with the immersion of the cute cartoon-like aesthetic but I think what could have helped would be when the NPCs talk, to add a mumbling voice over it. Doesn’t have to be decipherable, it would just help bring these characters to life as that’s really all that’s missing at the moment.
The Beeps & Boops

The soundtrack is formidable. So much so that I’d probably put it up there with the likes of Persona 5. With an average of 130bpm each song makes you feel like you’re in a cyber-punk, post-apocalyptic dystopia where danger is close at all times. When battling, the combination of high BPM and high-speed gameplay helps you lose yourself in the game as you fight on and on, with each new encounter feeling more and more intense.
From a skill perspective, it’s incredibly challenging for newcomers, even on easy mode, the controls aren’t all that intuitive so with the fast-paced nature of the game, there’s a steep learning curve. For me personally, I struggled with the first boss fight as there are multiple strategies that you can use to beat them.
Luckily, how the boss acts is abides by a routine, so after a few deaths you start to recognise a pattern, and can act accordingly, but even if you do, you have to nail the timings, which can be tricky.
I was delighted when I found out that this game also supports controllers and having played with both, I can safely say that playing with a controller is a much more pleasant experience, as it feels like your traditional platform shooter but with insane visuals. It’s weird to use nostalgia to describe such a modern-looking game but with how the game feels mechanically, I can’t help but see this as a true successor to the older joystick platform shooters we used to play when we were kids.
Overall, the flow of the game feels natural and smooth for the aesthetic and pacing. At no point does anything feel awkward. Soda Crush is simply challenging and the kind of fun where you can kick back, turn-off your brain and just vibe out.
Unless you’re bad like me. Then you can’t afford to turn off your brain.
PROS

Incredible visuals and animations.
Really good plot that matches the vibe of the game.
Banging soundtrack.

CONS

NPCs aren’t voiced.
Text language in cutscenes don’t change from Chinese.
May be hard for newcomers to the genre.

FINAL SCORE: 80/100
Review copy provided by Big Games Machine


Crash Bandicoot Will Return In A Fourth Game This October

Despite being leaked last week, Crash Bandicoot 4: Itâ€™s About TimeÂ has finally been officially announced during the Summer Game Fest Day Of The Devs live stream earlier tonight. Developed by Toys For Bob, the game is slated to release for the PS4 and Xbox One on 2 October 2020.
Players can play either as Crash Bandicoot, Coco Bandicoot and even Neo Cortex. The game will also feature new platforming moves, new masks with special abilities, two major control schemes, and plenty more.

In addition, it will feature the ability to switch between Retro and Modern modes (one mode tailored to those seeking that old school platforming vibe, while the other is a little more forgiving, but no less difficult to master).
New to Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time are the Quantum Masks: four powerful guardians of space and time that give our heroes the power to bend the rules of reality and conquer dangerous obstacles in exciting new ways. So far, these powers include reversing gravity and run on ceilings, and slowing down time.
This looks promising for 3D platforming enthusiasts. In the meantime, check out the trailer below to see it all in motion.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qF5JrciMnU&w=560&h=315]


The Official Animated Super Mario Bros. Movie Will Be Out In 3 Years Time

Mark your calendars (?); the official animated Super Mario Bros. film will be out in 2022.
According to a recent Nintendo financial report, president Shuntaro Furukawa said the film’s development is moving on well and will be released in 2022. Probably before 2022, or even in 2023 -these dates can be a tad flexible on their side- but at least we have a window of sorts!
The project is a joint collaboration between Nintendo and Illumination, with the news made official in 2018. Yep, the people behind Despicable Me, Minions, and those sh***y Dr Seuss adaptations are in charge of the next animated Mario film. Make of that what you will.
Did you also know that prior to this, Nintendo has yet to put its trust in American filmmakers in touching its properties ever since the Super Mario Bros. film in 1994?


Master Blaster: How EA DICE’s Battlefield 5 Will Change The Series

EA and DICE are going back into the World War II well with its fifth mothership multiplayer shooter title. After a major livestream a few hours ago, the duo plan to shake things up in the military shooter genre.
Check out the trailer & presentation first. Trevor Noah is a Battlefield fan; who knew?

Are you done? Good: here’s how EA’s upcoming juggernaut shooter will shake things up for the series.
Player Movement & Gunplay
For starters, the controls and game physics are beefed up. Random Bullet Deviation is no more, which means you can place your shots more effectively with different weapon types.
For example, submachine guns will shoot out their bullets in a concentrated burst at first, then spread out when you hold the trigger button longer. That pattern will be identical for all submachine gun types within the game.
There will also be two tiers of weapons: one for entry-level players and one for veterans. The powerful weapons will be balanced by their damage output and ammunition amount: no more of that RBD hampering your skillshots.
Movement-wise, you can throw yourself in a prone position and slide forward, but also face left or right. You can also fall backwards and go prone on your back; this is the first time you can fire your weapon forward and upwards while crawling backwards.
As long as your gun is at the ready and visible, you can fire. Yes, that includes mantling on obstacles. Coupled with the option to fling out the window from the second story and maybe beyond, and you have a more active and movement-savvy Battlefield game.
Game Modes
EA DICE is focusing on “the unseen locations” of the Second World War, senior producer Andreas Morell said during the stream.Â BattlefieldÂ 5Â will take players to theatres of the war that players may be less familiar with, such as Norway north of the Arctic Circle, the North African desert, and the ruins of Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
At launch, we’ll be checking out these areas in traditional multiplayer sandbox warfare -the 64-man kind- and also two new modes. Combined Arms will feature teams of four players all fighting co-operatively while Grand Operations is a massive multi-match version of the standard mode. The outcome of each GO match will affect the conditions of the subsequent fight.

A Customizable Company
As with any multiplayer game, classes and loadouts matter. EA DICE plans to take it one step further with Battlefield 5.
You will be able to customize a number of different soldiers in their stable dubbed as the Company. Gender, race, facial features, hair: you can change it all up and give them one of the four traditional roles of assault, support, medic, and engineer/pilot. Leveling up your characters will unlock subclasses for them; if your guy or girl want to become a better pilot or better anti-tank person, they can specialize down that path.
You can also customize your own vehicles in your Company, cosmetics and all. Whichever soldier you bring will earn experience on any of the modes in the game. Of course, EA DICE stressed that that anything that alters a soldier’s performance must be earned through play: they clearly learned their lesson from last year’s epic failure from a galaxy far, far away.
Squad Mechanics
During a Battlefield 5 multiplayer session, players will be attached to squads. No longer do you search or join a match alone whenever you play, but there will be fundamental changes when you jump in.
First up, you won’t be topped up with ammunition and supplies. While you have enough for a kill or two, you and your squad will have to work together to resupply and fortify the nearest secure position. Also, every player in that squad will be able to revive every other soldier in that squad. Keep in mind that Medics are the only ones who can bring soldiers back to full life.
As an added bonus, you can look over a squad member’s soldier if you’re dead and waiting to respawn. This makes for some good info-gathering and tactical respawning.
Blowing (And Building) Stuff Up Real Good
Battlefield 5 has new and beefed-up environmental destructibility. Most buildings in the game can be destroyed by gunfire and vehicle collision. Debris will scatter and break away realistically and can wreak havoc on any player standing underneath any destroyed and decaying ceiling.
You can also build fortifications now: using resources, you can lay down sandbags, camouflage netting, and gun emplacements. During any point of a match, you can turn on the build mode and place available structures for added protection.

An Ongoing Multiplayer “Story”
Battlefield 5 will feature a new Tides of War system where new battlefields and new fronts will open up post-launch. This will give you and players a reason to stick around with the game as it will be evolving and adding in new cosmetics. With the Tides of War system, you can prove that you were there for a limited event based on the exclusive items you get during the period.
Basically, EA DICE are following the mobile game and MMO limited timed event route, but hey, if it gets people engaged for months and years, why not?
Sounds exciting? You only have to wait five more months: the game is set for an October 19 release date for the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. EA Access and Origin Access subscribers can take advantage of the Play First Trial starting October 11. Players who buy the Deluxe Edition can start playing on October 16.
With this and the new Call of Duty, it sounds like 2018’s a good time to be a shooter fan.


The MCU’s Blade Actor Is Not Happy With Production So Far

The Blade movie is only about a little more than a year away from release but production is reportedly a troubled one, with Blade himself, Mahershala Ali, allegedly not happy with the movie, including the script apparently only featuring two “lacklustre” action sequences.
This is according to a report from industry insider Jeff Sneider, who tweeted that sources told him that the current Blade script is roughly 90 pages long but with only two action sequences. A 90-page script isn’t that long, especially for a big movie like this, which is worrying.

I’m told that the current BLADE script is roughly 90 pages and features exactly TWO (lackluster) action sequences. Mahershala said to be very frustrated with the process. Feige said to be spread too thin. But hey, that’s just what sources are telling me. Don’t shoot the messenger
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) September 28, 2022

In another tweet, Sneider said that Beau DeMayo is working on the script for Blade now. DeMayo is currently working on the X-Men ’97 animated series but he is best known for working on Star Trek Strange New Worlds, Moon Knight, and The Witcher. The current Blade script was written by Stacy Osei-Kuffour.
These reports come shortly after the news broke that Blade director Bassam Tariq left the project just before the movie started production. As such, there is currently no confirmed new director on the project.
Part of MCU Phase 5, Blade is still slated to premiere on 3 November 2023. However, with all these issues, that might change.


New World War II Themed RTS Men of War II Beta Announced For May

If you’re a fan of real-time strategy games and World War II, you’ll be excited to know that Men of War II is coming soon. Developer Best Way and publisher Fulqrum Publishing announced that there’s going to be an open beta from 11–15 May, which means you can try it out for yourself.
The beta will feature three different missions: The Battle of Coisson, Towards Freedom, and Ambush. The first one has you trying to reconnect with artillery gunners, the second one has you rescuing prisoners, and the third one has you trying to keep the US from getting to the front lines.
To join the beta, just head over to the Men of War II page on Steam and hit the button to request access. If you sign up early, you’ll get an email when the beta starts. But if you’re a bit late to the party, no worries – you can still join in anytime during 11–15 May.
We don’t know when Men of War II will be released officially, but it’s expected to come out later this year.


The Epic Games Store Now Has Wishlists

There are a few features that the Epic Games Store lacks compared to main rival Steam, but you can now cross wishlists off the list.
The announcement for the new feature’s arrival came earlier today. To wishlist a game on the platform, you simply need to visit a game’s store page, whether on a browser or through the Epic Games Launcher, and click on the “Add to Wishlist” button.
In their announcement post, Epic notes that this is just the first version of the Epic Games Store’s wishlist function.
“To start, we’ll be adding filtering and smart searching of items you’ve added to your wishlist. In future iterations, we plan to add email notifications when your wishlisted titles are discounted, or change status (such as a launch, or becoming available for pre-purchase),” they wrote.
While it’s not a stunning addition, it’s nice that we now have an easy way of keeping track of our desired games on the Epic Games Store.
Epic also mentioned that they’re open to feedback on their social media. Hopefully, we’ll be able to give our feedback via forums instead in the near future.
Still, the addition of wishlists means that there’s at least one less absent feature to gripe about.


We’re Getting Aggretsuko Season 2 On Netflix This June

Fans of Sanrio’s angry death metal-belting office worker and existentialism horror, rejoice! The anime series Aggretsuko gets a second season slated for 14 June. Here’s a trailer and a promo poster to celebrate this hardcore moment.

For those not in the know, Aggretsuko is about an office worker named Retsuko who lets off work and personal life steam by singing death metal in a karaoke place. It’s also a ton of fun to watch thanks to its digestible episode length, quirky characters, and its accurate portrayal of real life and its dead-end possibilities.
Season 2 will continue this and bring in Retsuko’s mom, rival co-workers, and possible new love interests that plan to question Retsuko’s way of trudging through life. Oh, and obviously more death metal screamings.


Lamplighters League Is A 40s Pulp Action Strategy Game From Harebrained Schemes

Publisher Paradox Interactive and developer Harebrained Schemes have announced a brand-new turn-based strategy game: The Lamplighters League.
The devs behind hit strategy games of the past few years like Shadowrun and Battletech are taking a stab at a new IP, and it’s definitely using the 40s pulp action vibe to the fullest. Here’s the official press release and key features of the upcoming title:
“Harebrained Schemes is all about weaving tactical gameplay that challenges your mind with narrative and characters that engage your heart. For years, we’ve been privileged to tell stories in cherished settings like Shadowrun and BATTLETECH. Because The Lamplighters League is set in a new world, it allows us the creative freedom to simultaneously create a narrative that supports gameplay and gameplay that supports the narrative. We love these characters and hope that players and fans enjoy getting to know them while exploring each one’s unique abilities the way we did. I cannot wait to share everything we’ve been working on.”
Key Features

Strategy Meets Story, in Style

Control a team of unique, dynamic characters and get to know their signature tactical abilities and roles in the team. Learn their stories and the world they inhabit by taking them on missions – every misfit brings their own style to the fight through unique moves that can turn the tide of combat.
Explore a variety of thrilling locales and survey the battlefield before things heat up: sneak past enemies in real-time infiltration gameplay, pick off the stragglers quickly and quietly, and position your squad to get an edge for the fight.
Use every advantage and dirty trick your agents have up their sleeves in exciting, turn-based combat. Add advanced abilities, gear, and augmentations to your agents to keep pace with the growing threat of the Banished Court!

Race Against the Countdown to Doomsday

Chase the Banished Court through an alternate-history world of the 1930s, from dockyards and deserts to jungles both urban and wild. Manage your choices at a global level and try to prevent your enemy from advancing their twisted schemes!
Recruit new allies from the best of the worst: scour the globe for outlaws and outcasts and bring them onto your side before the Banished Court catches them first!
Every mission earns your team new resources and grows their abilities – but be careful, stress and injury can take their toll!

The game will be out for PC and Xbox Series in 2023, as well as for Xbox Game Pass. Check out the announcement trailer and gameplay bits below.


Genshin Impact 3.4 Update To Arrive Days Before Lunar New Year; Features Alhaitham & Yaoyao

HoyoVerse just broadcasted its Genshin Impact 3.4 update livestream with a bunch of events and new characters to gacha. The update will arrive on 18th January.
The Lantern Rite festival returns and will have a bunch of events for you to complete when it starts. One such event is Paper Theater, where you guide a papercraft actor to the treasure by placing objects to help him progress and avoid traps.

It’s essentially HoYoverse’s version of Lemmings, but you lead only one person and it’s all done in the style of papercraft.
The 3.4 update also introduces a new area called the Desert of Hadramaveth. It features new monsters to fight and also sandstorms to avoid.

Genshin Impact 3.4 New Gacha Characters

New characters to gacha include Yaoyao, a gentle and caring “little adult” Dendro 4-Star Spear-user who has her own rabbit guardian as part of her attacks.

Alhaitham is a new 5-star Dendro catalyst user who can produce Chisel-Light mirrors as part of his attacks. Players may recognize him as one of the main characters in the Sumeru arc.

Electro seductress/magician Lisa and Cryo sword-wielder Ayaka Kamisato also have new outfits themed after the game’s Springbloom missive events and light novels. The former can be acquired for free via a number of challenges in 3.4, while the latter can only be purchased with real money/Primogems.

Genshin Impact 3.4 Livestream Redemption Codes
And of course, here are the free redemption codes for your perusal; all three of them for those sweet Primogems. Codes are valid until the next day, so use them up now.

NS8TUVJYR4UH
NSQTVCKYRMDM
LB8SDUJYQ4V9

Genshin Impact 3.4 trailer


Korean Developer Pearl Abyss Donates US$50K For Earthquake Relief In Türkiye

Pearl Abyss announced today that it has donated US$50,000 to support the earthquake recovery for the immense crisis that occurred in Türkiye.
The donation has been made to “Doctors Without Borders,” an international humanitarian medical NGO, to support their humanitarian relief efforts in the affected areas.
Pearl Abyss CEO, James Heo, said:
“We send our deepest condolences to those affected by this unexpected disaster. We strongly hope for a quick recovery from the damage and a return to the former peace of their daily lives.”
Over the years, Pearl Abyss has been actively participating in humanitarian efforts to help many global communities. Last year, a donation of 100 million KRW was made to support emergency medical aid in Ukraine. During the same year, it also donated 7,000 trees for the restoration of Türkiye’s forests ravaged by a devastating fire. In 2020, 100 million KRW was donated to support those who suffered from the bushfire season in Australia and the earthquake in Türkiye.
Established in 2010, Pearl Abyss is best known for MMORPG franchise Black Desert. Pearl Abyss services the Black Desert IP across all platforms. All of Pearl Abyss’ games are built on the company’s proprietary engine. Pearl Abyss is currently developing Crimson Desert, DokeV, and PLAN 8 using its next-generation game engine and is poised to grow its overseas market.


Top Gun Maverick Gets New November Release Date In Malaysia

United International Pictures (UIP) Malaysia has announced its new schedule for the rest of 2021, including a new release date for the highly-anticipatedÂ Top Gun Maverick.
Top Gun Maverick will now premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 18 November 2021.
Check out the full UIP Malaysia schedule below:
2021

Promising Young Woman â€“ 15 April 2021
Nobody â€“ 13 May 2021
The Croods: A New Age â€“ 13 May 2021
Spirit Untamed â€“ 27 May 2021
A Quiet Place II â€“ 3 June 2021
Fast & Furious 9 â€“ 24 June 2021
The Forever Purge â€“ 8 July 2021
The Tomorrow War â€“ 22 July 2021
Old â€“ 22 July 2021
Bios â€“ 12 August 2021
Paw Patrol â€“ 19 August 2021
Candyman â€“ 26 August 2021
Respect â€“ 2 September 2021
The Boss Baby: Family Business â€“ 9 September 2021
Dear Evan Hansen â€“ 23 September 2021
No Time To Die â€“ 30 September 2021
The Addams Family Sequel â€“ 7 October 2021
Halloween Kills â€“ 14 October 2021
G.I. Joe Snake Eyes â€“ Undated
Clifford The Big Red Dog â€“ 4 November 2021
Last Night In Soho â€“ 11 November 2021
Top Gun Maverick â€“ 18 November 2021
Sing 2 â€“ 23 December 2021

2022

Scream â€“ 20 January 2022
House of Gucci â€“ 3 February 2022
Marry Me â€“ 10 February 2022
Ambulance â€“ 17 February 2022
Cryano â€“ 24 February 2022
The Bad Guys â€“ 10 March 2022
Rumble â€“ 17 March 2022
The Lost City of D â€“ 14 April 2022
Sonic the Hedhehog 2 â€“ 28 April 2022
Legally Blonde 3 â€“ 19 May 2022
Mission Impossible 7 â€“ 26 May 2022
Jurassic World: Dominion â€“ 9 June 2022
Transformer â€“ 23 June 2022
Minions: The Rise of Gru â€“ 30 June 2022
Bros â€“ 11 August 2022
Under the Broadwalk â€“ 18 August 2022
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish â€“ 18 August 2022
Ticket to Paradise â€“ 29 September 2022
Halloween Ends â€“ 13 October 2022


League Of Legends Card Game Is Already One Of The Top Games On Twitch

Riot Games’ new collectable card game League Of Legends Runeterra was just announced yesterday during the franchise’s 10th Anniversary livestream and it’s already managed to become the second most-watched game on Twitch, toppling the likes of League Of Legends, World Of Warcraft, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
The most shocking thing about all this is the fact that League Of Legends Runeterra hasn’t even been fully released yet, as the game is currently in closed beta via the Announce Preview Patch until 20 October 2019.

As soon as the game’s beta version went live, it peaked at over 230,000 concurrent viewers, with an hourly average of 225,000.

(image credit: Sullygnome)
While the game looks similar to other collectable card games like Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering, it focuses on being offensive due to its unique turn structure. Players have to take turns to attack and defend with combat only commencing when both sides are ready.
According to Riot Games on their FAQ page, League Of Legends Runeterra will be entering open beta for PC and mobile sometime in early 2020. Unfortunately, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau will not be part of the special preview patches.
In the meantime, you can pre-register here for the Android version of the game for a chance to take part in the beta. For now, you’ll have to make do by watching streamers play the game on Twitch, such as Jeremy ‘DisguisedToast’ Wang below.


American Born Chinese Is A Coming-Of-Age Story That Explores Asian-American Issues

American Born Chinese is a series that blends realism, drama, humour, fantasy and action in a way that everyone can enjoy. However, it doesn’t go overboard on any of those aforementioned elements, which is what makes the series feel balanced and fun. Based on Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel of the same name, showrunner Kelvin Yu has managed to craft a series that Asian Americans, and perhaps even Asians, will be able to relate to.
Fresh Off The Boat

Basically, American Born Chinese focuses on protagonist Jin Wang (Ben Wang), whose life is turned upside down when he meets another fellow Asian student named Wei Chen (Jimmy Liu), who turns out to be the son of the mythological Sun Wukong (Daniel Wu). Together, they get embroiled in an epic quest, while Jin still has to navigate through problems at school and at home. What’s great about American Born Chinese is that it doesn’t overwhelm viewers with fantasy elements, much of which is adapted from Chinese mythology.
The highlight of the series is not actually the fantasy elements, but the realistic ones. Jin is a relatable individual, especially for Asian Americans. His situation reminds me of that of Eddie Huang from the sitcom Fresh Off The Boat. He’s just trying his best to be himself while juggling what his peers and his own parents expect of him. What I like most about American Born Chinese is that it doesn’t shy away from heavy and complex subject matter like him bearing witness to his parents’ marriage crumbling or him facing racist bullying at school.

The series also doesn’t just focus on Jin. His parents, Simon Wang (Chin Han) and Christine Wang (Yeo Yann Yann), also have problems of their own, besides marital issues. For instance, Simon suffers from a problem that many Asians do, which I personally identified with. His wife pushes him to ask for a promotion at work but like many other Asians out there, Simon feels like sometimes it’s just easier to keep your head down and keep working hard and hoping people will notice, instead of being confrontational and speaking out.
The subject matter of racism is also explored in American Born Chinese. For instance, Ke Huy Quan’s character is a former actor who stopped acting because Hollywood wouldn’t stop typecasting him because of his race. This storyline actually mirrors Ke Huy Quan’s real life before he acted in Everything Everywhere All At Once, which is what makes it all even more powerful when you look at it all with further context. One could say that American Born Chinese doesn’t go far enough in depicting racism. Though it does feel like it’s pulling its punches a little (probably because this is still a Disney production), the issues it does present feel realistic and are ones that Asians/Asian Americans can relate to.

As for the fantasy elements, there’s really not much of it. American Born Chinese is mostly a coming-of-age teen story with elements of Chinese mythology. Those elements are fun but not really delved into as deep as they should have been, but that could be because the showrunner didn’t want to bombard non-Asians who aren’t familiar with Chinese mythology. The series gets a boost of momentum near the middle with a major twist and a whole episode that looks like a classic Chinese production, like one of those old Sun Wukong movies that I’m sure many Asians would have grown up watching.
The action scenes in American Born Chinese are really just decent and nothing special. They’re the typically exaggerated wushu fights with lots of jumping, flying around and not much brutality. Of course, this is a series intended for all ages, so you can’t really expect bloody martial arts fights like in The Raid Redemption or Into The Badlands (look up the fights in this underrated series, it features some of the best wushu-style fights I’ve ever seen and one of the actors in American Born Chinese, Daniel Wu, was even in it). Also, there’s really not much action at all (in comparison to the comedy and drama), especially if you’re looking to watch American Born Chinese for its fights and action.
Last but not least, the ensemble cast is a definite highlight. While supporting actors/actresses like Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, James Hong and Ronny Chieng don’t really get much screen time, what little we do get from them is great stuff to look forward to for viewers.

Journey To The West

American Born Chinese is worth watching for its balanced blend of realism, drama, humour, fantasy and action, as well as featuring issues and problems that Asians/American Asians can relate with. Plus, there are only eight episodes which average around 30 minutes each in the first season, so it’s quite a binge-able show and I don’t say that lightly, as someone who doesn’t like to binge-watch. Unlike other Disney+ shows, all eight episodes of this series will drop at once.
FINAL SCORE: 70/100
We received an early access screener of American Born Chinese courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. All eight episodes of the first season are slated to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on 24 May 2023.


505 Games Announces Crime Boss: Rockay City, Featuring An All-Star Cast

During The Game Awards 2022, 505 Games has announced a new first-person action game Crime Boss: Rockay City.
It’s a first-person shooter with an all-star cast including Kim Basinger, Michael Madsen, Michael Rooker, Danny Glover, Vanilla Ice(?), and Chuck Norris(?!). There’s a bit of gameplay amidst the many, many cutscenes and actor names popping up; this might seem like a game full of pizzazz.
Crime Boss: Rockay City will be out for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series on 28 March 2023.


Iconic Power Rangers Actor Jason David Frank Has Passed Away At 49

Jason David Frank has passed away at the age of 49. According to multiple sources, including an Instagram post by Walter Emanuel Jones (who played Zack Taylor AKA the Black Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) and a Facebook post by his trainer and friend, Mike Bronzoulis.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by WalterEJones (@walterejones)

https://www.facebook.com/mike.bronzoulis/posts/pfbid0ZtdEeeNLRkyNoScd9c2aprdz1Znc19MUmMinemdxbRK8LuUErogtZdBaUS3uY1Hfl
The late Jason David Frank was best known for starring in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from 1993 to 1996 as Tommy Oliver AKA the Green Ranger and the White Ranger. He would later go on to become perhaps the most popular and iconic Power Rangers actor ever, reprising his role for several Power Rangers movies and series. His last appearance as Tommy Oliver was in the Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel episode ‘Dimensions In Danger’, which aired in 2018 (see clips below).
The final post that was posted by the late actor on his Instagram account was for a giveaway contest to promote his upcoming movie, Legend Of The White Dragon, about four days ago.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jason David Frank (@jdfffn)

Thank you for being a part of our childhoods, Jason, rest in peace. Our condolences to friends and family of the late Jason David Frank.


Here Are Our Thoughts About The Game Awards 2022 Nominees

The Game Awards 2022 is happening soon this early December, and we can expect to see some new game trailers and reveals. Oh yeah, and some games will win some prizes for their hard-earned work for the year. Can’t forget about that, can we?
In this week’s Push To Talk episode, we touch upon the recent Game Awards 2022 nominees, specifically the GOTYs.


A Storm Is Brewing At Blizzard As Top Staff Call It Quits

Blizzard is facing one hell of a storm at the moment as several high-profile and experienced staff members are slated to leave Activision Blizzard over the next two weeks.
One of them is Kim Phan, Global Product Director of Blizzard Esports, who has been with Blizzard for over a decade.
Kim Phan, one of Blizzard’s most respected seniors.
The news came after Nate Nanzer’s announcement to stop working at Blizzard and work with rival company Epic. Nanzer is the OverwatchÂ League’s Commissioner, meaning he might be presiding over two Epic Games Store esports titles, Fortnite Battle Royale and the recently acquiredÂ Rocket League.
Overwatch League Commissioner, Nate Nanzer.
A few months ago, Activision Blizzard laid off hundreds of employees, despite after ‘achieving record sales’.
Internal sources spoke to Dexerto on the confirmed reason for this mass exodus of top-ranking staff. It is said that low morale pertaining to the esports development of the games was the reason why.
A source pointed out that people are not happy working for Pete Vlastelica,Â President and CEO of Activision Blizzard esports. Vlastelica was formerly Content Manager of Fox Sports, and joined Activision Blizzard in 2016.

â€œPeople are really getting tired of working for Pete Vlastelica. The focus has become commercializing the esports titles instead of making good programs for the community.
Many people internally are laying that on Pete, and it has crushed morale among the CallÂ of DutyÂ andÂ Overwatch teams especially.â€

Some employees think that his previous stint at FOX doesn’t make him qualified to make decisions about what is best for esports, due to the noted differences between the markets.
Pete Vlastelica,Â President and CEO of Activision Blizzard esports,
Another source also pointed out that senior management doesn’t understand esports.

â€œRight now, thereâ€™s a feeling that a lot of the senior management just donâ€™t understand esports, but there is no room for negotiating with these people.
They are convinced their vision, which is more in line with televised sports, is the right way to go and it has just made people miserable.â€

As of now, it’s not clear how many people will be leaving the company, but the sources revealed some experienced names that are confidential.
The story is still developing; we’ll be ready to keep tabs on this one.


That Iconic God Of War Moment Almost Didn’t Happen, Says Cory Barlog

Sony Santa Monica‘s God of War (2018) was one of the most critically-acclaimed games of 2018, and perhaps even in the current gaming generation. It managed to transform the previously one-dimensional Kratos into a complex man struggling to overcome the failures of his past while trying to be a father to his son, Atreus.
In a recent interview with GameSpot on their new show Audio Logs, God of War director Cory Barlog revealed that the arguably most iconic moment from the PS4 exclusive almost never made it into the game. How? Before we continue with the details, keep in mind that heavy spoilers for God Of War lie ahead.

That particular bombshell moment involved Kratos unearthing his old Blades of Chaos weapon, which he wielded in the first three games in his vengeance against the gods of the Greek pantheon. That scene was emotionally powerful because it represents Kratos finally facing up to his tragic past after keeping it buried all these years.
According to Barlog, the Blades of Chaos scene (and the ability to wield the weapon in-game) was almost not included in God Of War, due to “technical and design challenges”. This stemmed from the new game’s drastic switch from the older isometric and side-on third-person camera to a more dynamic and cinematic over-the-shoulders viewpoint.

“The payoff that we actually got [the Blades of Chaos] right, that was always in question. We didn’t do the blades until probably the last year [of development].
We worked on the [Leviathan] axe for so long that there was a possibility that the blades were going to have to get cut because they were just taking so long to get online that everybody said, â€˜Look, it took three and a half to four years to do the axe, you’re never going to be able to do the blades in time.’
So we had a good year of animated chain moves that were just like, â€˜That doesn’t feel right, that doesn’t work.’ And with this new camera angle where you have the camera behind [Kratos], it’s very different â€¦ You don’t get the same visual as when you have a side view of Kratos shooting the chain blades out.
Seeing it from an isometric view, seeing it from a side view, you get a better view of the line of action. We really had to figure out how to take the old moves and make them work much better in this camera angle.”

Barlog added that the Blades of Chaos was ultimately added into the game because it was so integral to showcasing Kratos’ growth and maturity, despite how difficult it was.

“So much of the game was built on this revelation, this realization from Kratos that the blades were something he was going to have to return to.
They were something he wanted to get rid of, but would have to go back to them, he’d have to put them on, and he’d do that for his son. That was part of his growth.”

To celebrate the game’s one-year anniversary, Sony Santa Monica and PlayStation have released a new God Of War PS4 dynamic theme, new God Of War PS4 avatars, exclusive God Of War merchandise, and even a discount for God Of War on the PlayStation Store.
In the meantime, check out GameSpot’s full interview with Cory Barlog below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4XRmMkQcuQ&w=560&h=315]


Ubisoft To Reveal Far Cry 6 Gameplay This Saturday

Ubisoft has announced that the worldwide gameplay reveal of Far Cry 6, the latest instalment in the Far Cry franchise, will take place on 29 May 2021 at 12.30am GMT+8, on the following channels:

Twitch:Â twitch.tv/ubisoftÂ andÂ twitch.tv/xbox
YouTube:Â https://youtu.be/qjSM3Lp7EhI

Far Cry 6 is an open-worldâ€¯first-person shooter that plunges players into the heart of a modern-day guerrilla revolution set in Yara, a tropical paradise frozen in time under the oppressive rule of President AntÃ³n Castillo (Giancarlo Esposito).
As he vows to restore his nation to its former glory while grooming his son Diego (Anthony Gonzalez) to follow in his footsteps, players will embody Dani Rojas, a local military dropout turned guerrilla fighter in their quest to overthrow the tyrant and unite the nation.
Developed by Ubisoft Toronto, Far Cry 6 is set to release later in 2021 on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC exclusively on both the Epic Games Store and the Ubisoft Store. It wasÂ announced late last year in 2020Â thatÂ Far Cry 6Â would be delayed beyond its original 18 February 2021 release date.


Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales PC Is Still Coming This Fall

Insomniac Games has announced that Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales is still coming to PC sometime in fall 2022. You can head on over here to check out our full review of Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales.
It is supposedly already available to be wishlisted on Steam and the Epic Games Store, but at the time of writing, they are not available yet.
In the meantime, check out our review of Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on PC by heading over here.


Steam Epic War Benefits The Games Industry, Says Wolfenstein Devs

In previous gaming generations, console wars were all the rage, with Nintendo and Sega duking it out in the 80s before PlayStation and Xbox came into the scene to spark an even bigger war. Now it’s all about the PC digital storefronts, with Valve’s Steam and Epic Games’ Epic Games Store at the forefront.
In an interview with PCGamesN, Wolfenstein franchise developer MachineGames senior level designer Kristoffer Kindh said that the digital storefront war promotes competition and that it is ultimately beneficial for the games industry as a whole.
He said:

“Competition is good for the industry.
Itâ€™s good for everybody because competition just makes us be better.
The game market gets bigger, with more games getting released every day.
My personal opinion is that itâ€™s a natural growth, compared to how much game development is actually happening. â€

Before the Epic Games Store began operating earlier this year, Steam has been dominating the PC digital storefront for years, effectively monopolizing the platform. It wasn’t until the Epic Games Store came along and brought with it massive exclusives like Borderlands 3 and Control that it started becoming a real rival to Valve’s storefront.
As of now, there are no MachineGames titles on the Epic Game Store, only on Steam. That may change in the future, as Bethesda’s failure to successfully make its own storefront a proper rival to both Steam and Epic Games Store. Wolfenstein Youngblood was the most recent title in the franchise, having released in July 2019 (check out our review of the game here).
Competition does encourage all parties to do their best, and not turning complacent. It brings out the best, so that could also translate to better products for gamers. However, with exclusivity being the go-to method for gaining customers, things may backfire, especially now that the gaming industry is gradually becoming more inclusive (with cross-platform play, etc.).


What Is Xbox’s Plan After E3 2020 Is Cancelled? Digital Events!

After so many years since 1995, E3 is cancelled for 2020 due to the coronavirus. So where does that leave its many publishers and developers to showcase their latest and upcoming games?
We can’t speak for them, but so far Xbox has announced that they will be doing a digital event. According to Xbox head Phil Spencer, the company will celebrate the next generation of gaming (ie: their Xbox Series X and upcoming game announcements) online.

E3 has always been an important moment for Team Xbox.  Given this decision, this year we'll celebrate the next generation of gaming with the @Xbox community and all who love to play via an Xbox digital event.  Details on timing and more in the coming weeks https://t.co/xckMKBPf9h
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) March 11, 2020

Bummed to miss celebrating @E3 in person with all of our fans, media, and partners. With that said we have an incredible amount of exciting things in the works and team is going to continue to work hard to share all of that with you in a digital format. The Xbox show must go on! https://t.co/4mKOO8TLue
— Aaron Greenberg ??????U (@aarongreenberg) March 11, 2020

It’s good to know that the show will go on and every major company planning on doing their own Nintendo Direct showcase for the mid-year. We did predict it here:


The NieR Automata Ver1.1a Anime Premieres Next Week

A new NieR Automata Ver1.1a anime “Promotion File 008” video features action scenes with 2B and 9S. In addition, it also reveals more staff members and that the anime will premiere on 7 January 2023.
The newly announced staff members include:

Action Supervision, Prop Design: Shun Tachibana (Key Animation, My Senpai Is Annoying)
CG Action Supervision, Blender Supervision: Masaki Inada (3DCG Animator, The God of High School)
Blender Supervision: Takahiro Kawakoshi (Episode Director, Aikatsu!, Btooom!)
2D Work: Mie Hiraga
Military Research: Ken’ichi Kaneko (Military Supervision, GATE)
Art Supervision: Hiroshi Kat? (Gurren Lagann, He Is My Master)
Art Director: Hirofumi Sakagami (Shadows House, Visual Prison)
Art: Totonyan
Art Setting: Takeyuki Takahashi (Higurashi: When They Cry – GOU)
Color Key Artist: Takahiro Mogi (Golden Kamuy)
CG Director: Yuusuke Noma (Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- Rhyme Anima)
Sub CG Director: Takeshi ?kawa (Gekij?-ban Utano?Princesama? Maji Love ST?RISH Tours)
Compositing Director of Photography: Toshiaki Aoshima (Lycoris Recoil)
Editing: Akinori Mishima (86, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War)
Sound Director: Yukio Nagasaki (Orange, One Piece Film Z)

The anime will premiere on the Tokyo MX, Tochigi TV, Gunma TV, and BS11 channels on 7 January 2023 at 12 am JST. The anime will also stream on other streaming services in Japan starting from 10 January 2023. There will also be a special live stream on Aniplex’s YouTube channel on 28 December 2023 at 8:00 pm, where there will be more information, probably on how and where international viewers will be able to watch the anime.
The anime’s cast includes:

Yui Ishikawa as 2B
Natsuki Hanae as 9S
Hiroki Yasumoto as Pod 042
Kaoru Akiyama as Pod 153
Chiaki Kanou as Commander
Keiko Isobe as Operator 60
Meari Hatsumi as Operator 210
Aoi Y?ki as Pascal
Daisuke Namikawa as Adam
Tatsuhisa Suzuki as Eve
Atsumi Tanezaki as Lily
Ayaka Suwa as A2

Ryouji Masuyama (Blend S, Hello WeGo!) is directing the anime at A-1 Pictures, and Masuyama is also in charge of series composition alongside the original game’s Yok? Tar?. Jun Nakai is designing the characters and serving as chief animation director. MONACA is composing the music.
The official synopsis reads:
NieR:Automata tells the story of androids 2B, 9S and A2 and their battle to reclaim the machine-driven dystopia overrun by powerful machines.
Humanity has been driven from the Earth by mechanical beings from another world. In a final effort to take back the planet, the human resistance sends a force of android soldiers to destroy the invaders. Now, a war between machines and androids rages on… A war that could soon unveil a long-forgotten truth of the world.
The NieR Automata game was originally launched in 2017 for the PS4 and PC, followed by the Xbox One in 2018 and Nintendo Switch in 2022.
Check out the new trailer below:


PSA: Overwatch’s Anniversary Event Is Today (Update)

Hope you’re not too cool for school because this year’s Overwatch Anniversary is looking fine.
Starting 21st May (later today in GMT+8), players old and new can expect to earn seasonal cosmetics, emotes, and skins, including this new D.Va Academy skin.

Time to raise my GPA.
Hit the books as Academy D?Va!
Overwatch Anniversary begins on May 21! pic.twitter.com/yLoZdchlE4
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) May 19, 2019

Also, heroes like Winston, Mei, and Pharah get new skins. Check them out below!

You can also look forward to more legendary and epic skins, as well as fresh new dances for recent heroes like Ashe, Baptiste, and Wrecking Ball/Hammond.

Furthermore, there will be seasonal brawls for you to partake in like Lucioball, Junkenstein’s Revenge, and Snowball Offensive. Here’s the latest schedule:

You may want to jump on-board this train as soon as you can: it ends on 10 June. So hop to it, soldier!
For more Overwatch, head on over to our archives.Â


Days Gone Now Available For Pre-Order, Collector’s Edition Detailed

Sony Interactive Entertainment Hong Kong Limited Singapore Branch (SIES) has announced that upcoming PS4 exclusive Days Gone is now available for pre-order starting from today.
Here are the prices for each edition of Days Gone:

Digital Standard Edition: RM239
Digital Deluxe Edition: RM299
Physical Standard Edition: RM239
Collectorâ€™s Edition: RM679

Days Gone Physical Cover
Pre-order bonuses for all editions will include Drifter Crossbow Early Unlock, Nitrous Upgrade #!, Gas Tank Upgrade #1, and Shroud Upgrade #1. The first one is clearly a weapon, while the other three must be early upgrades for the player’s in-game bike. Digital editions of the game will also receive an additional exclusive Days Gone Sawmill Dynamic Theme.
Days Gone Digital Deluxe Edition will contain the following:

Digital Original Soundtrack
Digital Mini-Art Book
DAYS GONE Sawmill Dynamic Theme
Monkey Wrench Skill Early Unlock
3 Bike Skins

Days Gone Collector’s Edition will contain the following:

DAYS GONE Collectorâ€™s Edition Statue
Steelbook Case
6 DAYS GONE Collector Pins
Physical & Digital Mini-Art Book
Physical & Digital Original Soundtrack
DAYS GONE Patch
4 Decals
Deacon vs. The Horde Dynamic Theme
Monkey Wrench Skill Early Unlock
3 Bike Skins

Developed by SIE Bend Studio, Days Gone is slated to release for the PS4 on 26 April 2019. In the meantime, check out the most recent trailer for the upcoming action-adventure open-world survival game below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_7yRpVu5n8&w=560&h=315]


Hot Garbage DLC Is Dropping In Journey To The Savage Planet Next Week

Typhoon Studios’ quirky exploration adventure game Journey To The Savage Planet is getting its first Hot Garbage DLC expansion. It’s coming to the Xbox One and PC versions of the game on 15 April 2020, but the PS4 version will be coming later at an unspecified release date.

In Journey To The Savage Planet‘s Hot Garbage DLC, players will be able to explore a brand new area of tropical beaches, lovely views, toxic waste and killer robots. As seen in the trailer, players will have access to a pair of special boots for underwater exploration, a toxic ‘deshocker’ to safely traverse toxic areas and a new jetpack.
The evil corporation who hired you, Kindred Aerospace, is also sending a new robot enemy after players in the Hot Garbage DLC, so there’s that. In the meantime, head on over here for our review of the base game, or check out the Hot Garbage DLC trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X_9GwjskxU&w=560&h=315]


Does Anyone Remember Or Care About Alex Kidd? Here’s A Remake For You

Before Sonic The Hedgehog came into the picture as the de facto Sega mascot, there was the big-eared and giant-fisted Alex Kidd. This oddball of a cutesy mascot was in a slew of 8-bit Master System games and a 16-bit outing or two. He also made some appearances in titles like Sega Superstars Tennis because Sega likes to resurrect their past icons from their proverbial graveyard once in a while.
In other words, he’s a niche character only a few retro gaming fans care about. Now you can see what the fuss is about with the upcoming remake called Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX.
The remake comes with a new HD artstyle, the option to play the original Master System game in its 8-bit glory, as well as tweaked controls and gameplay.

The game is slated for a 2020 release, which is fine I guess. I’m not sure what the big deal is with Alex Kidd and his games; they don’t set themselves apart from platformers back in the late 80s and early 90s at all save for the “rock, paper, scissors” minigame. I’m shocked that there’s even a fanbase for this guy.
Alex Kidd In Miracle World DX will be out for PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch for people who still give a s*** about a long-forgotten Mario knock-off in a goofy one-piece.


[Sponsored] Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Unleashes Beyond Legends Trailer

Moontonâ€™s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang recently released a new trailer, Beyond Legends, for their upcoming Project NEXT initiative. As detailed before, Project NEXT is the developerâ€™s ongoing project of reworking the gameâ€™s heroes; introducing new skill sets, background stories, and appearances.
In the Beyond Legends trailer, Eudora breaks free from the long-lasting prejudice, Zilong accomplishes his own transcendence, and Miya finally stands up and fights for her people. These stories of the heroes rebuilding themselves perfectly fit into the main themes of Project NEXT.
Check it out:

With the same name as the trailer, the theme song also captures the spirit of Project NEXT, as the lyrics of the song begins at a low point before gradually progressing to its peak, where the heroes are finally reforged. Simply put, this is a clear reflection and testament to Moontonâ€™s dedication in providing an improved game experience to players.
Beyond A Paint Job
Several days ago, Mobile Legends Bang Bang also revealed its brand new logo, which uses the classic MOBA map as the fundamental element. This design represents the essential idea of the game, as well as directly emphasizes competition and cooperation; both are key elements in MOBA games.
The core section of the logo is based on the letter “M”. Combined with the river of the map, the letter symbolizes a heart pulse; standing for vigor and passion. The centre of the letter â€˜Oâ€™ features a turret-like crystal as a symbol of glory, through which the light and hope symbolizing the multi-cultural background of the Mobile Legends universe shine bright.
In addition, the texture of the new logo adopts a metallic gold colour theme, evoking the feeling of advance and glory. Furthermore, it is also a sign of Mobile Legends Bang Bang entering a new era, especially one with higher quality and bigger ambition, with the objective of bringing a more immersive experience to its players.
As a game that is been popular with millions of players worldwide, the success of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang 2.0 in 2019 proves that the quality of the game is all that matters. Fans will be delighted to learn that Project NEXT is slated to launch on 22 September 2020.

This sponsored post is brought to you by Shanghai Moonton Technology Co., Ltd.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is developed by Moonton. You can download the free-to-play mobile game via Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.


We Have More Questions After Watching Doctor Strange 2

Doctor Strange 2 is out now in Southeast Asian cinemas. It’s a heckuva magic-filled wild ride of an MCU film featuring the Sorcerer Supreme.
We also have more questions after the post-credits scene has been shown. No, not the one involving pizza balls. Other questions involving the story and what comes after this film.
Here they are. Also, spoilers here and there.

What Was Cut In The Original Doctor Strange 2?
According to numerous reports, director Sam Raimi pointed out that he’s uncertain about the film’s final cut. He trimmed down the runtime during production; the first cut was 2 hours and 40 minutes compared to this version’s 2 hours and 6 minutes. The film was probably all the better for it as it should focus more on Doctor Strange and Wanda, but one wonders what was axed.
According to rumours was that there was going to be the MCU version of Wolverine/James Logan. The tweet below was further fueled by the fires of one Rob Liefeld, comic artist. He said “Is one day May 5?”

one day we’ll get #Wolverine in a comics accurate costume. When it comes…??? pic.twitter.com/yUWX3zl1pp
— James Viscardi (@JimViscardi) April 12, 2022

Again, these are rumours and we won’t know what actually got cut until Sam Raimi and Marvel spills the beans in the coming months. But if we were to take a guess, we most likely would see an X-Men or two accompany Charles Xavier, who is in the film.
What Would Happen If Doctor Strange 2 Were To Be Released Before Spider-Man: No Way Home?
Due to COVID-19 complications, the scheduling and shooting of the two films had to be shuffled around. Meaning some scenes would have been cut and replaced with reshoots. The original schedule was to have Doctor Strange 2 be out before Spider-Man: No Way Home. America Chavez would have appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home after her intro in Doctor Strange 2 and magically summon the Tobey Macguire Spider-Man and Andrew Garfield Spider-Man instead of Ned (see below).

New #SpiderManNoWayHome concept art reveals that America Chavez was meant to make an appearance!
She will now be making her debut in #DoctorStrange2. pic.twitter.com/0FUZfmjum4
— Doctor Strange Updates (@DrStrangeUpdate) January 8, 2022

Long story short, if things were to go as planned, America Chavez would have made a cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Guess she’ll have to be worked into another future MCU film involving multiverse-travelling, we wager.
Who Will Appear In The Next Doctor Strange Movie?
This one’s easy, we think. The sorceress Clea is set to appear and will be played by Charlize Theron. At the mid-credits scene, she is seen about to go on a magical adventure with Doctor Strange who now has a third eye thanks to the Darkhold’s influence, and it looks like they’re going to Dormammu’s realm.
Clea herself has been around the Marvel Comics world since 1964. She is a multi-dimensional traveler and eventually ended up as Doctor Strange’s apprentice. She even married him at one point, and became Sorcerer Supreme when Doctor Strange dieds. She also has a complicated history with Dormammu, whom we remember has left Earth alone in the first MCU Doctor Strange movie.
The third movie may mark a return of the evil god, hopefully in his more badass form like below. In any case, Disney and Marvel wouldn’t cast someone as huge as Charlize Theron for just a one-shot cameo; she’s going to be in the MCU for the long term.

What Happens To The Illuminati POST-Doctor Strange 2?
As you can already tell with the film, they’re all dead in the 838 universe. 838 Captain Carter, 838 Captain Marvel, Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, Black Bolt of the Inhumans, and Charles Xavier of the X-Men.
Mordo is still alive and still Sorcerer Supreme; he’ll probably form a new Illuminati group with leftover heroes. We’re thinking a new Marvel’s What If? episode if there’s a new season for the series on Disney+.
Will Scarlet Witch Make A Comeback?
Most likely, probably in possessed form by some Marvel demon. Maybe by Dormammu? Or by Chthon making its first MCU appearance in a future MCU film?
Will There Be An X-Men Or Fantastic Four Movie After This?
All signs point to “yes”. The Reed Richards (John Krasinki) and Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) appearances mean that Disney and Marvel will be using characters whose movie rights were owned by Fox at one point. Expect a new Fantastic Four movie and a new X-Men “reboot” film coming soon in a couple of years.
John Krasinki would be recasted as the 616 version of Mr. Fantastic; it would be foolhardy not to at this point after the cheers his appearance received in cinemas. As for Charles Xavier? Leave Patrick Stewart alone. Bring back James McAvoy; he did a great job at being a younger and more steadfast Professor Xavier. The two companies seem to care about the integrity of its comic properties, so anything new and X-Men related would be better than the last few X-Men movies we got.


Retro Game Dev Sunsoft Is Hosting A Virtual Event Next Week

If you’ve been gaming since the 80s, chances are you’ve heard of Sunsoft. The company is known for making classic games like the Batman adaptations, the cute-but-tough platformer Gimmick, and the ex-Terminator 2D run-and-gun Journey to Silius. All of them have awesome soundtracks that still hold up today.
The classic game devs have somehow been sticking around the past few years (2018 onward to be exact), and are planning to make a retro gaming-related announcement next week. The company will be hosting a virtual event where it plans to show off titles coming in 2022 and 2023 via its YouTube channel on 19th August 4am GMT+8.
Here is what its current general manager Yuichi Ochi has to say:
“Although we have been quiet for some time, many things have been happening behind the scenes. We are very excited to be able to finally share our vision for the rebirth of Sunsoft with fans old and new.”
Call it a comeback, I guess.


GeekFam Concludes MPL MY/SG Season 3 With Glorious Victory

The Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB) Professional League (MPL) MY/SG Season 3 has just concluded with GeekFam emerging as the champions, bringing home the prize of US$25,000 (RM103,312).
The coveted MPL MY/SG Season 3 trophy.
After surviving as the league’s top three teams across six weeks of Regular Season, the Malaysian team GeekFam emerges as the champions of MPL MY/SG Season 3 after a Best Of 5 (BO5) match against EVOS Esports SG.

The Lowdown
The team started their championship run in the Upper Bracket Playoffs, facing Malaysian team Reborn in the first game. They bested Reborn twice in a BO3 match as they advance into the next match. GeekFam then faced the Singaporean team Bigetron SG, in which they won the first round.
Bigetron SG wasn’t one to give up, putting up a challenge and grabbing the win in the second round, but GeekFam dominated and won the third round, essentially advancing them into the Grand Finals.

GeekFam faces EVOS Esports SG in the finals. This is EVOS Esports SG’s second time in the Grand Finals after achieving 2nd place in the Season 2 Grand Finals, so it was expected that GeekFam will have a tough fight.
GeekFam clinched the first round of the BO5 after Dominus dominated the field with 14 kills, contributing to more than half of GeekFam’s total kills. The second round saw EVOS Esports SG stomping the Malaysian team to a quick win. The pressure was significantly higher as the two teams enter the third round.
Mohd Haqqani ‘2ez4jepv’ Jaffar, a.k.a Jep, hypes the crowd after winning the first BO5 round.
The third round saw support/tank player Xorn clutching a 1v4 team fight with him taking out all four assailants which resulted in the crowd going wild. They won after meticulously pushing all lanes while defending their own.
The final game is where everything goes on the line. This was EVOS Esports SG’s chance to pull it together and save themselves, or GeekFam’s chance to clinch the title.
The match was lengthy as the two teams approached each other carefully. Each kill from either team was met with a roar of cheering from the crowd. GeekFam then emerged victorious after the final dramatic push to the opponent’s base.

This makes GeekFam the second Malaysian team to win the championship title in the MPL MY/SG Playoffs. The team was even dubbed the Singapore Slayers for winning every encounter with a Singaporean team throughout the Playoffs.
The season concluded as follows:

1st – Team GeekFam
2nd – EVOS Esports SG
3rd – Bigetron SG
4th – Team Resurgence

The Last Word
We spoke to Mohd Haqqani ‘2ez4jepv’ Jaffar, GeekFam team captain, after the Grand Finals. He expressed his joy of winning the Grand Finals and thanked God as well as the fans’ for their undying support.

He also said, “God-willing, next weâ€™re going to compete in the qualifiers for the upcoming 2019 SEA Games. Hopefully, weâ€™ll be chosen to represent Malaysia in Manila.”

Funny how Resurgence was eliminated from the playoffs against EVOS Esports SG after saying this;

With Mobile Legends Bang Bang going bigger than just a mobile game, it’s reassuring to see the Malaysian esports scene to grow exponentially like this, especially after GeekFam, who is also Kuala Lumpur’s representative for MLBB, winning the championship.


Fighting Game Player Krucial B Passed Away At New York Tournament

Earlier today, the official Capcom Fighters Twitter account sent out condolences to the family and friends of Bryand “Krucial B” McIntosh. It’s been reported that Bryand had passed away at Defend the North 2019, a fighting game tournament held in New York.

We are very saddened by the sudden passing of Bryand ‘@Krucial_B‘ McIntosh. He was a pillar in the Louisiana FGC and the community as a whole. Our deepest condolences to family and friends.
RIP Bryand. You will be missed.
â€” Capcom Fighters (@CapcomFighters) July 22, 2019

There’s still no official word on what exactly happened as investigations are still being carried out. According to other DTN participants, it seems that Bryand had collapsed due to a seizure and was promptly assisted by hotel staff and paramedics. DTN was organised at the New Yorker hotel.

Really sad
I witnessed someone having a seizure today in the DTN bathroom and I went to go get help for him and luckily I was able to find hotel workers that were able to help
Unfortunately I got the news that this man passed away
Rest in peace man 🙁
â€” Sinai Fang (@FAN9S) July 21, 2019

Saturday night absolutely sucked. We got word that while attending #DTN2019 a long time friend from the Louisiana FGC @Krucial_B suffered what appears to seizure and passed away at a NY hospital. This was out of the blue and most of us aren’t quite sure what to make of it.
â€” GOL | Dr. Sol (LoyalSol) (@LoyalSol) July 21, 2019

According to Kotaku, New York City is currently going through a heatwave and the temperatures have reached higher than 100Â°F (38Â°C) which New York Mayor Bill de Blasio says are temperatures they have not seen in at least seven years. Coupled together with power outages happening at the same time, things are very difficult for New Yorkers right now. Whether or not these problems affected DTN and Bryand, nobody knows for sure yet at this point.
Bryand’s friends and other figures from the Fighting Game Community have expressed deep sadness over the loss of a mentor & teacher, and a pillar in the Louisiana FGC. Founder of DTN, Andy Dumornay has also sent out his condolences on the front page of the DTN official website. He pledges to do everything he can to assist with the investigations.

Top image credit: Kotaku