The 30 Best Games Of 2021: #6

From December to January 2022, we’ll be highlighting our favourite games of 2021. Here’s number 6.
#6: Metroid Dread

Platform: Nintendo Switch
It’s a shame that before this, the Metroid series hasn’t seen much fanfare despite its importance in establishing a new genre of games that indie developers seem to love doing. Still, better late than never, with Metroid Dread being the pinnacle of developer MercurySteam’s fondness for search action games since its ill-fated Castlevania Lords of Shadow Masks of Illusion.
Yes, the developers have come an incredibly long way with this 2021 gem of a search action title. Not only does it hearken back to a pure 2D style of gameplay, but it also gives players a heckuva challenge while also giving them room to breathe in the exploration bits. Speedrunners and completionists are also given avenues to break sequences into the game’s carefully-plotted route and areas. Most importantly, Metroid Dread also provided closure for fans who followed the series’ lore since Metroid Fusion and the Prime series, as well as the best boss fights in the series’ history. It’s been 19 tortuous years, but the wait has been worth it!
All in all, add one more exclusive Nintendo Switch title to the ever-growing pile that justifies the console’s existence further. Welcome back, Samus. We really missed you!


The Dead Space Remake Will Bring The Horror In January 2023

EA and Motive have announced that the Dead Space remake will launch for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on 27 January 2023.
In a press release, Dead Space senior producer Phillippe Ducharme said:
“Developing this remake has been a lot of fun for us at Motive, as we’re true fans of the franchise and want to treat it with the respect it deserves. It’s been equally exciting to see players’ reactions as we’re taking them on this development journey with us.
We’re making great progress on our road to hitting Alpha and we’re happy to announce that the game will be launching in January next year. We can’t wait for players, both old and new, to see how we’ve elevated the original experience in the remake to be just as impactful for this generation.”
Dead Space is a remake of the original 2008 sci-fi survival horror game that is being rebuilt from the ground up leveraging the Frostbite game engine. The game puts players in the boots of Isaac Clarke, an everyman engineer on a routine mission to fix a gigantic mining starship, the USG Ishimura. But aboard the Ishimura, a living nightmare awaits. The ship’s crew has been slaughtered and infected, and Isaac’s girlfriend, Nicole, is missing somewhere on board. Alone and trapped, with only his engineering tools and skills, Isaac faces a battle for survival; not only against terrifying monsters called Necromorphs, but his own crumbling sanity.
In a new Dead Space remake live stream earlier today, Motive showcased an early look at how the remake visually evolves and updates the original with in-game props, tools, environments and more being reconstructed to a level of polish and details fit for the next generation of hardware and PCs. Moreover, by combining enhancements like dynamic, volumetric lighting with atmospheric and environmental VFX rendered in full-HDR, the Dead Space remake allows players to confront the frighteningly tight corridors and shadowed hallways of the USG Ishimura with unprecedented levels of immersion for the beloved franchise.
The Dead Space remake was originally announced during EA Play Live back in July 2021.


HOOK Is A New Publishing Label From 505 Games Parent Company Digital Bros

Digital Bros Spa, the parent company of publisher 505 Games, has announce the launching of a new publishing label: HOOK.
Based in Digital Bros’ Milan head office, with international members of the team based in different countries, HOOK includes industry veterans with more than 20 years of experience and will focus on identifying talented indie developers with strong creative visions to help them publish and market their games on the global marketplace. HOOK also offers an all-around solution for developer needs including funding, development support, QA, localization, marketing & PR.
Some of HOOK’s current projects under several developers include KINGDOM of the DEAD (a retro FPS from Dirigo Games), Madshot (a rogue-lite shooter from Overflow) and Unholy (Duality Games), among other undisclosed projects.

The establishment of HOOK comes off the back of Digital Bros Group latest acquisitions which include Supernova Games Studios, DR Studios, InfinityPlus 2, Kunos Simulazioni and Avant Garden. It also allows the Digital Bros group to strengthen its global publishing capability beyond the renowned 505 Games label, which is already famous for Death Stranding, Control, Bloodstained, Terraria, and others.
We at Kakuchopurei look forward to seeing what’s coming from HOOK in the near future.


Future Of Play Direct 2022: All The Games

Future of Play Direct 2022 returns for Summer Game Fest and is here to help fill that E3 void.
Check out all the game reveals and announcements below:
Boyfriend Dungeon

Roguelite weapon-dating simulator Boyfriend Dungeon is getting DLC this summer. The Secret Weapons update adds a new dungeon and three new characters, one of which is designed by Ikumi Nakamura (who’s previously worked on Ghostwire: Tokyo and The Evil Within).

Breeze In The Clouds

Button City

Fennel is a shy little fox who just moved into town. After discovering the local arcade, he makes new friends and gets swept up in a whirlwind adventure to save it from being shut down at the paws of greedy fat cat Peppermint Pepperbottom!
Button City is a colorful low poly narrative adventure game about friendship and community. Enter a pastel diorama world inspired by 90’s nostalgia and filled with cute characters to befriend. Complete quirky quests around town, play arcade games, collect fun costumes, solve puzzles and more as you follow a story about growing up and saving the things that are important to you.
Cook Serve Forever

A spiritual sequel to 2013 hit Cook, Serve, Delicious, players must cook their way through a bustling solarpunk city as they work their way from a food cart chef to the culinary queen. It arrives on PC in early 2023.

Creature Keeper

Creature Keeper is a top-down, pixel art, monster farming RPG that lets players explore a bright and colourful world. This new trailer focuses on the weird and wonderful beasties that players can collect and battle with.

Hardspace Shipbreaker

Cut and carve your way through space as you dismantle spaceships to recover valuable materials in Hardspace: Shipbreaker. It’s available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Hill Agency PURITYdecay

Detective mystery game Hill Agency: PURITYdecay sees players take on the role of a tough as nails P.I. Explore the world, interrogate suspects, and sift through evidence in this noir-style RPG.

Infinite Guitars

Infinite Guitars is a rhythm RPG where a kickin’ guitar solo is your best weapon. A new teaser trailer released during the Future of Play Direct revealed new art for the game.

Kitori Academy

Kitori Academy is a life simulator where you live the adventures of a wizard apprentice with your spirit companion. Train your magical skills and learn how to brew potions, grow vegetables and catch spells to challenge the curse that lurks in the world.
Lost Twins 2

This cute puzzle game arrives on PC sometime this year, combining a heartfelt story with Studio Ghibli inspired graphics. Players follow Abi and Ben as they move across platforms, swap tiles to create paths, and all sorts else on their journey back home.

Love Shore

Visual novel Love Shore is coming to Steam and Xbox on October 21. Players explore a cyberpunk metropolis as they meet and mingle with robots, fods, and humans alike.

Mossfield Origins

This super relaxed, small, and cozy city builder lets players take things slow and build the best self sustaining community they can. It’s coming to PC this fall.

OU

OU is an abstract story about Ou, a young boy who wakes up in a mysterious world. Follow him and his friend Zarry, an opossum with a flaming tail, when it arrives on PC and Nintendo Switch this year.

Pen Pal Princess

Check it out:

So good to see @belbeeps joining us on air!
What better time to video call a friend than in the middle of a galaxy-wide broadcast. ?
Can’t wait to hear more about their visual novel @PenPal_Princess when the Kickstarter comes up!#FutureOfPlay pic.twitter.com/UTdJ9pSGsv
— GLITCH (@heyglitch) June 11, 2022

Psychroma

Rocket Adrift Games, creator of Raptor Boyfriend: A High School Romance, have announced Psychroma, a narrative-driven side-scroller where you play as a digital medium. The trailer shows off a cybernetic house that players must explore as they uncover a plethora of spooks and secrets.

Railbound

Fans of trains and puzzles can enjoy Railbound this September. Golf Peaks and Inbento developer Afterburn showed off new gameplay and finally unveiled the release window for its track-connecting game that includes more than 100 puzzles for players to solve.

Soundfall

Soundfall combines dungeon crawling, looter-shooter action, and rhythm-based gameplay. Available now on PC. players can join up to four friends both locally and online in this genre-bending adventure.

Spells & Secrets

Spells & Secrets is a rogue-like inspired action adventure, playable in local co-op. Customise your own wizard, solve mysteries, and find powerful artifacts in this modern magical world.

Spiral

Folklore Games’ Spiral, a third-person narrative drive exploration game, is officially coming to Xbox. Players follow a man named Bernard as he explores his family home, reliving the past from childhood to his current, ageing state.

Spirit Swap Lo-Fi Beats To Match-3 To

An action-puzzle game with a mixture of match-3 gameplay and story, focused on lovable, queer characters. A new demo is out now on Steam with updated art, music, and story moments. It’s headed to PC in 2023.
The Cartomancy Anthology

The Cartomancy Anthology has players take a virtual tarot reading with a different game given depending on the reading. It will be released for Steam and itch.io on August 9.

The Wandering Village

Developer Stray Fawn Studios has revealed new gameplay The Wandering Village’s scavenging mechanics. Players must collect items to build their village on the back of a giant, wandering turtle-type creature called Onbu while defending themselves from an ever-threatening toxin.

tHE rEST oF tHE Games

Other games include Unpacking, ValiDate Struggling Singles In Your Area, The Pale Beyond, Skabma Snowfall, Rocket Rumble, Onde, Midnight Girl, Malice And Greed, Calico, Circuit Superstars, Dorfromantik, Loddlenaut, and Kabaret.


Five Malaysian Historical Epic Films That Are Better Than Mat Kilau

Mat Kilau is out now for Malaysian audiences to endure and watch. We sure as hell did and we had some fun with it, albeit in an ironic way.
While its fighting scenes are adequate and its aesthetics flashy, the film doesn’t do justice in portraying the history of Mat Kilau and Malaysian history in a respectable light. For a film inspired by serious history events, there are a lot of cartoonish villains and character dialogue that feels like exposition than actual storytelling and narrative.

But don’t worry, fellow viewers: there are a good number of Malaysian films that talk about historical subject matters and legends in the best light possible. Here are our top 5 picks among the Kakuchopurei staff:
Kanang Anak Langkau – The Iban Warrior (2017)

Let’s start with something involving some decent action. Kanang Anak Langkau is a military movie that focuses on a period very little spoken of in Malaysian history: the 1965 communist insurgency. It details the life and times of soldier Kanang Anak Langkau, and how he was rallied by the British Army to deal with said insurgency. The film portrays his training and fights in a serious manner, one that is accurate but also dramatic and gripping for the eyes. If anything, think of this film as a Sarawak-focused version of Platoon, but a lot more grounded & straightforward.
Ola Bola (2016)

Ola Bola is a feel-good throwback film about the history of Malaysian football, back when it was worth shouting about. Directed by Chiu Keng Guan, the film was made from the inspiration of Malaysian football team glories, and it clearly shows. The film does not require football knowledge to fully enjoy the film; just the fact that it’s about underdogs learning to be a brotherhood with one another while they play major football matches and attempt to win. The fact that the film has a ton of nice vistas and director shots also help make this film a helluva looker. And it also showcases the diverse groups of culture of Malaysia without resorting to cinematic stereotypes.
Leftenan Adnan (2000)

It wouldn’t be a Malaysian history movie listicle without yet another war movie, right?
Leftenan Adnan tells the story of the late Malaysian war hero Adnan Bin Saidi, a Lieutenant in a Malay Regiment who was instrumental in defending against the Imperial Japanese invasion during World War 2. It’s widely considered to be one of the best Malaysian-made historical war movies and the remastered version is currently available on Netflix. The film’s cinematography and story is well-paced and shot with care and detail, while Hairie Othman’s titular character role sells the role as a man fighting for his life in Malaysia during the Japanese invasion during World War 2. It’s a testament to Malaysian cinema and really deserves the “epic” film moniker.
Embun (2002)

Malaysia too has it fair share of romance period movies that don’t look like they’re taken out of TV3 or public television. Embun is one of them, following the lines of similar shows and films like Atonement, Allied, Casablanca, and your obligatory Jane Austen entry.
Embun is set in the 1940s and is about girl named Embun who is conflicted with her love for a Japanese army PR guy Koishi and the fact that her dad and brother are freedom fighters trying to deal with the Japanese occupation. Also, this was a harrowing time in history where women in Malaysia are dragged by Japanese soldiers and forcibly serve them as “comfort women”. It’s an ugly truth, but the film itself does a great job at portraying a dark time in Malaysian history while also showcasing that love can indeed bloom in the battlefield.
Puteri Gunung Ledang (2004)

We’re going to cheat a bit here since this is more “myth” than “history”, but it is still an epic film all the way through. Puteri Gunung Ledang is about the Gunung Ledang princess who lives on the top of a mountain and her lover, the legendary Melaka warrior Hang Tuah, as every other important person in the story seems to go at great and antagonistic lengths to quench their thirst for her. There’s magic and swordfighting involved in the many-side war of love.
If anything, Puteri Gunung Ledang is proof that with a lot of care and effort, you can make an enchanting film that’s based on a “mythical” piece of history.
Know of any other Malaysian-made movies centered around its rich history? Let us know in the comments!


Overwatch League: Philadelphia Stuns NYXL to Set Up An Unlikely Final VS London

The Philadelphia flipped the form books as they defeated the season juggernaut New York Excelsior in the Overwatch League second semi-final yesterday. Carrying a 1-0 lead heading into the game courtesy of a resounding 3-0 win a week earlier, the sixth-seed Fusion had a lot in their hands as the top see Excelsior have no plans of going out early.

The Fusion started strongly yesterday, winning 3-2 on Junkertown which sent a huge statement that their win last week was more than just a fluke. NYXL looked as if they haven’t fully grasped the meta but that alone is no excuse as the Fusion outplayed them in every department and looked like a more solid unit overall. After going on a losing streak for four maps in the playoffs, the NYXL finally won one – in Lijiang – to tie the score 1-1 in the series.
The NYXL opted for Pine to partner Saebyeolbe on DPS duties and while both were able to pull off some kills throughout, their effectiveness was somewhat nullified by the Fusion’s tight composition which didn’t allow the rest of the NYXL to fully capitalize whenever the Fusion are down a player or two.
Any doubts as of the Fusion’s credentials going into the finals were quashed in the third map, King’s Row, as not only were they able to push the payload in its entirety, they managed a full hold the NYXL to take a 2-1 lead and just one map away from the Grand Finals.
While NYXL had the most complete DPS corps in the league, Fusion had the most complete DPS player in Carpe who at times almost single-handedly win teamfights for his side. Partnering him was the versatile Eqo, whose ability to adapt and switch heroes ensured that his team are always a step ahead of the competition.

Seriously though, @carpe_ow YOU ARE INSANE. #OWL2018 #TheFirstPlayoffs
LIVE: https://t.co/U6dIioZfOU pic.twitter.com/Ez7xRTPNu8
â€” Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) July 22, 2018
But the Excelsior had no plans of wilting early and hit back with a morale boosting win on HanamuraÂ  to force the fifth map on Dorado.

Threat NEUTRALIZED. @JJoNakLove #OWL2018 #TheFirstPlayoffs
LIVE: https://t.co/U6dIioZfOU pic.twitter.com/6OIO8KfzPS
â€” Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) July 22, 2018
Sadly though, it was a perfect reflection of how their season was going to end. After successfully stalling the Fusion push right at the death, the NYXL only needed a full completion to secure the series and force a third game. Things looked well for the NYXL as they met little resistance en route to the final checkpoint. All signs pointed for a convincing NYXL victory and as they entered the final section, they had about four minutes to complete it.

ðŸ˜®ðŸ˜®ðŸ˜®! @eqo #OWL2018 #TheFirstPlayoffshttps://t.co/U6dIioZfOU pic.twitter.com/VUsvTV5Ekp
â€” Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) July 22, 2018
This was where the Fusion showed everyone why they deserved to be in the Grand Finals as they staged an epic defense, denying the NYXL from even coming close to the payload. The built-up confidence from the earlier strong push quickly vanished as the NYXL march came to a standstill and in desperation time, they even opted to a triple tank, triple support composition to force more bodies onto the payload to no avail. The Fusion knew they had it in the bag, they dug their heels and now they are one match away from being the Grand Champions of the inaugural Overwatch League season.
The first ever Overwatch League Grand Finals will be playedÂ July 27â€“28, 2018 at the Barclays Center in New York City. Fifth-seed, London Spitfire who earlier defeated second-seed Los Angeles Valiant will meet the Philadelphia Fusion for a shot at the US$1Million prize money and esports immortality.
Be sure to check out our preview of this epic matchup in the coming days!
For everything Overwatch League, you are already at the right place.


Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin DLC Teases Warrior Of Light

Publisher Square Enix and developer Team NINJA have announced Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Trials Of The Dragon King DLC. It will launch on 20 July 2022.
Those who purchased the Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Season Pass will receive the Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Trials Of The Dragon King DLC at no additional charge, as well as the upcoming “Wanderer Of The Rift” and “Different Future” missions.
Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Trials Of The Dragon King DLC includes new jobs, weapons, accessories, and a new category of equipment, as well as new areas, stories, and challenges.
This is only the first round of expansions slated for the game.
Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Epic Games Store. In the meantime, check out our review here.


Steam Breaks Its Own Record Count By 300k

Steam broke its own peak concurrent user count earlier today, reaching a whopping 18,801,944 at one point according to tracker site SteamDB. The previous record was 18.5 million two years ago on 6 January 2018. However, that doesn’t mean that the number of users who actually played games were nearly as high.
In actuality, the number of players in-game only reached 5.8 million today, despite the record amount of concurrent players on the platform. That’s still a far cry from the record-breaking seven million in-game players two years ago, which was boosted by the huge number of players in the then-newly-released PUBG.
At the time of writing, the reason why Steam broke its peak concurrent player record remains unknown, though the time of the peak does coincide with peak playtimes for all of Steam’s current top games, which includes Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, PUBG, Grand Theft Auto V, and Monster Hunter: World.

.@Steam has broken its record for most concurrently online users that was held for two years. Previous record was 18,537,490 users. It’s still increasing!
But there’s about 1 million less players actually in-game (â‰ˆ5.8mil vs â‰ˆ7mil two years ago).https://t.co/D6WDHbz0B4
â€” Steam Database (@SteamDB) February 2, 2020

It remains to be seen if Steam will be able to continue its winning streak, seeing as it has a lot more competition in 2020 in comparison to previous years, in the form of the Epic Games Store, Xbox Games Pass for PC, and others.


Twitch Demonetizes Hot Tub Streamer’s Ads Without Warning

Recently, a Twitch streamer by the name of Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa has been using an alternate and spicy method of attracting viewers to her Twitch stream. Here’s a hint: it involves a hot tub and a two-piece swimsuit.

Despite her significant presence on Twitch -she has 2.8 million followers and 19,000+ subscribers via her Just Chatting “gameplay”- the streaming platform chose to suspend her ability to run advertisements in her videos without any notification and explanation. The only explanation given by Twitch? Her streams are “not advertiser-friendly”.
Here’s what Amouranth said regarding the situation on Twitter:
“Yesterday I was informed that Twitch has indefinitely suspended advertising on my channel. Twitch didn’t reach out in any way whatsoever. I had to initiate the conversation after noticing, without any prior warning, all the ads revenue had disappeared from my Channel Analytics.
This is an ALARMING precedent and serves as a stark warning that although content may not ostensibly break community guidelines or terms of service, Twitch has complete discretion to target individual channels & partially or wholly demonetized them for content that is deemed ‘not advertiser friendly’, something that there is no communicated guideline for. This leaves open-ended the question of where the line is drawn.
I asked my [Twitch] partner manager why my ads were showing 0 after May 7 (via Kotaku), and she initially expressed surprise as well and even introduced me to upcoming ads products that were rolling out. After inquiring internally, it seems she came back with a prepared statement. They made clear that ads were off the table in the short term. They vaguely alluded that not all content allowed under [terms of service] is appropriate for all advertisers.”
Keep in mind that her content hook -the hot tub and bikini plus gaming ensemble- does not violate Twitch’s content guidelines, making the ninja demonetizing bit all the more perplexing:
“Swimwear is permitted as long as it completely covers the genitals, and those who present as women must also cover their nipples. Full coverage of buttocks is not required, but camera focus around them is still subject to our sexually suggestive content policy. Coverage must be fully opaque, even when wet. Sheer or partially see-through swimwear or other clothing does not constitute coverage.”
Despite this issue, Amouranth’s main concern is transparency from the platform owners.
“I foresaw something like this coming. I think the scariest issue that people who aren’t broadcasters aren’t realizing is the stealthy way of not telling you. And that’s what I think is the big issue here that the creators are worried about.”
Twitch has faced criticism for its lack of communication, with the Dr. Disrespect ban in 2020 being a prominent one.


Here’s Your First Look At The Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid 2D Shmup

Publisher Bushiroad and developer Kaminari Games have just unleashed some Tohru vengeance among the anime and gaming community.
The first gameplay trailer of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Burst Forth!! Choro-gon Breath is out, and it features some 2D shmup gameplay and some clothes-tearing on the main character’s part. Players will get their choices between Tohru, Kanna, and Elma, each of them with their different shmup playstyles. If you love chaining shots and enemy kills for scoring in other shmup fares like Dodonpachi and Espgaluda, this may be the anime game title for you.

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Burst Forth!! Choro-gon Breath will be out in Japan on 24 March 2022 for PS4 and Nintendo Switch.


DC FanDome 2021 To Feature New The Batman Trailer, Gotham Knights Reveal & A Lot More

Get ready to suit up!Â DC FanDome, the ultimate global fan experience, will return on Sunday, 17 October 2021 (in most Asian timezones), with an all-new, epic streaming event. The freeÂ virtual event will once again welcome fans from around the world to immerse themselves in the DC Multiverse atÂ DCFanDome.com and celebrate the stars and creators of their favourite feature films, live-action and animated television series, games, comics, home entertainment releases, and more.
DC Kids FanDomeÂ will also launch with a special kid-friendly experience accessed separately atÂ DCKidsFanDome.com. Additionally,Â DC FanDome 2021 will be available onÂ Twitch,Â YouTube, FacebookÂ andÂ Twitter, giving fans more ways to watch the events unfolding in DC FanDomeâ€™s Hall of Heroes.
Ann Sarnoff, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, said:

â€œDC FanDome 2020 was the first-of-its-kind global virtual fan experience and showcased every aspect of the DC Universe with unprecedented scale and access.
This year, weâ€™re taking everything that people loved about DC FanDome and supercharging it to super-serve fans with even more exclusive first-looks, breaking news, in-depth interviews and insight from the stars and creative teams of their favourite DC content.â€

All DC FanDome programming will be captioned in multiple languages, includingÂ Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, and Spanish. And DC FanDome will again be completely free to all fans worldwide. Adding to the worldwide DC FanDome experience, fans in China will be able to enjoy the global content plus a variety of exclusive and engaging local DC content.

Worldâ€™s Greatest Super Heroes â€” and Super-Villains
DC FanDome will feature an unrivalled gathering of casts and creators behind fan-favourite DC games, comics, movies, and TV shows. Expect breaking news, exclusive trailers and announcements, never-before-seen footage, revealing conversations, and more surprises in the DC FanDome:

Warner Bros. PicturesÂ showcases six highly anticipated titles with an exclusive new trailer forÂ The Batman, new content fromÂ DC League of Super-Pets, the first look at Black Adam, a sneak peek atÂ The Flash, and behind the scenes looks atÂ Aquaman and the Lost KingdomÂ andÂ Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
Warner Bros. TelevisionÂ will offer a look at new seasons ofÂ Batwoman,Â The Flash,Â Superman & Lois, andÂ Sweet Tooth; a farewell tribute toÂ SupergirlÂ as it approaches its epic conclusion after six seasons; a celebration of 100 episodes ofÂ DCâ€™s Legends of Tomorrow; a first look at forthcoming new dramaÂ Naomi; and a sneak peek at an upcoming episode ofÂ DCâ€™s Stargirl.
Warner Bros. GamesÂ features new reveals from the highly anticipatedÂ Gotham Knights,Â developed by Warner Bros. Games MontrÃ©al, andÂ Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, developed by Rocksteady Studios.
DCÂ publishing will honor the legacy of one of the worldâ€™s greatest Super Heroes and icon of truth and equality,Â Wonder Woman, with a showcase of three upcoming books. DC explores her history with the DC Black Label miniseriesÂ Wonder Woman Historia, expands the Amazon mythos withÂ Nubia and the Amazons, and honors the inspiration she has provided to women around the world with the original graphic novelÂ Wonderful Women of the World. Additionally, DC will share details about the next installment of the epic, universe-spanningÂ Batman/FortniteÂ comic crossover, and fans can also expect to hear more about the upcomingÂ Batman: Fear State, the new six-issueÂ Black MantaÂ series, the return of theÂ Milestone Universe, and much more.
HBO MaxÂ will unveil an exclusive look at the upcoming seriesÂ PeacemakerÂ and limited event seriesÂ DMZ. The streamer is also debuting more surprises and sneak peeks from new series as well as returning favorites such asÂ TitansÂ andÂ Doom Patrol. All four series hail fromÂ Warner Bros. Television.
Warner Bros. AnimationÂ will feature a look at the upcoming limited seriesÂ Aquaman: King of Atlantis; provide a sneak peek at season three of the adult animated comedy seriesÂ Harley QuinnÂ and share whatâ€™s in store forÂ #HarIvy; deliver a very early look at the next animated chapter of the Dark Knight in the all-new upcoming seriesÂ Batman: Caped Crusader; and give fans a preview ofÂ Young Justice: PhantomsÂ (warning: thereÂ willÂ be spoilers!).
Warner Bros. Home EntertainmentÂ will preview two upcoming originalÂ DC Animated Films: aÂ sneak peekÂ atÂ Superman and the rest of the Justice League inÂ Injustice, an all-new animated movie inspired by the popular games and comic, as well as the premiere of the trailer for the all-new animated heist movieÂ Catwoman: Hunted.Â Both movies are produced in association withÂ Warner Bros. Animation.

DC Kids FanDome
Once again, DC FanDome is going to be a family affair, serving the youngest DC fans with their own special experience in theÂ DC Kids FanDome. Kids and their parents around the world can explore the DC Multiverse alongside their favourite DC Super Heroes, catch sneak peeks of upcoming DC animated adventures likeÂ Batwheels,Â DC Super Hero GirlsÂ andÂ Teen Titans Go!, and immerse themselves in at-home digital activities all in a safe, kid-friendly environment atÂ DCKidsFanDome.com.
All-Access DC FanDome
In addition to joining the DC FanDome at the mainÂ DCFanDome.comÂ destination, fans will be able to watch the event viaÂ Twitch, YouTube, FacebookÂ andÂ Twitter.Â DC FanDome will be fully accessible on phones, tablets, laptops, or desktops, allowing fans to take DC FanDome with them wherever they are.
For all the latest scoop on DC FanDome, please be sure to visitÂ DCFanDome.comÂ regularly for news and updates. By registering atÂ DCFanDome.comÂ (itâ€™s free!), youâ€™ll get DC FanDome news directly in your inbox and gain access to members-only exclusives. And please follow the #DCFanDome hashtag on social media and the DC social channels onÂ Facebook,Â Instagram, andÂ Twitter. For updates from Asia, please follow theÂ DC Asia FacebookÂ page.
Legacy
DC FanDome 2020 was the first-of-its-kind global virtual fan experience and brought together the largest gathering of talent, announcements and content reveals in DC history. DC FanDome: Hall of HeroesÂ andÂ DC FanDome: Explore the MultiverseÂ supercharged the worldwide fanbase, generating overÂ 22 million global viewsÂ acrossÂ 220 countries and territoriesÂ with more thanÂ 150 million views of trailer content.
During DC FanDome 2020, the most popular announcements and reveals were trailers for Matt Reevesâ€™Â The Batman, Warner Bros Montrealâ€™sÂ Gotham KnightsÂ and theÂ Justice League Snyder Cut, all of which attracted more than 150 million views in total.
In the meantime, you can check outÂ our coverage of everything related to DC FanDome 2020 here.


Ex-DICE Folks Are Making A New Shooter

Embark Studios, a Stockholm-based developer made up of developers who worked on the Battlefield series, will be making an upcoming shooter called ARC Raiders.
The full trailer and info dump will pop up on 10th December during The Game Awards. So far, the teaser below features synth music straight out of a 70s flick and has the taglines “Enlist” and “Resist”.

pic.twitter.com/JPsq7mL4hP
— ARC Raiders (@ARCRaidersGame) December 6, 2021

Embark Studios is led by CEO Patrick SÃ¶derlund whom you may remember as the ex-executive vice president at EA Worldwide Studios. He’s also the guy who forced every developer in EA to use the Frostbite engine for shooters and non-shooter titles like the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series.


Here’s When You Get To Play The Anthem Open Demo

Bioware and EA’s biggest online action adventure game, gamble, and perhaps their answer to Activision’s Destiny is due next month. So it only makes sense that an Anthem demo will be out to get people in on the action.
So, when can you start getting your hands on it? According to the Anthem Twitter feed and official news page, it will be live from 1st to 3rd February on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Origin for PC.
However, if you pre-ordered the game or if you’re an Origin Access subscriber at the time of the VIP demo, you can access the VIP demo from 25th to 27th January. You’ll also get a special VIP Demo item to prove you’re one of the first few folks who participated.

The Open Demo is from February 1–3, on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Origin for PC. #AnthemGame
More: https://t.co/eRX8IM2FKh pic.twitter.com/YBTQGU7sSI
— Anthem (@anthemgame) January 5, 2019

Anthem will finally be out 22 February.


Echoes Of Mana To Be Featured At Taipei Game Show Live Stream Tomorrow

Square Enix has announced that Echoes Of Mana, a mobile action RPG developed by WFS, Inc. will be featured during a Taipei Game Show special program presentation.
Echoes Of Mana will be featured in a Taipei Game Show Special Program presentation scheduled to begin on Saturday, 22 January 2022 at 8pm GMT+8 (which you can watch at this link).

Hosts Tommy and Beryl and special guest commentator 6tan, alongside members of the Japanese development team, will be there for a deep dive into Echoes Of Mana. The program will include sneak peeks at in-game features including the tutorial, battle gameplay, and co-op battles.
Echoes Of Mana is a new free-to-play action RPG coming to mobile devices. It will feature an original story that weaves together both new and beloved Mana series characters alike. Players will be able to enjoy the action gameplay they love from the series, and battle with friends through a multiplayer mode.
In the meantime, check out the Echoes Of Mana teaser below:


HBO’s The Last Of Us Trailer Unveils First Look At A Clicker

Today is The Last Of Us Day 2022 and HBO has unveiled a brand new teaser for The Last Of Us TV series.
The trailer essentially confirms that the HBO series will also be adapting the events of the The Last Of Us Left Behind DLC, which chronologically takes place before the events of the main story of the game.
This is because we see a glimpse of young Ellie and her friend, Riley, in the trailer (see picture below). She will be portrayed by Storm Reid.

HBO’s The Last Of Us will premiere sometime in 2023. It will star Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, as well as Gabriel Luna as Joel’s brother, Tommy.
In the meantime, check out my review of the recently-released The Last Of Us Part 1 for the PS5 by heading over here, or check out my review of The Last Of Us Part 2 here.
Check out the trailer below:


How To Attend The Death Stranding World Strand Tour Singapore

In case you missed it, the Death Stranding World Strand Tour will be visiting Singapore as its one and only stop in Southeast Asia. The event will take place at the Victoria Theatre in Singapore on 17 November 2019, where Hideo Kojima himself will be appearing.
Earlier today on Facebook, PlayStation Asia finally revealed how members of the public will be able to get tickets and attend the Death Stranding World Strand Tour in Singapore. There are two different ways to do so, but keep in mind that tickets are extremely limited so you’ll have to purchase them as quick as you can.

First Method: Via Online (280 Tickets)

The first method is to get the tickets online, the amount of which is limited to just 280. The tickets will be available to purchase on the Peatix official website, where an unspecified number of those tickets will be released and go live at 12pm noon GMT+8 daily for a period of three days from 4 to 6 November 2019.
Once you’ve successfully purchased your ticket online, you’ll be able to collect your wristband between 2pm to 4pm on the day of the event itself on 17 November 2019. However, seats will still be allocated on a first come first serve basis, so try to get yourselves there as early as possible to grab the best seats.

Second Method: In Person (230 Tickets)

If you missed out on purchasing them online, you can still attend the event by heading to the Victoria Theatre on the day of the event on 17 November 2019, where tickets will be distributed on a first come first serve basis. Try to get there as early as possible because tickets are limited to only 230.
Even if you can’t manage to get any of the 280 online tickets or 230 in-person tickets, there is still technically a chance for you to attend the event; by joining the standby queue, where the organisers will be releasing uncollected wristbands (from online purchases) to fans on-site before the event commences.

Prices for the tickets have yet to be revealed, so it’s unclear how much you’ll need to fork out to attend the Death Stranding World Strand Tour in Singapore. With only 510 tickets available, scalpers will probably take advantage of that scarcity and grab the online tickets as soon as they go live.
Death Stranding is slated to release on 8 November 2019. In the meantime, check out our in-depth review of the highly-anticipated debut game from Kojima Productions here.


Travis Scott’s Fortnite Concert Is Stunning; Here’s Why

Fortnite may be a ridiculously massive gaming phenomenon, but here in Malaysia, where I’ve yet to stumble on any Fortnite streams, it feels almost non-existent to me. And while Travis Scott seems to be quite the successful rapper – his third album, Astroworld, peaked at #1 on the Billboard charts – and has a child with Kylie Jenner, I wasn’t very familiar with him, to put it mildly.
Even so, when it was announced that Fortnite would be having several Travis Scott concerts (the next one is happening today at 10pm Malaysian time), there was no doubt that some record would be set. More than 10 million viewers tuned in for last year’s Marshmello Fornite concert; even with my unfamiliarity with Scott, it seemed likely that his appearance would bring in equally formidable numbers (and it did, with over 12.3 million players participating).
After all, aside from Fortnite’s popularity, there’s also the current social distancing measures and live concert cancellations to bear in mind.
But while the Marshmello concert was a case of “I knew it was going to be a hit, but I don’t understand why people like this”, the Travis Scott one was different. It’s called Astronomical, and it earns the name.

I was expecting it to be similar to Marshmello’s concert, which had a digital stage and a digital Marshmello performing on it. But no – instead, Astronomical opens with a bizarre, giant object with a carnival on its surface floating towards the stage. Was Scott going to disembark from this… thing?
He does, but as a streak of light which flies around the thing before crashing into the ground. The force of the impact sends the audience flying into the air as Scott emerges – shirtless, and very, very big.
It’s an unexpected and surreal start to a concert that only gets increasingly weird. At first, it’s just giant, shirtless Scott walking around the area and emitting stardust (?) as he raps and breaks out some moves. Near the midway point, everyone is thrust into the air again as giant Scott uses his powers to create a red hellscape with fiery meteors in the background.
It’s at this point that the concert starts to really makes use of Fortnite‘s virtual trappings. The map is replaced with a neon-light filled alternate dimension at one point, everyone is underwater at another, and finally, players find themselves flying in space while Scott sits on a moving planet. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience.
This first concert probably would have done well anyway without this kind of ambitious display – it’s not like those 12.3 million players knew that it would happen this way. But now that we all know how zany it is, I’m sure that those numbers will see some increase during the next few performances.

But to me, the numbers aren’t the most exciting thing about this event. As Cultured Vultures notes, Fortnite had an official peak of 78.3 million players in August 2018, and 250 million total players in March 2019. That may leave us speculating about whether those numbers have waned or increased since, but big numbers for Fortnite aren’t surprising anymore, barring any massive growth spurts.
It’s the performance itself that sticks in the mind, and how could it not? It’s surprising, creative, and offers spectacle. More importantly, it used its video game venue to create an experience you won’t find in a regular concert.
Considering how impressed I was by watching a video of the concert, I can only imagine how it felt to actually be there. And what if we could one day experience something like this in VR? I don’t think concerts like this will become mainstream anytime soon, but the possibilities for the future are exciting.
The other Travis Scott Fortnite performances aside, we’ll also be seeing another video game concert in the form of Square Garden. Here, artistes like Charlier XCX and Tommy Cash will be performing live in Minecraft, although I’ve no idea what the experience will look like. Although MMOs and games like VR Chat have existed for a while, and even though there were people who performed stage plays in Final Fantasy XIV, the ability of video games to bring people together remains remarkable, especially in this time of coronavirus.
Having watched Astronomical, however, I want more experimentation with these sort of events. I don’t mind “regular” performances, but there should also be more events that strive to deliver something that can only be done in a video game. AstronomicalÂ has shown that it’s possible and that it works; the question now is whether others will take inspiration and run with it.


Arief Johan’s Top 5 Southeast Asian Games He Enjoyed & Loved

Here’s one of our guest posts for the end of 2022 from our lovely pals and industry friends. Go check out Arief’s work at Twitch.tv.
To say that 2022 has been an eventful year in the Southeast Asian games industry is a deep understatement. This year we’ve seen everything from the return of major in-person trade shows like Gamescom Asia, Level UP KL, and Thailand Game Show to reports of international publishers slighting Southeast Asian developers.
With so much activity in the industry, there hasn’t been a shortage of amazing games from the region either. Here are 5 of the best games that I’ve played from Southeast Asian developers this year.
The Company Man

The Company Man is the debut title from Malaysia-based Forust Studio. It is a 2D action platformer where you climb the corporate ladder by battling your way through multiple departments such as HR, Accounting and eventually the CEOs office.
Despite having ample cultural references like Malaysian coffee as power-ups, the game remains incredibly universal by bombarding you with office-related jokes in its level design, enemy variety and special abilities. The jokes are plentiful and always deserving of a good laugh.
My Lovely Wife

After the death of his wife, you play as a man with the newly acquired knowledge of summoning succubi with the goal of creating the perfect vessel for his wife’s soul.
A follow-up to 2018’s My Lovely Daughter, Indonesian-based Game Changer Studio has crafted an eccentric yet deeply profound game surrounding grief, suffering, and ultimately seeking closure.
Throughout the game, you summon different types of succubi and send each of them on different tasks throughout the day to build their stats, unlock new skills, & grow their affection for you. As with other management simulators, there is something incredibly addicting of starting up a new day and planning how to maximize the stats you want to build while accounting for unique daily multipliers. After booting it up, I found this game incredibly hard to put down.
(Just … don’t make my mistake and be mindful of the phrasing of this title.)
Potion Permit

Speaking of games that are hard to put down, Indonesia-based Masshive Media has created one of the coziest games to come out from the region with their potion-brewing life sim Potion Permit.
In an era where farming sims / Stardew Valley copies are plentiful, Potion Permit is a refreshing take while emulating some of the genre’s best parts. Instead of tending to crops, you play as a chemist foraging for ingredients and brewing potions to aid the local townsfolk.
With compelling characters, a plethora of minigames, and a beautiful art style, Potion Permit is a tranquil escape well deserving of your time.
Once Again

From Malaysia-based RB Wolf Games, Once Again is an interactive story about a boy who spends his summers wandering between past and present. From its clean, square panels to the text-message-like dialogue, you move through the story almost like reading a graphic novel.
While playing through the game, I was enraptured by how grounded the story & characters were despite the fantastical premise – akin to watching a Studio Ghibli film or reading a Haruki Murakami novel. Once Again is a heart-wrenching tale & a phenomenal debut title from RB Wolf Games proving that there can be so much beauty in simplicity.
Rhythm Doctor

Although this title did not release in 2022, I would be remiss if I did not mention my playthrough of 7th Beat Games’ Rhythm Doctor.
It is a one-button rhythm game where you are tasked with slamming the spacebar on the 7th beat to heal patients by defibrillating their hearts. The game is wacky and whimsical while having a lot of heart. Somehow, this game successfully balances the patient’s hilariously absurd stories with deeply grounded emotional moments.
What really cemented this as one of my favourite games I’ve played this year is a sequence so incredibly out of left-field & something that can only be pulled off in the medium of video games. You’ll know it when you get there.
Arief Johan is a content creator from Malaysia covering the Southeast Asian games ecosystem. He hosts a recurring live-stream on Twitch called Southeast Asia Nights where he works with regional developers and publishers to showcase independent titles from the region with the goal of celebrating Southeast Asian voices across the games industry. To date, the project has showcased more than 15 titles from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.


Anthem Is Probably Going To Be Bioware’s Ultimatum

Good news for you Destiny and action RPG shooter fans: EA’s version of that -called Anthem- has a tentatively new release period: early 2019. At least, according to some insiders familiar to the project. Anthem will also be the game that will determine Bioware’s fate under EA too.
According to an extensive Kotaku report, the stakes for Bioware are much higher than before compared to their previous efforts with Mass Effect: Andromeda and Dragon Age: Inquisition. Here’s a breakdown of the events that led to Bioware carrying all this insane pressure.
-Remember Mass Effect: Andromeda? That game didn’t do too well last year because it was a poor entry in a revered sci-fi series.
-Remember Star Wars Battlefront II and the loot box controversy? Yeah that didn’t paint EA in a good light either. Ditto Need For Speed Payback.
-Because of this, EA is putting most of its eggs into the Anthem basket. The game has a Fall 2018 release window, but said insiders mentioned that the window isn’t realistic at all.
–Bioware is not only working full-time on Anthem for its early 2019 launch, it’s also working on keeping the Star Wars: Old Republic servers alive andÂ  developing a new Dragon Age game that will be “live”. In their words, it means that the game will have a prevailing story after players have completed the main story.
–The state of Bioware will be changed depending on whether Anthem does well or not. That’s probably code for “we’ll downsize you to the mobile gaming division if this doesn’t sell well”.
–Bioware employees who remained anonymous said that the feeling in the office right now is both optimistic and anxious – optimistic that they can make something great and anxious at the number of forces that appear to be pushing against them.
-Major hurdles include: former Anthem director Casey Hudson and other key heads who have departed from EA years ago, the Frostbite engine and how hard it is though at this point in time the issue is less severe, and a vocal and toxic community to deal with.
-Regarding the latter hurdle, you guys did remember the Dragon Age: Inquisition SJW and Mass Effect Andromeda animator harrassment bullcrap from entitled Bioware/RPG fans, right? That sort of thing demoralizes game creators and developers, as well as make shareholders antsy.
Here’s hoping the Bioware guys can pull through, and also for EA to loosen up the pressure a bit and be understanding about it. But hey, you’re beholden to your shareholders, so that’s probably a bit too much to ask.
Check out the full report here.


PUBG Season 5 Is Now Live, Adds Revamped Miramar Map & More

Players can now download the latest PUBG update 5.1 on PC, marking the arrival of PUBG Season 5, as announced by the official PUBG Support Twitter account earlier today.
PUBG Season 5 will become available on the PS4 and Xbox One on 29 October 2019. The patch notes for the battle royale game’s latest update reveals a bunch of new content and improvements.

PC Players: Live server maintenance is complete and Update 5.1 is now available!
Season 5 arrives with a refresh to Miramar, Survivor Pass: Badlands, melee weapon and item throwing mechanics, QoL improvements, bug fixes and much more!
Full details: https://t.co/FabTo0QGlw
â€” PUBG Support (@PUBG_Support) October 23, 2019
Miramar Map Update

The Miramar map has been refreshed with new content, including:

A LA Muerte Vamos Track

A race track has been added, which was the venue for A La Muerte Vamos in Miramar.
You can now find newly added objects like ramps, loops, jumps and signboards across Miramar

New Gold Mirado

A Gold Mirado has been added to Miramar, which can only be found parked at the garage in Hacienda del Patron.
Some terrain in Hacienda del Patron has been adjusted to let you ride the Gold Mirado out safely.
Only one Gold Mirado spawns each match.

Spring-cleaned Miramar

Removed some small objects and trash in and around buildings to reduce clutter and make movement easier when looting.

Improved Miramar item spawn balance

The spawn rates of weapons and scopes effective at long-range have been increased to better suit the long-range engagements commonly had across Miramar.

AR â€“ 12% increase
DMR â€“ 29% increase
SR â€“ 42% increase
Win94 â€“ 30% increase
Scopes â€“ 18% increase
Pistol spawn rate reduced by 31%.
The spawn rates of helmets, bags and vests have been increased slightly.

Vending Machine

Vending machines have been placed in Miramar and Camp Jackal to provide a new looting experience other than picking up items spawned on the floor, as well as obtainÂ Painkillers and Energy Drinks.
Vending machines are only available in Miramar and Camp Jackal. In Miramar, vending machines spawn randomly at set locations, including Casino, gas stations, Motels and commercial buildings. In Camp Jackal, Vending Machines always spawn at the warehouse and gas station.
Survivor Pass: Badlands

The Survivor Pass is back with new rewards, missions, and improved systems, as well as new community missions where players can join together to discover the hidden story of Miramar.
Other Features and Improvements

Community Mission System

Whether you have purchased Premium Pass or not, all players can join together to fill the Community accomplishment gauge, then claim in-game skin rewards and unravel the hidden story of Miramar.

Season Missions
Progression Missions
Challenge Missions
Level-up items for Premium pass mission rewards
Survivor Title System

Rewards for Survivor Title System Season 4 will be granted at the beginning of Season 5.
SP will be soft-reset, with your performance in Season 4 counting towards your starting SP in Season 5.

Added feature to throw items to teammates
Added melee weapon throwing combat feature
Erangel Specific Changes
Improved Customize, Store and in-game UI
Added new limited presets to Zombie Mode
Added ground respawn to War Mode (Platoon battle option) and War Mode: Conquest
Added an option to limit throwables amount in Custom Match
Improved observing UI
Bug fixes

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znO_8qtY49Q&w=560&h=315]


You’ll Get Hooked Onto Grapple Dog’s Charming Platform Action For A Short Bit

Platform(s): PC (version played), Nintendo Switch
Genre: 2D platformer featuring Bionic Commando grapple hook gameplay
Sometimes it’s the little games that try to surprise you. Grapple Dog did just that by landing onto my PC unannounced and sneaking in, charming me with its cute take on 2D platforming. But only for a brief moment.
Getting To The Swing Of Things

The premise is simple: you have to stop a maniac robot from going to the Great Inventor’s island to unleash heck. You play Pablo, a cute but simple-minded dog who has the power to run, jump pretty high, and use a fancy grappling hook to use onto blue surfaces and grapple points. Much like the classic Bionic Commando titles, you can swing around and use momentum to get you to higher places and do tricky jumps to seemingly hard-to-reach places.
You’ll go through the many motions of levels left to right, swinging and collecting fruits as well as purple gems to bypass the literal robot gatekeepers (ala the mothership 3D Mario games), then fight a fun boss that tests your platforming and grappling skills. It’s all fun thanks to the sweet-yet-safe level design, the pretty solid controls, and the simplicity of it all. The opaque white arrow that shows the trajectory of Pablo’s grapple hook is also a nice touch so that you know where you’re swinging beforehand.
Pounded Puppy

Perhaps that’s the only failing of Grapple Dog: it’s simple and delivers what’s needed. That’s not a bad thing especially if you’re jonesin’ for some 2D platforming, but it’s not exactly a meaty affair that’ll make you do return trips.
Grapple Dog may not be wholly innovative, groundbreaking, and meaty, but it is a fun and bright diversion for what it’s worth. Add this one to your indie gaming budget titles (it’s US$13/RM32) collection if you fancy some well-thought-out jumping puzzles and grappling physics action. It’s more poodle than Saint Bernard, basically.
Final Score: 70/100
Review copy provided by publisher Super Rare Originals.


Apex Legends Evolution Collection Event Kicks Off Today

Respawn and EA have unveiled the next limited-time collection event for Apex Legends, â€œEvolution,â€ which will run from 14 September until 28 September 2021.
The Outlandsâ€™ resident modder, Rampart, is showing those plonkers whoâ€™s in charge with the Rampart Town Takeover, a new Heirloom, and even an upgrade to olâ€™ Sheila.
Below is a quick recap of all the activities players can look forward to:

Rampart Arenas Extravaganza: Rampart has slipped into the Arenas, offering modded weapons at special discounts. These marked-down modded weapons replace their base version for the match, making lower tiers of that weapon unavailable.

Rampart’s Town Takeover: Rampart is opening the mod shop of her dreams, Big Maude, located near Lava City in Worldâ€™s Edge. This custom shop includes a paintball course out front; inside, players can use collected materials to purchase Rampartâ€™s Custom Modded Paintball Weapons from the new Vend-it Machines that come fully kitted at different tiers.

Rampartâ€™s Heirloom and Updates: Rampartâ€™s getting her own â€œProblem Solverâ€ in the form of a brand-new Heirloom pipe wrench, complete with a gumball dispenser. Also, Sheila has gone mobile with the new update. Check out the patch notes for the full details.

Event-Limited Cosmetics: Unlock Legendary and Rare skins for Wraith, Octane, Pathfinder, Fuse, Bangalore, Rampart and Lifeline — giving us a glimpse into what our Legends could be with time and technology on their side.

More details can be found in the full blog post here.


Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse Swings Into Free Fire Next Month

Garena has announced an upcoming crossover between Free Fire and Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse, set to excite and unite fans of the popular battle royale and well-loved superhero franchise through a series of co-branded content. Starting 1 June 2023, players will be treated to in-game limited edition souvenirs, a Spider-Verse character card collection event, and a time-limited map inspired by the film’s characters.
Fans and players from both communities can also look forward to the worldwide release of Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse on 2 June 2023, and catch a glimpse of Free Fire easter eggs hidden within the film.
Harold Teo, Free Fire producer at Garena, said:
“Spider-Man is one of the world’s most iconic superhero IPs, and it has amassed a large community of fans — our global pool of players included. We are extremely excited to be working on this collaboration that will bring a unique experience to fans and players alike.”
Jeffrey Godsick, EVP, Global Partnerships & Brand Management and Head of Location Based Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, said:
“With a global community that reaches to all sides of the world, this collaboration with Garena and Free Fire will give Spider-Verse fans as well as players a distinct and fun way to interact with their friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.”
The crossover project will introduce the film’s three main characters — Spider-Man Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen Stacy, and Spider-Man 2099 — into Free Fire alongside favourite Free Fire characters Kelly, Shirou, and Maxim. As the movie characters venture through the Free Fire universe with their newfound friends, they bring the spirit of courage and unity to survivors in Free Fire, encouraging them to unleash the superhero within and write their own stories.
Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse will set foot in Free Fire starting 31 May 2023, first with reskins of the airplane and billboards, on top of an in-game screening of the film trailer. All players can also redeem free Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse themed souvenirs.
Between 1 June and 18 June 2023, players can take part in a themed card collection event, ENTER THE SPIDER-VERSE, and stand to walk away with a Spider-Verse parachute and emote. To win, players will have to accumulate certain sets of cards featuring characters from Free Fire and the movie. In the time-limited “Spider-Verse” Parkour mode launching on 9 Jun, players can also find themselves slipping on spider suits and firing web shooters at fellow players against the backdrop of the modern city inspired by the film setting.
To commemorate the special partnership, Free Fire will be rolling out a series of remix videos and themed assets showcasing the different sides of Spider-Man Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen Stacy, and Spider-Man 2099, as they embark on their respective journeys in the Free Fire universe. Eagle-eyed fans can also catch a sneak peek of Free Fire in the film that will be released starting 2 June 2023, which will feature several elements from the game, such as the iconic Free Fire Legendary Cobra backpack.


F1 Drivers Display Fear (and Hate) for Racing in the Rain In Latest Virtual GP Round

Covid-19 has brought multiple sports to a halt but no sport have adapted to this better than Formula 1. Running virtual races involving real-life Formula One drivers via theÂ  Virtual GP tournament, more and more racers have participated in these races which take place on the supposed dates of their real-life counterparts which were cancelled due to Covid-19.
Ferrari’s Charles LeClerc, Red Bull’s Alex Albon and Williams’ George Russell were among the standout names in the star-studded grids. To date, six races have taken place with the most recent one being Monaco last night which also saw Mercedes’ Valterri Bottas making his Virtual GP debut.
But that wasn’t the standout of last night’s spectacle which saw George Russel pick up his second win of the (virtual) season. In fact, it was the drivers’ clear disdain for driving in the rain as seen in the clip below;

F1 drivers are terrified of rain, pass it on ðŸ˜‚â˜”ï¸#VirtualGP #RaceAtHome pic.twitter.com/WrXUuF27rN
â€” Formula 1 (@F1) May 25, 2020
Virtual GP races which are played on Codemasters’ F12019 showcase realistic weather effects and although the drivers clearly avoided from getting soaked in their seats, their contempt for wet races were clear.
The highest profile of the lot, LeClerc couldn’t hide his surprise with a huge ‘What is that?!’ upon finding out that he has to race in the rain while Russell assumed that there was a mistake. You can only imagine that it’s their exact same response when rain is forecast during race weekends.
As this is the next best thing for racing fans out there at least until the current season resumes, we suppose we don’t mind seeing the game throwing some curveballs at the drivers’ directions (or expense) – for entertainment’s sake of course.


Play As Lara Croft In Rainbow Six Siege… Sort Of

Lara Croft is making her way to Rainbow Six Siege. You won’t actually get to play as Croft herself, but you’ll be able to equip Operator Ash with a Lara Croft elite skin when Operation Void Edge launches. Basically, you can play as Ash cosplaying as Lara Croft.
Aside from the Tomb Raider uniform, Ash will also get a new victory animation, skins for her gadget, weapon skins, and a Lara Croft chibi charm.

The skin looks neat, but fans of the game aren’t necessarily happy. Polygon noted that the attacker already has two elite skin appearances, Black Viper and Sidewinder, and it’s something that’s being mentioned in the YouTube comments as well:

Interestingly, the video shows Ash posing while dual-wielding pistols. It’s unclear if the dual-wielding will translate to actual gameplay, but Ubisoft told PCGamesN last year that they â€œdonâ€™t know if weâ€™ll ever get there in the near future”. Still, one can hope.


God Of War Ragnarok Pre-Order Is Now Open, Here’s Where To Pre-Order In Malaysia

Last week, Sony Santa Monica announced that God Of War Ragnarok will launch for the PS4 and PS5 on 9 November 2022. The pre-orders have started at the PlayStation Store (PS Store) and select retail stores since 10am GMT+8 on 15 July 2022.
Check out the list of retail stores below (via PlayStation Blog). Other retail channels will start physical pre-orders from 29 July 2022.

Alfa Game Centre, Puchong
ALL IT Hypermarket, Low Yat Plaza
ALL IT Hypermarket, Digital Mall
ALL IT Hypermarket, IPC
ALL IT Hypermarket, KLCC
ALL IT Hypermarket, iOi City Mall
ALL IT Hypermarket, MyTown
ALL IT Hypermarket,  I-City
ALL IT Hypermarket, 1 Utama
ATO Smart, Southgate Commercial Centre
CK Multimedia, Subang Jaya
Dark Secret Enterprise, Wangsa Walk
Game Tag, Prangin Mall
Game Xtra, Kuantan City Mall
Gamehouz, Ayer Keroh
Gamer E Square, Ipoh
Gamer’s Hideout , 1-Utama
Gamer’s Hideout, I-City
Gamer’s Hideout, Mid Valley
Gamer’s Hideout, Nu Sentral
Gamer’s Hideout, Sunway
Games Centre, Bintang Megamall
Games Wiz, Cityone Megamall
Gamester Direct, Pavilion 2
Gamester Direct, 1 Utama
Gaming Gadget, Pavilion 2
Global Games Centre, Bintang Megamall
HeavyArm U-Garage Store, Subang Jaya
HG Time Enterprise, I-City
HG Time Enterprise, Klang
Hwa Ching Games, KSL City
I-Gamer, Emporium Complex
Impulse Gaming, George Town
Impulse Gaming, Ipoh
Impulse Gaming, Mid Valley SouthKey
Impulse Gaming, Queensbay Mall
Impulse Gaming, Seremban
Impulse Gaming, Sunway
Impulse Gaming, Taman Sri Tebrau
Kiara Krystal, Kota Kinabalu
Manopaniq, Kota Bharu
Marvel Genius, Klang
Maxgame, Permaisuri Imperial City Mall
Maxlink4Gamers, 1 Utama
Maxlink4Gamers, Mid Valley
Maxlink4Gamers, Pavilion
Micky Trading, Mahkota Parade
Mission World, IOI City Mall
Mission World, Mid Valley
Sony Centre, IOI City Mall
Sony Centre, Ipoh Parade
Sony Centre, Karamunsing
Sony Centre, Low Yat Plaza
Sony Centre, Midvalley
Sony Centre, Queensbay Mall
Sony Centre, Sunway Pyramid
Sony Store, BBCC
Sony Store, The Curve
TinyRobot, ITCC
TinyRobot, Suria Mall

The suggested retail price of PS5 Standard Edition for Disc/Digital will be RM299, PS4 Standard Edition for Disc/Digital will be RM249, Collector’s Edition will be RM839, Jötnar Edition will be RM1,099 and Digital Deluxe Edition will be RM339.
All digital pre-orders and initial production of disc will include downloadable contents “Kratos Risen Snow Armor” and “Atreus Risen Snow Tunic (Cosmetic)” at launch. Physical pre-order customers will stand a chance to get one of the three different physical pre-order incentives: “Leviathan Axe 3D Keychain”, “Printed Enamel Mug” or “Thor Hammer Pen/Stand”.
You can check with local retailers for details of the physical pre-order mechanic.

God Of War Ragnarok PS5 Standard Edition (Blu-ray Disc / Digital)

Suggested Retail Price: RM299
Contents:

God of War Ragnarök (PS5)
Downloadable Contents – For Digital pre-order and initial production of disk

“Kratos Risen Snow Armor”
“Atreus Risen Snow Tunic (Cosmetic)

God Of War Ragnarok PS4 Standard Edition (Blu-ray Disc / Digital)

Suggested Retail Price: RM249
Contents:

God of War Ragnarök (PS4)
Downloadable Contents – For Digital pre-order and initial production of disk

“Kratos Risen Snow Armor”
“Atreus Risen Snow Tunic (Cosmetic)

* Customer can upgrade from PS4 Standard Edition to PS5 Standard Edition at RM50.
God Of War Ragnarok Collector’s Edition

Suggested Retail Price: RM839
Contents:

Full Game for PS4 and PS5
16” Mjölnir replica
2” in Vanir Twins Carvings
Knowledge Keeper’s Shrine
Steelbook™ Display Case (No Game Disc Included)
Dwarven Dice Set
Downloadable Contents: Kratos Darkdale Armor, Darkdale Axe Grip, Darkdale Blades Handles, Atreus Darkdale Attire (cosmetic), Avatar Set, Dark Horse Digital Mini Artbook, PlayStation 4 Theme, Official God of War Ragnarök Digital Soundtrack
Pre-Order Downloadable Contents: “Kratos Risen Snow Armor” and “Atreus Risen Snow Tunic (Cosmetic) – For Digital pre-order and initial production of disk

God Of War Ragnarok Jotnar Edition

Suggested Retail Price: RM1,099
Contents:

Full Game for PS4 and PS5
16” Mjölnir replica
2” Vanir Twins Carvings
7” Vinyl Record Music by Bear Mccreary
Knowledge Keeper’s Shrine
Falcon, Bear & Wolf Pin Set
Steelbook™ Display Case (No Game Disc Included)
Legendary Draupnir Ring
Brok’s Dice Set
Yggdrasil Cloth Map
Downloadable Contents: Kratos Darkdale Armor, Darkdale Axe Grip, Darkdale Blades Handles, Atreus Darkdale Attire (cosmetic), Avatar Set, Dark Horse Digital Mini Artbook, PlayStation 4 Theme, Official God of War Ragnarök Digital Soundtrack
Pre-Order Downloadable Contents: “Kratos Risen Snow Armor” and “Atreus Risen Snow Tunic (Cosmetic) – For Digital pre-order and initial production of disk

God Of War Ragnarok Digital Deluxe Edition

Suggested Retail Price: MYR 339
Contents:

Full Game available for PS4™ and PS5™
Dark Horse Digital Mini Artbook
Kratos Darkdale Armor
Atreus Darkdale Attire (cosmetic)
Darkdale Blades Handles
Darkdale Axe Grip
Avatar Set
PlayStation 4 Theme
Official God of War Ragnarök Digital Soundtrack

Furthermore, there will be a RM50 digital upgrade option for upgrading from PS4 Standard Edition of “God of War Ragnarök” to the “God of War Ragnarök” PS5 Digital Standard Edition at the time of release.
In the trailer, we can see that Kratos and Atreus will have to fight Fenrir, one of the harbingers of Ragnarok in Norse mythology. Just like the Jormungandr, he is supposed to be the son of Loki. The 2018 game already established that Atreus will grow up to be Loki, so Fenrir (like Jormungandr) is actually Kratos’ grandson and Atreus’ son. Weird, I know.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Genshin Impact Goes Beyond Copying Legend of Zelda’s Aesthetics

Platform(s): PC, PS4, iOS, Android
Genre: Online JRPG with gacha mechanics
When you spend the equivalent of US$60 on a game, you expect quality, polish, replayability, and a breadth of content. Whether it’s for PC or consoles, triple-A prices are akin to luxury goods, and you want to get the most out of it. The last thing you want is a broken product that’s out of the gate, with promises of it being fixed and providing additional content in the future. That is, if it ever happens.
Mihoyo, the folks behind the mobile action game hit Honkai Impact, is putting your triple-A companies to shame by releasing an online role-playing game (JRPG here) that’s more or less a “triple A” title for major platforms, and doing it for free. Sort of.
See, the company’s latest offering, Genshin Impact, is loaded to the brim with open-world questing and secrets to complete and discover. The only payment option that’s available – optional, by the way- is trading your money for Genesis Crystals, which are used to get in-game currency that allows you to “gacha” for characters and weaponry. The other stuff like questing, combat, and exploring? That’s not behind a paywall at all; it’s all available if you put in the grinding work as expected from a JRPG of this magnitude.
And so far, my 20 hours into this timesink is well worth the trouble and effort in jumping through the game’s “mobile f2P’ hoops that are within its gaming DNA, though to be fair it’s not as obnoxious as most titles.
Free Wind

Genshin Impact’s plot starts off with you, the Traveler, being given the task to be Monstadt’s protector and errand boy/girl. You begin by discovering what’s causing the resident flying dragon to go berserk, followed by many conspiracies involving the world’s many gods and deities, as well as their respective reincarnations.
But really, that’s all window dressing to the game’s real objective: to explore the whole continent, uncovering its many treasures and secrets, and getting your Adventure Ranking to a high enough level to unlock the game’s many options. Speaking of dressing, we should address the Divine Beast Vah Ruta in the room. Yes, Genshin Impact’s aesthetics are incredibly similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, from its landscape & most of its visuals to even some of its background music.
But the similarity stops there: gameplay-wise, it’s more a mish-mash between a Bandai Namco Tales of game and a Western open-world RPG ala Witcher 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The game’s combat is reminiscent of the former, while the exploration and climbing aspects are more of the latter. This is incredibly apparent when I’m finding the most optimal way to climb cliffs and scale mountains to open up that sweet treasure box or turning on a teleporter stone.
Despite that sense of familiarity, I had a lot of fun just checking out the world of Teyvat and being enamored by the random encounters and quests as I traverse from the hub of Monstadt to wherever I fancy. From gorgeous hillside areas close to the sea to the forboding rock formations that lead to a high-level dungeon you can farm, to even the lush views of the ancient China-inspired Liyue, there is no shortage of things to do and attempt. You can not only fight, but can glide across areas, cook up food to boost stats, and solve simple puzzles to unlock chests.

And then we have the game’s main hook: the fun & stylish combat. You defeat monsters in action RPG glory; you have your attacks, your elemental specials and supers, and your dodge button. Here lies the kicker: you will eventually end up with a group of three other adventurers to switch between, but you can only have one fighting at a time. You can switch between them at any time and even mid-combo when needed. See, each adventurer has his or her own fighting style -melee, ranged archer, spellcaster, a mix between the two ala “rojak” – and their respective elements. Elemental attacks here not only deal damage, but can also inflict status effects like Freeze or Electro-Static. When enemies have these effects, casting the opposite or “correct” elemental attack will trigger an elemental reaction that either debuffs them or deals additional damage. Or both!
This is where combat in Genshin Impact gets really fun: you can build a party that takes advantage of these effects and help make combat manageable. Some characters work well with others like Hydro and Electro party members, while some combinations might hinder you. Coupled with high-level dungeons you unlock later in the game that hinder you with mandatory elemental debuffs and enemy advantages, party management before battle is pretty important in conquering Genshin Impact from start to the current “endgame”.
There’s a huge thrill in dealing a heckaton of damage by just setting up Electro-Static and Wet status effects, and then following them up with a corresponding elemental burst to wipe them out in one satisfying swoop. And that’s just for solo play. Once you unlock Adventure Rank 15 and above, you can team up with other players and tackle tougher dungeons together. Some coordination is required, but once you get to the swing of things, you’ll be elemental bursting and reaction-making with your like-minded pals in no time flat.
Breaking Wind

And therein lies Genshin Impact’s potential dealbreaker: you need to pay money to feed the gacha machine if there are particular characters you’re eyeing for like Venti and the elusive Pyro melee husbando Diluc. Mihoyo’s design here is standard mobage gacha tactics: the game and its breadth of content is free, but if you want the best of the best, you will eventually need to break out your credit card.
Some folks in the content creation space will find umbrage at this. Personally speaking, as someone who has been playing it free and easy with a lot of character gacha-driven mobile RPGs like Dragalia Lost, Tales of Crestoria, and that one Final Fantasy Tactics-esque game with the long-ass title, Genshin Impact is pretty generous and fair with its approach. My 5 gacha rolls using the game’s generous dose has #blessed me with decent 4-star characters and a pretty good 5-star loli-bait Hydro witch.
The starter characters I received in the first few hours of the game -Amber, Kaeya, and Lisa- are pretty good and can help fill up the lacking elemental roles needed for most of the dungeons and instances. If we’re talking high-Adventure Rank max level content, their usefulness is debatable, but if we’re being real, you don’t need to spend weeks doing the whole “restart the game after 30 minutes in to get the perfect free starter roll”. Genshin Impact is already fun once you get into the swing of things and just use whatever you’re given.
Having said all of that, I do have some legitimate complaints. Genshin Impact doesn’t fix the immersion-breaking aspects of a mobage/mobile RPG where you can control story characters you get who aren’t supposed to be in the main quest line. For instance, rich vigilante pretty boy Diluc tasks you with doing a quest behind the Monstadt knight regime’s back and from commander Kaeya’s eye. In the fights of the story mission itself, I am not restricted from using Kaeya at all and can swap him in battle at any given time.
There are many, MANY instances of this that could have been fixed given Mihoyo’s experience with mobile RPGs. While not gameplay-breaking at all, does give the impression that Mihoyo is world-building but not giving a hoot about these immersion-breaking bits. It’s a tad disappointing and unfortunately a staple in these kinds of games, because Genshin Impact’s characters are pretty cool and have some semblance of fleshed-out personalities. Even if they’re based on existing anime archetypes – the tryhards, the too-cool-for-school leaders, the affable mystery man- they have somewhat interesting backstories to delve into, like that Diluc sidequest I mentioned.
And there are some side quest gems like these where I played hide-and-seek with a mentally-disabled juvenile, only to find out the sad truth about his parents, or the one about the fate of a family of miners and how greed can eff up a family. This isn’t CD Projekt levels of meticulous detailing, but Mihoyo did try their best. If only they can go further than that; time will tell if the game’s future updates will do just that. Right now, I do wish the game’s upcoming patches can fix certain audio foibles and latency, as well as add in more multiplayer communication options like Apex Legends’ pinging.

Leaving A Mark
25-hours in, and I’m having a ball of a time just exploring and taking my time with it. And best of all, the game isn’t doing anything to pressure me for my money; its monetization tactics are optional and doesn’t inconvenience you in the slightest. What harm is there in plunging into an online RPG when it’s free for PC, PS4, and mobile devices, apart from all of your free time vanishing from all the JRPGing you’ll be doing solo or with pals? The crossplay options here (for all the aforementioned platforms) means that you can pick up your progress whether you’re at your desktop rig or on your phone at your local coffee place. Just mind the heat buildup for the latter playing option; we heard iOS and Android phones gets superhot like the game’s preregistration numbers after an hour or two.
As entertaining timesinks go, Genshin Impact has it made. The game has a ton of potential to grow to become stellar and eye-opening; perhaps even better than its aesthetic sources of inspiration and contemporaries. As of now though, it’s settling just fine with a bronze medal as online RPG comfort food.
Pros

Large & lush world to expand, which may get bigger.
Great combat and character-swapping system.
Stellar production values, especially its art style and music.
Fair microtransaction and gacha options.

Cons

Average anime plot & narrative that isn’t in sync with its gameplay.
Doesn’t bring anything new to the JRPG & mobile gaming table.
Some game crashes & bugs.

Final Score: 70/100


Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Rocks Hard

Platform(s): PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Genre: Action-Adventure, Choice-Driven Narrative
If you told me years ago that Guardians Of The Galaxy would be getting not only two movies, but also a high-budget video game by the recent developers of Deus Ex (Eidos Montreal) and publisher Square Enix, I’d say that you were out of your mind. Before their introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in 2014, these comic book space heroes were obscure as all heck.
To make things even more surprising, Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy was only announced this year in June 2021. Normally, that wouldn’t be a good sign since games announced a few months before their release may seem like products shoved out the door quick. Unless you’re Nintendo.
In this case, however, Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy is definitely a pleasant surprise. It’s fun and heartfelt, with great characters interacting with each other and a good story to get immersed in. Basically, everything that 2020’s Marvel’s Avengers should have been, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
Guardians Assemble

What is Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy exactly? How does it play? Sure, it’s described as an action-adventure single-player game, but so was Marvel’s Avengers which ultimately ended up being a live-service MMO-like experience that we’d rather not play again.
The good news? Marvel’s Guardians Of The GalaxyÃ‚Â is nothing like that. It’s a true single-player experience, with no intrusive online elements to the gameplay.
If I could describe what the game is like, it plays like Mass Effect in a lot of ways. The game’s gameplay structure is similar to the iconic BioWare game, but without that game’s action RPG elements. The game’s narrative progresses in chapters, but the whole thing is like watching a movie or TV series, as each chapter bleeds into the next. In each chapter, you’ll visit a location, most of which are linear in nature. Unlike Mass Effect, you can’t actually choose which location or planet to go to, as you have to go to wherever the story wants you to go.
In between story missions at any of these varieties of places you go to in order to advance the game’s story, you’ll also spend your free time in the Milano (the Guardians Of The Galaxy’s ship). This experience is largely similar to how you’d explore the Normandy in Mass Effect, exploring the ship and interacting with anyone or anything in the ship. This is where a lot of the character development and banter takes place.

Speaking of banter, I have both good news and bad news. If you’re one of those gamers who don’t like games where the characters constantly speak both during combat and out, then you should probably avoid this game. I’m not kidding, the banter almost never stops in Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy.
During combat, Star-Lord and the rest of the team will keep talking to each other. Outside of combat (during exploration or in the Milano), they will also be speaking almost non-stop in the background. Thankfully, I love it, because it’s incredible how much dialogue the developers have managed to cram into this game. You’ll have nary a boring moment, because someone somewhere will usually always be speaking, and it makes the game livelier for it. Some will find it annoying, for sure, but not me.
It’s all good too because the writing and story is definitely the highlight of Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy. The interactions between Star-Lord and the rest of the team, as well as the myriad characters they’ll encounter in their adventure, is what makes this game great. It’s a narrative-driven game, where you make choices during the dialogue that can change what happens in the game.
Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy even takes a cue from the Telltale games, where certain actions and choices you make will result in a line being projected on-screen; something like this person appreciates what you did, or you managed to convince this person to do this. Remember all the “He/She/They will remember that?” in the Telltale games? Yeah, that’s what I’m referring to.
In fact, while it’s rare, there are one or two chapters in the game where they consist entirely of dialogue and exploration with zero combat. In those instances, it definitely feels like playing a mix of Mass Effect and a Telltale game. I’ll be discussing more on the game’s combat later on in this review, but it’s important for me to emphasize how dialogue-heavy this game is.
Sure, there’s quite a lot of combat in some parts too, but it’s not the best part of the game. More on this later.

If you’ve played any of Eidos Montreal’s Deus Ex games, Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy does feature similar elements in terms of the dialogue options. However, if you’re hoping this game to be an immersive sim as well, it’s certainly not. For one, it’s completely set in third-person instead of first-person, and there’s a lot more focus on fast-paced combat. There are no stealth options whatsoever in Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy, so it’s always balls-to-the-walls action all the way (besides the dialogue-heavy parts, of course).
Marvel’s Guardians Of The GalaxyÃ‚Â has 16 chapters, which took me about 21 hours or so to complete. If you take the time to explore and interact with everything, there’s even more potential playtime. That’s not even mentioning the fact that you can replay any of the chapters you want and there’s even a new game plus option at launch. That said, the game doesn’t feel like it has much to entice me to immediately play another playthrough.
As much as I’ve compared Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy to Mass Effect, the main drawback of the narrative in this game is that it feels a lot more linear. Your actions and dialogue can affect the story, but I don’t really see much changing. In Mass Effect, your teammates can permanently die if you make the wrong choices. Here, every Guardian will survive to the end regardless of what you do. My point is that I didn’t actively try to make bad decisions in my playthrough, but even if I did, I doubt much will change in terms of the plot and narrative.

Comic book fans will appreciate the many, MANY easter eggs and references strewn throughout Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy. It’s amazing that the developers chose to derive more from the comics than they do the MCU. This game’s version of the Guardians Of The Galaxy is still partly inspired by the MCU in some ways, but there’s a lot more here that is adapted from the comics. It’s satisfying to see stuff that’s never been seen in the MCU, and if you’re a fan of the Dan Abnett – Andy Lanning run from the late 2000s, you certainly won’t be disappointed. The 40 or so unlockable costumes and skins in the game are a testament to this as well (and none of them is locked behind a paywall or paid DLC like Marvel’s Avengers).
Star-Lord Who?

Let’s get to the combat mechanics. The combat feels like a simplified real-time system, similar to that seen in games like Square Enix’s own Final Fantasy 7 Remake or Bandai Namco’s Tales Of Arise. Unlike those games, you can only play as Peter Quill AKA Star-Lord and him alone from beginning to end. If that sounds disappointing, it is, but it probably can’t be helped due to how the mechanics in the game work.
During combat, you control Star-Lord and can issue commands to the rest of the Guardians. Star-Lord can lock onto targets and blast them with his dual pistols. Ammo is unlimited, as the games use an overheat system that requires a well-timed trigger pull to reload efficiently like so many other games do now (Gears Of War, Returnal, etc.).
Enemies don’t really feel much different. You’ll fight humanoid aliens, monster aliens, big robots and Nova Corps officers. Sure, some have specific weaknesses to certain elemental attacks or skills, while others have shields or something, but combat always boils down to the same thing in each encounter. Ranged combat can be paired with melee attacks and skills by your teammates to quickly build up enemy stagger bars. When these stagger bars are full, you can perform team takedown attacks which results in an animation sequence where each Guardian take turns hitting the same enemy.
Unfortunately, while the combat is fluid and fast-paced, it can feel a bit janky. Locking on to an enemy requires you to hold a shoulder button while pressing another shoulder button to shoot and pressing another shoulder button along with any of the face buttons to give commands to your teammates to perform their special skills or abilities.
You fire the elemental ammo (which you change by pressing the d-pad buttons) by pressing yet another shoulder button. You also have your own special skills and abilities which can be performed by awkwardly using the left joystick. You’ll have to juggle a lot of buttons during combat, and it can feel clunky to pull off in the chaos of battle, especially since the game likes to send waves of enemies after you in the late stages of the game.

There’s also another special momentum meter that builds up as you do combos. It allows you to do something called the “huddle up”.Ã‚Â  This unique mechanic will result in your teammates having a huddle up in the middle of combat and it’s your responsibility to keep their spirits up, Do it right and your health gets restored and everyone gets buffs to attacks. However, it comes down to picking the right dialogue choice out of two, which gets old really fast (though you can turn this off in the settings and make it so every huddle up is successful without having to choose the right dialogue option). Also, what makes the huddle up fun is that after activating it, the combat will be livelier as a random 80s hit will start playing in the background to make everything cooler.
Like I previously mentioned, there are no RPG elements in Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy. The only progression system in the game is that you can unlock new skills and abilities for each Guardian by spending the points you obtain from accumulating experience points.
Oh, there’s a Devil May Cry-like mechanic in a place where doing more combos and variety in combat will result in more experience points. Instead of Stylish, or S-S-S-Stylish, the goal is to get Amazing or Marvelous. Each Guardian only has four unlockable abilities, but you can further upgrade Star-Lord by using resources you find while exploring (the game’s currency) to increase your health or unlock skills like a chargeable and more powerful shot.
It may sound like a lot when I’m explaining it, but trust me, it becomes repetitive mindless button-mashing in the late stages of the game. When there are so many enemies during the combat (the game likes to throw wave after wave of them at a time), I resorted to spamming my teammates’ strongest abilities while I kept shooting with the element gun. I only really got close to enemies for takedowns or to finish them off with melee. The combat was fun for the first half of the game, but the latter half is tedious and annoying. It feels like the game wants to pad out my playtime by sending what feels like endless waves of enemies, which turns into a chore. Spam teammate’s ability, keep shooting to build stagger meter, rinse and repeat.
Keep all that in mind if you’re thinking of getting this game for its combat. It might be fun for the first few hours, but it’s not completely mind-blowing and settles on being just fine. Fortunately, despite the waves of enemies and chaotic action happening on-screen at any given time, I was surprised that there was little to no slowdown or lag while playing on the PS5. However, I can’t imagine having the same smooth experience on the PS4 or Xbox One; the Nintendo Switch will be an exception because it will be cloud-based.

Star-Lord’s element gun isn’t just used during combat either, as you’ll use either ice, electricity, wind and fire to traverse and solve environmental obstacles like turning spurts of water into ice or powering up machinery with electricity. You also use the rest of the Guardians for the same purpose, to solve puzzles and get past environmental obstacles. For example, Groot can use his vines to raise a platform higher to reach places that are too high, while Gamora and Drax can open up new doors by cutting or smashing them down. These are usually in-your-face and not so subtle so you don’t have to worry about getting lost or confused.
While the game’s story missions and levels are mostly linear, you can sometimes stray off the beaten path and find hidden rooms or places. These will often have more of the resources required to upgrade Star-Lord. Better yet, you can discover chests that unlock a new outfit or skin, and special collectibles that unlock unique dialogue and scenes that expand the backstory of each character (these are missable but well worth finding for those who want more narrative depth).
For example, finding a Chitauri cuff can unlock a conversation in which Star-Lord discusses his background as a Spartoi prince. None of that Ego’s son stuff from the MCU; this is comics-accurate, folks.
During exploration, you should expect some platforming as well. Star-Lord’s jumping feels just fine; it’s decent and precise enough for a 3D platformer. For instance, if you can barely reach a ledge, he will still automatically grab onto it but you’ll have to complete a tapping QTE sequence in order to get up onto the ledge. Even if you fall, you’ll just lose a bit of health, so it’s not a problem at all.
Last but not least, I still think it’s a missed opportunity that the game doesn’t allow you to play as the other Guardians. It’s a lot like playing as Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect games, but since Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy doesn’t feature RPG elements or give you the option of playing with different builds or playstyles, it gets repetitive and old really fast. Star-Lord essentially plays exactly the same from the beginning to the end of the game.
A Galaxy To Save

If you like space adventures as well as the bicker and banter of Star-Lord and the gang, Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy is definitely for you. Then again, what’s best about this game is its narrative and interactions between characters, not its combat. Sure, the combat can be fun but ultimately it gets too repetitive and samey.
If you’re tired of the MCU version of the characters, definitely check out what Eidos Montreal has done. Comic book fans will love this faithful adaptation to bits!
Pros

Great narrative and story.
Comic book fans will appreciate the easter eggs and references.
Dialogue heavy with plenty of banter at all times (even during combat).
The fun dynamic between the characters.
Replayable chapters and New Game plus allow for more playtime.

Cons

Combat gets repetitive and mindless.
You can only play as Star-Lord.

Final Score: 80/100
Review copy provided by Square Enix. Played on PS5. Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy launches on 26 October 2021 for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC and Nintendo Switch via Cloud.


Stranger Things Season 4 Allegedly Costs US$30 Million Per Episode

Netflix sure has a lot of money to spend, especially in light of recently canning its animation department.
The focus seems to be on the fourth season of Stranger Things, which is dead-set on being the most expensive season of the sci-fi horror 80s show yet. According to a Wall Street Journal report, each episode allegedly costs US$30 million.
This piece of news came out in the WSJ’s article about Netflix being more cost-conscious after years of “prioritizing growth over cost-efficiency”. The company needed to churn out low-costing crowd pleasers to fund something like Stranger Things.
“Under-the-radar, relatively low-cost hits are necessary to balance out the costs for big-ticket programming such as the special-effects-filled show Stranger Things, whose new season has a per-episode cost of $30 million, according to people close to the show.”
This puts Stranger Things Season 4 above the Halo TV series’ budget of US$10 million per episode, and Game of Thrones’ final season that’s worth US$15 million per episode. TV shows aren’t getting any cheaper, come to think of it, but it does show that the Stranger Things brand is strong and does bring in subscribers. Hence, the huge escalating budgets.


Smell magic in the air. Or maybe barbecue

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