Tencent Responds To Allegations By Alanah Pearce

Tencent has reached out to us and provided an official statement on the issues raised by former games journalist and current Sony Santa Monica writer Alanah Pearce yesterday. We initially reported that the China-based company allegedly wanted â€œno Black peopleâ€ and â€œbigger titsâ€ in a movie that they were producing.
The official statement via email from Tencent’s communications advisor read:
The views attributed to Tencent by Alanah Pearce are contrary to our beliefs, culture and values. At this point they are also just rumors. But we do take the matter seriously, and if it turns out someone affiliated with Tencent did in fact make such a statement we will take appropriate action.
Alanah spilt the beans during an interview with The Serfs on Twitch. When asked about Microsoftâ€™s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, she said that a lot of people arenâ€™t aware of how problematic the environment is at Tencent.
She started by claiming that Tencent reportedly buys studios to replicate and steal their code for games, or forcing studios to give away their â€œsource codeâ€. She then continued by saying that she had a friend that told her about some of the other issues at the company.
She said:
â€œI have a friend who had a film that was offered to be made by Tencent â€” or funded by Tencent â€” and they were like â€˜no black peopleâ€™ and â€˜bigger tits.â€™ Like, a lot of rules that they have that I think also have had a hand in you know, some AAA games.â€
However, to avoid getting sued by Tencent, Alanah refrained from mentioning any specific movies or games. Itâ€™s hard to speculate what movie or games sheâ€™s actually talking about because Tencent owns a lot of studios and companies. However, recently Tencent Pictures was involved in movies likeÂ Top Gun Maverick,Â Moonfall,Â Venom Let There Be Carnage, andÂ Monster Hunter, to mention a few.
Could it have been one of those? Perhaps weâ€™ll never know. Weâ€™ll have to take what Alanah said with a grain of salt, considering that she heard all of this from a friend, so we have no verified source to confirm the allegations.

According to @Charalanahzard, "Tencent wanted no black people and bigger breasts in a movie they wanted to fund" wow pic.twitter.com/tEkjiG6FaG
— Joe Miller (@JoeMiller101) January 25, 2022

The response from Tencent was indeed a swift one and we applaud their response time. We do hope we could come to the bottom of this story rather sooner than later. We will update you once we have more on this.


A Total War Saga Troy Mythos Expansion Drops This September

The battle for Troy cannot be waged by man alone. In distant corners of the realm, there are whispers of three ancient behemoths: A winged calamity reigning terror. A slithering serpent with many heads. A beast prowling the abyss. Track them, harness them and turn the tide of war.Â
A Total War Saga Troy Mythos Expansion

Within the MYTHOS content Pack for A Total War Saga Troy players can experience the Trojan War in all itsÂ  Mythological glory.Â
Create your own odyssey and embark on one of three new expeditions to track, fight and tame legendary beasts and unleash them upon your enemies: the Cerberus – a vicious hound of Hades that guards the abyss, the Griffin â€“ a deadly master of the skies, and the Hydra â€“ a nine-headed serpent spreading poison and madness.Â
Spill blood in epic theatres of war whilst commanding renowned heroes of the age alongside devastating mythical warriors. Multiple new units are yours to recruit including the legendary Arimaspoi and Shades from the underworld alongside mythological redesigns for iconic key units such as the Centaur, Giants and the Minotaur.Â  Bolster their battle prowess with supercharged battle abilities including deadly spells and regenerative magic.Â
Turn the tides of the Trojan conflict within a mythologically inspired campaign map featuring all-new gameplay options to execute and new ways to entice the gods and enact their divine will.
A Total War Saga Troy Free Content

Alongside the titanic swathe of content in MYTHOS, a brand-new game mode will be available to all owners ofÂ  TROY that dramatically changes the gameplay experience. The new Historical mode offers refreshing gameplay that overhauls TROYâ€™s features so that players can experience the Aegean conflict from a realistic, history-first perspective. Such changes include wars being fought between generals and their bodyguards instead of one-man armies wielding the powers of gods.Â
A Total War Saga Troy Is Coming To Steam

Players who prefer to wage war on Steam can now take up arms and join the action when A Total War Saga Troy and its DLC packs officially launch on the platform alongside the release of MYTHOS on 2 September 2021. Thereâ€™s never been a better time to wage war in ancient Greece as three editions will be available for purchase for a limited time from launch.Â

STANDARD EDITION (TROY base game) â€“ 25 percent off.
MYTHIC EDITION (TROY base game + MYTHOS expansion) â€“ 30 percent off.
HEROIC EDITION (TROY base game + MYTHOS expansion + Amazons DLC + Ajax & Diomedes DLC) â€“ 40 percent off.

More information on MYTHOS can be found on the official FAQ. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


The Witcher Nightmare Of The Wolf Gets Special Trailer With Japanese Rock Band

Netflix has released a special trailer for fans across Asia, offering another look at The Witcher Nightmare Of The Wolf. The new trailer for the anticipated anime prequel to the hugely successful The Witcher series also features a Japanese track by Japanese rock band ROTTENGRAFFTY.
The world of The Witcher expands in this anime origin story:
Before Geralt, there was his mentor Vesemir — a swashbuckling young witcher who escaped a life of poverty to slay monsters for coin.
But when a strange new monster begins terrorising a politically fraught kingdom, Vesemir finds himself on a frightening adventure that forces him to confront the demons of his pastâ€¦
The Witcher Nightmare Of The Wolf is written and produced by Beau DeMayo and co-produced by The Witcher Showrunner and Executive Producer Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and Studio Mirâ€™s Kwang Il Han, who is also directing.
You can head on over here for my spoiler-free review for The Witcher Nightmare Of The Wolf, and check out the special trailer below:


Card Game Roguelike Doors of Insanity Will Leave Early Access End Of January

Neon Doctrine and OneShark’s deckbuilding roguelike RPG Doors of Insanity will be leaving Early Access on Steam soon.
The brutally difficult card-slinging RPG will be out on 26 January for PC. For those who don’t know what Doors of Insanity is, think Slay The Spire but with more esoteric aesthetics and visuals, and off-kilter humour.
In addition, Doors of Insanity’s 1.0 update will come with a crimson chest room that offers permanent crystal and XP boosts, as well as an NPC called Wizard Andrew who can make you jump one room at the cost of messing up your appearance. Fun!
We did enjoy our time playing Doors of Insanity during its Early Access phase, with its card-slinging combat and the fact that you can customize your hero/heroine as you see fit, and its challenging difficulty. If you need a bizarre take on Slay The Spire, you can give Doors of Insanity a go later this January.


Infinity Ward Extends CoD Modern Warfare Season 1 With Crossbows

Developer Infinity Ward has announced that they will be extending Call Of Duty Modern Warfare Season 1, which means that Season 2 has effectively been delayed. It was originally scheduled to end on 28 January 2020, but will now be ending on 11 February 2020 instead.
However, there will be more content awaiting players. This includes a host of new items and challenges, such as an in-game Challenge to earn a new Crossbow weapon, new remixed game modes, and new playlists. During the extended duration of Season 1, there will also be 2XP, 2X Weapon XP, and 2X Tier Progression.
While no reason was given for this extended Season 1 in the official blog post, it is likely because the developer needed more time to work on Call Of Duty Modern Warfare Season 2 content.
In the meantime, check out the roadmap for Call Of Duty Modern Warfare here, or head on over here to find out how you can help victims of the Australian bushfires via the game.


The Soul Still Burns With The SoulCalibur Asia League

It’s about time Bandai Namco’s sword-based 3D fighting game gets some love in the Asian circuit this year. Versus Asia just announced the SoulCalibur Asia League, where the best SoulCalibur 6 players will be determined in different regions, right down to the finals this October in Singapore.
Players will duke it out in the following tournaments:

Versus Masters at Singapore, 27-28 April
Taipei Major at Taiwan, 8-9 June
Thaiger Uppercut X SEAM at Bangkok, Thailand, 22-23 June
Tokyo (TBA)
Esports Festival at Penang, Malaysia, 7-8 September

(video credit: Versus Asia)
The Asia Finals will be at Southeast Asia Major 2019 on 12-13 October.Â If you’re still burning for some 3D action and want to prove yourself on a regional stage, you can register here.Â While we wait for the outcome of Versus Masters, how about you check out some awesome SoulCalibur 6 fighting on this EVO Japan 2019 video?
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/2000861476885000/
Top image credit: Versus Asia


You Can Now Nab These Ghost of Tsushima Costumes Based On Other PS4 Exclusives

If you aren’t done with collecting all of Ghost of Tsushima’s armor and costume sets, you probably won’t be as Sucker Punch is adding more.
The devs behind the PS4 exclusive action-adventure ronin rumble will be adding a set of unlockable PlayStation costumes based on the following platform exclusives:

God of War (2018)
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Shadow of the Colossus
Bloodborne

How do you get them? Why just complete any Story or Survival mission which each class in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends mode (the multiplayer add-on for the game).Â You can get them from now until 15th January, 2021.
Check them out in all their glory below. The Samurai skin is based on Kratos, while the Hunter class is based on Aloy. The other Hunter skin is based on one of the colossi in Shadow of the Colossus, while the Ronin skin is giving vibes of Eileen the Crow from Bloodborne.


These Are Your Golden Joystick Award 2018 Winners

Turns out there was another game awards show that just streamed a while ago: the Golden Joystick Awards 2018. It came, it went, and it awarded a bunch of games this year and even gave a lifetime achievement award to someone who deserved it.
Here are the winners. Long story short: God of War claimed a lot of victories but Fortnite won Ultimate Game of the Year.
Best Story-Telling – God of War. Yep, this one we can get behind. Great story all-around.
Best Competitive Game – Fortnite Battle Royale. Of course; pick the most popular game.
Best Cooperative Game – Monster Hunter World. Any Monster Hunter game is better with friends.
Best Visual Design – God of War. Kinda have to disagree here since there are better picks like Return of Obra Dinn and Octopath Traveler.
Best Indie Game – Dead Cells. Totally on board with this.
Best Audio – God of War. Really? Sorry Bear McCreary, but you’ve done far better work elsewhere.
Still Playing – World of Tanks. I’d normally cry out “boo” because Warframe exists, but World of Tanks need love too.
Best Performer – Bryan Dechart (Conner from Detroit Become Human).
Esports Game of the Year – Overwatch.
Studio of the Year – SIE Santa Monica.
Best VR Games – Skyrim VR.
Mobile Game of the Year – PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
PC Game of the Year – Subnautica.
Playstation Game of the Year – God of War.
Xbox Game of the Year – Forza Horizon 4
Nintendo Game of the Year – Octopath Traveler
Breakthrough Award – Unknown Worlds (Subnautica)
Most-Wanted Game – Cyberpunk 2077. Most of us were enthralled by the Xbox E3 reveal of this game, so this wasn’t much of a surprise.
Critic’s Choice Award – Red Dead Redemption 2. Because Rockstar.
Lifetime Achievement – Hidetaka Miyazaki. Well-deserved, since he was the main guy behind the Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls series. He introduced gamers to the painful-yet-rewarding world of dark fantasy RPGs that test your mettle.
Outstanding Contributions – Xbox Adaptive controller.
Ultimate Game of the Year – Fortnite
In becoming the first-ever awards listicle show to pop up before the year ends, we personally think this one is lacking a few key players and indie titles. But hey, that’s what the Game Awards this December is for.


Shia, Sunni, and Assassins – The Religious Side of the Assassin’s Creed Universe

Our guest features writer today is Shafiqah Othman who discuss in depth about one of her favorite games franchises, Assassin’s Creed; its lore, connections to real-life religious historical figures as well as her thoughts on the philosophy behind the world building in the franchise.
This post was originally published on her website here.

The origin of the word Assassin has multiple interpretations, two of which I shall mention down here:
Hashashin means â€œthose who do weedâ€, (Hasheesh is the Arabic word for any weed.) The opponents of the Nizaris called them that as a derogatory term even though thereâ€™s no evidence that they actually did weed. So, thanks to ancient political smearing, â€œassassinationâ€ is somehow inexplicably derived from â€œsmoking weedâ€. â€“Â Iyad El-Baghdadi
According to the Wikipedia page (I know Wikipedia is not exactly the most reliable source), the word can also come from the word â€œAsasiyunâ€, meaning â€œpeople who are faithful to the Asasâ€, meaning â€œfoundationâ€ of the faith.

The Assassinâ€™s Creed series was heavily influenced byÂ Vladimir Bartolâ€™s â€œAlamutâ€, a book released in 1938, about Hassan-i Sabah and the Assassins.

Who is Hassan-i Sabah? He was regarded as the founder of the Assassins, aka Nizari Ismailis, a split within Ismailism (part of Shia Islam). Even though Nizaris are typically known as Assassins, only a group of them â€“ the fidaâ€™i â€“ actually carried out assassinations. Why Hassan-i Sabbah created the order of Assassins is unknown, but most of their assassinations were political and based on vengeance.
Their enemies were mainly the Seljuk Turks, and this was because for many centuries, Persians felt mistreated by Sunni Muslims. The Assassinsâ€™ tactic mainly involved trickery, where they would carefully study their targets before infiltrating the targetâ€™s circle. This meant that they worked undercover a lot. They in martyrdom as well, so many died to secure a place in Paradise.
Not much is known about the Assassins from their perspective since their records were destroyed when their fortress, the Alamut Castle, fell.
As much as I love Assassinâ€™s Creed, you know what this means? The Assassins were one of the earliest Islamic terrorist groups to rise. Or subsequently, you can also view them as a rebellion against a tyrannical rule (since historically, Sunnis were pretty vile). It depends on how you see it.
The Assassins, or Shiites in general, are known to Sunni Muslims as deviant and astray. At least, thatâ€™s how history painted them to be. Hence why I do enjoy the idea of a series that tries to put us in the perspective of Islamic historyâ€™s â€œbad guysâ€ â€“ the Assassins/Shiite Muslims.
While I do understand that the premise of the Assassinâ€™s Creed franchise is mainly Assassins versus Templars, the Muslim part of its history is extremely fascinating to me. Because just like the Templars, Islamic history has seen its fair share of rulers trying to suppress freethought and freewill. Below is an excerpt taken from one of the columns I have written:

The infamous Assassinâ€™s Creed maxim was also taken from the book.

â€œNothing is an absolute reality, all is permitted.â€ â€“Â Vladimir Bartol, Alamut

That’s it for Part 1 (of 3) of Shafiqah’s analysis on the world of Assassin’s Creed. Stay tuned for Part 2 where she talks about the differences and similarities between the Assassins and Templars.


Warner Bros. Trademarks Suicide Squad & Gotham Knights Game Domain

Warner Bros. might be revealing more than a single Batman game. We already know that the company will be showing off games at the upcoming DC Fandome digital event on 22 August 2020. ResetEra user DriftingOrbit has discovered several newly-registered domains that indicate the company is developing games based on the Suicide Squad and something called the Gotham Knights.
The domains were all registered between 16 and 19 June 2020, including such ones as suicidesquadgame,Â gothamknightsgame, andÂ suicidesquadkillthejusticleague. Despite the registrations not actually featuring the Warner Bros. name, ResetEra user JaseC points out that this mysterious registrar MarkMonitor is likely a company that Warner Bros. employs to manage its domains.
However, take all this with a grain of salt until Warner Bros. or Warner Bros. Games confirm any of the games. We’ll probably have to wait two months until the DC Fandome event, but this could be potentially big news. We haven’t had a decent DC Comics-based game in a while, since 2015’s Batman: Arkham Knight.
These Suicide Squad and Gotham Knights don’t actually have to be massive sprawling open-world games. Give me something like The Last Of Us Part 2 with an epic third-person linear action-adventure singleplayer campaign (no multiplayer, please), and I’ll be happy. Oh, and hopefully they do their own thing based on the comics, instead of being inspired by the movies (I hate it when they do that).


Marvel Snap Is A New Digital Card Game From Ex-Hearthstone Makers

Back in 2018, Hearthstone game director Ben Brode left Blizzard to form a new company called Second Dinner. Fast forward to now, Ben and his company have revealed their latest game: Marvel Snap for PC and mobile devices (iOS, Android).
Using characters from Marvel Comics, this new digital card collectible game features fast gameplay that isn’t bogged down by a number of mechanics from past card games they’ve made or even imitated from. Each game of Marvel Snap is 3 minutes, with both players laying out their cards simultaneously and only using just 15 cards in their decks; no waiting. The objective of the game is to get more Cosmic Cubes than the players in a best 2-out-of-3 scenario; you and your opponent play your cards to do just that. Actual gameplay screenshot below:

Here’s the overview for the game, featuring a clearly excitable Ben Brode. We also included some cards from the game below; check them out!

Marvel Snap will have 150 cards with more oncoming. It’ll be a free-to-play game so chances are you can either grind through the game to get all the cords or possibly pay money to open booster packs for random cards with guaranteed rarity drops. The game’s closed beta will be available on Android first. There’s no set date but you can sign up now.
Marvel Snap sign up beta test information:

Sign-up starts TODAY
Selected users will be notified via email shortly
Platform: Android only
Eligible Countries: United States, Canada, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand
Test Type: All user progress during the Android closed beta Test WILL NOT be deleted


Rainbow Six Siege is Going Regional with its Esports Program

I’m no esports aficionado, but Ubisoft’s plans for Rainbow Six Siege’s esports program sound rather interesting. The company revealed recently that after the Pro League Season XI Finals in Sao Paulo this May 16 and 17, it will adopt a regional structure for its multiplayer shooter’s esports scene beginning mid-June.
Under the new structure, each region will have control over the details of their respective program, such as their format or how they “fuel the global program”.Â There will be four regional programs – Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific – running in parallel to each other.
Each competitive year, or “Season”, will be divided into four quarters. The first three quarters are “Stages” that conclude with a Major, which features the four best teams from each region competing against each other. The fourth quarter is reserved for the regional finals and relegations, and it leads up to the Six Invitational that will decide who’s the best Rainbow Six Siege team at the end of the Season.

According to Ubisoft, this shift allows them to “enhance the specificities and successes of each region” and provide “a stronger focus on local particularities and an increased diversity in the different choices of esports programs”.
The Asia-Pacific region will group the Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian programs into the North Division. The South Division, on the other hand, contains the vague promise of “exciting new opportunities to the established Oceanic market along with up-and-coming regions such as South Asia”. ESL AJP is in charge of the region’s leagues and events.
Ubisoft also revealed that the regional programs’ teams will be rewarded for “sustained performance” with the new point system. Less surprisingly, their performance in these programs and Majors will affect their global rankings and efforts towards reaching the Six Invitational.
You can get the full details on the new regional program and non-Asia Pacific regions on Ubisoft’s website here.


Play As Ryu & Guile In Capcom’s Upcoming Third-Person Shooter Exoprimal

Street Fighter 6 just came out and their latest IP; Exoprimal isn’t even out for another month but Capcom has already announced a joint collab between their two IPs.
Exoprimal is an upcoming third-person shooter game slated to release on 14 July and is already available for pre-purchase on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One and PC via Steam.
Ryu and Guile will be playable characters in the upcoming third-person shooter this Fall, so you Street Fighter fans may need to way a little while longer after the game has come out. In this game, they may look a little bit different from their Street Fighter 6 counterparts as in Exoprimal, they’re mechanised.


Mission Zero Technical Test Begins This Week

NetEase Games is opening a Technical Test for their new 2v4 competitive stealth game Mission Zero, where players must blend in and lay low if they want to evade their captors.
Chinese developers NetEase are to open Technical Tests for those who pre-register for their new game Mission Zero starting 8 July in select regions.
Mission Zero is a 2v4 competitive stealth game, where one team takes on the role of the Sirius (Invaders) and the other team are the Mobius (Chasers). The final release of the game will have cross-platform play on Android, iOS, and PC, although iOS won’t be available during the Technical Test.
The Technical Test will be held on 8 July 2022 starting at 9:00 AM (GMT+7) in Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Thailand, with availability on Android and PC through Google Play, official website and TapTap. The Technical Test will be the equivalent of a small-scale beta test, with players having a chance to experience the current version of the game without any in-app purchases, and with their progress resetting in the final release.
CONCEPT
Mission Zero pits four Sirius against two Mobius. The Sirius players need to hide from the Mobius agents, using disguises that let them resemble the NPCs in each area, allowing them to dress like a janitor, waiter, cook, or whatever is needed to blend in. It’s the role of the Mobius players to catch the Sirius, by determining which characters stand out, and using their powerful abilities to knock them unconscious.
The Mobius agents are outnumbered, but it’s easier for them to work as a team, in order to combine their unique traits and abilities, as they belong to specific archetypes, including Assault-type, Scout-type, Strategy-type, and more. The Sirius also have high-tech equipment that can be used to help them escape if needed, with eleven different types of gadgets available to them.
Mission Zero is an intense game of hide & seek, where players who play as Mobius must use their skills of deduction to find their foes, or play as the Sirius to make important snap decisions, in order to evade capture.
Characters & GAMEPLAY
In Mission Zero, the Mobius player will take on the role of characters with unique abilities, with eight available in the Technical Test. As officially released previously, these include Aya, a delinquent girl who rocks a gothic aesthetic, who smashes foes with her baseball bat.
She is joined by Gabriel, a warrior with a powerful prosthetic arm that he uses as a weapon to grab fleeing Sirius from afar and pull them into his grasp.
There is also a Mobius agent named Murphy, who can beat the Sirius at their own game. Murphy is a strategy-type agent, with the ability to disguise herself as an NPC and reveal the position of nearby Sirius agents.
The Sirius players can fight back with powerful equipment, in order to gain an edge on the battlefield. There are eleven pieces of equipment in the Technical Test, including the Cloak Shield, which creates an optical camo barrier that makes the agent invisible; Stand-In Badge, which turns the agent invisible and spawns a decoy that keeps walking ahead; and the Shockwave, which stuns nearby enemies, and can be charged up to reach a wider area.
Mission Zero is a thrilling game of cat and mouse, where one team must blend in and lay low to survive, while the other team hunts them in the scene. This is a true game of skill, as keeping a cool head and a discerning eye is the key to survival. Those who want to be among the first to experience Mission Zero can pre-register their interest on the official website and play the game during the Technical Test on 8 July.


Honda To Sponsor Large-Scale US League of Legends Championship Series

Honda, the Japanese car brand renowned for the Civic, the Jazz, and the CR-V running amuck all over Malaysian highways, will be exclusively sponsoring a large League of Legends tournament in the USA (via LA.biz).
Following companies like Mercedes-Benz sponsoring the esports scene, Honda will be doing this to expand its interest in esports and in Riot Games’ MOBA, specifically. It plans to increase its reach with a young up-and-coming market.
The company already has an established partnership with Team Liquid. This move makes Honda the “first automaker in North America to sponsor both an esports league and an esports team competing in it”.
This partnership makes sense for both Riot Games and Honda. The former gets funding for their bigger US tournaments for now and the future, while Honda gets its brand out to budding car buyers. Unlike Mercedes-Benz, their target market can at least afford a few of the cars they have for sale.
Does this mean we’ll get to see ads or skins where Caitlyn and Yasuo ride around in tiny Jazzes and Civics? Or maybe even see those penguins in Teamfight Tactics committing a drive-by in a CR-V? So many possibilities…


Shin Megami Tensei 5 Boss Fight Guide: How To Exploit Their Weaknesses

This guide is still under development.
Shin Megami Tensei 5 is out now for Nintendo Switch, and unlike its Persona cousin, this RPG will relentlessly kick your ass time and again if you don’t master its combat system and its demon fusion/essence fusion mechanics quick. The game’s bosses will be your stonewall of progress, challenging you with hard-hitting attacks and making you build a party-specific to counter said stonewall.
Luckily, we’re here to help. This boss guide will be touching on the main story’s many fights, so there will be spoilers. You’ve been warned.

Hydra (Drake)

This is the first major boss of the game, residing near Tokyo Tower. It’s pretty tough if you aren’t prepared for it.
Hydra Stats

Skills
Frenzy +3: medium Physical attack on all foes. Activates when Hydra is near death.
Toxic Breath: Medium Dark attack on all foes. Chance of inflicting Poison.
Fire Breath +3: Weak 2-5 Fire attacks to random foes.
Weaknesses: Ice
Immune: Fire
Protip: Build a team that can block Dark and Fire attacks. After some Miracle buffs and upgrades, use the Daemon Essence fuse on your main character to give him Fire and Dark protection. For Ice attacks, the Mermaid’s unique ice attack can help get you some turns.

Nuwa
You’ll fight this new demon as the game’s second boss, in the Tokyo Diet building. She makes Hydra look like a joke in comparison. She has a super-powerful Magatsuhi gauge attack called Sacrifice of Clay that will annihilate your party.
Nuwa Stats

Skills
Sacrifice of Clay +7: Heavy Force attack to all foes. Lowers target’s Attack/Defense by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Zanma +7: Medium Force attack to 1 foe.
Mazioi +3: Weak Electric attack to all foes.
Weakness: Fire
Immune: Electric, Dark
Repel: Force
Protip: Buy as many Force Dampeners from Gustave (the creepy shopkeeper from your save point). This will cancel out the Sacrifice of Clay attack as soon as her meter is filled up to activate the skill. Get your main character to level 20 or above so that he can get demons to fuse for Jack-o’-Lantern.
Aitvaras is also a good demon to have since its unique skill is an Agi spell with a chance to inflict the Mirage status effect. Resistance and immunity-wise, demons like Shiisaa can help nullify Nuwa’s attacks. If you’re feeling lucky, get Fortuna on your team since she can nullify Force attacks but is vulnerable to Electric.

Loup-Garou
The third boss fight that many players may have trouble with. This wolf’s at the Container Yard and can be a pain if you do not have the proper party to deal with it. Loup-Garou has big damage physical attacks, a painful single target Electric attack, and a buff that gives it a guaranteed critical that will not miss.
Loup-Garou Stats

Skills
Souffle D’eclair +2: Severe Electric attack to 1 foe.
Fang Breaker +3: Weak Physical attack to 1 foe. Lowers target’s attack by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Damascus Claw +3: 2-3 medium Physical attacks to 1 foe.
Axel Claw +3: 2-4 medium Physical attacks to random foes.
Critical Aura: Next Strength-based attack will be 100% accurate and a guaranteed critical.
Weaknesses: Ice, Light
Resist: Fire
Immune: Electric
Protip: Build a party that has Ice and Light skills to exploit Loup-Garou’s weakness (like Jack Frost’s Bufula), as well as have attack-lowering skills like Rakunda and accuracy-lowering skills like Sukunda. Bring Electric Dampeners to nullify the wolf’s Souffle D’eclair attack when you see it charging up Magatsuhi.
You want to debuff the wolf’s attack strength and hit rate so that you get more turns. If you can somehow level up to level 29 at this point in the game, you can gain access to the demon Shiki-Ouji who is resistant to physical attacks and has Light skills. You’ll also want Oni in your team, then make him use Taunt to get Loup-Garou to target him for all attacks.

Fionn Mac Cumhaill

You’ll fight this handsome warrior at Mitatebashi. He has quite the physical arsenal, as well as at a Maragion all-targeting fire attack that only unleashes as a Magatsuhi attack, so at least you know it’s coming.
Fionn Stats
Skills:
Mac an Lain +5: Severe Physical attack to 1 foe. Greater effect if it’s a Critical Hit.
Dark Sword +5: 2 Medium attacks to 1 foe. Chance of inflicting Seal.
Pierce Armor +5: Weak Physical attack to 1 foe. Lowers target’s Defense by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Bufula +3: Medium Ice attacks to 1 foe.
Maragion +4: Medium Fire attack to all foes (Magatsuhi Attack)
Tarukaja: Raises Attack of 1 ally by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Weaknesses: Electric
Resist: Fire, Light
Protip: Bring in demons like Mothman and Lilim as they have Electric attacks to hamper Fionn with. Cironnup is a good choice as it can resist most of Fionn’s attacks and use Blinding Strike to lower Fionn’s Accuracy/Evasion. Also, give Nahobino resistance to Physical attacks to give yourself a fighting chance.
Generally, you want to lower Fionn’s Accuracy to make him miss and lose turns.

Lahmu
Not the early scuffle with him, but the true fight at the end of the second world in Shinagawa Station. This abomination is a multi-target boss, since it has a head and tentacles for you to deal with. This is also a two-parter fight, meaning you’ll need to have some demons on reserve to switch to since the initial ones in your party will have run out of mana and not have the skills to deal with the boss’ second form and its new weaknesses.
Lahmu Phase 1 Stats

Skills
Babylon Curse: Weak Almighty attack to 1 foe. Inflicts Mud.
Bufula +3: Medium Ice attack to 1 foe.
Zionga: Medium Electric attack to 1 foe.
Mudo +3: Weak Dark attack to 1 foe. Chance of instakill when striking weakness.
Charge: Greatly increases the damage of the next physical attack performed by all allies
Weakness: Force, Light
Resistance: Fire, Ice
Immune: Dark
Protip: All of Lahmu’s attacks are single-target skills. Lahmu’s biggest damaging skill is Babylon Curse; it restores each Lahmu Tentacle that isn’t dead yet and inflicts Mud (which subtracts one turn from your total turns for the round). Mazanma and Wind Breath skills on demons are best against Lahmu and its Tentacles. Also, give your main character the Manananggal essence which protects him from Dark attacks.
This is only one phase of the fight, so prepare demons for the second part as well before approaching this major boss battle.
Lahmu Phase 2 Stats

Skills:
Silt of Ruin +2: Medium Almighty attack to all foes. Lowers target’s Accuracy/Evasion by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Mudoon +3: Heavy Dark attack to 1 foe. Chance of instakill when striking weakness.
Bufula +3: Medium Ice attack to 1 foe.
Purple Smoke 2: Weak 3 Physical attacks to 1 foe. Hits harder when target is Confused.
Tentarafoo +3: Chance of inflicting Confusion to all foes.
Mazionga: Medium Electric attack to all foes.
Weakness: Fire
Resistance: Ice, Force
Immune: Dark
Protip: You’ll need to switch out some of your demons to combat this version of Lahmu, since your initial demons may be out of mana. Silt of Ruin not only hurts, but also lowers Accuracy and Evasion. All of Lahmu’s spells here hit pretty hard, but at least Mud isn’t an issue.
You’ll need to have strength and accuracy debuffs on hand, while also getting some Agi spells ready. A demon like Parvati can help keep your party health pretty high thanks to her Media, Bowl of Hygieia, and Heal Pleroma skills.

Shohei Yakumo

The man who represents Chaos alongside Nuwa will fight you in Akihabara. And yes, he’s pretty tough with his all-targeting Physical attacks. Just make sure you and your party are at least level 46 before attempting this fight.
Shohei Yakumo Stats
Skills:
Galvanic Slash +2: Heavy Electric Strength-based attack to 1 foe.
Mazionga +2: Medium Electric attack to all foes.
Fatal Sword +3: Medium Physical attack to 1 foe. High chance of Critical.
Deathbound +3: Medium Physical attack to all foes.
Tarukaja: Raises Attack of 1 ally by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Dekaja: Negates status buff effects on all foes.
Mist Rush +3: 2 to 4 medium Physical attacks to random foes. Chance of inflicting Mirage.
Omagatoki: Critical: Magatsuhi Skill. All attacks will become Critical hits for all allies for 1 turn.
Weakness: Dark
Resistance: Physical, Electric, all ailments
Protip: Bring Electric Dampeners to the fight, as well as bestow Physical/Electric resistance to your main character. While you’re at it, give him Taunt, since your party members may not be able to withstand Yakumo’s Physical onslaught and will need you to draw fire. Kannabi Veil (via Aogami Type-5’s essence) is also useful since it reduces damage from Yakumo’s all-target skills.
Roster-wise, you should recruit demons like Parvati (healer with +4 Recovery, Bowl of Hygieia, & Media), Idun, Macabre, Black Frost, Anubis, and Alice. The latter two have Dark spells they can cast to exploit Yakumo’s weakness. Alice may have high requirements for fusion (she’s a Special Fusion), but she’s worth it for the long run.

Surt
Located in Awajicho. Pretty big and tough.
Surt Stats
Skills:
Heat Wave: Weak Physical attack to all foes.
Fire Dracostrike: Medium Fire Strength-based attack to 1 foe.
Maragidyne: Heavy Fire attack to all foes (Magatsuhi Attack).
Ragnarok: Medium 2~5 Fire attacks to random foes.
Dekunda: Negates status debuff effects on all allies.
Counter: Chance to counter Strength-based attacks with aÂ  heavy Physical attack.
Agilao: Medium Fire attack to 1 foe.
Maragi: Weak Fire attack to all foes.
Omagatoki: Critical: Magatsuhi Skill. All attacks will become Critical hits for all allies for 1 turn.
Weakness: Ice
Absorbs: Fire
Protip: Bring demons who can absorb or is immune to Fire attacks. The best demons to bring to this fight are Black Frost and Qing Long, who can cast Ice spells and do not have weakness to Fire. Any support healer you have who has Bowl of Hygieia (via fusion using Parvati) would be helpful. Also, make sure to use any essence that gives your main character some way to absorb/repel/nullify Fire.

Ishtar
Found in Tokyo Station. Make sure you’re packing Force and Dark for this one.
Ishtar Stats
Skills:
Dreadful Gleam: Heavy Electric attack to all foes. Ignores affinity and pierces through. Chance of infliction Seal.
Ziodyne: Heavy Electric attack to 1 foe.
Mazionga: Medium Electric attack to all foes.
Hamaon: Heavy Light attack to 1 foe. Can instakill those weak to Light.
Mahamaon: Heavy Light attack to all foes. Can instakill those weak to Light.
Sexy Dance: Chance of inflicting Charm to all foes.
Diarama: Moderate HP recovery to 1 ally.
Marakunda: Lowers Defense of all foes by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Omagatoki: Critical: Magatsuhi Skilil. All attacks will become Critical hits for all allies for 1 turn.
Weakness: Force, Dark
Blocks: Electric, Light
Protip: First off, destroy all the Magatsuhi devices on this map. Destroying them will reduce all of her press turns; she has 8 turns per round if all the devices are active. Also, her Dreadful Gleam will fail if all the devices are destroyed.
Bring demons with Force and Dark attack like Anubis and Mishaguji. If you can fuse for Lamu, go do that as this demon has nice Dark skills and high stats. Dominion is also a nice demon to have in this fight to tank and absorb Ishtar’s attacks.

Chernobog
Hey look, it’s old mushroom head with the sword! Found in Castle: 2nd Stratum.
Chernobog Stats
Skills:
Dark Sword: 2 Medium attacks to 1 foe. Chance to inflict Seal.
Blight: 2 to 4 weak Physical attacks to random foes. Chance of inflicting Poison.
Toxic Spray: Chance of inflicting Poison to 1 foe and lowers Defense by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Fang Breaker: Weak Physical attack to 1 foe. Lowers target’s Attack by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Pierce Armor: Weak Physical attack to 1 foe. Lowers target’s Defense by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Blinding Strike: Weak Physical attack to 1 foe. Lowers target’s Accuracy/Evasion by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Mamudoon: Heavy Dark attack to all foes. Chance of instakill when striking weakness.
Weakness: Light
Block: Dark
Protips: You can use some of the same demons from the Ishtar fight like Anubis and Dominion. For attacks, you can use Yoshitsune who has Physical resistance and Retaliate to sort out Chernobog’s Physical attacks.

Arioch
Big fat winged demon boy here can be fought in the Castle: Audience Chamber area.
Arioch Stats
Skills
Brave Blade: Heavy Physical attack to 1 foe. High chance of Critical.
Mighty Cleave: Heavy Physical attack to 1 foe. Low accuracy, but hits are always Critical.
Bufudyne: Heavy Ice attack to 1 foe.
Hades Blast: Heavy Physical attack to all foes.
Mabufudyne: Heavy Ice attack to all foes. (Magatsuhi Skill)
Weakness: Electric
Resist: Ice, Force, Dark
Protip: Arioch will summon 2 Decarabias to assist him. You’ll need a team that has Electric and Light since Arioch is weak to the former element while Decarabia is weak to the latter. Bring in demons like Kin-Ki, Nue, and Ose to bring in the Electric pain, while having Kushinada-Hime as support. Bring Ice Dampeners for added protection. Give your main character Ice Resistance too.

Abdiel

You’ll fight this cool angel in the later bits of the story at the Tokyo Diet Building.
Abdiel Stats
Skills
Light’s Descent: Severe Light attack to all foes. Chance of instakill when striking weakness.
Pierce Armor: Weak Physical attack to 1 foe, lowers defense for 3 turns.
Dark Sword: 2 Medium attacks to 1 foe. Chance of inflicting Seal.
Myriad Slashes: 5 weak Physical attacks to 1 foe. Low accuracy.
Agidyne: Heavy Fire attack to 1 foe.
Maragidyne: Heavy Fire attack to all foes. Magatsuhi Attack.
Mighty Cleave: Heavy Physical attack to 1 foe. Low accuracy, but hits are always critical.
Weakness: Dark
Reflect: Light
Resist: Electric, Force
Protip: Give your main character resistance to Light, and Counter/Retaliate. Abdiel also only attacks Nahobino, so you’ll need those aforementioned skills and a support demon to keep him alive. You’re also better off bringing a demon that has Taunt to divert attention away from your main character. Demons with Dark attacks and resistance to Light will help in this fight; a demon who can cast Tetrakarn is also useful since it can cast it on Nahobino to reflect Abdiel’s attacks.
Also, bring Fire Dampeners to nullify Abdiel’s Magatsuhi attack.

Odin

The Allfather has the same design and look from Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse. He’s still weak to wind attacks though. He’s chilling at Komagata.
Odin Stats
Skills
Gungnir: Unique Skill. Severe Physical attack to 1 foe. Ignores affinity resistance and pierces through.
Charge: Greatly increases the damage of the next Strength-based attack from self.
Concentrate: Greatly increases the damage of the next Magic-based attack from self.
Hades Blast: Heavy Physical attack to all.
Ziodyne: Heavy Electric attack to 1 foe.
Thunder Reign: Medium 2~5 Electric attacks to random foes.
Mabufudyne: Heavy Ice attack to all foes (Magatsuhi attack)
Dekaja: Removes status buffs from all foes.
Omagatoki: Critical: All attacks, including magical attacks, will become Critical hits for all allies for 1 turn (Magatsuhi skill).
Weakness: Force
Reflect: Electric
Block: Light, Dark
Protip: Bring the demon Rangda to the fight, and give her Null Elec and Null Ice. Do this by fusing Lilith and Skadi to give Rangda the skills. Give Rangda taunt as well; with those Null skills and reflect Physical properties, Rangda is the best shield in this boss fight.
Also, bring demons who can attack Odin’s weaknesses like Mot and Fuu-Ki, though give them Resist/Null Elec skills via fusion if possible. Tarunda would be a good debuff against Odin since his physical attacks really, REALLY hurt. When he pulls off the Magatsuhi charge, use Ice Dampeners.

Zeus

The Greek god of thunder boasts a slick design and some painful moves in this fight at Ueno Park.
Zeus Stats
Skills
Keraunos: Unique skill. Severe Strength-based Electric attack to 1 foe. Ignores affinity resistance and pierces through.
Impaler’s Animus: Increases the damage of the next attack and adds Pierce effect for self.
Luster Candy: Raises all stats of all allies by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Madness Glint: Unique Skill.Â 2~5 weak Almighty attacks to random foes. Chance of inflicting Seal.
Maziodyne: Heavy Electric attack to all foes (Magatsuhi Attack).
Panta Spane: Unique Skill. Medium Physical attack to all foes. Lowers target’s Attack/Defense by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Brave Blade: Heavy Physical attack to 1 foe. High chance of Critical.
Weaknesses: Force
Block: Electric, Light, Dark
Protip: Bring in demons like Futsunushi who have strong Physical attacks. Luster Candy and Light of Order are much-needed stat boosts for this fight. Make sure your Nahobino has resistance to Physical and Electric. Elec Dampeners are a must to avoid Zeus’ Magatsuhi Attack.

Vasuki

Found in Asakusa. Quite fond of status effect skills that can debilitate your party.
Vasuki Stats
Skills
Toxic Spray: Chance of inflicting Poison to 1 foe and lowers Defense by 1 rank for 3 turns
Frenzied Chomp: Medium Physical attack to 1 foe. Chance of inflicting Poison/Confusion/Charm.
Makajamaon: Chance of inflicting Seal to all foes.
Slumber Vortex: Chance of inflicting Sleep and Mirage to all foes.
Sexy Dance: Chance of inflicting Charm to all foes.
Mabufudyne: Heavy Ice attack to all foes (Magatsuhi Attack).
Hysterical Slap: 2 weak Physical attacks to 1 foe. Greater effect if target is Charmed.
Venom Chaser: Weak Physical attacks to 1 foe. Greater effect if target is Poisoned.
Weaknesses: Fire
Reflect: Ice
Resist: Dark
Protip: Bring demons like Surt, Rangda, Adramelech, and Okuninushi. Give Rangda Null Ice if possible to nullify Vasuki’s Magatsuhi attack, as well as Taunt to get all that aggro. All of Vasuki’s attacks will bounce back off of Randga. Use powerful Fire-casting demons and protect their obvious Ice weaknesses with Ice Dampeners. Most importantly, bring lots of Amrita Showers and get Me Patra ready to cure all those status effects in this fight.

Metatron
Can’t have an SMT game without the voice of God now, can we? He’s found at the Temple: Main Hall.
Metatron Stats
Skills
Fire of Sinai: Unique. 2 weak Physical attacks to 1 foe. Greater effect if target is Charmed.
Mahamaon:Â  Heavy Light attack to all foes. Chance of instakill when striking weakness.
Megidolaon: Severe Almighty attack to all foes.
Tarukaja: Raises Attack of 1 ally by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Dekunda: Negates status buff effects on all foes.
Dekaja: Negates status buff effects on all foes.
Debilitate: Lowers all stats of all foes by 1 rank for 3 turns.
Mahamabarion: Severe Light attack to all foes. Chance of instakill when striking weakness (Magatsuhi Skill).
Weaknesses: N/A
Resist: Fire, Ice, Electric, Force
Block: Light
Protip: There are no weaknesses to exploit in this fight; only Physical, Dark, or Almighty skills will deal optimal damage to Metatron. Demons who have these skills include Futsunushi, Thor, Seth, Lakshmi, Kali, and Mara. Light Dampeners are useful to prevent getting critical damage from Metatron’s Magatsuhi Attack.


New Redfall Trailer Highlights The Game’s Vampire Enemies

After the official gameplay reveal at the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase in June 2022, Bethesda and Arkane Studios have unveiled a new trailer showcasing the vampire enemies featured in the upcoming game.
These vampires include the Angler, the Watcher, and many more.
Redfall is an open-world, story-driven shooter that gives players the option to go it alone or play with up to three other friends as they unravel the mysterious appearance of vampires on the island town of Redfall, Massachusetts. With a diverse team of heroes to choose from, players can collect an arsenal of specialised weaponry and customise their character with unique abilities and upgrades as they take back Redfall.
Redfall blends single-player and multiplayer options seamlessly, allowing the player to venture into the darkness alone or to squad up for up to four-player co-op. Teammates can try different hero loadouts and combine their strengths to find creative solutions to the vampire apocalypse. You will collect an arsenal of specialized weaponry and customize your character with unique upgrades and abilities to suit your playstyle for guns blazing, stealth combat, and everything in between.
Redfall is slated to launch for the Xbox Series X/S and PC sometime in 2023.
Check out the trailer below:


Crackdown 3 Is A Fun-If-Fluffy Open World Explosion-thon

Platforms: Xbox One, PC (via Windows 10)
Genre: Booming Action Open World Orb-Collectathon
To answer your question first-hand: yes, this is the long-sought apology for Crackdown 2 eons ago. Better late than never, right?
For those who are lost, here’s the gist: the first Crackdown game is basically Grand Theft Auto III featuring a super-powered Agent who, after collecting orbs and killing enemies, can level up to super-human levels of asskickery. You’re given an open world city, a bunch of factions to take down, and a lot of free time to waste collecting green orbs and doing drive-bys while drifting.
The third game for Xbox One and PC is essentially an amped-up version of that with a few changes here and there that aren’t just copy-pasta tech. You have a new city to explore and wreak havoc in called New Providence, new factions of enemies all working under one big umbrella corporation called NOVA, and a heckaton of weapons and vehicles to collect and play around with. Following The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild setup, your new Agent can head straight to the heart of enemy territory, but doing so without powering him/her up is suicidal.
So off you go as you destroy enemy plants and refineries, shoving rocks inside toxic sludge pumps to overload them, release hostages from prison camps, and take down enemy monorail stations and security spots to lower security. While you do that, you can distract yourself with the aforementioned green orbs-collecting, racing minigames (by foot or by car), and take down propaganda towers via simple platforming puzzles.
While all of this sounds and feels fun, I have to bring up the fact that we’re in a world where open world games like Marvel’s Spider-Man, PROTOTYPE, inFamous, and even Saints Row IV exist. And half of them are on offer; I’m still on the fence if I should recommend this sequel and its current price tag.

On one hand, Crackdown 3 does not do anything insanely groundbreaking to set itself apart from that motley crew. But on the other, Crackdown 3‘s gameplay is its own flavour and style, so on its own terms, it’s a heckuva fun and addictive experience.

I’ll break it down why it’s good to experience this proverbial crack(down 3). At the same time, I will also point out why the series needs to evolve among its peers:
The Goddamn Addictive Orb-Collecting

Just like past Crackdown games, you can power up your Agent by destroying and killing bad guys. Following the skills for kills motto chanted by the Agency’s voice and scant bits where Terry Crews talks and quips, each coloured orbs power up a core skill: Agility, Strength, Firearms, Explosions, and Driving.
Kill enemies with your fists and you can power up your Strength, making you take more hits and dish out shockwave-inducing punches and even unleash a Doomfist-style rocket punch. Destroy tanks with explosions more, and you can eventually carry more rocket salvos and create more chain explosions with just a single off-course rocket.
Most importantly, you can level up your Agent’s agility by just exploring the city and scale lofty heights. This part needs highlighting because the game is built with a lot of jumping and ledge-hanging in mind. Every section of New Providence is fun to explore in because the orbs entice you to level up your jumping and scaling more.
Your Agent can eventually double AND triple-jump as well as double AND triple-boost his/her way to the stratosphere. If your Agility is maxed out, you can even hover for a few seconds, adding more airtime to your already-large jumps. It sucks that you can still die from extreme heights, but at least you can practice doing a last-minute airdash to break your fall.

All in all, no complaints in the traversal department; I had a blast just walking on air when I’m supposed to be liberating the city from a dictatorship.

The Gunplay
The rock-solid controls and auto-aim lock-on system also helps. There are a bazillion moments in Crackdown 3 where NOVA and its factions are hunting you down en masse, so you’ll need to navigate your way in and out of the literal firefight while also auto-locking and dropping enemies in quick succession.
The challenge gets reasonably tough, but once you put in the effort in exploring and unlocking the major explosive firearms, the going gets manageable from there. The game even goes to chaotic levels of PROTOTYPEÂ series proportion with mechs, patrol units, and flying attack planes, but at least you have enough weaponry to fight back and/or run away.
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Other open world games have done this; Crackdown 3 somehow nails that formula of being able to run and jump all around the battleground while switching from minigun fire to Anubis auto-rocket salvos that aren’t good for aiming but can still cause a lot of collateral damage. My personal favourite three-weapon loadout is the Jackhammer/Anubis/Graviton Tether/Singularity Grenade combo when I want to clear enemy bases on a whim.
The Jackhammer shoots out a cluster of falling salvos; I’ve already talked about the Anubis. The Gravity Tether lets you tether two enemies and/or objects together so that they collide with each other for hilarious ragdoll effects.

The Singularity Grenade sucks in a group of enemies and then explodes after a few seconds. I proceed to tether multiple enemies and objects in quick succession, then throw in the grenade to finish the job during one skirmish. It’s so beautiful to watch.

The Character/World Save Separation
In a small twist to the New Game+ formula, Crackdown 3 separates your Agent and World State saves. Which means you can have your beefed-up Agent play around in a fresh new World State save. Other open world games should take a cue from Crackdown 3 to further boost replayability for their sandbox experiences.
The Simple Comic-Book Aesthetics
I don’t need super-detailed open world games unless they’re necessary in conveying the atmosphere. Crackdown 3’s art style might be a turn-off to some, but I’m fine with it since it revels in its explosive carnage well. Some of the animations do need work, especially for your regular melee attacks and the close-up shots of your Agents that belong in the Xbox 360 era. But in terms of managing the multi-enemy “destructicity”, it gets the job done.
Enough praises; let’s get to the bits where Crackdown 3 needs improving.
The Context & Narrative
Long story short, your Agent has to clean up New Providence from NOVA and its matriarch Elizabeth Neumann. The game tries to build up its leader and her subordinates with short cutscenes and exposition, but it all feels dry and tacked-on. Even your handler Echo and the disembodied voice of The Agency Director (played by Michael McConnohie) can get grating from time to time.
When they spout their quips once in a while in their self-aware state, it’s fine. But when they start repeating lines ad nauseum when you get a killstreak or when you’re doing tricks in the air with your boosts and dashes, you’ll be tempted to mute your speakers.
Oh and if you think Terry Crews takes the spotlight here, think again. Apart from the game’s intro, a few quips from him when using his avatar Jaxon, and his face spouting Agency propaganda in liberated towers, the devs didn’t do much to flesh out his character or even put him in the limelight. Ah well…
The Weak-As-Heck Boss Fights

Crackdown 3 has no standout boss fight at all. All of them revolve around wars of attrition against a dude piloting a mech. One of them can only be killed if it exposes its Chimera-powered core in the middle of the battlefield, but you’re still shoving salvos up the big dude’s face.
For all of the thought the developers put in New Providence and its layout, they sure didn’t give a damn about these pivotal fights against a faction’s leader. The last fight has shades of routine-breaking, but it isn’t enough to mark this section of the game as a dud.
The Skittish Driving (Kinda)
While far from terrible, the driving in Crackdown 3 leaves a lot to be desired. Call me old-fashioned, but when my Agent is fast enough to leap from building to building with a single bound, driving feels like a secondary option.
True, the upgrades for driving are very, VERY tempting; you get to drive a giant-ass Agency car with an auto-turret and your cars eventually can be the Juggernaut (ramming powers ahoy). You even get the Agency equivalent of a stunt buggy. But I was more biased towards the travelling-on-foot option and “blowing stuff up along the way” scenic route more.

Here’s an idea: I’ve been fighting so many mechs on-foot. Why not have an Agency-powered mecha for me to pilot that can also fly temporarily and skid around like a car?

The Touted Wrecking Zone Which I’m 50/50 On…

I tried out a few matches of Wrecking Zone’s Agent Hunt mode. It’s basically a 5v5 team deathmatch mode; whoever gets 25 kills wins the game. Using Crackdown’s patented lock-on aiming and high-flying jumping, the game’s sole Hall of Heroes stage is a large, tall, and wide map full of destructible cover. It can become a clustermuck for some not used to third-person action games with superjumps and lock-on aiming, but once you get used to the flow and controls, this multiplayer aspect can suddenly become fun.
While I did manage to get a few wins for my team thanks to teamwork and persistent dodging/jumping, playing this in via Malaysia internet against mostly-Western media was a lag-heavy experience. I do hope Xbox considers tuning up their current Southeast Asian servers (if they even have any in the first place), because there’s a multiplayer high-flying open-world action game gap that needs filling on this side of the world.
Then again, my opinion might change during the weekend when I play this mode again; we’ll see.
A Fun-Sized Boom That Fizzles Fast
My 12 hours with the game is well-spent being distracted with Green orbs-collecting, blowing up random mechas and enforcers patrolling the streets, and not much else. What this game lacks in depth, it makes it up with the most carefree destruction-heavy guilt-free gameplay you’ll get to experience.
At the very least, Crackdown 3 is worth an Xbox Game Pass shot. I don’t think it’s worth the full price admission yet. However, with more free DLC and more Wrecking Zone modes, I might even bump up the game’s score.

For now, it’s a serviceable explosives-filled jump-happy action game. Crackdown 3 knows what it is, what it aims to be, and how to entertain with its brand of explosive nonsense.

It’s like that brutish obnoxious kid who happens to be fun to hang out with because he speaks his/her mind and is earnest & chummy. You just have to give it time. However, if you want more meaning and soul-searching out of your open world games (including the really slow-as-heck Red Dead Redemption 2), you may not be down with this Crackdown.
Pros
– Fun and easy-to-control shoot-and-run gameplay.
– Exploration & orb-collecting mechanics still as addictive as ever.
– Plethora of fun weapons to experiment with.
– Chaos and progression work well in tandem.
– Wrecking Zone has potential.
Cons
-Doesn’t stand out too much from the action open-world pack.
-Old-school boss battle designs & flow may not gel with new gen players.
-Driving still needs more work.
-Terry Crews is wasted here.
FINAL RATING: 70/100


[Report] Nintendo To Fix Joy-Con Drift For Free

After getting hit by a class-action lawsuit earlier this week, Nintendo will reportedly repair Joy-Cons suffering from the drift issue for free. That’s not all, as the company will also supposedly refund any Nintendo Switch owner who has already paid to get their Joy-Cons fixed in the past.
According to Vice, a source familiar with Nintendo’s updated customer support documentation has claimed that the company has issued the following memo to all customer service representatives:

â€œCustomers will no longer be requested to provide proof of purchase for Joy-Con repairs.
Additionally, it is not necessary to confirm warranty status.
If a customer requests a refund for a previously paid Joy-Con repair […] confirm the prior repair and then issue a refund.â€

Nintendo has yet to issue an official statement to Vice’s report. Even if it turns out to be true, it will likely only apply to Nintendo Switch owners in the US. Kakuchopurei has reached out to local distributors Maxsoft, but have yet to receive a reply at the time of writing.
In the meantime, local Nintendo Switch owners will probably have to either pay shops to repair their Joy-Cons (if possible) or simply buy new ones instead. For those living in Singapore, there is currently a repair service that will fix your Joy-Cons for a price; check out their Facebook page here).
The Joy-Con drift problem has plaguing Nintendo Switch owners around the world. It refers to the phenomenon of analog Joy-Con stick registering movement input even when the player isnâ€™t even touching it.
When that happens, it will cause the playerâ€™s character in the game to move on its accord. In first-person games like Doom and Wolfenstein 2, this would make the camera move to the side on its own, which is where the term Joy-Con â€˜driftingâ€™ originated from. This issue is frustrating many Nintendo Switch owners as it interferes with gameplay.


Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora Delayed To 2023 Or 2024

Ubisoft has announced that Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora has been delayed to a release window of 2023 or 2024 (via press release). Originally announced during Ubisoft Forward June 2021, the game was previously slated for sometime in 2022.
Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora is a first-person, action-adventure game developed by Massive Entertainment, which is a Ubisoft studio, in collaboration with Lightstorm Entertainment and Disney.
Built using the latest iteration of the Snowdrop engine, and developed exclusively for the new generation of consoles and PC, Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora brings to life the alluring world of Pandora with all of its beauty and danger in an immersive, open-world experience.
In this new standalone story, players will assume the role of the Na’vi and embark on a journey across the Western Frontier, a never-before-seen part of Pandora. Explore a living and reactive world inhabited by unique creatures and new characters, and push back the formidable RDA forces that threaten it.
Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora will launch for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
On the bright side, at least we’re still getting the new Avatar The Way Of Water movies from James Cameron in December 2022.


Mary Poppins Returns Is A Charming If Familiar Song-Laden Sequel

Disney’s really laying it with the live-action sequels to their past works, no? And really, they seem to be doing it to the point of excess. For every hit like Christopher Robin, there’s a couple of unnecessary adaptations (Beauty & The Beast) and reiterations that don’t do the original source material justice (The Jungle Book).
And now we’re down to the wire with Disney’s last movie of 2018 before the Lion King and Aladdin live-action onslaught: the sequel to the 1964 Disney classic that taught many young ones the joy of flying kites, taking spoonfuls of sugar, and liaisoning with strange men with fake British accents and magician nannies with the power to transport you to animated dimensions.
Even if it’s a product of its time, right down to the minor touches of sexism from the patriarchy, the film had lovely visuals, enchanting and catchy songs, and offers a nice heartfelt lesson about getting in terms with your inner child while being disciplined about it. I sure as hell had “Chim Chim Cher-ee” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” stuck in my head after many childhood viewings of this show.
Mary Poppins Returns is a throwback that at least attempts to pull off new song numbers and new character dynamics within its rose-tinted offerings. Of course, if you can’t stand the saccharine musical and its safe PG approach to the Great Depression, well, this film isn’t going to make you fan.
Nanny McWhee

The big question is: can Emily Blunt sing? And can she pull off the “kind but firm” deadpan pastiche that Julie Andrews nailed back in the late 40s? The answer is a resounding “Okay, I guess”. Emily Blunt’s Mary Poppins channels the prim, proper, and pretentious nanny magician with utmost glee.
However, she can seem a bit too gleeful; nothing phases the Disney version of Mary Poppins; not one bit. To see Blunt crack a wide smile here and there might break the illusion that her character isn’t putting on a stern and deadpan front. Blunt performs the role competently, but beyond a few bits where she’s doing the song numbers, she isn’t going above and beyond the call of movie nanny duty.
Even the kids she has to deal with this time – the spawns of Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) who suffers from depression due to dead movie wife syndrome- are attempting to break type since they’re self-reliant and independent. Michael’s sister Jane (Emily “Newsroom” Mortimer) fills in the shoes of side character who does charity and protest stuff during the time period while also developing a quick but forgettable side story with the Bert stand-in this time around.
Speaking of which, the biggest MVP here is Jack, played here by Lin-Manuel Miranda with gleeful delight. He’s basically Bert 2.0 from the old film, right down to him participating in the Mary Poppins escapades and helping the kids literally see the light. That side story with Jane? That’s fine too; his character seems like a natural progression for someone who’s been replacing lights and doing the odd jobs while being the cypher of the Mary Poppins magic nanny saga. But as far as the supporting cast goes, he’s a standout especially when the main draw kicks in and he’s on-board vocal duties.
Song Birds

And boy, does it try hard to succeed the original. The playlist may not have its nonsensical word song, but what it offers is pleasing and bombastically-written for the ears. Highlights include the starting tune, “(Underneath The) Lovely London Sky” that sets the stage, the animation-slash-live-action hybrid scene showtune “A Cover Is Not the Book”, and the second act closer “Trip a Little Light Fantastic” which displays awesome choreography and, well, lovely lights and displays.
The duds are at least few and far-between, ranging from the schmaltzy “Nowhere to Go But Up” to the unnecessary “Turning Turtle” from special guest star Meryl Streep who plays one of Mary Poppins’ weird-ass cousins in the show’s useful filler bits.
The movie tries hard, but it sticks the landing in nailing the main story of grown-ups and kids to look at the bright side of life, no matter how glum things can get. Even if Blunt’s performance isn’t Oscar-worthy, it’s entertaining and fun to watch and experience at the very least since she’s done way, WAY better roles than singing magician nanny.
The Cycle Continues
The House of Mouse is going to rake in money from these sequels and live-action remakes and it’s not going to change its business model. But at least we’re not getting garbage-tier direct-to-DVD fares like Pocahontas 2 and The Little Mermaid 2; there’s actual thought and care put into these continuations and adaptations (perhaps not Beauty and the Beast but I’m getting ahead of myself).
So why not enjoy the ride and be glad we don’t have to suffer through the 2000 Disney deluge all over again? Kids and parents will get a kick out of the song numbers and the colourful live-action meets animation sequence. Adults who grew up with the 40s film will appreciate the lengths the director and the crew went through to preserve the Great Depression -at least the one viewed through Disney’s PG lens.
Your mind won’t be blown when viewing Mary Poppins Returns, but you’ll still get your money’s worth. Fanciful, fluffy, logic-defying, and charm-filled in a cinematic world where stories get too serious for their own good; can you imagine that?
Final Rating: 70/100


Malaysia’s FV Cup Fighting Game Tournament Is Slated For 21st November

Malaysia fighting game group Flash Vision will be hosting its FV Cup 2020 later this November, bringing a whole slew of fighting game folks and players together from all over Malaysia, be it the Klang Valley or the east sides of Sarawak and Sabah. This time, they come under the Level Up KL banner, meaning they have full support from the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
Here are the details.
Date: 21st November
Venue: Sungei Wang Plaza
Prize Pool: RM4,000; 1st place winner gets RM500.
Games: Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, Dragon Ball FighterZ, The King of Fighters XIV

Given the situation in Malaysia at the moment, we’re pretty the aforementioned groups organizing this tournament will take special precautions in letting people participate and have fun in an online environment.Â Let’s hope there aren’t any pandemic-related complications that can shut offline events quicker than an Aegis Reflector; the game events business has surely been hit hard for the majority of 2020.


The PlayStation Classic Uses Open-Source Emulation For Its Games

So much for first-party publishers using their own tech to repackage our nostalgia in a new priced box. The upcoming PlayStation Classic, which is due 3rd December, isn’t using its own emulator/hardware and isn’t as authentic as many enthusiasts would believe.
According to GameHistory.org, Digital Eclipse game dev, and renowned retro guy Frank Cifaldi tweeted that the PlayStation Classic is using open-source PlayStation emulator PCSX ReARMed.

The PlayStation Classic uses an open source emulator, PCSX. Lesser educated people might see this as a cause of frustration, but here's the reality: it's an acknowledgement that an "amateur" emulator can be just as valid as an "official" one (and they're usually better!). pic.twitter.com/zJztoiYiwT
— Frank Cifaldi (Unlicensed).nes (@frankcifaldi) November 8, 2018

That’s fine and all: it does prove that at this point in time, PlayStation endorses the validity of PlayStation emulators as long as it’s within legal and licensing reasons. After all, they obviously own the rights to all PlayStation games.
This also destroys the argument that emulators are essentially a tool for pirates, since publishers use it too if they want to make a few bucks off of retro enthusiasts. In the right hands, emulation is essential to preserve our history of digital games. And there’s a lot that needs preserving anyway.
Of course, Frank did point out that Sony tried to sue a PlayStation emulator 19 years ago, but to no avail. After that, they bought the emulator license and proceeded to shut it down. My how times have changed.

19 years ago, Sony unsuccessfully tried to sue a PlayStation emulator out of existence (and when they lost, they purchased the emulator and shut it down). Now they're happily using open source emulation for their own products. How far we've come!
— Frank Cifaldi (Unlicensed).nes (@frankcifaldi) November 8, 2018

Of course, this begs the question: why would you buy a PlayStation Classic when you can just install PCSX and just play your PlayStation One collection on your PC? Well, you’re shelling out money for convenience, for one. Secondly, that mini-case and controller setup does look nice for display purposes. Really, it’s your call.
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/239704306696744/


LEGO Super Mario Is Adding A Two-Player Co-Op Experience

Today, the LEGO Group has announced a new unique social play experience that for the first time enables children and fans to connect LEGO Mario and LEGO Luigi figures for brand new 2-player adventures in the LEGO Super Mario universe. Perfect for family activities, this exciting feature will encourage even more social play, with two players able to enjoy the universe of LEGO Super Mario at the same time for new brick-built adventures.
Once connected via Bluetooth, 2-player adventures with LEGO Mario and LEGO Luigi (or any combination of the two figures) are made possible. Now, children and fans can play as a team, collect extra digital coins by doing in-sync actions like walking, flipping and jumping, or work together to defeat enemies, complete challenges, share rewards or even by changing up the play and competing against each other.

LEGO Super Mario Creative Lead Simon Kent said:
â€œFor us itâ€™s all about encouraging continuous creative rebuilding and extended playtime. With todayâ€™s announcement, weâ€™re not only bringing LEGO Mario and LEGO Luigi, their friends and enemies to life in new interactive ways for endless fun, weâ€™re also thrilled to expand their play experience and the LEGO Super Mario universe with even more new sets and characters, something we really hope will excite fans.”
The interactive and highly-anticipated Adventures with Luigi Starter Course is the latest extension of the LEGO Super Mario product line, the result of a unique partnership with Nintendo, that has introduced an entirely new way to play with LEGO bricks. Players will be able to get their hands on LEGO Luigi with the LEGO Super Mario Adventures with Luigi Starter Course, a set that contains elements for both single and dual play from 1 August 2021.
71391 Bowserâ€™s Airship Expansion Set (RM499.90).
LEGO Luigi and LEGO Mario, the fraternal twin brothers, are available as separate Starter Courses â€“ both functioning as entry points into the world of LEGO Super Mario â€“with the 2-player interactive play available using any combination of the two figures from 1 August 2021.
In addition to the unveiling of the new Bluetooth-enabled 2-player mode, the LEGO Group is introducing four new Expansion Sets, two new Power-Up Packs and ten new Character Packs. The four new Expansion Sets represent highly immersive builds for kids to expand their Starter Courses, and feature elements that are suitable for single play, but also enable dual play, and extra coin collection.
The â€˜Bowserâ€™s Airship Expansion Setâ€™ gives fans a first chance to build an exciting new level within the universe, taking on the infamous flying ship. Fight off Kamek, a Goomba and a Rocky WrenchÂ then battle with the ship itself! The ship can be arranged in â€˜flying modeâ€™ or folded out in â€˜course modeâ€™.
71390 Reznor Knockdown Expansion Set (RM329.90).
The other new products introduced today include Frog Mario and Bee Mario Power-Up packs, which let players change up play and dress LEGO Mario in his playful frog and bee suits; and a Boss Sumo Bro Topple Tower Expansion Set, where kids can use their LEGO Mario and/or LEGO Luigi figure to bring down the Topple Tower â€“ fun for solo play, or for playing with friends and family.
LEGO Super Mario Price And Sets
The full list of products announced today are:Â

71391 Bowserâ€™s Airship Expansion Set (RM499.90).
71388 Boss Sumo Bro Topple Tower Expansion Set (RM149.90).
71389 Lakitu Sky World Expansion Set (RM179.90).
71390 Reznor Knockdown Expansion Set (RM329.90).
71392 Frog Mario Power-Up Pack (RM49.90).
71393 Bee Mario Power-Up Pack (RM49.90).
71394 Character Packs â€“ Series 3 (10 collectible Character Packs, including Galoomba, Parachute Bob-omb, Crowber, Boo, Amp, Torpedo Ted, Bony Beetle, 1-Up Mushroom, Scuttlebug and Swoop) (RM16.90).

All Sets and Packs offer fans limitless ways to expand, rebuild, customise and create their own action-packed challenges and lots of creative fun in a highly interactive experience that now features 2-player connectivity with LEGO Mario and LEGO Luigi.
71388 Boss Sumo Bro Topple Tower Expansion Set (RM149.90).
The LEGO Super Mario Adventures with Luigi Starter Course is available for pre-order now through https://www.lego.com/en-my/themes/super-mario/luigi and at LEGO Certified Stores, LEGOLAND, Toys â€˜Râ€™ Us, and the official LEGO Store on Lazada and Shopee, ready to launch on 1 August 2021. The recommended retail price for the Adventures with Luigi Starter Course is RM259.90.
The remaining announced products will be available to purchase from 1 August 2021 at LEGO Certified Stores, LEGOLAND, LEGO Official Store on Lazada and Shopee, as well as major retailers and department stores in Malaysia.
[videopress tmc09dYh]


Black Adam Fights The Justice Society In New Trailer

During San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Warner Bros. Pictures unveiled a new trailer for Black Adam featuring new footage of him fighting the Justice Society.
It’s basically just more footage of Black Adam fighting Doctor Fate and Hawkman.
The synopsis reads:
Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the ancient gods, and imprisoned just as quickly, Black Adam (Johnson) is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.
Dwyane Johnson stars alongside Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Sarah Shahi as Adrianna, Marwan Kenzari as Ishmael, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, Bodhi Sabongui as Amon, and Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate.
Black Adam smashes into theaters and IMAX internationally beginning from 19 October 2022.
For my breakdown of the previous full trailer with details on some of the characters, head on over here.
Check out the trailer below:


Stranger Things Upside Down Portals Opened In Malaysia Over The Weekend

In celebration of the Stranger Things Season 4 premiere, Netflix brought the #BalikKeTerbalik experience beyond the confines of your screen to the heart of Kuala Lumpur, where the dark forces within the Upside Down threaten to take over KL Tower and Kwai Chai Hong.
Alongside 14 other iconic landmarks across the globe, KL Tower served as a canvas for the Upside Down upon sundown with a projection show teasing scenes from Seasons 3 and 4, before the Rift cracked open and unleashed the monstrosities that had been lying in wait in the Upside Down.
In addition to the projection shows, there were also photo opportunities aplenty on the lawn of KL Tower. At the foot of the Tower, a Stranger Things 4 sign greeted fans with vibrant neon lights before they continue past the tower to a recreation of the mysterious Creel House, complete with true-to-series props and the house’s ominous grandfather clock.
At the end of their sojourn through Creel House, they also came face to face with Vecna — the big bad of Season 4 — alongside the Mind Flayer and Demogorgon.
The gateway to the Upside Down at KL Tower was open to the public from 27 to 29 May, with the projection show playing in 30-minute intervals between 8pm and 12am.

The power of the Upside Down has also spread to a heritage area located just a few kilometres away, starting with a mural installation at Kwai Chai Hong. Created by Malacca-born artist Amir Andhar, or better known as @andha.ras on social media, the mural is sectioned into different “rooms” inspired by key moments from the past seasons.
Keep an eye out for the shift when the sun sets — by nightfall, the Upside Down becomes apparent as the mirror dimension’s monsters such as the Demogorgon, Mind Flayer, and Season 4’s Vecna step into the light.
Your journey continues through the heritage alley of Kwai Chai Hong, where the area’s usual lighting has been replaced by the Byers’ iconic alphabet Christmas lights. Let the trail of lights lead you over the bridge into the Upside Down to another Rift opening in a deep corner of the laneway.
Check out the impressive mural and experience the Stranger Things takeover at Kwai Chai Hong from now until 12 June between 9am and 12am daily.
Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 is now streaming on Netflix, followed by Volume 2 premiering on 1 July 2022.
Check out our Stranger Things Season 4 review here.


Ninja Hits One Million Subs After Just A Week On Mixer

Not too long ago, one of the world’s top Fornite streamers Tyler “Ninja” Blevins announced that he would be leaving Twitch to join Microsoft’s streaming platform Mixer. Prior to leaving Twitch, Ninja was the most followed streamer on the platform with more than 14 million followers.
After only one week of joining Mixer, he’s already gotten more than one million subscribers on the new platform. This was announced by Ninja himself through his Twitter account.

Today we hit 1,000,000 active subscribers on mixer ^-^ thank you for all the incredible support. I haven’t felt this good in a long time. pic.twitter.com/kdLgBJk0Ud
â€” Ninja (@Ninja) August 6, 2019
However, a lot of people are speculating that those numbers might be dwindling down soon. Subscription to Ninja’s Mixer channel is currently free but only until the end of September.
It’s too early to tell whether or not Ninja can re-amass his following. Mixer’s smaller pool of streamers (and thus viewers) will definitely play a role in deciding Ninja’s sustained popularity on the platform.
If Mixer truly wants to beat Twitch then it has to do more than just buy Ninja over to their side. Of course, buying over more popular Twitch streamers will definitely help but people will only stay if they can offer an overall better streaming and watching experience.


How To Get Refunds For Shenmue III

To say that Shenmue III is a highly anticipated game is like saying Wolfenstein: Young Blood was just another a bad game. It’s a gross understatement, Young Blood was an atrociously bad game.
So when it was revealed that the PC version of Shenmue III was going to become an Epic Games Store exclusive (after promise of a Steam version), it pretty much elicited the same reaction we saw back when Raiden was revealed to be the main man of Metal Gear Solid 2.
After months of backlash, Ys Net has finally announced a refund policy for those unsatisfied with how they’re getting the PC version. Starting mid-September, surveys will be sent out to those who backed the game on Kickstarter. Those who want to get refunds will have to take the survey.
The survey period is expected to be up two weeks long. Any changes to the rewards that backers were initially promised will not be available after the surveys close so make sure you respond within the survey period. Address changes may be made up until shipping begins.

The refund requests will only be accepted through answering the survey and processing details will be announced soon. It will take some time for the refund processing to go through as it depends on payment services and transaction status. Timing could range from 20 business days to 3 months from the time the refund request is made.
In all honesty, I don’t really get why a lot of the game’s fans are so infuriated over this issue. I’m not a big fan of the Epic Games Store myself but if I’ve already contributed money to the development of a game series I love, I’d still want to play even if it won’t be available through the digital store I frequently use.
Some fans have raised concerns about the initial promise of a physical disc no longer being available, replaced with an Epic Games Store redemption code packed in a physical casing. Those who chose to get the PS4 version will be getting a physical copy.
It’s important to note that the game will require a minimum of 100GB of free storage space so I don’t know how many DVD discs you’ll need for that.
For more information on the refund policy and to get more updates in the future, make sure you follow the game’s official Kickstarter page.


The Top 10 Pixar Moments That Give You The Feels

Pixar is a household name that needs no introduction, but it’s worth pointing out that the animation studio is the best when it comes to making family-friendly shows that will surely drain your eyeballs. I mean, who didn’t cry after watching a Pixar movie? Even the manliest of men would break into tears, Pixar doesn’t pull their emotional punches when delivering heartstring-tugging storylines.
In the light ofÂ Toy Story 4 and how awesome it is,Â here are the top 10 Pixar moments that would definitely shed a manly tear from the audience.Â  Also, these are spoilers for a ton of Pixar films, so….

10. When Lightning Pushed The King Across The Line In “Cars”

This movie had a moment where the hotshot rookie Lightning McQueen is about to win the Piston Cup when The King crashes, no thanks to Chick.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPUL0Fqva5A]
What had me crying: He sacrificed his maiden victory to help a legend cross the line probably for his last time. Victory means nothing if you cheat.

“Ah, this grumpy old racecar I know once told me something, it’s just an empty cup”

9. When Sulley Scares Boo in “Monsters, Inc.”

Boo is Sulley’s most beloved kid in the whole wide monster-world. He cares for the kid even though that violates almost all monster law and health regulations that could get him suspended. He knows that all too well, yet he refuses to let go of his kid.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX-n5EY-06U]
What had me crying: Seeing the cute Boo running away in fear, probably having her trust broken at the same time. The scene also shows Sulley’s revelation, in which he actually realises just how scary he is, and not in a good way. A destructive kind of scary that will causeÂ him to lose the ones he cares about.
8.Â When EVE Goes Dormant in “WALL-E”

Wall-E is just your normal trash collector bot who has lived on Earth alone for the last seven centuries until Eve came and brightened his life.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvA78Z-W9UE]
What had me crying: Wall-E is just downright adorable in this scene. This is love in its purest form. But when Eve’s purpose has been served, she goes dormant, leaving Wall-E alone again.
And that scorched Earth. I couldn’t imagine our planet destroyed, by our own hands. I think we should definitely skip the straws.
7. When Andy Gives Away His Toys To Bonnie In ‘Toy Story 3’

Andy is about to enrol into college and Woody realises he won’t be playing them anymore. Woody leaves a note for Andy, who, thinking the note is from his mother, donates the toys to Bonnie. Andy introduces the toys individually to Bonnie, and to Andy’s surprise, Woody is at the bottom of the donation box and Bonnie recognizes him.
Though initially hesitant, Andy passes Woody on to Bonnie, and they play together before he leaves. Woody and the other toys witness Andy’s departure as they begin their new lives with Bonnie.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwlwBR1XFB8]
What had me crying: After three movies seeing Andy together with Woody, it hurts to see Andy giving away Woody to another kid. It like saying goodbye to your childhood, and stepping into the relentless adult life.
So long, partner.
6. When Marlin Saves Nemo’s Egg in “Finding Nemo”

This moment gets my tears going. Marlin is gleefully playing around with his wife, Coral, when a predatory barracuda attacked. Marlin was knocked out cold while Coral sacrificed herself protecting her clutch of eggs.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ9nbv1VK0s]
What had me crying: This is unconditional love at its best. Parents go to extreme limits to protect their offsprings, which hit me hard as I looked at my parents’ faces. I couldn’t imagine what have they been through to have raised me up to this point.
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The Xbox Bethesda Developer Direct Will Reveal Release Dates For These Games

Yesterday, Xbox and Bethesda announced that they will present a Developer_Direct live stream on Thursday, 26 January 2023 at 4am GMT+8 (for Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries), providing fans with an inside look at some of the games coming to Xbox, PC and Game Pass over the next few months.
However, according to The Verge senior editor Tom Warren, the German version of the Xbox Developer_Direct announcement mentions there will be release dates for Forza Motorsport, Redfall and Minecraft Legends.
That’s great, considering that Starfield will not be featured in the live stream, as it will be getting its own standalone deep dive show. There is no date or timing window for this yet.
Stay tuned for our coverage of the presentation.