You Can Customize Seven Different Ship Components In Star Wars Squadrons

In its latest blog post, EA and Motive Studios have revealed more details about what to expect from the game’s customization options, both aesthetically with cosmetic items and functionally with ship components.
Ship Components That Affect Gameplay

In Star Wars Squadrons, youâ€™ll be able to unlock components (via Requisition points earned during gameplay) for your starfighters. These can be equipped to change how your ships function in subtle or radical ways. Some impact your starfighters passively, such as by reinforcing their defensive capabilities with different hulls or shields, while others have more active changes, such as what abilities you can use.
Creating loadouts that suit both your playstyle and the situations you face will help pilots excel in combat. In total, there are up to seven component slots, though ships without shield generators only have six.
Primary WeaponsAuxiliary (x2)CountermeasuresHullShieldsEngines
Of these seven, starfighters can be equipped with up to three passive components and four active components.
The first group of components are the ones that provide active changes. The three types of active components are primary weapons, auxiliary components (of which there are two slots), and countermeasures.
Primary weapons are your starfighterâ€™s cannons. These components change the functionality and performance of your weapons.
One primary weapon might offer a higher rate of fire in exchange for lower damage output, while another provides powerful long-range damage in the form of burst fire. There are even primary weapons that more radically change the way your weapons work, such as ion cannons that shred through shields and can outright disable starfighters but donâ€™t do much hull damage.
Auxiliary components make up the next two slots and these components make up your starfighters secondary abilities. The options here range from adding a repair astromech or tractor beams to a variety of torpedoes, bombs, and mines.
The final component is your shipâ€™s countermeasures. These components impact how you disengage from fights so that you can survive longer. Some examples are seeker warheads that your ship fires behind you to take out incoming missiles or a sensor jammer to prevent missile lock-ons.
Passive ship components provide changes to the general performance of your engines, hull, and shields, typically via percentage increases and decreases to their stats, or even add additional bonuses, such as engines that create a large explosion, damaging enemies upon your starfighterâ€™s destruction.
For example, one type of shield will be more resilient to blaster fire but more vulnerable to missiles while another will have entirely different pros and cons, like taking longer to lock onto your ship when it has full shields but increasing the shield regeneration delay. There are often trade-offs in what is gained and what is sacrificed, and these decisions can make all the difference in battle.
The same goes for the engine and hull components. Making your starfighter more nimble might reduce its max speed, or increasing your hull strength might reduce its manoeuvrability. Changes to your passive ship components will have a constant effect on your starfighterâ€™s performance during a fight, so experiment until you find the balance that best fits your playstyle.
Lead Gameplay Designer James Clement said:
Between power management, overcharging, shield balancing or emergency power conversion, boosting, drifting, throttle management, primary weapons, auxiliary abilities, and countermeasures, the combat piloting experience has significant depth.You can learn the ropes quickly, yet you can look forward to discovering new techniques and tactics for months to come. On top of that, thereâ€™s a wealth of customizable components to choose from. Thereâ€™s a healthy selection to start with and more to unlock through gameplay as you progress.
Cosmetic Customization

In Star Wars Squadrons, both of your pilots (Imperial and New Republic) and all eight of your starfighters can be customized. Your pilot appearances will be used in both the single-player story mode and the multiplayer modes.
In general, most cosmetics are unlocked via Glory points earned while playing. Both pilots will have multiple heads to choose from between the factions (with the New Republic having non-human unlockable options as well) and different voice styles as well.
Youâ€™ll be able to get pretty creative with how your pilot looks with options for different heads, full-body flight suits, torso apparel, legwear, helmets, and gloves. The team has sourced a ton of references from across the Star Wars canon to ensure theyâ€™re as authentic as possible while also introducing some new things.
You can even customize your cockpit as well. Youâ€™ll be able to add small knick-knacks on your dashboard, like a hologram of the galaxy, or hang a small Stormtrooper helmet from above. There are lots of little options that you can decorate with and, despite being inside, your enemies will get to see them when they watch a kill-cam of their defeat.
Starfighters can customize their hull/paint job, decals (including familiar insignias like the Phoenix Squadronâ€™s starbird), cockpit hologram, dashboard miniatures, and hanging flair.
Clement said:
The holo-display, normally used to provide critical phase and objective information throughout the Fleet Battles doubles as a customizable image projector. There are also hanging flairs like a miniature Millennium Falcon and dashboard-mounted objects like a severed protocol droid head or an Ewok bobblehead. Then of course there are the ship exterior paint jobs and pilot avatar customizations, all made through the culmination of months of concept art, modeling, and collaboration with the team at Lucasfilm.
As you play, youâ€™ll unlock loadouts, too, allowing every ship in the game to have up to five different component and cosmetic configurations.
Star Wars: Squadrons will launch for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC (Steam, Origin, and Epic Games Store) on 2 October 2020.


DAEMON X MACHINA Limited Edition Comes With A Mech Statue & More

DAEMON X MACHINA Orbital Limited Edition will be exclusively coming to Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. It contains:

A physical copy of the game.
An 18cm-tall Arsenal mech statue.
A 100-page artbook.
Â A steelbook.
A hangar-style box with a compartment in which the Arsenal statue can be displayed.

From God Eater 3 developer Marvelous First Studio and Armored Core veteran Kenichiro Tsukuda, DAEMON X MACHINA is action 3rd-person-shooter where players have to defend the planet and defeat corrupted A.I. controlled robots using their Arsenal, a fully customizable mechanized battle suit.
The DAEMON X MACHINA Orbital Limited Edition will be priced at a suggested retail price of AU$159.95, or roughly RM464.16. However, it remains to be seen if it will be sold in Malaysian and other regions in Southeast Asia.
DAEMON X MACHINA is slated to launch exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on 13 September 2019. In the meantime, check out the E3 2019 trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frx0VztaTMY&w=560&h=315]


The Last Of Us Part 2 Will Not Have Multiplayer & Is Developed For Base PS4s

It turns out that The Last of Us Part 2 will be so story-driven, it will forgo its previous multiplayer mode Factions.
Naughty Dog lead game designer Emilia Schatz confirmed this in a USGamer interview.

“We’re focusing on a single-player experience, so we’re just making a single-player game for this.”

Update: Naughty Dog released a statement on Twitter regarding multiplayer.

An update regarding multiplayer: pic.twitter.com/CUd98LgJGC
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) September 27, 2019

We’re not saying that The Last of Us’ Factions mode was shoehorned in; it was pretty fun to play at the time. But it’s good to know that Naughty Dog is going the story-driven and arguably more-focused path for its sequel.
So based on previews that are out right now, is the single-player mode looking promising? Well, they sound promising and it’s not like the game is going to stray away from its survival gameplay-slash-narrative-heavy formula:

We still have the quiet moments in the game where Ellie walks alongside her crush Dina in the snow, talking & doing linear-pathed choirs. Hey, if you’re good at doing this for all your games, why change, right?
You still fight the Infected, and they’re still harrowing to fight against. There’s a new type called Shamblers; they’re blind like Clickers but they pump out toxic gas and are slower than their mutant cousins. They’re still dangerous in close quarters.
The game also introduces dogs as enemies. They’ll sniff you out so you’ll need to find ways to distract them because they can kill you fast.
The companion and enemy AI has been overhauled to great effect. This means that you’ll be seeing less of Ellie out in the open making noises while still undetectable by the Infected.
Performance-wise, Naughty Dog is targeting base PlayStation 4s instead of PS4 Pros, which is a wise move.

The Last of Us Part 2 will be out for PS4 next February.Ã‚Â


Epic Games Store Summer Showcase 2022: All The Games

Epic Games held its Epic Games Store Summer Showcase 2022 earlier today.
Check out all the reveals and announcements below:
GigaBash

Rawa, the Dragon King makes his grave return, ushering in an ashen empire bathed in ethereal flame.
From Malaysian developer Passion Republic Games, GigaBash is coming to Epic Games Store, Steam, PS4 & PS5 on 5 August 2022.
GigaBash is a 4 player Arena Brawler featuring Giant Monsters, Kaijus & Heroes developed by Passion Republic Games. Unleash mayhem in fully destructible maps and battle among your friends as you rise as the true Apex among Titans.

The Lord Of The Rings Return To Moria

The only survival crafting game set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, the iconic fantasy world created by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Coming sometime in spring 2023.

Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed

Hunting or haunting! The choice is yours in the upcoming asymmetrical Ghostbusters game from IllFonic, Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed. Play with up to four friends or solo on multiple platforms.
Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed will feature a variety of ghosts to play as. This video is introducing the Ectoplast type of ghosts. These free roaming ghosts are known for producing excess amounts of ectoplasmic slime. Each ghost type will have several options, and the Ectoplast happens to contain one variant many will easily recognize.

Shoulders Of Giants

Shoulders Of Giants is an explosively colorful sci-fi roguelike designed to put your teamwork to the test. Players simultaneously control a sword-wielding robot and a gunslinging space frog, working alone, with a friend, or as one of a team of four.
Coming sometime in fall 2022.

Sifu Summer Update

Check out this sneak peek into Sifu‘s next content update. New gameplay modifiers, ranging from faster enemies, unbreakable weapons, a bullet time slow motion mode and even a low gravity option will allow players to customize the rules for their runs, offering new challenges and a variety of ways to experience Sifu‘s gameplay.

Tchia

Jump into the tropical adventure of a lifetime in Tchia. In this mini-feature, check out new gameplay showcasing Tchia’s unique soul-jumping mechanic where players can become one with nature and take control of any animal or object they can find.
Outwit your enemies as an oil lantern, make a cunning escape as a seagull or explore the ocean depths as a majestic sea turtle, with over 30 playable animals and hundreds of objects to soul-jump into, Tchia turns the environment into players ultimate tool.
It launches on PC in early 2023.

Splitgate

Step into the future with Splitgate, coming soon to the Epic Games Store. Mixing the classic feel of an arena shooter with the revolutionary addition of portals, Splitgate delivers unparalleled new strategies for FPS fans.
With portals, players can flank opponents in unique ways, traverse entire maps in the blink of an eye, and lay traps to trick foes to leap to their doom. All while playing in more than a dozen maps and nearly two-dozen game modes.
And if the quick play and ranked modes and maps aren’t to your liking, create your own! A robust custom games mode and a detailed map creator enable anyone to create their own unique experience.
Splitgate is a free-to-play first-person shooter available Q3 2022 on Epic Games Store.

Rawmen

You can sign up for the EGS Beta Action on 1 July 2022 at https://rawmengame.com.

Disney Speedstorm

Grab a sneak peak of this black and white track that is included in the Disney Speedstorm PC Closed Beta which is currently live on Epic Games Store. Make sure to pre-register on disneyspeedstorm.com for the chance to receive your activation key.
Rocket League Season 7

Season 7 brings glitz and glamour to Rocket League. Luxurious Rocket Pass rewards will keep your cars looking classy all season long, while top Soccar champions can use their skill to earn fabulous Tournament Rewards. Show off your style in the Utopia Coliseum (Gilded) Arena, or earn Golden Painted Items while you level up.

Fall Guys

Fall Guys is a cross-platform, massively multiplayer, party royale game. You can play for free on Epic Games Store starting from 21 June 2022.
Space Punks

Pack your spacesuit(case); it’s time to head to Hoardspace. See what the galaxy has to offer and figure out how you can profit from it. Visit Stopan, Bannik, and the newly discovered Spor. Piece of advice, keep some distance from the locals; they can be a bit…bitey.
You can play Space Punks for free exclusively on Epic.


Code Shifter Is A 2D Pixel Beat Em’ Up Crossover From Arc System Works

Arc System Works is the developer behind popular fighting game franchises like Guilty Gear, BlazBlue, and the River City series. What if all those franchise cross over in one explosive 2D pixel art beat em’ up game? That’s Code Shifter in a nutshell.
According to the official website, there will be a whopping 100 characters (or 30 playable characters) to choose from in Code Shifter. However, the premise of the game is actually quite meta in nature.
Players assume the role of a programmer named Stella who whips up a debug program ‘Code Shifter’, which allows her avatar named ‘Sera’ dive into a game in development and fix mysterious bugs that pop up. The story takes place in the development offices of a software company called Awesome Rainbow Corp.
Code Shifter is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC on 30 January 2020 in Japan. There is no definitive release date for an international release, but the game will support English, Japanese, Korean, and Traditional Chinese language options.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e99AjAz6YTY&w=560&h=315]


Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Mid-May Hotfix Are Buffing Up Rings

Gearbox has unleashed a new hotfix for Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands this 13th May 2022, and it’s changing up rings.
Gearbox said that certain Rings and their bonuses did not match up with how challenging the conditions were to trigger. So they’re hotfixing a number of them. Take a look at which Rings got changed up and buffed, or nerfed.

Championship Ring – Reduced Ring bonus from dealing damage to a Boss from 100% to 50%.
Thumb Cuffs – Increased Ring bonus while in a Dungeon from 25% to 33%.
Finger Ward – Reduced Ring bonus while Ward is full from 100% to 66%.
Silicone Ring – Increased Ring bonus while Health is over half from 25% to 33%.
Mood Ring – Reduced Ring bonus while Ward is not full from 100% to 33%.
Promise Ring – Increased Ring bonus while Action Skill is Ready from 25% to 33%.
Insight Ring – Increased Ring bonus per Critical Hit from 2% to 3%.
Lethal Catch – Increased Ring bonus on Kill from 25% to 33%.

It sucks that the Championship Ring and Mood Ring got nerfed, but at least a good number of them like Silicone Ring and Lethal Catch are getting buffed and may see more uses.
In related news, this week’s new Featured Chaos Chamber has the following:

This run features Knightmare and Sand Naga Shara, Dust-Begotten. Get ready to take on a new cursed run in the Chaos Chamber.
Added Manual Transmission and Donkey to the legendary Assault Rifle item pools in Tina’s Offering in the Chaos Chamber. This addition is permanent.

For more Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands information, check out our review and guides.


Sons of the Forest Crafting Guide

Like its predecessor The Forest, crafting is an important role in Sons of the Forest. There are several items that you are able to craft as soon as you start your adventure, and many more blueprints that you can unlock along the way. This guide will discuss and show all the craftable items currently in the game, and what ingredients you will need to craft them.

So crafting is fairly simple in this game, and similar to The Forest. You gather resources and ingredients and then to craft, you open your inventory and either use the combine feature to craft things, or enter quick crafting through the Guide Book. The guidebook is your bible as it shows several crafting recipes that you can access. The guidebook helps to place a skeleton of the item that you wish to craft, and from there on you will have to bring the necessary resources to complete the build.
Unlocking craft recipes to use is pretty simple. All you have to do is to collect resources needed to craft a specific craftable item to unlock the recipe associated with it.

Crafting Recipe List
Here is a list I have compiled of every single craftable item in Sons of the Forest that I have found for now :
Crafted Spear: 2 sticks, 1 knife, 1 duct tape
Crafted Bow: 2 sticks, 1 rope, 1 duct tape
Stone Arrows: 4 small stones, 2 feathers, 2 sticks
Molotovs: 1 vodka bottle, 1 cloth
Chainsaw: 1 battery, 1 chainsaw
Flashlight: 1 battery, 1 flashlight
Repair Tool: 1 stick, 1 stone, 1 rope
Bone Armour: 4 bones, 1 rope, 1 duct tape
Hide Armour: 1 cloth, 2 hide
Leaf Armour: 10 leaves, 1 cloth
Time Bomb: 1 watch, 1 wire, 1 duct tape, 5 coins, 1 circuit board, 1 c4 brick
As you explore further into different areas, you will encounter 3D printers hidden in different locations all across the map. You can craft more advanced items here. These 3D printers are located at green flashing pointers on the map. They are usually found inside caves and buildings. Crafting at these printers will need Printer Ink.

3D PRINTER CRAFTING RECIPE LIST
Arrow: 50 resin & you will get 4 of them
Mask: 150 resin
Water Flask: 100 resin
Grappling Hook: 100 resin
Tech Mesh: 250 resin
Sled: 1000 resin
We’ll begin adding more blueprints to the list as we find more, so be sure to check back often for new things you can craft!


All The PokÃ©mon In PokÃ©mon Sword And Shield So Far [Spoilers + Update]

PokÃ©mon fans around the world are trembling with excitement as we are only about a week away from the launch ofÂ PokÃ©mon Sword and Shield. As per most games being released in this day and age, there are bound to be leaks.
And oh boy, a lot has leaked out of the PokÃ©mon headquarters. A Twitter account that goes by the name of PokeAir 252 (@OGAirPoke) has been consistently tweeting out leaks of the game for the past few days. So far, all the info here is legit.
Spoiler tag, in case you want to experience the game fresh.

We’ll break it down in FAQ format.
So how many PokÃ©mon are there in PokÃ©mon Sword and PokÃ©mon Shield?
There are 400 in the new PokÃ©Dex, excluding Mythicals.
How many new PokÃ©mon are there in the Galar region?
There areÂ  81 new species and 13 existing PokÃ©mon with new Galarian forms.
Can IÂ  see the complete list of Gen 8 PokÃ©mon?
Yes you can (via resetera):

Original news (6/11):
The leaks mostly show off PokÃ©mon species and some of their Middle and Final Evolutions. Sword and Shield will be featuring Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble as starter PokÃ©mons so it’s no surprise that their evolved forms are some of the first few materials to be leaked.

Galarian Ponyta was revealed in the 24-hour Sword and Shield livestream. It will also be one of the PokÃ©mons exclusive to PokÃ©mon Shield. Ever since its reveal, fans have been dying to know what a Galarian Rapidash would look like. Well, now we know.

Back in July, we got to see Rolycoly, the rocky and magma-infused Coal PokÃ©mon. It seems that his Gigantamax form will make him look like something that strongly resembles Monster Hunter World’s Zorah Magdaros.


Malaysia-Made Postknight 2 Is Now Available On Android & iOS

Malaysian developer Kurechii has announced thatÂ Postknight 2, the sequel to the award-winning delivery mobile RPGÂ Postknight, has officially launched on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The game originally entered earlier access earlier this year.
In Postknight 2, players will train and become a Postknight, and deliver to vivid individuals, each with their own wishes and struggles. As players deliver precious goods, they will also deliver inspiration and hope. The developer has designedÂ Postknight 2â€™s user interfaces and battles to be optimised for single-handed gameplay.
The game is set in the fantastic world of Prism. Players will travel to familiar locations and meet returning characters from our earlier games, including King’s League, Tiny Guardians, and the first Postknight. Postknight 2 is set 7 years after the events of the original Postknight. Many locales have changed, new items have appeared, and the Postknight organisation is bigger than it has ever been.
For future updates and news on PostKnight 2, you can follow the developer on these social media accounts:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Discord


Borderlands 3’s Halloween Event Is Now Live; Here’s The Loot You Can Get

Borderlands 3’s Bloody Harvest returns starting today and will end on 5th November, 9am PT. So naturally, this means a ton of weapons to farm and get exclusively during this event. Let’s break down the changes and updates in this new patch:
Bloody Harvest Loot Changes & Terror Buffs
During this event, you can farm the Fearmonger, the Stalker, and the Ghast Call. In addition, the Terror status effect gets a significant buff.
Fearmonger

Increased number of bullets shot per Terror level
Increased weapon damage

Stalker

Increased weapon damage

Ghast Call

Increased weapon damage

Terror Anointments
â€œWhile Terrified, gain increased damage and fire rate. The more Terror you have, the higher the bonus.â€

Increased damage bonus

â€œWhile Terrified, deal 50% bonus cryo damage.â€

Increased damage bonus to 75%

â€œWhile Terrified, enemy bullets have a chance to reflect off you. The more Terror you have, the higher the bonus.â€

Increased damage bonus

â€œOn Action Skill End, apply Terror to yourself every 5 seconds for the next 18 seconds.â€

Adjusted the text to match what was happening in-game

Siren AnointmentÂ â€œAfter Phasegrasping an enemy, Amara fires Terror skulls at the grasped target dealing 3718 damage.â€ (lvl 50)

Increased damage bonus

Beastmaster AnointmentÂ â€œAfter Using Attack Command, consume all Terror and FL4K’s pet gains 50% bonus fire damage for a short time.â€

Increased damage bonus

Gunner AnointmentÂ â€œAfter Reloading, consume all Terror and create a nova that deals cryo damage.â€

Increased damage bonus

Buffs To Current Weapons
Generally, Dahl weapons get an upgrade alongside the following Legendaries. Let’s break them down.
Dahl Burst Weapons

Increased the burst fire rate of AR, SMG, and Pistol weapons. Does not affect legendary weapons

Lasersploder

Increased damage scaling and magazine size

Conference Call

Initial target will now be hit with the weaponâ€™s extra projectiles

Maggie

Slightly increased weapon damage

Psycho Stabber

Increased melee damage

Masterwork Crossbow

Increased weapon damage

Zane Gets An Upgrade
Basically, our favourite Operative will get buffs to some passives and will make class mods other than Seein’ Dead more viable in future builds. Here they are:
Skill Changes
Cold Bore

Increased bonus damage

This skill only provides extra damage on the first bullet of a weapon swap. This bonus happens infrequently by nature, so we have massively buffed the damage. With this change, we are interested to see new builds centered around small magazine sizes, sniper rifles, and more.
Duct Tape Mod

Decreased grenade cooldown by half

We found that the value of this passive skill was limited by the cooldown between each grenade, so we’ve cut that in half. Players will need to be conscious of the cooldown time and type of grenade mod they equipped to get maximum value out of this passive skill.
Like a Ghost

Increased chance to ignore a bullet
Increased the bonus for each active action skill

The stacking bonus only occurs each time one of Zaneâ€™s action skills is activated. This is infrequent in the late game, as players generally extend their action skill duration time. Weâ€™ve made this change with that play style in mind.
Trick of the Light

Increased damage bonus

The damage from this skill depends on the number of enemies targeting Zane and Zaneâ€™s clone and can occasionally be unpredictable. To better account for this inconsistency we’ve buffed the damage bonus.
Best Served Cold

Increased damage from the Cryo novas

Frutility Belt

Increased the damage reduction

To help encourage players to consider builds that remove elemental damage, weâ€™ve buffed the damage mitigation to be stronger here.
Class Mod Changes
Anti-Freeze

Increased movement speed while taking Cryo damage

Conductor

Increased the damage bonus

The damage bonus for this class mod is dependent on the amount of action skill duration time you have left. LikeÂ Trick of the Light, this damage can feel inconsistent. We have increased the damage bonus to provide more reliable damage.
Executor

Increased stat bonuses

Players suggested that the stat bonuses provided as a kill skill weren’t strong enough to feel the value. We’ve buffed each significantly.
Techspert

Increased the chance of recharge to SNTNL cooldownâ€™s and active duration

The intent of this class mod is to provide a way to keep Zane’s drone active nearly indefinitely, but at just 5% chance to refill the cooldown and duration, it wasn’t consistent enough. We’ve increased the likelihood of this behaviour occurring.


Sony Names New Santa Monica Studio Head

Sony has officially appointed PlayStation veteran developer Yumi Yang as the new head of Sony Santa Monica, the studio behind PS4 exclusive and masterpiece God Of War (2018).
Yang is taking on her new role after 19 years of experience across multiple roles with PlayStation, most recently of which was as Sony Santa Monica’s director of product development.
Her appointment comes after the departure of former studio head Shannon Studstill, who has joined the Google Stadia team in order to lead its recently-announced new Playa Vista studio.
In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, Sony Santa Monica said:

“We extend our warmest congratulations to Shannon Studstill on her new role.
Under her leadership, the studio she helped found over twenty years ago masterfully reinvented itself and its greatest franchise with 2018â€™s Game of the Year, God of War.
In her role as VP of Product Development, Shannon helped smaller independent teams incubate within the studio, leading to groundbreaking works like Journey and The Unfinished Swan.
All of PlayStation is better for and grateful of her many years of exemplary service and bold creative vision.
Taking over as studio head is Yumi Yang, a 19-year PlayStation veteran with an extensive background in product development and heavy involvement across many of Santa Monica Studioâ€™s biggest games.
Her project management prowess and meticulous oversight of 2018â€™s God of War helped the title fully realize its groundbreaking potential.
After nearly two decades and countless substantial contributions to Santa Monica Studioâ€™s rich legacy, Yumi has the unquestioned respect and trust of her peers.
With her vast experience and deep understanding of the studioâ€™s distinct creative DNA, she is perfectly positioned to lead Santa Monica Studio to a bold and exciting future.”

It is unknown what game Sony Santa Monica is currently working on, but it is highly likely a sequel to God Of War.


Mega Man Zero/ZX To Return Via New Legacy Collection

Retro gaming fans who cherished the true Mega Man games on the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS: rejoice! There’s going to be an upcoming Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection due for the PS4, and also on Xbox One, Nintendo SwitchSwitch, and PC, on 21st January 2020.
According to the leaked trailer below via the Hong Kong PlayStation Store official trailer, the collection features:

all six games: Mega Man Zero 1, 2, 3, 4, Mega Man ZX, and ZX Advent.
an artwork and music gallery, because concept art is always pretty.
special filters, but honestly, seeing them in original 2D sprite glory is better.
Casual Scenario Mode, where pits and instant deaths will just bring you back to the last-known safe area.
Save-Assist, which is essentially the save states option on an emulator for this game. You’ll probably need this for the firstÂ Mega Man Zero.
Z Chaser mode, a leaderboard-based mode where you and a rival race each other to see who gets to the level boss and kills him/her first.

Can’t say no to more Mega Man, especially given Capcom’s redemption arc this year. For more Mega Man goodness, do check out our X series ranking guide and our Mega Man 11 review.


Total War: Three Kingdoms Has The Biggest Launch On Steam In The Series

The art of war is strong with this iteration of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Total War: Three Kingdoms has garnered a player count peak of 191,816 within 24 hours, which is the largest number for a game launch this year. For comparison’s sake:

Sekiro‘s player count peak was at 124,334, placing the tough-as-nails game in second place for Steam PC game launch numbers.
Capcom’s Devil May Cry 5 peaked at 88,000, while the Resident Evil 2 remake was at 74,000.
Total War: Rome II had an all-time peak of 118,240, while Total War: Warhammer was at 111,909. This effectively puts Total War: Three Kingdoms as the de facto leader in the series.

Currently, Total War: Three Kingdoms is on the PC distribution platform’s top five games list. It’s behind Dota 2, PUBG, and CS:GO, but well above Rainbow Six: Siege, GTA5, and Warframe.
Furthermore, it’s also the most pre-ordered game in the series thanks in part to its Chinese players according to a tweet from analyst Daniel Ahmad.Â

Total War: Three Kingdoms is the most pre-ordered game in the series, thanks in part to Chinese players too.
More games should be set in China / have Three Kingdoms as a setting. (Yes, I'm bias).https://t.co/DsHPJTfNEj pic.twitter.com/XNU4GF8Km0
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) May 22, 2019

Stay tuned to Kakuchopurei for a full review and a guide to master this Three Kingdoms well this week. If you want to get in on the action, you can buy it now on Steam.


The Legend Of Tianding Blends Taiwanese History & Action Like PB&J

Platform(s): PC (version played), Nintendo Switch
Genre: 2D Action Game Set In 20th Century Taiwan
It’s not every day you see a game using Taiwan-Japanese occupation history as a backdrop for an action game, yet here we are. Indie studio Creative Games Computer Graphics Corporation and publisher Neon Doctrine took a chance in setting its 2D title in a rather hectic and possibly controversial timeline in history, and it paid off.
Much like how iD Software and Raven Software made a bunch of shooters set in the 1940s WW2 era, so too does The Legend of Tianding (a remake of a 2004 Flash game as I’ve learnt recently) makes its backdrop unique and stand out. And thankfully, the gameplay is just as dazzling.
Making History

Our folk hero Liao Tianding, who is basically Robin Hood but trades a bow and arrow for elite kungfu skills, fights for the people and plans to stop oppression from the Japanese occupation and its high-level supporters. At the same time, he is also dealing with a legendary pirate’s lost treasure that grants its wielder power.
The story is as comic-book and as anime as you can get (with appropriate colourful comic illustrations to match), but it’s fun without stepping on any toes while using the 1900s backdrop, portraying the era’s harshness at times. Coupled with some authentic Hokkien dialect voiceovers from Taiwanese, and you’ve got quite a title that does its heritage proud.

The Legend of Tianding would have faltered if its hero controlled like garbage and its gameplay is less than mundane. That isn’t the case, as Tianding has the grace and finesse of a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate high-flyer character, but arguably better.
Tianding can jump, attack with his default knife, and perform a plethora of kungfu moves he learns throughout the course of the plot. He can also use his red scarf to temporarily nick weapons for himself, using it against his foes for a limited amount of times. These weapons deal a lot of damage compared to his default knife strikes and special moves, so you may need to alternate between these and his one-inch punches for big damage and wall bounce setups.
Suffice to say, all these tools and lovely tight controls equal to the folk hero being able to off 2D equivalents of a Hideki Kamiya action game combo video in the hands of the right player. I’m clearly not that kind of player, but I can air juggle most enemies while dodging blows and gunfire left and right, while also parrying gunshots with well-timed punches. Yes, Tianding is the best kind of action game character.
Warriors Of The Rainbow

The levels themselves aren’t half-bad in their design and scope; there’s ample room for players to kick butt against the horde of soldiers and vagrants to fight against. From an underground military complex to a train stage that’s as lengthy as Taipei 101, the game doesn’t let up and entertains within its 7-hour-or-so runtime.
It’s a pity that some of its quests that forward the story just has Tianding run back and forth giving items to people; it’s the small blemish in an otherwise solid 2D action platforming package that tells its story with a combination of levity and seriousness. I’m also craving more after sorting out the game’s main plot. While The Legend of Tianding has some replayability with its sidequests, its runtime can be short for many.
Still, CGCG and Neon Doctrine has a great foundation to build upon gameplay and engine-wise in the far future; The Legend of Tianding is a great debut with a fresh take on a Taiwan historical setting and some fun-yet-familiar gameplay.
Pros

Great action & controls.
Colourful aesthetics.
Unique-yet-familiar story.

Cons

Some mundane fetch quests that feel like padding.

Final Score: 80/100


Sonic Movie Producer Working On Live-Action Pac-Man Movie

A source from The Hollywood Reporter is claiming that the next big movie adaptation for a video game is Bandai Namco’s classic quarter muncher: Pac-Man.
The big-screen adaptation of the arcade classic will be based on an original idea by Chuck Williams; he’s known for being the producer of the successful Sonic The Hedgehog films. Williams will be making the Pac-Man movie alongside his company Lightbeam Entertainment and Wayfarer Studios.
Speaking of Pac-Man, Bandai Namco will be making a modernised version of the 1999 PlayStation platformer title Pac-Man World Re-Pac. Here, Pac-Man has to rescue his pals from six ghosts in six worlds in 2D platforming glory.


Hybrid Fantasy-Competition Series The Quest Launches On Disney+ Hotstar Next Month

Disney+ Hotstar asked audiences at Wondercon, “Do you have what it takes to save the Kingdom?” as they were welcomed to Everealm, the world at the center of the unique new Original Series, The Quest, streaming on 11 May 2022 only on Disney+ Hotstar.
For thousands of years, Everealm has been a land of unrivaled beauty and powerful magic. Now, the realm is threatened by a powerful evil Sorceress. As a last hope, the noble Fates summon eight strangers known as Paladins from a world beyond to work together to fulfill an ancient prophecy and vanquish the Sorceress. The Paladins must unlock the hero within through a series of challenges that push their limits to restore balance to Everealm. If they fail, all will be lost. Heroes will rise. Kingdoms will fall.

Brought to the screen by the Academy Award- and Emmy-winning teams behind The Lord of the Rings, The Amazing Race and Queer Eye, The Quest is a groundbreaking, immersive, hybrid competition series that drops eight real-life teenagers (Paladins) into the fantastic, fictional world of Everealm, where they must save a kingdom by fulfilling an ancient prophecy. Throughout the eight-episode series, these heroes are immersed in a fantasy world come to life, complete with a castle, royals, ethereal fates, all forms of mystical creatures and a sorceress intent on destruction and power.
The Quest combines the best elements of scripted and unscripted content to create an immersive competition series where fantasy and reality collide as the teens compete in challenges in a fully-realized world of adventure. Each Paladin’s mind, body, and soul will be put to the test with new surprises around every corner of the unknown land, changing not only the fate of Everealm, but also their own.
Jane Fleming and Mark Ordesky, executive producers, Court Five, said:
“We’re doing something magical that has never been done at this level. We’re taking real people and putting them in a fully realized fantasy story, conceived and built by incredible artisans in every department. It’s an immersive, real-life hero’s journey for these eight normal teenagers, who transform before your very eyes. It’s an exciting new form of storytelling.”
The Quest is produced by Court Five, New Media Collective and Scout Production Inc. From Court Five, Jane Fleming and Mark Ordesky (“Lord of the Rings”) are executive producers. From New Media Collective, Bertram van Munster, Elise Doganieri and Mark Dziak (“The Amazing Race”) are executive producers. From Scout Production Inc., Rob Eric, Michael Williams and David Collins (“Queer Eye”) are executive producers.


Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin Sales Are Bountiful So Far

Seems like publisher Marvelous and developer Edelweiss has a lot to celebrate thanks to its sleeper hit of 2020, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin.
The 3D platformer/rice-farming simulator has a combined worldwide shipment and digital sales total of 850,000 units at this point in time. Previously, the game shipped 500,000 copies since 25th November of last year. Because of this, Marvelous has revised its third fiscal year 2021 forecast.
That’s all well and good: Sakuna is a pretty fun game that teaches you a lot about rice and how it’s grown from its simulation bits. It also features a cute little story of a spoilt brat goddess learning humility alongside human companions. I personally wished the 3D platforming bits were a bit more “precise” with its controls and hit detection, but the game is still a noteworthy recommendation.
On a related note, the No More Heroes and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle rereleases on Nintendo Switch has seen “strong sales” in North America and Europe.


Danganronpa Creator To Announce New Game Soon

It’s been quite a while since we’ve gotten a mainline release of the Danganronpa series. This year we got Danganronpa Trilogy which is merely a bundle of the first three main Danganronpa games for the PS4. Looks like we’ll be getting something new soon but all clues point to it not being a Danganronpa-related title.
Kazutaka Kodaka, the man behind the Danganronpa series has teased that he will be announcing a new title on 9 December 2019. Through his Twitter account, Kodaka stated that he hasn’t been too cheerful this year but he’ll still make an announcement at the end of the year.

????????????????????????????…??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????…??????????????
— Kazutaka kodaka/???? (@kazkodaka) December 8, 2019

Translation (thanks, Gematsu):

“Maybe because it was a bad year, I was feeling down quite a lot this year, butâ€¦ Iâ€™ll still be able to make this announcement at the end of it, so itâ€™s going to be the greatest year! Thatâ€™s the level of excitement I have for the title thatâ€™s going to be announced tomorrow. Itâ€™s a new title that is extremely special to me, so please look out for itâ€¦! Thank you for your support!!!â€

Both the Izanagi Games’ Twitter page and Izanagi Games CEO Shinsuke Umeda retweeted Kodaka’s tweet. Izanagi Games is the publisher of the upcoming game Death March Club, a project Kodaka is also working on as well. The company recently registered a trademark for “Death Come True” as well as acquiring the domain name DeathComeTrue.com.
Fans of the Danganronpa series should definitely look forward to what Kodaka will be announcing. Perhaps it will be a new entry or another spin-off of the series. I’m guessing it’s going to be something else entirely.
Thanks, Gematsu.


Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart Devs Say Game Was Made Crunch-Free

The issue of crunch in the games industry has been a controversial one for years. It has plagued almost every studio, especially those that develop high-budget AAA titles. Most recently, this applied to games like CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 and more. That is the reason why it’s always great to hear that a studio could make a good game without resorting to crunch.
According to the tweets from several game developers and employees of Insomniac Games, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was developed almost entirely crunch-free, with the exception of the occasional late nights.
Insomniac Games designer Grant Parker said:
I’d appreciate ppl sharing this positive. Because it’s important.
#RatchetPS5 is at 89 avg score & I can’t speak for anyone on the team but myself, but I didn’t crunch once. 40h weeks the whole time.
It is possible to work on a great game w/o suffering.

Something others have pointed out which is worth mentioning. I can only speak for myself. I'm a white cis straight male designer. So I'm also working with some privilege for sure.But overall I was very encouraged by how my managers actively pushed for me to avoid burn out.
— Grant Parker ? (@GrantPDesign) June 8, 2021

Insomniac Games animator Lindsay Thompson said:
I didn’t crunch once, entire production. A couple late nights here and there finishing something up, but COMPLETELY CRUNCH FREE. It is possible. Team wellness lets the creativity flow free.

Yes, I will also add, that I speak for myself.  I do believe the team as a whole did not suffer crunch and our management certainly encouraged that.
— Lindsay Thompson (@Binzimation) June 8, 2021

Insomniac Games employee Jeff Wiedner said:
This is very true. I worked hard but never was compelled to crunch. If I put in xtra hours, it was my choice because I had something I was really xcited about & wanted it to look STELLAR. But I was actively encouraged by my leads and mgmt to keep my life in balance. And I did!
https://twitter.com/BucketAnimator/status/1402340502511312897
Sure, in retrospect, three of out the hundreds of individuals who worked on the game probably aren’t indicative of what the majority experienced during development. Still, these people came forward and decided to tweet these apparently without being compelled by anyone else to do so. If it’s true that Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was made without crunch, it’s definitely something to be celebrated.
In the meantime, check out my 4000-word spoiler-free review of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart here.


Hot Wheels Unleashed Adds Style With Cadillac Seville By Gucci

Mattel and developer Milestone have added one of the most anticipated cars in the Hot Wheels Unleashed roster: the 1:64th scale replica of the legendary Cadillac Seville by Gucci. Starting today, all players that log into Hot Wheels Unleashed will find the new car in their Collection, free on all platforms.
The die-cast vehicle was the result of a collaboration between the House Of Gucci and Hot Wheels, which recreated that paradigmatic expression of the late â€˜70s flair and served as a testament to the Maisonâ€™s forward-thinking that was the original car. The recent Mattel Creations drop celebrating the Houseâ€™s centennial was highly sought after by automotive enthusiasts and fashion aficionados alike, with the limited-edition die-cast vehicle selling out almost instantly.
It’s easy to see why this collaboration is happening now, considering the impending release of Ridley Scott’s House Of Gucci movie. The movie depicting the shocking true story of the family behind the Italian fashion empire is slated to premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 3 February 2022.
Hot Wheels Unleashed offers players the opportunity to drive the cars as if they were playing with the die-cast toys. The gameplay includes adrenaline-filled races, an extended choice of Hot Wheels vehicles with different attributes and rarity levels that players can customize with different skins, and jaw-dropping tracks set in everyday-life locations with special track pieces and interactive items.
Hot Wheels Unleashed is now available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store).


Sons of the Forest Beginner’s Guide: Tips to Surviving

The most awaited survival horror sequel game finally went into Early Access on February 23. Sons of the Forest is the sequel to the controversial survival horror game The Forest which was released in 2018. Now Sons of the Forest starts out with you being sent out with other mercenaries to find and rescue a billionaire family on a deserted island. However, your helicopter crashes (what a surprise!) and you end up on said island. The game can be played alone or with up to 7 friends. The game is essentially similar to The Forest, but has many improved features.
Starting out can be tough as you’re pretty much just stranded on a huge (not to mention beautiful!) island, with no idea how to survive. In this guide, I’ll be sharing some tips on how to survive (at least the first few nights) and get your feet planted on the ground.

Sons of the Forest Beginner’s Tips
Loot The Crash Site

Like its predecessor, you start out at a crash site which has scattered many belongings and items. Before you leave the area, make sure you loot everything here. Rummage around the area (in snow or bushes depending on which area you’ve been spawned in) so you don’t miss anything. Here you’ll be able to find some food and water enough to keep you going until you build your first base. You will also find useful materials and items such as duct tape, ammo, tarp, medicine, grenades and all sorts to help with your crafting adventure later on.
Your Inventory

The inventory is very different from The Forest. It stretches out from left to right. Basic materials like stones, and leaves will mostly be placed at the bottom of your inventory. To access your inventory you will have to click I. The first thing you should do as soon as you access it, is to open the Emergency Pack. This will give you your Tactical Axe, a GPS and your Guide Book (which you can quick access by pressing B).

Something they don’t tell you is that you can actually HOLD I down to quick access things from your inventory.

Also another cool feature, which is my favourite, is by clicking the light button, you can change the colour on the inside of your Inventory. Want some neon purple? They got you with it. Neat eh?
Kelvin!

You spawn in with a strange man. This NPC is called Kelvin. The best advice I can give you is to KEEP HIM ALIVE! He cannot hear us or speak to us, but you can communicate with him with a notepad. Have a little mercy on Kelvin as you can use him as your own personal slave to do all the boring stuff like collecting wood or even finishing structures.
What I did was make him collect fish for my friends and I… well, all day. There are other companions that you will meet along the way. Another helpful tip to know is that once Kelvin is dead, he’s gone for good. So if you plan on adventuring out, tell him to stay put at base.
Building A Base

I’d suggest to build a base near a river so you have an endless source of water. What I love about this game compared to The Forest, is that you can drink any source of water. You can use a GPS Locator to find a river if you get a little lost. You use this as a resting point or as a save point.

If you’re lazy like me, you can build a small little tarp corner as a base.

Or if you’re feeling fancy, a little treehouse to keep the enemies at bay. Make sure you build a bed so you can rest in it!!!
Or just your usual wooden lodge.  All of these are accessible by using your guide book or inventory.

Cooking & Food
Building a fire may be a little complicated at first, but don’t worry, I’ve got you step-by-step below.
First, pick up a stick, crouch down to the ground, right-click until you get this option.

This will make you break the sticks into two, and then you will have an option to light it.

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! Your first campfire! But let’s take it a step further. The campfire you just made will only last a short while. Enough for a fast cook and snack. But if you want to make the campfire permanent, you can add stones to it.

You start off by taking a large stone from your inventory and then you will get the option to place them around the fire. Fill the holes up and TADA! Now your campfire lasts forever.

One tip I have (which my friends say IS THE WORST tip to give but I PROMISE IT’S HELPFUL) is that as you wander around, you start to see all these plants and mushrooms with these question marks above them. Well, my advice is… eat them. You see, you only need to eat something once for you to know whether it is edible or not.

If it’s something poisonous, it will show up as this next time you come across it. Instead of eating it, TAP E so you collect them instead of digesting it.

And if it’s edible, you get this green sign, so you can definitely run by and eat them if you see it again.
When you are cooking on the campfire, you can TAP E as well to collect whatever you are cooking so you can eat it later. Or HOLD E to consume it now. Also, don’t forget to make a drying rack so your food doesn’t spoil.

Ammo Is Scarce
Ammo is of course hard to come by. Later on, you will be able to get a gun in the game. With that in mind, make sure you save these for the tough fights and for your scary cave adventures. Combat is still more melee-focused so you can save the guns for emergencies.
For more guides on Sons of the Forest, head here.


We Ask Yasmine Putri About Southeast Asian Representation In Comics & More

Singapore Comic Con 2019 (SGCC 2019) took place at the Marina Bay Sands Expo last weekend and we received the opportunity to interview comic book artist Yasmine Putri.
For those not in the know, Yasmine Putri is an Indonesian character designer whose foray into the comics industry officially began with a cover for Marvel’s Secret Wars crossover in 2015. Since then, she has done covers for other titles including Amazing Spider-Man, Tales of Suspense, Black Panther, Star Wars, and most recently House Of X/Powers Of X.
For DC Comics, she has done covers for titles like Hellblazer, Red Hood And The Outlaws, Detective Comics, Nightwing, and Wonder Woman. She also took part in the recent DCeased mini-series and did interior work for the 2018 Nuclear Winter anthology.

She was recently in Singapore as a distinguished guest for Singapore Comic Con. I took this opportunity to ask her about Southeast Asian representation in comics, how she entered the comic book industry, and more.
Q: Iâ€™m sure that you get this a lot but how did you break into the American comic book industry?
A: I participated in a Marvel talent scouting event in 2014 in Jakarta. I was, to my surprise and delight, called back and then did my first cover for Marvelâ€™s Secret Wars the next year. I started doing covers for DC Comics alongside Marvel in 2016.
Q: What do you think of the current level of Southeast Asian representation in comics? Most characters are from other Asian regions, with the exception of Marvelâ€™s recent Filipino superhero Wave.
A: To be fair I havenâ€™t been reading that many comic books to be able to come up with factual statistics, but from what I know so far characters with East Asian backgrounds are indeed more prominent. I suppose it has more to do with storytelling, as I assume typical readers in the Western world would be more familiar with countries in that region.

It’s an encouraging change and it’s refreshing to see characters that look more like us than like people in the West.
I think that it’s a good thing and it’s encouraging for young people especially if they want to pick a superhero as an inspiration, or if they want to learn drawing characters that look more like them than like other people.

Q: What would you say has been the highlight of your career so far, or
anything youâ€™re most proud of?
A: I have a soft spot for my Hellblazer covers at DC, as classic Hellblazer (when still published by Vertigo) was one of the first titles that got me interested in American comics. And the most recent is my House Of X/Powers Of X connecting variant covers, which comes to mind.
House Of X #2 (left) / Powers Of X #2 (right)
Q: What character (from which publisher) would be your personal dream
Project?
A: Iâ€™d love to work on DCâ€™s Hellblazer again if the chance presented itself in the future.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Iâ€™m still working on DC covers for now, but Iâ€™ve been dipping my toes a bit into interior projects as well, mostly for anthologies.
Check out more of Yasmine Putri on her Instagram page here.


Japanese School Holds Graduation Ceremony Using Minecraft

With the Covid-19 coronavirus disrupting daily life, we’ve seen online services like Discord stepping up to temporarily replace on-site lessons and working. Now, a group of elementary school graduates in Japan have taken things to the next level by having their graduation ceremony in Minecraft.
As SoraNews24 wrote, schools in Japan are currently closed till after spring break as a safety measure, so graduation ceremonies are affected too. That’s how Minecraft came into the picture:

?????????????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/sYqoJ1zYaj
— ???? (@backyennew) March 14, 2020

The first tweet, as translated by SoraNews24, says:

“‘What are you doing?'”
“‘We all decided to have a graduation ceremony together!'”
“Oh? Awesome. The elementary students gathered to start graduation themselves.â€

The second one says:

â€œThey spent all day online together playing games and laughing. Iâ€™m glad they all had fun.â€

?????????????? pic.twitter.com/HKjVCaOmOf
— ???? (@backyennew) March 14, 2020

While we hope that the Covid-19 pandemic ends as soon as possible, it’s nice to see something positive like this come out of it.


E3 2019: Luigi’s Mansion 3 Looks Like The Ghostbusters Game We Deserve

During Nintendo Direct E3 2019, the company revealed Nintendo Switch exclusive Luigi’s Mansion 3, the sequel to 2013’s Luigi’s Mansion Dark Moon. It is slated to arrive sometime in 2019.
The premise is simple, Luigi sneaked around a haunted hotel and fights ghosts using a Poltergust, which uncannily looks like a proton pack.
To a franchise newbie like yours truly, Luigi’s Mansion 3 looks like the Ghostbusters game we all deserve. The game looks fun and charming with gameplay that seems to be extremely addicting, as players can beat ghosts by sucking them into their proton pack or even summon Goougi, a jelly version of Luigi who comes with his own set of unique skills.
According to hands-on experience by our friends at Kotaku, the gameplay in Luigi’s Mansion 3 will follow a more “traditional free-flowing approach to exploration“. Players can interact with objects and the environment by pointing Luigi’s flashlight or using the Poltergust, the latter of which will also be used to solve puzzles involving curtains and elevators.
Here’s how catching ghosts work in Luigi’s Mansion 3. The player shines their flashlight onto the ghost, then vacuum them using the Poltergust and immediately pulling against the direction they are moving in. A meter will then appear and start filling.
Once it is full, players can use a move called Slam, which is basically doing to the ghosts what the Hulk did to Loki at the end of 2012’s The Avengers.

Luigi’s Mansion 3 producers Kensuke Tanabe and Yoshihito Ikebata are promising more varied typed of ghosts this time around, but there will still be generic colour-coded ghosts as normal enemies. The multiplayer mode for the upcoming game is called the Scarescraper mode, and it challenges players to work together and complete tasks as they move up the floors of a hotel.
Nintendo will surely reveal more details and information in the months to come. In the meantime, check out the trailer for Luigi’s Mansion 3 below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKHfmvjb1ZQ&w=560&h=315]


Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Valorant’s Latest Agent

Riot Games is introducing a new Valorant Agent named Skye in Act III, which begins in October 2020.

Her name is Skye and she uses “Earth’s natural resources” to kick ass. The official description for the new Agent reads:
This Agent protects and preserves many things; just not the life of her enemies.Skye guides the fight and takes action against her foes using Earthâ€™s natural resources. The Australian activist and her band of beasts can amplify the health and strength of her team while tracking down all opposition.

While no other official details have been released (as of yet), leaks have revealed the following details for Skye:
Type: Initiator
Abilities:
Guiding Light (100 Credits): Equip a Falcon Trinket. With Primal Fire you send it forward. Hold fire to guide the hawk in the direction of your Crosshair. Reuse while the hawk is in flight to transform it into a flash and mow.
Pioneer (200 Credits): Equip a Tasmanian Tiger Trinket. With primary fire to send and take control of the predator. While in control, Primal Fire rushes forward, exploding in a concussion, directly damaging enemies they hit
Regrowth (200 Credits): Equip a healing trinket. Hold fire to channel, healing allies in range and vision time. It can be reused until its healing pool is depleted. Skie can’t heal herself
Seekers (Ultimate): Equip a Seeker Trinket. With primary fire to send three seekers to track down the three closest enemies. If a seeker reaches his goal, he brings it closer to him.
Take these abilities with a grain of salt, as Riot Games will only be revealing more about Skye on 27 October 2020.


We’re Getting A Company Of Heroes Board Game That’s Well Over Its Kickstarter Goal

Crowdfunding for boardgames adapted from video games is commonplace these days: just ask Dark Souls and Street Fighter about it sometime. It’s not going to stop, at least if this new Company of Heroes Kickstarter project is of any indication.

Tabletop folks Bad Crow Games will be turning Relic’s epic Second World War RTS title into a “streamlined” board game experience with resource collection, unit purchases, special units and commanders, and “simplified” combat that focuses on positioning, cover, and combined firepower. The game will feature four playable nations -the US, Britain, Soviet Union, and “Wehrmacht”/bad Germans- with 32 vehicles, 150 infantry figures, 55 different dice, 44 figure trays, 120 markers, 12 production tiles, and a map board.
In other words, the quintessential Relic strategy game experience but in analog form.Â Here’s the detailed pitch:

“The important distinction to consider is that this is a cross between tactical skirmish games and economy-based resource management games so it feels and plays differently than most other games out there.
While the Company of Heroes board game shares some common elements with skirmish games and tabletop miniatures games, (players are maneuvering units around on a map after all), it has such a large focus on securing, collecting and spending resources that the end experience is quite different.”

Bad Crow added that the game will be simpler and less time-consuming than its past works such as Squad Leader, Tide of Iron, and Bolt Action. The US$100,000 Kickstarter goal has already been surpassed; right now at this point in typing it’s at US$196,397 and rising. And there are still 21 days left in the campaign.
The project is 90-95% complete according to the creators, with the only major work left being the extra detailing of the infantry and weapon teams. So even if the Kickstarter goal amassed just enough money, it’ll still be out at its intended May 2020 schedule.
Head here if you’re interested in seeing a board game version of Company of Heroes. It’ll cost you U$99 if you want to pledge for the Core Set.


Overwatch League Power Rankings: Stage 3 (Week 1)

As the third stage of the Overwatch League inaugural season gets underway this week, we revisit the power rankings for all the teams, taking into account their stage 2 finish as well as recent roster additions. With twenty games played, there are twenty left in the season and tons of room for slow starters to not only reignite their season, but also start a late-season playoff push starting with this week’s matches. Meanwhile at the top, the leading teams continue to distance themselves from the rest of the pack that’s starting to get mighty competitive especially around the fourth to eighth-placed spots.
1. New York Excelsior â€“Â Season Record: 18-2; Map Differential: +46

Having successfully shed the chokers tag, Stage 2 champions and current league leaders the New York Excelsior are by far the best team in the league at the moment. A team without any real weakness, the recent addition of Lucio main, Tae-sungÂ “ANAMO”Â Jung adds another dimension to an already impressive lineup as they sought to equip themselves with potential meta changes during the second-half of the season.
2. London Spitfire – Season Record: 15-5;Â Map Differential: +35

The Stage 1 champions dropped some momentum at the end of Stage 2 which saw them missing out on the playoff finals but it would be foolish to rule them out of the overall contention. The addition of former RunAway tank, Jang-hyeonÂ “TiZi”Â Hwang fills the void left by Fissure who went to Gladiators and should have no issues varying their approaches- a trait they are well known for. The team appears to have found their solid starting core but their tendency to tinker with the starting lineup to mask their strategies for upcoming games may again be their undoing.
3. Seoul Dynasty – Seasonal Record: 14-6; Map Differential: +18

It has always been the same case with the Seoul Dynasty – they rack up the wins but tend to drop maps when they shouldn’t have which cost them playoff spots two stages in a row. The departure of Bunny to Valiant leaves the team leaner and we can expect to see more ofÂ Jae-moÂ “xepheR”Â Koo andÂ HeoÂ “Gambler”Â Jin-woo in Stage 3 as the team attempts to add layers to the team’s strats. They also need to find a solution against full-Korean roster teams as their combined record against London Spitfire and New York Excelsior stands at a dismal 0-4. Failure to do so would again, result in the team missing out on a stage playoff spot.
4. Philadelphia Fusion – Seasonal Record: 13-7; Map Differential: +8

One of the two surprise packages of Stage 2, we don’t see the Fusion wilting in Stage 3 as the Stage 2 runners-up sought to solidify their claim as the best team in the west. The emergence of SimonÂ “snillo”Â EkstrÃ¶m and JoshÂ “Eqo”Â Corona as additions to starters GeorgeÂ “ShaDowBurn”Â Gushcha and Jae-hyeokÂ “Carpe”Â Lee transformed the Fusion into one of the most devastating and flexible DPS corps in the league. They are a fun team to root for, and even more enjoyable to watch so expect them to continue their solid push for stage and seasonal playoffs in Stage 3.
5. Los Angeles Gladiators – Seasonal Record: 10-10; Map Differential: -1

The shrewdest dealers in the league, the Gladiators hit jackpot when they acquired Chan-hyungÂ “Fissure”Â Baek from the London Spitfire and is ‘the other surprise package’ of stage 2. By far the transfer move of the season, Fissure turned the Gladiators’ fortunes around as he almost single-handedly led the team to a 6-4 record and a whisker away from a stage playoff spot. The recent addition of Ted ‘Silkthread‘ Wang from city rivals Valiant may be another masterstroke for currently the best Californian team in the league and we would be surprised to see them fall any lower than sixth by the end of this stage. Last but not least is the addition ofÂ Jun-wooÂ “Void”Â Kang who reunites with his former KongDoo Panthera teammate in Fissure. One of the world’s best tank duo during APEX days, one can only imagine the positive impact Void brings to the Gladiators team.
6. Boston Uprising- Seasonal Record: 12-8; Map Differential: +9

The Uprising are a solid mid-tier team with high potential going forward. Having replicated stage 1’s record of 6-4 the following stage, they appear to have found a solid footing and stability within the team. A mid-stage, internal mini crisis was averted and the team is now back in full strength with Young-jinÂ “Gamsu”Â Noh back in main tank duty. The floundering form of Houston Outlaws and Los Angeles Valiant plays perfectly for the Uprising as they cling to the final seasonal playoff spot heading into stage 3.
7. San Francisco Shock- Seasonal Record: 6-14; Map Differential: -15

Cavalry’s finally here for the San Francisco Shock as Tracer main JayÂ “sinatraa”Â Won andÂ MatthewÂ “super”Â DeLisi are eligible to compete in the league. Adding to these two were the recent arrivals ofÂ Min-Ho â€œArchitectâ€ Park andÂ Grant “moth” Espe who joined at the end of stage 2 giving the Shock a brand new look as they seek to turn their fortunes around. More games are suddenly winnable for the Shock and we won’t be surprised to see them scrapping for a top-half finish by the end of the season.
8. Los Angeles Valiant- Seasonal Record: 11-9; Map Differential: +8

Challenging Dallas Fuel for the title of the worst-managed team in the Overwatch League, the Los Angeles Valiant went from bad to worse no thanks to poor decisions on and off-stage. They traded their starting supportÂ BenjaminÂ “uNKOE”Â Chevasson, transferred their backup DPS inÂ TedÂ “silkthread”Â Wang and released their starting off-tank, Kang-jaeÂ “envy”Â Lee as part of their mid-season purge. While they strengthened their DPS corps with the acquisition ofÂ Joon-hyukÂ “Bunny”Â Chae from Seoul Dynasty, the Valiant’s change of philosophy halfway into the season for a more ‘Korean feel’ would either make or break their season – and if you ask us, is leaning towards the latter simply due to the hasty nature of it. On the bright side, the addition of Scott ‘Custa‘ Kennedy from the Fuel brings a much-needed leadership to this team.
9. Houston Outlaws- Seasonal Record: 12-8; Map Differential: +17

In only ten matches of stage 2, the Houston Outlaws went from being one of the most feared teams in the league into a meme team that every OWL team would love to have a crack at. It was clear that they lack a proper Tracer player and their solution? They brought in former AF Blue DPS, Won-hyeopÂ “ArHaN”Â Jeong – a move which we doubt would solve this issue. With several teams rapidly improving such as the Gladiators, Fusion and the Shock, the OutlawsÂ have an uphill battle to regain their spot amongst the better teams in the league.
10. Florida Mayhem- Seasonal Record: 4-16; Map Differential: -34

Not only Mayhem added another Scandinavian in JoonasÂ “zappis”Â Alakurtti to their roster, they also added some Korean flavor to the team by bringing in ex-Meta Athena players; Sung-hoonÂ “aWesomeGuy”Â KimÂ  andÂ Jung-wooÂ “Sayaplayer”Â Ha. Another team on the rise while teams around them are crumbling, the worst is definitely behind the Mayhem as they continue to impress. We are counting on them to pull off several surprise wins against the mid-tier teams in stage 3.
11. Dallas Fuel- Seasonal Record: 5-15; Map Differential: -26

The Fuel are a team in disarray and as the clock ticks closer to their match against the Dragons, are looking more likely to be the team gifting the Dragons their first ever win in the league. They lost a leader in Scott “Custa”Â Kennedy and are still without a proper main tank. Following their convincing performance in week 5 of the last stage, Brandon “Seagull” should start as off-tank, withÂ PongphopÂ “Mickie”Â Rattanasangchod filling in the main tank role. Hopefully the team’s overall chemistry improve as DPS main DylanÂ “aKm”Â BignetÂ  reunites with his ex-Rogue teammate,Â  BenjaminÂ “uNKOE”Â Chevasson following the swap deal with Los Angeles Valiant.
12. Shanghai Dragons- Seasonal Record: 0-20; Map Differential: -65

The current Dragons roster is almost unrecognizable now from the team that started their first 20 matches. The addition of three Korean players on paper should improve this team’s overall quality. Whether that translate into wins is a different story though. However we expect to see all three -Â Gi-hyeonÂ “Ado”Â Chon,Â Eui-SeokÂ “Fearless”Â Lee andÂ KimÂ “Geguri”Â Se-yeon to start as Shanghai continues the hunt for that elusive first win.

Stage 3 of the Overwatch League starts tomorrow with the following matches:


World Of Tanks Brings Back The WaffentrÃ¤ger Destroyers

A fan favourite mode makes its return to World Of Tanks today. Picking up from where last yearâ€™s event left off, Return of the WaffentrÃ¤ger sees Max von Krieger and the Harriers do battle once again. However, this time the WaffentrÃ¤ger has been adapted into an even more formidable foe, so the spoils of war will be even sweeter.

Return of the WaffentrÃ¤ger pits a team of seven Harrier tanks against the monstrous BlitztrÃ¤ger auf E 110 tank destroyer (and his army of AI-controlled Sentinels) in 7v1 asymmetric battles on redesigned versions of Murovanka, Siegfried Line and Steppes. Those on the Harrier team will have three specially modified options to choose from: the Object 140, the Bat.-ChÃ¢tillon 25 t and the M48A5 Patton. Both sets of teams have different objectives: to secure the win, the Harriers must ultimately destroy the BlitztrÃ¤ger within the time limit, whereas the BlitztrÃ¤ger must wipe out the Harriersâ€™ forces or see out the clock.

At the start of battle, the BlitztrÃ¤ger will be protected by an impenetrable energy shield, so Harriers must keep out of its way. The Harriers can lower the shield by destroying Sentinels and using the plasma they drop to overload and destroy the generators on the battlefield. By doing so, the BlitztrÃ¤gerâ€™s shield will be disabled, and they can pounce on the opportunity to deal some serious damage. To completely deplete the shield, all four generators must be destroyed. But the advantage isnâ€™t solely with the Harriers as the BlitztrÃ¤ger has an ace up its sleeve: teleportation. This new ability will allow the beast to instantly travel to a chosen point on the map.

World Of Tanks Publishing Director Max Chuvalov said:

â€œThe reaction of our players to the event last year was overwhelmingly positive, and players were looking forward to its return.
This year, weâ€™ve focused on creating an even more absorbing atmosphere and making everything look better visually to fully engross players. And, of course, we made sure that the prizes are better than ever!â€

Players will also be tasked with progressing through four stages and assembling the Harriersâ€™ and Engineerâ€™s Collections. With each stage reached, tankers will be rewarded and by completing both collections, theyâ€™ll grab all the goodies on offer. And finally, a brand-new American Tier VIII Premium tank, the ASTRON Rex 105 mm, will be available exclusively during the event.

Return of the WaffentrÃ¤ger will run from today until 11 October 2021. For more information about the event, visit https://worldoftanks.asia/


Honkai Star Rail Launch Event To Take Place In Malaysia, Singapore, & Southeast Asia

HoYoverse will be celebrating the launch of its turn-based anime RPG title Honkai Star Rail, which looks like a fun time if the closed beta session we tried out a while back is of any indication.
The publisher will be hosting a number of public launch events for the game, dubbed the Honkai Star Rail Astral Express Global Tour (since it’s involving space trains and all), all across Southeast Asia. The Astral Express Global Tour stops will feature multiple themed events, challenges, and games, which fans can participate in for free. Attendees can also get postcards, special tickets, local gifts, stickers, and various official Honkai: Star Rail merchandise.
Here are the details for each country:
Malaysia
Date: 26th April to 30th April (10am to 6pm)
Location: Sunway Velocity Mall Lingakaran SV2, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Special Event: Su Ling Chan, the VO for Bailu, will be making an appearance on 29th and 30th April from 2pm-6pm to sign exclusive Honkai Star Rail goodies.

Selamat Pagi Trailblazers ?
I’ll be at the Honkai: Star Rail launch event April 29 – 30 at Sunway Velocity Mall.
There’ll be a life-size Astral Express train and I’ll be signing exclusive HSR goodies! Thx for d invite Hoyoverse!#HonkaiStarRail #TheAstralExpressGlobalTour pic.twitter.com/9n4TUQsuCy
— Su Ling Chan ? (@SuChanVA) April 25, 2023

Singapore
Date: 26th April to 30th April
Locations:

Plaza Singapura Entrance (Beside Starbucks) 68 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238839
Bugis+ Level 1, Open Plaza 201 Victoria St, Singapore 188067
Bugis Junction (Next to Bugis Square Fountain) 200 Victoria St, Singapore 188021

The Philippines
Date: 29th April – 30th April
Location: Chinese Garden at the Rizal Park, Luneta Park, Ermita, Cagdianao
The Astral Express Global Tour will also make stops in the following countries :

Hong Kong,
Shanghai, China
Taipei, Taiwan
Tokyo, Japan
Seoul,South Korea
Bangkok,Thailand
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Jakarta, Indonesia
New York, USA
Moscow, Russia
Berlin, Germany
Paris, France
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Honkai Star Rail will be out on 26 April for PC and mobile devices.


Here’s Our First Look At Characters From Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves

Paramount Pictures and eOne have given us our first look at characters from the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves.
Check out the pictures below, courtesy of ScreenRant who are in-person at SDCC 2022:
Chris Pine

Obsessed with our first real look at the characters of #DungeonsAndDragons thanks to the tavern experience at #SDCC2022! First up: Chris Pine pic.twitter.com/MXRVxBBUNu
— Screen Rant (@screenrant) July 21, 2022

Michelle Rodriguez And Regé-Jean Page

Regé-Jean Page trades dukedom for dragons, and we can’t say we’re mad at the result! #DungeonsAndDragons #SDCC2022 pic.twitter.com/q4n7kAzhSC
— Screen Rant (@screenrant) July 21, 2022

Justice Smith And Sophia Lillis

Sophia Lillis looks ethereal as her #DungeonsAndDragons character in #SDCC’s preview: pic.twitter.com/eNnV5jD8dy
— Screen Rant (@screenrant) July 21, 2022

Hugh Grant

Last but certainly not least, Hugh Grant’s #DungeonsAndDragons keeps a torch lit for the team of weary travelers at #SDCC2022 pic.twitter.com/rjcWRzHWUo
— Screen Rant (@screenrant) July 21, 2022

However, we still don’t know the names of these characters, or what their roles in the movie will be.
Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves was originally announced earlier this year. Stay tuned for more news from the movie when the Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves panel takes place later tonight at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.


Dragon Age: Absolution Keeps The Awesome Adaptation Train Going, With Some Caveats

Is there any other adaptation of an existing video game that can top the likes of Arcane: League of Legends and Cyberpunk Edgerunners this generation? Not really, if we’re being honest. However, the latest Netflix animated series Dragon Age: Absolution comes close.
Thick As Thieves

Based on the hit EA and Bioware RPG fantasy series, Dragon Age: Absolution takes place after the events of Dragon Age: Inquisition and focuses on a runaway slave elf Miriam (Kimberly Brooks). She and her party member pal Roland (Phil LaMarr) is roped into a well-paid mission arranged by the thief Fairbanks (Matthew Mercer), with her ex-lover Hira the mage (Sumalee Montano) somehow convincing her on such a dangerous mission. The artifact, the Circulum, they’re stealing is in the Tevinter Imperium, a place known for its mages and enslaving elves.
You can see why Miriam is hesitant, but she still holds a torch for Hira so off she goes, bringing her infiltration and assassination skills to help the group. To complicate matters, Tevinter magister Rezaren attempts to unlock the secrets of the Circulum while her loyal Knight Commander Tassia is concerned about him going too far.
The action and animation work is stellar to watch. While not as iconic as the aforementioned adaptations at the start of this review, Dragon Age: Absolution is no slouch with its depiction of the world, and what a well-armed party can do to a bunch of Tevinter foot soldiers. Each character gets their time to shine with the fighting and the epic spellcasting, particularly how antagonist Rezaren (Josh Keaton), Hira, and Quanari mage Qwydion (Ashly Burch) get things done with a mix of explosions and blood magic. It’s quite a spectacle, to say the least.

Dragon Age: Absolution keeps true to what a Dragon Age game is about: character relationships and fallouts. They’re complex and dynamic here, with Miriam and her backstory tying in with Hira and everyone else, making you wonder if she can truly run from her past or confront it. We also suspect Qwydion, Tassia, and Roland to be fan favourites as they add a lot more charm, badassery, and levity to a pretty serious plot about a heist-gone-wrong in one of Dragon Age’s worst places to be in if you’re an elf. The show mixes in romances, toxic relationships, burgeoning friendships, and betrayal all in one cohesive and laid-out package.
Which is why it’s a little depressing that the show is only six episodes. As good as the whole experience, this amount isn’t enough to go in-depth into the game’s huge backstory and lore, thus a lot of info in the show requires a lot of prior research from its viewers.
Dragon Age: Absolution is a great show that respects the source material with its complex characters and lovely action, though it could benefit more from an extra episode or two. Fans of the series will enjoy every minute of this, especially with some of the surprises in the last few episodes. You know an animated Netflix adaptation is worth its weight in gold when the most stoic of fans want to see characters make an appearance or even be party members in the next Dragon Age mothership title.

Final Score: 70/100


Samurai Shodown’s Season Pass Features A Ton Of Fan Favourites [Update]

Good news, Samurai Shodown fans! Even if you do not own the game, the Season Pass is available for free right now and for download. If you’re playing the US version, that is.
If you’re playing the Asia version, you have to fork out money: SG$24.30 to be exact. But hey, there’s a 10% discount until next July.

SNK also announced a few new characters in the Season Pass. Next to Rimururu who has the powers of ice and cute, you also get Basara, Kazuki Kazama, and Wan-Fu.

Basara is an undead fighter who fights with a shuriken and teleportation; he’s a tricky dick to deal with. Kazuki is the main character in Samurai Shodown IV and wields flames. He plays a little different than your other main “shoto” characters in the series like Haohmaru and Shizumaru; he can build up his “trailing fire” and power up his moves ala G from Street Fighter V. Wan-Fu is a big bruiser of a fellow who hits hard and is slow.
The Season Pass characters will roll out in batches, with Rimururu out in August 2019. Basara will be ready by October 2019, while Kazuki and Wan-Fu will be out on December 2019 and February 2020 respectively. That’s quite a wait; plus we still need our Nicotine and Cham-Cham fix.
Stay tuned this week for our Samurai Shodown features.


Check Out How Crazy The Saints Row Reboot Customization Options Are

Publisher Deep Silver and developer Volition showed off a lot of the Saints Row reboot’s customization option. It’s plentiful, to say the least while keeping in line with past Saints Row games.
According to the Volition devs, the game promises to bring the series’ customization to new heights. These include asymmetrical facial customization to prosthetic limbs and no restrictions based on gender. Here’s a breakdown:

Vehicle Customization – Gearheads will love how in-depth you can go with vehicle customization, and it’s not just aesthetics—we’ve got upgrades, signature abilities and even engine sound are all a part of the mix!
Weapon Customization – Yes, you can switch up the looks of your hardware too, change the color, pattern, decal, material or just make your favorite loadout look like something else entirely.
HQ and City – That run down church is yours to decorate as you see fit. As you get more powerful, your HQ sees its own glow up, but it’s up to you to add your own finishing touches to make it truly yours. As you grow into the criminal badass you were meant to be, the city changes too—by building your criminal ventures wherever you like, you’ll literally change that Santo Ileso skyline.
Saints and Friends – Yes you can modify how your Saints recruits appear, as well as your friends with a variety of unlockable outfits. You gotta make sure everyone stays on brand, right?

Here’s a look at all of that in action. The Saints Row 2022 reboot will be out on 23 August for PC (Epic Games Store), Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4.


vivo Smartphones Get Big Discounts In The Lazada 3.3 Sale

vivo Malaysia is offering great deals for more savings to Malaysians this vivo x Lazada 3.3 Biggest One-Day Sale.
Only on 3 March 2023, vivo Malaysia partnered with Lazada to offer Malaysians the best deals and promotions on selected vivo smartphone models and accessories. During this one-day sale, customers can enjoy exclusive discounts, special offers, membership exclusive benefits and more.
Customers can take advantage of the special offer bundle deals by vivo Malaysia, including:

vivo X90 Pro 5G + 50W Wireless charger + FREE gifts worth RM1,045: RM5,000
iQOO 11 5G: RM3,399 (includes a FREE iQOO Wireless Active worth RM159)
vivo V27e: FREE early bird gifts worth RM666

Customers can also enjoy exclusive discounts on selected smartphone models, including:

X70 Pro 5G: RM1869 (RRP RM3,299)
X70 5G: RM1299 (RRP RM2,499)
V23e: RM899 (RRP RM1,399)
Y55+ 5G: RM799 (RRP RM1,099)
Y02s: RM399 (RRP RM499)

The vivo x Lazada 3.3 Sale is available on vivo official store in Lazada. In addition, vivo will be launching its brand new product for the V series – vivo V27e this 1 March.
For more information, please follow vivo Malaysia’s official Facebook Page.


MSI CEO Charles Chiang Dies At 56

MSI CEO Charles Chiang has died at the age of 56. According to Taiwanese news outlet Liberty Times, he fell from the seventh floor of a building in Taipei’s Zhonghe District.
He was then rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No other details about the circumstances have been made available by any party at the time of writing.
Speaking with Tom’s Hardware, an MSI spokesperson said:

“Earlier today, MSI GM and CEO Charles Chiang passed away.
Having been a part of the company for more than 20 years, he made outstanding contributions and was admired by his colleagues. Mr. Chiang was a respected leader in the MSI family, and helped pave the way for the brandâ€™s success.
We are all deeply saddened by the news, and are mourning the loss of Mr. Chiang.
He will be deeply missed by the entire team.”

Chiang joined MSI in 1999 as Vice President of Engineering. In 2010, he became general manager of the company’s Desktop Platform Business Division, before being promoted to the role of CEO last year in January 2019.


This Nintendo Switch Game Lets You Massage Women To The Beat Of Songs

Japanese publisher Qureate announced a rather interesting title that combines relaxation techniques with music rhythm mechanics. Sounds innocent enough, right?
The game is called Massage Freaks and you play a masseuse who massages his clients for money to pay off his debts, with your hand and finger motions following the beat of the song. You use button prompts to time the massage strokes and pressing tech to the background music.
This being a Japanese game from a company known for cultured products, all your clients are hot anime women with inhuman body proportions.

Based on the screenshots above, your hands will be touching areas close to a woman’s private bits, though you won’t go to jail for being a sex pest since this is one of those kind of “fantasy wish fulfillment” titles. Oh and there’s a talking cat who gives you advice while also conveniently blocking all the saucy bits of a woman during your massaging groove. The clients clearly will get ecstatic and take off more of their clothes when you’re hitting all the right spots and when the music goes to a climax. Heh.
The game also lets you date your clients off the clock, because of course you can. There’s even a mode called Nice! Totally Relaxed! Mode (NTR mode, which is shortform for a kind of hentai genre which involves watching); you get the best reactions no matter where you touch the customers; it’s essentially easy mode.

Yeah, fun for the whole family! Massage Freaks will be wriggling its way onto Japanese store shelves on 4th August for Nintendo Switch; it’s on the eShop for US$27.99. You’ll have to ask a shop that’s daring enough to import this from Japan if you want to get a physical copy.


Our Thoughts On The Game Awards 2018 Nominees

Geoff Keighley’s patented Game Awards show is going to be a thing this December. As such, we’re curious about the nominees for this year’s showing.
We’ve got them now; turns out these picks aren’t big surprises if you’ve kept up with your gaming. What’s really cool is that you can also pick your favourite esports host, player, team, and event. Cast your votes here.Â
Read on for the full list and our personal votes for some of them.

Game of the Year
Nominees: AC Odyssey, Celeste, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Monster Hunter World, Red Dead Redemption 2.
Our Thoughts
Kenn:Â I’m voting Marvel’s Spider-Man. A wonderful experience from start to finish, doing justice to one of our favourite comic characters in a deftly executed, brilliantly directed and crafted blockbuster of a game.
Eschewing the traditional trope of mindless and action-only superhero video games, Marvel’s Spider-Man gives a new meaning to what is required and expected of a superhero. Easily a 10/10 game if you can forgive the less-than-stellar camera work.
Jon:Â Tough call; these are really good picks. But my vote will have to go to God of War because of how it’s a complete package that’s rife with violence, heartfelt father-son moments, and praise for the setting and myth.
Alleef: God of War is my pick for this category because it’s one of the few games that actually deserves a 10/10 rating. I was awed by the game’s narrative and phenomenalÂ visuals from the beginning to the very end of the game.
I struggled to even find flaws in its captivating gameplay and story. By the end of the game, I was left wanting and utterly satisfied all at the same time, which not many games can boast of. If you told me ten years ago that a God of War would make me cry, I’d say you were crazy but look at where we are now.
Best Ongoing Game

Nominees: Destiny 2- Forsaken, Fortnite, No Man’s Sky, Overwatch, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege.
Our Thoughts
Kenn: Overwatch. Longevity and an ever growing community are two pillars of what makes an ongoing game great and in Overwatch, Blizzard hit all the right notes and then some.
Equally thriving on both casual and professional (esports) scene, Overwatch hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down: in fact, with an ever-growing heroes list and upcoming second season of the Overwatch League; we may have a title that will live long into the future and win more awards such as this in years to come.
Jon: I’m defaulting to Overwatch too because Warframe isn’t on this list. To which I say to Geoff & company: for shame. For frickin’ shame.

Best Game Direction
Nominees: A Way Out, Detroit – Become Human, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Red Dead Redemption 2
Best Narrative
Nominees: Detroit – Become Human, God of War, Life is Strange 2: Episode 1, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Red Dead Redemption 2.
Our Thoughts
Jon: Unlike my compatriots here, I haven’t finished RDR2 yet so I’ll have to go with God of War for now. There’s just something touching about a former mass murderer of all things godly trying to be human and reconnecting with his son. Also, those twists and turns in the second half of the game are handled very, very well.
Alleef:Â God of War for me. At the beginning of the game, we had no idea how Kratos ended up in ancient Norway with a recently-deceased wife and a young son. Sony Santa Monica managed to spin an epic Norse odyssey of sorts, as we learn of truths and revelations in our journey through Midgard. The relationship between Kratos and his son Atreus is the highlight of the game’s narrative.
Best Art Direction

Nominees: AC Odyssey, God of War, Octopath Traveler, Red Dead Redemption 2, Return of the Obra Dinn.
Our Thoughts
Jon: Octopath Traveler. The 16-bit diorama art style here is just a league of its own. To be honest, it was a close call between this, RDR2’s slick portrayal of the Wild West (frozen horse balls and all), and Return of the Obra Dinn’s monochrome magic. But Octopath gets it because I’m a sucker for new ways to showcase awesome classic sprite artwork.
Alleef: I’ll have to give this to Red Dead Redemption 2. Everything from the game’s menu to the in-game objects like shop catalogues screams of the Wild West. The folks at Rockstar Games have lovingly crafted the most realistic depiction of America’s most romanticizedÂ age in a video game.
Best Score/Music

Nominees:Â Celeste, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Ni no Kuni II-Revenant Kingdom, Octopath Traveler, Red Dead Redemption 2.
Jon: It’s a no-contest – Octopath Traveler gets my vote hands-down because it’s the 2018 equivalent of a classic JRPG soundtrack complete with awesome violin solos, rockin’ battle beats, and all-around mood-generating soundscape. Though to be fair, RDR2’s OST is rock solid and Celeste‘s old-school-meets-new-school hybrid composition is enchanting.
Alleef: God of War composer Bear McCreary also made the music for the iconic 2004 Battlestar Galactica series. That alone should tell you that his God of War soundtrack is one that inspires awe and heartbreak, as well as enchanting us with its ethereal symphony of seemingly otherworldlyÂ music. My favourite track is “Memories of Mother”.
Best Audio Design

Nominees: Black Ops 4, Forza Horizon 4, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Red Dead Redemption 2.
Our Thoughts
Jon: It’s a toss-up between Forza Horizon 4 and Red Dead Redemption 2. Either game seem to have the detail of their genre and trappings down pat. The former really paid attention to the different weight and framework of each car’s engine and even tire screeching.
Alleef: The sound of clipping ammo and authentic old guns sold me on Red Dead Redemption 2’s impeccable audio design, besides taking the time to stroll in its open-world and hearing a litany of sounds from nature all around me.
Best Performance

Nominees: Bryan Dechart as Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Christopher Judge as Kratos (God of War), Melissanthi Mahut as Kassandra (AC Odyssey), Roger Clark as Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption 2), Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker (Marvel’s Spider-Man).
Our Thoughts
Kenn: I’m going with Yuri Lowenthal. While it was Peter who don the suit, it was us who don the Peter Parker persona and it was delivered impeccably by Yuri who did not miss a beat. Very rare does a superhero movie or video game is carried by the performance of the character not in their alter ego – and we get it in buckets in Spider-Man.
Jon: Yeah, I’m going with Yuri Lowenthal here. As fun as it is to listen to Christopher Judge’s growling and yelling out of the word “boy” copious amounts of times, Yuri is right now THE essential Spider-Man/Peter Parker voice that is on par with great Spider-Man VOs like Josh Keaton and…er.. that’s about it really.
Alleef: Is it too early to put Yuri Lowenthal’s Spider-Man on the same pedestal as Kevin Conroy’s Batman? He’s just that good. Lowenthal manages to pull off both Peter Parker and Spider-Man so effortlessly that it’s like he really does swing by rooftops in his spare time.
Games For Impact

Nominees: 11-11 Memories Retold, Celeste, Florence, Life is Strange 2 – Episode 1, The Missing – JJ Macfield and the Island of Memories.
Best Independent Game

Nominees: Celeste, Dead Cells, Into The Breach, Return of the Obra Dinn, The Messenger.
Our Thoughts
Jon: I’m voting for The Missing because of the way it reminded me of that old game Neverdead. Except in 2D and actually good.
Best Mobile Game
Nominees: Donut County, Florence, Fortnite, PUBG Mobile, Reigns: Game of Thrones.
Our Thoughts
Kenn: PUBG Mobile. It succeeds where its PC brethren fails and, in a very rare occasion for mobile version of games, surpasses its predecessor. It’s fun to play, solid when connected and from my personal experience, almost bug-free.
This makes you wonder if BlueHole and PUBG Corp should have stuck with this model from the get-go, ditch PC altogether and make the mobile battle royale scene their own personal playground. Being free to play helps a lot too!
Best VR/AR Game
Nominees: ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission, Beat Saber, Firewall Zero Hour, Moss, Tetris Effect.
Best Action Game
Nominees: Black Ops 4, Dead Cells, Destiny 2- Forsaken, Far Cry 5, Mega Man 11.
Our Thoughts
Kenn: Black Ops 4. Frenetic, high octane action regardless of mode you’re on, Black Ops 4 takes the CoD franchise back to its rightful pedestal – at the tippy top of action games. Hardly any downtime here, players are pushed to their limits in terms of reaction and response times as well as dialing the fun factor to 11.
Solid gunplay, fun modes and a fresh take on the battle royale genre; that’s my justification for my nomination for Black Ops 4.
Jon: Dead Cells gets my vote, though I’m pretty sure Black Ops will take the popular vote. Imagine taking the best aspects of a metroidvania action game and then randomizing it roguelike style, then add in well-animated rotoscope-esque aesthetics and slick controls in a 2D Dark Souls-like environment; that’s Dead Cells in a stylized nutshell.

Best Action/Adventure Game
Nominees: AC Odyssey, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Red Dead Redemption 2, Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Best RPG

Nominees: Dragon Quest XI, Monster Hunter World, Ni no Kuni II, Octopath Traveler, Pillars of Eternity II.
Our Thoughts
Jon: I’m voting for Octopath Traveler because (a) the Boost system and turn-based fighting is handled pretty well despite regular fights being draggy, (b) each character’s tales are handled well though I wished it converged at the end game, and (c) the aesthetics are just godlike. It’s not perfect, but the combined might of these points make it my go-to JRPG pick for this year.
Alleef: Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is the best JRPG of the current games generation. It manages to hone almost every traditional JRPG trope to perfection, despite lacking in any real innovation. It’s the culmination of decades of growth and proves that there’s nothing wrong with sticking with the classics.
Best Fighting Game

Nominees: BlazBlue- Cross Tag Battle, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Soulcalibur VI, Street Fighter V Arcade Edition.
Our Thoughts
Jon: Dragon Ball FighterZ is going to win this one hands-down because of popularity. Me? I’ll vote for Soulcalibur VI. Why? Because it’s still going back to basics with its 3D 8-Way Run fighting mechanic but with a few new additions like Reversal Edges & Soul Charges to spice things up on a competitive level.
Best Family Game

Nominees: Mario Tennis Aces, Nintendo Labo, Overcooked 2, Starlink – Battle for Atlas, Super Mario Party.
Best Strategy Game
Nominees: The Banner Saga 3, Battletech, Frostpunk, Into The Breach, Valkyria Chronicles 4.
Best Sports/Racing Game

Nominees: FIFA 19, Forza Horizon 4, Mario Tennis Aces, NBA 2K19, Pro Evolution Soccer 2019
Best Multiplayer Game

Nominees: Black Ops 4, Destiny 2 – Forsaken, Fortnite, Monster Hunter World, Sea of Thieves.
Best Esports Game
Nominees: CSGO, Dota 2, Fortnite, League of Legends, Overwatch.
Best Esports Player

Nominees: SonicFox, Tokido, Uzi, s1mple, JJonak.
Our Thoughts
Kenn: While we have an impressive list of players here, name one who not only won the MVP title for a league spanning over half a year – which his team finished top, he also won the World Cup and the tournament MVP within the same period.
That’s Jjonak for you: a meta-defining freak of nature.
Jon: I’m going with the multi-talented SonicFox. From Injustice to Mortal Kombat to MvC to Dragon Ball FighterZ and Soulcalibur VI, this young player can juggle fighting games better than other players in the field. With top finishes and rankings as well as that carefree attitude pre-game, he’s the next big thing.
Best Esports Team
Nominees: Astralis (CSGO), Cloud9 (LoL), FNatic (LoL), London Spitfire (OWL), OG (Dota 2)
Best Esports Coach
Nominees: Reapered (Cloud9), ppasarel (OG), zonic (Astralis), Dylan Falco (Fnatic), YamatoCannon (Team Vitality), YNk (MiBR).
Best Esports Event
Nominees: ELEAGUE Major- Boston 2018, EVO 2018, LoL Worlds, Overwatch League Grand Finals, The International 2018.
Best Esports Host
Nominees: Goldenboy, Machine, Anders Blume, Sjokz, RedEye.
Best Esports Moment

Nominees: C9 Comeback Win In Triple OT vs FAZE (ELEAGUE), G2 Beating RNG (LoL Worlds), KT vs IG Base Race (LoL Worlds), OG’s Massive Upset of LGD (Dota 2 Finals), SonicFox Side Switch against Go1 in DBZ (EVO)
Content Creator of the Year
Nominees: Dr. Lupo,Myth, Ninja, Pokimane, Willyrex.