KKP’s Best Games Of 2020

Originally published on 23rd December 2020. Brought forward because the list is complete.
Is 2020 really the best year? It depends on how you look at it.
Despite the very long year of a worldwide pandemic and the fallout from it, online events up the wazoo, and a struggling economy worldwide, video games as a whole seem to be doing just great. Some of them are delayed to next year and beyond, yes, but that can’t be helped. Since people already have their consoles and platforms from a year or so ago and are mostly indoors, it’s only a matter of buying games that are complete to entertain yourself.
Granted, the end of 2020 is arguably a questionable time for folks to spend RM2,000+ for a luxury next-gen console. However, if you can snag one, you’re still in for a treat.

Still, we’re here to talk about the best games and the best game-related things of 2020. What are they? Why are they?
Starting today from 14th December to 15th January (Mondays to Fridays), we’ll be counting down our 30 best games of the year. Technically we’ve already mentioned our top 16, but we’ll be putting it in word form for the sake of this month-long feature to celebrate the best of 2020 gaming. This is despite the year being, well, crummy.
Just a few rules:
-We are only including games that received a score of 70 and above on our site. Having said that, we will make acceptions for a few titles that we played but didn’t review in full form.
-We are not including compilations, remasters that aren’t full-on remakes), and legacy collections on our final 2020 games list. Sorry, Mega Man Zero/Zero Legacy Collection, Mr Driller Drilland, and Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. You’ll have to make do on the Honorable Mentions list or something, but with July arrivals and onward, we have to make room for other newer titles that need attention.
–We will also not be putting in games made in 2018 on a 2020 list for obvious reasons. We’re definitely excluding you, Among Us.
So in no particular order, here are the games.

Game #30: Final Fantasy VII Remake
Game #29: Hades
Game #28: The Last of Us Part 2
Game #27: Nioh 2
Game #26: Fires At Midnight
Game #25: Coffee Talk
Game #24: Ghostrunner
Game #23: Doom Eternal
Game #22: Trials of Mana (2020)
Game #21: Crash Bandicoot 4 – It’s About Time
Game #20: Star Wars Squadron
Game #19: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Game #18: No Straight Roads
Game #17: Animal Crossing – New Horizons

Game #16: Call of Duty – Warzone
Game #15: Valorant
Game #14: Granblue Fantasy Versus
Game #13: Carrion
Game #12: Gears Tactics
Game #11: Genshin Impact

Game #10: BPM – Bullets Per Minute
Game #9: Streets of Rage 4
Game #8: Astro’s Playroom
Game #7: Yakuza – Like A Dragon
Game #6: Ori & The Will of the Wisps
Game #5: Umurangi Generation
Game #4: Cyberpunk 2077 (PC, Xbox Series, PS5)
Game #3: Spiritfarer
Game #2: 13 Sentinels
Game #1: Ghost of Tsushima

Miscellaneous Yet Noteworthy Awards Of 2020

The Best Video Game Stories & Moments Of 2020
The Video Game Waifus & Husbandos of 2020
Why The Xbox Game Pass Is The Best Console Exclusive Of 2020
The Best Game Soundtracks Of 2020

The Best Films & TV Shows Of 2020 (yeah, we still do those!)
The Worst Games & Gaming Things Of 2020

Guest Posts From Our KKP Pals
Az Samad’s Top 10 Things He Loves About Hades’ Music
Aiman Maulana [NOC] & His Favourite Games Of 2020
Michelle “Lylia” Tan & Her Favourite Games In 2020
Gamer Matters’ Meck & Danial’s Top 10 Games Of 2020
Su Ling Chan’s 10 Favourite Game VOs Of 2020
Reimaru Files’ Top 10 Games Of 2020
The Magic Rain’s Top Gaming Picks Of 2020


Kingdom Under Fire 2 MMO To Be A Fully-Priced Game, Out In November

Kingdom Under Fire 2 was originally announced back in 2008 but has since fallen in development hell for the past decade. Just when we all thought this game would never be released, publisher Gameforge has launched pre-orders for the game, as well as an epic new trailer.
Unlike other MMORPGs, Kingdom Under Fire 2 distinguishes itself by featuring RTS elements, allowing players to fight alongside and control their own armies into battle. It features three factions; the Human Alliance, Dark Legion, and Encablossians warring for dominance over the realm of Bersia.
In an interview with WCCFTech, Gameforge said:

“Through KUF2 was released as F2P title in other regions, Gameforge will publish KUF2 as a ‘buy to play’ title, as we see this as the best approach to ensure the best possible game experience fitting the content of the game.
We are still evaluating in-game purchase options at this time but will have more information on this soon.”

Despite being a premium fully-priced title, Kingdom Under Fire 2 will still feature “optional cosmetic items and convenience items such as character mounts.” Pre-order packages are currently priced at $30, $50, or $100, with each containing different contents.
No definitive release date has been given for the game, but it is slated to release for the PC sometime in November 2019.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4OOWYH9os4&w=560&h=315]


New Twisted Metal Trailer Teases The Series’ Wisecracking Humour

Peacock has unveiled a brand new trailer for the upcoming Twisted Metal series.
It stars Anthony Mackie, Neve Campbell, Stephanie Beatriz, and Thomas Haden Church, as well as Richard Cabral, Mike Mitchell, Tahj Vaughans and Lou Beatty Jr. Sweet Tooth is voiced by Will Arnett.
The Twisted Metal series will premiere on Peacock on 27  July 2023 with 10 episodes in its first season.
The synopsis reads:
Twisted Metal, a half-hour live-action TV series based on the classic PlayStation game series, is a high-octane action comedy, based on an original take by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick and written by Michael Jonathan Smith, about a motor-mouthed outsider offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
With the help of a badass axe-wielding car thief, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck.
Check out the trailer below:


Kakuchopurei Best 30 Games Of 2022: #5

For the rest of the list, head here. For #6, head here.
#5: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Shredder’s Revenge

After numerous crappy and subpar license action games, it’s high time the original mutant animal ninja brothers -Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello- get back their honour with a beat-em-up title worthy of their legacy. And it’s as meaty as a giant-sized pepperoni-and-cheese-filled pizza from New York.
Made by Tribute Games and Dotemu, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge takes the 2D beat-em-up and co-op concepts of the 80s and 90s arcade and NES titles, and just made them bigger and better for a 2022 audience. The game gives you a bunch of movesets and skills so that you can evade and counter what’s tossed at you, from multi-coloured foot soldiers to even the mothertruckin’ Triceraton army. This TMNT title is easy to jump into and features all your favourite turtles, and even ex-damsels April O’Neil and Splinter as power-fighting badasses (and deservedly so). Heck, this is the only TMNT title where all six heroes can team up to take on the gnarliest of challenges and levels.
Coupled with an awesome artstyle and soundtrack that’s just full of 80s Saturday Morning Cartoon personality and vibe, and you have the total pizza power package. You’d be a goon not to jump in on this co-op brawler madness.


India Bans PUBG Mobile & A Hundred Chinese Apps

India has banned PUBG Mobile, Alipay, Baidu and more, for a total of 118 Chinese apps, This comes only a month since the Indian government was rumoured to be considering banning PUBG Mobile after having banned other Chinese apps such as TikTok and Mobile Legends.
In a statement (via Nikkei Asian Review), the Indian government said thatÂ the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology receivedÂ complaints about the misuse ofÂ some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms “for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India.”
The statement continued:
“The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures.”
The conflict between India and China is escalating, negatively impacting everything, including the games industry. India was the top market for PUBG Mobile, generating about 175 million installs to date, or 24 percent of the game’s total downloads in the world, according to app market intelligence company Sensor Tower.


COD Mobile World Championship 2022 Regional Finals – Dates & Teams

The World Championships are still quite a ways away but the qualifiers are already beginning next month. Why is this? This is because for the first time ever, Champs will be played on LAN and to do so means that they will need time to secure everyone’s visas.
But first, we need to find out who’s going to qualify. So, as the resident Call of Duty: Mobile player, I’m here to let you all know the ins and outs of each region, which teams to expect to qualify and obviously the dates of the tournaments.
It should also be noted that there’s still no information on the Garena (Southeast Asia) and Chinese qualifiers, so once more info gets released, you can bet this piece will be updated.

INDIA
DATE: 13–14 AUGUST
PRIZE POOL: US$75,000
STREAM: YouTube
TEAMS:

GodLike
FenirxRebirth
Enigma Gaming
Team Vitality
i2K EliteX
Nirvana Esports
Revenant Esports
RDX

In last year’s Eastern Finals, India struggled the most out of all the regions. Given that the tournament was online, some sympathy must be given as their connection to Southeast Asian teams handicapped them greatly.
Since then, there hasn’t been much change in terms of teams and their power rankings. GodLike still sit on top as the most dominant Indian team right now and with the potential of LAN for the World Championship, we may finally get to see what India has in store for us.

We definitely shouldn’t leave Revenant Esports and Team Vitality out of the question though. These two teams are the only ones that have ever been able to challenge GodLike so keep an eye out for them.

LATIN AMERICA
DATE: 13–14 AUGUST
PRIZE POOL: US$75,000
STREAM: YouTube
TEAMS:

Zygnus Esports – Mexico
Team Zodiac – Mexico
FR Bulls – Brazil
iNCO Gaming – Brazil
iTi7an Gaming – Peru
SKADE – Brazil
Loops – Brazil
INFLUENCE RAGE – Brazil

The Latin American circuit is quite complicated mainly due to the Mexican teams being considered North American by thrid-party tournament organisers but recognised as a LATAM country by Activision.
With that said, the top team hailing from Mexico, Zygnus Esports are the fan-favourites to win. As the only team able to stand up against North America’s top team, there are high expectations for this Mexican squad.

But we need to keep in mind that Zygnus didn’t win in the qualifiers. In fact it was FR Bulls who beat them in the semifinals and went on to take the entire tournament. So on paper at least, FR Bulls are the only ones who can be considered definite candidates to take down Zygnus.

EUROPE
DATE: 20–21 AUGUST
PRIZE POOL: US$75,000
STREAM: YouTube
TEAMS

Nova Esports – Mixed
Light– Mixed
Cold Esports– United Kingdom
AXIBYTE – Netherlands
Animus – France
Xitium – United Kingdom
Limitless eSport – France
Prometheus – Spain

For Europe it’s pretty much a no brainer when it comes to which teams will be the top-seeded going into the Championship, that being Nova Esports and Animus. There’s obviously room for an upset but the likeliness of that happening is little to none.

If there was a chance of an upset it would most likely be from Cold Esports with their captain James “Jim” Brosnan at the helm. With tons of Tier 1 experience, if any team is able to make an upset, it’d be this team.

JAPAN
DATE: 20–21 AUGUST
PRIZE POOL: US$75,000
STREAM: YouTube
TEAMS

VrilliantOwlX (VoX)
BBV Tokyo
SCARZ
7iz
PARALLEL WORLD
Call of Juicy
Jadex
Kuro no Soshiki (????)

Japan’s always been a pretty tight-nitted community with only a few top tier teams existing at a time. 2022 is no different as going into this qualifier there are three big names to keep an eye out for. VoX, BBV Tokyo and SCARZ.

Not too much is known about the other teams competing so we will have to wait and see if any have the potential to upset one of the big three.

NORTH AMERICA
DATE: 27–28 AUGUST
PRIZE POOL: US$75,000
STREAM: YouTube
TEAMS

Tribe Gaming – United States
NYSL Mayhem – United States
DST Team – Dominican Republic
Trucker Gaming – United States
unDream – United States
Cold Shower – United States
DramaZ – Panama
Wicked eSports – United States

Tribe. Enough said.

The absolute most dominant team ever in CODM. Ever since their signing, they have continuously won almost every tournament they’ve participated in. The only team that even has a chance at bringing them to a Game 5, Round 11 S&D is NYSL Mayhem. Under-pressure Mayhem thrives so we can expect them to secure themselves a spot in the World Championship.


Crysis Remastered Confirmed, And It’s Also Coming To The Switch

It’s official: we’re getting Crysis Remastered for major platforms, including the Nintendo Switch.

The new teaser revealed that the remaster is “coming soon”, and that the Switch aside, it’ll be coming to PC, Xbox One, and PS4 too. We also get a brief look at the updated Nanosuit and island setting of the original game. Will this herald a new wave of “Can it run Crysis?” memes?
On a more serious note, while I’m glad to see the original Crysis again (since the sequels are vastly inferior, though fun on their own merits), I’m not really hyped up over the “remastered” part of the title. Like Saints Row: The Third Remastered, I feel that the game would be better served by a remake. In Crysis’ case, it’s because the linear, alien-focused second half doesn’t match up to the first half’s open levels and delightful human encounters, and updated graphics alone won’t fix that.
I’m sure there’ll still be an audience for Crysis Remastered though, and if this results in new Crysis games that retain the intoxicating freedom, entertaining physics, and strong Predator-esque power fantasy of the original, well, that’d be sweet.


The Ascent Blasts Onto The Xbox & PC Today

Publisher Curve Digital and Swedish indie studio Neon Giant are excited to invite gamers to make their mark in the brave new world of Veles, as the studioâ€™s highly anticipated debut title The AscentÂ is now available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and Xbox Game Pass.
The AscentÂ wasÂ originally announcedÂ during the Xbox Series X Showcase back in May 2020.
A solo and co-op action-shooter RPG set in a sci-fi cyberpunk world,Â The Ascent is the first title from Neon Giant, a new 12-person studio composed of games industry veterans who were some of the minds behind iconic AAA titles such as the Gears Of War, Bulletstorm and Wolfenstein franchises.

The AscentÂ sees players dive into â€˜The Ascent Groupâ€™ arcology, a self-contained corporate-run metropolis, stretching high into the sky and filled with creatures from all over the galaxy. Taking on the role of an indentured worker, the world starts to go haywire when The Ascent Group shuts down for unknown reasons. Life becomes a case of survival, with rival corporations and crime syndicates looking to fill the empty space and players having to take up arms to hold them off.
Neon Giant Creative Director and co-founder Tor Frick said:
â€œAbout three years ago we founded Neon Giant; a small game dev studio with the belief that with the right focus and mindset, even just a few people can create grand experiences and high quality games.
We have a passion for creating living worlds and action gameplay – itâ€™s in our DNA from our shared history in the industry and The Ascent is the result of our teamâ€™s passion and hard work.â€
Fellow co-founder and Creative Director of the studio Arcade Berg added:
â€œIn The Ascent, you start off at the bottom of the food chain – thatâ€™s just the life of an indent – but as you progress, you will get to grow more powerful, find shiny guns, toys and augmentations making you able to live out your twisted power fantasies – if you choose – with robot tentacles coming out of your back.
We will take you across the world, wide and high, in a megacity filled with turmoil and introduce you to characters who have found ways to thrive in this environment. We hope our game is as fun and exciting for you playing it as it was for us to make it.â€
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Tencent To Acquire LittleBigPlanet 3 Developer Sumo

Tencent has announced that they will acquire Sumo Group, the UK developer behind LittleBigPlanet 3 and Sackboy A Big Adventure. The China-based megacorporation is reportedly spending US$1.26 billion for the acquisition.
Tencent already owns League Of Legends studio Riot Games and has shares in several other video game companies. These include Epic Games, Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, Bluehole, Paradox Interactive, Supercell, Grinding Gear Games, Yager, and Bohemia Interactive.
While Sumo is best known for PlayStation exclusive IPs like LittleBigPlanet 3 and Sackboy A Big Adventure,Â they also developed Hitman 2 and Crackdown 3.
In a statement to Engadget, Sumo non-executive chairman Ian Livingstone said:
â€œThe business will benefit from Tencentâ€™s broad videogaming ecosystem, proven industry expertise and its strategic resources, which will help secure and further the aspirations and long-term success of Sumo.”
This year has been a huge year for gaming industry acquisitions. The most high-profile ones so far have been Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda, EA’s for racing game developer Codemasters, Epic Games’ of Fall Guys developer Mediatonic, Sony’s of Returnal developer Housemarque.


Destiny 2 Has “Roughly 50%” More Cheating Now

Destiny 2 seems to be having a cheating problem right now, with developer Bungie saying that cheating “is up roughly 50 percent since January, and significantly more in the highest skill echelons”.
The information comes via a new blog post, where Bungie said that most of the cheating happened on PC (“unsurprisingly”). Currently, they’re working on dealing with memory-poking attacks, aimbots, wallhacks, and lag switching on PC, while facing DDOS in Trials of Osiris and lag switching for consoles.
In regards to those memory-poking attacks, Bungie said that some of them “leverage Destinyâ€™s unique hosting model… We designed Destinyâ€™s model to optimize for the feel and consistency of high-complexity, high-action, and high-fidelity PvE experiences while allowing the seamless blending of PvE and PvP. Unfortunately, that model comes with some unique challenges in providing PvP security guarantees.

“That said, we continue to invest in preventions and detections in this space, leveraging the servers that host and monitor every match. This is a subtle point weâ€™ve struggled to convey over the years: we do have servers hosting every match, but in our hosting model, those servers donâ€™t have complete authority over the game simulation to prevent all of these sorts of attacks naturally. This makes it more difficult (but not impossible) to mitigate these attacks.”

While they’re still actively combating those issues, they’ve also been handing out an increasing number of bans. “Before Season of the Worthy launched, we were averaging 656 bans or restrictions per week,” they wrote. “In the first four weeks after launch, that rate more than tripled to 2133 punishments per week”.
Aside from cheating, Bungie is also working on improving the Trials experience, and have detailed several short-term solutions. These include creating “a weekly bounty that encourages participation each weekend and does not require match wins” and plans for “creating token payout milestones at 3/5/7 wins that give successively larger chunks of tokens”.
“While every single player won’t make it to the Lighthouse, you should feel like you can get meaningful rewards by pushing yourself and still get some rewards for spending time in the activity,” they said.
It’s good to see Bungie taking efforts to improve the Trials experience and combat cheating, even if I think the base gameplay itself needs some reworking too. At the end of the post, they said that they’ll be discussing Destiny 2‘s seasonal model and bounties, so fans have that to look forward to too.
“Bear with us as we work to steadily improve the game,” they wrote. “Much like you, we love Destiny and we want it to be the best that it can be.” Check out the full blog post here.


Leaked Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League Battle Pass Suggests Live Service Game

A leaked screenshot from Warner Bros Games and Rocksteady Studios’ Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League has revealed that the game will likely feature a battle pass, which means that it will likely be a live-service title.
According to the leaked image, other options available to players in the main menu include the story mode, game mode, chapter select, difficulty and matchmaking. In addition, the tab at the top features tabs for squad, looks, loadout, talents, social, battle pass, store, codex and options.There also seem to be various in-game currencies.
[Update 17/1/2023]: There’s some additional info with the picture revealed (via Video Games Chronicle). The Battle Pass is for cosmetics, with the “currencies” being character XP used to power up and customize the skill tree of each squad member. Furthermore, characters do not start out debuffed and weak.
“You just start off great and can get ridiculous, like Arkham Knight’s Batman”.
Whether that is true remains to be seen until we get hands-on with the title.
During The Game Awards 2022, Rocksteady Games revealed our first look at an evil Batman in their upcoming Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League. The late Kevin Conroy will be voicing the game’s version of Bruce Wayne AKA Batman. Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League launches on 26 May 2023 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Check out the image below (before it’s eventually taken down):

First look at the Suicide Squad game menu. Mentions Battle Pass, Loadout, Missions based structure. #Batman #SuicideSquad pic.twitter.com/t3vmHmjQ8k
— Andrew Marmo (@the_marmolade) January 17, 2023


Ana’s Bastet Challenge Has Arrived in Overwatch

Ana’s Bastet Challenge has arrived in Overwatch and that means some exciting new loot to unlock. The event will be run from today to 21 January 2019 (PST), where players can earn exclusive content either by playing or watching Overwatch during that timeframe.
The new Bastet-inspired loot includes five sprays, a player icon, a victory pose, and an epic Bastet Ana skin. For example, winning 3 Quick Play, Competitive Play, or Arcade games will net players a player icon. Winning 6 and 9 games will earn them the victory pose and Bastet Ana skin, respectively.
Watching Overwatch on Twitch can also net players these Bastet-themed cosmetics. Blizzard has partnered with content creators from around the world forÂ a new series of Twitch Drops depicting memorable moments from the short story. Tune in to participating broadcasters while theyâ€™re playing Overwatch anytime from now until 21 January (PST) to earn all five of Ana’s Bastet sprays.

This includes Overwatch League Dallas Fuel pro player Mickie from Thailand. His stream will go live on Twitch starting from 4pm on 9 January 2019.
Besides Ana’s Bastet Challenge event, the Overwatch Contenders Pacific (OWCP) Season 3 Playoffs will go live on 10 January 2019. Talon Esports, Xavier Esports, Nova Esports and GRANDXUR from Group A, and Hong Kong Attitude, Global Esports Pantheon, Phoenix and Cyclone Coupling from Group B will be playing in the playoffs.

The quarterfinals will take place on 10 and 11 January from 19:00 – 23:00 (GMT+8) while the semifinals and grand finals will be held on 17 and 18 January 2019 from 19:00 – 23:00 (GMT+8). Catch the action on Twitch here.
Last but not least, hero skins for the Atlanta Reign, Chengdu Hunters, Guangzhou Charge, Hangzhou Spark, Paris Eternal, Toronto Defiant, Vancouver Titans and Washington Justice are now available across all platforms. Each will be redeemable for 100 OWL tokens, which includes both the home and away variants.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5REN16pa9E&w=560&h=315]


Ghostrunner Slashes Its Way To Launch Next Month

Ghostrunner is a first-person cyberpunk parkour action game from developers One More Level, 3D Realms, and Slipgate Ironworks. It is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store and GOG on 28 October 2020.
Co-publishers All in! Games and 505 Games are now inviting players to apply for the gameâ€™s Private Beta, providing assassins with exclusive access to Ghostrunner if selected. To apply, interested players can join the Ghostrunner Discord server and submit an application.
They also announced that an updated free demo of Ghostrunner will arrive on Steam 29 September 2020.
In Ghostrunner, players can unleash deadly assaults against never-before-seen enemies, reach incredible heights with death-defying acrobatic abilities, and hack into the network of humanity’s final city, all with guidance from the Architect and newly-revealed ally Zoe.
Those who pre-order Ghostrunner will receive exclusive access to two katanas, one specially designed for each launch platform and unattainable at launch.

In addition, PlayStation Plus subscribers and all PC players can enjoy 20 percent off when pre-ordering Ghostrunner. Meanwhile, Xbox One players can get 10 percent off when pre-ordering the game.
Ghostrunner will be available on PS4, Xbox One and PC for the following prices:
SGD40.00THB899.00RM99.00IDR345,000VDN 733,000PHP 1,619


Anno: Mutationem Boss Guide & Stage Walkthrough

Anno: Mutationem is a fun 2D pixel art cyberpunk game featuring kick-ass fighter Ann who occasionally bartends for her family’s bar. It’s good fun if you’re looking for an indie fix this month; check out our glowing review of the game here.
You may come across some trouble with the game’s tough bosses and stage layouts. Luckily, we’re here to help. Of course, these are full guides so spoilers will be aplenty on the following video guides.

Anno: Mutationem Level Walkthroughs
Car Park Area

Freeway 42

Abandoned Freighter

Underground Lab

Central Admin and Central Intelligence Building (Penultimate Stage)

INNER CONSORTIUM (FINAL CHAPTER)

Anno: Mutationem Boss Fights


E3 2019: Doom Eternal Delivers Hell This November; Introduces Battle Mode

The year of the Doom Slayer is indeed 2019, as Id Software announced the release date of its upcoming FPS Doom Eternal: 22nd November.

It also marks the return of the old-school Cyberdemon, with the horns and all. We also were treated to some new gameplay showcasing the Slayer’s agility, his plethora of killing tools, and his grappling chain.
Not only that, but Bethesda also introduced a Collector’s Edition for the game which includes the actual helmet of the Slayer/Doomguy. It also comes with a steelbook designed by Mondo, a “Gift of Argent Power” litograph, a Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal digital OST in a form of a “cassette-shaped” USB drive, and a Doom lore book.

In addition, Id Software also introduced a new multiplayer mode called BattleMode where one player, a fully-loaded Slayer, fights against two demons of their choosing. Each round, the two opposing players can change up their demons and even place weaker demons to overwhelm the Slayer. This looks like asymmetrical multiplayer done right.

Doom Eternal will be out for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.Â  There will be more Doom Eternal gameplay later at QuakeCon, which is temporarily dubbed DoomCon for this year.


Logitech X Herman Miller Looks Like A Big Winner In The Gaming Chair Wars

Herman Miller is one of the most renowned home furniture companies in the world. And they’ve officially partnered with peripherals maker Logitech to make the ultimate gaming chair; the Herman Miller x Logitech G Embody Gaming Chair.
While it will set you back a whopping US$1,500, theÂ Embody Gaming Chair was designed with help from 30 physicians, with a focus on good posture and the ability to sit in one spot for an extended period of time.
It’s expensive as hell because it features padding with â€œcopper-infused particlesâ€ designed to cool off the body, and â€œpixelated support,â€ which helps more evenly distribute the sitterâ€™s weight. The 12-year warranty also helps justify the insane price-tag.Â
So far, there’s no release date for the chair, or whether it will be available outside of the US of A. Here’s the official description:

Thanks to a dynamic matrix of pixels, Embodyâ€™s seat and back surfaces automatically conform to your bodyâ€™s micro-movements, distributing your weight evenly as you sit.
This reduces pressure and encourages movement, both of which are key to maintaining healthy circulation and focus.

In times of a crisis or pandemic where working from home is viable, it pays to have a great, sturdy, and long-lasting chair that can serve your all-day sitting habits until the end of eternity. If this crossover is anything like the OG Embody, it’ll probably be worth it.
Check out the trailer for the Herman Miller x Logitech G Embody Gaming Chair below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpkG0FGEogQ&w=560&h=315]


Guess Which Shazam! Villain Will Be Confirmed For The Sequel? (Spoilers)

So Shazam! is a blast. It’s got superheroics, it’s got heart, and best of all it proves that Warner Bros. execs should have gone for the cartoony over-the-top aesthetics and tone ala Justice League Unlimited and all those other WB Animation fares.
Let’s talk about how it ended, and what it means for the DC Extended Universe.

The climax of Shazam revealed that Billy Batson shared his powers with his foster family, who were previously taken hostage by Dr. Sivana and then taken to the Rock of Eternity. Yep, the Marvel Family made their debut in this film: we get to see super-powered adult versions of Mary, Pedro, Eugene, Darla, and Freddy.

Yep, this looks better in live-action.
The battle stage was set: the Winter Carnival where Billy Batson was abandoned. Dr. Sivana unleashes six of the Seven Deadly Sins to apprehend the family. The fight ends with Billy Batson as Shazam baiting him to release Envy, thus weakening him.
After defeating the bad guy, Billy Batson did a solid for Freddy since he did a no-show as Shazam at his school. The show ended with Shazam visiting Freddy to endorse him as his manager/video guy before revealing a friend he brought: Superman.
Too bad they didn’t reveal his head; understandable since the most recent Superman movie actor Henry Cavill stopped being the Man of Steel for the time being.
But we have an extra mid-credits scene that sets the stage for the sequel, if Shazam earns WB gangbuster Aquaman money. An imprisoned Sivana scribbles a bunch of magic gibberish in hopes to bring back his powers, but to no avail. Suddenly, a disembodied voice beckoned to team up with him to rule the world. The camera then focuses its last shot to…
…this guy.
Yes, Mister Mind is an alien caterpillar/worm with the powers of mind control and telepathy.
In the most absurd of comic book twists, Shazam will potentially be fighting the minions and factions under the employ of Mister Mind the alien caterpillar. Like the picture caption said, Mister Mind has powerful mind control and telepathy. And is from Venus.
If I was drinking my Coca-Cola in the middle of this, I would have to apologize to the people in front of me for the extended spit take I would have done. God bless comics and their retardedly awesome supervillain ideas.
This also means the Monster Society of Evil will be making their debut in a future Shazam film. Yes, there is a faction in the DC universe called the Monster Society of Evil featuring these friendly chaps who will wreak havoc upon Fawcett City Philadelphia with a plot that may be convoluted for its own good.

I, for one, want to see Captain Nazi make an appearance. Or Mr Banjo if it’s still too soon. We really need Mr-named supervillains fighting the new Marvel Family in glorious colourful live-action.


Football Manager 2023 Console Slated To Launch On 1 February

Sports Interactive and SEGA have announced that the popular Football Manager series will be available on the PlayStation 5 starting February 1st with the release of Football Manager 2023 Console.
The release was originally planned for 8 November 2022 but was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances during the submissions and approval process. As a result, PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to redeem a 20% discount on the game until 14 February at 11:00 PM (UTC+8). This discount is consistent with the pre-order incentive that was offered prior to the original release date.

Miles Jacobson, Sports Interactive’s Studio Director, said: “We’re delighted with today’s update that we’re finally going to be able to get FM23 Console into the hands of PS5 gamers. Since the initial delay, the team at Sports Interactive and our colleagues at SEGA have worked tirelessly with Sony to overcome the issues and we’re pleased to now have a release candidate ready to launch next week.
While it’s unusual for us to release a game during a major football transfer window, our priority from the moment our initial launch was postponed was to get the game into the hands of PS5 gamers as quickly as possible. Once all the global transfer windows are closed, we will provide a data update for the PS5 edition in line with the updates for all of our other platforms.”


Far Cry 6 Drops This October, Features Crocodiles, CD Launchers, & Two-Legged Dogs

Ubisoft has finally unveiled new gameplay footage and the release date for Far Cry 6, the latest instalment in the Far Cry franchise.
Set in Yara, a tropical paradise frozen in time in the heart of the Caribbean, players will experience the adrenaline rush and chaos of guerrilla combat as they join the revolution to liberate Yaran people from the oppressive rule of dictator AntÃ³n Castillo and his teenage son Diego â€“ brought to life by Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian, Breaking Bad) and Anthony Gonzalez (Coco).
As local Yaran and military dropout Dani Rojas, players will be swept up in the guerrilla movement as the brutality of AntÃ³nâ€™s rule reaches new heights and the fire of revolution ignites across the country. Players will be able to choose to play Dani as a woman or a man and will join forces with a colourful cast of characters, including Clara Garcia, the leader of the revolutionary group Libertad, or Juan Cortez, a jaded ex-KGB spy and guerrilla master as they fight their way to take down the tyrant.
Fueled by the creativity of â€œresolverâ€ mastermind Juan Cortez, Far Cry 6 features a broad and unexpected arsenal of customizable â€œresolverâ€ weapons and tools. From a motorcycle engine powered minigun to a homing missile throwing backpack, pushing the â€œresolverâ€ spirit to the limit will grant Dani the power of an entire guerrilla army.
In addition to resolver options, players will be able to pick traditional weapons and use new ways to traverse the world such as horses, tanks and crazy DIY vehicles. They will also be able to pair up with all-new animal companions like Chorizo, the adorable wiener dog no soldier can ignore or Guapo, Juanâ€™s soldier-hungry pet crocodile.
The gameplay looks just like previous entries, but with crazier weapons and stuff. Ubisoft showed off the crocodile and two-legged dog companions, as well as weapons that launch killer CDs at enemies and a backpack that launches freaking airstrike missiles.
Alligator companion.
CD player launcher.
Good doggo.
Far Cry 6 is set to release on 7 October 2021 on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC on both the Epic Games Store and the Ubisoft Store. It was announced late last year in 2020Â thatÂ Far Cry 6Â would be delayed beyond its original 18 February 2021 release date.
Those who pre-order Far Cry 6 will get access to the â€œLibertad Packâ€ which includes the â€œLibertad Outfitâ€ for Chorizo and the state-of-the-art â€œDiscos Locosâ€, a weaponized disc launcher that will make enemies dance on their own graves. Fans who purchase Far Cry 6 on Xbox One or PS4 will be able to upgrade their version to next-gen at no additional cost on the Xbox Series X/S and the PS5Â®.
In the meantime, check out the awesome trailers below:


Kyoto Protocol Fuad Alhabshi’s Top 10 Gaming Things of 2019

2019 was a year of getting reacquainted with some quality game time. As a PC gamer, I spent a lot of time clearing my backlog of Steam games (most notably Divinity Original Sin 2).
However, there were also many new developments worth shouting about news-wise. Here we go!
#1. Mortal Kombat 11

I was 10 years old when the first Mortal Kombat came out and I feel fortunate to have been an active gamer during the nascency of the alternative fighting game (apart from Street Fighter). Iâ€™m glad to see the series got a deserved refresh into the modern age while dropping some of its clunkier features from the weird iterations that came before.
#2. Tropico 6
the adage â€œif it ainâ€™t broke, donâ€™t fix itâ€ comes to mind when talking about the Tropico series. Just make the same game with better graphics and your customers will be happy.
#3. Loot Box News
The controversy continues! Is it a gateway drug to gambling for young kids? If they donâ€™t get it from video games, itâ€™s easily available everywhere else. Just look at football in the UK for example.
#4. Diablo 4 Trailer

The phrase “whet my appetite” is an understatement. The CGI was just fantastic, it almost looks like they shot this with real actors. I also love the supporting info that has been released so far, e.g. player classes and gameplay reveals. I bought my old PC (then new) for Diablo 3. Looks like I have to buy a new PC in 2020.
#5. Blizzard Getting Wrapped Up In International Relations
After the company banned a Hearthstone player for making mention of his support to the protestors of Hong Kong. It shows that the world of video games is also susceptible to politics. I, for one, hope this trend doesnâ€™t continue.
One of my favourite games of all time is Lost Castle, made by a Chinese studio. Iâ€™d hate for the world of entertainment to be divided by an impending new world order.
#6. PES 2020 Reclaiming Top Spot
I have to be honest, itâ€™s not a great time for football games in general. Sloppy controls, crazy AI, broken player switching. I think part of that was because of the domination that FIFA had over the past decade and the complacency that followed.
Thatâ€™s why I was happy to see PES come out on top for once. I believe this genre needs an overhaul.
#7. “Hollywood” Ports That Donâ€™t Suck(?)

Could PokÃ©mon: Detective Pikachu be the start of something new? In other news, The Witcher came out. Reviews were mixed, but Iâ€™m a fan of Henry Cavill so itâ€™s all good to me. I think we can all agree itâ€™s not terrible, so thatâ€™s sort of being on the right path.
#8. PlayStation 5 Reveal
So sneaky! So many unconfirmed rumoursâ€¦ Until it was finally revealed that it WILL be released in 2020.
#9. Super Smash Bros Ultimate
I had been playing Super Smash Bros Brawl since 2007 on the Wii and still havenâ€™t managed to unlock all of the goodies that the game had to offer. I guess itâ€™s another decade of Smash Bros for me.
This is another case of “if it ainâ€™t broke, donâ€™t fix it”. It’s the most accessible fighting game ever.
#10. Half-Life Alyx Reveal

As one of those who are keeping blind faith that I will see HL3 someday, this announcement was a much-needed light at the end of the tunnel. There is life after HL2! Who knows what the future could hold?
Fuad is the lead vocalist and guitarist of Kyoto Protocol, a pretty rockin’ band with three studio albums. They’ll be performing in Singapore on 25th January at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre; stay tuned to their upcoming performances on their Facebook page.


Epic Games Shows Off Amazing-Looking Unreal Engine 5; Runs On PS5

During the second live stream of Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest 2020, Epic Games officially announced the Unreal Engine 5 for next-gen gaming with the reveal of a tech demo running natively in real-time on the PlayStation 5.

According to Epic Games, the main objective of Unreal Engine 5 is “to achieve photorealism on par with movie CG and real life”, which involves two new core technologies; Nanite and Lumen.
Nanite tech means that film-quality assets comprising hundreds of millions or billions of polygons can be imported directly into Unreal Engine 5, which will give developers the ability to generate â€œas much geometric detail as the eye can see”.
Meanwhile, Lumen tech means more dynamic real-time lighting. For instance, developers will be able to make the light adapt to situations like when changing the sunlight angle according to the time of day, simulation of turning on a flashlight, or light streaming in from a hole in the ceiling.

Unreal Engine 5 will be available in preview form sometime in early 2021, and will fully-launch sometime late in 2021, with support for next-gen consoles, current-gen consoles, PC, Mac, iOS, and Android.

In the meantime, check out the full “Lumen in the Land of Nanite” Unreal Engine 5 tech demo.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC5KtatMcUw&w=560&h=315]


The Final Arc Of Bleach Will Air Next October

Aniplex has shown off the first-ever teaser of the long-awaited conclusion to the shonen anime Bleach.
The final storyline, the Thousand Year Blood War Arc, will start airing in October 2022. The show’s animation will be produced by Studio Pierrot.
Check out the trailer below, which features a remix of Ichigo’s theme and some key manga panels in animated form.

Bleach is about an ordinary student-turned-Soul-Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki, who has to fight rogue spirits called Hollows and renegade shinigami and traitors in typical shonen battles of various power levels. The manga and anime’s storyline is penned by Tite Kubo.


Nacon Confirms New Test Drive Unlimited Game In The Works

The first Test Drive Unlimited originally launched for the Xbox 360 back in 2006, offering a new template for open-world racing games. It’s been nine years since the last instalment, and we’re finally getting confirmation of a new entry in the franchise.
Speaking with VentureBeat, Nacon (previously Bigben Interactive) Head of Publishing Benoit Clerc spoke about what the publisher has in store for in the future. He confirmed that KT Racing Kylotonn is currently working on a new Test Drive Unlimited game.
Based in Paris and Lyon, the developer is best known for having worked on off-road racing with WRC (World Championship Rally) and is currently finishing development on two-wheel racing with Isle of Man TT (which is slated to release on 20 March 2020).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEnQLY2R5fE&w=560&h=315]
Clerc doesn’t reveal anything else about the new Test Drive Unlimited game, but we’ll probably hear more about it in the near future. A good racing game that’s not Forza or Gran Turismo is hard to come by these days, so this is definitely welcome news for the racing video game community.


Ben Affleck Is Batman No More, The Batman Release Date Confirmed

Warner Bros. has announced (via The Hollywood Reporter) the upcoming release dates of several movies, including a whopping 3 DC Comics’ movies in 2021 alone. This includes Matt Reeve’s standalone The Batman, The Suicide Squad (sequel to 2016’s Suicide Squad), and DC Super Pets.
However, the most shocking, albeit not entirely unexpected, reveal to come out of all this is that Ben Affleck will not be reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in The Batman. This was reportedly confirmed by Affleck himself, in a tweet which you can check out below.

Excited for #TheBatman in Summer 2021 and to see @MattReevesLA vision come to life. https://t.co/GNgyJroMIO
â€” Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) January 31, 2019
Ben Affleck’s departure from the role of the Dark Knight has long been speculated by fans and journalists alike, ever since the underwhelming Justice League movie in 2017. To replace him, The Batman will feature a younger Bruce Wayne in his prime and not the Frank Miller-inspired older Batfleck version.
Meanwhile, DC Superpets will feature the pets of several DC characters including Superman’s Krypto, Batman’s dog Ace the Bat-Hound, Supergirl’s cat Streaky and more. Imagine it to be like a pet version of the Justice League, though I have no idea if this would work in live action.
Batman also has a Bat-Cow and that’s no (killing) joke.
DC Superpets is slated to release on 21 May 2021, followed by The Batman on 25 June and The Suicide Squad on 6 August in the same year.
Fans of Batfleck will certainly loathe this decision, as some of them consider Ben Affleck’s turn as the Caped Crusader to be the best live-action portrayal of the character. I for one look forward to a younger Batman, and one that is worthy of carrying the mantle in a way closer to that of the source material.
For what to expect from the upcoming The Batman movie, director Matt Reeves had this to say in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter:Â “It’s very much a point of view-driven, noir Batman tale. It’s told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it’s going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional.” He also explained that his version of Batman will be “more in his detective mode than we’ve seen in the films.”


The Original Titanfall Is No Longer Available For Sale

The original Titanfall was launched for the Xbox One and PC in 2014. After seven years, developer Respawn Entertainment has officially ended all sales of the first Titanfall game. Titanfall will also be removed from subscription-based services starting from 1 March 2022.
However, on the bright side, any players who’ve already purchased Titanfall will still have access to live servers. Despite the sudden removal of the game from all storefronts, Respawn insists that Titanfall is still part of the studio’s identity and that the universe will continue.

A note about Titanfall. pic.twitter.com/Ew232HkUIo
— Respawn (@Respawn) December 1, 2021

“Rest assured, Titanfall is core to Respawn’s DNA and this incredible universe will continue. Today in Titanfall 2 and Apex Legends, and in the future.
This franchise is a north star for the caliber of experiences we will continue to create here at Respawn.”
This removal comes only a few months after it was revealed that the company could only devote one or two people to working on Titanfall‘s hacking issues. It looks like perhaps the company has considered the game a lost cause and simply decided to move on and divert resources to other projects.


The Borderlands Movie Now Has Kevin Hart In A Major Role

The Borderlands franchise is getting a movie adaptation that will be directed by Eli Roth of Hostel fame and also stars Cate Blanchett as the Siren Lilith a.k.a “Watch out, the lava’s rising!”. If that isn’t a reason for celebration/worrying, then there’s another piece of news that might escalate that: they’re going to bring comedian Kevin Hart into the mix.
He recently made it official (via Hollywood Reporter) that he will be starring in the Lionsgate’s adaptation of the game. Who will he be playing? Why, none other than the game’s legendary vault hunter and would-be Crimson Raiders leader Roland (in part 1 anyway). Because when I think badass leader of the Vault Hunters in parts 1 and 2, I think of a super-pandering-as-hell black comedian.

To be fair, a lot of folks didn’t think Chris Pratt could pull off an awesome Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy until he was on-screen with his new physique. So maybe this could be the same type of casting for the Borderlands film: the act of turning a known comedian into a serious actor. Also, the Borderlands 1 VO for Roland does not sound as gruff as it should. Maybe the execs over at Lionsgate heard this instead of Borderlands 2’s Roland and went “this sounds like a Kevin Hart kind of role”?
Here are some quotes about the casting from director Eli Roth and Lionsgate president Nathan Kahane:

“Iâ€™m thrilled to be working with Kevin. Borderlands is a different kind of role for him, and we are excited to thrill audiences with a side of Kevin theyâ€™ve never seen before. Heâ€™s going to be an amazing Roland.”
“Kevin has been behind some of the world’s biggest blockbusters, and our source material is inspired by one of the world’s best-selling video games. We love the way our filmmaking team has adapted this story, and we couldn’t be in better creative hands.”

Right now, everyone’s still playing Borderlands 3 while crapping over its main story campaign. The DLC plots? They’re cool. If you want to know the best guns from part 3, head here to our incredibly useful Legendary weapons tier list.Â


Battlefield 2042 Open Beta Kicks Off Next Week

EA and DICE have announced the dates for the upcoming Battlefield 2042 open beta and it begins next week. It begins from 6 October to 9 October 2021.
The Battlefield 2042 open beta will only feature one map; Orbital. In the Orbital map, players will be playing the game’s Conquest mode, which is basically a ‘capture the flag’ mode. In addition, there will be four Specialist characters to choose from during the beta: Webster Mackay, Maria Falck, Pyotr “Boris” Guskovsky, and Wikus “Casper” Van Daele.

For those on PC, you can check out the Battlefield 2042 PC specs below:

PC REQUIREMENTS

MINIMUM PC REQUIREMENTS:

OS:Â 64-bit Windows 10
Processor (AMD):Â AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Processor (Intel):Â Core i5 6600K
Memory:Â 8GB
Video Memory:Â 4GB
Graphics card (NVIDIA):Â Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Graphics card (AMD):Â AMD Radeon RX 560
DirectX:Â 12
Online Connection Requirements:Â 512 KBPS or faster Internet connection
Hard-drive space:Â 100GB

RECOMMENDED PC REQUIREMENTS:

OS:Â 64-bit Windows 10
Processor (AMD):Â AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
Processor (Intel):Â Intel Core i7 4790
Memory:Â 16GB
Video Memory:Â 8GB
Graphics card (NVIDIA):Â Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060
Graphics card (AMD):Â AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT
DirectX:Â 12
Online Connection Requirements:Â 512 KBPS or faster Internet connection
Hard-drive space:Â 100GB SSD

In addition, EA alsoÂ previously confirmedÂ thatÂ Battlefield 2042Â will not feature a traditional single-player story campaign.
Battlefield 2042Â is slated to launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on 19 November 2021.
In the meantime, check out theÂ Battlefield 2042 open beta trailer below:


DreadOut Is A Flawed But Well-Meaning Thrill Ride Into A Moody Horrorscape

Do you know what the cinema world lacks? More horror video game adaptations that focus more on the horror & dread aspects. Say what you will about Silent Hill nowadays, but at least its movie adaptations are arguably well-produced and evoke that sense of dread from a standard script and plot outline.
Such is the case of the latest Indonesian movie DreadOut, based on the pretty decent indie survival horror game where your phone camera is your go-to tool to navigate the spirit realm. The plotline is more or less the same; school kids accidentally open up a spirit realm in a scary abandoned apartment complex somewhere in Indonesia.
Our heroic schoolgirl, Linda (Caitlin Halderman), is the only one among the group in tuned to the spectral universe due to her past, portrayed in a pretty harrowing and well-executed intro leading to the present day. The group need to find out how to deal with the problem while also being assaulted by DreadOut’s killing machine: the Red Kebaya Lady. Oh, and the other dead spirits and zombies in the way.
Frame of Mind

I’ll say this: Indonesia’s horror scene is never short on atmosphere and effects. Once the heroes enter the spirit world, the chills mix well with the beautiful yet eerie landscapes, interiors, and even the barong-themed trinkets laid out in some ghost woman’s cupboard. The soundtrack also deserves mentioning: it effectively uses traditional Balinese instruments and percussions to evoke a uniquely creepy feel when the bad stuff happens. Look no further than DreadOut’s production values and cinematography if you want this year’s best fantastical horror setting (so far).
The cast itself is great. It’s obvious that the main brunt of the DreadOut “Scooby Gang” is on Caitlin’s Linda, so props to her for carrying the film with her balancing act of distressed heroine who evolves into someone who has to really fight for her life using her patented phone camera. Marsha Aruan’s Jessica goes from teen clique bitch obsessed with livestream likes to spirit victim, while Rima Melati Adams portrays the show’s horror centerpiece Red Kebaya Lady as the force of nature that torments the group.

The Lady’s body movement, her expressions, her lust for human flesh, and her angry disposition is DreadOut’s highlight.

A pity that the rest of the side cast from Jefri Nichol’s Erik and Irsyadillah’s Beni are just that: typical fodder that serves to help and forward the pacing along without standing out at all. Though to be fair, there is an expected twist involving the latter character that at least makes the group’s early actions justifiable.

Shutter
The biggest gripe is that from start to finish, you don’t feel any worry for the heroes despite their dumb and irrational decisions in the spectral world. That fear of death for the heroes seem as flimsy as its entire payoff. As soon as the second and third act have the “victims” returning to the real world through a series of chases & life-threatening events, the show’s doorway becomes less of a harrowing portcullis and more of a revolving door.
And while it’s essential for Linda’s phone to work and keep the evil spirits away, it feels like a convenient deus ex machina that’s used on the last minute because the director and movie want to accentuate the scares and practical effects.
Barring the first spectral world jump session and the climax where Linda’s truly in danger, every other scare and action scene have the heroes saved at the last minute in typical fashion thanks to the device. At the very least, the filmmakers should not make this bit too obvious and stark to the point of repetition.
I’m all for traditional scares and horror as long as it’s executed well. And DreadOut shows signs of that in its production and initial direction. I just wish the second half of the film delivered more thrills and better-paced and well thought-out scares and resolutions instead of what I ended up with: a downward spiral towards blandness.
FINAL SCORE: 60/100


[Report] A Marvel-ous Theme Park Is Assembling In Malaysia

Last year, theme park fans in Malaysia were disappointed when the highly-anticipated planned worldâ€™s first 20th Century Fox theme park at Genting was abruptly canceled. However, it looks like the new theme park might be back in development, but this time it will feature more than just Fox properties; potentially even some of Marvel’s.
According to The Edge Markets, a Bursa Malaysia filing report has revealed that Genting Malaysia has settled its US$1 billion lawsuit with Disney and 20th Century Fox over the theme park issue.
All parties have agreed to resolve their disputes and dismiss the claims against each other, as they have signed a restated memorandum of the original agreement several days ago.
The project was originally halted because Disney (which now owns Fox) reportedly didnâ€™t want to be associated with a gambling company, which didnâ€™t fit with the megacorporationâ€™s family-friendly brand strategy.
The filing states:

â€œGenting Malaysia is currently updating its development and construction plans to complete the outdoor theme park utilizing both Fox and non-Fox intellectual properties.
The outdoor theme park shall also be renamed.”

The important thing to note here is the “non-Fox intellectual properties”, which is what sparked the idea of a Marvel theme park in Malaysia in the first place.
It is reported that three parties (including Marvel and theme park developer Six Flags) have approached Genting Malaysia to officially take over development of the theme park.
To further support this notion, Marvel had recently closed down its Marvel Experience theme park in Thailand earlier this year in January 2019, only seven months after initially opening it in June 2018.

Both Marvel and Six Flags have yet to confirm or deny these reports at the time of the writing.
While the reports that Genting has settled its dispute and the theme park having resumed its development are likely true, the involvement of Marvel is pure speculation at this point, so let’s take that with a grain of salt for now.
If the Genting theme park does turn out to feature Marvel, Malaysia would have another world-class attraction to boast of. It would also be a nice making-up present for everyone who was hoping that the theme park would already be close to completion by now.


The Latest Outer Worlds DLC Is As Tasty & Filling As Rizzo’s Fizzy Drinks

Fancy a ’40s mystery serial that plays out in a dystopian space future? You’ll probably enjoy The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos DLC.
In Obsidian Entertainment’s latest addition to its sci-fi RPG, you and your crew of the Unreliable take on a murder mystery job in the colourful and seemingly-bright planet of Eridanos, home of the interplanetary drinks-churning corporation called Rizzo’s. From here, you gain access to the DLC-specific Discrepancy Amplifier tool that searches for clues for said murder mystery, from footprints to potential evidence in compromised areas.
You’ll also be treated to a gorgeous landscape filled with the same kind of bad guys you fought in the main game. Eridanos’ industrial areas, orchard, and wildlife preservation areas are a stark contrast to the dark-yet-mystique-filled areas in the base game and even the last desolate DLC Peril on Gorgon. This new DLC is a huge step up visual-wise.
Same Ol’ Space Dance?

However, you’re still going through the same kind of motion: talk your way out of things, then shoot anyone and anything in your way. This is apparent when you’re at level 30 and you don’t mind taking an enemy’s weapon for yourself. The new science weapons and character customizations are unique but aren’t anything to shout about; the Needler gun you get is a good companion gun that debuffs enemies but you need to switch to a different weapon to kill bad guys afterwards.
In fact, the new enemies you fight here are just “coked-up” melee soldiers and parasitic slugs that shoot out AoE pink mists. Every other foe is just a higher-level version of what you’ve fought in The Outer Worlds: canids, insect swarms, soldiers with guns. If you’ve gone through the base game from level 1 to 30, it’s nothing you can’t handle. Even the final boss, while unique-looking, can be downed pretty quickly if you at least have one weapon skill up to a 100, or if your two party members are well-equipped. You may want to bump up the difficulty if you want a better combat challenge here.

Still, it’s the game’s story and plot thread that keeps you going in Eridanos. There’s a lot of intrigue in the story to the point where you want to see it from start to finish. The clash between Rizzo’s and Sublight Underground security is interesting enough to warrant sidequest time for, if only to either help or hinder the group to see what happens. The eclectic folks on this fancy rock are as colourful as the planet’s starscape, from the obviously-slimy-from-the-start Ludovico to the wine robot who runs the constable station. There’s even a Prophet of Productivity retreat that involves lashings and dubious substances that somehow ties in with the murder mystery.
Long story short: the latest Outer Worlds DLC is worth the 6 hours just for its premise, its colourful location, and the payoff for both sides of the story. Though lord knows why anyone would want to take the second option in the climax beyond seeing what unfolds. Having said that, the gameplay additions aren’t anything worth shouting about and don’t seem to elevate the game beyond side content material.
Only the hardcore and diehard fans need only apply; at least the Expansion Pass the DLC is from is a twofer deal that only costs you RM75.
Final Score: 60/100


Captain Marvel Opening Weekend Is Better Than Black Panther In Malaysia And Singapore

Southeast Asia is clearly “Marvel”ing overÂ Captain Marvel, as the latest film has managed to garner one of the best opening weekends in Marvel Studios history in the region. In fact, its opening weekend is even bigger than last year’s Black Panther, though smaller compared to Avengers: Infinity War‘s.
According to statistics provided by Box Office Mojo (via our friends at Aksiz), Captain Marvel grossed a whopping $5.5 and $3.03 million on its opening weekend in Malaysia and Singapore, respectively. That’s roughly equivalent to over RM22 and SGD4.1 million.
In comparison, Black Panther garnered $4.7 and $2.8 million on its opening weekend in Malaysia and Singapore, while Avengers: Infinity War remains on top of the table with $8.3 and $4.6 million, respectively.
These numbers are particularly impressive. I’m sure the upcoming Avengers: Endgame movie will be able to push the opening weekend box office even further through the roof, as it is easily the biggest MCU movie yet.
In the meantime, check out my review for Captain Marvel here, or head on over here for my breakdown of the Avengers: Endgame Super Bowl TV spot.


Check Out New Street Fighter 6 Gameplay Featuring Kimberly & Juri

Ahead of Tokyo Games Show 2022, Capcom has revealed new gameplay and moves for new Street Fighter 6 character Kimberly and returning veteran Juri.
For those who need a recap, Kimberly is the next Bushinryu successor, featuring moves from ninjas like Guy and Zeku and has her own spin to them like spray cans and sprays as projectiles and traps. Juri is a sadistic taekwondo fighter who is known for her Feng Shui combo-centric engine and her spinning kicks.
Judging from the gameplay and demo presented by Street Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama and producer Shuhei Matsumoto, both characters are purely rushdown and offense-heavy. Kimberly has her ninja moves while Juri takes the best from her Street Fighter 4 and Street Fighter 5 incarnations for a familiar-yet-kinda-fresh version of herself.
Check out the gameplay below. Not only do we get to see some familiar moves, we also get to witness their timeout reactions and early round win animations.


Predator Prequel, Prey, Drops On Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia This August

Prey is a prequel set in the Predator franchise, and it’s coming to Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia on 5 August 2022. However, it won’t be released in cinemas.
The synopsis reads:
Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, Prey is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior. She has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people.
The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.
With director Dan Trachtenberg at the helm, indigenous actor Amber Midthunder stars as the film’s hero, Naru, a warrior who protects her tribe from the otherworldly threat. The cast also includes Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp, Dane DiLiegro, and Stefany Mathias.
Previously, the last movie in the franchise was 2018’s The Predator by director Shane Black, which was a box office and critical failure.
Check out the epic trailer below:


Is Bayonetta 3 The Hyper Action Gaming Sequel We Deserve After 5 Years?

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Genre: Action, Witches, Devil May Cry-style fighting, Hideki Kamiya nonsense
PlatinumGames vice president Hideki Kamiya, who created Bayonetta with his Team Little Angels back in 2009, said that his team may have prematurely announced the third game. He even stated in a recent Famitsu interview that development literally started in that particular year too, but he is thankful that Nintendo has supported the game from start to finish, just like they did with Bayonetta 2.
And just like that, expectations are already set for the upcoming title, where many fans are patiently waiting. 5 years later, we now get a Nintendo Switch-exclusive Bayonetta game that’s sure to receive a ton of eyeballs and attention following recent voice actress-related events. And it’s a blessing of sorts because this third in the hyper-action series is worth getting into and playing, though it has some issues. Some of it is attributed to the game going exclusive for Nintendo’s console and its developer possibly being complacent, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Wicked Weave World Tour

Bayonetta 3 will take you all across the world in different timelines through different chapters with their own verses as the titular tall-ass model ass-kicking title character. She uses her Wicked Weave attacks and Demon-summoning skills via her magic hair to deal with enemies, as well as use Witch Time to slow down time when she dodges enemy attacks perfectly.
You’ll visit ancient China, Cairo, and even gay Paris, fighting alien-like enemies called the Singularity. These new foes decked in white and turquoise seem aqua-based and have pretty Eastern designs, almost Buddhist-like in nature. They’re also pretty tough and come in shapes and sizes ranging from fast light-type units that are hard to hit unless you initiate Witch Time to a “pagoda” stacked behemoth that requires you to use the game’s new powers to hit. That, and your slew of weapons ranging from pistols to giant boomstick-slash-giant-club to even a microphone stand with attack and defense buffs if you sing the right note. I’ll say this: it’s clear as day that PlatinumGames are influenced by Capcom’s Devil May Cry 5 a tad as one of Bayonetta 3’s weapons is a choo-choo version of the chainsaw bike.

Speaking of giants, Bayonetta 3’s new feature is the Demon Slave technique where you now can summon and fully control your demons by pressing and holding the ZL trigger. While in past games they appear as giant-sized finishers, Umbra Climax powerups, and combo enders, here they act as another character you can summon and temporarily control to complement your attacks. Essentially, PlatinumGames took the designs they’ve used in 2019’s Astral Chain with the Legion, and implemented it in full force. While the Demon -from the staple saurian Gomorrah to the giant bird Malphas- smashes through obstacles big and small, Bayonetta is in the corner dancing her heart out and is left vulnerable.
Luckily, you can let go of the ZL and switch to Bayonetta to dodge and attack while the Demon goes through its lunging attack animation. Later on, you can even access counters using the Demons, or even use them as manual finishers to your regular combos, meaning big damage while expending just a bit of your Umbral power that’s reserved for the demon. I had a ball just using Gomorrah and Madama Butterfly as a temporary summons to deal massive damage and stagger bigger Singularity foes while Bayonetta deals with the rest of the mob with her high-flying attacks.

The game encourages you to perform well, vary your attacks, and complete each verse as quick as possible with little to no damage so that you can gain more orbs. More orbs means more currency to unlock new skills for Bayonetta, her Demons, the weapons tied to a specific Demon, and new character Viola. Yes, PlatinumGames sought to add in a new character with a different kind of playstyle that’s meant for people who want a slight challenge. Viola is a sword-wielding witch-in-training who can only initiate Witch Time if she blocks attacks at the right time. It takes a lot of time to get used to, especially when you’re acclimatized to using the ZR trigger to dodge. She is fun to use at intervals and small doses, but I’d rather go back to our title character just because she has way more options, weapons, and Demons to play around with.
Viola is meant as a challenge for veterans from parts 1 and 2 who just want to see how a Nero-like character fares in the Bayonetta universe, but goofier. Protip: change the game’s control scheme to Type D for Viola.

High Heel Cracks

While the core game feels great, there’s just a bit of padding and addition that feels like afterthoughts the more times you play them. While the China level feels like it’s more well-made and designed with a lot more thought, the rest of the stages feel empty. It’s as if PlatinumGames ran out of budget halfway through the project and had to string together more fight arenas than usual.
Viola is a fun character, but her fighting style takes a while to get used to considering that you have to use an all-new trigger button and fight style that doesn’t feel as flexible. There are also Jeanne’s 2D sections, which are cute little tributes to Elevator Action and Rolling Thunder, 2D action titles where you hide behind doors and sneak to points A to B. But these feel like bonus stages and shouldn’t be mandatory to the experience.
The biggest elephant in the room is the Nintendo Switch hardware: you can clearly tell it’s trying to keep up. While the gameplay doesn’t suffer too much, the presentation and special boss segments’ performances and frame rate get a noticeable dip in quality, like as if it’s the company’s first time working with hardware that’s 5 years old.

The whole package just lacks polish, simple as that. I expect this from mid-sized developers making their own Devil May Cry clone, but not a team as experienced and as hardened as PlatinumGames who gave us the near-perfect Bayonetta prequels and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. The fact that the game also ends on a divisive note may also rub Bayonetta lore fans the wrong way; I’ll probably touch upon this in a separate spoiler-tagged feature later this week.
Personally, I have mixed feelings about PlatinumGames having ample time to make a game like Bayonetta 3 and having it come up a bit short in certain aspects. There’s a good chance the company’s recent internal issues and handling of particular projects like Babylon’s Fall may have attributed to the game going through development issues, but that’s all speculation on our part.

Moonstruck
Despite being too ambitious for its own good, Bayonetta 3 is still a noteworthy action game with many highs and stellar combat moments. Yes, some parts of the game feel like soulless mash-ups, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have fun and wouldn’t replay the game’s stages just for the Pure Platinum ranking. I just feel that the quality levels of the third game aren’t as top-tier when compared to parts 1 and 2. On its own merit, however, Bayonetta 3 is still a shining star in the pale moonlight.
Pros

Combat and controls are still sublime.
Stellar music and art direction.
Demon Slave tech makes the action more visceral.
Fun setpiece battles.

Cons

Presentation issues related to hardware.
Some levels feel tacked-on, lazy, and hollow.
Story’s climax may piss off fans.

Final Score: 70/100


New Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker Posters Highlight The Characters

We only have a month left to go until the highly-anticipated release of Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker. Disney and Lucasfilm have released the character posters highlighting each hero and villain in the upcoming final instalment of the long-running Skywalker Saga.
These character posters also provide a closer and more detailed look at both returning and new characters, in a way that the trailers have only shown mere glimpses. For example, we finally see the mysterious new character Zorii Bliss in her full costume, which admittedly looks great.
Check out the Star Wars Episode IX The Rise Of Skywalker character posters below.
Rey

Kylo Ren

BB-8

Zorii Bliss

Poe

Jannah
Chewbacca

Finn

Rose Tico

D-O

Lando Calrissian

C-3PO

R2-D2
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of SkywalkerÂ is slated to release on 20 December 2019. In the meantime, check out the new TV spot below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsp8iOt76YU&w=560&h=315]


Esports Giant 100 Thieves Disbands Apex Legends Team

100 Thieves is one of the biggest esports organizations in the US, with teams in popular games like League of Legends, Call of Duty, and Fortnite. In a recent post on their official Twitter account, they unexpectedly announced the disbandment of their Apex Legends team.
No reason was given for the shocking announcement, though it may have something to do with the 100 Thieves Apex Legends team performing well at esports tournaments. The team (consisting of Justin â€˜Teenageâ€™ Phipps, Isaiah â€˜Liftedâ€™ Slowik, and Justin â€˜JP2â€™ Pate) greatest achievement to date has been getting second place at the Rivalcade Apex Legends August Rumble just several days ago.

Today we part ways with our Apex Legends team. Thank you @Teenage, @100T_lifted, and @100T_JP2 for representing 100 Thieves during your competitive Apex career. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors. pic.twitter.com/OG55u19wwV
â€” 100 Thieves (@100Thieves) August 27, 2019
It looks like that wasn’t enough for 100 Thieves, as the team has previously been placing in the bottom half of most tournaments. The Apex Legends esports scene is dwindling, with other major teams like Cloud9 and Immortals also having recently disbanding their teams.
It’s not entirely accurate to say that Apex Legends esports is losing its spark, especially since the Apex Legends Preseason Invitational and Twitch Rivals TwitchCon San Diego will both be taking place in September, each boasting a whopping US$500,000 prize pool.


Sony Malaysia Opens PS5 Pre-Orders At New & More Expensive Price

Recently, Sony announced that they would be increasing the prices of PS5 consoles across the world, including Malaysia. Today, Sony Malaysia at the Sony Mid Valley Megamall branch has opened up new pre-orders for the PS5 at the new and more expensive price.
In Malaysia, the PS5 with physical Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive now costs RM2,499 while the PS5 Digital Edition is priced at RM2,069. In order to register for the new batch of PS5 pre-orders (September 2022), you can fill out the form by heading over here.
However, Sony Malaysia is also offering special bundles, including the following:

PS5 with extra DualSense – RM2,848
PS5 Horizon Forbidden West Bundle – RM2,719
PS5 Horizon Forbidden West Bundle & Extra DualSense – RM3,068

Head on over to their Facebook page below for more details:
https://www.facebook.com/sonycentremidvalleymegamall/posts/pfbid0GP9mcJutjAS4vMkK2njm4Amq5VTVDU5ZytdDAdyEkqoBVSsDoAtaeC7CTnbt2WGWl


Apex Legends Might Be Getting A New Train

There was a train in Apex Legends. Soon, there might be a new train.
A new leak via Reddit user shocker_103 has revealed what seems to be raised rails dotted around the newly leaked map, Divided Moon. The map has already been leaked since March 2022, which means that an official announcement might be coming anytime soon. Since the game’s launch and before Apex Legends Season 6, the game had a train that would go around the map, like choo-choo.  However, Respawn removed the train back in 2020.

Now, it remains to be seen if the train will indeed return. We’ll have to wait for an official confirmation from EA and Respawn Entertainment. In meantime, check out the latest battle pass trailer below:


River City Girls 2 Gets Summer 2022 Release Date

The upcoming sequel to River City Girls is coming out in the middle of 2022.
During the Nintendo Switch Indie showcase, developer WayForward announced that River City Girls 2 will be out in Summer 2022. The new title will feature new characters including Marian from the Double Dragon series and Provie from River City Underground, online co-op play, new bad guys to beat up, and new stages to explore. New music for the game will be composed by Megan Mcduffee.

Check out the new trailer below. The game will be out for consoles and PC.


Respawn Entertainment Leaked Their New Apex Legend

After accidentally leaking her, Respawn Entertainment announced their newest addition to the roster of characters in Apex Legends; Mara otherwise known as Vantage.
CHECK OUT THE OFFICIAL TRAILER FOR VANTAGE
Usually, leakers are the ones to be the first to release information about new additions to games prior to their release. This time around it seems that Respawn has done it to themselves with their latest update, accidentally putting up a season 14 banner in the game, weeks ahead of the event’s release.

Tune in tomorrow, July 25, at 8:00 am PT for our next entry in Stories from the Outlands.
?: https://t.co/LTECF2DNWG pic.twitter.com/sLmAnlQTyq
— Apex Legends (@PlayApex) July 24, 2022

We were first teased about this new legend through two Tweets from Respawn. On 25 July 2022,  they tweeted that they would be releasing a new Stories cinematic and it was speculated that there was going to be a new legend.

You've got to keep yourself busy when you're one of the only two people on the planet. pic.twitter.com/qkx6JcXEi8
— Apex Legends (@PlayApex) July 21, 2022

It just so happened that prior to the release of the cinematic, players who logged in over the weekend were met with an event page promoting both the new legend, cinematic and season 14 dates.

The new season is dubbed Apex Legends: Hunted and is set to begin on 9 August 2022. But I know that you’re all probably more interested in the Vantage and her kit so don’t worry I’ve got you covered as after some digging, I have a rough idea of what her toolkit will be.
ABILITIES
Vantage is a recon legend who excels at sniping and scouting, as mentioned in her diary. The legend may like to kill birds, but she’s also equipped with one that acts like a weapon. Here are all her abilities in Apex Legends.

Sniper Kit (Passive) – Tactical info available in ADS unarmed or any long-range scopes (Legend name, shield rarity, team size, and range).
Echo Launch (Tactical) – Launch towards your winged companion, Echo. Order Echo by tapping Q. Launch to Echo by holding Q.
Mark to Kill (Ultimate) – A custom rifle that scans enemies and boosts damage for Vantage and her squad. Damage doubles for Vantage on successive shots. The team gets a 15% bonus on marked targets.

Apex Legends Season 14 Will Breathe New Life Into Kings Canyon
Apex Legends Season 14 Will Increase Level Cap
Meet Vantage, Apex Legends’ Newest Scout


Final Fantasy 7 Remake Cafe Launches In Japan & Singapore [Update]

We’re only one month away from Final Fantasy VII Remake, and fans can already grab edible Buster Swords or Clouds if they want to. The Square Enix Cafe in Akibahara, Tokyo, recently relocated to another larger location, bringing new Final Fantasy VII Remake-themed stuff. And also Singapore too in case you can’t fly down that far.
The new Square Enix Cafe (Remake) is now situated off the pedestrian passage connecting the plazas directly to the southeast and southwest of JR Akihabara Station, easily identifiable by its massive Final Fantasy VII Remake banner featuring the iconic image of Cloud about to raid a Midgard Mako Reactor.
Seating at the cafe is available in 90-minute blocks of time, and advance reservations can be made online beforehand, even though unclaimed seats are also offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Customers should also expect a 1,000-yen (US$9.10 or RM37+) per-person service charge.
As for the one down South? Well, Avex Asia will be opening the Final Fantasy cafe at Watanabe Coffee, Orchard Scotts, on 27th March. The last time they did that was back in 2018; you can check out our review here.
https://www.facebook.com/avex.asia/posts/1407231632792939
Whether this version will retain the flavour & decor of the ones in Japan remains to be seen, but you will get a chance to buy official merchandise for a “premium” price.
Check out images of the awesome interior of the Square Enix Cafe below, courtesy of SoraNews24:

Check out some of the cool food and drink being served at the Square Enix Cafe below:

Attendees can also look forward to the merchandise shop.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is slated to release for the PS4 on 10 April 2020, but you can download and play the demoÂ onÂ the PlayStation Store hereÂ to tide you over until then.


Facebook’s #SheTalksGames Sounds Like An Awesome Initiative, If Done Right

So there’s this new Facebook initiative that just launched called Women In Gaming Stories, with the appropriate hashtag #SheTalksGames. Long story short (via GameIndustry.biz), Facebook plans to feature 20 videos of women across the games business in various disciplines, including Marketing & Sales, Development & Engineering, Hosts, Producers and Writers, Editorial & Design and HR & Culture. The videos will feature stories from women of their experiences in the games business.
According to Facebook’s head of EMEA Gaming marketing Aofie Brodigan, the programme is getting a positive response since it’s providing role models for young women who want to get into the video game industry. “That’s what has been missing, maybe. A place where you can go and watch real stories of women working in the industry, through the different careers. And then connect with these women, which can help spark new ideas on how we shape the industry together. ”
Her team has recorded 20 interviews, with a lofty goal of a 100 of these bad girls out by 2018. “[…] we’re looking for exciting and engaging stories,” she said, “and we’ll be going out into the industry to look at other disciplines that we can cover as part of this programme.”
This is a very good initiative, as long as they focus on the right women who are incredibly qualified and are legitimate veterans. We’re talking experts in the field (design, business, and otherwise) like Corinne Yu, Brenda Romero, Dona Bailey, Jennifer Hale, Elicia Lee, and Emiko Iwasaki among many others. People who know what they’re talking about and aren’t just putting on a show, claiming that they know more than they let on and being the gatekeepers over what’s politically correct and culturally acceptable in a video game. Yeah, you know who you are.
You can check out all the videos here, though there’s a huge slant towards the Facebook Gaming group. Not that there’s anything wrong with that though; if you have to start somewhere, start from home, right?


Huawei’s Debut In The Widescreen Gaming Monitor Market Is Nothing To Scoff At

If you want the ultimate dual-screen setup, you should consider at least buying a 34″ monitor with all the refresh rate perks of a gaming setup. Huawei’s sole widescreen gaming monitor option, the MateView GT, is hefty fine in that regard.
Giant Glamour

After some painless setup (just make sure you have ample space around you), you can see and experience the richness and display quality the Huawei MateView GT offers. Loads of colours, great saturation, impeccable contrast, 4K goodness coming to life in front of your eyes, the impressive 165Hz refresh rate, widescreen options for your first-person shooters, and dark field controls that make your blacks on-screen pitch-dark.
And most importantly, low blue light options to rest your eyes once you’re done with all of that. And also an adjustable stand to position your giant display as you see fit. No “tate” mode though, which is a real shame.
The knob at the bottom of the monitor lets you fiddle around with the plethora of options easily. Given that you’ll be the sole person using this, switching the saturation to your preferred levels and adjusting black levels is painless after a few minutes of getting the hang of it.

Some nitpicks: there’s some blurry motion in faster situations in gaming even when you have a maxed-out gaming PC that supports high-end 165Hz displays with all the details. And if you’re a real esports gamer who needs the highest available refresh rate, the Huawei MateView GT may not cut it.
You’ll still get rich colours and great refresh rates along with size; just not the highest pinnacle of it. Protip: head to the options and set the Overdrive levels to 4 for the smoothest viewing experience so far, at least for fast FPS gaming.
As someone who creates videos and content, having the Huawei MateView GT as one of your screens to complement a 24″ (or bigger) monitor on the left or right is a boon. In terms of screen real estate and having colours pop out while working on your video and graphic editor of choice, this brand-spanking-new monitor will sort out those needs.
Beyond The Screen

There’s also a bunch of useful features beyond just the lovely giant screen. You have an additional USB Type-C port that can charge your newfangled phones. The monitor’s 5W-powered soundbar features great audio quality and packs quite a punch volume and bass-wise. Using my list of “songs to play to test out your speakers”, it passed the test for most of the tunes when it comes to bass and room coverage.
It won’t beat your really high-end Marshall external speakers in terms of top-notch crispness & mid-range balance. However, it’s a worthy add-on especially if you rather not go out of your way to get an extra pair of speakers. And there’s a headphone jack at the back if you feel like you need to keep your sounds to your headphones of choice.

The internal mic itself does a decent job of picking up your voice while you’re playing. Fair warning though: if you have your own dedicated setup, you may not get much use out of it. In fact, my audio input/line mic setup somehow conflicts with the Huawei MateView GT’s internal mic to the point where my PC doesn’t recognize the latter. However, if you don’t have anything specific up and running, you’re in the clear. After all, you’re paying oodles of money for a kick-ass display rich monitor with a soundbar attached to the base.
What A Pal
Speaking of which, you’ll be spending RM2,488 for this bad boy. I’d say go for it if you need to make the 4K HDR widescreen jump: the Huawei MateView GT is a hefty and powerful gaming monitor that comes with a ton of rich colours, displays, and great refresh rates for your all-purpose gaming needs.
Still, I do wish the refresh rates were better than its 4ms response time; other displays like the MSI MPG Artymis still have it beat with its 1ms response times. By comparison though, the Huawei MateView GT is cheaper. Huawei’s debut entry in the 34″ gaming monitor arena deserves an ovation for going big.
Pros

Great vivid colours.
Intuitive five-way joystick for on-screen display.
Decent soundbar.
Much-need QoL additions like Dark Field Control and low blue light.

Cons

Internal microphone issues.
Refresh rates not as high as it should be.

Final Score: 90/100

Vital Statistics
Display Type: 34″
Aspect Ratio: 21:9
Panel Type: LCD
Resolution: 3440 x 1440
Screen Refresh Rate: 165Hz
Colour Gamut: 90% DCI-P3/covers 121% sRGB
Colours: 1.07 billion colours
Colour Accuracy: Delta E<2
Curvature: 1500R
Brightness: 350 nits
Contrast Ratio: 4000:1
Screen-to-body Ratio: 91%
Eye Comfort Mode: TÃœV Rheinland Low Blue Light and Flicker Free certification
Connectivity Ports: USB port: USB-C port x 1 (only for power supply), Full-function USB-C port x 1, Display interface:, HDMI x 2, DisplayPort x 1
Audio Port: 3.5mm headset and microphone 2-in-1 jack x 1


Rock On! We Are Getting A Mega Man X Legacy Collection This July

After much speculation online, it’s now made official by Capcom: they are starting to give a lot more s***s about Mega Man. For you X and Zero fans out there, myself including, that’s awesome because we’re getting all the existing X games in a two-pack collection for the PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
The Mega Man/Rock Man X Anniversary Collection will feature Mega Man X1-4 for the first pack, and Mega Man X5-8 for the second pack. It will be out in Japan this 26th July, and worldwide in English on 24th July. Fans will probably lean towards the first pack more given the choice: not only are X1-4 the pinnacle of the series, the two least-favoured Mega Man X games are in the second pack.
Still, there are some cool features for both games, like a filter mode so that your sprites look sharper and remastered 3D graphics for the 3D Mega Man X games. There’s also an X Challenge mode where the game crams in a boss rush mode where you fight two bosses at the same time.
And then there are the usual Omake options like the music gallery, artwork gallery, and even the Day of Sigma short that was on the PSP Mega Man X remake. All I want is the JP audio intact for Mega Man X4 because I do not want to hear X sounding like an actual child.
Check out the sweet trailer and the cover art for both collections below:
https://www.facebook.com/megaman/videos/2024770340884453/

This also gives us an excuse to do a quick Mega Man X retrospective. Stay tuned to Kakuchopurei for that feature-length goodness.


Ubisoft’s The Division Expands With Two New Games

Ubisoft has announced an update on their Tom Clancyâ€™s The Division universe. The launch of Tom Clancyâ€™s The Division back in 2016 marked the first completely original IP under the Tom Clancy umbrella since 2009, and the game broke multiple Ubisoft sales records. The franchise continued its development with Tom Clancyâ€™s The Division 2 becoming one of the most successful games of 2019 and its 2020 expansion, Tom Clancyâ€™s The Division 2 Warlords Of New York, was the most active in the gameâ€™s history.
Ubisoft EMEA executive director Alain Corre said:
â€œIn the past five years, The Division has grown from a very ambitious project at Ubisoft to a world-renowned franchise reaching 40 million unique players.
We are very proud of what our teams have accomplished with this franchise and the amazing universe they have created.
The potential and depth of this enable us to explore new and exciting content that will please loyal long-term fans of The Division and new ones alike.â€
As part of this expansion of the franchise, today Ubisoft unveiled Tom Clancyâ€™s The Division Heartland, a brand-new free-to-play game set in the universe of The Division. Development is being led by Red Storm Entertainment, a studio with close ties to the Tom Clancy licenses, who have also worked on The Division and The Division 2.
The Division Heartland will be a stand-alone experience available on PC and on consoles in 2021-22.
Ubisoft also announced plans to take The Division franchise to mobile, bringing the universe to an even wider audience. More details on this project will come at a later date.
Finally, The Division 2 will also be receiving brand-new content as part of an update coming in late 2021. Ubisoft Massive, with support from Ubisoft Bucharest, is leading the development of this new content that will include an entirely new game mode and new methods for levelling agents up with an emphasis on increasing build variety and viability. More details will be revealed on this new update ahead of its release.
The Division is also expanding its transmedia offering, with the film, starring Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal, in development with Netflix. Inspired by the events of the original game, the film will be directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber.
Additionally, The Division is announcing an upcoming original novel published by Aconyte. The story will be set after the events of The Division 2 and will explore how the Outbreak affects different regions of the United States as agents fight to secure supply routes. More information will be shared about The Divisionâ€™s transmedia content later this year.
Check out The Division universe below: