6 Transformers Stories More Entertaining Than The Disappointing Netflix Series

I’m pretty conflicted with Transformers: War For Cybertron – Siege on Netflix.On one hand, I loved seeing the series’ Cybertron being laid out and told in a serious fashion, where both the Autobots and Decepticons represent a particular grey area of good and evil, respectively. On the other hand, Siege is just a below-average animated TV show that relies more on its fanbase and their knowledge rather than on its own merits.What’s the point of having nice sci-fi robot aesthetics if you don’t do much with it? For a show with “war” in the title, there isn’t much of that going on.Â
The fact that one of its producers is Rooster Teeth explains a lot about the show’s emphasis for talking heads, exposition aplenty, and borrowed ideas from other sources that aren’t realized to their full potential. But that’s another feature for another time. *coughRWBY*This feature exists to let you know that there are better Transformers stories out there if you’re looking for an awesome tale of transformings robots fighting a civil war against each other on the planet of their choosing, be it Earth, Cybertron, or elsewhere.Â Or maybe if you’re totally disappointed with this Netflix show, the following Transformers stories will help make you feel better.Â You just have to come in with an open mind.Â In no particular order, here are my top picks of Transformers stories and story arcs that are more entertaining than Transformers: War For Cybertron – Siege. I do hope the production houses pick up the slack with the second and third series; we need better Transformers media that are both action-packed and filled to the brim with great characterization & story payoffs.Â The Transformers: The Movie (1986)Let’s get the obvious pick out of the way & sum this up quick. Yes, we know it’s better than most of the Bayformer films, and yes, there’s a ton of action and “changing of the guard” going on, with Autobots getting massacred in the most brutal of ways. It introduced a planet-sized Transformer that ended up being in the series’ mythos for eons to come. And it had the most quotable lines and the best 80s soundtrack by synth master Vince DiCola.Â Its plot is simplistic, but as an 80s film meant to sell new waves of Transformers action figures, it’s a goddamn effective tool that went above and beyond with its style and animation. It was probably too effective for its own good; it killed off a main character in the saddest of ways and had a lot of parents banging onto Hasbro’s door back when it debuted. That cop-out third act in the GI Joe animated movie? You can blame Transformers: The Movie for that.Â All in all, this is the go-to Transformers story for both fans and newbies alike, even if its intention was just to be an incredibly well-animated cash cow. Besides, not many kid movies open with the complete annihilation of a species from a giant planet-killing machine.Â Transformers: War Within (Dreamwave series)The series focuses on the Transformers past on Cybertron before they came to Earth. From then on, a ton of changes were made, most notably the Transformers forms pre-Earth where they look as futuristic as possible. The whole story is crafted by famous Transformers Marvel scribe Simon Furman, who focuses a lot on making Cybertron fleshed out lore-wise from its culture to how its society works.Â Coupled with art by Don Figueroa and you’ve got quite an entertaining Transformers story that balances the fine line between action and world-building. The plot could be better structured, but with Furman’s entertaining dialogue, it mattered little as it was engrossing.Â Too bad its publisher Dreamwave went bankrupt, otherwise we would have seen some of these stories come into fruition.Â Transformers: Matrix Quest (Marvel UK series)What would a Transformers story feature be without bringing up an arc from Simon Furman’s Marvel UK run? In the story arc “Matrix Quest”, Optimus Prime sends out teams of Autobots to find the Creation Matrix which can kill planet-killer Unicron.Â Furman not only created an entertaining story that blends in influences from 80s sci-fi and even noir series like The Maltese Falcon, but he also set up the Transformers lore by bringing up the Transformers brother-gods Primus and Unicron, the race’s inception, and how it all came about. Many writers and artists from here on out use the Marvel UK series and this particular arc to help flesh out new Transformers stories for the next few generations of readers.Furman could have phoned it in, given that it’s a story meant to sell action figures, but thankfully he didn’t.Â Transformers: War & Peace (Dreamwave series)

The plot finds the Autobots and Decepticons going back to a united Cybertron after being called back to end its squabbles on Earth. Turns out that both factions are unified under one banner and is led by peacekeeper Ultra Magnus. It’s a gripping tale of secrets and shifting alliances, with even Autobots decking each other because of this newfound unification.Of course, it all goes sideways in the most spectacular of fashion. If you liked how the gestalt Transformers like Devastator are depicted in the Prime Directive storyline, you’ll love the big fights in War & Peace. Plus, you get to see Ultra Magnus break out of his giant body and take the fight in his tiny white Optimus Prime-mold body in a hero moment. Not even the puffy TF artwork of Pat Lee can ruin the solid writing and tale crafted by Brad Mick.Â Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers (IDW series)If you want a good standalone Transformers story that hits the grey moral line, you can’t go wrong with “Last Stand of the Wreckers”. Arguably hailed as one of the best storylines in Transformers comic history, this arc is about a covert Autobot group that fights hard and live through the skin of their teeth and by their legend.The Wreckers are perceived as god-like soldiers, but once you see how they operate, they may you question if the Autobot cause is worth preserving and worth fighting for in the first place. This story arc also introduces IDW’s version of Transformers Masterforce’s Overlord, a Decepticon villain so vile and calculating he makes Megatron look like Mother Teresa.Â Transformers: Chaos Theory story arc (#22 & #23 of the IDW series)Disclaimer: you may need to read up on Transformers: Escalation before diving right in.Â This two-parter delves into Cybertron’s past but through the viewpoints of Optimus Prime and Megatron. How did they come to blows prior to the war? This issue sheds light on that. You may need to play catchup with some of the IDW stories to get the present story’s context, but you can enjoy the flashbacks on their own merit; it’s like reading a comic of two enemies having a conversation that led to their fates as leaders of opposing factions.Â You get to see the lives of Optimus Prime (formerly a cop named Orion Pax) and Megatron (a mine-worker & scholar of sorts) intersect in the past, set in a Cybertron where Autobots and its senate are living the high life above the lower-class bots. They even share a laugh at the ridiculousness of Cybertron’s Great War and everything leading up to it.What makes this story works is that in another life, both Optimus Prime and Megatron aren’t one-dimensional characters fighting for the sake of their alignment; they have their own code and philosophy, and are too stubborn to budge from it.Â Those are our top picks of Transformers stories better than the Netflix show that cropped up recently. You can buy the trade paperbacks of the stories (the comic book ones) on Amazon, Comixology, and other places.Â Are there any other TF tales you’d like to recommend? Let us know!


iCandy Interactive Buys Lemon Sky Studios For US$44.5 Million

Mobile game publisher iCandy Interactive, known for their Garfield, Doraemon, and Astro Boy mobile games, as well as Inzen and Appxplore, has made a US$44.5 million acquisition of Malaysia’s own game art and animation company: Lemon Sky Studios.
The deal is a 100% acquisition, meaning iCandy owns Lemon Sky. The deal will also be funded with US$17.8 million in cash and US$26.7 million in newly-issued shares. Lemon Sky Studios will be an iCandy subsidiary.

Why do this? iCandy Interactive wants to create a triple-A game for a bespoke online “metaverse” and blockchain initiatives, and will need a company like Lemon Sky with its high-end portfolio. As for specifics & platforms? No major project announcements have been made yet.Â  Post-acquisition, the company will focus on “integrating and harnessing the synergies of the combined businesses to drive accretive value for shareholders”.
You may recognize Lemon Sky Studios as making high-quality art and game assets for renowned titles like the Demon’s Souls remake, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, The Last ofÂ  Us Part 2, and WarCraft 3: Reforged. The company is also renowned for allegedly putting its artists through unpaid crunch.
You know what they say: if you can’t beat ’em, buy them.


Godzilla Vs Kong Director Is Helming A Thundercats Movie

Godzilla Vs Kong director Adam Wingard is set to direct a Thundercats movie, based on the iconic and classic animated TV series that ran from 1985 to 1989 by Rankin Bass. The franchise has already spawned multiple spinoffs in other media, including animated reboots, comic books and merchandise.
The original animated series focuses on a group of anthropomorphic cat-humanoid aliens who live on the dying planet Thundera and have to fend off the evil sorcerer Mumm-ra. According to Deadline, the Thundercats movie had been developed by Ridebackâ€™s Dan Lin and Vertigoâ€™s Roy Lee (both of whom were producers on Adam Wingard’s Death NoteÂ movie for Netflix), with an early script by David Coggeshall.
Wingard will rewrite a script with Simon Barrett, making the Thundercats movie a hybrid of CGI and animation.
Speaking with Deadline, Wingard said:
ThunderCats is a dream project for me. When I was in high school, I was obsessed with it. Youâ€™d think at that point, I was a little too old, that my years of obsession with ThunderCats would be when I was 6 years old. My real obsession with ThunderCats came in high school, the pinnacle of me deciding I wanted to be a filmmaker, and pushing in that directionâ€¦I actually spent most of my 10th grade year, I completely blew it.
I didnâ€™t pay attention in school, made terrible grades. And the reason? I was writing my ThunderCats screenplay through my entire 10th grade year. And I was hand-writing it. The screenplay itself ended up being 272 pages long. I still have it. It was one of those things where I would carry around my notebooks and talk about it. I didnâ€™t even realize the kids in my class were making fun of me as they would ask me questions about my ThunderCats screenplay. It was only one day my friends asked me and I was excitedly telling him all these things about my ThunderCats screenplay.
And I heard him turn around to some of the girls in the class, these were girls I had crushes on, and heâ€™s making fun of me for writing ThunderCats! Because it was ridiculous. But that was the first moment where I had a though that maybe I would not be able to make the ThunderCats movie. I thought, am I crazy for obsessing over this, thinking itâ€™s something you can just do? As it turns out, when youâ€™re a kid in Alabama with no resources or connections to filmmaking, it is impossible to make a ThunderCats film. But flash forward, 20 years later and here we are.
Iâ€™m in a place where Godzilla vs. Kong has gone well with Warner Bros. They love the movie, as we were wrapping it. I heard there was a ThunderCats script out there and it happened to be set up with some of my producers on Death Note. I asked them, I want to rewrite this script with my friend Simon Barrett.
This is a huge passion thing for me. Nobody on this planet knows or has thought as much about ThunderCats as I have. They gave me the reins. I saw this as an opportunity to do a new type of fantasy sci-fi spectacle film that people have never seen before. Itâ€™s got a rich mythology; the characters are fantastic. The colors. I want to do a ThunderCats film that takes you back to that â€˜80s aesthetic.
I donâ€™t want to reinvent the way they look; I want them to look like ThunderCats. I donâ€™t want to do it live action, either. I donâ€™t want it to look like Cats, I donâ€™t want those kinds of issues â€” no disrespect to that director, whom I donâ€™t mean to throw under the bus any more than everyone else has. I want to do a movie youâ€™ve never seen before.
A hybrid CGI film that has a hyper real look and somehow bridges the gap between cartoon and CGI. Thatâ€™s the starting point, and Simon Barrett and I are getting into the script now.
In other recent news,Â Godzilla Vs KongÂ has managed to amass over US$122 million in its opening weekend in international markets worldwide. You can also check outÂ our review ofÂ Godzilla Vs KongÂ here, orÂ head on over hereÂ for our list of best Godzilla and King Kong movies to watch.


New Star Trek Series With Discovery’s Captain Pike & Spock Is In The Works

Another new Star Trek series has officially been announced, as Anson Mount and Ethan Peck will reprise their roles as Captain Pike and Spock from Star Trek Discovery in a new prequel series titled Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which will take place before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series.
Joining them will be Rebecca Romjin, who will also be reprising her role as Number One from Star Trek Discovery in the upcoming new series. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will follow them and the rest of the Starship Enterprise crew.

Hit it.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds starring @AnsonMount, @RebeccaRomijn, and @ethangpeck, coming to @CBSAllAccess.#StarTrekSNW #StrangeNewWorlds pic.twitter.com/9rPpjLAvkN
â€” Star Trek on CBS All Access (@startrekcbs) May 15, 2020
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard writers/producers Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet are developing Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
This newly-announced series marks the fifth Star Trek series for CBS All Access, after Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Section 31, and the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks. A CG-animated series for younger audiences is also in development for CBS All Access sister company Nickelodeon.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 will debut sometime later this year, while Star Trek: Picard ended its first season earlier this year and has already been renewed for a second. Release dates for Section 31, Star Trek: Lower Decks, the Star Trek Nickelodeon series, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds have yet to be officially announced.
In Star Trek lore, Captain Christopher Pike was the second person to take command of the USS Enterprise after Captain Robert April. He commanded the Starfleet’s flagship from 2250 to 2265 before the iconic Captain James Tiberius Kirk replaced him. As such, we have a 15-year timeframe to ultimately explore in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.


Netflix TUDUM Live Stream Event Returns Later This Month

Tudum A Global Fan Event returns in 2023 as a live stream that will be broadcast live in front of thousands of fans in São Paulo, Brazil to audiences around the world on 18 June 2023 at 4.30am GMT+8 (Malaysian time).
Netflix fans everywhere are invited to tune in live to YouTube.com/Netflix to watch an exciting two-hour event featuring Netflix stars and creators from across the globe as well as exclusive news and see never-before-seen footage, trailers, and first looks at your favourite series, films and games.

The following talents are scheduled to appear live in Brazil (subject to change):

Chris Hemsworth, Sam Hargrave – Extraction
Arnold Schwarzenegger – FUBAR
Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan, Alia Bhatt – Heart of Stone
Chase Stokes – Outer Banks
Jess Hong, Benedict Wong, Jovan Adepo, Alex Sharp, John Bradley – 3 Body Problem
Henry Cavill, Anya Charlotra, Freya Allan, Joey Batey – The Witcher
Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Sofia Boutella – Rebel Moon
Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley,  Dallas Liu – Avatar: The Last Airbender
Christian Malheiros, Jottapê, Bruna Mascarenhas – Sintonia
Inaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Jacob Romero Gibson, Taz Skylar – One Piece
André Lamoglia, Valentina Zenere – Elite
Nicola Coughlan – Bridgerton
India Amarteifio, Corey Mylchreest – Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
Maisa – Back to 15
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Jaren Lewison, Darren Barnet – Never Have I Ever
Mihir Ahuja, Dot, Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Yuvraj Menda, Agastya Nanda, and Vedang Raina – The Archies
Aria Mia Loberti, Louis Hofmann – All the Light We Cannot See

With even more special appearances including:

An appearance from Stranger Things
Jenna Ortega, Hunter Doohan, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday – Wednesday
Squid Game
Squid Game: The Challenge
Penn Badgley – You
Lily Collins – Emily In Paris
Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Lift
Pedro Alonso – BERLIN
Nick and Vanessa Lachey – Love is Blind
Chloe Veitch – Too Hot to Handle
Ralph Macchio, William Zabka and the cast of Cobra Kai
Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell – Heartstopper
Omar Sy – Lupin
John Boyega, Teyonah Parris – They Cloned Tyrone
Clara Galle, Julio Peña Fernández – Through My Window: Across The Sea
Dianna Agron, Tenoch Huerta, Bobby Luhnow – The Chosen One
Golda Rosheuvel – Bridgerton

Netflix TUDUM 2022 gave us our first look at an Onimusha anime and more.
Check out the trailer below:


No Straight Roads Director Talks About Hi-Fi Rush

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and is a pretty common trend in video games. The recently-released Hi-Fi Rush from Tango Gameworks is a really fun action game that is similar in mechanics to a 2020 indie video game made in Malaysia: No Straight Roads.
One might even say that the game’s executive producer Shinji Mikami and his team might be heavily inspired by the action-slash-rhythm-game hybrid where fighting to the beat of the song is a matter of life and death. Ditto the parrying and reflecting mechanics too!
So it is inevitable for a successful product to be compared with those which came before it. Enter the unavoidable comparisons between both games. Metronomik co-founder Wan Hazmer, who created No Straight Roads with his team, has his say on Tango Gameworks’ latest. He made his views known on Twitter.
“Hi-fi Rush is what No Straight Roads should’ve been.” So many people are saying this. Yes it may be true but it doesn’t hurt any less to see this. I love Hi-fi Rush though. Congrats to Tango Gameworks for a magnificient game.
The truth is, it’s not just about feelings but business too. If we were to make NSR2, we have to pitch & convince a publisher to churn out dev funds, and some will compare them at face value disregarding context. It’ll be tough, for sure.
Context = budget differences, etc. especially now that AAA companies are delving into more experimental titles. It’s these factors that make an indie company / chance for a sequel thrive, or have its fate sealed.
Thrilling though! And I’m still proud of what we did with NSR!”

“Hi-fi Rush is what No Straight Roads should’ve been.”
So many people are saying this. Yes it may be true but it doesn’t hurt any less to see this.
I love Hi-fi Rush though. Congrats to Tango Gameworks for a magnificient game.
— Wan Hazmer ?? – NSR Encore Edition on Steam! (@WanHazmer) January 26, 2023

Our Thoughts
We have to give credit to Wan Hazmer for being diplomatic and also explaining things further in regard to game development and the process. And yes, he and his team should be proud for not just making the fun and charming No Straight Roads, but also for being the very first developer to think up and execute the action/rhythm game hybrid. In other words, a pioneer title in the field like how Herzog Zwei was the first RTS before Westwood’s Dune 2 and Blizzard’s Warcraft came in.
While Hi-Fi Rush is a lot more polished mechanics and controls-wise, you have to remember that the developers and team behind the game are under the guidance, mentorship, and tutelage of a 33-year veteran game developer, director, and producer who has been around the block from Capcom to PlatinumGames. Metrononik was founded in 2017, and is co-led by a 13-year game director. As such, you already expect Hi-Fi Rush to come out with a high level of polish.
Personally, I love both games in their own ways. While I adore Hi-Fi Rush’s gameplay and combat more, I do enjoy No Straight Roads’ music, aesthetics, and narrative. Yes, there is always bias from Malaysian gamers and content creators to favour No Straight Roads (#malaysiaboleh regardless of quality and output), but the game does stand on its own for being something fresh in 2020 to tackle. Also, having Hi-Fi Rush out there means I can recommend people to check out No Straight Roads as being the progenitor of the action-music-rhythm hybrid type game, and that equals more exposure for it.
In other words, this quote from No Straight Roads’ VO Su Ling Chan sums up my thoughts to a tee. Basically, don’t be a dick and put down one over the other; enjoy both titles for what they are.
“NSR is NSR and Hi-Fi Rush is Hi-Fi Rush and both can exist without belittling the other at the same time.”

NSR is NSR and Hi-Fi Rush is Hi-Fi Rush and both can exist without belittling the other at the same time. Many ?? to you
— Su Ling Chan (@SuChanVA) January 26, 2023


DIGIMON Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna Is Coming To Malaysia

Remember Digimon? Well, prepare to say goodbye to its characters when the DIGIMON Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna movie hits Malaysian cinemas this year.
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Film distributor Odex is bringing the movie over to our shores. However, further details like the exact release date or which cinema chain it will be screened at are currently unknown.
The movie is listed on the GSC Movies website with a 16 April 2020 release date, but we’ll keep an eye out for official announcements.
The synopsis on GSC Movies reads:

“The film is set five years after Digimon Adventure tri, taking place in 2010.
With Taichi and his friends reaching adulthood, they are struck with the news that the partnership with their Digimon will soon end, as they are not children anymore.
Meanwhile, a powerful Digimon called Eosmon appears, robbing other DigiDestined of their consciousness, and it’s up to Taichi, Agumon and all their friends to fight together one last time to save the world.”

It’s been ages since I watched anything Digimon-related (I don’t even remember anyone’s names), but I’d be lying if I said that the DIGIMON Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna trailer (the one below) didn’t make me emotional. I guess I’ll have to watch it with tissues.


The Story Of THQ’s Cancelled Avengers Game Has Been Revealed

The first Avengers movie premiered back in 2012. It took Marvel another eight years to eventually work with Square Enix, Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal to release Marvel’s Avengers on 4 September 2020. For a company that prided themselves for planning years ahead, why did it take them so long to make an Avengers game?
The answer to that is complicated, but there was actually an Avengers game in the works even before 2012’s The Avengers came out; by none other than THQ, a developer known for developing games based on licensed properties. The studio is now defunct and has been merged into what is now THQ Nordic, but back then they were still alive.
For years, the story was never discovered, until now. According to a detailed report by CNET’s Mark Serrels, the truth has now been revealed, and it’s extremely juicy. Let me sum up the story below:

In 2009, THQ Studio Australia was tasked with making an Avengers game to release alongside the then-upcoming 2012’s The Avengers movie. However, the Avengers was not yet a household name back then, which put the developers at wit’s end.
Without knowing anything about The Avengers movie, the developers decided to make a game based on The Ultimates comic books; which is essentially an alternate version of the Avengers (which the Marvel Cinematic Universe also adapted elements from).
THQ Studio Australia began development on the Avengers game with the goal of emulating 2009’s Batman Arkham Asylum, and that meant single-player, third-person action featuring weighty, close-quarters combat.
They worked on this for six months (according to former THQ Studio Australia developer Charles Henden), with the core design mostly figured out and the game’s levels already beginning to take form. However, everything changed from then on.
Due to corporate intervention, the THQ Studio Australia team were told that a new team of developers, including a new lead designer and some production leads, were being recruited to help with the Avengers game.
During the same meeting, they were also informed that their general manager Steve Middleton would be laid off, as well as a core group of the art team, some of which were instrumental for the development of the Avengers game.
It was then that Christian Dailey was hired to be the new game director of the Avengers game. He was the one who suggested that the Avengers game be made first-person instead of the usual third-person perspective like all the other superhero games out there.
Dailey was inspired by 2008’s Left 4 Dead, and wanted to make the Avengers game in the same vein; by allowing players to choose between four characters (Captain America, The Hulk, Thor and Iron Man) and fight through hordes of villains in a four-player online co-op game.
It was too ambitious, considering that online games were brand new territory for gamers on the PS3 and Xbox 360 back then. According to Dailey, the hardest part was trying to convince Marvel that all this was a good idea, though they did approve after the Avengers game was presented to them.
After that, things were seemingly perfect, as the development team went full speed ahead, dividing into separate smaller teams to each work on specific individual Avengers. They had the most difficult time trying to make Captain America work, considering that this was a time before Chris Evans was even cast in the role, and thus before the character became super popular.
One of the executives at THQ wanted Captain America to wield a gun, but Marvel rejected it. The developers eventually got the combat right (thanks to a designer named Chris Palu) and even got Marvel Comics writer Brian Michael Bendis (the creator of the Marvel’s Ultimate universe, so to speak) to write the story.
Things changed again for the development of the Avengers game when Rex Dickson and art director Lance Powell joined the team. They were American, and tension escalated between them and the rest of the Australian team members when they ordered the entire team to commit to crunch and overtime in order to finish the game on time.
Stress levels increased, and it ramped up to a point where a designer burst and resulted in him beating up a filing cabinet with an umbrella. That designer was later fired.
In addition, former THQ executive vice president Danny Bilson (who wrote 1991’s The Rocketeer and is the father of actress Rachel Bilson) revealed the Avengers game was too expensive, and that THQ needed to sell six million units to break even. However, he believed that the best they could do was three million at most.
In the end, the extravagant cost of the Avengers license from Marvel was too much for THQ, especially as it was facing financial difficulties due to wrong decisions and global financial crisis back then. The rest, as they say, is history.
In August 2011, the Avengers project was cancelled and THQ Studio Australia was shut down. Dailey added that if the development had been given the time and the resources to finish the Avengers game according to the team’s vision, THQ Studio Australia’s Avengers would have been a massive success.
Alas, it was never meant to be. You can check out some of the gameplay footage from the cancelled Avengers game below:


Mobile JRPG From Chrono Trigger Writer Is Coming To Southeast Asia

A free-to-play JRPG mobile game from Xenogears and Chrono Cross/Chrono Trigger writer Masato Kato and music composer Yasunori Mitsuda will finally be released in Europe and Southeast Asia, two years after it was originally launched in Japan.
Developed by Wright Flyer Studios for the Android and iOS, Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space, or simply Another Eden, is a turn-based JRPG that features time-travel elements where players visit the past, present and future, similar to that of the Chrono franchise.
To celebrate this launch, the developer is holding a global giveaway campaign. More players joining the game translates to bigger gifts for everyone:

100,000 total participants: 10 Allies Ticket â€œDestiny Tokenâ€
150,000 total participants: Princess Prayer Fragment (used to obtain the 4 Star character â€œMiyuâ€), Woodcutterâ€™s Fragment (used to obtain the 4 Star character â€œBenedictâ€)
200,000 total participants: 10 Allies Ticket â€œDestiny Tokenâ€

Here’s how you can join and participate in the giveaway:

Pre-register on Google Play
â€œLikeâ€ the corresponding post on the official Facebook page, with hashtag #AnotherEdenWorldTour
â€œLikeâ€ the official Facebook page
Follow the official Twitter account and retweet the corresponding tweet with hashtag #AnotherEdenWorldTour

The giveaway campaign will take place from now until the game is launched in new countries (Europe and Southeast Asia). However, a definite release date for Another Eden in these countries has yet to be revealed.
Here’s the complete list of the countries Another Eden will soon be releasing in:

United States
Canada
Australia
Singapore
 South Korea
Taiwan
Hong Kong
Macau
 France
Sweden
 Denmark
Czech Republic
Estonia
Malta
Germany
Luxembourg
Greece
Finland
Slovakia
Latvia
Romania
Italy
United Kingdom
 Spain
Austria
Hungary
Lithuania
Bulgaria
Ireland
Portugal
Poland
Slovenia
Cyprus
Croatia
Netherlands
Thailand
Philippines
Malaysia
Myanmar
New Zealand
Vietnam
Indonesia

Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for the game’s release date in the near future. In the meantime, check out gameplay from Another Eden below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1okmhbXlGB8&w=560&h=315]


FIFA 18 & FIFA 17 Have The Highest  Player Count On The PlayStation 4

Psst…want to find out the number of people playing a particular game on the PS4? Look no further than the new “My PS4 Life” tool which gives players info about their gameplay to share with others. It also is a gateway to calculate player count/sales of almost every PS4 game.
How? Well, when you use the My PS4 Life tool, it’ll give you a specific player number about an achievement. Let’s pick the “Photo Bomber” trophy in Fallout 76. The tool lets you know that 33,764 earned that trophy on PSN; about 8.3% of the user base for that game. With these figures, you can do a simple calculation that 406,795 players have played Fallout 76 on the PS4.
Let’s take it a step further; how about with this tool, we gather an estimated number of players per game. Here are the titles with the highest player base (uniques).
FIFA 18 – 32,500,000
FIFA 17 – 30,000,000

Minecraft – 25,600,000

Rocket League – 22,600,000

FIFA 15 – 19,200,000

Fortnite – 19,000,000

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided – 4,060,000

Doom (2016) – 3,900,000

Detroit: Become Human – 2,440,000

These are but a few examples. We do wonder if Sony is okay having their player base numbers up on display like this; most companies are usually privvy to their own player/potential sales data. Check out more stats here: http://gamstat.com/


Snapdragon Pro Series MLBB Season 3 Finals Is Coming To Jakarta, Indonesia

The Snapdragon Pro Series, in collaboration with Samsung Galaxy, has just announced some exciting news for mobile esports fans. The world’s largest multi-title mobile esports league, created by ESL FACEIT Group and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., is gearing up for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Season 3 Finals.
Set to take place from 21–23 July, at Jakarta’s prestigious Istora Senayan, this event promises an exhilarating experience for both new MLBB players and hardcore esports supporters. With a prize pool of up to US$150,000, 12 teams will battle it out for glory.
Michael Kiefer, Product Manager at ESL FACEIT Group, expressed the team’s enthusiasm for the upcoming finals, stating, “Our team has been working tirelessly to bring you an unforgettable live event. Whether you’re new to MLBB or a die-hard fan, this is a rare chance to join fellow enthusiasts and soak in the electric atmosphere at the arena. You’ll have the opportunity to get up close with your favourite teams and witness the making of MLBB esports history. So, grab your tickets now if you haven’t already!”

Guests

But wait, there’s more! The Snapdragon Pro Series MLBB Season 3 Finals will feature an exciting lineup of special guests and performances. Indonesian artists and creators, including Windah Basudara, Vonzy, Jonathan Liandi, Antimage, Donkey, and Marsha, will grace the event with their presence. With millions of subscribers and followers across various platforms, these guests are sure to bring their unique flair to the celebration of Indonesian culture.
The opening ceremony will be a treat for the senses, as the 15-person Irama Tala Orchestra will enchant the audience with in-game music from Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Additionally, local cosplayers from Elite Cosplay Club will mesmerize the crowd with live performances. The excitement doesn’t end there, as fans can also enjoy the Sound Drink Print area in the Glory Area. Collaborating with Cut and Rescue, a local art collective, this area will feature DJ FEEL KOPLO, screen printing, and refreshments, providing a refreshing break from the on-stage action. You’ll even have the chance to get your hands on a limited-edition tournament-inspired T-Shirt, which can be printed for free or purchased at the ESL Shop.
Hold on, there’s even more to look forward to! Ticketholders can participate in various activities and win fantastic prizes, including MLBB Chests, ESL-branded merchandise, and even a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G. The event organizers have gone all out to ensure a memorable experience for attendees.
Now, let’s talk about the teams. The 12 teams that will compete in the Group Stages of the Snapdragon Pro Series MLBB Season 3 Finals have been confirmed. There will be signing sessions with the competing teams, and more details about timings and participating teams will be announced soon.
If you’re eager to join the action, don’t miss out on your chance to secure tickets for the Snapdragon Pro Series MLBB Season 3 Finals. While the Three-Day Mythic tickets have sold out, Wave 2 Legend tickets are still available, starting from IDR 35,000. However, be aware that ticket prices will increase on 15 July during the final wave of ticketing. You can get your tickets at https://ap.snapdragonproseries.com/mlbb/#tickets.
And here’s some great news from the Head of Public Relations and Communications of the Esports Federation of Indonesia (PB ESI). They warmly welcome the successful organization of the Snapdragon Pro Series Powered by Samsung Galaxy, a collaboration between ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. This event is not only one of the biggest tournaments worldwide but also aligns with their mission to make Indonesia a major force and global esports hub. They believe that the sportstainment concept embraced by the Snapdragon Pro Series will set a benchmark for attractive esports events, contributing to the growth of the national creative economy and the development of domestic esports.
The Snapdragon Pro Series, brought to you by ESL FACEIT Group and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., is revolutionizing esports for a new generation of mobile players. It’s the era of everyone, where mobile gaming opens up incredible opportunities for passionate players to dive into the world of esports. So get ready to immerse yourself in this thrilling experience!


PAX Australia 2020 Cancelled

Yet another video game event has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and this time itâ€™s PAX Australia 2020. The highly-anticipated annual event was previously slated to run from 9 to 11 October 2020 Melbourne, Victoria.
In an official statement on the official website, the PAX Australia 2020 team said:

It is with a heavy heart that today we announce the postponement of PAX Australia 2020, due to the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 in Australia and globally.
Our thoughts are with our PAX community and everyone who helps us to deliver this incredible event each year.
The aim since the beginning has always been to put on the best possible version of PAX Aus, provide a safe space for our community to gather, share our passion with each other and create new and lasting memories with those who matter to you most.
We have been working hard with our partners and exhibitors to explore all viable options but with our desire to bring you the best PAX Aus ever, the next edition of PAX Aus will now take place in 2021.
While we canâ€™t move forward with PAX Aus 2020 in the way we normally would, we are finding new and exciting ways to connect you and the PAX community with your favourite content and creators.
Stay tuned to our social media channels in the coming days as we start to announce more information.
We want to thank you all for your ongoing support and understanding during this challenging time.
While we canâ€™t be physically together this year, we urge you to stay in touch with us, your community and each other.
Stay safe and be kind.
PAX Aus Team

PAX Australia was probably cancelled due to the fact that the country’s borders are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PAX Australia 2021 will still happen sometime in 2021.
However, no new announcements have been made about PAX West 2020 in the US, which will run from 4 to 7 September 2020.
Other game events that have also been cancelled, postponed, or turned into digital events due to COVID-19 includeÂ Paris Games Week 2020,Â E3 2020,Â Gamescom 2020,Â EVO 2020,Â QuakeCon 2020, andÂ Taipei Game Show 2020.


Stephen King’s Children Of The Corn Remake Gets Spooky First Trailer

There will be a remake of Stephen King’s Children Of The Corn from director Kurt Wimmer and it’s just received its first trailer. It will premiere in US cinemas on 3 March 2023, before releasing on digital starting from 21 March 2023.
This remake is actually the whopping eleventh movie in the franchise, most of which have gone straight to video. The most recent was John Gulager’s Children Of The Corn Runaway in 2018.
The synopsis reads:
Possessed by a spirit in a dying cornfield, twelve-year-old Eden recruits the other children in her small town to rise up and take control. Tired of having to pay the price for their parent’s mistakes, Eden leads the kids on a bloody rampage, killing the adults and anyone who opposes her.
With the all the adults jailed or dead, it comes down to one high schooler who won’t go along with the plan and becomes the town’s only hope of survival. Based on the short story by Stephen King, CHILDREN OF THE CORN is a chilling new re-telling for a whole new generation.

The film’s cast includes Elena Kampouris (Before I Fall), Kate Moyer (When Hope Calls), Callan Mulvey (Avengers Endgame) and Bruce Spence (The Road Warrior).
Check out the trailer below:


Demon’s Souls Remake Might Be Ported Onto PS4

The PS5 graphical tour de force and action RPG Demon’s Souls (the remake), may be coming to PS4.
According to a Twitter post from PlayStation Game Size, a games cataloguing site, it spotted an entry for Demon’s Souls on the PS4 store database. There’s no direct link for it since this version of the game could be a test unit.

? Demon's Souls News :
? YES ! Demon's Souls have PS4 Version in Database !
? BUT This Version Can Be Cancelled , Can Be Release Soon Or Can Be only small Test Version For Developers
? #DemonsSouls #PS5 #PS4 https://t.co/kbXXmuxq9P pic.twitter.com/2th3sWn0tj
— PlayStation Game Size (@PlaystationSize) June 16, 2021

On a related note, PS5 games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Horizon Forbidden West started out as PS5 exclusives before PlayStation confirmed that both games are also coming to PS4. Also, PS5 game Godfall was just announced for PS4. We’ll have to wait until PlayStation makes an official statement concerning Demon’s Souls.


Former PlayStation Strategy Executive Joins Malaysia’s Streamline Studios

Malaysia’s very own Streamline Studios has added former PlayStation Strategy Executive, Gabriel Pessah to their leadership team, with plans to frontline the Metaverse.
Streamline Media Group (Streamline), a global video games and Metaverse developer has added seasoned Strategy and Corporate Development Executive Gabriel Pessah, previously from Playstation into their team.

Pessah most recently spearheaded Corporate Strategy and Business Development at ProbablyMonsters, a video game developer started by the former CEO of Bungie. From there, he was in charge of the largest series A significant investment in the history of entertainment software. Before that, Pessah was the Head of Strategy and Development at PlayStation Studios so the man definitely has tenure.
He was also in charge of the acquisition of Insomniac Games and played a key role in PlayStation’s brand & technology IP expansion. You’ve got him to thank for Insomniac’s Spider-Man.
Alexander Fernandez, CEO of Streamline Media Group went on to say:
“Gabriel joining Streamline further solidifies our mission toward continuous growth and upskilling our teams by working with veteran games and tech industry experts,”. Pessah will work closely with Streamline’s C-suite and lead the company’s operational and business growth globally.”
Streamline Studios’ previous works include having a hand in these games: Street Fighter V, Final Fantasy XV, BioShock Infinite, Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite and Death Stranding, just to name a few.
Streamline Studios is part of Streamline Media Group, a Dutch/Malaysian entertainment and enterprise video game development company.


Spider-Man Far From Home Tickets Now On Sale In Malaysia

Spider-Man Far From Home is slated to release on 3 July 2019 in Malaysia, but thanks to our friends at Aksiz, we know that advanced bookings for tickets are already on sale at TGV Cinemas, albeit for 4 July 2019.
With more than a month to go until the movie releases, premiere day tickets for 3 July 2019 will probably go on sale closer to the actual release date. The sequel to 2017’s Spider-Man Homecoming is set to be the first post-Avengers Endgame Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie and officially mark the end of Phase 3.

The upcoming movie looks set to change the face of the MCU forever, especially with revelations about the Marvel multiverse, possible alternate Spider-Men, and more. Our answers will be answered in less than two months.
In the meantime, head on over to the official TGV Cinemas website here to start grabbing your tickets for Spider-Man Far From Home or rewatch the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt9L1jCKGnE&w=560&h=315]


2000s Fighting Game The Rumble Fish Will Be Ported To Consoles This Winter

Rumble Fish and Rumble Fish 2 were a pair of 2D arcade fighting games back in 2004 onward that featured smooth animation (marketed as Smooth Model Animation) that was tough to pull off on arcade machines. You can now experience this classic fighting game when it’s getting a home port for this generation.
According to publisher 3goo and developer Dimps, the games will be out for consoles as a collection this winter worldwide, though no specific consoles have been mentioned. Both Rumble Fish and Rumble Fish 2 have never been ported in English and outside of Japan; there was a PS2 version back then, but it was Japan-only.
Here are a few quotes from the game’s makers and current publishers
Dimps president Takashi Nishiyama
“The Rumble Fish is a very memorable game for us at Dimps. We developed it as a 2D fighting game compatible with the Atomiswave arcade system board developed by Sammy Corporation. It may have a classic feel compared to current fighting games, but it was an ambitious project that employed a variety of visual expressions within the limitations of a system board that is now almost 20 years old. I’m proud of what we accomplished. And now, 3goo is once again shining the spotlight on The Rumble Fish series and I’m excited for the renewed potential for the series to grow.”
3goo president Nicolas Di Costanzo
“I, personally, have been a long-time fan of Dimps and I am overjoyed to be able to introduce this hidden gem to the world. We’re deeply honored Dimps allowed us this wonderful opportunity. This series lit arcades on fire with its mix of mechanics inspired by a variety of fighting games, and now we’re bringing it to consoles so everyone will have easy access to it. We hope you’re as excited to get it as we are to release it.”
Check out the game’s story trailer and some high-level play of both games below. Yeah, it looks a bit weird right now with all the 3D/2D fighting games out there, but this was revolutionary back in the mid-2000s when 2D fighters were all but dried out content-wise. Some preservation efforts for this series is sorely needed, and I’m happy that 3goo and Dimps are on the case.


Vietnam Is The Next New Civ Coming to Sid Meier’s Civilization VI

News post from Frags of War.
Firaxis revealed today what incoming for Civilization VI’s New Frontier Pass DLC which will be released on January 28th, 2021. This DLC will introduce Vietnam as a new civ, two alternate leaders for existing civs and a new game mode.
This DLC pack will also bring a new Monopolies & Corporations game mode. For those who want to focus on just the economic side of Civ 6, this oneâ€™s just for you. Now, you can exploit multiple tiles of the same resource by building an industry around it in your city.

Head here for the full story.


This Millennial Heartthrob Is Our New He-Man

By the power of Grayskull!
It’s been more than 30 years since the first live-action He-Man movie, which was Masters Of The Universe starring Dolph Lungren way back in 1987. Since then, a reboot was said to be in the works by Sony in the past several years but now we finally know who our next He-Man will be.
In a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before star Noah Centineo confirmed that he will be portraying the muscular hero in the upcoming He-Man Masters Of The Universe reboot.
While he didn’t elaborate much about the movie or his role, we do know that principal photography (filming) is set to begin sometime in 2019, with a 2020 release date attached to the project. ItÂ will be directed by the Nee Brothers (Aaron and Adam Nee) and produced by David Goyer.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuPniG7QpkY&w=560&h=315]


Check Out The Division 2’s Live-Action Trailer

Ubisoft revealed a new live-action trailer set in the Tom Clancy The Division 2 universe.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxM3d-jahKc&feature=youtu.be]
The short film is directed by Nicholas Winding Refn, the acclaimed filmmaker behind Bronson, Neon Demon, and Drive, together with DDBÂ° Agency. The short film is the first short out of two specifically created for The Division 2‘s worldwide launch to Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC later on March 15th.
Titled ‘The Drawing’, it puts emphasis on the notion of being a hero in a collapsing nation. It combines a unique visual design with dramatic silences to create escalating tension.
The director, Nicholas Winding Refn, wants the audience to feel the desperation and the predicament faced by a Division agent. Fear and chaos areÂ abundant and the only thing the agent can do is hope for the future, motivated by memories of life before the collapse.

Led by Massive Entertainment in collaboration with other studios around the world, The Division 2Â is the next evolution in the open-world RPG shooter genre that the predecessor helped establish.
Set seven months after an outbreak of a deadly virus in New York City, The Division 2 will bring players into a broken and collapsing Washington D.C. The world is dying and the people are living through one of the biggest crises in the history of mankind.
As veteran Division agents, the players are the last line of defence against the complete fall of society as enemy factions fight for dominance of the city. If Washington D.C. is lost to enemy hands, it’s over.
Building and improving upon more than two years of community feedback, The Division 2Â is set to deliver a substantial campaign experience that would organically lead to a robust endgame, to create a cohesive and meaningful experience to all types of players.
We have tried it out and we enjoyed the heck out of it. The open beta is coming soon.
The Division 2 will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on 15 March.


A New Mafia Game Is Coming; Just A Few Years Away

The developers from Hangar 13 (via 2K Games) has confirmed that it’s working on a new Mafia game.
The official announcement is from an interview to celebrate the 20th birthday of the franchise via Hangar 13 general manager Roman Hladik.
“I’m happy to confirm we’ve started work on an all-new Mafia project! While it’s a few years away and we can’t share anything more right now, we’re really excited to keep working on this beloved franchise and to entertain our players with new stories.”
The action-adventure game sequel is said to be a prequel according to rumours from various outlets. The last Mafia game that came out was a remake of the original 2002 game; it was met with high praise from critics all over the world.


The Big 4 Is A Hilarious Action Comedy With Blood & Guts

Indonesian director Timo Tjahjanto is best known for his horror content, including directing segments in horror anthologies like 2012’s The ABCs Of Death, 2013’s V/H/S/2 and 2021’s V/H/S/94. However, he also made 2018’s The Night Comes For Us (which is also on Netflix), so he’s no stranger to great action movies as well. Now, he’s dabbling into new territory with action-comedy The Big 4, which has actually turned out to be quite a fun romp.
It’s All About Family

A by-the-book detective named Dina (Putri Marino) investigates the death of her father and follows a clue to a remote tropical island, only to find out his true identity as a leader of a group of assassins. Now hunted by his enemies, she has to team up with the crooks her father had trained – four retired, down-on-their-luck assassins itching to get back in the game. Each of the assassins conforms to a specific role, such as the youngest, Pelor (Kristo Immanuel), the only woman in the group, Alpha (Lutesha), the wild card, Jengga (Arie Kriting) and eldest, Topan (Abimana Aryasatya).
The highlights of the movie are comedy and action. The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously and that makes for a fun experience. In one particular scene, a character gets high on a frog-infused drink and proceeds to behave as if she’s possessed by a demon, with the other characters trying but failing to contain the situation. That’s just one of the things director Timo brought from his experience of directing horror content. Another is how gory and bloody The Big 4 is, almost like a Tarantino film. Arms get chopped off and heads explode into chunks.

In addition, there’s a lot of action. A lot of it involves violent shootouts, though there are still several scenes featuring physical hand-to-hand combat that will satisfy fans of Indonesian martial arts films like The Raid movies and of course, Timo’s own The Night Comes For Us. Despite that, the emphasis this time is definitely more focused on the comedic aspects, so expect a lot of jokes and hilarious hijinks instead of simply balls-to-the-walls.  The comedy works because of the interactions between the protagonist Dina (Putri Marino) and the four assassins, Pelor (Kristo Immanuel), Alpha (Lutesha) Jengga (Arie Kriting) and Topan (Abimana Aryasatya). They’re the glue that makes this movie fun to watch. Despite being almost 2 and a half hours long, the movie doesn’t feel draggy or drawn out mostly due to the aforementioned comedic aspects, which means that there’s nary a boring moment in this film.
Overall, The Big 4 has high production value (it’s only the second Indonesian movie to be produced and released by Netflix in 2022) and is well-made. However, one qualm I have about the movie is that it doesn’t do anything new or innovative in regard to the plot and narrative. The movie is fairly straightforward for this type of film, but at least the ending does seem to tease a sequel, so perhaps a second movie could go even crazier with the story.
Welcome To Villa Paranais, Where Everything Is Nice

Ultimately, it feels like Timo Tjahjanto is inspired by directors like Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino. The Big 4 is an action comedy film that’s worth watching and further cementing Indonesian director Timo Tjahjanto as one of the biggest up-and-coming directors in the region. This movie proves that the upcoming The Last Train To New York, the American remake of the Korean hit movie Train To Busan, is in good hands.
FINAL SCORE: 80/100
We received an early screener of The Big 4 courtesy of Netflix Malaysia. The Big 4 is slated to premiere on 15 December 2022 on Netflix Malaysia.


This Famous Funny Actor Was the Stormtrooper Who Punched Baby Yoda

Despite what you think about Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker, you’re probably one of the people who love Disney Plus exclusive The Mandalorian. It recently ended its first season consisting of eight episodes, and the season finale featured two stormtroopers at the very beginning, one of whom punched Baby Yoda.
Who is the actor playing that notorious and vile stormtrooper?
Well, it’s none other than Jason Sudeikis, the comedian best known for starring in movies like 2011’s Horrible Bosses and its 2014 sequel, as well as the voice of lead character Red in the Angry Birds animated movies.

It really was Sudeikis under the bike scout trooper armour, and though he ultimately met his demise at the hands of bounty droid turned nursemaid IG-11, the scene went viral, with many fans swearing to protect Baby Yoda with their lives.
It’s now even stated on Sudeikis’ Wikipedia page. Don’t believe me? Head on over there now.
The Mandalorian is already slated to receive its second season sometime in fall 2020. If you still haven’t watched the first season, do so now, you won’t regret it, especially if you’re a Star Wars who has been disappointed with the Sequel Trilogy.


The Malaysian Video Games Scene Deserves More Respect

I recently came across the following tweet making its rounds in the Malaysian Twitter-sphere.

Essentially, the caption read “If you think that there’s no future in video games, look at them” accompanying the photos of two leading video game streamers in Malaysia, Mohd Faris â€œSolozâ€ Zakaria and the other, Imran ‘Vokey‘ Rosli. While it is great to see two successful – both financially and stature – young men become the ‘poster boys’ of success in the Malaysian video games scene, it is quite disheartening to see how, to many, a career in video games is just limited to being influencers.
To both Faris and Imran, I say this. Congratulations on your success, long may it continue and may you guys pave the road for new and upcoming streamers hoping to make it big. This article isn’t a knock on you guys. It’s far from that.
Content creation is no joke. A ton of planning goes in the background and it isn’t just about sitting in front of your screen, chatting to your viewers. But today, I am not talking about streamers or influencers, as they alone are far from being the sole measure of success in the video games scene.
This assumption is not only myopic but also misguided. This is the same as measuring a successful career in sports solely on the ability to win competitions whilst discounting the efforts of many men and women in the background who contributed to each winning moment. It’s not indicative of the whole picture.
Despite the rapid growth and public acceptance of video games in Malaysia, the understanding and belief that the industry presents a very viable route where one is able to build a solid career are still lacking. Then again, it could easily be attributed to lazy reporting and poor understanding by some sections of the mainstream media.
In an industry that operates like clockwork, while some fields tend to get the limelight more often than others, each cog in the machine plays an equally important role. Sadly, the successes of the creatives plying their trade in the “hidden part” of the games industry aren’t mentioned enough. And while we at Kakuchopurei do our best in bringing these talented studios and individuals front and centre, it is indeed an uphill battle.
Stop Downplaying The Hard Work Of The Industry
In Malaysia, local studios which have worked on the development of various games ranging from independent titles to AAA titles are actually just a stone’s throw away – if you know which direction to hurl it, of course. We have many talented designers, visual artists, heck, even game writers who’ve even taken their trade overseas working wonders in the video games scene.
Persona Theory Games is synonymous with producing titles that are unapologetically Asian. Following the breakthrough success of their visual novel touching subjects many in Asia consider taboo in Fires At Midnight, their next title, Kabaret is another visual novel but filled with characters inspired by Southeast Asian myths.
Metronomik is another Malaysian studio that not only managed to make a name for itself internationally, but they also did it on their own terms. Helmed and started by Wan Hazmer who was the Lead Game Designer of Final Fantasy XV, and Daim Dziauddin, Concept Artist of Street Fighter V in 2017, this studio, like Persona Theory went down a less ‘glamorous’ and riskier route of producing their own games.

Metronomik’s debut release, the music-themed action-adventure No Straight Roads, has received rave reviews and a huge following globally thanks to its unique blend of storytelling and signature style. A far cry in terms of the genre from Wan Hazmer’s most previous work in Final Fantasy XV, his decision to chart a new path should be a catalyst to all local studios to walk down the path less travelled. Don’t be afraid to try something new.
These studios are just two of the many local setups that has been making waves and deserve all the plaudits and attention and in our books. They are essentially worthy mentions when the topic of a career in the local games industry comes to light.
Also, we should not forget the various efforts and programs organized by the Malaysian Digital Economic Corporation (MDEC). They are crucial in not only providing financial support and policies backing aspiring game makers, but in their role in attracting renowned international studios to set up shop in Malaysia – most notably and recently, PlayStation Studios.
Let’s hope that we’d be seeing world-class titles being released from this new setup, rather than just merely as a support studio focusing on asset production which has been synonymous with many Asian-based studios in recent times.
It’s In The Game
(image credit: The Star)
The same goes for the competitive scene. A successful career in esports is more than just being a player, competing on the grandest stage. It takes years of practice, grassroots development and most importantly, community support. However, in more recent years, a number of new stakeholders tried dipping their toes into esports without giving as much as a hoot to the long term development of the scene.
Many are just in it since it’s the buzzword, discounting everything that made esports the behemoth it is today. Let’s hope that these aren’t just knee-jerk collaborations; gone at the first sign of trouble. Moreover, during trying times in these past 12 months or so, this could also be seen as a litmus test to weed out the fair-weather collaborators from the genuine ones.
And while the esports scene welcomes the involvement of non-endemic brands to sponsor teams and tournaments, it should not miss out on the bigger picture – that the core of the scene traces back to its oft-ignored grassroots level. The roles of team managers, coaches, event organizers, casters, and community managers are equally important and the long term career progression of a player should not be ignored.

Due to a change of government, the previously planned National Esports Blueprint plan had to be scuppered and as far as we know, a similar plan is afoot by the new folks in charge at the Malaysian Youth and Sports Ministry. Understandably, esports takes a backseat during pandemic times but we do look forward to updates in this regard once things improve.
All in all, we hope to see the Malaysian video games scene be seen and taken in a much more wholesome manner; more than merely as an industry represented and summed up by a bunch of streamers and YouTubers. There are a lot of talented people in the background who are worth their salt just waiting to be discovered.
At Kakuchopurei, it is our aim to bring these talented individuals to your attention. Hopefully in the next twelve months, are able to showcase the best Malaysia has to offer.


Persona 5 Royal Comes To Xbox, Switch & PC Next Month

Sega and Atlus have announced that Persona 5 Royal will launch for the PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox Game Pass, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam on 21 October 2022. The game is currently already available on PS4, which originally came out in 2020.
Digital pre-orders are also now live, while the PC version is available to wishlist on Steam.
This version of the game was announced back in June 2022. Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable will also be coming to the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC sometime in 2023.
Check out the trailer below:


Japan Wants To See These Granblue Fantasy Characters In Its Fighting Game

Famitsu held a Granblue Fantasy Versus poll a while back. The results they received this week are pretty wild.
When asked which characters they want to see added in Granblue Fantasy Versus (via HDKirin), the most-requested are as follows:
#1. Sandalphon

#2. Cagliostro

#3. Vira

4. Seox

5. Sigfried

6. Siete

7. Silva

8. Vane

9. Beatrix

10. Clarisse

Seeing as Granblue Fantasy Versus will have new Season Passes coming in, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the top 10 character requests making their way to the game. I’d personally love to see Seox and Silva rocking the Versus field.

The Famitsu poll also revealed the following:
Top 5 characters that people main

Gran
Djeeta
Narmaya
Charlotta
Percival

Top 5 characters that people struggle to fight

Ferry
Ladiva
Gran
Charlotta
Lancelot

Top 5 BGMs In Granblue Fantasy Versus

“Butterfly Girl”
“The Same Blue Sky”
“Licht”
“Existence”
“Peacemaker’s Wings”

As a Ferry player myself, I can relate.


Harley Quinn Season 3 Trailer Reveals July Release Date & Cameo From Famous Director

HBO Max has announced that Harley Quinn Season 3 will premiere on 28 July 2022 on the streaming service.
The mayhem and madness continue in season three of this biting and uproarious adult animated comedy series. Wrapping up their “Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour,” Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco) and Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) return to Gotham as the new power couple of DC villainy. Along with their ragtag crew – King Shark (Ron Funches), Clayface (Alan Tudyk), Frank the Plant (JB Smoove) – “Harlivy” strives to become the best version of themselves while also working towards Ivy’s long desired plan of transforming Gotham into an Eden paradise.
The trailer also teases a cameo from none other than The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker director James Gunn (also known for Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy movies), appearances from The Court Of Owls, Swamp Thing, and more.
When the Harley Quinn animated series was first announced, I was sceptical about how it was going to turn out. Imagine my pleasant surprise when it turned out to be one of the best recent animated shows. Season 2 of the show came out back in April 2020, only two months after the end of the first season, and I was blown away by the batshit crazy antics featured in the show.
It makes full use of its R-rating, with gratuitous swearing and violence that complements all the amazing jokes and gags. There have also been plenty of scenes from the show that has gone viral on social media, such as Robin asking Batman about sex and an entire musical sequence that parodies the Under The Sea song from Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Despite all that, the relationship between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy is a definite highlight, giving emotional weight to the series as well. This is perfect for DC Comics fans and fans of Harley Quinn alike. This version of the character is pure Harley Quinn in all her glory as Paul Dini and Bruce Timm intended; not just trying to imitate Deadpool like in the comics or movies.
We even named it one of 2020’s best TV shows.
Check out the trailer below:


Deadpool Crosses Over Into The MCU For The First Time…

Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool finally joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe in his very first crossover… with Taika Waititi’s Korg?
You got us there; this isn’t actually the debut of Deadpool into the MCU properly in any movie or TV series. Instead, Reynolds reprises his role as Deadpool with Waititi’s Korg in a reaction video towards Reynold’s next movie, Free Guy. What’s funny is Taika Waititi is also a co-star of Reynolds in Free Guys, so it’s essentially a marketing ploy for the upcoming film.
InÂ Free Guy, Ryan Reynolds stars as a bank teller who discovers he is actually an NPC (non-player character) in an open-world video game and decides to become the hero of his own story. Now in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way, before it is too late.
Directed by Shawn Levy, the upcoming movie also stars Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Taika Waititi. It is produced by Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy, Sarah Schechter, Greg Berlanti and Adam Kolbrenner with Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, George Dewey, Dan Levine and Michael Riley McGrath serving as executive producers.
Free Guy is slated to premiere on 23 August 2021. In the meantime, check out the Deadpool Korg reaction video below:


The NBA 2K19 Asia Tournament Philippine Qualifier Finals Take Place This Weekend

Bring your friends to catch some basketball esports action as the NBA 2K19 Asia Tournament Philippine Qualifier Finals take place this weekend on 19 January 2019 at the Cyberzone Activity Area, The Annex, SM City North EDSA, Phillippines.
Eight qualified pro players will fight it out for the right to represent Phillippines for the upcoming NBA 2K19 Asia Tournament Finals. The champion and runner-up will win PHP 50,000 and PHP 25,000, respectively. Each will 2Kobtain a slot for NBA 2K19 Asia Tournament Finals.
Here are the participants:
Online Qualifier Winners

Philippe â€œPBE_Philippeâ€ Herrero IV
Davin John â€œPBE_Treyâ€ Timajo
Alexter â€œLexArriolaâ€ Arriola
Rial “PBE_Rial” Polog

LAN/Onsite Qualifier Winners

Clark â€œPBE_Clarkâ€ Banzon
Joshua â€œXGHOSTX01208â€ Ong
Karloâ€ KarloRosalesâ€ Rosales
Nite “PBE_Alpha” Alparas

Attendees to the event won’t have to miss out on the action as they can participate in the NBA 2K19 Quick Game Tournament, with a prize pool of PHP 35,000. Gates will officially open at 10:00 AM GMT+8.


The Eternals Trailer Teases The Grandest MCU Movie Yet

Marvel Studios has released the first full trailer for its upcoming Eternals.
The movie stars:

Angelina JolieÂ asÂ Thena: A fierce warriorÂ Eternal who can form any weapon out of cosmic energy, and develops a close bond with Gilgamesh over the centuries.
Richard MaddenÂ asÂ Ikaris: The tactical leader of the Eternals who can fly, project cosmic energy beams from his eyes, and has superhuman strength.
Kumail NanjianiÂ asÂ Kingo: An Eternal who can project cosmic energy projectiles from his hands. Enamoured with fame, Kingo becomes a popularÂ Bollywood film star to blend in on Earth.
Lauren Ridloff as Makkari: An Eternal who uses her cosmically powered super-speed to scout planets.Â She is the first deaf superhero in an MCU film and, as such, she is not affected by the sonic booms she creates.
Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos: An Eternal and an intelligent cosmic-powered inventor who secretly helps humanity progress technologically.
Salma Hayek as Ajak: The wise and spiritual leader of the Eternals, who has aided the advancement of human civilization and is able to use her abilities to heal. Ajak can communicate withÂ Celestials.
Lia McHughÂ asÂ Sprite: An Eternal who can project lifelike illusions. Sprite appears to be a 12-year-old child, but she is stronger and cleverer than she looks.
Don LeeÂ asÂ Gilgamesh: The strongest Eternal who can project an exoskeleton of cosmic energy. He becomes Thena’s partner in their exile from the other Eternals.
Kit HaringtonÂ asÂ Dane Whitman: A human warrior who wields aÂ mystical sword, who will later become the Black Knight.
Gemma Chan as Sersi: An empathetic Eternal with an affinity for humankind who can manipulate matter. She has been in love with Ikaris for centuries, and poses as a museum curator on Earth.
Barry Keoghan as Druig: An aloof Eternal who can use cosmic energy to control the minds of others. He becomes withdrawn from the other Eternals because he disagrees with their interactions with humankind.

Eternals is slated to launch sometime in November 2021.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Long-Awaited Boxing Game Undisputed Steps Into Early Access Ring

Steel City Interactive announces that their highly anticipated Boxing title, Undisputed is set to step into the Early Access ring on Steam on 31 January.
Undisputed is a boxing game that boasts impressive visuals, a unique footwork system, and a deep level of strategy. With over 60 different punches and commentary from real-life referees and commentators, the game aims to establish itself as the top choice for boxing enthusiasts.
During the Early Access phase, players will have access to over 50 playable characters and six unique fight locations. They can play offline against friends or AI opponents, or compete online for a spot on the leaderboards. The developer, Steel City Interactive, has partnered with major boxing organizations to ensure the game’s authenticity.
Players can sign up for Early Access on the Undisputed Steam page.
Key Features:

Revolutionary footwork mechanics, including a Loose Movement modifier to help players move around the ring with ease.
More than 60 individual punches. Players can punch from multiple angles, feint to set up a trap and counter.
All the tools needed to be a defensive wizard. Players can slip punches, weave, dodge and block.
Physics-driven interactions – punches can sometimes go around or even through the guard.
Up close and personal inside fighting like never before.


Overwatch League 2019 MVP Sinatraa Is Moving To Valorant

One of the Overwatch League’s top esports athletes and the 2019 Overwatch World Cup champion, Jay “Sinatraa” Won, has announced that he is leaving Blizzard’s arena shooter to start competing in Riot Games’ new multiplayer shooter, Valorant.
Sinatraa has joined the Sentinels, where he will be leading the esports organization’s new Valorant team.

Time to write the next chapter.
We are excited to announce details about our Valorant team consisting of @sinatraa, @ShahZaMk, @zombs and @SicK_cs.
ðŸ“°: https://t.co/sQ6hDFtvtZ pic.twitter.com/wsxlXCOqF7
â€” Sentinels (@Sentinels) April 29, 2020
He recently led his team to victory in the 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals and was awarded MVP of the 2019 season. He also led Team USA to their first-ever victory in the Overwatch World Cup, where he was also named MVP.
He has since published a post on TwitLonger, in which he explained why he was leaving Overwatch for Valorant. According to Sinatraa, he has “lost his passion” for Overwatch and wasn’t having fun anymore, which he attributes to the “2-2-2 lock and bans”.
He proceeded to thank his previous team, San Francisco Shock, and left personal messages for each of his ex-team members. In a statement on Sentinels’ official website, Sinatraa said:

“The move to Valorant is no doubt a huge step in my career, and I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity.
When I saw the team that Sentinels has put together, with so much experience from different esports, I knew that this was the right place to go and I’m excited to be at the front of it.
To all my fans who have supported me over the years, the future feels really bright right now and I can’t wait to show everyone what we can do.”

Despite being one of the most popular games right now, Valorant remains in closed beta as of now, and Riot Games has yet to announce plans for a professional or official esports league for the game. However, the developer already has plenty of experience with League Of Legends esports, so it’ll only be a matter of time until Valorant enters the scene.


Gotham’s Joker Is Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s New Hero

EA and Respawn Entertainment have finally released the first trailer for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, as well as revealed several details and the official release for the highly-anticipated game.
As revealed during the Star Wars Celebration panel for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the game follows Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis, who is now one of the last surviving members of the Jedi Order after the Great Jedi Purge of Order 66 in the aftermath of the events in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GLbwkfhYZk&w=560&h=315]
Cal Kestis, Jedi Padawan Hero

Cal Kestis is played by none other than actor Cameron Monaghan, best known for playing DC Comics TV series Gotham‘s version of the Joker. His performance utilizes motion-capture technology so Cal essentially exhibits an extreme likeness to Monaghan. Take a look at a behind the scenes images of the actor in action.

Cal’s Mentor

According to Monaghan, this character standing beside Cal Kestis will actually be Cal’s mentor in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, not to mention that she’s a former Jedi Knight herself. However, he added that their relationship won’t be like that of a traditional one between a Padawan and a Master, but it’ll be closer to a “strange family” tie instead.
Second Sister of The Inquisitors and Purge Troopers

One of the main antagonists in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will be the Second Sister, a member of a group called the Inquisitors (or Inquisitorius) whose job is to kill any living and remaining Jedi. They were first introduced in the animated series Star Wars Rebels, but the Second Sister first appeared in a comic book, Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith Issue 19: Fortress Vader, Part I.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will introduce a new variant of Stormtroopers into the franchise canon, Purge Troopers. It was revealed in the panel that these Purge Troopers were called in by the Empire to investigate Jedi sightings. Only after they’ve confirmed the sighting will they call upon the Inquisitors to finish the job.

Droid BD-1

A Star Wars entry (be it a movie, game, or series) will never be complete without the introduction of a new droid companion, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is no exception. BD-1 is his name, and you can also catch him at Cal’s side in the trailer.
Other Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Details
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is set to introduce more new planets and characters into the franchise, as well as feature gameplay that the developer describes as “thoughtful combat”. Combat will be easy to pick up but hard to master, as players need to exploit the weaknesses of their enemies to prevail.

According to the developers, that’s not Cal’s lightsaber. It’s tied with the game’s story, so it remains a mystery for now. However, we do know that players will be able to customize their lightsabers and probably not just its appearance either, as it will “change and evolve” throughout the game.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Release Date
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC on 15 November 2019, just a month before the release of Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker on 20 December 2019 (check out our breakdown of its first trailer here).


Honkai Star Rail Launches This April For PC & Mobile; Console Versions Out Later

Time to set sail into space with HoYoverse’s next game.
Honkai Star Rail, a free-to-play turn-based RPG set in space and features a main character who beats the crap out of enemies with his/her magic space bat, will be out for PC and mobile (iOS, Android) on 26 April. The game will also be out on PS5 and PS4 on a later date.
Honkai Star Rail takes place in a sci-fi space fantasy mash-up world all revolving around the space train you take to get to different planets, each with their own tech, culture, and problems you need to solve as Trailblazers. Just like any gacha game with hot anime waifus and husbandos, you spend real-money for a chance to win a high-end Trailblazer, ranging from a hot milf who fights with a killer drone to a hot teen who fights among the shadows. Also, one of Malaysia’s top voice actors Su Ling Chan plays Bailu, a support-type Trailblazer.
We spent a few hours in the closed beta of the game, and so far it’s really promising if you’re into turn-based JRPGs that happen to be free-to-play. I’m curious about the game’s extra events post-story, but so far the combat seems fun-if-familiar, since you exploit elemental weaknesses to get ahead just like in other JRPGs. Having a main character who literally batter ups enemies is a plus.


The Gentlemen Is Guy Ritchie’s Long-Awaited Apology For Past Cinema Sins

Remember King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and last year’s Aladdin? Woof, I try to forget those two disasters and the fact that they’re from a talented filmmaker like Guy Ritchie.
Yes, the same Guy who did the classic British-centric crime films Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. The same Guy who also gave us a few decent Sherlock Holmes movie adaptations that stick close to the source material and structure moreso than the garbage fire Stephen Moffat created for the BBC.
2020 sounds like the year that Guy Ritchie plans to get back to the good graces of his crime film fans. His latest work, The Gentlemen, is exactly that: a well-made reparation that goes back to his 90s and 2000s directing & writing roots, touched up with this era’s modern sensibilities. Accents and all.
Green Grass, High Tides
The Gentlemen is basically a story about a expat American named Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) trying to sell his long-standing business-slash-empire, and the troubles that impede it along the way. The thing is, the business he’s getting out of is the weed and marijuana distribution trade, and his clients and troublemakers are gangsters and cutthroats from all walks of life in London.

The players in this game? There’s aplenty just like in your well-made comedy crime flick. We have a tabloid journalist named Fletcher (Hugh Grant) with insider information and the intention to blackmail Mickey and his associates. Said associate is Ray (Charlie Hunnan), part business assistant to the marijuana trade, part cleanup guy with his own flunkies. We also have the Chinese drug-dealing group and its future heir Dry Eyes (Henry “Malaysia Boleh” Golding), and a gym owner nicknamed Coach (Colin Farrell) who is trying to keep his ass-kicking heavily-trained trap music-loving teenage students in line.
To reveal more would do this film a huge disservice. The Gentlemen is a very carefully-crafted jigsaw puzzle that reveals itself as each piece gets assembled. Thanks to the entire cast bringing their A-game, the story and cinematography flow with style and major substance.

Standouts in the character department include Hugh Grant’s opportunistic journalist-slash-budding-scriptwriter, Colin Farrell’s well-intentioned Coach, and Charlie Hunnan’s crafty-as-all-hell Ray.

That said, you need to pay attention to the telltales and little cinematic details and cues. I don’t blame you if you’re immediately confused with the setup and non-linear narrative within the first 30 minutes or so, especially with the British terms for weed and other sorts of illicit activities thrown about casually. Then again, the film would end up sterile and colourless without it.

A Toke of Appreciation

Simply put, The Gentlemen is a masterclass film. All is forgiven, Guy Ritchie; you’ve done yourself proud with this fun gangster comedy flick.

Its only inherent flaw is that it presents its plot and structure in an intentionally complex manner, that you’ll need to watch it again so that you don’t miss a beat. Still, skipping this return to form would be a crime most unforgivable.
FINAL SCORE: 90/100


Cookie Clicker Deserves All The Mouse Button Presses It Gets

Cookie Clicker is on Steam, Yes, the 2013 browser game is now an official PC paid game where all you do is click on a cookie for results.
I wholeheartedly recommend it for its price. It’s the OG idle/clicker game, now with a revved-up look, that comes with lo-fi music, just one major screen, and a cookie that needs clicking. It’s a habit-forming game that just rakes in the clicks from you as you build your cookie empire, hire grandmas to make cookies for you, and even plant cookie trees for more cookies. And also giggle at the occasional message or two that pops up at the top centre of the game screen. That’s it.
And guess what? I’m not the only one who would pay money for this absurd yet relaxing idle clicker game. Everyone else on the Steam reviews are putting in their sincere reviews for the title.

Look, not all games have to be high art or stuff blowing up out of cathartic pleasure. Sometimes all you want out of your gaming is the opportunity to just farm cookies through mouse clicks and get easy Steam achievements while having it run in the background while you’re typing out on your word processor or watching a movie on your computer.
Cookie Clicker does this so well. It doesn’t slow down or burn out when you’re leaving it idle, and you can shrink the game screen any way you want. Plus, you can play it offline. So yeah, turn your brain off and give in to the crumbles.
Final Score: Click Out Of 10


Octopath Traveler 2 Guide: The Best Ways To Farm Money

Like all JRPGs, money makes the world go round. In Octopath Traveler 2, you can farm money (called Leaves) in order to buy better gear. Whether you wish to haggle or steal, or kill enemies for loot, there are ample ways to get rich in Octopath Traveler 2’s fantasy steampunk hybrid world.
Here are the best and fastest ways to farm money in Octopath Traveler 2. And yes, they all involve the main cast’s merchant with the hat and jacket.
Use Partitio’s Grows On Trees Support Skill
Partitio has a Support Skill called Grows On Trees that nets you extra money if you defeat foes. You can get this after unlocking 4 of Partitio’s Job skills.
Use Partitio’s Collect Skill

Partitio has a skill called Collect that you can use to steal money from enemies. You can unlock the skill using JP points which you earn by killing enemies and also using Partitio’s special Bow skill Arrow of Fortune.
Sell Items
This one’s a no-brainer, but in some cases, you’ll get items that are only useful when sold like ingots or wallets/pouches. Just periodically check your inventory and sort them out.
Create A Party That Can Fleece Money In A Dangerous Area, Then Flee
There’s an area in Crackridge where you can farm money if you use Agnea’s Latent Power (makes single-target abilities target every enemy) and Collect (Merchant Skill) at max BP, then flee before the enemies can react; just get ready a party of Merchants who can donate BP to Agnea. Just be sure to do it at night to get tougher enemies that have a lot of money on them.
Check out the money farming video from Spellborne below.

How To Get The Merchant Job So That You Can Score That Collect Skill For Abuse

Move to Cropdale in the Leaflands region.
Go right and move to the Eastern Cropdale Trail.
Go to the top right and move to Crackridge Harbor: Anchorage.
Head up and move to Southern Crackridge Wilds.
Go right to reach Western Crackridge Wilds.
Follow the Guild Mark on your map and talk to the Merchant Guild Master upon reaching the guild to get the Merchant License.


Halo Infinite Will Not Feature Loot Boxes, Battle Passes Are Permanent & Purely Cosmetic

During the Xbox Bethesda E3 2021 presentation yesterday, 343 Industries confirmed that Halo Infinite multiplayer will be free-to-play. Today, in a new live stream on the game’s multiplayer mode, the developer further revealed that despite being free-to-play, there will be no loot boxes, which means that there won’t be any random drops for loot and items.
Instead, Halo Infinite multiplayer will feature a Battle Pass system/battle passes. What’s unique is that these battle passes will last forever and will never expire. TheyÂ will remain available to pick up across seasons. Players can acquire new loot and cosmetics via the battle pass and special in-game events.
In addition, all unlocks and progression will also carry over between PC and Xbox consoles; made possible via cross-play and cross-progression. Besides that, 343 Industries also revealed that players will now be able to personalise their loadout with a custom AI and that Xbox Insiders will be eligible for special beta sessions ahead of the game’s release.
Halo Infinite is slated to launch for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC sometime in holiday 2021. In the meantime, check out the multiplayer overview trailer below:


Magic The Gathering Street Fighter Collab Leaked [Update: Now Official]

Update[18/2/2022]: the cards are announced officially. The Street Fighter Secret Lair cards will be available from now until 18 March. Card descriptions and abilities are also updated, with the final card being revealed on 20th February.
Original Story
Leaks may have revealed that Magic The Gathering (MTG) will soon be collaborating with Capcom’s fighting game IP, Street Fighter. Eight Magic The Gathering Secret Lair x Street Fighter cards have been leaked by Twitter user @lxduo84, which was posted on the Magic TCG subreddit.
The Twitter post in question has since been removed, which probably means that it’s genuine. However, MTG publisher Wizards Of The Coast has yet to confirm or deny the new Magic The Gathering Street Fighter cards at the time of writing.

The text on the cards is too small to read, but here are the names and text descriptions of the cards (courtesy of Star City Games):
E. Honda, Sumo Champion â€” 4WW

Legendary Creature â€“ Human Warrior
Sumo SpiritÂ â€“ As long as itâ€™s your turn, each creature assigns combat damage equal to its toughness rather than its power.
Hundred Hand SlapÂ â€“ Whenever E. Honda, Sumo Champion attacks, up to one hundred creatures each get +0/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
0/7

Ryu, World Warrior â€” 2W

Legendary Creature â€“ Human Warrior
Training
HadokenÂ â€“ 4R, Untap, Discard a card: Ryu, World Warrior deals damage equal to his power to any target. If excess damage was dealt to a creature this way, draw a card.
2/4

Ken, Burning Brawler â€” 1RR

Legendary Creature â€“ Human Warrior
Prowess
R/W: Ken gains first strike until end of turn.
ShoryukenÂ â€“ Whenever Ken deals combat damage, you may cast a sorcery spell from your hand with mana value less then or equal to that damage without paying its mana cost.
4/2

Blanka, Ferocious Friend â€” 3RG

Legendary Creature â€“ Human Beast Warrior
Haste
Rolling AttackÂ â€“ Blanka, Ferocious Friend has trample as long as youâ€™ve cast three or more spells this turn.
Electric ThunderÂ â€“ Whenever Blanka becomes the target of a spell, he gets +2/+2 until end of turn and deals 2 damage to each opponent.
5/5

Chun-Li, Countless Kicks â€” 1WU

Legendary Creature â€“ Human Warrior
Multikicker W/U
When Chun-Li enters the battlefield, exile up to X target instant cards from your graveyard, where X is the number of times Chun-Li was kicked. Put a kick counter on each of them.
Lightning KickÂ â€“ Whenever Chun-Li attacks copy each exiled card you own with a kick counter on it. You may cast the copies.
3/3

Dhalsim, Pliable Pacifist â€” 2GW

Legendary Creature â€“ Human Monk
Reach
TeleportÂ â€“ Dhalsim, Pliable Pacifist has hexproof unless heâ€™s attacking.Whenever a creature you control with reach attacks, untap it and it canâ€™t be blocked by creatures with greater power this combat.
Fierce PunchÂ â€“ Whenever one or more creatures you control deal combat damage to a player, draw a card.
1/3

Guile, Sonic Soldier â€” 1URW

Legendary Creature â€“ Human Soldier
Whenever Guile, Sonic Soldier enters the battlefield or attacks, put a charge counter on him or remove one from him. When you remove a counter this way, choose one â€“
Sonic Boom â€“ Guile, Sonic Soldier deals 4 damage to any target.
Flash Kick â€“ Guile, Sonic Soldier gains lifelink and indestructible until end of turn.
4/4

Zangief, the Red Cyclone â€“ 2BRG

Legendary Creature â€“ Human Warrior
Zangief, the Red Cyclone must be blocked if able
Iron MuscleÂ â€“ As long as itâ€™s your turn, Zangief has indestructible.
Spinning PiledriverÂ â€“ Whenever Zangief deals damage to a creature, if that creature was dealt excess damage this turn, that creatureâ€™s controller sacrifices a noncreature, nonland permanent.
7/4

We’ll have to wait and see if there’s any truth to this. Most recently, Wizards Of The Coast collaborated with Japanese Vocaloid virtual idol Hatsune Miku to celebrate the upcoming release of the Magic The Gathering Kamigawa Neon Dynasty expansion, which will launch on 18 February 2022.


Star Wars Squadrons Is Getting Mandalorian’s Baby Yoda

Every Star Wars fan knows that The Mandalorian Season 2 is premiering on 30 October 2020. In celebration, EA Motive’s Star Wars Squadrons is getting free The Mandalorian DLC on 28 October 2020.
Star Wars Squadrons’ Mandalorian Supply Drop will introduce eight new cosmetics: two hanging flairs, two dashboard flairs, two holograms, and two decals. Each faction (New Republic and Empire) gets four new cosmetics each, but New Republic players will be getting the best one.
You can soon put Baby Yoda (dubbed “Mysterious Creature” in-game) on the dashboard of your favourite New Republic starfighter and he looks adorable. As for you Imperials, you can plop an IG-series assassin droid on your dashboard.

In the meantime, you can check out my review of Star Wars Squadrons here, or head on over here for a full in-depth guide on how to be the best pilot in the galaxy.


Star Wars The Bad Batch Unveils Badass New Poster

Star Wars The Bad Batch is slated to premiere with a special 70-minute-long debut episode exclusively on Disney Plus on 4 May 2021, also known as the annual Star Wars Day for fans of the franchise.
Subsequent episodes will premiere every Friday starting from 7 May 2021.
Check out the new poster (via the official website):

The poster features Clone Force 99, a.k.a. the Bad Batch, along with the young child seen in the showâ€™s trailer. Also depicted is the imagery of ships, a fiery battle, and an ominous Palpatine hovering above.
What does it all mean? We canâ€™t wait to find out.

Also released today is a new emoji of Hunter, leader of the Bad Batch. Want to share on Twitter and show your love of Clone Force 99? Just use the hashtag #TheBadBatch.
Star Wars The Bad BatchÂ follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in â€œThe Clone Warsâ€) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch; a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army; each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew.
The Bad Batch was originally introduced in the final season ofÂ Star Wars The Clone Wars, and they were the focus of the first major story arc in the aforementioned season.Â The Bad Batch is an elite clone commando squad consisting of four clone troopers designed with genetic mutations. These include:

â€œTech,â€ a clone with heightened mental capacity and intelligence.
Clone Sergeant â€œHunter,â€ a clone with improved sensory abilities.
â€œWrecker,â€ a clone with enhanced strength.
â€œCrosshair,â€ a clone with sharpshooter abilities.

Each member of the Bad Batch could be identified by a skull icon on their clone trooper armour. Following the Battle of Anaxes (which happened in the first four episodes of Star Wars The Clone Wars Season 7), fan-favourite Clone Corporal â€œEchoâ€ also officially joined the squad.
Star Wars The Clone WarsÂ creator andÂ The MandalorianÂ executive producerÂ Dave FiloniÂ will return forÂ Star Wars The Bad BatchÂ as executive producer alongside Athena Portillo (Star Wars The Clone Wars,Â Star Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels,Â Star Wars Resistance) and Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance,Â NCIS).
Meanwhile,Â Carrie BeckÂ (The Mandalorian,Â Star Wars Rebels) will act as head writer and co-executive producer, while Josh Rimes will be the producer (Star Wars Resistance).
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Puma Teams Up With Pokemon For New Sneaker Collection

Sports shoe company PUMAa is teaming up with video game’s favourite monster-filled RPG series for a footwear collection.
The Pokemon Company and PUMA will be launching a new Pokemon-themed collection, which includes a PUMA Slipstream Charmander as well as shoes inspired by the colours and designs of Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Gengar, and Squirtle. Check out the designs below:

The shoes will be on sale starting 12th November, with prices ranging from RM129 to RM649. You can buy them from selected PUMA stores at KLCC, Pavilion KL, Sunway Pyramid, Queensbay Mall, Mid Valley, Tropicana Garden, I-City, Paradigm JB, Genting Sky Avenue, Atmos KL, SoleWhat, & JD Sports.


Gundam Evolution Is A Team-Based Online Shooter For PC, Featuring Gundams Of Course

We’ve seen Mobile Suit Gundam games in action titles, hack-and-slashers, turn-based strategies, RPGs, and fighting games. But in a team-based shooter ala Counter-Strike and Overwatch? Not yet, at least until now.
Bandai Namco just announced Gundam Evolution, a PC first-person/third-person multiplayer team-based shooter game featuring Gundams and mechas in the Gundam universe shooting the crap out of each other for points. Playable mechas (presumably with hero powers) in the game include:

Gundam RX-78-2
Gundam Barbatos
Ashimar
GM Sniper II
Dom Trooper
Sazabi

The game is slated for PC and is a free-to-play shooter, with a 2022 release date. Check out the trailer & fresh gameplay below.


Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origins PC Specs Revealed

Square Enix and Team Ninja have revealed the PC specs for Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origins. It was announced via Twitter.

Minimum requirements for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin (30fps at 720p)
OS:Â Windows 10 64-bit
Processor:Â AMD Ryzen 5 1400 / Intel Core i7-6700
Memory:Â 8 GB
Storage:Â 80 GB
GPU:Â AMD Radeon RX 470 / GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
Recommended requirements for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin (60fps at 1080p)
OS:Â Windows 10 64-bit
Processor:Â AMD Ryzen 5 1600 / Intel Core i7-8700
Memory:Â 16 GB
Storage:Â 80 GB
GPU:Â AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT / GeForce GTX 1660 Super
Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origins is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on 18 March 2022.
In the meantime, watch us beat down Chaos below:


So What Took Nick Fury So Long to Call For Captain Marvel?

Marvel has just released the one and only issue of the Captain Marvel Prelude comic. It finally partially answers one of the most enduring questions from Avengers: Infinity War.

What Has Nick Fury and Maria Hill Been Up To?
The Captain Marvel Prelude comic begins by showing us where Nick Fury and Maria Hill have been since we last saw them at the end of 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. During the events of 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, Nick Fury was aware of the growing rift between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers.
He even stated that we “can’t afford that kind of infighting.” What he means by that is that a house divided is never as strong as house united, and therefore a broken Avengers team might not have what it takes to save the world.

They also went into hiding after the Sokovia Accords were finally ratified. While Maria pointed out the Accords only restrict superpowered individuals and not superspies, Nick decided to go into hiding anyways because he needs them (the Avengers) to be something more. He’s essentially not sure anymore whether the Avengers will ever assemble themselves whole again.
What’s interesting here is that Maria Hill doesn’t know about Captain Marvel. This is apparent when she asked Nick Fury if he has other superheroes that they haven’t recruited yet.

Why Did Nick Fury Only Call Her As A Last Resort?
This question is answered by Nick Fury himself as he says that if they do their jobs right, they’ll never have to call “her.” “Her” obviously refers to Captain Marvel, though he doesn’t mention her name to Maria.

What Was Nick Fury and Maria Hill’s Mission Pre-Avengers Infinity War?
Nick Fury and Maria Hill attempted to fix the rift between the Avengers by confronting both Captain America and Iron Man. We already know the outcome of this. As we all know from watching Avengers: Infinity War, they never made up, which means that Nick Fury and Maria Hill failed to reunite the Avengers.
Check out their attempts in the pages below.

Full Circle
After those unfruitful meetings, the Captain Marvel Prelude comic fast-forwards to the post-credits of the Avengers: Infinity War movie. This scene makes much more sense now, especially when Nick asks Maria if they’ve heard back from Tony.
We get more details too, which wasn’t in the live-action scene. These include Nick Fury whispering “It’s time.” under his breath just before he turns into pixie dust.

Ultimately, it means that Nick Fury never intended for Captain Marvel to be part of the Avengers. She was meant as a last resort for when the Avengers failed, or in this case, broke apart.
Many lingering questions remain unanswered by the end of the Captain Marvel Prelude comic book, like what exactly has Carol Danvers been up to all these years? Where is she now? How powerful is she that Nick Fury seemed to regard her as a silver bullet of sorts?
We’ll know more when Captain Marvel hits theaters on March 7, 2019. To know more about Captain Marvel herself ahead of the upcoming movie, check out my introduction to the character here.