Here Are Hogwarts Legacy’s PC Specs For You Master Race Wizards Out There

Warner Bros. Interactive has revealed the PC specs and requirements for its upcoming open-world fantasy game Hogwarts Legacy, which is based on the Harry Potter Wizarding World universe.
The game is also coming out for PS5 and Xbox Series, but the last-gen and Nintendo Switch versions will be out later in the year (25 July), which means the specs will be pretty high. Here they are:
Hogwarts Legacy PC specs
Minimum/Low Specs

OS: 64-bit Windows 10
CPU: Intel Core i5 6600 (3.3 GHz) or AMD Ryzen 5 1400
RAM: 16GB
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 GB or AMD Radeon RX 470 4GB
DirectX Version: DX 12
Storage 85 GB HDD
Notes: SSD (preferred), HDD (Supported), 720p/30fps, Low-Quality Settings.

Recommended/ High Specs

OS: 64-bit Windows 10
CPU: Intel Core i7 8700 (3.2 GHz) or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
RAM: 16GB
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 5700 4
DirectX Version: DX 12
Storage 85 GB HDD
Notes: SSD, 1080/60FPS, High-Quality Settings.

Ultra Specs

OS: 64-bit Windows 10
CPU: Intel Core i7 10700K (3.80 GHz) or AMD Ryzen 5 5800
RAM: 32GB
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6800
DirectX Version: DX 12
Storage 85 GB HDD
Notes: SSD, 1440/60FPS, Ultra-Quality Settings.

Ultra 4K Specs

OS: 64-bit Windows 10
CPU: Intel Core i7 10700K (3.80 GHz) or AMD Ryzen 5 5800
RAM: 32GB
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090Ti or AMD Radeon RX 7900
DirectX Version: DX 12
Storage 85 GB HDD
Notes: SSD, 2160/60FPS, Ultra-Quality Settings.

Apart from that, Warner Bros. Interactive also said the game is verified for Steam Deck at launch.

Hello again, David! We reached out to the Hogwarts Legacy team for you and were able to confirm that the game WILL be Steam Deck verified on launch. We hope this helps with your decision! Take care.
— WB Games Support (@WBGamesSupport) January 12, 2023

Oh, and you need 85GB of hard disk space. We’re guessing it’s about the same for the PS5 and Xbox Series versions.
The game will be out on 10 February.


The Division 2 Open Beta Is Happening Soon

Get ready, Division Agents. The Open Beta for Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 will be live soon.
The post-apocalyptic military shooter had a private beta session previously, and we had a blast.
Great! So When Can We Play It?
Soon! However, please don’t feel left out as the Open Beta will be available to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, regardless if you pre-ordered your game or not, from 1 March to 4 March.
Preload is available on the 28 February. Check out the schedule below for more information.

What Can We Play?
You can expect to play 3 main missions until a small preview of the endgame section. You can explore the open world, or drop into the Dark Zone, if you fancy.

Is That All?
Ask and you shall receive. Ubisoft is rewarding players who participate in any beta with neat in-game items. Here are the rewards.

Participants in any beta will receive the DC Patriot Weapon Skin.
Complete the invaded mission to receive the Capitol Hill Arm Patch.
Complete the Dark Zone East Introduction Mission to receive the Supply Crate Backpack Trophy.
Participate in the Open Beta to receive the Capitol Hill Backpack Trophy.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 Open Beta will be available 1 – 4 March, while the full game drops on 15 March for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Image credit: Ubisoft


Trigun Stampede Anime Premieres In January 2023

Toho Animation and Orange have released a new trailer for the Trigun Stampede anime, which reveals that it will premiere on 7 January 2023 worldwide on Crunchyroll.
Trigun is a popular Japanese gun-action manga series created by Yasuhiro Nightow. It follows the fated journey of Vash the Stampede, a legendary gunman and a pacifist with a bounty on his head.
The opening theme for Trigun Stampede is “TOMBI” by Japanese hip-hop artist Kvi Baba. The ending theme is Hoshi no Kuzu ? (Waste of the Stars Alpha) by Haruka Nakamura and singer Salyo.
Check out the trailer below:


Brave Frontier Will Be Shutting Down After 9 Years Of Being In Service

Talk about the end of an era. After being online for 9 long years, mobile RPG Brave Frontier will shutting down.
According to the official gumi Facebook page, Brave Frontier will be shutting down on 27 April, 2022 at 0:00 PDT. All Gem purchases will be terminated right now. Players who wish to find out more about the closure and the refund process will need to head to this link.
This does begs the question: what’s going to happen to Japanese company gumi, the creators of Brave Frontier? Rest assured, the company is fine. As of now, the company is handling operations for two major Final Fantasy titles -Brave Exvius and War of The Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius- and The Alchemist Code. Even with Brave Frontier laid to rest, the company is still busy running these games.
Still, it is sad to see Brave Frontier sunsetting. Many folks including myself had fond memories playing the mobile RPG, especially since it was one of the few mobile JRPGs that had crossovers with the likes of Shin Megami Tensei and The King of Fighters.
It also had a bunch of insane TV commercials and ads with various art directions. Full disclosure: I used to work at gumi and was involved in getting these ads up and running to the public. At the very least, one of them was received favourable; I’ll let you be the judge to decide which one it was.

Fare thee well, sweet prince! Thank you for the memories and opportunities.


You Can Vote For The Grandfather Of Fighting Games On This Ultimate Game Of All Time Poll

While Street Fighter 2 isn’t the first fighting game ever made, it is the most important of the lot. It’s still the most well-known and influential fighting game 30 years later since its arcade debut.
So what better way to cement its prestige further than with the 39th Golden Joystick Awards’ special Ultimate Game of All Time award? Street Fighter 2 happens to be on the shortlist of finalists after sifting through 1 million games. Among the 20 games listed include Super Mario 64, Pac Man, Half Life 2, and Dark Souls.
You know your feelings to be true: vote Street Fighter 2. Do it now. Vote closes on 13th November 6am GMT+8.

Remember the first time you pulled off a Hadoken? ???????
Street Fighter II (1991) has been shortlisted for the Ultimate Game Of All Time award by the @GoldenJoysticks
Vote for The World Warriors here https://t.co/jWyD7u6WPK#GoldenJoystickAwards #50YearsOfGames pic.twitter.com/rqqwZ5rZU7
— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) November 9, 2021


The First Three Dragon Quest Games Will Be Out For Switch Later This Year [Update]

Good news for you Asian RPG fans out there: the first three Dragon Quest games for Famicom/NES/Game Boy Advance will be released for the Nintendo Switch as one nice bundle.
To recap, they are:

Dragon Quest – $4.99
Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line – $6.49
Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation – $12.49

Yes, it’s already available inÂ  Japan, but this will be the English and Chinese versions of the ports. The collection is slated for 27th SeptemberÂ 2019; no exact date yet though. That’s 10 days from now.
Honestly, I don’t see the fuss about the series, but some of our writers seem to dig the old-school flavour, combat, and epic storyline for part XI. This collection will bring you back to the days when RPGs had first-person combat and everyone moved like they were on molasses.


A Lot Of People Are Queuing Up For Amazon’s New Online RPG

Amazon’s New World, the long-awaited MMORPG that a lot of people want to jump on due to its fresh new setting and online RPG take, is available to play right now. The good news? Nearly 428,000 people are running the game right now. The bad news? Less than half of that number are actually playing the game.
The other half? They’re stuck in queues waiting to get into one of the 2,000-player islands of the game. The queues themselves take about hours before eager MMORPGers can get in. As of this writing, players in US East will have to wait in line for 91 hours to get into the Morrow server.
Amazon is of course trying to get everyone logged in and playing quickly.

Read an update regarding New World Launch #NWstatus
? https://t.co/KklxZUYlzf pic.twitter.com/5czKf72Tbw
— New World (@playnewworld) September 28, 2021

If you want to see how the queues are in North American and European servers, head to newworldstatus.com for estimate times. If you’re from Southeast Asia, the closest server to run your online game is in Sydney (under APAC). Good luck!


Here Are Your Halo Infinite System Requirements; It’s Pretty Hefty

Microsoft has just released the specifications for the PC version of Halo Infinite, which is coming out for the master race platform and Xbox consoles on 8th December.
Here are the numbers, according to the Steam page. Brace yourself.
Halo Infinite Minimum Specs

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 RS3 x64
Processor: AMD FX-8370 or Intel i5-4440
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD RX 570 or Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 50 GB available space

Halo Infinite Recommended Specs

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 19H2 x64
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel i7-9700k
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: Radeon RX 5700 XT or Nvidia RTX 2070
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 50 GB available space

Yep, to make Halo Infinite run optimally, you’ll need 16GB RAM, the latest DirectX version, and the top-of-the-line graphics cards. In fact, its minimum requirements require an AMD RX570 or an Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti. To be honest, that is pretty hefty for a game that will run on a base Xbox One. The fact that the game will have a free-to-play multiplayer mode means the barrier of entry can be pretty high.


She-Ra Season 5 Proves It’s One Of Netflix’s Best Original Shows, Animated Or Otherwise

Many of you may have grown up watching the iconic He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe animated series, but perhaps not its spinoff series She-Ra Princess of Power. This was likely the case for many male viewers, considering that the original She-Ra series was primarily targeted at a female audience.
Back in 2018 when She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power debuted its first season, many viewers (including me) were initially sceptical of Netflix rebooting an animated series no one really asked for. We asked: “Why not start with He-Man instead?” The promotional art and trailers didn’t do much to persuade us otherwise either, featuring simplistic and cartoonish designs that screamed a much younger target audience.

Fast-forward merely two years later, and She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power has definitely proved us all wrong. As it concludes its final and fifth season, I can safely and happily say that this Netflix reboot is anything but.

In actuality, it has turned out to be one of the best original shows on the streaming service, animated or otherwise (which is the highest praise that I can ever give).
We Must Be Strong, We Must Be Brave

It is a testament to the brilliant work by showrunner Noelle Stevenson and the folks at Dreamworks Animation that they have managed to pack so much action, adventure, and complicated character dynamics into a total of 52 episodes in the span of only two years. Taking place on the planet Etheria, She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power follows protagonist Adora, a young woman raised in the Horde (read: evil empire) who then defects to the ‘good guys’ and joins forces with the rebellion, who are led by Princesses with magical powers, each of whom is a leader of her own kingdom.

Adora’s story starts out just like He-Man’s, King Arthur’s, and a lot of other fantasy protagonists, in that she finds herself worthy of a legendary weapon.
In Adora’s case, that weapon allows her to transform into She-Ra, a magical warrior with great power.
Despite the generic and overused premise, the best thing about She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power throughout its five seasons have always been the way that it manages to convey the emotional complexity of its characters.

In She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power, the dynamic between characters is just as important as the overarching plot or ongoing story arc in such a nuanced way that not many animated series can boast of. You care about these characters, and their relationships with each other, as well as how the plot affects them, and vice versa.
While there are truckloads of shocking plot revelations throughout the five seasons of She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power, what’s even more surprising and praiseworthy is how much the characters have grown, developed and changed from their initial appearances in the very first season.
For a show that’s essentially a Western version of Japanese anime’s magical girl trope with a simple underlying theme of good versus evil, She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power carries more emotional weight and impact than you’d expect. All the groundwork and world-building thatâ€™s been laid down over five seasons comes to fruition and reach their satisfying conclusions in the fifth and final season.

I won’t spoil anything, but old enemies redeem themselves and friends forgive each other’s past mistakes.
In fact, the biggest theme of She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power is the power of forgiveness and sacrifice, leading to some of the most emotionally-powerful scenes I’ve ever seen in an animated series.
The best comparisons I can mention are to that of the redemption arcs of Darth Vader in Star Wars and Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Of course, none of this would even be possible without the incredibly-talented cast, with Aimee Carrero as Adora/She-Ra, Marcus Scribner as Bow, Karen Fukuhara as Glimmer and AJ Michalka as Catra all giving fantastic performances. That’s not even mentioning the other supporting characters like Christine Woods as Entrapta, Lauren Ash as Scorpia, and more who get their own moments to shine in the final season.
Catradora Fans Will Be Happy

Nothing is perfect, especially in this final season. Those who have dismissed the series from the beginning simply due to its design aesthetics will still find more of the same here, though this season does feature an improved redesign of She-Ra’s costume. For those who dislike how the series is “animated”, I can only say that Season 5 features the best action sequences yet.
Sure, She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power doesn’t hold much of a candle to other more celebrated animated shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender in terms of animation prowess, but it more than makes up for it with its excellent characters and writing.

With only 13 episodes in its fifth and final season, it feels like She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power is perfectly-paced for the most part. Though there are several episodes that somewhat stray from the main plot, they don’t exactly feel like filler, as they all play a necessary role in contributing to the growth of the characters.

Fans of Adora and Catra (as well as the Catradora shippers on the Internet) will appreciate how She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power Season 5 ends up treating the two characters and their relationship dynamic.
Again, no spoilers, but I dare say that you’ll be very happy with how it all ends. You won’t feel horribly-cheated like many of us did with the conclusion of Netflix’s other popular original animated series, Voltron: Legendary Defender.

For The Honor Of Grayskull

Kudos to Noelle Stevenson and Dreamworks Animation for She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power, which has earned a spot on the list of the best original animated offerings on Netflix. I just hope that the streaming service will be able to replicate the success of She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power with their upcoming He-Man reboot. It’ll be pretty embarrassing if Netflix’s He-Man reboot turns out to be inferior to She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power, which rightfully deserves all the acclaim coming its way.

She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power ultimately sticks the landing with a conclusion that’s both epic and emotionally-satisfying, with a lovely journey to boot.

With the state of the western animated series industry currently overwhelmingly-saturated with meta comedies like Rick & Morty and Bojack Horseman, it’s refreshing to see that good old classic action-adventures like She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power are still being made.
FINAL SCORE: 90/100


Tales Of Arise Just Revealed The Cast’s Super Moves

Bandai Namco just revealed Tales of Arise’s Mystic Artes, super moves your heroes can pull off to end battles quick as long as you hit the requirements.
The team has showcased the Mystic Artes/Hi Ougi for the four main characters in order: Alphen, Shionne, Rinwell, and Law. Check them out below!

In other news, Bandai Namco revealed more details of the game and some nice screenshots on the Japanese PlayStation Blog. Here are the highlights from the post:

If you buy the PS4 version of the game, you’ll get a free PS5 upgrade.
The load times for battles are drastically shortened with the PS5’s SSD.
You can set the game to performance mode at 60fps and in 4K mode.
DualSense Haptics are supported in the game.
The game will have a complete PS5 Game Help support.

Enjoy the screenshots and box art for the PS4 and PS5 versions below. Tales of Arise will be out this September.


Konami Announces eFootball 2022

Konami has announced the official title for the first season of their free-to-play eFootball platform. It’s eFootball 2020 and it will officially launch on 30 September 2022 for the PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC, iOS, and Android.

Announcing #eFootball 2022 – the official title for our new platform's first season.
Launching September 30th on consoles and PC, fans can finally experience how we've #SetFootballFree. ??
Find out more: https://t.co/pOjMKQNcvd pic.twitter.com/G53lhDFJtz
— KONAMI UK (@KONAMIUK) September 2, 2021

According to Konami (via Twitter), the first major free update for #eFootball will include:

Creative Teams – select your base team from over 600 licensed clubs.
New match modes.
New player types – from Standard to Legendary.

On mobile, eFootball 2022 will be overhauled in Unreal Engine with new features. It will be delivered as an update to the existing PES 2021 app, current mobile users will be able to carry over many of their current items once it launches.
In the future, Konami will implement the following updates:

Edit Mode
PlayStationÂ®5 haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support
Advanced ball trapping
Power Pass, Power Shot and other special kicks
Mobile controller support
Full cross-platform matchmaking (PC, console and mobile)


[Rumour] Call Of Duty Modern Warfare Season 4 To Drop Next Week

Several days ago, Activision announced that they have delayed the new seasons forÂ Call of Duty Modern Warfare,Â Call Of Duty WarzoneÂ andÂ Call Of Duty Mobile amidst the growing unrest and protests in the US. However, a data-mined leak has seemingly revealed the re-scheduled release date.
Twitter user @TheMW2Ghost has discovered hidden files indicating that Call Of Duty Modern Warfare Season 4 will drop next Wednesday on 10 June 2020 at 6am UTC or 2pm GMT+8 on the same day in Southeast Asian regions.

Season 4 of #ModernWarfare may be coming next Wednesday, at 6am UTC — as discovered in a datamined file which I have posted in the discord if you want to see. https://t.co/dknvhEDMvb
â€” MW2 OG (@TheMW2Ghost) June 6, 2020
What lends further credibility to this is that it will drop at 11am PDT on Tuesday, 9 June 2020, which is in line with the fact that Activision has always dropped major Call Of Duty updates on Tuesdays. It’s generally true, as you can see here on the patch notes on the Infinity Ward official website.
However, take all this with a grain of salt for now, as neither Activision or Infinity Ward have confirmed the new release dates for the new seasons. More gaming events and announcements will likely be affected by the protests in similar ways during the coming weeks (or even months).
In the meantime, re-watch the trailer below and catch Captain Price in action.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOOoRmEIXRs&w=560&h=315]


E3 2019: Here’s Your First Gameplay Look At Vampire: The Masquerade 2

The cult classic RPG Vampire: The Masquerade 2 is going to be a reality in Q1 2020. While you guys and gals wait while figuring out whether you want to be a Ventrue or Malkavian, here’s the official gameplay trailer.

Talking, philosophy-debating, some fighting, getting resonance out of blood so you can get short-term buffs. The more of the same type of blood you feed, the more resonance you get and thus a long-term buff to help you on your quest to be a vampire.
According to senior writer Cara Ellison (former games journalist FYI) when on stage, vampires can see the emotional resonance of beings like fear or desire. She and her team will also create narrative twists and turns like a “vampire puberty quest line” and re-enactments of bits from Interview With A Vampire.
Speaking of fighting, the game’s combat is currently in pre-alpha state, which is code for “it’s broken and clunky”. Guess we’ll have to wait a bit more to see the game get into real action, but so far the gameplay footage impresses. I’ve never been into this series of games thanks to other RPGs back then taking up my time, but I may start looking into this next year.


Zombie Land Saga Anime Is Getting A Film

Zombie Land Saga, the really funny anime series about zombie girls and J-pop idol trials and tribulations, is getting a film project.
Distributor Avex Pictures published an announcement video that’s basically a live-action promo video featuring actors Hakuryuu and Kunio Murai of the Saga prefecture. The movie announcement pops up at the end.

??#????????????????
PV???????? ?????????????? ????
???????? pic.twitter.com/J8xZtw1UmJ
— ???????? ????_??????????? (@zombielandsaga) October 17, 2021

Here’s the first look at the official poster. The zombie girls seem angry at something, and the trail of dirt looks like they might be beamed up somewhere. Are we going to see some hot zombie J-Pop idol action in space?

Zombie Land Saga aired in Japan in October 2018. The 12-episode anime was so popular it received a sequel anime series called Zombie Land Saga Revenge this 8th April.


Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe Is Coming To Steam For Free This April

Management and business simulation game Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe, or OpenTTD, is coming to Steam on 2 April 2021.
OpenTTD is a business simulation game in which players earn money by transporting passengers and cargo via road, rail, water, and air. It is an open-source remake and expansion of the 1995 Chris Sawyer video game Transport Tycoon Deluxe.
Prior to this release, OpenTTD was only available via itsÂ dedicated website.

Build
Players can connect industries and cities on procedurally-generated maps of up to 4096 x 4096 tiles by building a network of roads, railways, docks, and airports. Navigate dense city streets, cross oceans and rivers, and conquer high mountains in one of four climates.
Transport
Players can work alone or with friends to complete production chains and transport finished goods to towns. Assemble a fleet of hundreds of vehicles, transferring cargo as needed in an interconnected, multimodal network with optional cargo destinations.
Upgrade
Players have to keep up with technological improvements through the years as towns grow; new modes of transport are invented; and industries appear, change production, or fail. Expand stations and build network capacity to keep up with demand and avoid delays.
Extend
Players can customize your OpenTTD experience via community-made mods downloaded through an in-game content service, including real-world vehicles, new industry sets, custom scenarios, and more.
Free
OpenTTD is free and open-source software, licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2.0.
You can wishlist the game on Steam now. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


You Can Now Register For Street Fighter V Champion Edition Tournament Mode Beta

Street Fighter V Champion Edition is finally going to release on 14 February 2020, which is this Friday. In addition, registration is now open for the third public beta test for the upcoming Street Fighter Champion Edition Online Tournament Mode.
To sign up and to see if your country is part of the beta, visit the official website here. To save you the trouble, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia are included, but weirdly not Singapore for some reason.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoNkYt_7VyI&w=560&h=315]


Borderlands 3 Season Pass 2 Announced; Here’s What You’re Getting

Oh joy, oh happy day to all you loot-and-shoot fans out there. Borderlands 3 is getting a Season Pass 2, and it’ll be kicking off in a few week’s time.
So what will you be getting? Here’s a breakdown.

Get ready to make all kinds of mayhem with Borderlands 3's new Season Pass 2, which will feature two more add-ons unlike anything we've done before.
Learn more https://t.co/u1CPb5fJua pic.twitter.com/GpxdA5hA0F
— Borderlands (@Borderlands) October 15, 2020

Designer’s Cut DLC
This addition will be available 10th November and will add in the new fourth purple skill tree for all Vault Hunters. The DLC also features a new Arms Race game mode. So far, there’s no news on this new mode, but rest assured that all will be revealed later this October.
Director’s Cut DLC
This addition will be out in Spring 2021. There’s no news or info about what’s in this Director’s Cut as of yet; maybe a new Mayhem difficulty mode for us hardcore Borderlands 3 fans?
Here’s the schedule for the Designer’s Cut reveals so far:

October 20, 9:00 AM PTÂ – Amara/FL4K new Skill Tree reveals with livestreams and a special episode of Ultimate Vault Hunters
October 22, 9:00 AM PTÂ – Moze/Zane new Skill Tree reveals with livestreams and a special episode of Ultimate Vault Hunters
October 29, 9:00 AM PTÂ – The Borderlands Show premieres, featuring the new Arms Race mode and much more
October 30, 9:00 AM PTÂ – The Bordercast debuts the first live, hands-on Arms Race gameplay

If Season Pass 2 costs anything like Season Pass 1, expect to spend RM149/US$35 on it.
We should also add that the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 versions of Borderlands 3 will be available day-on on each respective next-gen console. The Bloody Harvest event is going on now; do check out what’s worth farming from the event here.


FIFA 23 Mobile App Out Now & Offers Early Access To FUT 23

EA SPORTS has released the FIFA 23 companion app for iOS and Android and offers eligible players early access to FIFA 23’s Ultimate Team.
The FIFA 23 companion app was released following the launch of the FIFA 23 web app earlier this week and is available for download now on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Both the web and mobile apps allow players to open packs and sell items in FUT 23 ahead of FIFA 23’s release on 30 September. While users can’t actually play FUT 23 matches, they will have the chance to open their loyalty reward which varies based on the account history of the player.
Since the web app’s release, there have been reports of some players being unable to log in, which EA did address and stated that they are investigating. Other issues include some squad building challenges not counting as completed even when requirements are met.

FIFA 23 will be released globally on September 30 for PS5, Xbox Series X | S, PC, Stadia, PS4 and Xbox One.
However, early access for Ultimate Edition pre-order customers will begin on 27 September, when a 10-hour trial will also be made available for EA Play members.
EA has said that FUT 23 includes a refreshed chemistry system and a new FUT Moments mode, among other features.
Marvel and EA recently announced plans to collaborate on a series of special FUT 23 items featuring comic book-style illustrations of players, which will be made available when the game’s World Cup mode launches in November.


Activision Blizzard Developers & Employees Denounce Corporate Statements

Activision Blizzard is under fire as of late due to a recent sexual harassment & discrimination lawsuit targeted at its toxic “fratboy” work culture. The company released statements that call the suit “distorted” and “false”, with one from Blizzard president J Allen Brack calling the alleged behaviour in the lawsuit “unacceptable” and “disturbing” while also saying that no such acts have occurred in the company.
A lot of people, 20-plus Blizzard employees including, are calling b*****it on this and are expressing support for the stories told in the lawsuit. Some are going out of their way to stop work in solidarity with the victims that came forward.
“Many of us will not be working today in solidarity with the women that came forward. The statements made by [Activision Blizzard] do not represent us. We believe women, and we will continue to strive to do better and hold others accountable. Actions speak louder than words.” – Jeremy Feasel, lead game designer

Many of us will not be working today in solidarity with the women that came forward. The statements made by ABK do not represent us. We believe women, and we will continue to strive to do better and hold others accountable. Actions speak louder than words.
— Muffinus (@Muffinus) July 23, 2021

“Like many of you, our team’s been going through a mix of outrage and sorrow and hurt. Been listening to one another, looking after our friends, and finding ways to support and care for each other. Now we gotta roll up our sleeves and fix this shit. As a company. As an industry.” – Steve Danuser, narrative designer

Like many of you, our team's been going through a mix of outrage and sorrow and hurt. Been listening to one another, looking after our friends, and finding ways to support and care for each other.
Now we gotta roll up our sleeves and fix this shit. As a company. As an industry.
— Steve Danuser (@SteveDanuser) July 23, 2021

“I’m unhappy with the corporate response up to this point. I don’t feel it represents me or what I believe in. Many of us have said this internally. It feels worth saying publicly.” – Brian Holinka, game designer
https://twitter.com/holinka/status/1418652619250171904
“I stand with the [Activision Blizzard] victims & believe their stories. To claim that these stories are ‘factually incorrect’ or ‘untrue’ is a slap in the face to current & former employees, & does not represent my core values.” – UX researcher Nikki Crenshaw.

My tweets represent my own views & not the views of my company.
I stand with the AB victims & believe their stories. To claim that these stories are "factually incorrect" or "untrue" is a slap in the face to current & former employees, & does not represent my core values.
— Nikki 'Gazelle' Crenshaw ? (@Gaiazelle) July 23, 2021

“I’ve heard horror stories all of which I know are true and shouldn’t be dismissed. The fact that [Activision Blizzard] dismissed it not once but twice is appalling.” – Elsbeth Larkin

In the past 2 years I haven't had to deal with anything. But, and big but, I've heard horror stories all of which I know are true and shouldn't be dismissed. The fact that ABK dismissed it not once but twice is appalling.
— Elsbeth Larkin (@Funtimes_McGee) July 23, 2021

At this point in time, Activision Blizzard has yet to make any public statements.


Here’s What You Need To Run Borderlands 3 On PC

Gearbox Software has just published the system requirements for Borderlands 3 on the game’s official website. If you’re keen on getting the game on PC through the Epic Games Store (Steam version only available six months after release), here’s what you’ll need to run the game:

In terms of hard disk space, you’ll need at least 75GB.
Minimum requirements for 1920×1080:
OS: Windows 7/8.1/10
CPU: AMD FX-8350 / Intel i5-3570
RAM: 6GB
GPU: AMD Radeon HD 7970 / Nvidia Geforce GTX 680 (2GB)
Recommended requirements for 2560×1440:
OS: Windows 7/8.1/10
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 / Intel i7-4770
RAM: 16GB
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 590 / Nvidia Geforce GTX 1060 (6GB)
Gearbox has also provided a full list of the game’s many configurable graphical settings. Check them out:
Basic

General
Graphics API: DirectX 11, DirectX 12
Display: (varies by setup)
Display Mode: Full Screen, Windowed Borderless, Windowed
Resolution: (varies by setup)
Vertical Sync: Off, On
Resolution Scale: 50% – 200% in 25% increments
Limit Frame Rate: Smooth 22-62 FPS, Capped 30 FPS, Capped 50 FPS, Capped 60 FPS, Capped 72 FPS, Capped 120 FPS, Unlimited, Custom
Custom FPS Limit: default 90, minimum 15, maximum 300
Calibrate Display: Brightness and HDR
Calibrate Safe Area: Adjust the boundary of the UI
Field of View: default 90, minimum 70, maximum 110
Vehicle Field of View: default 90, minimum 70, maximum 110
HUD Scale: default 1, minimum 0.6, maximum 1.3
Advanced

Preferences
Display Stats: Off, FPS, All (FPS, CPU, GPU)
Anti Aliasing: None, FXAA, Temporal
FidelityFX Sharpening: Off, On
Camera Motion Blur: Off, On
Object Motion Blur: Off, On
General
Graphics Quality: Low, Medium, High, Ultra
Texture Streaming: Low, Medium, High, Ultra
Anisotropic Filtering: 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x
Material Quality: Low, Medium, High, Ultra
Shadows: Low, Medium, High, Ultra
Draw Distance: Low, Medium, High, Ultra
Environment Texture Detail: Low, Medium, High, Ultra
Environment Detail: Low, Medium, High, Ultra
Terrain Detail: Low, Medium, High, Ultra
Foliage Detail: Low, Medium, High, Ultra
Character Texture Detail: Low, Medium, High, Ultra
Character Detail: Low, Medium, High, Ultra
Ambient Occlusion: Low, Medium, High, Ultra
Volumetric Fog: Off, Medium, High, Ultra
Screen Space Reflections: Off, Medium, High, Ultra
One of the greatest appeals about the Borderlands series is its aesthetics which leans more towards comic book-like linework instead of gritty realism that we often see in other shooters. As you can observe in the list of minimum requirements, this also allows you mid-tier PCs to run the games smoothly.
When we spoke to Borderlands 3‘s creative director Paul Sage, he did mention that the game has better textures and improved lighting when compared to past games in the series.

Borderlands 3 comes out 13 September 2019 for PC (Epic Games Store), PS4, and Xbox One. To see how the game looks like running on a PS4 Pro, check out our preview here.


Overwatch League Transfers: Fissure Close to Los Angeles Gladiator Move

Seems like another player move is on the cards for newly-crowned Stage 1 champions, London Spitfire as Los Angeles Gladiators sought to acquire tank-main,Â Chan-hyungÂ “Fissure”Â Baek.
The move, which according to ESPN is subject to the league’s approvalÂ , will see Fissure join as the eighth (yes, eighth) team member of the Gladiators who only have one tank main in their roster throughout Stage 1,Â LuisÂ “iRemiix”Â Galarza Figueroa. The addition of Fissure is definitely going to improve Gladiators’ overall quality as he brings top-level experience of competing at the highest stage.
“We’re pursuing negotiations with the Los Angeles Gladiators to make this transfer happen,” Spitfire CEO Jack Etienne told ESPN.
A mainstay for the KongDoo Panthera lineup throughout OGN APEX Seasons 2 – 4, Fissure formed the backbone of the London Spitfire during its formation along with his teammates from KongDoo Panthera , Rascal, Birdring and Bdosin.Â While we are excited to see Los Angeles Gladiators beef up their ranks, this move sees theÂ KongDoo Panthera core split, following Rascal’s projected move to Dallas Fuel. The only remaining ex-KongDoo Panthera players that remain in the London Spitfire squad are Birdring and Bdosin.
Players signed during this transfer window will be eligible to compete once Stage 2 kicks off this 23rd February. So far several teams have been making waves in the transfer scene, most notably Florida Mayhem who snapped up two Korean players from Meta Athena while the highest profile move to date involves Fissure’s teammate, Rascal who is set to join Dallas Fuel.

More transfer news abound as the teams sought to beef up their squad ahead of Stage 2 which kicks off 23rd February 2018. Stay tuned to Kakuchopurei.com as we bring you all the latest news and updates from the Overwatch League.


Kakuchopurei Special: An Overview Of Southeast Asia’s Gaming Scene

Top image credit: Gam3Asia, The Pantheon
All default money/$ value is in US unless stated otherwise.Â
With an estimated population of over 650 million people across 11 countries, the Southeast Asian region is home to roughly 10% of the worldwide population. But what else do we know about its gaming habits and gaming populace? Well, this feature is all about that.
Know Thy Region
The most populous country is Indonesia with nearly 300m while despite being one of the smallest in terms of size and population, Singapore is the most densely populated country.
A rough estimate puts the number of internet users comfortably above the 300m mark, at 340m as of 2017 giving the region a 53% internet penetration rate overall. This number rises if only the top six most populated countries are taken into account, reaching the 60.45% mark. The country with the highest internet penetration rate is Singapore at about 81.2%.Â
Utilizing data gathered to date, we analyze what makes the region special and while most of the findings tally up to 2017, they serve as a great indicator of the trends and potential (exponential) growth across the board.
Why Southeast Asia Is the Next Big Thing?Â
Potential

A 2015 report by Newzoo predicted a $1.1B Southeast Asian Games market in 2013 to double in value to $2.2B by 2017 (Fig 1. below).
According to subsequent Newzoo findings, the SEA gaming market is projected to grow to $4.7B by 2019 (Fig 2. below).
The region is being tapped by both Chinese & Japanese companies due to the potential of market growth and proximity.
The region is a key focus by western-based publishers due to lower cost of operation without sacrificing talent level and growth potential.

Fig 1
Fig 2
Next Page: What Makes the Region So Enticing?Â Â


Apex Legends Season 2 Patch Is As Big As The Game

Apex Legends Season 2 is hitting sometime today (10am PST on 2 July 2019 or 1am GMT+8 on 3 July 2019 for those in Southeast Asia), and players are eagerly anticipating the major update to arrive. However, the Battle Charge update may be bigger than expected, almost as big as the game itself.
On the Apex Legends official subreddit, Respawn community manager Jayfresh revealed how big the Apex Legends Season 2 patch will be on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Here are the estimated file sizes for each platform that players need to save space for:

PS4 and Xbox One: 20+ GB
PC: 18+ GB

He also explained why the Apex Legends Season 2 patch is so big. It’s because the game’s new content will be delivered via additional files that will be stored alongside the original files of the game. This means that the updates add to the original instead of replacing them.
In the meantime, head on over here to find out what you can look forward to in Apex Legends Season 2, or check out how daily and weekly challenges will work in Apex Legends Season 2.


Google Has Killed Flash After 24 Years

The latest Google Chrome 88 update has officially killed Adobe Flash support for good. The reason why Adobe Flash has been discontinued is because Adobe themselves wanted to prevent the distribution of outdated, unlicensed, and potentially vulnerable software.
The death of Adobe Flash will ensure more security for online Internet users, but it also means the death of many games on the Internet. I’m sure many of us (the older ones, that is) grew up playing Flash games online on sites like Newgrounds, Miniclip, Neopets and Y8 after a miserable day at school.
While you can’t play most of those Flash games anymore, there are considerate people out there who have taken the time and effort to preserve our favourite Flash games. It’s called the BlueMaxima Flashpoint project and it’s a massive archive of over 38,000 Flash games and nearly 2,500 Flash animations.
While the Flashpoint project isnâ€™t exactly a complete collection of every Flash game ou there, it’s still an impressive effort and currently the best way to find some of the Flash games. They’re a part of gaming history, and it’s great that we’ll be able to cherish at least a part of that, especially with the games’ industry’s tendency to look to the future and forget the past.
In the meantime, you can check out the trailer below:


Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Will Be Out In Early 2022, According To Gearbox

You can add the next Borderlands game to next year’s video games release window.
Gearbox recently confirmed that Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands will be out in early 2022 according to publisher Take-Two’s quarterly earnings report early this week; latest by Q4 2022 to be specific. The publisher listed a number of major games for its fiscal year 2022 like OlliOlliWorld, which is coming out either the end of the year or early next year. Here’s a quote from the report regarding the upcoming Borderlands spin-off:
Tiny Tinaâ€™s Wonderlands is a full experience with a rich, story-driven co-op campaign and repeatable end-game content.
I guess that’s one way to call the game “Borderlands but D&D“.


Infinix & Mobile Legends Team Up To Empower Esports Talent At Ares Tournament Universiti Malaya

In an effort to empower students seeking to pursue a career in the esports industry, Infinix Malaysia has partnered with Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB), to be the sponsor of the University Malaya’s Amateur Royal-12 Esports (ARES) Tournament. They announced their plan to conduct engagement activities at University Malaya on the 13 and 14 of May 2023, in conjunction with the ARES Tournament MLBB Semi-Finals and Grand Finals.
The ARES tournament offers opportunities for both professional and amateur gamers in Malaysia to compete and win attractive prizes while promoting the world of esports to a wider audience. The tournament also serves as a platform for university students to engage and broaden their knowledge in the esports industry.
Infinix Malaysia will be present at the tournament with its outstanding NOTE 12 2023, boasting a powerful MediaTek Helio G99, 5000mAh battery with 33W Fast Charge. Attendees and participants will have access to a series of exciting activities and games as well as stand a chance to win an Infinix NOTE 12 2023 smartphone and other merchandise.
In this partnership with MLBB, Infinix plans to execute more university campus interactions that promote healthy gaming practices and cultivate academic as well as gaming excellence. As the official gaming smartphone sponsor for the upcoming MLBB MSL Championship, Infinix is proud to share with all young talents their commitment in empowering more young talents in the esports industry.
For more information on Infinix collaboration with MLBB and their upcoming MSL Championship tournament which will be featuring their yet-to-launch Infinix NOTE series, check out Infinix Malaysia’s official website, Facebook page, Instagram page and  TikTok channel.
In the meantime, check out our review of the Infinix Hot 30 by heading over here.


Cyberpunk 2077 Still Top Weekly Steam Sales Amidst Controversies

Since launch, Cyberpunk 2077 has been bogged by controversy after controversy, with bugs and issues galore. The game has even been taken off the PlayStation Store, and CD Projekt Red is already offering refunds to disgruntled players.
However, none of that has stopped Cyberpunk 2077 from remaining on top of the Steam sales chart for five consecutive weeks in a row. That’s mighty impressive for a game that’s been plagued by problems.
Meanwhile, Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding re-enters the top best-selling Steam charts at number five, probably since it’s been on sale for 50 percent off since last week.
Supermassive Games’ Hades drops several places but remains in the top charts. That’s great for the indie game, which is one of our picks for best games of 2020.

Steam top sellers for the week ending Dec 20. Ordered by revenue ($):1. Cyberpunk 2077 2. Valve Index VR Kit3. CS: GO – Operation Broken Fang (DLC)4. Phasmophobia5. Death Stranding6. Among Us7. Fall Guys8. Hades9. Football Manager 202110. Grand Theft Auto V pic.twitter.com/aJZcra9B0t— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) December 20, 2020


DRX Send Talon Esports Flying Back To Thailand At VCT LOCK//IN 2023

The VCT LOCK//IN tournament was a sight to behold, with Talon Esports turning heads even without their star player, who hasn’t returned yet. Although they had to field a substitute, Talon didn’t let that hinder them from stealing the spotlight.

Check out the schedule we did for VCT LOCK//IN
Talon Esports began strong by winning on their preferred map, Fracture. Their aggressive playstyle allowed them to dominate both defensively and offensively, resulting in a well-earned 13-10 victory on the first map against DRX.
The Ascent map was an exciting showdown, with both teams tied at 6-6 by halftime. However, DRX’s Gi-seok “Zest” Kim brought the heat in the second half with a pistol ace that secured the B-site defence. DRX then went on to win the map 13-6 after not conceding a single round in the second half.

HOW DID @Crws_vlrt GET 3?! #VCTLOCKIN pic.twitter.com/sppENZdi9s
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) February 19, 2023

On the Icebox map, Talon started strong with a 3-0 lead, but DRX quickly took control with the Jett playmaking of Byung-chul “BuZz” Yu, giving them a commanding presence. Despite this, Talon didn’t back down and managed to stay in the game with their aggressive playstyle and Jett heroics from Apiwat “garnetS” Apiraksukumal.
Although DRX managed to sneakily defuse and steal a round, Talon refused to give up and fought hard until the end. BuZz eventually shut down Talon’s last chance to come back, and DRX won the Icebox map 13-10 and the series 2-1. Despite the loss, Talon had an impressive showing throughout the tournament, winning both of their earlier series 2-0, while DRX continued their winning streak.

The 4K! @Buzz_kr is padding the stats. #VCTLOCKIN pic.twitter.com/IZpwBeIiUI
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) February 19, 2023

With the end of the VCT LOCK//IN, there is a two-day break before the start of the Omega bracket. The Team Liquid and Team Secret matchup will kick off the Omega bracket on 23 February at 1:00 AM (UTC+8), and LOUD and DRX are also looking forward to their future VALORANT matchups. Stay tuned for more exciting games to come.


I’m Not Sure Who The New Mulan Live-Action Adaptation Is Tailored For…

While not as grandiose genre-breaking as past films like Beauty & The Beast and Aladdin in the 90s, Disney’s Mulan is still loved by many and is easily on any movie-goer’s top 10 English-speaking animated features. It’s got great animation, memorable characters, an incredibly awesome training montage with music from Donny Osmond, and told a good tale about a woman defying the social hierarchy without being in-your-face about it. At least for a Disney film.
The eventual live-action remake of Mulan, starring a bevvy of Asian actors and is directed by a New Zealander known for her drama pieces than Asian revisionist adventure films, is billed as a checklist film for Disney to collect box office revenue from. Follow the main plot of the1998 animated classic while also adding some bits like a female witch who tries to sway our main heroine to the dark side? Check. Make the film a tad more serious than the original to differentiate itself while also staying true to its Asian roots? Check. Take inspiration from past Hong Kong and Chinese period films and Disney-fy it? Check. Shove in original VO Ming-na Wen as a late cameo for that “seal of approval” moment? Check.
In practice though, it’s going to win over the cinema-going crowd with the bare minimum of storytelling and its close-to-2-hour runtime, if we’re looking at past Disney remake numbers. As a film though, it’s just passable stuff. It’s so middling and safe that I’m not sure who this film is for.
Let’s Get Down To Business…

Like we summed up above, the plot of Mulan (2020) is about the same: a young Chinese maiden named Mulan (Yifei Liu) disguises herself as a male warrior in order to save her father (Tzi Ma) from participating in the ongoing kingdom war. Along the way, the new kingdom ruled by the nameless Emperor (Jet Li) is being waylaid by the Northern invaders led by BÃ¶ri Khan (Jason Scott Lee) and getting a good dose of help from outcast witch Xianniang (Gong Li) who can transform into a flock of birds and also shapeshift as people.
Mulan herself gets into the assigned camp and meets the obligatory commanders and generals (Donnie Yen and Ron Yuan), and the rank-and-file like rival-turned-possible-lover Honghui (Yoson An), the runt of the litter Cricket (Jun Yu), and trio Yao, Po, and Ling (Chen Tang, Doua Moua, Jimmy Wong). At least the casting went against type and didn’t hire the usuals like Ken Jeong and Jimmy O Yang.

But can they act and command presence? Sad to say, I didn’t get anything out of Yifei Liu. She seems capable from the initial few minutes, but she seems wooden and tryhard as she wades through the second and third act. The trio comedy act who passes off as Mulan’s friends and Honghui are fine in delivering their performances, but the true standouts are Gong Li’s witch and Jet Li’s emperor. Even if she’s playing a very familiar kind of role -the shifting alliance-type character- her presence and performance are enthralling. And for the few times Jet Li pops up in his royal garb, I actually was paying attention to him playing the role of a king more than what Mulan is mumbling while going through the 1998 plot beats.
However, the biggest sins this film commits is expecting everyone to remember the old Mulan animated film so that they can fill in the seemingly missing transition scenes and build-up that’s lacking in this live-action remake. Early on, there’s a scene where Mulan had to take action and ride off to take her father’s place in the storm of night. I remember that scene being pulled off dramatically and with style in the 1998 film. In the remake, it’s just one or two jump cuts where she dons the armour first and then rides off. There are a lot of these instances where scenes that lead to the film’s payoff are missing (intentional or not) that gives this remake that aforementioned “checklist” feel.
Think about it this way: if you watched this without knowing anything about the first Mulan, you’ll get a passable PG Disney flick set in ancient China that doesn’t know how to pace itself at all; a film that just rushes to plot points to get through the 2-hour runtime with nice vistas and backdrops. And they’re really nice when they’re static and being viewed in a slow pan. However, the fighting and action beats are edited incredibly poor for me to follow and keep track of.

There are just too many cuts in every one of Mulan’s confrontations and invasion bits that just distracts to no end, like as if it’s the director’s first time handling a Hong Kong and China-style action film that’s playing it straight. I’ll give it this though: the climax of this film is less comedic and more dramatic than 1998’s “death by fireworks” finishing move.

Reflections

Here’s the biggest dishonoured cow that needs to be addressed in the room: why isn’t this film’s dialogue and acting in Chinese?

I believe we’re in an age where movies with subtitles will draw in a crowd if it’s authentic and a good enough film. It’s a huge disconnect to see a film set in ancient China where everyone from civilized folks to barbarian invaders speaks fluent English with nary a subtitle.
While Mulan (2020) has some occasional bright spots with its side characters and is adequately shot with its setpieces and vistas, the movie’s pacing, lead-up, and “Mary Sue” main character needs work, its action feels too artificial, and its lead isn’t as charismatic as she should be for a role this iconic especially when portrayed as a perfect Force-wielding chi machine. I’m sure this passable film will garner new fans and supporters who want to see Chinese films go mainstream (even with English dialogue). But adjectives like “nice” and “safe” isn’t going to make me declare this 2020 offering a superior rendition of a cartoon film from 22 years ago, that arguably holds up to this day.
Final Score: 60/100


Blizzard Reveals New Epic Skins That Would Pass Off As Legendaries

Blizzard last night revealed several more Epic-level hero skins ahead of the big cosmetic update set to drop this 23rd January. Best thing is – some of these ‘Epic’ skins look like they actually belong to the ‘Legendary’ tier! Check them out:

Only 2 more days until our cosmetics update arrives in Overwatch! Join us as we count down to their release with new item reveals every day.
Today’s reveal: EPIC SKINS pic.twitter.com/1n711BCAe2
â€” Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) January 21, 2018
Out pick of the lot must surely be Zenyatta who sports an awesome black and green color scheme that would make anyone who purchased a Houston Outlaws Overwatch League Zenyatta skin want to demand a refund. Junkrat appears to be sporting a black top with his new Epic skin while Reaper appears to be sporting an oni mask – just like Genji. However we aren’t that huge on the McCree and Symmetra skins tho.
These reveals follows yesterday’s unveiling of new Legendary Hanzo and Lucio skins as well as the brilliant Legendary Pharah skin.


Overwatch’s Halloween Event Gets A Start Date

Overwatch’s yearly Halloween-themed event, Halloween Terror returns this 9th October with a potentially new mode set at the Widowmaker’s home,Â ChÃ¢teau Guillard. Teased by the official Overwatch Twitter account last night, not much was revealed but our guess is that it’ll be another PvE, defending several points style of play ala Blackwatch event on Rialto rather than simply holding off waves as seen in past Halloween Terror events.

Thereâ€™s a rumor among explorers
About a monolithic lair
Home to terrifying horrors
Heroes, how will you prepare? pic.twitter.com/XK7W7e0SKA
â€” Overwatch (@OverwatchEU) October 1, 2018
Expect to get new items including timed, exclusive skins, sprays and emotes as older limited-time skins also make a return at a cut price. Overwatch have been in quite a stagnant state of late with the Overwatch League on a break and the Overwatch World Cup being a couple months away. Hopefully on top of the Halloween event, we’ll get a tease of a new hero, or a new, engaging mode to invest our time into.
We also expect the new hero reworks – most notably Torbjorn’s new kit and Pharah’s rebalance to drop alongside the Halloween event.


Overwatch League Playoffs: London Pulls Off Epic Six-Map Win Streak to Deny All-LA Semis

The London Spitfire did the unthinkable yesterday at the second Overwatch Quarter-finals when they pulled off an epic, six-map reverse sweep to deny the Los Angeles Gladiators a meet with the second-seeded Los Angeles Valiant.

After losing tamely 0-3 in their first match on Thursday, the Spitfire was written off by many, including the casters and the analyst desk. To many, the gulf between the two teams was too huge, even more considering how both teams finished the regular season, with the Gladiators finishing Stage 4 9-1 while the Spitfire only managed a 4-6 record.
This result was even more apparent following the absence of the Gladiators’ talisman throughout the nine maps played, Fissure, as they opted to play iRemiix on main tank instead. That decision seemed to work for a while thanks to the 3-0 win on Thursday but the Spitfire were more than prepared this time around and easily won both remaining games 3-0. It was indeed a disappointing defeat for the Gladiators who topped Stage 4 of the Overwatch League and sat fourth overall.
â€œThe difference between Wednesday and today is that it finally clickedâ€”we realized that in this meta, we need to switch [compositions] a lot more,â€ said London support Jong-Seok â€œNusâ€ Kim.
â€œWhatever we saw the Gladiators do, we knew what we had prepared, and we just made those switches as fast as we could. The coaching staff had drilled it into us, so it became a part of us.â€
The Spitfire will now face another team from Los Angeles, the well-rested Valiant who finished the season in second place. The two teams met three times during the regular season with the Spitfire coming out on top two times and the Valiant winning their most recent meet in June. The winner of the contest will meet either the Philadelphia Fusion or tourney favorites, New York Excelsior in the finals.

The full schedule for the semi-final series are as follows:

*All times are correct according to Malaysia/ HK/ Singapore times*


Rainbow Six Siege Gets Free Weekend Starting Tomorrow

Tom Clancyâ€™s Rainbow Six Siege will be available to play for free from tomorrow on 11 June to 15 June 2020, depending on the platform. Those interested can join more than 60 million players in the Rainbow Six Siege community across all platforms, including immediate access to all maps, modes, and 20 legacy Operators.
The links for the free weekend can be accessed on the official website here.
All players that participate in the free weekend will be able to carry over their progression, acquired in-game content, and even continue to play from where they left off if they decide to purchase the game.
Players can look forward to discounts up to 70 percent off for the base game (available on PC only), Deluxe, Gold and Ultimate Editions between 11 June and 17 June 2020, depending on SKU and platform. There will also be an additional 20 percent discount on PC if purchased through the Ubisoft Store.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vp1_FsMrFc&w=560&h=315]
In addition, any player who owns Tom Clancyâ€™s The Division 2 and participates in the Rainbow Six Siege free weekend will unlock a 5-piece â€œThermite Outfitâ€ for their agent in The Division 2.
However, The Division 2 players who donâ€™t own Rainbow Six Siege or havenâ€™t previously participated in a past free weekend may still unlock the reward during the upcoming free weekend.
Any existing Rainbow Six Siege player that already owns The Division 2 will already unlock the reward in Ubisoft Club. Also, as a continuing promotion from April 2020, Rainbow Six Siege players can still earn the Ela The Division 2 Set by playing a free trial or the full The Division 2 game.
Now is the best time to hop onto the Rainbow Six Siege bandwagon, as Ubisoft recently added new Operators and content in the Operation Steel Wave expansion. In May 2020, the company also announced the teams representing Southeast Asia in the upcoming Rainbow Six Siege Asia Pacific League tournament series happening later this year.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlyMLfsvVos&w=560&h=315]


Xbox Unveils First Look At The New Fable

During the Xbox Games Showcase, Playground Games unveiled the first look at the new Fable game since the game was first announced over three years ago back in 2020.
However, there aren’t many details to go on, except that the trailer features famous actor and comedian Richard Ayoade (star of The IT Crowd and more) as the narrator, with a look at what seems to be the game’s protagonist.
There is currently no release date or release window for Fable yet. The last proper mainline entry in the Fable franchise was Fable 3 for teh Xbox 360 more than a decade ago in 2010.


Nioh 2 Will Be Getting Post-Launch DLC

Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja just showcased a bunch of story stuff for its upcoming action RPG title Nioh 2. It features 1555 feudal Japan craziness, Japanese demon-hunting, and lots of fighting. Take a look.

But what’s really going to tickle hardcore action gamers is the post-DLC stuff. Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja will be working on DLC that focuses on pre-Nioh 2 events from different perspectives. Apart from that, players can expect new loot, new abilities, and new characters.
There’s no confirmed date for the DLC, but it’ll most likely be out a few months after Nioh 2’s launch. If you wanted a slightly faster-paced Dark Souls title with moves that you can cancel out from, Nioh 2 would be the game you need in your life. Imagine Ninja Gaiden or Bayonetta, but slightly slower and with a stamina bar.
Get your samurai on this 13th March on the PS4.


Netflix’s Resident Evil Series Trailer Teases Two Timelines, The Games Are Canon

Netflix has revealed the first teaser trailer for its live-action Resident Evil series. It stars Lance Reddick as Albert Wesker, one of the iconic main antagonists of the franchise. Tamara Smart and Ella Balinska portray the younger and older versions of Wesker’s daughter Jade, while Siena Agudong, Adeline Rudolph, Paola Nuñez, Ahad Raza Mir, Connor Gossatti and Turlough Convery are also in the cast in unrevealed roles.
The plot for the Resident Evil series is still a mystery, but it’s confirmed that the settings of the series will take place in two different timelines.
The first setting/timeline is set in 2022 and sees Jade moving with her father and her sister Billy to the futuristic New Raccoon City. Although her surroundings seem initially idyllic, Jade slowly becomes aware that her father and the Umbrella Corporation that run New Raccoon City are hiding dangerous secrets.
The second setting/timeline is set in 2036, follows Jade as she explores a post-apocalyptic London and fights for her survival against the bloodthirsty infected victims of a global outbreak caused by the Umbrella Corporation.
The showrunner is Andrew Dabb, who is best known for his work on CW’s Supernatural series. He writes and executive produces with Mary Leah Sutton. The series is produced by Constantin Film, with Robert Kulzer and Oliver Berben serving as executive producers for the studio.
In an interview with io9, Dabb said the games are canon to the Netflix series, and both timelines take place after the games.
He said:
“The games are the backstory. So everything that happened in the games happened in this world in the timeline that it happened. So if something happened in a game released in 1998, like Raccoon City being nuked, in this world, that happened also in 1998.
[Fans] want something that feels like it is a natural extension of the thing they already enjoy. And I would say the Marvel Universe does that very well. Most [Marvel] movies are not adapting a specific comic. They are borrowing here and there and they’re building something new. That is very much how we approach this.
The games are canon and, I’m sure we make mistakes, but we did not consciously violate any rules from the games. But at the same time, it’s not a direct adaptation of the games.”
All eight episodes of Resident Evil Season 1 will premiere on 14 July 2022 on Netflix.
Check out the trailer below:


How Borderlands 3 Plans To Make Multiplayer More Accessible

Yes, you can play Borderlands 3 by your lonesome self when it’s out 13th September, but why would you? A four-person group that slays together, gets tons of loot together.
Gearbox Software plans to enhance co-op with new features and even more accessibility, according to a panel they chaired at Guardian Con. These include:

Level syncing, which lets you play with anyone regardless of how much time you’ve spent playing. This was demo’ed a few months ago.
Re-mappable controls.
Xbox Adaptive Controller support.
various subtitle and closed captioning options.
the ping system below which lets you communicate without a mic.

Not only is the latter feature helpful for others but it fleshes out the personalities of Vault Hunters like Amara.
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/479789622784810/
The game’s multiplayer search option is also tweaked. Let’s break that down further:

When you’re LFGing, you’ll still be able to keep playing while the game finds a match.
You can also fine-tune that search by specifying modes or trying to find people at the same point in the main story.
Duelling also returns and features a 1v1v1v1 free-for-all mode if you’re looking to kill some time outside of the main campaign.

Another cool feature? Even if they’re not around, you can buy off whatever items your pals on your friend list have sold off from the in-game vending machines. Say if they sell a purple shotgun, it’s made available for you to purchase.
Hell, if they’re generous, they can mail items to you instead. And if you want to look for builds and loadout ideas, you can take a peek at their inventory and skill tree via the friend list. Let’s hope these options pan out well because the Borderlands games are meant to be a fun-filled co-op experience.


The SingaHeroes Kickstarter Project Assembles Singapore’s Best Comic Book Talents

The Southeast Asian region doesn’t lack great comic book talent and the SingaHeroes Kickstarter project is here to prove it. It aims to assemble the works of the best comic book artists and writers in Singapore in a single comic book anthology, featuring superheroes inspired by or based on the country.
The SingaHeroes 100-page comic anthology will feature not only 13 stories of varying genres, but almost 20 different artists from Singapore and Malaysia. Headlined by comic regular Ryan Mennen,Â SingaHeroesalso introduces some familiar guest talents such asÂ Jedd Jong, Joshua Simon, Fauzi AzzharÂ &Â Mark Kinoshita, andÂ David Goh.

A collaboration between The FandomÂ Menace Ltd.Â (TFM) andÂ CS ComicsÂ (CSC), the characters within SingaHeroes include the likes of:â€“

Singafist, a hero inspired by a little known Singaporean martial art.
Crimson Star, Singaporeâ€™s first all-Singaporean superhero.
Kucinta, an ordinary furball with an extraordinary approach to paying it forward.
King Of The Straits, a mythic take on a familiar icon.
Scalemail & Ixora, Singaporeâ€™s first LGBTQ superheroines.

While the project won’t be the first to accomplish this feat, the creators behind SingaHeroes wishes to pioneer a culture of imaginative storytelling and looks at this as anÂ opportunity for the perception of local comics to change.
Backers who contribute just SGD$2 will net you a special look into the production of SingaHeroes and a print-ready softcopy of the SingaHeroes cover art. There are various rewards for different amounts of contributions, but the most expensive ones will even see your own created character featured on the cover.
The SingaHeroes Kickstarter project is planning for an August 2020 release. In the meantime, you can check out the featured works on the official Kickstart page here.


[Rumor] Sony Partners With NCSoft For Horizon MMORPG

The Horizon universe from PlayStation isn’t just relegated to the single-player game, a Netflix series, and the upcoming VR title next year. It might branch off into MMORPG territory.
According to a report from news site MTN, Sony is teaming up with Korean gaming company NCSoft to make a Horizon MMORPG. The game is rumoured to be in development at NCSoft’s offices, with the title made for global audiences as part of Sony’s push into live service games. As of now, NCSoft is recruiting developers for the title that’s codenamed Project H in job ads.
Despite NCSoft’s global communications team denying this, it would be interesting to see an open-world MMORPG Horizon game where you make your own warrior who can communicate with the machines. NCSoft has published and made titles like the Lineage action RPG series and Guild Wars, so making a licensed MMORPG in a setting ripe with an open world and interesting robot animal dinosaur hybrids running amuck might be the jumpstart they need.
For more on the Horizon universe’s latest game, Horizon Forbidden West, check out our review.


Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart Is A Rivet-ing Next-Gen Experience

Platform(s): PS5
Genre: Third-Person Shooter, Platformer, Action-Adventure
Gamers usually have video game franchises that they grew up with fond memories of, which were also instrumental and influential in making them the gamers that they are today. For some, it might be Mario, Sonic or something else.
For me, however, it was Insomniac Games’ Ratchet & Clank franchise. I was eight years old when I originally played 2002’s Ratchet & Clank on the PS2, and I never looked back since. After so many sequels with many ups and downs, we’re now in 2021 with a brand-new PS5 entry. Has the series held up since or does it need to retire?
Thankfully, we don’t need to resort to the latter. Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart is arguably the best PS5 exclusive to date, and a potential candidate for Game Of The Year in 2021. It really is that good, and definitely justifies you fighting tooth and claw for a PS5. Why is that? Read on to find out more.
Dynamic Duo

Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart is actually the sixteenth instalment in the Ratchet & Clank series, and it takes place following the events of 2013’s Ratchet & Clank Into the Nexus, the last game in the Future Saga. It’s been a whopping eight years since that last entry. Once again, to be clear to everyone who’s only ever played 2016’s Ratchet & Clank, Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart has nothing to do with that game. In fact, this new game is set in the same continuity as the PS2 and PS3 games.
However, just like Insomniac Games has previously clarified, I can confirm that this game is indeed welcoming to new players but filled with easter eggs and references that will delight veteran fans of the franchise. It features a largely stand-alone storyline, which means that you don’t really have to play any of the older games to understand what’s going on.
That’s a good move on Insomniac’s part. The original classic games on the PS2 also featured largely standalone stories that meant each instalment could simply be enjoyed on its own. Insomniac only changed this with the PS3 games, which followed a continuing plot across multiple titles. Everyone and anyone can play Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, just like how I played the original games on the PS2 all those years ago.
From all the promotional material shown so far, gamers already know that Ratchet and Clank will once again be facing Dr. Nefarious (a familiar recurring villain in the series) and that Clank will be separated from Ratchet, which leads to him meeting and teaming up with Rivet.
I won’t and can’t spoil any more of what happens, but I can confirm that everything that the developer has shown in trailers is all from the very early sections of the game. A vast majority of the game remains unspoiled and ready to be discovered.

What I can also say is this, the game does pick up an important plot thread from 2013’s Ratchet & Clank Into The Nexus. While there are some surprises and plot twists awaiting players, I can’t help but feel as if the game could have potentially been so much more ambitious in its storytelling.
It feels like the writers had to play it safe, instead of taking risks with where the narrative and character development could have gone. As it is, everything feels too saccharine and tame at times. As a result, the climax and ending feel sort of anti-climactic even though in actuality, it’s visually implemented on an epic scale.
I won’t pretend as if the Ratchet & Clank games have ever really had a complex narrative and characters, but Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart definitely plays it much safer than I expected, especially for a franchise that’s almost two decades old. This was probably done in order to attract and appeal to a wider demographic of players, including younger gamers who have never played the older games.
Notably, for veteran fans of the franchise, Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart lacks the stronger and more adult wit of the original PS2 games, but it’s also not as emotional or dramatic as the tone of the PS3-era games’ Future Saga.
There’s a lot of interesting subject matter introduced during the narrative of the game, but these threads don’t really get expanded in any meaningful or substantial way. Some of the questions are just left behind at the drop of a hat, so they remain unanswered. If you’re looking for a strong resolution, there’s not much to look forward to. That being said, the Ratchet & Clank games have always had memorable and interesting characters first and foremost. The narrative is usually there to just propel them onto another adventure, which is likely why the franchise has lasted this long.
If you’re worried that Ratchet gets the short straw in his own game, you can rest assured that that’s not the case. Rivet does actually get a bit more gameplay and screen time than Ratchet, but you’ll be switching between them a lot throughout the duration of the game. Plus, it’s totally normal for newly introduced characters to receive more attention than those who are already established. We’ve already gotten to know Ratchet for the past 20 years, but we’ve only just met Rivet. The game doesn’t abandon Ratchet in any way, so older fans can let go of their pitchforks and torches.

Unfortunately, you can’t actually switch between them in real-time. Just like in previous Ratchet & Clank games, you visit various planets. On one planet, you have to play as Ratchet. On another planet, you have to play as Rivet. The planet you’re on determines whether you’re playing as Ratchet or Rivet. It doesn’t matter much anyway, since they both control exactly the same (more on that below where I discuss the gameplay).
Long-time fans of the franchise will appreciate that most of the original voice actors for many of the characters have returned, with the exception of Jim Ward as Captain Quark (his replacement really doesn’t hold a candle to him). It will feel nostalgic just hearing the voices of James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye and Armin Shimmerman as Ratchet, Clank and Dr. Nefarious, respectively. At this point, they’ve been voicing these characters for almost two decades so of course, they’d nail their performances.
Meanwhile, the best voice performance comes from newcomer Jennifer Hale (yes, that Jennifer Hale of Mass Effect‘s female Shepard or FemShep), who is excellent as the voice of Rivet. Hale’s talent and experience add oodles of charm and personality to the character, despite there being nothing too remarkable about her script or characterisation. She comes across as instantly likeable and not annoying at all.
In addition, there are tons of easter eggs and references in Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart; not only to previous games in the franchise but also to other PlayStation exclusive games as well. You’ll be grinning your way discovering all the fun stuff that the developers have inserted in every nook and cranny of the game. There’s no doubt about it, this is a labour of love and passion for the folks at Insomniac Games.
Spick & Span(ner)

Well, if anything, that should describe the combat of Ratchet & Clank. Chaotic and intense third-person shoot-em-ups of pure adrenaline and fun. The shooting. The weapons. The jumping. The strafing. The gadgets. The minigames. Those have always been the defining features of any previous Ratchet & Clank. They haven’t changed much over the years, and that holds true for this latest entry as well.
Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart shakes up the traditional formula with improvements and additions, but long-time fans will be extremely familiar with what the game offers. Should Insomniac have tried to introduce more innovations and completely change up the gameplay? That’s up to your preference. 2018’s God Of War changed for the better with brand new gameplay. If you’re looking for that kind of update, this doesn’t really offer that. If you’ve played a Ratchet & Clank before, you can pretty much jump in and step right into the action with no problems whatsoever.
The biggest new upgrade that veteran fans will discover is the new traversal mechanics. Insomniac Games have clearly taken the best of the agile mobility from 2014’s Sunset Overdrive and 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man. Sure, older Ratchet & Clank games had jumping, strafing, rail grinding, gliding and swinging with grappling hooks, but now they’re combined and integrated so smoothly, especially with the new mechanics.
Phantom Dash is the game’s dodge mechanic, so when you strafe and jump around, you can mix it up with dodging in mid-air or even mid-attack. The Rift Tether is the new mechanic where players pull themselves to a dimensional rift for near-instantaneous travel. The awesome Hover Boots also make a return in Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, which means that traversing wide open hub areas feel a lot faster and more fun. In Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, platforming sections will often have players swing through the air with the Hook Shot and then use Phantom Dash to get just a little bit farther and then wall run and then grapple using a Rift Tether. They all flow together in one smooth motion.
Ratchet & Clank is the most cinematic game in the franchise, and I don’t just mean the great visuals (that’s a no-brainer, anyone can see that). It’s the most cinematic because Insomniac has clearly taken a cue from their friends at Naughty Dog. This game has huge and awe-inspiring action-heavy setpieces like the ones in the Uncharted games. These usually take place during the aforementioned platforming sections, where players will have to navigate through perilous obstacles while the world literally crumbles around them.

Yeah, there are several planets that you’ll visit (I won’t reveal how many), but best of all, some of them will feature semi-open-world hub areas similar to those found in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End‘s African section or The Last Of Us Part 2‘s early Seattle section. Free-roaming is possible on these planets, while some are more linear. Both the more open and more linear planets can have optional paths that lead to special gadgets or collectibles. Oh, did I mention that there are a lot of collectibles in this game?
The planets in this game are the biggest and most alive they’ve ever been in the franchise, as they’re even populated by NPCs whose purpose is just to make the world seem more lively and real. Collectibles include Gold Bolts (which can be used to unlock extras like cosmetics, stickers for photo mode and even cheats), armour set pieces (head, chest and legs in a complete set) and even pocket dimensions to explore (armour set pieces are usually located inside these), while important resources include Raritanium, which is used to upgrade your weapons. These collectibles and resources are often marked on your map, once you’ve uncovered that part of the map by just going there. An optional gadget you can get later will even mark them all on the map for you regardless of whether you’ve uncovered the map or not.
The attention to detail is also remarkable. Ratchet, Rivet, Clank, NPCs and enemies in the game will react to what weapons you’re using or whatever actions you’re performing with unique and often humorous lines. For instance, shooting an enemy (even bosses) with the Lightning Rod weapon will result in them getting electrocuted visually depicted like a traditional cartoon character would. These dynamic interactions add even more charm to a game already brimming with it by the truckload.
Upping That Arsenal

Back to all the previously-mentioned traversal mechanics, Rivetâ€™s move set is exactly like Ratchetâ€™s. All their movements are performed using the same buttons, and they share the same weapons and armour sets. The only difference is that Rivet wields a hammer instead of a wrench. The highlight, as always in a Ratchet & Clank game, are the weapons. You can look forward to a bunch of different weapons, including ones that are essentially just the game’s version of sniper rifles and rocket launchers, while others can summon floating killer fungi or momentarily turn enemies into petrified plants.
Speaking of the game’s variety and selection of weapons, they’re mostly more conventional rather than the zany and downright ridiculous weapons that would have been featured in past games. For example, what happened to unique melee weapons? The old PS2 games had them; a badass energy whip in Ratchet & Clank Up Your Arsenal and a freaking spiked mace in Ratchet Deadlocked. Remember that awesome black hole weapon in Ratchet & Clank Up Your Arsenal? I do, and not many of the weapons in Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart made me feel that way.
Fortunately, to make up for that, all of the weapons take advantage of the DualSense’s Adaptive Triggers and Haptic Feedback. What this means is that each weapon feels different and distinct in a way that’s never been possible in a Ratchet & Clank game. Even a simple rocket launcher or sniper rifle-type weapons packs more of a satisfying punch thanks to this new next-gen tech available only on the PS5. It really makes a difference in how you experience each weapon.
For instance, one weapon will erect a forward-facing energy shield when the trigger is pressed halfway. Fully pressing the trigger will cause the shield to explode outward in a burst attack that feels much like a shotgun going off. Another, the Negatron Collider, will have you charging up when pressed halfway. You can conserve ammo by letting the trigger go if you just don’t have a clear shot at the enemy or unleash a massive laser beam by pressing the trigger all the way when you’re ready.
Players can gain and accumulate experience while actively using these weapons, which can allow them to level up. Once they reach level five, they’ll even receive a new name and new abilities to make them even more powerful. Remember the Raritanium I mentioned as a collectable in-game resource? Yeah, those are used to upgrade weapons at the vendor (where you can also buy weapons with the in-game currency, bolts). The same grid-based upgrade system returns from 2016’s Ratchet & Clank for the PS4.
The Raritanium is used to unlock a cell on a grid. Each cell increases a specific stat, like increased ammo or a faster firing rate. What adds depth to the upgrade system is that unlocking enough cells on the grid will unlock special permanent buffs or abilities that make your weapons even more powerful and effective. In fact, the higher the level of the weapon, the more cells will be available to unlock using Raritanium. All of these help the game in encouraging players to use a variety of weapons instead of sticking to just one or two favourites at a time.

Ratchet and Rivet aren’t the only ones getting in all the action. Just like in previous games, Clank has his own playable sections. I can hear the veteran fans groaning already, but trust me, these aren’t actually bad. Clank sections in the older games were sometimes a slog to play through, disrupting the pacing of the game too much. Ultimately, they weren’t fun, and most players had to force themselves to complete them.
In Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, Clank has a new platforming minigame by making use of orbs with different functions to make sure his ghost versions or something can help fix dimensional anomalies. It’s hard to explain, but it makes sense in the game, and the puzzles are challenging but not frustrating. Plus, players are given the option of just skipping these Clank sections entirely if they choose to. It’s as simple as pausing the game and selecting that option. However, for the purpose of this review, of course, I played them.
Clank doesn’t feel like a slog anymore, as he moves much faster and is more agile. Most players will probably only bother to complete these Clank sections the first time around. In second playthroughs and beyond, you can just skip them. At this point, Insomniac doesn’t seem like they know what to do with Clank, so they’ll just give him some puzzle and platforming parts. I wish the giant mecha Clank sections from the PS2 made a return, but sadly, they do not.
Besides that, another minigame puts the player in command of a cute digital spider-tank called the Glitch, which is used to take down viruses and hack terminals. It can scurry up walls and ceilings, and controlling it feels just sort of like a similar spider-tank from 2005’s Ratchet Deadlocked.
Basically, it’s a vehicular combat bullet hell section but there aren’t too many of these so they don’t overstay their welcome.
There are also two other traversal mechanics, which involve mountable animals. One is a fast-moving snail and another is a flying dragon alien. They’re found on only one or two planets and is only used to traverse the environment there since the planet is filled with acidic swamps. It spices up traversal to an extent but doesn’t add much to the gameplay.
Riding the dragon also isn’t executed very well, as it feels a bit clunky. Honestly, riding a dragon should feel better. Insomniac was the original developer of the Spyro franchise, for Pete’s sake. Even if that’s the case, there are very few sections where you’ll even engage with these mounts, so it seems like the developers rightfully knew that these weren’t the best parts of the game.
One beloved mainstay from past games that have returned is the battle arena. In Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, it’s now called the Battleplex. There are several tiers of different challenges and they provide a break from all planet-hopping, as well as an opportunity to rack up bolts and earn special rewards. What’s a Ratchet & Clank game without a battle arena? Ratchet Deadlocked was practically one big arena game by itself.
Another aspect of the game that I like is that while the game features armour sets consisting of head, chest and leg pieces, players are not forced to wear a specific armour set just because they want its special buffs and stats. In Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, the armour sets grant permanent boosts regardless of whether you wear them or not.
As such, players can mix and match to their heart’s content without having to think about which armour pieces provide the best stats. That way, you customize your Ratchet or Rivet however you want them to.
Even if you wear a helmet that covers your entire face, these will automatically disappear during cutscenes where Ratchet or Rivet speaks. The appear and disappear effect looks visually similar in style to that of Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The rest of your armour will appear as you have customized them. With Insomniac’s past decisions to add more suits in Marvel’s Spider-Man post-launch, there’s definitely ample opportunity for them to do the same here in Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart.
Tools Of Destruction

So how long is this Lombax alternate realm-hopping odyssey? Well, it took me around approximately 16 hours to reach the end credits of the game. It’s important to note that in that amount of time, I completed every optional path and collected almost every collectable, as well as finished all the challenges at the battle arena. I even crafted the Ryno, which every long-time fan will know is an endgame weapon that’s usually almost impossible to get in the first playthrough of a Ratchet & Clank game.
If you rush through, maybe you’re looking at around a little more than 10 hours, and that’s for a US$70 game (RM299 in Malaysia), albeit an extremely brilliant one. I even managed to obtain the Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart Platinum trophy and that took a few more hours, so if you’re a trophy hunter, that’s likely close to 20 hours of playtime that you can look forward to.
Even after spending 16 hours to complete much of what the game offered, I’m happy to confirm that another franchise mainstay has returned. Every Ratchet & Clank fan knows that the best part of a Ratchet & Clank game is actually your second playthrough onwards, also known as a new game plus or as the game calls it; the Challenge Mode.
A New Game Plus in Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart means more than just simply another playthrough with all your weapons and gear carrying over, as well as stronger enemies. Challenge Mode also offers more powerful (and therefore more expensive) variants of existing weapons, as well as several new weapons that fans of the franchise will be very happy to see make their way into the game.
For aspiring trophy hunters, you’ll probably spend approximately 20 hours or more to Platinum the game, and I managed to obtain all of the game’s trophies even without a guide. With a guide, you’ll probably spend less time getting the Platinum. Still, the additional content in Challenge Mode will probably have you playing more of the game regardless.
Nothing is ultimately perfect and that includes Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart. It’s not possible to manually save in this game, but thankfully, the autosaves are frequent enough that it’s not much of a problem. You can, however, make multiple save slots if you want to.
Unfortunately, the most glaring problem I noticed is the clear recycled bosses. The Ratchet & Clank franchise has never been known to feature great or even memorable boss battles, but this game takes the cake. Throughout the 16+ hours that I spent with the game, I faced the same three recycled bosses throughout the game. Insomniac could have just went with a less is more approach by featuring fewer but more memorable bosses.
Instead, I’m stuck fighting the same floating robotic general, dinosaur t-rex alien and another that I won’t spoil. Sometimes the game throws more than one of these at the same time just to make things more interesting.
It doesn’t, and coming from the awesome boss battles in Insomniac’s own Marvel’s Spider-Man, these were terribly disappointing.
It would be remiss of me not to mention that I encountered several bugs as well, which blocked my progression. Fortunately, almost all of these bugs and issues could be fixed by simply going to the pause menu and choosing to restart from the most recent checkpoint. These bugs could potentially be fixed in future updates and patches, so players don’t really need to worry about them.
For the purpose of this review, I would like to clarify that I had to play Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart in Fidelity Mode, which runs the game up to 4K but only in 30FPS. Even in 30FPS, the game is stunningly beautiful both while idle and in motion. Don’t worry though, the 60FPS will definitely be available at launch as that will come in the Day One patch, alongside other improvements that will make the game even better than it already is.
It’s a testament to the power of the PS5 that Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart literally boots up to the title screen in mere seconds, just like Returnal before it, but even faster and more seamless.
There are no loading screens to speak of, except a split-second black or white fade out when switching planets or dimensions. Yes, this is truly next-gen.
I can’t believe it was only three years ago that Sony Santa Monica’s God Of War was the most impressive technical showcase yet. We are now officially beyond that.
Back In The Fold

Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart proves that Insomniac has never forgotten their roots and that this franchise is their golden crown. They can make all the Resistance, Sunset Overdrive, and Spider-Man games they want, but Ratchet & Clank has lived on and thrived this long for good reason.
Even after 20 years, Ratchet & Clank is better than ever, and it looks like Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart will be for many new gamers what 2002’s original trailblazer was for me as a kid. Is Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart the best reason to get a PS5 right now, showcasing the next-gen console’s sheer power and potential? Definitely!
Pros

Some of the best-looking next-gen visuals.
Virtually no loading times from the moment of booting up the game.
Traversal feels smooth and improved with additional new mechanics.
Variety of unique weapons made even better with a great implementation of Adaptive Trigger and Haptic Feedback.
Full of easter eggs and references for veteran fans of the franchise.
New game plus (Challenge Mode) is available at launch, allowing for replayability.

Cons

Simplistic story with an anti-climactic ending.
Several bugs here and there.
Recycled bosses equal monotonous fights.

Final Score: 80/100
Review copy provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Played on a PlayStation 5. Slated to release on 11 June 2021.


Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Has A Post-Credits Tease, So Stick Around After The Movie

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is out now in cinemas outside of Southeast Asia, meaning a good chunk of people are already talking about the show’s probable post-credits scene. And it’s a doozy, so you may want to stick around when the credits roll.
Before we start talking about the scene, it’s already confirmed last month that there will be a Sonic The Hedgehog 3 movie in the works from Paramount. Here’s the official logo:

And that’s all we can say before delving deep into spoiler territory regarding the Sonic The Hedgehog 2 post-credits scene. So spoiler warning!

Many Sonic fans have predicted the following on 16th February:

Paramount just dropped the official logo for 'SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3'
WE IN THE SCU NOW Y'ALL! pic.twitter.com/bZo2XjwLjK
— JOLLY J? (@DynamoSuperX) February 15, 2022

And true enough, the Sonic game’s resident edgelord Shadow The Hedgehog will be the focus for Sonic The Hedgehog 3, and will likely be the main villain. The post-credits scene also references Project Shadow, which is a genetics program started by Robotnik’s grandfather that created the edgelord hedgehog who also brandishes a handgun in one of the games.

Sonic 2’s post-credits scene also reveals that Dr Robotnik is still alive. Most importantly, the Sonic cinematic universe timeline will adapt events of the Dreamcast title Sonic Adventures 2. This means a couple of things:

There’s going to be an orchestral cover of Crush 40’s “Escape From The City” and “Live and Learn”.
The filmmakers are going to add in Rouge the Bat (below), which is going to get the Sonic/furry fanbase all hot and bothered. We’re not judging.

On a related note, Sonic Frontiers is slated for a November 2022 release.


You Can Pre-Load Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War Starting Tomorrow

Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War is launching on 13 November 2020 for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
However, those who pre-ordered Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War will be able to pre-load the game starting from tomorrow.
Here are times for each platform:
PS4: 5 November 2020 at 9pm PT (or 1pm GMT+8 on 6 November 2020)Size: 95GB
PS5: 12 November 2020 (unspecified time)Size: 133GB
Xbox One: 5 November 2020 at 9pm PT (or 1pm GMT+8 on 6 November 2020)Size: 93GB
Xbox Series X/S: 10 November 2020 (unspecified time)Size: 136GB
PC: 10 November 2020 at 10am PT (2am GMT+8 on 11 November 2020)35 GB (multiplayer only)82GB (full game)125GB (full game on ultra graphics)


Nintendo Gives Away Free Switches To Lucky Flight Passengers

Is it just part of Nintendo’s mission to spread joy or do they just do that involuntarily? I’m asking that because every single passenger on a flight to San Diego was unexpectedly surprised with a voucher for a free Nintendo Switch console and a copy of the recently-released Super Mario Maker 2.
The most surprising thing about it all is that Nintendo didn’t even announce the sudden giveaway. It went viral through social media when flight passengers like Funimation social media manager Nicholas Friedman tweeted about it.

!!! pic.twitter.com/11R6BPmc9z
â€” Nicholas Friedman @ SDCC (@NMFreed) July 17, 2019
In addition, a lot of these folks were on their way to attend San Diego Comic-Con International (SDCC), which is taking place from 18 July to 21 July 2019. Not only are they lucky enough to be heading to one of the biggest geek/pop culture conventions on the planet, but they’re also getting a free Nintendo Switch to boot.
It turns out that this is all part of an official collaboration between Southwest Airlines and Nintendo. In a statement to Dallas News, Nintendo of America senior vice president of sales and marketing Nick Chavez said:

“With the help of Southwest, we brought smiles to an entire plane full of people.
We hope that spirit of fun lasts for a long time, as now everyone on the flight has a Nintendo Switch system and Super Mario Maker 2 to play at home or on their future travels.”

EVERYONE ON THIS FLIGHT JUST GOT A NINTENDO SWITCH!!! @NintendoAmerica @SouthwestAir #SouthwestxNintendo pic.twitter.com/mUlryf4Kkv
â€” Lauren ðŸŽ¤hosting @ Comic-Con (@LaurMoor) July 17, 2019


Blue Beetle Trailer Sees The DC Hero Recreate The Iconic Final Fantasy VII Buster Sword

Warner Bros and DC Studios have unveiled the first trailer for Blue Beetle.
The first trailer for Blue Beetle teases a look at Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes and his encounter with the alien scarab Khaji Da.
The new trailer shows Jaime’s movie origin story. Alongside Maridueña, the cast includes George Lopez as Jaime’s uncle Rudy, Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord, Raoul Trujillo as the villainous Carapax, and Harvey Guillén in an unknown role.
In the comics, Jaime Reyes is actually the third person to carry the mantle of Blue Beetle. The first Blue Beetle was a police officer named Dan Garrett who donned bulletproof armour and took a sci-fi vitamin supplement to moonlight as a vigilante. The second (and most iconic) was Ted Kord, a genius inventor and self-made industrialist who styled himself as a wise-cracking superhero out of love for the Justice League and their good deeds. Kord is also best known for being the other half of a duo alongside Booster Gold.
The synopsis reads:
Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.
Directed by Puerto Rican filmmaker Angel Manuel Soto, Blue Beetle will premiere on 17 August 2023.
Check out the trailer below: