PS Plus April 2020 Lineup Includes One Of The Best PS4 Exclusives

Asian gamers will have two new games to look forward to in theÂ PlayStation Plus Asia April 2020 lineup.Â FromÂ 7 April to 6 May 2020, PS Plus Asia subscribers will be able to redeem the Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Dirt Rally 2.0.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

If you have a PS4, chances are you will probably have already played Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Heck, it might’ve been the reason why you bought a PS4 in the first place, it’s that good. Initially released in 2016, this excellent game was Nathan Drake’s final adventure (to date), as he gets tangled up with a long-lost brother.
With some of the best graphics the PS4 could offer and the best gameplay in the series yet, this game is simply a must-play for any PS4 owner.
Dirt Rally 2.0

This realistic racing sim requires perfect precision driving and nerves of steel as players explore a selection of iconic rally tracks from across the globe. Dirt Rally 2.0 embodies the best that British developer Codemasters has to offer. That includes challenging courses, race-altering dynamic weather systems, in-depth car customizations and more.
It’s no wonder then that some gamers are even dubbing this game the Dark Souls of racing games.
This yearâ€™s offerings have been pretty great so far. Sony Interactive Entertainment is certainly putting more effort and resources into PlayStation Plus.Â Last month, we even received Shadow Of The ColossusÂ andÂ Sonic Forces.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below courtesy of PlayStation Asia.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZq8ii3XuAg&w=560&h=315]


Michelle Yeoh Set To Star In James Cameron’s Avatar 2

Our very own Michelle Yeoh has been turning into a queen of sci-fi in the past few years, with roles as Philippa Georgiou in Star Trek Discovery and a cameo as Aleta Ogord at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Now she’s set to cement her status as a sci-fi queen by starring in James Cameron‘s Avatar 2 and its planned sequels.
According to Variety, Michelle Yeoh will be playing scientist Dr. Karina Mogue in Avatar 2, the long-awaited sequel to 2009’s Avatar (which is still currently the biggest all-time box office holder with $2.8 billion worldwide to date).
Avatar 2 is slated to release on 18 December 2020, with Avatar 3, Avatar 4, and Avatar 5 following suit on 17 December 2021. 20 December 2024, and 19 December 2025, respectively. That’s quite a massively ambitious and lengthy undertaking for director James Cameron.
Here’s what Cameron had to say about casting Michelle Yeoh:

â€œThroughout her career, Michelle has always created unique and memorable characters.
I look forward to working with Michelle to do the same thing on the â€˜Avatarâ€™ sequels.â€

It’s going to be a busy couple of years ahead for Michelle Yeoh, especially with these Avatar sequels and her currently-in-development Star Trek spinoff show. We at Kakuchopurei wish her all the best and will continue to support her in all future endeavors.
(Image Credit: Tom Williamson/Getty Images)


Analogue To Create Their Version Of Nintendo’s Game Boy

Analogue, the folks behind such lovely high-end and high definition retro consoles based on the NES, Super NES, and Sega Megadrive hardware, will be recreating the Game Boy with their upcoming project.

The Analogue Pocket -what else will they call it?- will be on sale next year for US$200. Here’s what the console can do:

Play Game Boy games
Play Game Boy Color games
Play Game Boy Advance games
Plays the aforementioned on a 3.5 inch 1600×1440 pixel display
Lets you make games and synthesize music on it (via the Nanoloop workstation), since it is built to do both.

The latter should be a godsend for homebrewers.
Like its previous retro consoles, the Analogue Pocket does not play games via software emulation; it uses a field-programmable gate array chip to simulate the original game systems at a hardware level. Basically, your Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games will play like they used to back when they were fresh out of the factory.
The best part about all this is that the FPGA is versatile enough to run adapters to play other handheld games from other systems like the Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket, and *ugh* the Atari Lynx. And yes, the Analogue Pocket is built to last.
Specs are below if you’re hankering to pre-order this bad boy.

3.5 inch 615 pixel-per-inch 1600×1440 LED display (10 times the resolution of the original Game Boy).
Stereo speakers.
SD card slot.
Rechargeable lithium ion battery.
An original Game Boy link port.
An optional dock so that you can make it play on the big screen.
A pair of USB ports for wired controller support.
Bluetooth.


Splatoon 3 Paints Its Way Onto Nintendo Switch This September

There’s a good reason why Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is pushed forward to July instead of lingering in September; because another major Nintendo title is on the way this year.
Splatoon 3, the upcoming multiplayer online shooter with painting mechanics, nifty single-player elements, kids who can transform into squids, and squid pop idols hosting matches and asking you to do spy missions, will be coming out for Nintendo Switch this 9th September. The game features online 4v4 turf war battles, a fresh single-player campaign, and the next iteration of the PvE co-op mode Salmon Run. In terms of new weapons, there’s now a paint bow-and-arrow; big paint damage but requires pinpoint accuracy. And there’s an Octo Mecha as one of your Inkling’s special moves: you temporarily pilot an octopus land mecha with boosted firepower.
Nintendo also announced that owners of Splatoon 2 with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion pack can play the Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion DLC for free. Yeah, it’s the online service that requires a monthly fee if you want to play Nintendo games online with other people. Check out the awesome gameplay trailer below.


Girls Frontline Is Getting An Anime Adaptation In 2021

The Girls Frontline mobile game is doing pretty well for itself, to the point where it’s getting an anime adaptation this year.
The show will be produced by Warner Bros. Japan and Asahi Production. The plot will be the same as the Sunborn Network-developed game: set in an alternate Earth during the 2060s, the show will revolve around androids called Tactical Dolls commanded by a fresh commander in a PMC as they combat a new AI threat as a team.
We’ve never been on the Girls Frontline bandwagon thanks to other mobile games like Genshin Impact and Princess Connect now being our flavours of the month(s), so here’s a video of some guy telling you how to form a good team in the game.


Horror Game Ad Infinitum Delayed To September 2023

During Nacon Connect 2023, Nacon and Hekate announced that first-person horror game Ad Infinitum has been delayed from its previous release window of April 2023. It will now release for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC in September 2023.
In Ad Infinitum, you fight for your sanity and survival in the trenches of the Great War and the walls of your family home. You play as a German soldier haunted by the horrors of the Great War. Terrible creatures, death traps, and insane mysteries mark your path through the battlefield.
They also unveiled new gameplay, which you can check out below:


New Genshin Impact Web Event Recaps Your Entire Journey & Game Stats [Update]

If you want a trip down online RPG anime lane, you may want to check out Genshin Impact’s new web event.
Dubbed An Unforgettable Journey, the web event will recap your entire escapades in Teyvat from the number of Hilichurls you sate your anime genocidal tendencies, to your favourite hero you’ve used outside of the Traveler.
Yes, the event even remembers the number of pigeons and ducks you killed at the bridge new Mondstadt and also your favourite minigame in the Windblume event. Talk about being thorough!
Once you’ve seen your personal clipshow, you can set up your theater themes (based on your game data) and share it with your pals. If it’s shared successfully, you get Primogems as a reward. Here’s the type of gifts you’ll be dishing out/receiving at random from others who share their themes.

Primogem Gift: 40x Primogems, 30,000 Mora
Material Gifts: 5x Mystic Enhancement Ores, 3x Hero’s Wit

You can check it out here. This will hopefully keep people’s minds off of the recent anniversary and Kokomi kerfuffle that’s been happening as of late.
[Update: 28/9/21] Or not. Turns out by searching the Mihoyo-crafted #GenshinAndMeHBD hashtag on Twitter, you’ll see a number of colourful messages about the game, the weaksauce anniversary gifts, and related anger and snark. Some even show allegiance towards a competitor of sorts: Cookie Run Kingdom.

My favorite Genshin moment was when my wife filed divorce papers after she found out that I spent our life savings to buy primos. Thank You Genshin Impact! ?#GenshinAndMeHBD #TrueStory pic.twitter.com/ousBunwpxf
— SmediumL (@SmediumL_) September 28, 2021

Flop #GenshinAndMeHBD pic.twitter.com/Jmp6ysJI0F
— ????????????.? (@stillimyoon530) September 28, 2021

https://twitter.com/paruparuYAY/status/1442762416559771656
https://twitter.com/nekoooftv/status/1442720744429928450

#GenshinAndMeHBD Dragalia lost is giving out 480 free rolls and actually cares about the community pic.twitter.com/5v4r1zI04b
— Amph (@oricoriosensu) September 28, 2021

https://twitter.com/BlLLYFAITHS/status/1442714171716431872

I remember the time I got nothing from Mihoyo to reward my over 300+ days playing Genshin Impact, despite spending hundreds of Ringgit for in-game crystals, Blessings of the Welkin Moon, and Jean's summer costume.
Thanks for nothing, Mihoyo! #GenshinAndMeHBD https://t.co/UDdAAZLtDN
— Kuan 'Trying to Slim Down' Lim (@fatcatlim) September 28, 2021


505 Games Gives Update On Three Key Titles

Leading video game publisher 505 Games announces three updates & announcements across its portfolio of forthcoming games in the form of Serial Cleaners, Gunfire Reborn, plus new title Nivalis.
Details are as follows…
NIVALIS

505 Games is proud to announce the incredible, stylistic cyberpunk slice-of-life sim Nivalis. Presented at the PC Gaming Show last Sunday, the first ever gameplay trailer is now available. Grow your business, manage restaurants and nightclubs, make friends and enemies, and even find love in Nivalis, the stunning cyberpunk Voxel-art city that stretches from the ocean to the clouds, lovingly brought to life by Cloudpunk developer ION LANDS. Now available to wishlist on Steam and Epic Games Store.
SERIAL CLEANERS

The highly anticipated sequel to cult-hit Serial Cleaner has been announced for release on September 22, 2022, in the latest Story Reveal trailer. Set in the grimy underworld of 90’s New York, work as one of four ‘cleaners’ sent to cover up the gruesome aftermaths of gangland hits and jobs gone wrong. Only this time, not everything is as it seems!
Available on Steam, Epic, GOG, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch
GUNFIRE REBORN

Coming soon to Xbox and PC Game Pass, dive into this single-player or co-op, level-based adventure game featuring FPS, Roguelite and RPG elements. Players can control outlandish anamorphic heroes with various abilities and use OTT weapons to explore procedurally-generated levels.
Available on Game Pass in October 2022.


Solomon Snow First Contact Drops On Steam Next Month

Independent game studio Futuresalt Entertainment Ltd. has announced that Solomon Snow First Contact will be coming to Steam on 31 March 2023. Solomon Snow First Contact is a retro-flavored shooter featuring puzzle-solving and team-building mechanics inspired by classics such as Alien Breed, Half-Life, Duke Nukem, and Doom.
The game is designed to run smoothly on all platforms and deliver intense fun. Take on the role of an ordinary security worker to save the planet, your colleagues, and workplace from an alien army charging out of the gateway on a skyscraper rooftop. Players will use the unique skills and tools of the people you encounter on your way, such as scientists, who can open locked doors, engineers, who can help with environmental risks; and security officers, who can provide firepower.
In Solomon Snow First Contact, players can develop character skills, combine teams, solve puzzles, improve skills, and fight bosses to make the game more challenging. A downloadable demo version of the game is currently available on Steam.
Check out the trailer below:


Kingdom Hearts 3: ReMind Trailer Shows Final Fantasy Characters And More

Looks like somebody over at Square Enix might be getting fired soon. A trailer for an upcoming major DLC for Kingdom Hearts III was recently uploaded by Square Enix but then quickly removed. Fortunately, the Internet works very fast.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIehnOox7t0&w=560&h=315]
A new Kingdom Hearts III: ReMind trailer reveals that the DLC is coming out on 23 January 2020 for the PS4 and on 25 February 2020 for the Xbox One. Those of you who haven’t completed the base game should probably avoid the trailer since it contains some major spoilers.
The highlight of the trailer lies in the appearance of several Final Fantasy whom fans have been waiting for since the game came out. As shown in the video above, we get a glimpse at characters such as Aerith, Squall (known as Leon in Kingdom Hearts), and even Yuffie.
If you’re a big fan of the series and haven’t gotten Kingdom Hearts III yet, check out our review. It might help you get off that fence. In the meantime, we’ll wait for more details regarding the ReMind DLC.


Total War Saga Troy’s Mythical Units Are More Grounded & Less Fantastical

A Total War Saga: Troy was initially announced almost a year ago in September 2019, but developer Creative Assembly has been pretty quiet on that front, until now. An interview on the official website with Creative Assembly Sofia game director Maya Georgieva has revealed more details about the upcoming game.
Despite being derived from the legends of Bronze Age Greece, the mythical units in A Total War Saga: Troy will still be somewhat grounded and not as fantastical as their mythological roots would normally be, as the developers are following a “truth behind the myth” approach.
These mythical units will also be completely optional, which is important for Total War fans (like me) who prefer a heavier emphasis on history. Players can only recruit these mythical units from specifically-designated spots on the map, but they exist outside the main factionsâ€™ rosters, so players can choose not to use them at all.
The first is the Minotaur. Instead of a monstrous half-man half-bull beast, the Minotaur in A Total War Saga: Troy is described “as a rebel or bandit king who invokes the symbols of the past to make his claim for power â€“ he uses the bull mask and the double axe as means to connect to the Minoan heritage and incite followers.”
The Minotaur.
Similarly, the Cyclops is not a huge one-eyed monster, but are humans called the Polyphemus, who wear helmets with a savage look, lots of body paint, scarification, sheepskin clothes and blunt weapon.
The Cyclops.
Meanwhile, the Centaurs are not a race of half-man half-horse creatures, but are described as “tribes of masterful riders who visibly appear one with their horses and are quite wild-looking and culturally distinct from the proto-Greek tribes that dominate the region”.
Centaurs.
Last but not least, Giants are also in the game, but they’re not literally giants, of course. They’re a tribe of human beings who are seemingly so strong that they “fulfil a functional role in battle in an era missing true siege machinery as they are very good at assaulting gates during sieges”.
Giants.
In addition to mythical units or monsters, A Total War Saga: Troy will also feature the Divine Will system, where religious cults affect the gameplay in meaningful ways, and Epic Missions; unique mission chains that each of the faction leaders must follow in order to achieve “Homeric victory”.
As of now, there is still no release date for A Total War Saga: Troy, but it remains slated for a 2020 release according to its Steam page. In the meantime, rewatch the announcement trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaSkIVpp_mI&w=560&h=315]


Star Trek Picard Season 2 Is Coming In 2022

During a special live stream celebrating Star Trek’s First Contact Day hosted by Wil Wheaton and Mica Burton, Sir Patrick Stewart and John de Lancie popped up to announce that Star Trek Picard Season 2 will premiere in 2022. They also confirmed that it recently began production.
However, the biggest news of all is that John de Lancie will reprise the fan-favourite role of Q. In the Star Trek franchise, Q is part of the Q Continuum and is a powerful extra-dimensional being who can manipulate space, time and reality. He was first introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation but also later reprised the role in Star Trek: Voyager and most recently in the animated series Star Trek Lower Decks.

Along with the return of Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard, confirmed returning cast members include Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, Jeri Ryan, Orla Brady and Brent Spiner.
For more of what I think about the current direction of the Star Trek franchise, you can head on over here. In the meantime, check out the Star Trek Picard teaser trailer below:

"The trial never ends." ? #StarTrekPicard #FirstContactDay pic.twitter.com/42ey4IyN2y
— Star Trek (@StarTrek) April 5, 2021


Apex Legends Hunted Update Now Live

Battle royale fans: Respawn’s latest update for Apex Legends is now live and in charge.
As mentioned before, the update adds a new legend Vantage who is specialized in long-ranged combat. If you love sniping, camping, and basically killing things from very far distances, Vantage is your woman thanks to her Spotter’s Lens passive and Echo Relocation skill.
“Vantage has learned everything the hard way. Born to a wrongfully-convicted criminal who gave birth to her alone on the barren ice planet Págos, Vantage can weather any storm. Accompanied only by her small winged companion Echo and forced to live off a hostile land, she became the ultimate survivalist and an expert sharpshooter. Meet the youngest person to join the Apex Games.”

In addition, the game has a new increased level cap, with new levels bestowing players with new Legends Tokens and Apex Packs. The new Hunted Battle Pass features a new music pack, loading screens, emotes, banner frames, and weapon charms.
The game’s Kings Canyon map has also seen some changes here and there. There’s a new point of interest called Relic, as well as a large landmass in the area formerly known as Skull Town, as well as the usual visual upgrade you see in these updates. This is to go in line with lead level designer Jeff Shaw’s new mandate for the game.
“One of the biggest changes we’ve made is we really increased the landmass to improve the map’s flow and pacing, so that’s where Relic comes into play.”


My Top 10 Favourite Video Game Zombies

Zombies. Freakers. Infected. The Undead. Many games over many decades have featured these nightmarish flesh-eating creatures, albeit with some variation in their looks and abilities to keep things fresh.

With the PS4 exclusive Days Gone around the corner, featuring zombies in the hundreds to take down, I want to look back at all the zombies in videogame history and ask a daunting question. Which oneâ€™s the all-time best brain muncher?
#10. Zombie John Marston (Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare)

If youâ€™ve played through Red Dead Redemptionâ€™s zombie infested DLC, then you know that there is truly no timeline in which John Marston has it easy. Undead Nightmare ends with the zombie plague he worked so hard to stop making a comeback after he passes away.
Having been buried with a flask of holy water, John returns to life with the wretched body of the undead, but the soul of a man. And so he returns to work, dispatching zombies resentfully until he can be at peace again. Poor guy canâ€™t catch a break.
#9. The player character (ZombiU)

ZombiU was a game that met an unfortunately slow demise, much like the bloodthirsty monsters the player finds themselves pitted against in this first-person survival horror game. It did have an interesting game mechanic, however. When the player character gets bitten or meets some other ugly death, the character theyâ€™ve been playing all along dies and rises again as a zombie.
The game then switches gears and gives the player another survivor to play as, but with all their previous inventory lost. If the player want their items and progress back, theyâ€™ll have to hunt down the zombie they were just playing as and kill them. Sentiment has no place in the apocalypse, unfortunately.
#8. The Horde (Dead Rising, Lollipop Chainsaw)

The Horde is more of a faceless collection of a whole bunch of zombies rather than just one unique zombie type. The Horde is an ever-growing, nightmarish mob of hundreds, maybe even thousands of growling, grunting zombies out for blood. They move as one, running for the nearest piece of living flesh they can find.
Excitingly, Days Gone will feature many hordes of its own soon, and I personally canâ€™t wait to start mowing them all down or die trying. Most likely, die trying.
#7. Zombies (Minecraft)

Simply put, Zombies. Itâ€™s an apt name for one of the many creatures that comes out of dark places to kill you. Your first night in Minecraft is always going to be scary, especially with these things around. Youâ€™d better have crafted yourself a sword to combat them with when the time comes, or youâ€™re not seeing the break of dawn in this cruel, blocky world.
#6. Zombies (Plants Vs Zombies)

Perhaps the most memorable classic zombie of recent times, these are the usual fare of green skin, ragged clothes and grumblings for â€˜braaaaiiiinsâ€™ that we thought stopped being cool a long time ago. Plants Vs Zombies proves us wrong however. Once the Football Zombies, Zombonis and Gargantuars come into play, weâ€™d look back at these classic zombies and say â€˜Awwâ€¦ arenâ€™t they adorable? Look at them trying to eat my Squash, they have no idea whatâ€™s coming to themâ€™.
#5. Necromorphs (Dead Space)

Yes, I realise Dead Space tries to wave the whole zombie thing away by telling us that Necromorphs are more of a mutation than an undead nightmare, but facts are facts and necromorphs are zombies.
Nothing in life will ever be sweet enough to make me forget the terrifying opening to Dead Space 2, where youâ€™re pushed out in a straightjacket into a room full of screaming, savage Necromorphs and have no choice but to sprint through them all and get out alive.
#4. Lickers (Resident Evil 2)

The little click-clack of bony claws skittering across the walls and ceilings is something everyone whoâ€™s played a Resident Evil game can remember. The Resident Evil 2 remake made Lickers even more terrifying than they were before. Even one crossing paths with you can spell your doom. Walk too fast, with too little ammunition, and these things will have you deader than the creature next to you.
#3. Nemesis (Resident Evil 3)

â€˜STAAAAARSâ€™, Nemesis slurs, firing a rocket off at Jill Valentine as you scream and frantically mash buttons to get away from the damn thing before it takes you out. This iconic undead titan is a Resident Evil 3 classic, following the player around the game area unrelentingly, later armed with a rocket launcher but never any less lethal throughout.
Mr X scared me enough with just his lumbering footsteps coming from just down the corridor, so I canâ€™t wait for a Resident Evil 3 remake with good olâ€™ Nemesis chasing me around the game with his rocket launcher in hand, fingers crossed.
Fun times will be had, throwing the TV out the window.
#2. Clickers (The Last of Us)

Iâ€™m certainly biased, because the Clickers are among my favourite creatures in any videogame, period. Their aesthetic designs are so fascinatingly repulsive, and the croaking sounds they make as they stumble around continue to make me freeze in terror to this day.
Infected by parasitic fungi, these zombies are beyond salvation, and sometimes even beyond fighting. If running isnâ€™t an option, all you can do is pull out that shiv and make Joel do what Joel does best.
#1. The Witch (Left 4 Dead)

Nothing, in my eyes, no creature living or otherwise, will ever scare me as badly as the Witch did in the Left 4 Dead series. It doesnâ€™t matter what weapons youâ€™re carrying, or whether youâ€™re playing with bots or friends.
The moment you hear the faint sounds of a crying woman in the distance, your heart sinks. Pray that you can somehow avoid her, lest you startle her and meet an untimely end. Fighting the Witch is at best, inadvisable. If she finds you, sheâ€™ll kill you. Itâ€™s as simple as that.


Monster Hunter World Players Will Get To Kill This Famous Dragon This October

Capcom is ending Monster Hunter World with a bang this 1st October. This means that they’ll be bringing in their biggest A-game yet: the intimidating dragon known as Fatalis.
This legendary black dragon is renowned for being the ultimate badass to take down in the Monster Hunter series. It first appeared in the first Monster Hunter as a special online boss. As expected, this guy will be tough to take down, but the rewards will be bountiful and may bump up skill caps.
This dragon will be in the aptly-named October update The Final Stand. Check out the roadmap and the trailer below. There’s a bunch of other important anniversary quests on 11th September, but October is the big one. Next to Fatalis, players will get to acquire better armour with the master rank layered armour unlock.
Long story short: it’s big game time, Monster Hunter fans.


Revenant Esports Makes History As First Indian Organization On OTT Platform

Revenant Esports has made history by becoming the first Indian esports organization to feature on an OTT platform. The organization tied up with ZEE5 for the E-Gaming Unplugged series, which headlines Revenant Esports’ players.
So far, five episodes of the E-Gaming Unplugged have been released with more on the way soon. Each episode follows a different Revenant Esports player.
These include:

Kasif “Paradox” Sayyed
Sahil “1TapGod” Duble
Shailesh “Blackhawk” Dalvi
Jeet “Swifty” Kundra
Raunak “MrCrowley” Sen

Shot at Revenant Esports’ grand gaming facility in Mumbai, the show offers an insight into the lives of the players. It also addresses the challenging life of an esports athlete and what it takes to compete at the top.
You can tune into E-Gaming Unplugged for free on the ZEE5 website or application and watch the players have a candid conversation on esports, gaming, and beyond with influencer Prerna Rajput.
Commenting on the E-Gaming Unplugged series, Revenant Esports’ Founder and CEO, Rohit Jagasisa said:
“We have been at the forefront of breaking barriers in the Indian esports industry, whether it be recognizing and nurturing talent from the grassroots or bringing non-endemic brands like PUMA into the industry. Our collaboration with ZEE5 for the E-Gaming Unplugged series is another addition to that as we unlock an exciting new revenue stream. OTT also offers a level of storytelling to fans unparalleled to other platforms.”
Revenant Esports is one of the most successful esports organizations in the country. The Mumbai-based esports organization currently boasts 45+ athletes across eight rosters in different gaming titles. In the three months of 2023 alone, the organization has managed to qualify for two international tournaments in Pokémon UNITE and Brawl Stars.


KKP Best Of 2020: Game #8

For more games on our Best of 2020 list, head here.Â
Game #8: Astro’s Playroom

Who knew a tech demo of a PS5 could bring so much joy to both old-school and newbie gamers?
If anything, SIE Japan’s Asobi Team hit it out of the ballpark with its 3D platformer that highlights the chief reason you want to fight tooth and nail to get a PS5: its DualSense controller and the games it fully supports. Astro’s Playroom features a slew of levels and playgrounds to not only admire and awe thanks to its colourful and high-res visuals but also its DualSense-focused controls and gameplay.
Among all the motion control games I’ve played since the age of the Wii back in 2006, never have I been impressed with Asobi’s high-level effort and workmanship. The PlayStation tribute, cameos, and collectibles are also welcome and appreciated. It’s obvious PS propaganda, but it’s good-natured and genuine in its presentation.
It’s really tough to find and buy a PS5 right now. However, if you can secure one, rest assured that it comes with 2020’s best tech demo for a console.


Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands: All The Legendary Weapons We’ve Found So Far [UPDATE]

Update (12/8/2022): Added weapons from Molten Mirror DLC.
Gearbox Software and 2K Games have done it again with its new 2022 looter shooter title Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, which is essentially the next Borderlands game but in the guise of a spin-off set in the warped mind of the 13-year old demolition expert/nutjob Tiny Tina. And like with all Borderlands titles, there’s a ton of new weapons and equipment to be found.
Here’s what we’ve discovered so far in our 20+ hour playthrough of the game. So far, the ones we’ve found are pretty awesome and fantastic to use.
Disclaimer: This feature is still under development. There’s a ton more Legendary and Unique weapons and equipment we haven’t found yet, especially with the new DLC that’s popping up every month or so. We’ll be updating this during the week and after.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Gear & Weapons
All gear type is divided into the following categories:

Ranged Weapons: Pistol, SMG, Assault Rifle, Shotgun, Launcher, Sniper Rifle (You can equip four weapons)
Melee Weapons (you can equip one)
Amulets (you can equip one)
Rings (you can equip two Rings)
Ward (your Shield)
Class Armor (the game’s version of Class Mods, but ANYONE can wear it)
Spell (you can equip one; only one class can use two spells simultaneously: The Spellshot)

Gear rarity is colour-coded. From weakest to strongest, the colours are Grey, Green, Blue, Purple, Gold.
How To Farm For Legendary Loot
While you’re doing the story quests and side quests, be sure to find all the Lucky Dice hidden throughout the game. It will help with farming for Legendaries.
So far, the best way to get more Legendary equipment and gear is to play and win Chaos Chamber stages. The Chaos Chamber is only unlocked after you beat the story campaign, which should take you about 20 hours or less to do. At the end of a Chaos Chamber stage, you’ll come to a room with a big chest in the middle and a bunch of bunny statues. You can cash in your crystals you won at the Chaos Chamber stages to churn out specific weapon and gear from the bunny statues.

As you can tell from the picture above, each bunny statue represents a different gear type. So if you want to spend your crystals for just SMGs (rare, unique, Legendary; it’s random), go to the bunny statue with the SMG icon and spend your crystals. The more Crystals you have, the better the chances at getting Uniques and Legendaries.
Also, Chaos Chamber rewards are amplified if you have a full party of four players and on a high Chaos level (up to 20), so do try to play with people be it with randoms or friends, as well as bump up the difficulty a few notches. At least to a level you can manage with your current gear.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Legendary Weapons List

Special thanks to Gamer Matters’ Meckronos (Twitter: Meckronos) for helping us with half of the Legendary Weapons & Equipment listed here.
Weapons
Toxifying Vengeance
Gear Type: Assault Rifle
Attributes

Wait. Execute your plan. Hope. Has the Quarrel and Feud feature. Quarrel: Fires tracker pellets. Increases Fire Rate and Reload Speed for each pellet stuck in target. Feud: Fires explosive sticky crossbolts that home towards enemies stuck with Quarrel pellets.
Crossbolts deal 7% increased damage for each crossbolt stuck in the target. Bolts last 7 seconds.

How To Get: Chaos Chamber; the gun is added after completing DLC 4 once.
Merlin’s Razor
Gear Type: Shotgun
Attributes

It’ll bite you in the end. Or the face.
+150% Gun Critical Hit Chance.
Shoots a magical blast of energy that returns back to you.

Chilling Twisted Delugeon (via Moxsy)

Gear Type: Rocket Launcher
Attributes

You’re gonna need a bigger umbrella. Fires Water Missiles that applies Soaked to targets for a duration. Soaked enemeis take more damage from Lightning and Frost, but take less damage from Fire.
+156 Area Damage Radius.
+40% FIre Rate

How To Get: World drop, Chaos Chamber, Wheel of Fate spin.

Quad Bow

Gear Type: Assault Rifle
Attributes

Quad Damage. Quake reference. Fires four horizontal crossbolt shots in full-auto mode. Fires four vertical crossbolt shots in 4-shot burst mode.
Crossbolts deal 2% increased Damage for each Crossbolt stuck in the target. Bolts last 6 seconds.
+15% Fire Rate.
Dark Magic element.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber loot
Thunder Anima

Gear Type: Assault Rifle
Attributes

We are the rising cascade, the rolling wave. Fires bouncing Lightning elemental shots that bounce when it hits the ground, and also pierces enemies. When the gun heats up close to max, the shots chain and deal more damage
Skuldugger gun; has unlimited magazine size, but weapon heats up and eventually will break. This gun heats up faster than most Skuldugger guns.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Liquid Cooling

(image credit: Joltzdude139)
Gear Type: Pistol
Attributes

Works great until it doesn’t. Skuldugger weapon. Frost damage. Critical damage resets the weapon’s break meter.
Eats up ammo really fast.
+71% Gun Damage.
+40% Fire Rate.

How To Get: Drops from boss in Crackmast Cove’s obelisk. Also a World Drop and Chaos Chamber drop.
Venomous Carrouser

Gear Type: Sniper Rifle
Attributes

If you’re not getting around, you’re standing still. Shoots a Crossbolt that sticks and hits hard consecutively than other crossbolt guns. Fast reload, but only has one bullet in its magazine.
+52% Gun Damage.
+10% Critical Hit Damage.
Fire element. Highly effective vs. Flesh.
Crossbolts deal 8% increased Damage for each Crossbolt stuck in the target. Bolts last 10 seconds.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Crossblade

Gear Type: Shotgun
Attributes

We shall call him…Deathblade. Shoots an X projectile that is both Fire and Lightning type. Deals both types of damage. +150% Gun Critical Hit Chance.
+19% Reload Speed.
2.2x Zoom

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Reign of Arrows of Striking

Gear Type: Shotgun
Attributes

…From a lacerated sky. Fires volleys of arrows at a set area indicated by a circle. Aim the circle, then fire to summon a volley of arrows that damages anything in that AoE for a set time. Best against ground enemies, probably useless against flying enemies high in the air. The arrows can hurt you, so be careful.
+10% Critical Hit Damage.
+249% Gun Damage.
+23% Reload Speed.
+350 Area Damage Radius.
Consumes 6 ammo per shot.

How To Get: World Drop
Rioting Lil K’s Bread Slicer of the Captive Royal

Gear Type: Assault Rifle
Attributes

This seems impractical. Shoots 3 lobbed saw blades in a widespread forward angle. Saw blades can hit multiple enemies, and can hit one enemy multiple times. Pretty useless against high-flying enemies though since the blades roll on the ground as they land.
Enchanted: After getting a Gun Kill, gain +14% melee damage and +21% Movement Speed for 5 seconds.
+47% Gun Accuracy.
+21% Fire Rate.
Consumes 3 ammo per shot.
5.0x Zoom.
+150% Gun Critical Hit Chance.

How To Get: World drop.
Manual Transmission

Gear Type: Assault Rifle
Attributes

We’re lights out.
+98% Gun Damage.
+27% Fire Rate.
3.3x Zoom
Restores Health via Damage (Dark Elemental).
Switching modes at full heat will upshift the weapon. Acts like a Stoker weapon with reloading but can “overheat”, so switch modes to increase fire rate.

How To Get: Get it from the boss Vorkanar at Mount Craw.
White Rider of the Wind

Gear Type: SMG
Attributes

Putrefy, rot, spoil, and fester. Beam weapon SMG. Shoots either a single beam or a double beam mode where the beam hits two targets simultaneously.
Poison elemental.
+15% Reload Speed.

How To Get: World Drop
Cannonballer of Ardor

Gear Type: Launcher
Attributes

Baker’s on his run. Can switch between 1-shot and 4-shot spread mode. High damage, but has weird trajectory and does not hit enemies up-close unless you’re aiming at the ground. Skill is required to aim this weapon.
+193% Gun Damage.
+26% Fire Rate.
+750 Area Damage Radius
4.5x Zoom

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Masterwork Handbow of the Riveter

Gear Type: Pistol
Attributes

Mercy like a gun.
+207% Gun damage.
+76% Critical Hit Damage.
+15% Reload Speed.
1.5x Zoom.
Critical Hits ricochet 6 crossbolt at the nearest enemy.
Crossbolts deal 3% increased Damage for each Crossbolt stuck in the target. Bolts last 3 seconds.

How To Get: World Drop
Wizard’s Pipe of the Yawning Void

Gear Type: SMG
Attributes

Go back to the abyss! Fires lobs of mid-speed elemental projectiles in addition to its SMG bullets.
Poison elemental.
+33% Critical Hit Damage.
-21% Gun Damage.
+44% Weapon Ward Capacity.
1.5x Zoom.
Weapon Ward Capacity: 798. Damage to projected front-facing ward amplifies weapon damage.

How To Get: World Drop.
Prolonging Shadowfire of the Warlock

Gear Type: SMG
Attributes

Magic With A K! Thrown weapon explodes in a column of elemental damage, depending on the gun’s element.
+50% Gun Damage.
Comes in Fire Elemental and Dark Elemental.
+21% Fire Rate.
+15% Melee Damage.
Thrown weapon explodes shortly after impact.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber.
Blazing Volley Of The Deep

Gear Type: SMG
Attributes

Burn down the walls that bind you to this cage. Extra Fire damage. Fire trails from shots.
+10% Critical Hit Damage.
+43% Gun Damage.
2.6x Zoom.
Weapon Ward Capacity: 555. Damage to projected front-faced ward returns bullets to your magazine.

How To Get: World drop.
Borea’s Breath

Gear Type: SMG
Attributes

The North Wind blows. Shoots out icicles when thrown. Fires semi-homing ice shots.
+27% Fire Rate.
Consumes 2 ammo per shot.
3.0x Zoom.
Slows enemies (Frost weapon).
Thrown weapon bounces until impacting an enemy.

How To Get: Can be farmed from Ribula in the Snoring Valley (the first stage of the game).
Automagic.EXE

Gear Type: Pistol
Attributes

Task, managed. Has regular fire that shoots out streaks of bullets. Alternate fire shoots tracking dart; after firing that on a target, regular fire will home in onto target.
-60% Gun Damage.
+21% Fire Rate.
Consumes 3 ammo per shot.
+15% Melee Damage

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Imp

Gear Type: Assault Rifle
Attributes

It’s a great day for an incineration! When gun overheats, it shoots out up to four flaming imps for Fire damage.
+74% Gun Damage
Fire element.
Unlimited magazine size, weapon heats up and eventually will break.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Kao Khan

Gear Type: Sniper Rifle
Attributes

He shaped the world with his hands. Shots fire in a horizontal spread; 5 Crossbolts.
Consumes 5 ammo per shot.
-58% Gun Damage.
+25% Weapon Ward capacity.
8.0x zoom
Electric type.
Weapon Ward Capacity: 1508. Damage to projected front-facing ward amplifies weapon damage.
Crossbolts deal 5% increased Damage for each Crossbolt stuck in the target. Bolts last 8 seconds.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Throwable Hole

Gear Type: SMG
Attributes

What happens if I throw a throwable hole into a portable hole? Thrown weapon explodes and becomes a giant Dark Damage hole that deals DPS. Throw the weapon again at the same spot to create a bigger Dark Damage hole with a bigger AoE.
3.1x Zoom
Dark Damage. Restores Health via Damage.

How To Get: Chaos Chamber, World Drop
Gluttony of the Carver

Gear Type: SMG
Attributes

Equivalent exchange. Thrown weapon explodes and creates a Dagger Storm.
+36% Gun Damage.
4.5x Zoom
Restores Health via Damage.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Circuitous Gyre

Gear Type: Shotgun
Attributes

Whirl. Whirl until you see yourself again. Fire rate goes up with each shot fired until next reload.
+231% Fire Rate.
Weapon Ward Capacity: 1206
Damage to projected front-facing ward reflects bullets back at attackers.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Ruby’s Spite

Gear Type: Pistol
Attributes

Death fulfilment. Fire rate doubles per kill, and stacks temporarily.
-33% Gun Damage.
+15% Fire Rate.
Dark damage. Restores Health via Damage.
The target takes 3% increased Melee Damage for each Crossbolt stuck in the target. Bolts last 5 seconds.

How To Get: Farm this from the mushroom boss in the Weepwild Dankness obelisk. It’s nearby the Corrupted Heart waypoint teleporter.
Live wire (via Moxsy)

Gear Type: SMG
Attributes

The lightning. It’s good for you! Sticks Lightning damage onto enemies that chains onto other enemies.
Lighting damage.
+16% Fire Rate.
Dahlia gun: Swaps between Fully Automatic and 5 Shot Burst.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber, farm Zomboss in the Shattergrave Barrow
Dreadlord’s Finest

Gear Type: Assault Rifle (Rare)
Attributes

Your soul is mine. Bullets lob and bounce when fired. Can switch between Full Auto and Shotgun mode.
+44% Gun Damage.
Dark Magic. Restores Health via Damage.

How To Get: Complete the Ancient Power quest chain (all 5 parts) and defeat the Dreadlord.
Perceiver
Gear Type: Pistol
Attributes

How do you want to do this? Critical Role reference. Critical hits refills the magazine from your reserve.
-21% Gun Accuracy.
Dahlia gun. Fires in either three-shot bursts or semi-automatic shots.

How To Get: Farm from the boss in the Sunfang Oasis obelisk.
Sworderang
Gear Type: Shotgun
Attributes

It’s all coming back to you now. When reloading, thrown weapon becomes a sword boomerang that flies in a horizontal loop and comes back to you. Can hurt you.
+43% Gun Damage.

How To Get: Farm from the boss in the Ossu-Gol Necropolis obelisk.

Class Armor
Warcaster’s Pandemecium of the Jagged Blunderbuss

Gear Type: Class Armor (Spellshot, Clawbringer)
Attributes

Rid this pestilence from within.
Adds points to Spellshot’s Font of Mana and Just Warming Up skills.
+35.6% Melee Critical Chance.
+17.8% Area Damage.
+35.6% Maximum Ward Capacity.
Whenever a Poison Status Effect deals damage over time, there is a 15% chance for the enemy to explode for 653 Poison Damage.

How To Get: World Drop, Vending Machine
Swashbuckler’s Deathless Mantle of Primordial Fire

Gear Type: Class Armor
Attributes

Not today. Game of Thrones reference.
Adds Stabbomancer and Brr-Zerker power.
Adds points to Stabbomancer’s Swift Death skill. Adds points to Brr-Zerker’s Cold Snap.
+12.9% Ward Regeneration Rate.
+10.8% Gun Damage.
+12.9% Ability Critical Hit Chance.
Reserve all but 1 Health, returning 150% as Ward Capacity. Ward Regeneration Delay is reduced by -50%.

How To Get: World Drop
Warlock’s Corrupted Platemail of the Lumberjack

Gear Type: Class Armor
Attributes

There must always be a Leech King. Buffs up Spellshot/Graveborn class combo.
Adds points to Spellshot’s Spell Sniper and Font of Mana.
Adds points to Graveborn’s Stain of the Soul.
Spellshot Power +24.8%.
Graveborn Power +12.4%.
+23.3% Gun Critical Hit Chance.
+19.4% Melee Damage.
+11.6% Area Damage.
Converts 30% of the Fatemaker’s Damage dealt to Dark Magic Damage. Dark Magic Efficiency is increased by 30%.

How To Get: World Drop
Gladiator’s Selective Amnesia of Gnawing

Gear Type: Class Armor
Attributes

The fastest way to get away from last  year.
Adds Brr-zerker and Stabbomancer power.
Adds points to Stabbomancer’s Follow Up. Adds points to Brr-Zerker’s The Old Ways and Iron Squall.
+12.9% Spell Critical Chance.
+10.8% Companion Damage.
+10.8% Melee Damage.
After taking non-Status Effect damage, apply a Fire Status effect to the Fatemaker, increase Movement Speed, and leave a Fire Trail for 3 seconds. While this effect is active, Damage Dealt is increased by Movement Speed.

How To Get: World Drop

Wards
Transistor of Hail

Gear Type: Ward
Attributes

Boing fwip.
Elemental Damage is increased by +20% of the damage type last taken.
+10% Fire Rate while Ward is depleted.
+20% Shock resistance.
Transistor, Trigger Happy.

How To Get: World Drop
Full Battery of Echoes

Gear Type: Ward
Attributes

And you’re a sky of blue.
While your Ward is full, taking damage strikes a nearby enemy with a Lightning Bolt.
15% chance to Reflect bullets and arrows while Warded.
While Ward is full, shots drain 25% Ward for +40% Weapon Damage.

How To Get: World Drop
Hammer and Anvil of Growth

Gear Type: Ward
Attributes

Give silent warning to all- wake him not.
When taking damage while Ward is Full, summons a Hammer. Hammers seek out nearby enemies, dealing Melee Damage and knocking them back.
+25% Maximum Ward.

How To Get: World Drop, Vending Machine
Curse Wit Of Frenzy

Gear Type: Ward
Attributes

Kill him! He’s not that important anyways.
While Ward is depleted, gain 17% Damage Reduction and gain 100% increased Damage Dealt to nearby enemies.
+20% Melee Damage while Ward is depleted.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber

Amulets & Rings
Eagle Eyed Bradluck of the Holy Warrior

Gear Type: Amulet
Attributes

The test came back negative!
Adds Elemental Damage and Spore Warden power buff.
+13.1% Loot Luck.
You gain Bradluck which applies a random (bad) effect to you every 8 seconds.

How To Get: World Drop
Eagle Eyed Overflow Bloodbag of Heroism

Gear Type: Amulet
Attributes

Are you really not familiar with parabiosis?
Poison damage: +15.1%
Spore Warden power +12.5%
+10.3% Action Skill Cooldown Rate.
+5.6% All Damage Dealt.
While Health is full, Healing from Dark Magic increases Maximum Health.

How To Get: World Drop, increased rate from Dragon Lord.
Raging Theurge Of Thought

Gear Type: Amulet
Attributes

For the Tome of the Holy.
+23.4% Dark Magic Efficiency.
+17.1% Gun Reload Speed.
Whenever you cast a Spell, reduce your remaining Action Skill Cooldown by 20%. While your Action Skill is on Cooldown, Spell Damage is increased by 30%.

How To Get: Chaos Chamber
Magic Championship Ring of the Iron Wolf

Gear Type: Ring
Attributes

Thank you for making red text, read text!
+15% Companion Critical Hit Chance.
+12.5% Melee Critical Hit Damage.
+12.5% Assault Rifle Critical Hit Damage.
Dealing damage to a Boss increases effects by 100% for a moderate amount of time.

How To Get: World Drop, Vending Machine

Melee Weapons
Salt And Battery
Gear Type: Melee
Attributes

Batter up! Weapon has Salt and Battery mechanics.
Salt: Melee Attacks increase your Melee Critical Chance by 20% on every hit until a Melee Critical Hit occurs, resetting this bonus.
Battery: Melee Critical Hits spawn a Dagger Storm.
Ancient: Melee Attacks restore 5.0% of your Action Skill Cooldown.

How To Get: The Wheel from the DLC, Chaos Chamber bunnies
Frying Pan of the Remorseless

Gear Type: Melee Weapon
Attributes

I think I’m getting the hang of this! LOTR reference.
Reduce Bullet and Projectile Damage from the rear by 90% when holstered.
+10% Melee damage.
-15% Attack Speed.
+60% Critical Damage
+10% Status Effect Chance
Shock damage
Frying Pan: While Melee Attacking, gain 90% chance to Reflect incoming Bullets, and a 15% chance while holstered.
Vampire: Melee Attacks restore 6.9% of your Maximum Health and Maximum Ward.

How To Get: World Drop
Spellblade of the Assassin

Gear Type: Melee Weapon
Attributes

The wand chooses the wizard.
+15% Attack Speed.
+10% Critical Chance.
+15% Critical Damage.
Spellblade: Melee Attacks deal Spell Damage instead of Melee Damge. Melee Attacks increase Spell Critical Chance by 80% for 6 seconds.
Rampage: Melee Attacks increase your Melee Critical Chance by 8.3% on every hit until a critical hit occurs, resetting this bonus.

How To Get: World Drop
Toxifying Goblin Pickaxe of Blistering

Gear Type: Melee Weapon
Attributes

Time is money, friend. Melee attacks spawn gold! Whenever the Fatemaker picks up gold, increase Movement Speed, Spell Cooldown Rate, and Action Skill Cooldown Rate by 6% for 5 seconds. Stacks 5 times.
Ancient: Melee Attacks restore 5.0% of your Action Skill Cooldown.
+25% Attack Speed.
+40% Critical Damage.
Frost Element. Slows enemies.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Venomous Twin Soul of the Lawless

Gear Type: Melee
Attributes

A hero desires a sword, and a sword desires truth.
Caustic: Melee Attacks increase your Status Effect Chance and Damage by 30% for 10 seconds.
Echo: Melee Attacks deal 10% of all non-Melee Damage dealt by the Fatemaker over the last 10 seconds as bonus damage, and reset this bonus.
+15% Attack Speed.
+25% Critical Damage.
+10% Status Effect Chance.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Fatebreaker of Edginess

Gear Type: Melee
Attributes

You’ve made a huge mistake.
Fatebreaker: Melee Attacks create 3 Lightning projectilies that restore Ward equal to 100% of damage dealt.
Amp’d: Melee Attacks Amplify the damage of your next 3 Gun Shots by 50% for the next 10 seconds.
+10% Attack Speed.
+20% Critical Damage.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Wailing Banshee of Edginess

Gear Type: Melee
Attributes

More like banSHEESH!
Wailing Banshee: Melee Attacks create up to 3 projectiles that seek out enemies behind the target, dealing 50% Weapon Damage.
Archmage: Melee Attacks restore 5% of your Spell Cooldown.
+20% Melee Damage.
-10% Attack Speed.
+20% Critical Damage

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Slammin’ Salmon of Mirth

Gear Type: Melee
Attributes

HOW’S THAT TASTE?! Fish type melee weapon: Melee attacks always apply a Poison Status Effect, stacking up to 5 times.
Echo: Melee Attacks deal 10% of all Non-Melee Damage dealt by the Fatemaker over the last 10 seconds as bonus damage.
+10% Melee Damage
-20% Attack Speed

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Goblin’s Bane of the Stunner

Gear Type: Melee Weapon (Rare)
Attributes

A perverse charisma fueled by avarice.
+14% Melee Damage.
+14% Critical Damage.
Fire element; Highly effective vs. Flesh.
Goblin’s Bane: Melee Attacks deal +100% damage against enemies above 95% Total HP.
Echo: Melee Attacks deal 1-% of all Non-Melee Damage dealt by the Fatemaker over the last 10 seconds as bonus damage, and reset this bonus.

How To Get: Complete Side Mission “Non-Violent Offender” in Cragwood (the Goblin stage).

Spells
Wicked Gossip
Gear Type: Spell
Attributes:

Spreads like a lie.
Simple cast: Fire and Forget.
On hit, ricochets to 2 nearby enemies. If there are no enemies nearby, spawns a Poison Puddle at the target’s feet.

Threads of Fate of the Scout

Gear Type: Spell. Channel cast: hold to charge, then releases powerful Dark Magic red ball projectile that uses threads to hit nearby enemies with damage-over-time effect.
Attributes

Watch me unravel.
+20% Spell Damage.
+26% Spell Status Effect Damage.
-10% Spell Cooldown.
+2 Projectiles per cast.
Restores Health via Damage.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Arcane Bolt of Magnitude

Gear Type: Spell. Fire and forget.
Attributes

From thine fingy-tippers comes doom. Fast cooldown rate if you hit with a critical.
After scoring a Critical Hit with this spell, a portion of its cooldown is refunded.
+20% Spell Damage.
-10% Spell Cooldown.
Dark damage. Restores health via damage.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Toxifying Greatest Spell Ever

Gear Type: Spell – Flame wrap. Simple Cast.
Attributes

This is just a tribute! Tenacious D reference.
Enchanted: While Action Skill is Active, increase Poison Damage by 35%.
+50% Spell Critical Chance.
+67% Spell Status Effect Damage.
+100% Spell Radius.
+19% Spell Cooldown.
2 Spell Charges.

How To Get: Complete side quest at Karnak’s Wall.
Sawblades

Gear Type: Spell. Repeated Cast.
Attributes

Watch your fingers! Spell summons a bunch of forward-launching sawblade projectiles as long as you hold the button.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber
Jacketed Buffmeister

Gear Type: Spell. Casts around the owner.
Attributes

AAAAAAAAAAAH. A spell that increases the Fatemaker’s power. Also buffs up the damage of the spell on the left if you’re a dual spell-wielding Spellshot.
Increases direct damage health by 185 (Max Chaos).
Lasts for 9.6 seconds.
+32% Spell damage.
-19% Spell Cooldown.

How To Get: World drop, Chaos Chamber
Gelatinous Cube

Gear Type: Spell. Fire and forget.
Attributes

The apotheosis is among us.Shoots out a bouncing green cube that leaves Poison puddles. Bounces up to three/four times.
+32% Spell Damage.
-19% Spell Cooldown.
Poison element.

How To Get: World drop, Chaos Chamber
Frosting Marshmallow

Gear Type: Spell. Fire and forget.
Attributes

Something that would never ever possibly destroy us. Ghostbusters reference. Spell shoots out a flaming marshmallow.
+20% Spell Damage
+26% Spell Status Effect Damage.
Fire elemental. Highly effective vs. Flesh.

How To Get: World Drop, Chaos Chamber


The ASUS ROG Ally Is Now Officially On Sale In Malaysia

ASUS Malaysia has announced that the ASUS ROG Ally is now officially available in Malaysia at the price of RM3,299. The ASUS ROG Ally Z1 Extreme (16GB+512GB) is the only variant officially available for Malaysia.
Official retail sales will start on 1st July 2023, at ROG Roadshow, Plaza Lowyat Concourse and ROG Ally authorized dealers nationwide. However, official online sales are already available now by heading over here.
With limited Stock and for a limited time, those who purchase the ASUS ROG Ally can redeem the ROG ALLY Bundle worth RM1299, which includes ROG Cetra Wireless, ROG Ally Travel Case, Screen Protector, and ROG Gaming Charger Dock with an additional nine months of PC Xbox Game Pass.

There will also be a roadshow bundle promotion starting from 1 July 2023 from 10 am onwards, at ROG Roadshow, Plaza Lowyat Concourse.
For the first 100 buyers, they can redeem the ROG ALLY Bundle and stand a chance for a lucky draw worth up to RM8298 in total, which includes ROG Cetra Wireless, ROG Ally Travel Case, Screen Protector, and ROG Gaming Charger Dock.

Here is a list of locations where to buy the ASUS ROG Ally starting from 1 July 2023. You can purchase the ASUS ROG ALLY and redeem nine months of Microsoft PC Xbox Game Pass worth RM135.

For specs, the ASUS ROG Ally features a 7-inch IPS LCD display with Full HD 1080p resolution, a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 120Hz refresh rate. The panel cranks out up to 500 nits of brightness and is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. It comes with two chipset versions – AMD’s new Ryzen Z1 and Ryzen Z1 Extreme chips. The Z1 model features a six-core Zen 4 CPU with twelve threads while the GPU side is covered by four RDNA 3 cores, while the Z1 Extreme model packs an eight-core Zen 4 CPU with sixteen threads and twelve RDNA 3 GPU cores with 24MB cache.
Both ROG Ally models feature 16GB LPDDR5 dual-channel memory and 256/512GB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD of the 2230 size, as well as a 40Wh battery pack and a 65W PD charger. In addition, the ASUS ROG Ally features an aluminium chassis and weighs 608 grams. The exact device dimensions are 280 x 111 x 21.2mm. It runs full-fledged Windows 11 Home with a special edition of Asus Armoury Crate on top.
The device can run Xbox Game Pass, as well as from any other major game launcher and game streaming services. As for controls, the ASUS ROG Ally offers two analogue thumb sticks with capacitive touch and RGB lighting, a D-pad, ABXY face buttons, left and right Hall Effect triggers and bumpers as well as two assignable grip buttons on the back. The screen is flanked by the command centre and view buttons on the left and menu and Armoury Crate buttons on the right.
Last but not least, the ASUS ROG Ally comes with a  Type-C combo port with support for USB 3.2 Gen2, and a port for connecting external GPUs as well as a microSD card slot that supports up to UHS-II cards and a headphone/mic combo jack. It also features dual-firing stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res Audio support, as well as Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.


Here’s The Real Reason Why Action RPGs Like Diablo Are Going Mobile

In case you haven’t been paying attention to all the post-BlizzCon news the past week or so, Blizzard announced an upcoming Diablo game for mobile phones which caused a lot more harm than good. Gaming fans are mad and feel like it’s a betrayal, while game journalists and the media are championing the idea while also belittling their audience.
Which begs the real question: why would Activision Blizzard go ahead with a mobile version of a Diablo game if it’s going to cause this much backlash?Â Simple: they get more money out of it and they get more people playing their legacy IP too. In theory, everybody wins. In practice? Well, we won’t know until the game is out and how the reception for it is post-launch (give or take 3 months).
Games like Diablo Eternal are being spearheaded on mobile, and while it’s alright to be very, VERY sceptical about this notion,Â two factors come into play here.
#1. Mobile Gaming Is Still Big. Really, REALLY Big.
Newzoo recently stated that the mobile gaming market revenueÂ will reach approximatelyÂ $63.2 billionÂ by the end of 2018. Console game sales wished they had those numbers. Mobile games revenue will only continue to grow, and it is even expected to account for an unbelievable 52 percent of the global games industry revenue by 2021.

In the span of a decade, mobile gaming will have grown from the smallest segment in 2012 to a 100-billion-dollar industry in 2021. Remarkably, the rise of mobile gaming has not significantly cannibalized revenues from PC or console gaming markets. In the coming years, mobile game revenue growth will continue to outpace the overall games market, growing to $106.4 billion in 2021.
So what the heck does this all mean? Simple: as long as there’s money to be made from mobile games thanks to casual and hardcore gamers, publishers will put two and two together and do their best to bring in mothership franchises into the mobile light.
More casual players for your spin-off game equals possible converts. And if you convert more of them into your mothership titles, that means more people actually finding out that there’s more to be had from a console/PC game than a mobile game that relies on portable-friendly and simple mechanics.
Sure, there’s a danger that people may just stick to the simple games because at the end of the day, we can be thrifty. Maybe some of us don’t want to spend US$60 for a full-blown game that may disappoint us. But with the right initiative and push, you’ll have your Diablo Immortal player graduating to a loot-hoarding Nephilim Rift-raiding hardcore player. He/she just needs the right kind of friends to get coaxed into the finer things in life.
We’ve already seen this happening to famous RPG brands like Final Fantasy, Tales of series, and even Nintendo’s first-party titles. Mobile game spin-offs are dime a dozen and are usually designed well within its F2P constraints. Why should this be different for the Diablo franchise? As long as it’s well-made and has long-term appeal beyond a year or two, people will jump on board as long as they keep an open mind.
And when Blizzard is finally done with its other new Diablo project, people new and old are going to jump on board. 10 bucks say that these new folks are the result of Diablo Immortal staying online.
#2. The “Experiment” Already Worked

Fire Emblem is quite a hardcore Nintendo brand: it’s a fun strategy RPG where permadeath is real and character-shipping is even a huge focus (especially in Fire Emblem: Awakening). So to see a Fire Emblem game made into a mobile strategy title might irk some folks, but here are some numbers that may surprise you concerning Fire Emblem Heroes (via Sensor Tower Store Intelligence):

Fire Emblem Heroes has grossed an estimated $452 million worldwide since its release back in early 2017.
The mobile game has netted Nintendo nearly US$200 million so far in 2018. Last month, it added another US$12.2 million to that sum.
Fire Emblem Heroes revenue was up slightly month-over-month, posting a 3.8 percent increase fromÂ Septemberâ€™s estimated $16.8 million gross. However, year-over-year revenue compared to October 2017 was down 3.8 percent from approximately $18 million.

So how did Fire Emblem Heroes earn all of this? That’s easy: it did so by being an actual game that isn’t being barricaded by paywalls. The strategy RPG action here is fun-yet-simplified, and its F2P mechanics are fair. The gacha heroes are attractive enough to justify people spending money on the system. And the free resources you get arrive in plentiful droves; kinda like Dragalia Lost.
The heroes you already earn through random rolls with your free money are competent and decent enough to get you through most of the game. Even so, there are a ton of guides on Reddit to help you through the game if you’re stuck with 3-Star heroes. Essentially the game’s community is pretty rich and are generally supportive of the game.
Now, wouldn’t Blizzard and Activision want that sort of money and fanfare? Especially when it means more revenue to make more games its player base wants like oh say another Diablo game exclusively for the PC?
The Bottom Line
Think about it this way: wouldn’t you want MORE people jumping from your mobile spin-off game to the real deal so that more people can keep your favourite game alive? Granted, announcing Diablo Immortal in a hardcore gaming festival and leaving your lead dev out there to the wolves during BlizzCon 2018 opening day may not be a wise decision.
And yes, I did mention earlier on that it’s alright to be sceptical about the mobile transition, especially during the post-launch part. Let’s not forget that the Activision half of Activision-Blizzard is known for money-grubbing stunts like these:

Still, at the end of the day, I do want to be in a world where console, PC, and mobile gaming can work hand-in-hand. I like to be in a world where we can have fair practices in F2P games and microtransactions that can coincide with games that benefit from it.
I believe the first step to this is to make Diablo Immortal what it is: a side game that can bring in newbies into the action RPG fold on their phones that can give them the opportunity to try more hardcore action RPG fares in the future.
Gamers: As a Diablo fan/action RPG fan like myself, let’s welcome Diablo Immortal with open arms while also being cautiously optimistic about it.
Activision-Blizzard & Netease: Let your actions dictate how you will be judged in the next few years. If you do right by us, we’ll shower it with praises and memes aplenty.


Are These Nike X PlayStation Sneakers Really Awesome? We Asked A Sneaker Expert

This article was written by Victor Chan from AGRKix. Check out their awesome sneaker stories here.Â
Retail Price: SG$179 / US$110
Video games and sneaker culture have more in common than you might think. They both have their rabid fans who would be willing to queue for hours to buy the latest releases. They both religiously check the calendar for release dates and wait impatiently for it to launch. Collectors will pay a ridiculous amount of money to hunt for the rare releases.
Some of them would even be completely loyal to a single company and would only buy their products. But almost all of them are completely passionate about their culture and defend them to the ends of the earth. Thatâ€™s why itâ€™s a no-brainer that one of Nikeâ€™s biggest basketball stars, Paul George, would collaborate with Sony to release a sneaker that pays tribute to Paulâ€™s obsession with his Playstation.
This isn’t the first time that Nike and Sony would collaborate on a sneaker. Back in 2006, Nike released a limited edition Air Force One x Playstation sneaker that also sold out immediately and is a very sought after sneaker that collectors would be willing to pay a high price for. But itâ€™s now 2018 and Nike has another winner on their hands with the latest PG2 X PS4 sneaker.

Using Paul Georgeâ€™s latest PG2 silhouette as the base, the designers crafted the shoe that would honour the Sony Playstation with every detail on the sneaker.

The performance basketball sneaker features a redesigned lacing system from his original PG1 signature sneaker that provides the same â€œlockdownâ€ without a Bootie fit and a strap, a bigger Zoom Air unit as the cushioning system to provide a more comfortable bounce and a much better grip with a redesigned sole.
As a player who is versatile on the court, Paul George needed his second shoe to be able to keep up with his playing style and enhances his performance at the same time. For his Playstation colorway though, it features a unique splatter pattern on the midsole that represents the PlayStation “galaxy” background, the four colors of the Dualshock Controller which is represented on the shoelace holes on the front, and a unique PSN code on the heels that youâ€™re able to use to redeem an exclusive Paul George galaxy dynamic theme.
The graphic of the galaxy dynamic theme on the insoles of the shoe. The biggest feature of them all, however, is the light-up logos of the PlayStation and Paul George on the tongue of the shoe.

I admit that I will probably never use it to play basketball, even though itâ€™s more than capable of being a great performance sneaker on the court. But this pair will turn heads once the lights are on.

It looks sleek and intimidating when itâ€™s on the feet and because of the patent leather on the heel, it will catch every single light and reflect it like it was a JJ Abrams movie. Itâ€™s really comfy, thanks to its Zoom Air unit, and you would be in total comfort for long sessions.

The only downside of this sneaker? There is no way to recharge the batteries that power the lights, although Nike claims it would last for a very long time with non-continuous use. So once the battery is dead, it will probably remain dead.
If youâ€™re looking to pick up a pair for yourself, youâ€™re probably out of luck at retail prices. They were sold out instantly and the only chance you can get to buy them is by paying ridiculous reseller prices that right now costs more than a PlayStation 4 Pro and a few games thrown in.
But at the end of the day, itâ€™s a sneaker to complement your gaming obsession and sneakerheads who are gamers or gamers who are sneakerheads would be willing to pay a pretty penny for these. Place it next to a Playstation 4 Pro or a DualShock controller and it totally looks like Sony themselves would sell it as an accessory to the system. There are totally unnecessary lights that would do nothing to improve your game, but they look absolutely cool.

So if youâ€™re a gamer who happens to be a sneakerhead or vice versa and are able to pay the reseller prices, buy these without fail. You will be able to finally have a statement piece that you can show off and say “Hey, Iâ€™m a gamer and Iâ€™m also a sneakerhead” and also look like you can dominate both fields.Â


New Batman Arkham Game Might Be A Reboot

It’s been six months since that Batman Day tease by Warner Bros. (WB) Games Montreal, which seemed to have been teasing a new Batman Arkham game. However, nothing ultimately came out of it, as the developer has remained silent all this time. Now evidence has surfaced that suggests the new Batman Arkham game will be a reboot.
According to sources from GWW, WB Montreal’s new Batman Arkham game will be a soft reboot instead of a sequel to 2015’s Batman Arkham Knight. It is said to feature more playable members of the Batfamily, the Court of Owls as antagonists, and incorporate more elements of co-op gameplay.
While those sources might be dubious, a ResetEra user has pointed out a recent LinkedIn entry that seems to lend further credibility to the rumour above. WB Games Montreal Senior Producer Bryan Theberge added the following to his Experience column:

The ‘New IP’ and working together with DC Comics suggest that the Batman Arkham game is going to be a reboot. However, none of this has yet to be confirmed or denied by WB Games Montreal. Perhaps we’ll learn more about the game soon, or even at the upcoming E3 2020.


Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick Told An Assistant He Was Going To Have Her Killed

Things aren’t looking any pretty for Call of Duty makers Activision Blizzard, as its CEO Bobby Kotick is in hot water as usual.
A recent report in the Wall Street Journal has detailed unflattering news about the CEO, citing that he knew about the Activision Blizzard sexual harassment issues and didn’t do much about it. It also detailed Jen Oneal’s short reign as Blizzard, which also involved Kotick’s own behaviour and how the company’s leadership responded to said issues.
Kotick also left a threatening voicemail on an assistant’s phone in which he threatened to have her killed. He also personally intervened to keep then co-head of Treyarch Dan Bunting, to keep him in the company after he was accused of sexually harassing a female employee in 2017 after a night of drinking. An investigation prompted the company to recommend firing Bunting, but Kotick stepped in.
Other employees who came under fire include Sledgehammer Games supervisor Javier Panameno who was accused of sexual assault; the reports were brought up in 2018 to Activision and Panemeno was fired two months later. Former Blizzard technology chief Ben Kilgore faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment over several years, at one point also lied about a relationship with a lower level employee during an internal investigation. Kilgore was fired in 2018 with Kotick’s approval.
Keep in mind that these are all alleged. Right now, the ABK Workers Alliance has issued a formal demand for Kotick’s removal and called for an employee walkout today.

We have instituted our own Zero Tolerance Policy.  We will not be silenced until Bobby Kotick has been replaced as CEO, and continue to hold our original demand for Third-Party review by an employee-chosen source.  We are staging a Walkout today. We welcome you to join us.
— ABetterABK ? ABK Workers Alliance (@ABetterABK) November 16, 2021

Activision’s Response
Activision Blizzard has claimed these accusations as “inaccurate”, at this point in writing. The company had this to say about the assistant death threat:
“Mr. Kotick quickly apologized 16 years ago for the obviously hyperbolic and inappropriate voice mail, and he deeply regrets the exaggeration and tone in his voice mail to this day.”
Kotick also published the following statement after the WSJ article surfaced:
“Thereâ€™s an article today that paints an inaccurate and misleading view of our company, of me personally, and my leadership.
I want to say two important things about this: First, we are incredibly fortunate to have the most talented people in our industry all so committed to constant improvement. And I share this commitment. The second thing I want to say is that anyone who doubts my conviction to be the most welcoming, inclusive workplace doesnâ€™t really appreciate how important this is to me.”


Heavenly Delusion Episode 2 Proves This Show Is A Must-Watch

Have you caught the latest episode of Heavenly Delusion yet? It’s even better than the first one! In this post-apocalyptic world, our two main characters, Kiruko and Maru, take a break from their search for “heaven” and find themselves staying at a sweet little inn with all the amenities.

Check out our review of Episode 1
But things quickly take a turn for the worse when a Hiruko, also known as a “Man-eater,” attacks them in the middle of the night. The action in this episode is insane, but what really sets it apart is the way it keeps you guessing about everyone’s true motives. Who can you trust in this world where nothing is as it seems?

The director of episode 2 of Heavenly Delusion is Kai Shibata, an animator who’s worked on a lot of other great shows like Chainsaw Man and Lycoris Recoil. And if you thought the bandit fight in the first episode was cool, wait until you see the battle against the Hiruko in episode 2! The animation is stunning and the camera work is so frenetic, you’ll feel like you’re right in the middle of the action.

Man-eater

The Hiruko is the first monster we get a good look at in this series, and it’s every bit as creepy as Kiruko described last week. Its body is a hodgepodge of different parts, and it can morph and change its head into all sorts of different shapes. Think the creature from The Thing, but even more grotesque.
The fight is made even more intense because of how well the characters work together. They have to be smart and quick on their feet to stand a chance against this monster, and it’s really satisfying to watch them outsmart it at every turn. But the real shocker comes when we find out that the innkeeper has some sort of connection to the monster. It’s a big reveal that raises a lot of questions about the monsters and what they’re really all about.
It’s clear that there is a connection between Kiruko and Maru’s journey and Tokio and his friends. Maru’s mission is to find someone with a matching face to him (presumably Tokio) and inject them with a mysterious syringe. The reasons why are a mystery, but that’s only part of what makes this episode so intriguing.

Oh, the mystery…

All the kids from the nursery, including Taka and Kona, seem to have some sort of supernatural abilities. Maru’s power, which enables him to kill the Hiruko by destroying their hearts, seems to be the most potent. This episode also touches on sexuality, with Tokio witnessing two girls kissing in the forest, Shiro receiving a nude photo from Mimihime, and Maru confessing his feelings for Kiruko.
The series is only two episodes in, but it’s already shaping up to be a fantastic sci-fi anime. It’s full of intriguing ideas executed with consistent visual flair. After a relatively tame premiere, the second episode has raised the stakes and promises thrilling action and likeable characters with secrets that keep us coming back. The unanswered questions are just as exciting as the answers that we hope to get.


Popular Twitch Streamer Pokimane Co-Owns EVO Thanks To Her New Talent Agency

A while ago, Sony announced that it acquired the long-running Evolution Championship Series (EVO) alongside a new company called RTS.
Just today, we find out what the latter is about: a talent management and brand consulting firm similar to The Philippines’ Tier One. And just like Tier One, it’s co-founded by a renowned female gamer. In RTS’ case, it’s popular Twitch streamer Pokimane.
Imane “Pokimane” Anys is the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of the company, which helps manage talents under them and consults firms, as well as “fixing what is broken in both talent management and brand partnerships in the gaming and eSports landscape”.
“I keep seeing amazing creators that are doing wonders with their content and streams, but they don’t have the support to grow their brand and business operations. They’re spinning their wheels on basic stuff and taking a lot of frustrating partnership deals that don’t work out for either party involved.
I’ve gone through the wringer with these experiences, and we’re building RTS to be able to provide the support, alleviate the workload, and solve this for creators, developers and brands.”

i’m so happy to announce the launch of my talent management + brand consulting firm, RTS! ?
our goal is to make creators lives easier & help companies integrate into gaming! ?
check it out @ https://t.co/LXPa1IpPYxhttps://t.co/gBcngaQNdJ
— pokimane ?? (@pokimanelol) October 27, 2021

She is joined by other luminaries including ex-Twitch co-founder Kevin lin and ex-Endeavor esports director Cristian Tamas. RTS plans to work with creators to help manage their operations, growth strategies, partnerships and finances.
While not the first talent management group in gaming and esports, RTS may be the one agency to influence many, many others all around the world to do the same with their own circular group. And that also means more pretenders to the throne and imitators.


Here’s 12 Minutes Of Black Myth: WuKong Using Unreal Engine 5 Tech

Last year, we were given the first look at Game Science’s take on the Monkey King legend in action RPG form called Black Myth: Wukong. It’s been a year, so we haven’t heard any updates since. At least until now.
Game Science unveiled a new Unreal Engine 5 and NVidia DLSS-powered look and demo that’s about 12 minutes long. It features our Monkey King hero fighting in the snow with his staff and kung-fu, as well as an epic fight with a flying Chinese dragon that shoots lightning out of its mouth. Awesome stuff, if I’m being honest.
Check out the high-flying Dark Souls-inspired action below. Black Myth: WuKong will be out for PC and mainstream consoles eventually, since it’s currently in development.


Xbox’s Tokyo Game Show 2021 Mascot Is Going Full-On Anime Mecha

Microsoft announced earlier that it will be attending Tokyo Game Show 2021’s online expo with its online broadcast. Today, the company revealed its mascot just for the occasion.
It’s clearly sticking to theme, that’s for sure. The new original mascot is an anime mecha similar to your Gundams and EVAs, but using the colour scheme of the Xbox Series X and S. That’s pretty cool!

Xbox’s TGS 2021 livestream will start on 30th September 5pm GMT+8. You can check out the full schedule here.


What We Know About Final Fantasy XIV Online’s Shadowbringers Expansion So Far

During the weekend’s Final Fantasy XIV‘s Fan Festival in Las Vegas, USA, the Square Enix developers of the game announced a bunch of new changes to the ever-growing MMORPG. Here they are:
A New Expansion Called Shadowbringers
This expansion will turn Final Fantasy XIV to version 5.0. Players will get to fight the Garlean Empire and further the plot of the game. Shadowbringers will also feature new jobs, a new level cap (now level 80), new areas to explore, new beast tribes, and new dungeons.
A New Game Plus Option
You can now replay story quests with their current character’s level and strength. So you don’t need to waste a ton of time using a new character to relive the experience.
A New Unique Job

So far, the festival has revealed a new job for the game: the Blue Mage. Just like previous FFs, the Blue Mage uses enemy techniques against them. You have to go out in the field and learn these techniques just like you would in FFV and beyond.
The Viera Will Be The Next Race In FFXIV
…maybe. Producer Naoki Yoshida joked throughout the festival keynote about his shirt which featured Bugs Bunny on a motorcycle. This happened right after announcing an unknown new playable race. And since the Viera are bunny-eared folk in the Final Fantasy Tactics/Final Fantasy XII universe…

In any case, the race will come out in the Shadowbringers expansion, with the developers planning to drop a huge hint in patch 4.5. Or you can wait for more information at the Final Fantasy XIV event in Paris on 2nd February 2019.
The Ability To Move Between Worlds
You and your pals can now travel within different servers within your data center. No, you can’t move between an American and a Japanese data center, but you can move within regions.
As an additional bonus, two new data centers will be opened for North America and Europe. Square Enix will offer free world transfers to help compensate for oncoming congestion issues once Shadowbringers goes live.
The expansion will be out early summer 2019. Stay tuned to Kakuchopurei for more news on that sweet Blue Mage job.


Gears Tactics Combat & Class Guide

Gears Tactics is a fun action-packed strategy game, but it’s also challenging as heck. Part of the reason is because you have to make use of your available resources: Action Points, your turn, and your squad’s skillset and tools.
The Locusts in Gears Tactics are numerous and can be a handful to deal with. Fortunately, you have a lot of options on your side to make sure your turn matters.
Down Enemies To Get Executions
First thing first; you’ll be fighting a lot of humanoid Locusts that can be downed. Early on in the game, you’ll fight a lot of them that can be downed. Execute them when you’re in a safe zone; this will give you extra Action Points to spend and make do with.
Use Overwatch To The Fullest
Know if those Wretches and Grenadiers are coming down your way? Just park your units and set up overwatch. See an Emergence Hole popping up? Set up overwatch at the spot, and then rain bullets when the Locusts emerge.

Unlike XCOM, you can take as many shots in overwatch.Â The more Action Points you have, the more overwatch shots you can trigger. We cannot stress the importance of this mechanic in a game that throws a lot of enemies at you. Just keep in mind, you can’t score critical hits in overwatch, with an exception from a Sniper’s unlockable ability.
Sliding Into Cover Extends Your Movement Range
Like we said in our review, Gears Tactics’ movement system is pretty flexible, to the point where you can “velcro” onto cover and get a bit more distance out of your 3 Action Point movement. Before you click that mouse button to confirm your movement, just hash out alternate pathways. You might find a way to inch closer to enemies and getting an extra shot at them, or be a few meters apart and protected by cover.
Reviving Downed Characters > Self-Revive
Keep in mind: reviving a downed squad member gives the 3 Action Points, while using self-revive only gives them 1 Action Point. Also, a squad member only has access to one self-revive ability per stage; once you’ve used it up, that’s it. Save them for dire situations.
Also, self-revive isn’t available in the two harder difficulty levels.

When You Reach A Halfway Point, Just Skip A Turn & Prep
This game doesn’t allow you to save-scum. However, once you’ve finished the first half of a main mission or side-mission, you can choose to skip a turn and reposition your units so that they’re grouped together to tackle the next section. You can also refresh some long cooldown abilities like grenades while you’re taking a breather.
However, don’t do this if your optional objectives include finishing a mission in less than the prerequisite turns. Also, don’t stay too idle for three turns; the game may drop some fresh Locust troops to mess with you.
Next: Class and Skill Tree Guide


Riot Forge Confirms Three League Of Legends Spinoffs Coming In 2023

Riot Games’ Riot Forge announced that three League Of Legends spinoffs will be coming out in 2023. They include:
Convergence A League of Legends Story

Developed by Double Stallion, action-platformer Convergence A League of Legends Story will launch for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PlS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG sometime in summer 2023.
Song Of Nunu A League of Legends Story

Developed by Tequila Works, the single-player adventure game Song Of Nunu A League of Legends Story will launch for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG sometime in fall 2023.
In this single-player adventure, venture into the idyllic but treacherous world of the Freljord as Nunu, a young boy on a quest to find his lost mother. Unearth the secrets, myths, and legends buried deep in the frozen tundra alongside your best friend, a wise and playful yeti named Willump, and unfold an inspiring story one puzzle at a time.
Developed by Tequila Works, the studio behind RiME, Song Of Nunu A League of Legends Story invites players old and new to experience the League of Legends universe from a fresh lens.
The Mageseeker A League of Legends Story

Developed by Digital Sun, The Mageseeker A League Of Legends Story will launch sometime in spring 2023 for unspecified consoles and PC.
The Mageseeker A League Of Legends Story is a 2D pixel, gritty action RPG set in Demacia, a mighty kingdom in the world of Runeterra that seeks to curtail what it deems as forbidden magic while wielding magic themselves to maintain order. Play as Sylas, an escaped mage whose quest for vengeance will shatter Demacia’s deceptive peace—a peace built with the blood and sweat of mages. The Mageseeker A League Of Legends Story provides an action-packed fantasy gameplay experience for those looking to experience a story of power, identity, and justice.
Check out the announcement trailer below:


It’s Robot V Robot In New Westworld Season 3 Trailer

It’s been almost two years since Westworld Season 2. I’m sure you don’t really remember the finer details of what happened by the end of that season (I know I don’t), but all you really need to know is that the hosts (robots/androids/machines) are now out in the real world.
In the new Westworld Season 3 trailer, Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) begins by saying:

â€œI was born into this world, and my first memories of it are pain.
For my kind, there was one place we were never allowed to go, one place we were never allowed to see: your world.â€

Apparently, Aaron Paul’s new character is named Caleb, and he will be working together in some capacity with Dolores, as it seems like she has a new plan brewing. Whatever it is, it’ll surely be convoluted as heck.
The Westworld Season 3 trailer might also be teasing a host vs host showdown between Dolores and Maeve (Thandie Newton), as someone has seemingly hired (or ordered) Maeve to kill Dolores.
I loved it when Dolores ends the trailer by teasing the epicness that is to come in Westworld Season 3:

â€œNew gods are coming.
Theyâ€™re very angry.â€

Westworld Season 3 will also feature returning cast like Jeffery Wrightâ€™s Bernard, Tessa Thompsonâ€™s Hale, Ed Harris’ Man in Black, Luke Hemsworth’s Stubbs. It is set to premiere on 15 March 2020.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDJbFA32_QY&w=560&h=315]


Xbox Gets New Updates; Can Also Run PS2 Games(?)

Xbox just announced a bunch of rad features recently for its late November/December update. This includes:

the “optimized for series X|S” badges so that you can identify which games are enhanced for the next-gen console
Dynamic Background options
Auto HDR indicator with supported games on Xbox Series X|S
Pre-load games with the new “Coming Soon” section so they are able to play upcoming titles the day it becomes available
Check achievement status in the Game Activity tab

That’s all well and good, so let’s jump to our next topic of this piece: the fact that Xbox’s next-gen games can run PS2 titles when the PS5 cannot. And doing a damn good job at it too. What sorcery is this?
For context, the Xbox One featured a developer mode from the previous generation, so it’s only natural that the Xbox Series X and S retain that feature. This means budding programmers and developers can open up the machine’s debug kit to run developer-tailored programs like Universe Windows Protocol (UWP) apps. Anything that runs on Windows 10 will work on Windows 10 Mobile and on Xbox.
Guess what else is a UWP program? RetroArch, the most famous front end for various emulators for retro consoles like the NES, Megadrive, and the PlayStation 2. The video below from Modern Vintage Gamer has put out a video displaying the RetroArch playing PS2 classics like God of War, Metal Gear Rising 2, and God Hand.

There are some catches since this technique is a workaround; the console cannot use its full power while in dev mode and the size of the games on some platforms is limited. Still, this is great emulation performance and a good sign that Xbox Series X and S’ backwards compatibility going beyond just its Xbox titles.


The World Of Tanks ANZPL 2023 Split 1 Finals Will See A Coast Vs Coast Showdown

The World of Tanks ANZ Premier League 2023 – Split 1 (ANZPL) Finals will see three teams hailing from Perth, Sydney and Adelaide battle it out for a prize pool of AUS$25,000 at Fortress Sydney, this Saturday, 27 May 2023.
Knocking out the reigning champions, the North Sydney Sentinels, Adelaide Action X will join the Perth Panthers in their first ANZPL finals. They will go head-to-head with the South Sydney Skorpions who have remained unlucky in their quest for victory in the last two finals.
The ANZPL is World of Tanks’ esports 5v5 competitive mode, featuring state-based teams, a single round robin, the grassroots league in the ANZBL, and culminates in an offline LAN final to determine the best team in ANZ for World of Tanks.

Matteo Rango, World of Tanks Competitive Product Manager, said:
“It will be a true East Coast vs West Coast match, with Adelaide Action X and the Perth Panthers going into their first finals against South Sydney Skorpions. This season has been unpredictable from the beginning, and it’s exciting to know that whoever emerges victorious, will become winners for the first time.”
The World of Tanks ANZPL 2023 – Split 1 Finals will be held live at Fortress Sydney on Saturday 27 May 2023, from 6.30 pm – 11 pm AEST. There is a pre-finals program that is free for all to participate in, starting from 1 pm – 4 pm AEST, and will include ERB racing, trivia, challenges against a World of Tanks pro player, community chat and lots of prizes up for grabs.
Tickets to the World of Tanks ANZPL 2023 – Split 1 Finals are free and you can register here. There is a paid ticket option of AUS$10, which gives a player access to the community bar tab, and AUS$20 will include in-game goodies. All proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to Game On Cancer.
You can catch the World of Tanks ANZPL 2023 – Split 1 Finals action on their Twitch channel.


Dragon Ball Super Super Hero Is A Loving Tribute To Piccolo & Gohan Fans

Dragon Ball Super Super Hero is the 21st movie in the franchise and the fourth to be considered canon, after 2013’s Dragon Ball Z Battle of Gods, 2015’s Dragon Ball Z Resurrection F and 2018’s Dragon Ball Super Broly (check out my review of that movie here), all of which are written by creator Akira Toriyama himself. It’s also quite possibly the best one yet.
Father And Son

The best thing about the movie is that it puts the spotlight on someone other than Goku and Vegeta for once. Dragon Ball Super Super Hero puts the spotlight on Piccolo and Gohan. It’s refreshing to see a Piccolo-centric movie, which is a first for the franchise. He has the most screen time in the movie, more than even Gohan. Speaking of Gohan, the last time we saw him playing an integral role in a movie was probably back in 1994’s Dragon Ball Z Bio-Broly.
Dragon Ball movies have never been known for their plot or continuity but I was surprised by how heavily Dragon Ball Super Super Hero references not only the Dragon Ball Super anime but also Dragon Ball Z and the original Dragon Ball as well. These throwbacks and easter eggs are a nostalgic tribute for long-time fans who have been watching the franchise since the 80s, 90s or early 2000s, as well as those who have been playing some of the recent Dragon Ball games (Dragon Ball FighterZ, look out for it).

The plot in Dragon Ball Super Super Hero revolves around Piccolo and Gohan going up against a returning Red Ribbon Army. To say more would be to spoil the story, but I can say this; the movie has surprising connections to the past, including the original Dragon Ball, which is part of why this movie is so good for fans to appreciate. That said, the movie does explain all of that with brief recaps and flashbacks, so those unfamiliar with Dragon Ball can still enjoy the movie. If you’re a longtime Dragon Ball fan, you’ll beam with excitement at every callback because I know I did with all the giddiness I felt when I was a boy growing up and watching Dragon Ball.
Dragon Ball Super Super Hero is a father and son story, as well as a grandfather one. Who is the father/grandfather? No, it’s not Goku. In fact, don’t expect Goku and Vegeta to do much in the movie, they’re relegated to the sidelines this time around (don’t be too disappointed by that, they still get one good fight scene in the movie). As almost all Dragon Ball fans can attest to, Piccolo is arguably more of a father than Goku (who is not only absent a lot of the time, he’s also pretty neglectful). Thus, the relationship between Piccolo and Gohan, as well as between Piccolo and Pan (Gohan’s adorable daughter who’s grown a bit from the baby that she was in the Dragon Ball Super anime), are the emotional crux of the entire movie.

With a story that’s more personal, the stakes in Dragon Ball Super Super Hero may feel lower than the multiversal tournaments in the Dragon Ball Super anime or even the battle that broke dimensional barriers in Dragon Ball Super Broly, but that doesn’t make the movie any less epic. The fight scenes are awesome, especially when watched in IMAX. Oh, you’re worried that the movie is rendered in 3D CG instead of the traditional 2D animation? Don’t be. I was initially worried that the new 3D CG animation would look cheap or sometimes look like a video game, but it’s clear that this is no low-budget production.
The 3D CG animation in Dragon Ball Super Super Hero still looks detailed and expressive, though certain scenes may look a bit stilted. However, this new visual style shines during the movie’s fight scenes, which impressed me. The way that the camera follows the action in this new 3D CG style makes the fight scenes look more dynamic than ever, in ways that I don’t think are possible to pull off in conventional 2D animation. Remember how Dragon Ball Super Broly utilized a bit of 3D CG in its climactic fight between Gogeta and Broly? Imagine a whole movie with action like that but with improvements on almost every level, so kudos to director Tetsuro Kodama (who also directed Dragon Ball Super Broly) and Toei Animation. Trust me, it all looks better in motion than it does in screenshots.

What’s amazing is that Dragon Ball Super Super Hero is the first anime movie to receive an IMAX release in Malaysian cinemas. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Malaysia, I was able to watch this movie in full IMAX glory and I can tell you that it’s definitely worth it due to how dynamic the fight scenes are portrayed in 3D CG. Just one piece of advice; try not to sit too close to the screen because you’ll want to be able to catch all the action as it unfolds.
In a franchise that’s been going on as long as Dragon Ball, it’s easy to simply keep doing the same thing, and Dragon Ball Super Super Hero does follow several of the same tropes, including new deus ex machina transformations. The biggest issue with the movie for me is the final antagonist, which feels like a step down after how compelling they made the last few Dragon Ball antagonists such as Jiren and Broly. This one just feels a bit tacked on.
Ultra Instinct

If you’re a Dragon Ball fan, Dragon Ball Super Super Hero is a must-watch and one that will tug the heartstrings of anyone who grew up watching the original Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z anime. It’s perhaps one of the best Dragon Ball movies, as it proves that Dragon Ball doesn’t need Goku or Vegeta to be great. The rest of the supporting characters need some love too, and as a Dragon Ball fan, I’m happy to see characters like Piccolo and Gohan finally getting more time to shine.
PSA: Stay until the end of the credits because there’s a post-credits scene that is a real treat for fans.
FINAL SCORE: 90/100
We received an early screener of Dragon Ball Super Super Hero courtesy of Sony Pictures Malaysia. Dragon Ball Super Super Hero is slated to premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 30 August 2022, including IMAX screens.


A Stan Lee Documentary Is Coming To Disney+ Hotstar In 2023

Yesterday (28 December 2023), the late Stan Lee would have turned 100 years old. He died at the age of 95 back in November 2018. To mark the late legend’s 100th birthday, Disney+ Hotstar announced that an original Stan Lee documentary will premiere on the streaming platform sometime in 2023.
Stan was a comic-book writer, editor, and publisher but he is best known as the co-creator of Spider-Man, the X-Men and many other characters at Marvel Comics. Having served as Marvel Comics’ editor-in-chief and later its publisher and chairman, he helped build Marvel into the large multimedia corporation it is today and was actively a regular cameo in Marvel movies up until his death.
Check out my loving tribute and what Stan Lee means to me here. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Epic Games Accuses SuperData Of Falsifying Fortnite Data

Last week, analytics company SuperData released aÂ  monthly worldwide digital marketing report stating that Epic Games’ moneymaker Fortnite is on a decline. To quote the report, the game “continues [its] gradual decline and hit their lowest level since November 2017”.
Naturally, the company takes umbrage at this “false reporting” and issued the following statement:

“SuperData does not and has not ever had access to Epic’s Fortnite revenue data, and SuperData’s reports do not accurately reflect Fortnite’s performance,” an Epic representative said.
We are disappointed that SuperData has repeatedly published wildly inaccurate reports about Fortnite based on what we believe is questionable methodology.
While we do not and have not publicly shared revenue numbers for Fortnite, we will say that SuperData’s reports do not align with reality.”

SuperData responded to Epic’s statement, saying it has “a proven methodology and validation process” and standing behind its previously reported Fortnite numbers. Until someone gets transparent with numbers, it’s hard to sort out who really has accurate data. Nonetheless, Fortnite is still here to stay, decline or no.