New Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut Update Adds Horizon: Forbidden West Armor

The latest patch for Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut adds in some cross-promotional items from the upcoming open-world robot dinosaur-killing adventure Horizon: Forbidden West.
The download will allow players to equip Jin with an Aloy-inspired outfit; all you have to do is visit the Forbidden Shrine to the north of Iki Island and solve the puzzle there. This content is to tie into the upcoming release of Horizon: Forbidden West which is due on 18th February.

We are so excited for Horizon Forbidden West from our friends at @Guerrilla! While we wait, today we’ve released a new patch for Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut that repairs a Wind Shrine to the north of Iki Island. Solve the puzzle there to earn an Aloy-inspired surprise… pic.twitter.com/5brcjTvL7o
— Sucker Punch Productions ? Ghost of Tsushima (@SuckerPunchProd) February 8, 2022

The patch also adds a new Platinum difficulty option for Survival in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends and a fix involving brief stutters during gameplay. Full notes are below:
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut Patch 2.15

Single-player

The Forbidden Shrine can now be found to the north of Iki Island. Interact with it and solve the puzzle for a special armor created in collaboration with our friends at Guerrilla.

Ghost of Tsushima: Legends

Added new Platinum difficulty level for Survival. This is still standard gameplay and will not feature weekly modifiers like Nightmare, but is harder than the gameplay offered in Gold difficulty, with better rewards and a higher chance for high-level gear.
Added Block button to Social tab in pause menu. This will allow players to add anyone they have matched with in-game directly to theÂ PlayStationâ€™s built-in blocklist to prevent matchmaking with that player in the future.
Addressed an issue that was causing brief stutters during gameplay.
We expect to release an additional patch next month which will focus on Legends bug fixes and improvements.


Toge Productions Releases Kriegsfront Tactics Mecha Diorama Editor

Indonesian game studio Toge Productions has just released a free mecha customization demo based on its upcoming strategy RPG title Kriegsfront Tactics.
Dubbed Kriegsfront Battlescaper – Diorama Editor, the app lets you create mechs and battlefield dioramas using the built-in photo editor, mecha builder, and level editor. Basically Toge is letting us play around with its developer tools so that you can make your own mecha battle diorama. So if you want to recreate a key battle scene from your favourite Battletech or Front Mission game, you can do that. So thanks, Toge Productions!
You may want to check it out now though; the battlescaper app will cease to exist after 19 January.

[WE LIED]We are sorry. We promised you that we'll be releasing the MECHA DIORAMA EDITOR DEMO onto Steam next week…
We lied.
We released it today.https://t.co/rTiytbWlsB#KriegsfrontTactics #indiedev #gamedev #leveldesign #diorama pic.twitter.com/Zy7ozMuSDt
— Kriegsfront Tactics (@kriegsfront) January 14, 2022

Kriegsfront Tactics will be out for PC in 2022.


Overwatch 2 Battle Pass & Seasons Roadmap Revealed

Blizzard Entertainment has released new details and gameplay for Overwatch 2, the upcoming free-to-play multiplayer first-person shooter sequel to 2016’s Overwatch. They also revealed the game’s Battle Pass and content roadmap following its Early Access launch, showcasing new playable hero Junker Queen, and beta sign-ups are also now available via the official website.
Overwatch 2 Roadmap
October 4 – Season 1

3 new heroes: Sojourn, Junker Queen, and a yet to be revealed Support Hero
6 new maps: Toronto, New York, Rome, Monte Carlo, Portugal and Rio
New mode: Push
30+ new skins
New Mythic skin

December 6 – Season 2

New Tank hero
New map
30+ new skins
New Mythic skin
New Battle Pass

2023 and Beyond

New heroes
New maps
New modes
100+ new skins
PvE begins

Seasons full of new content
Overwatch will continue to evolve and expand with regular seasonal content rolling out every nine weeks. And, beginning in 2023, the developer will be delving more into the world of Overwatch and the heroes that inhabit it with new narrative experiences and PvE gameplay updates.
With the new Battle Pass system, you’ll be able to unlock themed cosmetic items and complete weekly challenges for unique rewards. Instead of relying on Loot Box luck, you’ll be able to choose how you want to invest and progress toward new content throughout each season.
With cross-progression enabled, all of your unlocks, progression, and accolades will seamlessly transfer over to whatever device you’re actively gaming on.

Overwatch 2 will be a true globetrotting experience. Toronto, New York, Rome, and Monte Carlo will arrive in game on 4 October 2022, along with two brand new maps.
Fight on the streets of Rio, the iconic Brazilian city and home base for everyone’s favorite DJ Lucio. And travel to Portugal, a new Push map that transports players to another vibrant and inspired environment to experience the new game mode. Overwatch 2 will be rolling out more maps on a regular basis so there will always be somewhere new to battle.
Along with aesthetic updates, Overwatch 2 will also launch with a reworked competitive play.
A reimagined scoreboard system will provide players with more detailed information throughout the matches as well as an after action report once a match concludes. Skill ratings will no longer immediately update after every game but rather wait until seven wins to assess and update. And instead of a numeric skill rating, each skill tier will contain five sub tiers ranked from highest to lowest.

Overwatch 2 Beta
Starting 28 June 2022, the Overwatch 2 Beta begins.
Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or wield your axe and solidify your reign as Junker Queen. Battle to propel your robot into the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Make global destinations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo, and Rio your battlefield with new maps.

Get a head start with the Watchpoint Pack
You can get also a head start with the Watchpoint Pack on Day 1. With purchase of the pack, you’ll get access to exclusive content such as Legendary Hero skins and Overwatch 2 player icon, as well as immediate access to the Overwatch 2 Beta launching on 28 June 2022.
Let’s get you back in the fight. You can purchase the Watchpoint Pack available at PlayStation Store today and take a look at what the pack has to offer below:
Arrive in Style with two (2) Overwatch 2 Legendary Hero Skins
Kick-start your Overwatch 2 collection with a set of two (2) new Legendary Hero skins–Space Raider Soldier 76 and Space Raider Cassidy.
Premium Battle Pass for Season 1
Overwatch 2 will operate as a live game service that brings more new maps, features, and modes to the fight in a seasonal format. Hit the ground running with the Premium Battle Pass for Season 1, which will launch alongside Overwatch 2 Early Access on October 4.
Gear up with 2000 Overwatch 2 Virtual Currency
Overwatch 2 will have a new in-game shop experience centered around player choice. With the Watchpoint Pack, receive 2,000 Overwatch 2 Virtual Currency to level up on your Battle Pass or gear up with new cosmetics for your favorite heroes.
Pre-purchase Exclusive: Overwatch 2 Player Icon
Purchase the Watchpoint Pack before October 4 and receive an exclusive Overwatch 2 Player Icon to use at launch.
Overwatch: Legendary Edition Included
Get started on Overwatch now with Overwatch: Legendary Edition. Customize the appearance of fan favorite Overwatch Heroes with five (5) Epic and five (5) Legendary skins included in the Watchpoint Pack.
In the meantime, check out the videos below:


Miss Economy Flights? Airplane Mode Is The Sim Game For You

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 has been taking the world by storm, with budding pilots everywhere showing off their fancy new flight simulator game. However, Airplane Mode might be the sim game for the rest of us plebeians, considering that it lets players sit through the experience of a six-hour economy class flight in first-person and real-time.
Developed by Bacronym and published by AMC, Airplane Mode is inspired by Penn and Teller’s infamous sim game Desert Bus, in which players are tasked with driving a slightly defective bus for eight hours in real-time on a single strip of road between Arizona and Nevada.
Airplane Mode is aiming to deliver the full and authentic long-haul flight experience, which means that players will contend with other passengers and the cabin crew, as well as randomised events including delays, turbulence, bad wifi, and screaming babies.
According to the Steam page, players will have access to a pen, book, and headphones in their carry-on luggage, a complimentary aircraft information card (and overhead reading light), a fully functioning in-flight entertainment system (providing a flight safety video, satellite journey tracker, and “hit movies of the 1930s”) and even an in-flight magazine, with articles, crosswords, and Sudoku.

Oh, and in-flight cuisine too. Yummy. See, it’s the full economy class flight experience like we all experienced in the days before the COVID-19 pandemic. If we could have an additional Air Asia experience, though that will probably only be added in a post-launch DLC purchase. Typical.
Besides the six-hour flight from JFK to Reykjavik, players will also have the option to embark on a shorter two-and-a-half-hour flight from JFK to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. I mean, six hours is quite a long time to experience in one sitting.
Airplane Mode is slated to release on PC and Mac sometime in fall 2020. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.


VCT Pacific Ascension 2023 Dates Revealed

After months of grueling competition in the VCT Challengers Pacific, 10 teams will rise as the shining stars of their respective regions, demonstrating their unwavering skill, determination, and perseverance. However, only a single team will ascend to claim their rightful place among the ranks of the VCT Pacific league.
VCT Ascension Pacific presents a remarkable opportunity for teams from Japan, Korea, Oceania, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia & Singapore, Taiwan & Hong Kong, and South Asia. This tournament serves as their gateway to international league status, granting them the chance to compete for coveted spots in global tournaments, Masters, and Champions. The stakes are heightened as they fiercely vie for their share of the impressive USD 100,000 prize pool.
This tournament will take place at LAN in front of a live audience in Bangkok, Thailand. Ticketing details will be released soon.
FORMAT

The tournament will start with the Group Stage, in which 2 groups of 5 teams will fight through a single robin in a best-of-3 format.
The top 3 teams from each group will then advance to the Playoffs. The top 2 teams from the Group Stage will earn an automatic spot to the Semifinals, whereas the other 4 teams will start in the Quarterfinals.
The Playoffs will be structured as a single elimination bracket. Early Playoff rounds will be in a best-of-3 format followed by a best-of-5 Grand Final.

LEAD UP CONTENT
There will be online content just to get fans hyped up for Ascension. So keep an eye out on the VCT Pacific YouTube channel for when the videos drop.
Stay tuned for a promo trailer dropping later in June that will also introduce the 10 teams that qualify for Ascension.

Ascension Pacific Preview
Fans can get to know the 10 teams that are playing more intimately with some insightful analysis from official casters. Learn their strengths, strategies, play styles and the casters’ predictions for the tournament.

Influencer Rallies
Rally behind your local team representatives with your favorite VALORANT influencers! Influencers will be giving you an up close and personal look at each team. Rally videos will be dropped leading up to the tournament. Subscribe to the VCT Pacific YouTube channel so you don’t miss out on the newest episodes!

SCHEDULE

The Ascension Pacific will unfold across 10 days of intense competition from 28 June – 9 July. The tournament is structured in two stages:

Group Stage: 28 June – 4 July
Playoffs: 7 – 9 July

Tournament day matches will begin at the following times:

Group Stage: 13:00 THA // 14:00 GMT+8
Playoffs: 16:00 THA // 17:00 GMT+8

BROADCAST LINKS
Brought to you by Acer, BenQ, Grab, Steelcase and streaming partner AfreecaTV, VCT Pacific Ascension is available to watch at the following local language broadcast links:

English

Twitch: VALORANT Pacific
YouTube:VCT Pacific
Facebook: VCT Pacific
AfreecaTV: VALORANT EN

Korean

AfreecaTV: VALORANT??
Twitch: VALORANT KR, Riot Esports Korea
YouTube: VCT KR
Naver: Naver e???

Japanese

AfreecaTV: VALORANT JP
Twitch: VALORANT JP
YouTube: VALORANT JP

Tagalog

Twitch: VALORANT PH
YouTube: VALORANTesportsPH
Facebook: VALORANTesportsPH

Bahasa Indonesia

Twitch: VALORANT ID
YouTube: VALORANT Esports Indonesia
Facebook: VALORANTesportsID

Thai

AfreecaTV: VALORANT TH
Twitch: VALORANT TH
YouTube: VALORANTesportsTH
Facebook: VALORANTesportsTH

Vietnamese

YouTube: VALORANTesportsVN
Facebook:VALORANTesportsVietnam

Mandarin

Twitch: VALORANT TW
YouTube:VALORANTesportsTW
Facebook: VALORANTesportsZH

Hindi

Twitch: Nodwin Gaming
YouTube: Nodwin Gaming, Nodwin Gaming South Asia
Loco: Nodwin Gaming Hindi


Horizon Forbidden West Guide: Best Skills & How To Get Easy Loot

Horizon Forbidden West is finally here and it’s a massive game. There’s so much to do in the game’s open world and we’re here to help you any way we can.
If you’re looking to read our spoiler-free review of the game, head on over here.
Here are some tips on how to survive the Forbidden West in the latest game from Guerrilla Games:
Check And Tweak The Settings Before You Even Start The Game

Guerrilla Games has put a lot of effort into making sure the game has a wealth of settings and accessibility options. I was confused at first due to the sheer amount of settings, but here’s what you can do for a start.
First, turn off Motion Blur. I don’t understand why any modern game, let alone a game like Horizon Forbidden West, needs Motion Blur, so it’s best to turn this setting all the way down. You don’t want to be getting a headache after a gaming session.
Secondly, turn on both Auto Heal and Auto Shieldwing. Auto Heal allows Aloy to automatically consume Medicinal Berries when her health goes too low, while Auto Shieldwing will allow Aloy to automatically deploy the Shieldwing glider if she falls from a great height.

Auto Heal has saved me many times during intense battles, while Auto Shieldwing helps you avoid falling to your death (once you get access to the Shieldwing, which is at least a few hours into the game). If you find both of these cheating, sure, you can leave them off, but they can save Aloy’s butt from unnecessary and annoying deaths.

There are actually a bunch of other settings that can make the game a lot easier if you want. You can change how long Concentration Mode (the slow-mo effect when aiming your weapon) lasts via the settings. Sure, you can still increase the duration of your Concentration Mode via skill tree upgrades and equipment in the game. It’s up to you.
There’s one setting though that I didn’t really notice until later during my playthrough…
A Cheat In The Settings: Easy Loot

This setting is sort of like a cheat. Why? Because it makes grinding for resources in the game significantly easier. If you don’t want to waste time hunting machines or if you find it repetitive to do too many times, here’s what you can do.
If you tweak the difficulty to Custom, you can change a bunch of different settings to your liking. One setting you should look out for is Easy Loot. The whole schtick in both Horizon games is that players need to use specific weapons and ammo with “Tear” to remove specific components and body parts from machines to get certain specific resources.
What the Horizon Forbidden West Easy Loot setting does is that it makes all components you normally have to tear/remove from the machine’s body to still be part of the loot, EVEN IF YOU DIDN’T MANUALLY TEAR OR REMOVE THEM. To put it simply, this setting removes a lot of the grind and work that you normally have to do to get specific resources.
If you consider this cheating and would prefer not to use it, that’s up to you. Just know that the option is there at any time. There are no difficulty-locked trophies in Horizon Forbidden West anyways.
Speaking of loot…
Always Open Every Chest You Come Across

Yes, every single chest.
Why? Well, why not?
Resources are precious in Horizon Forbidden West. You need them to craft ammo. You need them to buy weapons, outfits and equipment. It’s always good to have extra.
Plus, this game now features an improved inventory system from the previous game. All additional resources will automatically and directly go into your stash, which you can access anytime. You no longer have to worry about having overloading your inventory and being forced to throw stuff away to make room for more stuff.
For that reason, and to make sure you always have enough resources, loot every chest. Every single one. Sure, Horizon Forbidden West doesn’t feature any missable weapons or outfits from chests (they’re all acquired by purchasing at vendors or via quests), but all those extra resources will come in handy.
You won’t have to worry about not having enough resources. Just loot every chest. Trust me.
You Can Use The Pullcaster To Pull Chests Towards You
The Pullcaster in action.
After more than 60 hours in the game, I don’t remember exactly if the game ever tells you this, but Aloy can use the Pullcasterto do more than just as a grappling hook, to pull rubble away and to move steel beams. You can actually use it to pull chests towards you if they’re out of reach.
I realised this in the early game when a chest was on a ledge that was too high to reach. I somehow had the idea to use the Pullcaster and voila; I could open the chest that was seemingly unreachable. Take this into account whenever you find a chest that looks like it’s impossible to get to. It might just be a Pullcaster away.
Greenshine Resources Are Extremely Rare & Possibly Finite, Find Them In Sunken Caverns

Greenshine resources and crystals are the rarest resources in the game. You’ll encounter them from time to time in the wilds but they’re mostly concentrated in Sunken Caverns, where you’ll have to dive underwater (so you’ll need to get the Diving Mask by playing through the story first).
However, after playing the game for 60 hours, we haven’t accumulated a lot of these Greenshine resources, due to how rare they are. They might possibly be FINITE, so don’t waste them. Save them and only use them to upgrade weapons and equipment you really want to keep using.
Some Of The Best Weapons And Outfits In The Game Will Be Available At The Arena

The best weapons and outfits you can get in Horizon Forbidden West are ranked at the Legendary rarity level. As far as I know, after 60 hours of playing the game, most of this Legendary equipment are available at The Arena. You will unlock this area naturally via the main story, so don’t worry about having to find it. However, you will need to complete one quest to unlock the Arena, since the Arena won’t re-open until you finish that quest (due to story reasons which I can’t spoil).
Arena Challenges will grant you Arena Medals while Hunting Grounds will grant you Hunting Medals. All the Legendary equipment can only be purchased with Arena Medals, but completing the Hunting Grounds first and buying the Very Rare weapons with your Hunting Medals first will go a long way in helping you in the Arena.
Create Jobs To Make Grinding Easier

Jobs help create side quests and objectives for resources you need to get for certain weapons, equipment or even overrides (as seen in the picture above). It’s easy to forget about the ability to create Jobs but it’s easy to do so. At merchants and workbenches, there’s almost always an option to “Create A Job” simply by pressing and holding the triangle button. Then, you can just activate the Job as your Active Quest in the pause menu.
Don’t Forget To Sell Your Valuables

It’s easy to overlook this, but make sure to visit a merchant from time to time in order to sell valuables. Don’t worry about hoarding these items, because they’re the ones under the Valuables To Sell.
However, DON’T sell the Processed Metal Blocks and certain items. Read the “Used For” tab. If it just states “Selling For Metal Shards”, sell them. If it states anything else like to upgrade equipment, keep those and don’t sell them. For instance, Processed Metal Blocks can be used to buy rare resources and machine parts at certain merchants and Salvage vendors in the game.
Best Skills In The Skill Tree

The skill trees in Horizon Forbidden West are really well done in that they’re separated by categories that cater to your playstyles. You can choose to ignore any of the skill trees, and choose whichever you want to focus on depending on your own preferred playstyle.
However, there are certain skills in each skill tree that are worth getting regardless of your playstyle. Here are some of them:
Hunter Skill Tree: Concentration+ And Concentration Regen

It doesn’t matter what your playstyle is or weapon of choice is. You’ll still be using the slow-mo concentration mode to hit specific body parts and components of enemies; it’s arguably the most important combat mechanic in the game.
Therefore, these two skills should be your priority first. Concentration+ increases your Concentration limit while Concentration Regen increases its speed of recovery.

Hunter Skill Tree: Ammo Expert

You need resources to make ammunition to actually engage in combat, so of course, this is important. This skill allows you to craft more ammo from the same amount of resources, which lessens the need to grind or search for more resources.
Hunter Skill Tree: Workbench Expert

If you want to save even more resources, this will help by allowing you to craft ammunition using fewer resources. However, this only works at workbenches so bear that in mind. You should make it a habit to always visit workbenches before and after big battles to make the most of this skill and your resources.
Survivor Skill Tree: Plant Forager

I know how much of a chore it is to keep picking plants to get the resources you need, like Medicinal Berries and others. This skill will make it less of a chore, as you get more resources with every picking.
Survivor Skill Tree: Potent Medicine

Potions are expensive and require a lot of resources in Horizon Forbidden West, so your main method of healing is using Medicinal Berries. This skill will mean a lot when it comes to later in the game, as you encounter more powerful enemies. Being able to heal faster and more efficiently will ensure you die less than you have to.
Infiltrator Skill Tree: Silent Strike+

Stealth is completely optional, and even if you prefer to always hit enemies with a frontal assault, sometimes you’ll still find yourself going stealth at times. This skill ensures that your Silent Strikes (stealth takedowns) will deal more damage, and be a more significant way of dealing with enemies.
Infiltrator Skill Tree: Radial Blast Valor Surge

There are two Valor Surge options for each skill tree, but there are two that are arguably the most useful. The first is the Radial Blast Valor Surge. This is the only AoE (area of effect) super ultimate attack in the entire game. It unleashes a massive explosion of electrical energy that deals damage to enemies in a certain radius.
This is a great Valor Surge to immediately kill all smaller and weaker enemies who will die in one hit. Larger enemies will likely receive damage and may even be knocked down, with the exception of the strongest machines in the game. It’s a life-saver, especially when you’re getting overwhelmed by a bunch of enemies at once and want to thin the herd.
Machine Master Skill Tree: Part Breaker

This is the second most useful Valor Surge, in my opinion. Unless you have the Easy Loot setting turned on, this will be a huge help if you want to tear or remove specific body parts and components from stronger and more powerful enemies like the Tremortusk, Thunderjaw, and more.Â This Valor Surge is for those who prefer to play tactically and surgically by targeting specific body parts and components.


Sony Unveils Special Edition, Monster Hunter: World-Themed PS4 Pro

Sony are releasing a special edition PlayStation 4 Pro set and bundle in conjunction with the launch of Monster Hunter: World – theÂ PlayStation 4 Pro MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD RATHALOS EDITION which is set to hit stores around end of January 2018.
Retailing at a hefty MYR 2,048, it will be a 1TB model (as all PS4 Pro models are) and comes with a design showing off a silhouette of Rathalos on its main panel. In addition to that, the DualShock 4 controller which comes with the set will be a special model showing off theÂ design of the wyvernâ€™s wing in the color of the flame.

Purchasing this special edition will also net you a physical copy of Monster Hunter: World for the PlayStation 4 as well as a special theme. The game is set to hit stores on January 26 2018 and is the first (if we are correct) in its series to ever hit the PlayStation 4. You can purchase this special edition PS4 Pro at game shops near you, or any Sony Stores nationwide.


Final Fantasy 16 Pre-Orders Stand A Chance Of Meeting Naoki Yoshida

Final Fantasy 16 is launching for the PS5 on 22 June 2023, but you can already pre-order the game. As an added incentive to pre-order, PlayStation Asia is introducing the opportunity to meet Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida for those who pre-order the game.
Here’s how to enter the contest:

Step 1: Pre-order any disc version (Standard/Deluxe/Collector’s Edition) of FINAL FANTASY XVI through authorized retailers.
Step 2: Submit your entry in the Google Form here.
Step 3: Answer the two questions (The best answers will be selected as winners).

Pre-order any FINAL FANTASY XVI disc version through authorized retailers, submit your entry and stand a chance to join us for a Meet-and-Greet with Yoshida Naoki (FINAL FANTASY XVI Producer) in Malaysia!
Join here ? https://t.co/g7Kn2rqeRr
Terms applies. pic.twitter.com/cEzHVDMurX
— PlayStation Asia (@PlayStationAsia) May 24, 2023

The contest will run from May 25th, 2023 at 12 am GMT+8 and ends on June 18th, 2023 at 11.59 pm GMT+8.
Participating Countries/Regions include Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The prizes consist of:

Singapore – 3 winners, each prize consists of

1 Economy Round Trip Flight ticket, inclusive of taxes and surcharge, between
Singapore Changi Airport to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)
A 2-night stay, inclusive of Buffet Breakfast at the Coffee House at Sunway
Pyramid Hotel
A 2-way Airport Transfer between KLIA and Sunway Pyramid Hotel
1 Entry Ticket to the Meet-and-Greet event with Yoshida Naoki

Indonesia – 3 winners, each prize consists of

1 Economy Round Trip Flight ticket, inclusive of taxes and surcharge, between
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to Kuala Lumpur International Airport
(KLIA)
A 2-night stay, inclusive of Buffet Breakfast at the Coffee House at Sunway
Pyramid Hotel
A 2-way Airport Transfer between KLIA and Sunway Pyramid Hotel
1 Entry Ticket to the Meet-and-Greet event with Yoshida Naoki

Thailand – 2 winners, each prize consists of

1 Economy Round Trip Flight ticket, inclusive of taxes and surcharge, between
Suvarnabhumi Airport to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)
A 2-night stay, inclusive of Buffet Breakfast at the Coffee House at Sunway
Pyramid Hotel
A 2-way Airport Transfer between KLIA and Sunway Pyramid Hotel
1 Entry Ticket to the Meet-and-Greet event with Yoshida Naoki

Philippines – 2 winners, each prize consists of

1 Economy Round Trip Flight ticket, inclusive of taxes and surcharge, between
Ninoy Aquino International Airport to Kuala Lumpur International Airport
(KLIA)
A 2-night stay, inclusive of Buffet Breakfast at the Coffee House at Sunway
Pyramid Hotel
A 2-way Airport Transfer between KLIA and Sunway Pyramid Hotel
1 Entry Ticket to the Meet-and-Greet event with Yoshida Naoki

Malaysia – 80 winners, each prize consists of

1 Entry Ticket to the Meet-and-Greet event with Yoshida Naoki

Final Fantasy 16 is slated to launch for the PS5 on 22 June 2023.


The Really Awesome Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey Atlantis DLC Is Free

Who likes free stuff to go with their close-to-one-year-old open-world action game? Well, you may want to check out Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey’s latest DLC story arc, The Fate of Atlantis.
The first episode of the three-parter DLC is free for a limited time; get it now before 1st September hits. Think of it as a lovely Merdeka Day treat for yourself whether you have the UPlay or Steam version. The latter store is offering 50% off, FYI.
As for the DLC itself, it’s a darn good reason to go back to Ancient Greece as Kassandra/Alexios. The Fate of Atlantis expansion puts you in the Fields of Elysium where you have to deal with phoney gods and their laser-shooting Kolossi, help the dead and living with their tribulations, and explore the heck out of the incredibly lovely-looking fields.
Like the one below. Never mind the fact that you’re playing Layla Hassan who is playing a character in a simulation, who is also in a simulation of Elysium set up by some AC lore god. It’s so purty….

In case you aren’t levelled up to take on the level 52-and-above DLC, fret not: you can just use a preloaded character to experience the DLC fresh, though you may need some context from the original game.
Hell, I’d recommend this over the Legacy of the First Blade DLC, which is frankly garbage. Just have fun with the second DLC, all three parts, and do random quests for demigods and denizens, or just ride off aimlessly to see how bright and beautiful everything is.


Death Stranding Is Getting Photo Mode On PS4 Soon

It seems like the PS4 version of Death Stranding will be receiving at least some of the bells and whistles that will be added to the upcoming PC version. Four months after the original release of the game, Kojima Productions have announced that they will finally be adding a Photo Mode to Death Stranding on the PS4.
According to Hideo Kojima himself, the Photo Mode will arrive in an update at the end of March 2020 for the PS4 version of Death Stranding.

Todayâ€™s good news!
DEATH STRANDING PC ver. Photo Mode will be also implemented for PS4 ver. as many of you requested! We are doing the final checks right now and trying to make it happen at the end of this monthâ€™s update. Photo Mode during your journey and deliveryðŸ‘ðŸ˜ pic.twitter.com/Dspi2DpVpS
â€” HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) March 24, 2020
Meanwhile, the PC version of Death Stranding is slated to release on 3 June 2020.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4mOk0OtGpg&w=560&h=315]


Spider-Man No Way Home Tobey Maguire Gets His Own Hot Toys

Hot Toys has announced the 1/6th scale figure of Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man from Spider-Man No Way Home.
Spider-Man: No Way Home delighted Marvel fans by bringing together the fan-beloved Peter Parkers from different universes, including Tobey Maguire’s Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, to face several of the deadliest villains.
The Deluxe Version of 1/6th scale Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Collectible Figure with a highly-elaborated diorama figure base depicting the presence of Sandman.
Faithfully crafted based on the appearance of Tobey Maguire as Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man/ Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the movie-accurate figure features a newly developed head sculpt with an amazing likeness, a masked head sculpt; a highly-poseable body with a great range of articulation; beautiful recreation of Spider-Man’s red and blue suit with raised silver webbing patterns; highly-detailed accessories including Sandman’s cure, spider-man mask, and assorted spider-web shooting effect parts.
This Deluxe Version offers a themed diorama figure base which perfectly captured Sandman’s expression with fine texture surrounded by crumbling structures, with striped warning sign accessories. A Special Edition available in selected markets will include a Doc Ock’s tentacle as a bonus item exclusively to enhance your battling display.
Earlier this month, Hot Toys announced the Andrew Garfield Spider-Man No Way Home Hot Toys.
If you’re looking for a non-spoiler review of Spider-Man No Way Home, you can head on over here. If you’ve watched the movie or don’t mind spoilers, check out my Spider-Man No Way Home breakdown and post-credits explanation article here.


Genshin Impact Inazuma Guide: How To Get Your Feudal Japan On

This guide will be updated periodically with more Inazuma tidbits.
Genshin Impact’s 2.0 update is out, which mean players can check out the game’s newest continent: Inazuma. The continent is basically filled with ancient Japan tropes & architecture: ronin, fox guardians, shrines, what-have-yous.
Here’s a guide on the ins and outs of Inazuma, once you’re done with the terrible 30-minute long intro quest involving taxes and customs of a fictional place.
How To Access Inazuma

You’ll need to raise your Adventure Level to 30 or above.
Finish the Archon Quest Autumn Winds, Scarlet Leaves quest; it’s the one featuring Beidou and Kazuha.

Once you’re done, talk to Katheryne in Liyue Harbor. You’ll initiate the quest to head to Inazuma.
Inazuma Map

Sakura Bloom Locations Guide
Throughout Inazuma, you’ll find special red/pink glowy spots. These are Sakura Blooms, a new resource that will help ascend Inazuma heroes like Ayaka. To collect them, activate an Electro skill or charged attack onto the glowy parts via an Electro hero’s skill (like Razor, Fischl, and Keqing). You can then collect the Bloom afterwards.
Here are the locations of the Sakura Blooms (via PC Gamer). Protip: you will find five of them easily at the giant Sacred Sakura tree in the Grand Narukami Shrine (ie: the first time you meet Yae Miko in the story).

Sacred Sakura Favor Guide

To level up the Sacred Sakura, you need Electro Sigils which you can find in treasure chests, bounties, and quest rewards. Why do this? Because if you level up a favor, you get rewards and perks.
You may want to unlock these perks to power up your Electrograna ability: this allows you to pass through Thunder Barriers and use the grapple to reach higher places. It’s available as soon as you set foot in Inazuma, but you’ll want to buff it further to collect obscurely-placed Electroculi.

Here are the perks you can get by leveling up your Sacred Sakura Favors.

Perk Number
Perk
Effect

1
Electrograna
The Electrograna orbs let you pass through or use Thunder Barriers/Thunder Spheres.

2
Eternal Current
Electrograna will recharge the energy of Electro characters if their meter is below 50%.

3
Continuation 1
Electrograna duration increased to 20 seconds.

4
Coordinated Attack: Stormlight
Electrograna cast lightning bolts every 6 seconds when Electro characters damage opponents.

5
Negation II
Electrograna can block 8 instances of damage from Inazumaâ€™s environmental hazards.

6
Barrier Breaker II
Characters carrying Electrograna can pass through intermediate-level Thunder Barriers.

7
Coordinated Attack: Stormwind
Coordinated attack/lightning bolts have lower cooldown (4 seconds).

8
Continuation II
Electrograna duration increased to 25 seconds.

9
Coordinated Attack: Tempest
Each Electro character in the party will increase the damage of coordinated attacks by 20%.

10
Coordinated Attack: Stormfall
Every 3 coordinated attacks cause a lightning blast AoE.

11
Negation III
Electrograna can block 10 instances of damage from Inazumaâ€™s environmental hazards.

12
Barrier Break III
Characters carrying Electrograna can pass through advanced-level Thunder Barriers.

13
Coordinated Attack: Resonant Storm
Each Electro character in the party will increase the damage of lightning blasts by 30%.

14
Continuation III
Electrograna duration increased to 30 seconds.

15
Coordinated Attack: Stormtrigger
The number of coordinated attacks required to proc the Electrograna lightning blast is reduced to 2.

How To Get Special Nobushi Handguard Items
The Nobushi enemies in Inazuma drop Handguard-series items, which are needed for Inazuma character ascension and talent upgrades. These enemies spawn all over, though they can be consistently found near Mount Yougou, which is north of the Grand Narukami Shrine.
Inazuma Electroculus Location (via Gamewith.net)

Most of these can be found by climbing atop the highest spots and then grabbing them on sight. Others are hidden behind Electro barriers; you need to collect special Electrogranas scattered nearby to pass through them. We’ll be sure to update this list as time goes by; some of them require you to complete either Inazuma side missions or obscure puzzles.

Sacrificial Offering Quest
This exclusive quest is on Inazuma and will reward you with an item that allows you to unlock hidden teleporters in the region. Here’s a guide on how to do that.
Head To The Abandoned Shrine Northeast Of Konda Village
Your first step is to go to the abandoned shrine northeast of Konda Village, but the quest Sacrificial Offering doesnâ€™t mark it on the map. Here’s the location (via Gosunoob).

Investigate the Abandoned Shrine; Interact With Ghosts
When you have found it, you will next need to findÂ several Mysterious Shadows nearby. You need to interact with the shadows so that all three of them converge at the three fox shrines facing an empty pedestal. You can find the shadows all around the yellow area; one of them will be atop a roof of a building nearby. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be rewarded with treasure and a new quest location.
Get The Memento Lens
After this, go to theÂ Grand Narukami Shrine. Speak with Inagi Hotomi the shrine maiden and she will give you theÂ Mysterious Memento Lens. This gadget allows you to view Fox statues through it to see things that were not visible before. Return to the abandoned shrine and use this Memento Lens gadget to look at the Fox statues.
Use The Sacred Words
Once you have observed all the Fox Statues, return to the Abandoned Shrine and go in front of theÂ Sky Kitsune Statue. The Kitsune is a type of fox spirit from Japanese mythology. You will need to give three correct answers.
The first one is: â€œIn the name of Narukamiâ€™s envoy.â€ The second line: â€œAnd of the Haukshin bloodline.â€ Finally, the last one: â€œBring forth the fried tofu!â€
Destroy The Barrier
All thatâ€™s left now is to destroy the barrier to complete the Sacrificial Offering quest. Here, you will need to adjust the shrines in a particular order (video below).

After that, a phantom Samurai will appear that you have to defeat. Once that’s done, you now have the Memento Lens that can help you scan kitsune statues all over the region to reveal secrets.

Tatarasuna Barrier Removal Quest

To break the giant barrier in Tatarasuna, you need to accept the world quest â€œTataraÂ Tales.â€ To start this quest chain, youâ€™ll need to talk toÂ ToranosukeÂ andÂ MiyukiÂ at theÂ Kujou Encampment, west of the nearby Waypoint Teleporter. The Kujou Encampment can be found on Kannazuka, the second island youâ€™ll likely run on to in Inazuma.
The quest chain itself is fairly straightforward, as itâ€™s mostly a fetch quest with no puzzles. You will need to fight multiple Fatui lackeys, so make sure your team has a wide variety of elemental skills to help break their shields.


SNK Reveals New Fatal Fury And Garou Project

During the EVO 2022 The King of Fighters XV top 8 tournament, SNK took to the stage and revealed it’s going to work on a brand new Fatal Fury/Garou: Mark of the Wolves game.
The new Fatal Fury project has been greenlit, which is great news for fighting game fans since it’s been 20+ years since we’ve had a new entry in the series. The 30-second teaser we’re given showed off Rock Howard and dark silhouettes of other fighters. Upon closer inspection, the shadowy figures might be Billy Kane on the far left and Kain R. Heinlein on the right.
There aren’t many details beyond that though, but it’s great that there’s going to be a new Fatal Fury/Garou: Mark of the Wolves title. Check out the teaser below:


Is Ghost of Tsushima Going To Be On PC?

PlayStation has updated the package artwork for last year’s awesome action-adventure title Ghost of Tsushima. The new package adds the additional post-launch multiplayer blurb and also removed the “Only On PlayStation” banner.

Yep, let the speculation begin. After all, other former PlayStation exclusives Days Gone and Horizon Zero Dawn have also removed their “Only On PlayStation” banner from their respective packages. This could mean that Ghost of Tsushima could potentially be next in line to get a PC port.
Hold your horses though; this could also mean that the game is also coming out for PS5. Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Sackboy: A Big Adventure also did not have the “Only On PlayStation” label, so it could just be for consistency’s sake.
We’ll just have to wait until Sony gives us an official statement. For now, rest assured that the company is on board with porting its exclusive PlayStation games onto PC on a case-by-case basis, like with Uncharted 4. Here’s a statement from PlayStation Studios head Herman Hulst on PC ports, assuring master race folks of a PlayStation-filled future:
“Horizon Zero Dawn has been very successful [on PC]. I think it shows thereâ€™s an appetite from gamers outside the PlayStation ecosystem to experience the amazing portfolio of games that PlayStation fans have enjoyed for years.
But I want to emphasize that PlayStation will remain the best place to play our PlayStation Studios titles at launch. But we do value PC gamers, and weâ€™ll continue to look at the right times to launch each game. Bend Studio just released the PC version of Days Gone on May 18. So thatâ€™s about two years after the PS4 release.
And I hope that a new set of fans can and will enjoy that title. And thatâ€™s the goal â€” we want to reach new gamers who havenâ€™t yet experienced the great stories, characters, and worlds that weâ€™ve built. Releasing games on PC will not come ever at the expense of building an exciting lineup of great console games.”


Chainsaw Man: All The Film References In The Anime’s Opening

Chainsaw Man’s anime adaptation is out now, with its first episode looking pretty solid and bloody. The manga’s creator Tatsuki Fujimoto is clearly a fan of cinema if the show’s sleek opening is of any indication. The fact that it’s directed and storyboarded by Shingo Yamashita, known for his awesome works like the second OP for Ranking of Kings and Jujutsu Kaisen, also accentuates the slick and spectacular nature of the new intro.
Blink, and you’ll miss the recreations of cinematic moments be it Western or Japanese films. Here’s a video we did highlighting the films and where they’re referencing from. Check it out below.


Former The Witcher 3 Devs Announce Multiplayer Stealth Game Set In Feudal Japan

Dark Passenger is a new game studio based in Warsaw, Poland, which is staffed by developers who previously worked on The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. They have announced that they’re making a new multiplayer stealth action game set in feudal Japan. The team at Dark Passenger includes co-founders Jakub Ben and Marcin Michalski, cinematic artist and art team coordinator Ben and environmental artist Michalski.
This project will be their debut game, but it doesn’t have an official title yet. It will be a first-person online multiplayer game supporting PvP and co-op PvE, as well as built using Unreal Engine 5.
According to the official website, a statement reads:
“Our goal is to create highly exciting online experiences that are focused both on cooperation and rivalry. We’re fascinated by interpersonal interactions, alliances, daring confrontations and unexpected twists of events. In order to make every game unique and surprising, we’re using advanced, procedural solutions.
While the goal will be the same for all players, every time achieving it will require a different approach, tactics and taken routes. Our locomotion system will allow players to perform incredible evolutions such as running on arrows that were fired by other players, fast climbing on vertical surfaces with the use of shuko claws or using yari spear like a pole to jump over obstacles.
Among many weapons in the player’s arsenal, there will be katanas, short tanto and wakizashi blades, kusarigama chains, shurikens, kunai throwing knives and many more. Engaging close-ranged combat will demand as much dexterity as tactics and close cooperation with teammates.”
The game will not be an MMO, but a “match-based” game featuring “stealth-action multiplayer with robust player progression”. The developer also confirmed that there will be third-person perspectives at certain points and that there will be no single-player mode outside of the training dojo.
Currently, Dark Passenger is still hiring more developers to work on the game, and its Careers page seems to be a criticism of the working conditions at CD Projekt Red:
Our studio is located in Warsaw next to the Bródnowski Forest. We value the closeness of nature and good architecture. We have always tried to create comfortable, stress-free working conditions, and an atmosphere conducive to creative thinking. We are not a factory and we do not treat our employees as laborers. We appreciate the initiative and the ambitious approach to the project. We are open to bold ideas and solutions. We are constantly developing our team by investing in its education and access to many sources of knowledge and inspiration.
We create a prejudice-free environment based on tolerance, support and understanding. We treat individual needs as seriously as the group’s expectations. We provide all amenities, private medical care and paid overtime. With an emphasis on work-life balance, we offer flexible working hours and holidays. We enable both stationary and remote work.
We are looking for creative people, open to challenges and problems that come with the production of games every day. We want everyone to bring a piece of themselves to the project, making it so much better. At the same time, to appreciate this commitment, all team members will participate in 10% of the income generated from the sale of the published game.
The Dark Passenger project doesn’t have a release date/window but will release for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. You can stay tuned on their progress on their Twitter page.


The Transformers Roll Out In New Mobile Legends Update

The Transformers franchise has finally landed in Mobile Legends Bang Bang, and fans can redeem epic skins and prizes by participating through the Transformers: Battle Paint activity.Â Â
From today to 22 November 2021, players can collect Sprays to unlock three special in-game skins that willÂ  be available for a limited time only:Â

 Johnson – Optimus Prime (Epic)Â Â
 Granger – Megatron (Epic)Â
 X. Borg – Bumblebee (Epic)Â

There will also be avatar frames, expressions, and effects that can be redeemed through the Battle Paint activity. The first wave of the collaboration will take place from 24 August to 10 September 2021, with more in-game items for grabs in the second wave.
Mobile Legends Game Director Roger Yu said:
“The Transformers franchise is well-loved by fans around the world, and we wanted to bring the classic sci-fi action even closer to our Mobile Legends: Bang Bang players.”
As part of the brand collaboration, players in North America will also get the chance to win the time-limited Transformers skins for free by participating in the H5 event John’s Birthday Present Hunt. There will be a special story mode for fans to experience during this campaign period.
[videopress YF9dGUsK]


You Can Now Vote For Your Mobile Legends Professional League MY/SG MVP

The Mobile Legends Professional League MPL-MY/SG S3 Playoffs are happening later this month from 20 to 21 April 2019, and the MVP of the entire season will be announced at the event. Fans can now vote for their favorite player to see them crowned as the MVP.
The Regular Season MVP of the MPL-MY/SG Season 3 will be selected based on the breakdown of the following parties and votes:

Members of the Media – 25%
Fans – 25%
MPL-MY/SG S3 players – 50%

The voting period is open from today until 14 April at 6pm. Head on over to this link to vote for your favourite player now and catch the playoffs later this month to find out who wins.


Trials Of Mana Soundtrack’s Physical Release Will Be Postponed…

Square Enix has announced that the physical version of Trials of Mana‘s soundtrack will be postponed in Japan.
In a tweet (translated by Japanese Nintendo), they wrote that the postponement was made due to the COVID-19 coronavirus and the closure of some stores. It was originally planned for a 22 April release.

?????4/22???????????3 TRIALS of MANA Original Soundtrack???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????https://t.co/Ctd1RTkq2x pic.twitter.com/SYq8TIOsv4
— SQUARE ENIX MUSIC (@sem_sep) April 13, 2020

No mention was made of the game itself, so it looks like it’s still on track to release on 24 April. Famitsu also reported that the digital version of the soundtrack remains set to release on 22 April.
Trials of Mana is a 3D remake of the 1995 SNES game, which was the third game in the Mana series. It’ll have real-time combat and a story that can be altered based on the characters you select to be in your party.
https://www.facebook.com/1217891358315277/videos/900145197094425/


Overwatch Contenders Season 1 Play-Off Round Preview – North America

The play-off round of Season 1 of Overwatch Contenders for both North America and Europe happens this weekend as eight teams (four NA, four EU) battle for supremacy and the right to be called the best of their respective regions.
Following the completion of the regular season, the top four teams in the standings move to the playoff stage and will play in a single elimination, best-of-five (best-of-seven for Finals)Â matches to determine who walks home with a cool US$40,000 and the title of champions.
Today we are previewing the playoff matches for North America – the scene dominated by EnVyUs since the start of professional Overwatch as well as which teams pose the biggest threat to their throne. Winning all of their regular season matches and only dropping four points throughout, it is hard to not see EnVyUs walk home as champions but the likes of FaZe Clan and Envision would have something to say about that.

The pairings for the semis are as follows:

EnVyUs (1) vs FNRGFE (4) – Oct 8, 5AM Kuala Lumpur/ Singapore/ Hong Kong
First-seed EnVyUs (7-0) takes on fourth-seed FNRGFE (4-3) in the first semis. Their meeting during the regular season was pretty much a run-of-the-mill affair for EnVyUs who raced to a 3-0 lead before conceding the last match on Watchpoint: Gibraltar. After failing to stop FNRGFE to the final point when on defense, EnVy’s payload failed to match it during their turn to lose the match but win the series 3-1.
Some may claim that EnVy pretty much threw away that game considering a win was already in the bag but the fact that FNRGFE were able to rack up a point and successfully stall an EnVy push should not be downplayed.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9ViAwMZfII&w=560&h=315]
However we feel that once the Boys in Blue stop pulling their punches and maintain a full-on concentration throughout, they are too good for the plucky FNRGFE to eventually win the series. Following his signing, we may finally get to see Seagull officially in action in EnVyUs colors which shows how scary their lineup really is.
Prediction : EnVyUs by 3-0Â
FaZe Clan (2) vs Envision esports (3)Â Oct 8, 7AM Kuala Lumpur/ Singapore/ Hong Kong
An interesting pairing considering both teams played one another on the final week of the regular season with FaZe emerging victorious, 4-1. Both teams are almost equally matched but the DPS duo of ShaDowBurn and carpe may be the difference in leading FaZe Clan into the finals.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oreJ1cnzM8k&w=560&h=315]
This match may be a closer contest compared to the last time both teams met, and we may see five maps on play with momentum swinging back and forth. FaZe Clan’s star DPS players, especially ‘Genji God’ ShaDowBurn will prove to be too much for Envision to lead his team to face EnVyUs in the finals.
Prediction : FaZe Clan by 3-2Â

Come back tomorrow as we preview the playoff stages for the European side of things which include the likes of Misfits, Cloud9 EU and 123. For everything Overwatch, keep it locked on to Kakuchopurei.com!


Should PUBG Be Banned In Malaysia? I Think Not!

I’m not sure if you’ve heard about the recent news, but a higher-up of our country thinks that the battle royale game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, or better known as PUBG, should be banned.
After India has banned the game in some states, it’s to no surprise that the guy explicitly states that he wants PUBG to be banned on the grounds that PUBGÂ has been ‘purposefully planned to shape the minds of the younger generation to enjoy war, to fight and indulge in vicious activities.’
What a claim! A claim of the century, I call it. My question; is there any research to substantiate such claims? No? I’ll let you in on a little known fact: games do not cause people to become violent. As proven by Professor Andrew Przybylski, Director of Research at the Oxford Internet Institute, the study speaks to the key question of whether children’s violent video game play has a measurable effect on real-world aggressive behaviour. On the basis of their evidence, the answer is no.

An Oxford study has debunked the myth, and some still have the audacity to say such things. Pray tell; how does playing PUBGÂ incite children to become violent? In the same vein as the argument, I think I should’ve been a great pilot since I play lots of Ace Combat and Microsoft Flight Simulator back in the days.

Funny how playing Marvel’s Spider-Man doesn’t influence me to hop off from a tall building, or how playing LA Noire would have trained me into a hardened detective whose special ability is to detect bull**** from a mile away, I’d love that. I really do.
Nope, still a normal non-detective person here.
Bang Bang
Let’s understand why a shooter game is popular and how it works. Humans thrive on overcoming challenges. It’s hardwired into our brains to overcome obstacles, and these games provide that that clearly presented, unambiguous obstacle such as enemies who are shooting the character.

The argument can be continued by saying there are puzzle games presenting such challenges too. I would reply with ‘games work much easier when you’re presented with a conflict’. It snags your attention.

I understand some people link shooter games with real-life shootings. However, do understand that such terrorism only happens when the individual has already violent traits. The violence has already become a part of the person, buried deep inside their minds and subconscious. In this case, video games can become a catalyst for that.
But bear this in mind, us normal people with normal, healthy minds wouldn’t even dare to think to reenact our favourite games. I wouldn’t even drive as I do in Need For Speed,Â let alone pick up a gun and go frenzy. Not to mention, Malaysia has one of the strictest gun laws in the world, as covered by The Arms Act 1960 (PDF) and The Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971. The probabilities of this happening in Malaysia is next to none.
Changing Viewpoints
On the contrary, why not we focus on real issues in Malaysia, such as child marriage, or domestic violence? Or, why don’t we ban alcohol, since it has literally taken lives. A total of more than 11 lives in 2019, in fact. I guess headlines laced with such notions wouldn’t push enough papers to cover their expenses.

I believe the Mufti has the best of intentions but is misguided in the parlance of video games. We must understand that video games solely do not breed violence. I am certain that violent children are the result of their upbringing or their social circle.

So, before we slam the banhammer onto a game, we should look into the problem first and understand the root cause of the issue.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are totally mine and do not reflect the views or opinions of Kakuchopurei.com


Microsoft Reveals More Xbox Series X Specs

Since Microsoft initially announced the Xbox Series X in December 2019, we have heard almost next to nothing about the next-gen console. In a blog post earlier today, Xbox head Phil Spencer has revealed more details about the specs of the upcoming Xbox Series X.
Here’s what we know about the Xbox Series X:

12 Teraflops of GPU using AMDâ€™s latest Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures; four times more processing power than the original Xbox One.
Variable Rate Shading (VRS);Â allows for more stable frame rates and higher resolution without sacrificing image quality.
DirectX Ray Tracing; true-to-life lighting, accurate reflections, and a first for consoles.
Dynamic Latency Input (DLI); allowing more precise and responsive controls.
120 fps support.
HDMI 2.1 support.
SSD storage.
Backwards compatibility support (Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One).
Smart Delivery tech, ensuring that players only have to purchase a title once in order to play the best available version for whichever Xbox console they choose to play on. What this essentially means is that if you buy an Xbox One game, it will be automatically playable for free on the Xbox Series X.

Interestingly, the Xbox Series X will also feature a new Quick Resume feature, which lets players continue multiple games from a suspended state almost instantly by returning them to where they were playing before. The PS4 already has this feature in the form of Rest Mode, though the Xbox Series X version sounds more powerful and seamless.
All of these new features seem like they’re geared towards gamers and ensuring the best gaming experience, which is the total opposite of what Microsoft did when they launched the Xbox One many years ago. It’s good to seem them finally start learning from their mistakes.
The Xbox Series X is slated to release sometime in Holiday 2020. We’ll surely learn more about the next-gen console at E3 2020, which Microsoft will attend with their usual huge press conference.


Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Unveils New Music Video From Kid Cudi

United International Pictures (UIP) Malaysia has unveiled the new music video for Kid Cudi’s Stars In The Sky from the upcoming Sonic The Hedgehog 2.
The synopsis reads:
The world’s favorite blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2. After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands. From the filmmakers behind The Fast and the Furious and Deadpool, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 stars James Marsden, Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub and Jim Carrey returning, alongside new additions Shemar Moore, with Idris Elba as the voice of Knuckles and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as the voice of Tails.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 premieres in Malaysian cinemas on 21 April 2022, with sneak previews on 18 and 19 April 2022.
Check out the Kid Cudi music video below:


E3 Returns In 2023

Earlier this year, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced that E3 2022 has been completely cancelled. However, gaming’s biggest event will return next year in 2023.
Speaking with The Washington Post, the ESA confirmed that the event will return in 2023:
“We’re excited about coming back in 2023 with both a digital and an in-person event. As much as we love these digital events, and as much as they reach people and we want that global reach, we also know that there’s a really strong desire for people to convene — to be able to connect in person and see each other and talk about what makes games great.”


HBO GO June 2023: Our Picks & Highlights

I’m sure you won’t want to waste time sifting through HBO GO’s extensive catalogue of shows and movies just to decide on what to watch. The streaming site updates its site every day, week, and month with new content, so I’m here to save your precious time.
Here are my personal recommendations and highlights for HBO GO June 2023 lineup and how to fill up your free time with worthwhile content at home:
Magic Mike’s Last Dance (2 June 2023)

“Magic” Mike Lane takes to the stage again after a lengthy hiatus, following a business deal that went bust, leaving him broke and taking bartender gigs in Florida. For what he hopes will be one last hurrah, Mike heads to London with a wealthy socialite who lures him with an offer he can’t refuse…and an agenda of her own. With everything on the line, once Mike discovers what she truly has in mind, will he—and the roster of hot new dancers he’ll have to whip into shape—be able to pull it off? Stars Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek Pinault.
Premieres Friday, June 2 on HBO GO.

Beast (3 June 2023)

A pulse-pounding new thriller about a father and his two teenage daughters who find themselves hunted by a rogue lion in South Africa. Stars Idris Elba and Sharlto Copley.
Premieres Saturday, June 3 at 9pm on HBO (Astro Ch 411) and HBO GO.
Check out our review of the movie here.

The Idol (5 June 2023)

After a nervous breakdown derailed Jocelyn’s last tour, she’s determined to claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America. Her passions are reignited by Tedros, a nightclub impresario with a sordid past. Will her romantic awakening take her to glorious new heights or the deepest and darkest depths of her soul? Stars Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Lily-Rose Depp, Troye Sivan. Also starring Dan Levy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Eli Roth, Hari Nef, Jane Adams, Jennie Ruby Jane, Mike Dean, Moses Sumney, Rachel Sennott, Ramsey, Suzanna Son, and Hank Azaria, as well as Jennie from Blackpink.
Premieres Monday, June 5 at 10pm on HBO (Astro Ch 411) and HBO GO.

The Weeknd: Live At SoFi Stadium (5 June 2023)

In front of an adoring crowd in Los Angeles, The Weeknd brings fans up-close with this intimate and epic special concert event. Cinematically captured to bring viewers onstage and in the audience, The Weeknd: Live at SoFi Stadium offers a front-row seat to the versatile artist’s thrilling 95-minute setlist.
Premieres Monday, June 5 on HBO GO.

Nope (24 June 2023)

Oscar®-winning filmmaker Jordan Peele reinvents the summer blockbuster with an epic sci-fi pop nightmare that will have you never looking at clouds the same way ever again. Stars Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott and Brandon Perea.
Premieres Saturday, June 24 at 9pm on HBO (Astro Ch 411) and HBO GO.
Check out our review of the movie here.

Warrior Season 3 (29 June 2023)

In the wake of the race riots that upended Chinatown in Season 2, Mai Ling uses her government connections to consolidate power, while Ah Sahm and the Hop Wei must find new ways to survive. Stars Andrew Koji, Olivia Cheng, Jason Tobin, Dianne Doan, Kieran Bew, Dean Jagger, Tom Weston-Jones, Hoon Lee, Perry Yung, Langley Kirkwood, Miranda Raison, Chen Tang, Chelsea Muirhead, Mark Dacascos, and Joe Taslim.
Premieres Thursday, June 29 on HBO GO.


Gigabash Secret Titans Unlocking Guide

Gigabash is out now and is a treat for kaiju fans, tokusatsu aficionados, and fighting game/brawler connoisseurs. It’s a heckuva treat if you like party games, multiplayer fighters with easy controls, and monster movies in general.
Just like the Hollow Earth in the game, there are a few secrets to uncover in Gigabash, most notably its roster. There are three unlockable characters in the game you should take note; here’s how you can unlock them.
Rawa

A Godzilla-looking Titan with a fast charge attack and some decent footsie tools like his dash attack tail swipe. Has a Decimate block attack that has armour, but can also deal big radius damage at the cost of its health. It even has an Atomic Breath Ultimate attack just like its inspiration, and is just as devastating.
How To Unlock: Complete Gorogong’s Story Mode. He’s the first-ever Titan you play in the single-player mode.
Zyva

A mid-ranged focused rock titan with telekinesis. Can shoot out slow projectiles too. Not really good up-close but has at least one anti-air up its sleeve that shoots out projectiles at a set location. Its jumping X attack is good for keeping unsuspecting grounded opponents away from Zyva.
How To Unlock: Finish Pipijuras’ Story Mode.
Kongkrete

A sentient building hell-bent on revenge. Can blend in with the buildings by standing still. Has quick attacks and can spit out fast projectiles, but needs to move around moreso than usual.
How To Unlock: Finish Woolley and Thundatross’ Story Modes. If that doesn’t work, get your player level past 10.
Story Mode Walkthrough


Anime Festival Asia & GameStart Asia Join Forces

Our neighbours down south just made a continent-shaking announcement: the creators of Anime Festival Asia and GameStart Asia (SOZO and Eliphant respectively) will be joining forces toÂ  “develop ACG (Anime, Cosplay, Gaming) contents in SE Asia” and create new events in Southeast Asia.
For those not familiar, Anime Festival Asia is an anime (duh) convention that happens in Singapore end of November, while GameStart Asia is a game-centric convention that happens in October. Naturally this sounds like a great fit since both these exhibitions are of high quality –most of the time. That bit where Nier Automata director Yoko Taro came down for GameStart Asia last year? SOZO had a lot to do with that, so this announcement came full circle.
I do wonder, however, if booth space and exhibitions will cost higher this time around for their respective events. Unless the SEA division of exhibitor company ReedPOP has anything to say or announce at this point in time, SOZO and Eliphant are right now the de facto anime and games expo juggernauts in Singapore. If we’re talking Southeast Asia, that still remains to be seen.
In any case, the regional anime, comics, and games scene is just about to get interesting, that’s for certain. Full press release is below, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Singapore, 28 February 2017 – SOZO, organiser of Southeast Asiaâ€™s largest Japanese pop culture event Anime Festival Asia (AFA), and Eliphant, organiser of Southeast Asiaâ€™s premier gaming convention GameStart, have announced that both entities will form a strategic alliance to further strengthen existing events, and to create and develop new events in Asia.
The SOZO and Eliphant alliance aims to be the first step to roll out an integrated support system to further strengthen the community. By leveraging their strengths as IP innovators and event trailblazers, SOZO and Eliphant hope to provide new and inspiring ways for fans to enjoy their hobbies in gaming, animation and beyond.
With the support of SOZO, who has already established their presence in Indonesia, 2018 will mark the very first regional expansion of GameStart as they launch their very first: GameStart Indonesia. AFA will continue hosting its key events in both Indonesia and Singapore and hope to introduce more gaming content as part of their content offerings.
â€œSoutheast Asia emerges as one of the fastest growing markets for gaming and content, we recognised that both AFA and GameStart audiences have diverse interests in both gaming and anime. With our partnership, we hope to work closely to bring even more exhilarating content and holistic experiences to both fanbases across the regions,â€ said Shawn Chin, Managing Director of SOZO and founder of Anime Festival Asia.
â€œWe are extremely excited to be able to bring our event to various regions, with the support of our partners. We are determined to support the regional gaming industry, especially in esports and game development. We are positive that our partnership will provide more events and enable us to bring awesome content to both gamers and anime fans, â€ said Elicia Lee, founder of GameStart Asia and CEO of Eliphant Pte Ltd.
As of 1st March 2018, both SOZO and Eliphant have moved to a new office premise together to further strengthen their alliance. Organisers expect an exciting year ahead and look forward to announcing more about 2018 calendar of events in the upcoming weeks.


This Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Mod Lets You Play As The Joker

The Force is strong in actor Cameron Monaghan. He’s currently enjoying a lot of praises thanks to his portrayal of main protagonist Cal Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Prior to this, most of us knew him as the man who sort of played Joker in the Gotham TV series.

Modder RussellJ recently uploaded a mod that changes Cal’s face and hair texture to turn him into Jerome Valeska, the pseudo-Joker character that Monaghan played in Gotham. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a laugh track that randomly plays when you’re cutting down dozens of clone troopers.
Cameron Monaghan himself found an article talking about the mod and expressed amusement in seeing it. Things are definitely looking up for the young actor as his portfolio keeps on growing. Here’s hoping he’ll make a comeback in a Fallen Order sequel.

Lol, yâ€™all are funny.https://t.co/gVgbPY5bGO
â€” Cameron Monaghan (@cameronmonaghan) December 2, 2019

You can download the mod from Nexus Mods.


You Can Ride A Cool-Looking Dragon In Panzer Dragoon VR

Wildman Inc. has announced a Panzer Dragoon game for VR. Tentatively titled Panzer Dragoon Voyage Record, the game will be a “VR dramatic shooter”. I’m not sure if that means it’d be a shooter with a dramatic story or a shooter with dramatic shooting.
The game will “relive each of the various episodes that appeared in the three works of Sega Saturn software ‘Panzer Dragoon’, ‘Panzer Dragoon Zwei’ and ‘Panzer Dragoon Saga’“, which makes it sound like a remake or reinterpretation of those 90s games. Specific platforms will be announced on a later date, including the unspecified “recording episodes”.
What’s clearer is thatÂ Voyage Record will feature a first-person view and an input method that makes your VR controller feel like a dragon rider’s handgun. The game is planned to be released during the 2020 Japanese Fiscal Year, which means somewhere between now till March 2021.
This isn’t the only upcoming Panzer Dragoon game; a remake for the Switch was revealed last year, and it will be on Steam too. Still, riding a dragon in VR sounds cool as heck.


Which Villain Will Doctor Strange Bargain With In The Sequel?

Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson is officially returning to helm the sequel. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Studios is currently already looking for a writer to pen the script for Doctor Strange 2. This means that it will probably be one of the first Phase Four movies after Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home.
No details have been revealed as of yet, but we can speculate on what might be coming in Doctor Strange 2. Let’s see what potential villains the Sorcerer Supreme could be facing in the upcoming sequel.
1. Baron Mordo

Remember the post-credits scene from the first movie? Mordo confronted Pangborn (the guy who healed his legs by using magic) and absorbed the mystical energy that enabled him to walk again. He then proclaimed that Earth has “too many sorcerers,” which was in line with his belief that some acts of magic defy natural law or order.
Portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mordo will most likely return in Doctor Strange 2, and become an adversary or arch-nemesis to Stephen Strange, just like in the comics. However, the MCU version of Mordo is motivated by doing what he thinks is right while the comics Baron Mordo just wants to obtain power.
It’ll be interesting to see what the dynamic between Mordo and a more experience Doctor Strange would be in the sequel. Would Mordo work with magical beings and artifacts that he deems nature-defying? It wouldn’t seem so, but a zealot will often resort to anything to achieve his ends.
2. The Empirikul

A fairly recent addition even in the comics, the Empirikul are a race of interdimensional aliens on a crusade to purify all of reality from magic. They wish to vanquish every trace of magic and make a universe free of the unholy energy.
Now that I think of it, The Empirikul is suddenly a very likely candidate for becoming Doctor Strange 2 villains, thanks to a shared goal with none other than Mordo. They both want a world free of magic, more or less.
It’s possible, and would even be considered smart, to pair the Empirikul with Mordo in the sequel. In the comics, the Empirikul proceeded to wipe out magic by killing sorcerers and destroying magical artifacts, which is basically what Mordo is already doing.
Remember where you first heard it, folks. I predict that the Empirikul will appear in Doctor Strange 2.
3. Shuma-Gorath

If Doctor Strange 2 wants to up the scales on universe-ending magical threats, Shuma-Gorath would be more than enough. Inspired by the Lovecraftian Old Ones like Cthulhu, Shuma-Gorath is an interdimensional entity also known as the Lord of Chaos.
As the living embodiment of chaos itself, its power is beyond even that of Dormammu, Mephisto, or other demons. In terms of appearance, Shuma-Gorath basically looks like an eyeball with tentacles, but with the right design and CGI wizardry, it could be a sight to behold on screen.
4. Mephisto

Most people probably already know about Mephisto, thanks to the 2007 Ghost Rider movie starring Nicholas Cage. However, we never saw his true form or what he was really capable of in that movie.
In the comics, Mephisto is sometimes referred to as the Devil or Satan himself, and other times as a tempter and trickster. He first debuted in a Silver Surfer comic but has also been foes for Thor, Spider-Man (One More Day, anyone?) and of course, Ghost Rider.
Though he is extremely powerful, he is still vulnerable outside of his home realm. It will interesting to see Mephisto’s debut in the MCU, and whether they will make him an actual demon or just an ‘interdimensional alien’ of some sort.
5. Nightmare

Nightmare is another iconic foe of Doctor Strange’s. Just like Dormammu’s Dark Dimension, he has his own called the Dream Dimension, where he torments people in their dreams. That may just sound like Freddy Kreuger from Nightmare on Elm Street but trust me, Nightmare is a powerful magical being in his own right.
The fight with Nightmare will be more metaphysical than anything, just like a fight with Shuma-Gorath or Dormammu would be. Realistically, the MCU version fo Doctor Strange will never be able to win in a fair straightforward fight with these folks.


Granblue Fantasy Versus Will Add Vira And Avatar Belial Next Week

During the Granblue Fantasy Fes 2021, there was some news for Granblue Fantasy Versus, the 2D fighting game based on the RPG franchise.
New characters Vira and Avatar Belial (the boss version of Season 2’s Belial) will be made playable and available as DLC characters on 14th December, which is next week.
Vira is a mid-ranged character who has some special Luminiera-charged attacks; she has new moves when she transforms. Avatar Belial has high offensive attacks that eat up his HP; this is balanced with his hampered defense.

There will also be two new versions of Granblue Fantasy Versus to purchase: one’s a Greatest Hits version which is a heavily discounted version of the launch game, while the other is the full-priced special version with Season 1 & 2 characters along with Vira and Avatar Belial.
In addition, there will be a sorta new character added to the game: Lunalu, who acts as a Mokujin-type entry where she changes into a different playable character from the existing roster in each round. Oh, and there will be a third GBVS Cygames Cup happening next year on the 6th of February, followed by a new cash prize tournament happening later after that one. Phew!


Malaysia’s Lemon Sky Contributed To Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart

Malaysia-based CGI art and animation studioÂ Lemon Sky StudiosÂ contributed to Insomniac Games’ PS5 exclusive Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart.
They were credited in the game’s end credits. You can check out the full names below:

The Malaysian company was previously involved in several projects with major game developers/publishers in the past. These include Bluepoint Games’ Demon’s Souls, Square Enixâ€™s Marvelâ€™s Avengers, Naughty Dogâ€™sÂ The Last Of Us Part 2, Capcom’s Resident Evil 3 Remake, and Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Remake.
You can check out my 4000-word spoiler-free review of Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart here.


Ubisoft’s Werewolf Game Gets Horror Comedy Film

Werewolves Within is a multiplayer VR game for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR, developed by Red Storm Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. It was originally released in December 2016. A live-action movie adaptation with the same title is coming soon from director Josh Ruben.
The synopsis reads:
After a proposed pipeline creates divisions within the small town of Beaverfield, and a snowstorm traps its residents together inside the local inn, newly arrived forest ranger Finn (Sam Richardson) and postal worker Cecily (Milana Vayntrub) must try to keep the peace and uncover the truth behind a mysterious creature that has begun terrorizing the community.
It stars:

Sam Richardson
Milana Vayntrub
George Basil
Sarah Burns
Michael Chermus
Catherine Curtin
Wayne Duvall
Harvey Guillen
Rebecca Henderson
Cheyenne Jackson
Michaela Watkins
Glenn Fleshler

Werewolves Within is slated to release in U.S. cinemas on 25 June 2021, and on Video On Demand on 2 July 2021. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Guilty Gear Strive’s Upcoming Story DLC Unfolds Next Week

Arc System Works will be adding in one last surprise for Guilty Gear Strive’s first season DLC pass.
Guilty Gear Strive downloadable content “Another Story” will be added on 29 April as part of Season Pass 1. The story focuses on Ramlethal, May, Faust, and Baiken, as they handle the chaos within their turf while the incident in America unfolds (the main story stuff in the original Story Mode).

Ramlethal also finds a girl who resembles Bedman from the last Guilty Gear game.
Delilah

“A young girl who has awoken from a long slumber.
She’s lived within a dream since her birth due to a unique condition caused by her brain’s inability to withstand her exceptional intellect and abilities.
As she’s only just woken up, she doesn’t have a solid grasp on common sense and social skills.
Her one and only motive is to get revenge for her brother’s life.”
Before you ask: no, you cannot get this Another Story content separately. You have to buy Season Pass 1 to get it. Guilty Gear Strive is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.


World’s First 8TB Portable SSD Looks Good For Gaming

Let’s be honest: we all invest a bit in SSD storage nowadays for our gaming, be it for PC or for consoles. And who wouldn’t want one that’s not just 8TB full of space and also pocket-sized?
SanDisk has got you covered with its world’s first 8TB portable SSD (their words, not ours) announced at this year’s CES. While it’s still a prototype and there’s no info about its transfer speed and whatnot, it looks good to ship this year since SSD tech has been around for a long while and SanDisk is renowned for this line of storage products.
The big question here is how much will it cost. Given that most external 2TB SSD units cost between US$270 and US$350 on average, we can make an educated guess: US$1,000 and higher.
We highly doubt that anyone would shell out US$1,000 for an SSD in the retail market, but stranger things have happened. Especially if it’s a fast SSD with 2,500MB/s bandwidth transfer rate. Just think of how fast your digital version of Red Dead Redemption 2 will load on this bad boy.


Stonefly Features Bug Mechs, Isometric Combat, & Tons Of Grinding

Platform: PC
Genre: Isometric action-adventure bug mecha-piloting chillax odyssey
We know that mechas and mechs are huge lumbering walking death-dealing machines. However, the indie action-adventure game Stonefly (made by the same folks behind Creature In The Well) might change that perception. In this world where humans are Lilliputian in scale, they can also pilot speedy mechas that can fly and glide gracefully in the air while raining bullets from below.
From a narrative and world-building point of view, Flight School Studio (who made the pinball-tastic Creature In The Well) did a bang-up job. You play a girl named Annika (or Ann) who has a knack for piloting and fixing up bug mechas. One day, her dad’s mecha got stolen. Seeing that you let that incident happen in the first place, it’s up to you to take responsibility and find the thief who stole it. Thus begins a tale where you pilot and fly tiny mechas that can mine for minerals, stun them with downward laser blasts, and push them off the cliff with gusts of air from your wings.
You experience the world of Stonefly through a magnifying glass, playing as Ann as you discover how the forest world works while joyriding in your bugged-out mech. You can upgrade its fighting and flying capabilities, making sure it’s up to par against the many adversaries in the beautifully rendered world with a rich storybook feel (all colour, no outlines look) with slow-paced background music instilling a “chillax” vibe.
It’s a pity that the game’s main gameplay loop requires you to grind for resources while its main missions just feel like copies of each other as you wade on through.
A Bug’s Life

Remember when I said combat against bugs? Well, you don’t outright kill them. You instead push them away from the platform(s) you’re on, though you need to fire “special bullets” at their vulnerable spots to stun them. As you’ll get more upgrades and tools for combat, you’ll also be fighting bigger and tougher bugs that require more than just stunning; you may need to use certain gadgets to expose their thoraxes and weak bits, or just protect yourself from a horde of them.
Even if you’re overwhelmed, Stonefly is rather generous with your mech’s HP. You can take quite a beating, and even if you “die”, you just warp back to camp with the resources you previously gathered. This is also helpful because when you’re exploring, it can be hard to gauge where you’re landing. Yes, there’s a white line-and-circle combo that tells you whether that branch or leaf can be docked onto. Half the time, however, I’m wondering whether I’m at the correct height when I’m trying to fly from point A to point B, only to realize at the last second that I am not. Thus, instant plummet and health subtracted.
You’ll need to understand the gist of combat because of Stonefly’s other gameplay objective: gather up materials from all sorts of places. Your mecha can draw and collect minerals from ore deposits placed throughout each location and region. You’ll be doing this a lot.
No-Fly Zone

In fact, the game gatekeeps you until you get a certain upgrade or two, and that means farming for materials from previously-visited locations. The tedium piles up since you need to also find Alpha Aphids that have a ton of materials on their backs, moreso than the levels. To access an Alpha Aphid stage, you need to search for “light bugs” scattered throughout the region. Find enough, and you get to play through a timed section where the insect hordes are never-ending but the bounty is plentiful.
The first time you do this isn’t too bad. But later levels and sections require you to get equipped with expensive mecha gear, and that means more time dedicated to farming, finding light bugs, and entering numerous Alpha Aphid stages. While incredibly repetitive, it’s the only way to open up Ann’s mecha combat potential since you have more tools for later segments.
Still, a little more variety in stages and quests design would help elevate this title above and beyond like the machine she’s piloting. I’d still recommend Stonefly if you’re looking for a fun and “chillaxing” game; it’s beautiful to look at and listen to (OST courtesy of Natureboy Flako), and it’s fun to play a nimble and agile flight-capable mecha that isn’t from an anime for once. Just take the experience in spurts; you’ll get disillusioned playing it for the long haul.
Pros

Lovely storybook artwork & narrative.
Great music.
Fun mecha-piloting & isometric-style gameplay.

Cons

Grinding for materials can get repetitive.
Lack of variety in missions.
Tough to gauge where your mecha can land at times.

Final Score: 70/100


LG Unveils New Gaming UI For TV & Introduces New Cloud-Gaming Services

LG Electronics (LG) is expanding the gaming experience on its latest TVs, adding new cloud-gaming services to give users more choice, and a UI update that makes it easier to ‘get in the game.’ These latest upgrades are representative of LG’s continuing commitment to bringing gamer-centric content and capabilities to its industry-leading TVs.
Requiring no PC, console, or game installations, cloud-gaming platforms make gaming more accessible than ever. Blacknut and Utomik Cloud, arriving on LG TVs in September and November, respectively,1 deliver a wealth of titles spanning classic AAA games, indie favourites, story-driven adventures, sports, strategy and more. Via monthly subscriptions, the two apps offer users the ability to select and instantly play any game from their extensive catalogues – both of which welcome new titles monthly.

Blacknut presents subscribers with over 500 PC and console games, with the greatest variety of premium content for all members of the family and with up to five players’ profiles. The Blacknut catalogue offers the largest collection of racing and sports games in the cloud gaming space, but also critically acclaimed hits, such as Metro Exodus, Overcooked and a vast collection of Disney games.
Meanwhile, Utomik Cloud boasts a curated and growing selection of 100+ games from its 1,300+ PC games library covering diverse genres with indie favorites like Coffee Talk, My Time at Portia and Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion among the platform’s many highlights.

The new cloud gaming apps will be arriving starting this month on the LG Apps Store on LG TVs running webOS 6.0 and webOS 2022. And thanks to LG’s newly updated gaming UI, users will soon be able to find a range of popular cloud gaming services on the convenient Gaming Shelf,2 which can be easily found on the new Home Screen. Select NVIDIA GeForce NOW titles are already accessible from the Gaming Shelf. The ability to access games from Google Stadia and other gaming services via the Gaming Shelf will be added to LG TV in future updates.


So How Much Did Epic Games Really Pay For Phoenix Point’s Exclusivity?

A recent email to backers of Julian Gollop’s upcoming strategy game Phoenix Point has shed some light in how Epic Games secures exclusivity for their digital store.
Before all this exclusivity nonsense, Phoenix Point was previously funded via crowdfunding site Fig, where fans and contributors can also buy shares for a particular title (up to the discretion of developer Snapshot) so that they see some returns if the game is successful. Guess how much they earned back from putting their money on the line? 191% return, which means 91% return of interest.
This also means that savvy bean counters can figure out how much Epic paid game developer Snapshot to secure the one-year exclusivity for the Epic Store. There’s a post here that breaks it all down in detail; we’ll just skip to the juicy bits:

Phoenix Point’s developer Snapshot was willing to accept up to US$500,000 (1,000 shares) of investment from individual investors through Fig, of which they collected US$495,500 (991 shares).
For the investors to collectively break even on their US$500,000, Fig would need to receive US$588,235 (US$500,000/.85). This means the split between Fig and Snapshot is 33.33%/66.66% (US$588,235 vs US$1,176,.473).
Instead of just US$500,000, the investors are getting US$955,000 (191% return). At an 85% dividend rate, that means Fig collected US$1,123,529 in royalties.
If Fig’s share is 33.33%, then that would mean the total amount paid by Epic (estimate, mind you) was a whopping US$3,370,587.

Long story short: it’s US$3.3 million. Now if a niche hardcore game like Phoenix Point nets that much for exclusivity privileges, imagine how much Epic Games had to pay to secure 1-year deals for Metro: Exodus and Borderlands 3.


Arc System Works Is Making A 2D Fighting Game Spin-Off Of A Popular Korean MMO

Before you answer, no: it’s not Ragnarok Online.
Arc System Works, makers of hit fighting games like Dragon Ball FighterZ and Guilty Gear Xrd, are teaming up with game makers Neople and fighting game experts Eighting, to make a 2D fighting game based on a long-lasting MMORPG from South Korea: Dungeon Fighter Online (or Dungeon and Fighter). The game is called DNF Duel and it features lush 2D/3D graphics, slick 2D fighting gameplay, and the cast of Dungeon And Fighters universe, including the Berserker, the Ranger, the Grappler, the Striker, and the Inquisitor.

Apart from these screenshots and gameplay trailer, that’s all I have to go on. I’m not familiar with the DNF series save for its 2D brawler and online-with-pals gameplay and dungeon-crawling. Then again, it’s a good side game choice for the popular RPG series that also has its own anime. Also, it does help that the series has been around since 2005 and has 700 million lifetime players and net Neople US$15 billion-plus as of mid-2020.
There’s not announced release date or platform yet, but odds are it’ll be out for PC and PS4. Why wouldn’t it be on the platform where the majority of Dungeon And Fighter player base is mostly on?


Malaysia & Myanmar Move Down Into M4’s Lower Bracket

With a much-needed break from intense Mobile Legends: Bang Bang action, Saturday 7 January saw the M4 World Championship resume with a highly anticipated match-up between Indonesian powerhouse ONIC Esports and the tournament dark horse, Falcon Esports from Myanmar.

Check out our M4 Schedule with live score updates!

Falcon Esports vs. ONIC Esports
The opening match of the tournament featured an exciting battle between the champions of the Myanmar Qualifier, Falcon Esports and MPL Indonesia Season 10, ONIC Esports. Although many predicted the match to be tough, ONIC Esports managed to come out on top with a 3-0 victory. From the start of the first game, ONIC Esports dominated with their Gold Laner “CW” racking up an impressive amount of kills.
Game 1

Game 1 began with both teams extremely kill-hungry as both are teams that prioritise team fighting around objectives which meant that we were going to see a lot more action in the river rather than the lanes.
ONIC were able to gain an early lead in the mid lane gaining lane priority, which allowed ONIC to rotate between lanes and objectives much easier. Because of this control, ONIC were able to shut down Falcon Esports’ Roamer Naomi from making plays. While Falcon were even in kills, ONIC still had a gold lead which helped snowball them in the mid-to-late game. By the 15th minute, ONIC had a 10k gold lead which allowed their players to buy significantly stronger items which meant that they had a heavy advantage when team fighting. The perfect example of this was the final team fight in Falcon’s base where Falcon were completely helpless and were unable to take down a single member of ONIC. With that, ONIC were 1–0 up in the series
Game 2

Going into Game 2, the Burmans secured first blood during their second engagement with ONIC after the first ended in a lacklustre stalemate. Unfortunately, Falcons Esports were unable to capitalise and ONIC were ahead once again after acquiring their third Turtle by the seventh minute. From there Falcon were unable to stop ONIC from snowballing and by minute 17, ONIC were 2–0 up in the series.
Game 3

You would think that after losing two games in a row, you would change up your strategy but Game 3 saw Falcon Esports stick to their guns are did not distance themselves from their identity as a team fighting team and the early game was prevalent in this. By applying more pressure in the Mid Lane, with the help of Naomi and Kenn, JustiN was able to secure first blood within the first minute of the game. This was followed by yellowflash securing a second kill onto ONIC’s Kiboy 20 seconds later. From here on out, Falcon Esports would continue to stay in close proximity to one another as they attempted to try Mid Lane priority.
After Falcon claimed a second Turtle, the tempo of the game drastically slowed down thanks to ONIC knowing not to engage while the Burmans had a gold lead. Knowing this, ONIC remained patient as they slowly farmed and eventually caught up to Falcon. With nothing much going on around the map, Falcon opted to attempt to take the Lord but ONIC were ready for this and forced an engagement that would turn the tides of the game. After claiming the Lord for themselves, the job was done and Falcon would be sent down to the lower bracket while ONIC proceeds to the next round.
In the first and second games, Calvin “CW” Winata secured three triple kills, which determined the outcome of the match for ONIC. The climax came in the deciding match, as the Yellow Hedgehog team was overwhelmed. However, ONIC Esports managed to turn things around by successfully kidnapping the opposing Jungler.
This resulted in a complete 3-0 victory for ONIC Esports, and they advanced to the Upper Bracket. They will next face off against ECHO, who secured a dramatic victory over Team HAQ. The Upper Bracket semi-final match is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 12 January at 7:00 PM (UTC+8).
Will Falcon Esports be able to redeem themselves? We will see on 10 January at 3:00 PM (UTC+8) when they will face the winner of RSG Singapore and S11 Gaming.

ECHO vs. Team HAQ
The second and final match of the day saw ECHO advance to the upper bracket semifinals after a long and hard-fought match against Team HAQ which ended with a score of 3-2.The game was expected to be a very close match-up, although these two had never played each other prior to this. But no one expected it to be as close as it was, going all the way to a nail-biting Game 5.
Although ECHO was considered one of the strongest teams this season, it proved to be a difficult task for them to defeat Team HAQ. Despite taking an early lead by winning two points, Team HAQ fought hard to mount a comeback and were able to tie the match 2-2.
Game 1

Team HAQ started Game 1 with an aggressive invade into ECHO’s jungle where they got punished severely as Minn gave first blood to Sanji. The action didn’t stop there. At the 1:30 mark Minn dies again to a three-man gank with Yawi getting credited for the kill. As Panda returns to the Gold Lane, Yawi and Bennyqt dive him to secure their team’s third kill of the game. For the next couple of minutes, the game is still in contention but as ECHO claims the Lord and it looks as if they’re about to pull away, Team HAQ answers by engaging and taking down four of ECHO. The next 10 minutes go back and forth with both teams acquiring Lords of their own but in the 21st minute, ECHO took on the initiative to push down Team HAQ’s Mid Lane to take Game 1.
Game 2

The second match belonged again to the representatives of the Philippines, ECHO. Their victory in the first game had apparently boosted their mentality, as they started the match quite tough but ECHO’s compact play led by Bennyqt and his teammates was able to secure the next winning point with ease.
Game 3

With only one final step remaining for ECHO to advance to the Upper Bracket Semifinals, Team HAQ stepped up their game in the third match. They managed to take control of the match and dominated ECHO. There were multiple times the team from Malaysia dealt heavy blows to ECHO, but there were also times when the tide turned in ECHO’s favour. The match reached its climax in the 14th minute when Minnn was successfully picked off by the opponents.
This led to Team HAQ going on a rampage and trying to turn the tide of the game. One by one, ECHO players were taken out. Team HAQ saw this as an opportunity and with their efforts, they were able to get on the board. However, Bennyqt was left alone and was unable to withstand the attacks of the opponents and the team ECHO lost the match.
Game 4

The game heated up as the night went on, especially thanks to Team HAQ’s previous victory which fueled their passion even more. The Malaysian representative was like a breath of fresh air, providing hope for their survival in the upper bracket. The gameplay from Bennyqt was particularly frustrating as he often targeted key players from Team HAQ, overwhelming his opponents. The climax of the game came when all players focused on the Lord. “Panda” from Team HAQ attempted a back door, and ECHO’s Sanji hesitated to defend, allowing an opportunity for Team HAQ. This resulted in Panda‘s backdoor being successful, tying the series 2–2.
Game 5

In light of the two previous defeats, ECHO seems to have been more cautious in their approach in the fifth game. They used a hero lineup of Yve, Kaja, Yu Zhong, Brody, and Fredrinn. Meanwhile, Team HAQ attempted to counter it with Beatrix, Hilda, Xavier, Ling, and Chou.
Mann‘s Xavier made a strong impact at the beginning of the match, particularly with his kill on Yve as she was recalling. This certainly boosted the confidence of his team. However, this did not discourage ECHO, they played with more objectivity by gradually destroying the opponent’s towers.
With the help of the first Lord, the Filipino representatives were able to secure their victory. As a result, they will be facing ONIC Esports in the upper bracket semifinals.
In the end, ECHO was able to secure the victory and move on to the next round, where they will face off against ONIC Esports on Tuesday, 12 January at 7:00 PM (UTC+8).


Headbangers Rhythm Royale Is A New Switch Party Game With Music-Based Minigames

During Nintendo Direct June 2023, Nintendo announced that Headbangers Rhythm Royale will launch for the Nintendo Switch on 31 October 2023.
Headbangers Rhythm Royale is a rhythm-based, party game, battle royale mix full of music-focused multiplayer mini-games. Up to 30 pigeons battle it out to become the master headbanger.
Check out the trailer below: