Garena Just Bought The Folks Who Made Monster Hunter Clone Dauntless

Southeast Asian company and Call of Duty Mobile region holders Garena has acquired Phoenix Labs. If the latter company sounds familiar, it’s because they are responsible for the free-to-play action-adventure monster-slaying clone Dauntless.
This move is considered a big bump in the company’s mobile gaming making and distributing portfolio. They have acquired all of Phoenix Labs and 109 of its Vancouver/San Mateo/California/Seattle employees. The purchase price has yet to be disclosed, but we’re confident that it’s quite an amount.
Both companies will build on Phoenix Lab’s development capabilities and explore new growth opportunities, as well as keep Dauntless alive and running. After all, Garena was one of the original investors of the company and title. So we’ll be sure to see Dauntless on mobile soon enough because Garena seems to love that.
Here’s an excerpt from Phoenix Labs cofounder and CEO Jesse Houston in a GamesBeat interview:

“The independent life comes with its own set of interesting challenges. We have been grinding pretty hard for the last six years and weâ€™re at some kind of weâ€™re at a fork in the road. What do we want to be when we grow up? The launch was really great.
Weâ€™re starting to kind of look more broadly beyond Western markets and working on what we want to do in mobile and in Southeast Asia and China.”

Press release blurbs from Garena CEO Forrest Li are below:

“We couldnâ€™t be happier to welcome Phoenix Labs to the Garena family. Over the last few years, we have watched Phoenix Labs mature into one of the best development teams in the business and launch a hugely exciting title in Dauntless.
We also know that they share our mission of making great games, creating the best teams, and putting players first. Our skills sets are highly complementary, and we see many exciting opportunities ahead that our teams can explore together.”

Time will tell if the next few years will feature a Monster Hunter vs. Dauntless debacle. Garena has some deep pockets in making this future fight against Capcom viable.


La Liga’s Top 25 Is Dominated By Real Madrid & Barcelona In FIFA 23

FIFA 23 is not too far away and in celebration, EA SPORTS has now revealed the Top 25 Highest-rated players in Spain’s La Liga.
La Liga’s Top 25 list consists of players from 13 different countries with the most obvious being Spain with seven players followed by Germany with three.
In contrast to the Premier League’s measly five teams, the La Liga list consists of players from eight different teams. Although half of them only have one player in the Top 25, those teams are Celta de Vigo, Real Betis, Sevilla and Real Sociedad. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona tie with possessing the most players in La Liga’s Top 25 list with eight each. Furthermore, the first and second spots belong to Karim Benzema of Real Madrid and Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona respectively, both with an Overall of 91.

Karim Benzema, 91 – Real Madrid
Robert Lewandowski, 91 – FC Barcelona
Thibaut Courtois, 90 – Real Madrid
Jan Oblak, 89 – Atlético de Madrid
Toni Kroos, 88 – Real Madrid
Luka Modri?, 88 – Real Madrid
Marc-André ter Stegen, 88 – FC Barcelona
Antonio Rüdiger, 87 – Real Madrid
Frenkie de Jong, 87 – FC Barcelona
Vinícius Jr, 86 – Real Madrid
Parejo, 86 – Villarreal CF
David Alaba, 86 – Real Madrid
Gerard Moreno, 85 – Villarreal CF
Iago Aspas, 85 – RC Celta de Vigo
Pedri, 85 – FC Barcelona
Jordi Alba, 85 – FC Barcelona
Memphis Depay, 85 – FC Barcelona
Nabil Fekir, 85 – Real Betis Balompié
Sergio Busquets, 85 – FC Barcelona
Yannick Carrasco, 85 – Atlético de Madrid
Marcos Acuna, 85 – Sevilla FC
Joao Félix, 84 – Atlético de Madrid
Jules Koundé, 84 – FC Barcelona
Oyarzabal, 84 – Real Sociedad
Federico Valverde, 84 – Real Madrid


Somebody Almost Sold A Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Script On eBay

It’s really hard working with anything Star Wars-related, not just because you always act in front of a green screen but also because you have to make sure everyone doesn’t leak anything. Well, somebody on the set of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker almost leaked EVERYTHING.

.@starwars launched 42 years ago. And 24 days from now, the final chapter will be revealed in theaters! We are THRILLED to have director @jjabrams with us this morning â€” and heâ€™s sharing an EXCLUSIVE clip from #TheRiseOfSkywalker! pic.twitter.com/gOfUTGWzpW
â€” Good Morning America (@GMA) November 25, 2019

Appearing on Good Morning America yesterday, The Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams revealed that one of the actors almost caused the entire script to be leaked to the public. He didn’t reveal who it was, though he wanted to, but told the funny story of how they got it back from the person who got their hands on the script.

“One of our actors, I won’t say which one – I want to, but I won’t – left it under their bed and it was by someone who was cleaning their place. It was given to someone else, who then went to sell it on eBay.”
– J.J. Abrams
The only reason why you and I aren’t reading the leaked script right now is because the crew was lucky enough to have someone at Disney spot the eBay ad for the script. Disney immediately stepped in to buy back their own script and thus the galaxy was saved from spoilers.

“Someone at the company said ‘There’s a script that looks like a legit script that’s for sale on eBay’ and so we got it back before it got sold.”
– J.J. Abrams
My only curiosity is that I want to know who was this actor that almost ruined the surprise contained in what is probably the most important movie of the year. I hope it wasn’t Daisy Ridley or John Boyega. Can’t have our heroes be this reckless!


You Can Get Free Far Cry 6 With Your Shiny New AMD Radeon Laptops & PCs

Following last weekâ€™s announcement of theÂ AMD Radeon Raise the Game Bundle, AMD is expanding the offer to include the ultra-high performance Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card.
Beginning today, gamers that purchase a stand-alone Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card â€“ including custom overclocked and liquid-cooled models from AMD board partners â€“ will receive complimentary access to Far Cry 6Â andÂ Resident Evil Village.
To truly push these titles to their shining best, the Radeon RX 6900 XT takes advantage of powerful hardware and features including:

AMD RDNA 2 Gaming Architecture: Designed to deliver the optimal combination of high-performance and power efficiency.
AMD Infinity Cache: 128 MB of on-die cache dramatically reduces latency and power consumption, delivering higher gaming performance than traditional architectural designs.
AMD Smart Access Memory: Unlocks higher performance when pairing Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics cards with AMD Ryzen 5000 or select Ryzen 3000 Series Desktop Processors and AMD 500-series motherboards.
AMD FidelityFX Super ResolutionÂ (FSR):Â Offering broad support on more than 100 AMD processors and GPUs, as well as competitor GPUs, FSR upscaling technologyÂ boosts framerates and delivers high-quality, high-resolution gaming experiences.
DirectX 12 Ultimate Support:Â Enables games to deliver mind-blowing visuals with real-timeÂ Â DirectX Raytracing (DXR),Â Variable Rate ShadingÂ and other advanced features,Â elevatingÂ games to a new level of realism.

Radeon RX 6900 XT stand-alone graphics card purchases are eligible for the AMD Raise the Game Bundle offer from 16 September 2021 to 31 December 2021, and gamers will gain access to Far Cry 6 as it becomes publicly available (slated for 7 October 2021).
The redemption period for the titles will end on 29 January 2022. For full details on regional eligibility, head on over here and to find a Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card at participating retailers, head on over here.

Qualifying Systems

AMD Ryzenâ„¢ Processors

+

AMD Radeonâ„¢ Graphics Cards

=

Far CryÂ® 6 Standard PC Edition + In-game Items

Resident Evilâ„¢ Village Standard PC Edition

DESKTOPS

AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 5950X
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 5900X
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 5900
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 7 5800X
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 7 5800
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 5 5600X
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 3950X
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 3900XT
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 3900X
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 7 3800XT
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 7 3800X
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 7 3700X
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 5 3600X
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 5 3600

+

AMD Radeonâ„¢ RX 6900 XT
AMD Radeonâ„¢ RX 6800 XT
AMD Radeonâ„¢ RX 6800
AMD Radeonâ„¢ RX 6700 XT
AMD Radeonâ„¢ RX 6600 XT

=

âœ”

âœ”

LAPTOPS

AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 5980HX
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 5980HS
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 5900HX
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 5900HS
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 7 5800H
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 7 5800HS
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 5 5600H
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 5 5600HS

+

AMD Radeonâ„¢ RX 6800M
AMD Radeonâ„¢ RX 6700M
AMD Radeonâ„¢ RX 6600M

=

âœ”

âœ”


Wonder Woman 1984 Is Under Fire For Offensive Arab Depiction

Wonder Woman 1984 initially received rave reviews by critics. However, it has since been getting heat online by viewers after it finally launched in U.S. cinemas and HBO Max on 25 December 2020. It is also currently showing in international countries like Malaysia.
Those who watched Wonder Woman 1984 has condemned and lambasted one particular segment in the movie. In order to discuss what happens, I’ll be writing about spoilers from the movie, so here’s your last chance to stop reading if you haven’t watched it yet.
For context, in Wonder Woman 1984, antagonist Maxwell Lord doesn’t have any super abilities (unlike his comic book counterpart). Instead, he absorbs something called a Dreamstone, which grants people’s wishes.
Now that he is a living Dreamstone, he gains the power to grant wishes, while also being able to take whatever he desires from them in return should they have anything he could want. He uses this ability to manipulate people into making wishes that benefit him.
At one point in Wonder Woman 1984, Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) goes to Cairo, Egypt, to take the oil reserves of an Arab oil tycoon. The Arab oil tycoon wants to re-establish the old kingdom of Bialya (which is actually a reference to DC Comics’ fictional Middle Eastern country of the same name).
Lord coerces him into turning that into a wish. In return, he takes his oil reserves and personal army, leaving the oil tycoon to face the ire of the local populace, who are now trapped within a literal wall separating them from the rest of the world.
The Arab is depicted as a money-hungry oil tycoon and an intolerant bigot. The aforementioned wall appears because he wished for all heathens to be kept out of the country.

During the climax of the movie, Maxwell Lord asks the entire world to make wishes in a global broadcast. Viewers are then treated to scenes depicting people from several foreign countries.
In one of those scenes, an Arab sniper can be seen wishing for nuclear bombs. It’s heavily implied that this Arab shooter is a terrorist. This is especially offensive, considering that they could have gone with any wish that doesn’t conform to established prejudices about Arabs.

Some people are also pointing out how ironic it is that Diana AKA Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) is portrayed as saving a bunch of Arab children from getting killed by Arabs. She achieves this by beating up some Arab soldiers.
Seen from the perspective of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, some people find it tasteless and insulting that an Israeli is saving Arabs from other “evil” Arabs. This scene also seems to perpetuate a white saviour complex of sorts.

Gal Gadot herself is a former soldier of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). She served two years in the military force, which is mandatory for any Israeli citizen.
Many people hold this against the actress/model because the IDF is often accused of committing war atrocities against the Palestinians. Since she was in the IDF, many find her complicit in whatever the IDF did. Gadot has also previously shown herself to be pro-IDF in the past.
Should You Still Watch Wonder Woman 1984?

Personally, I pointed out how disappointing Wonder Woman 1984 was in both my official review and my post-review spoiler piece. However, I think it’s better to judge a movie by its own merits, instead of simply picking out bits that offended me.
It’s easy to overlook the social and political side of a movie, but it’s also as equally easy to focus too much on them. What I’m saying is that to each his/her/their own, and it’s ultimately your decision whether to avoid watching a movie for its offensive content.
You can check out some of the tweets below, as many users voice out their issues:

Wonder Woman 1984 is the worst movie I’ve seen since The Last Airbender and actually offensive as an Egyptian and Arab.— Youssef Maguid (@youssefmaguid) December 26, 2020

The racism I experienced in Hollywood as an Arab woman??? This whole WW84 shit does not surprise me. The industry absolutely Laps up any opportunity to portray my people in an abhorrently racist way. I wish it didn’t hurt this much, but it does.— Mennell?? (@sapphic_pageant) December 26, 2020

#WW84 is another racist, Islamophobic, xenophobic film that glorifies its white "saviors" through an actress whose history and background revolve around nothing but bloodshed & zionist settler-mindset.But sure, watch your glass ceiling white feminist film and shit on minorities.— ???? | Tareq Alkhudari (@CartoOony) December 26, 2020

https://twitter.com/lindsayggunn/status/1342627957467041792

https://twitter.com/lindsayggunn/status/1342629803174756352

The most fantastical thing in the new #WonderWoman1984 is Gal Gadot saving Arab children from getting run over by military vehicles.— Chain Snatching Islander (@FredFromHon) December 25, 2020

How do you feel about Wonder Woman 1984’s stereotypically racist portrayal of Arabs? Is it exacerbated by the fact that Gal Gadot served in the IDF and defended Israel’s war crimes? https://t.co/aHZyybMiyh— sally batty (@CaesarSalahD) December 26, 2020

https://twitter.com/thesleepingmuse/status/1342781222725050368

In effect, #WonderWoman1984 is a white savior movie that lost the feminism from the first film and added racism in its place – Hispanics are aggressive and violent domestic abusers, and Arabs are there to cause violent political conflict, with no white people to be blamed for…— Christian, not Christopher (@wischofsky) December 26, 2020

The portrayal of Arab and Muslim characters in #WonderWoman1984 as bumbling henchmen, oil-greedy buffoons, and/or intolerant despots is only one of the reasons why the movie is so disappointing, not to mention lacking in imagination. #Islamophobia— Todd Green (@toddhgreen) December 26, 2020

Okay did the the Israeli Defense Force help to fund Wonder Woman 1984 or something? What is up with this portrayal of Arab people— Lily Simpson is in the They/Them Summer (@LilySimpson1312) December 26, 2020


Pokémon Go Dev Niantic Cancels Several Projects & Lays Off Staff

How the mighty have fallen. It looks like things aren’t looking good for Pokémon Go developer Niantic. According to a Bloomberg report, Niantic CEO John Hanke informed the company that 8 percent of the staff was being laid off, around 85 to 90 people, and have cancelled four projects.
One of those projects was Transformers Heavy Metal. Another was a collaboration between Niantic and Punchdrunk, the New York-based company behind theatre production Sleep No More. Two additional projects canceled were reportedly codenamed Blue Sky and Snowball.
Niantic was founded 2010, and was originally best known for its location-based community game Ingress. However, they went bing when Pokémon Go launched in 2016, which have since garnered a whopping US$6 billion in lifetime revenue. Their other games post-Pokémon Go, like Harry Potter Wizards Unite and Pikmin Bloom have pretty much flopped.
Speaking to Bloomberg, a Niantic representative said:
“We recently decided to stop production on some projects and reduce our workforce by about 8% to focus on our key priorities. We are grateful for the contributions of those leaving Niantic and we are supporting them through this difficult transition.”
It seems like Pokémon Go really was a one-hit wonder and lightning in a bottle, considering that no other GPS location-based AR game has ever been as successful.


The Last Jedi Review

After numerous accusations that 2015’s The Force Awakens was a rehash of A New Hope, director Rian Johnson has it cut out for him to not only avoid such comparison in The Last Jedi, but to also meet the expectations that come with any Star Wars movie. Will it be another Empire? Will it suck? Will the Porgs be this generation’s equivalent for Ewoks?
After having to wake up early to catch the special media preview today, I am happy to report to all Star Wars fans – casuals and hardcores alike – that the answer to all of those questions is a ‘No’. OK perhaps there were breadcrumbs and homages to scenes and themes we’ve seen in Empire Strikes Back and these bits will hit any Star Wars fan like a Wampa love tap – but these are more of nods to the classic than a replication of those moments.
I believe I am not going overboard here by claiming that The Last Jedi is the most war-sy (is that even a word) of all Star Wars movies – Rogue One included. I don’t recall seeing more cannons, blasters, rockets and stuff exploding on screen in other Star Wars movie. These explosions however do not dampen the overall tone of the movie which is desperation and hope in the face of adversity. Never have I seen in any Star Wars movie that our heroes were in such precarious position. Even with Starkiller Base staring right at the Resistance in The Force Awakens, we knew that they’d find a way with Han, Finn and Rey on the ground. But in The Last Jedi, the situation appears to be so dire that anyone muttering the word ‘hope’ can instantly be deemed as not living in the real world.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CbN8sfihY&w=560&h=315]
The movie picks up almost immediately after The Force Awakens and the situation is desperate than ever. The First Order are hot on the heels of the Resistance and we are thrown into the thick of a planet evacuation process, with Poe, again with his heroics showing everyone what a badass X-Wing pilot he is.Â While all this is happening, Rey is on her mission of her own, to bring back Luke Skywalker from his self-imposed exile as seen at the end of The Force Awakens. In the meantime, Kylo Ren faces his own personal conflict in regards to his turn to the dark which leads to him attempting to recruit Rey to his side.
Those who theorized on how that The Last Jedi is going to pan out cannot be any more wrong as while the trailers does show a very generic tone of what to expect, the folks who cut the trailers effectively threw everyone off-track when it comes to expecting what was set to happen in The Last Jedi.
My favorite character from The Last Jedi is surprisingly Poe Dameron, who’s shown so much growth in character when compared to what we saw of him in The Force Awakens. Dare we say that he’s the most relatable character in this movie. If you liked Poe in The Force Awakens, you’ll love him in The Last Jedi. Rey’s trials and tribulations as well as her challenges in trying to persuade Luke to join the Resistance was an expected one as alluded in the trailers. Daisy Ridley was even more relatable and likeable as Rey this time around. The whole ‘Marie Sue’ complaints – “How’d she know how to use the force?” – are addressed in the subtlest manner and as expected – questions pertaining to her parentage will also be addressed.
As for Kylo Ren, his descend to the darkness is explored more and we are finally shown what really happened the night he torched down Luke’s Jedi Temple. The conflict within Kylo Ren’s character was given extra attention as well as his motivation behind all of his actions which also include him killing his own father, Han Solo. The differing ideologies of how the light and the dark sides of the force were supposed to function and exist were also delved in The Last Jedi and we appreciate that the Rian Johnson stopped just short of being preachy in delivering them.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB4I68XVPzQ&w=560&h=315]
Finn’s character felt really hollow in The Last Jedi as his arc was the weakest of the main three and could easily be omitted from the whole movie without jeopardising much of the plot. A bummer, really considering his past with the First Order as I was half-expecting him to doubt the decision he made in The Force Awakens which could have led to sub-plots relating to his allegiances. The introduction of Kelly Marie Tran as Rose also gave some inkling of a relationship between her and one of the main cast but this is easily our least liked portion of The Last Jedi.
What about the OGs? Well it certainly was a bitter-sweet moment seeing the late Carrie Fisher on screen. She will always be our Princess Leia and we finally get to see her competence in regards to The Force. Ignore what Lor San Tekka said – It’s General Organa and despite her age-related frailty and grief following Han Solo’s recent passing, is still a pillar for the Resistance whom everyone else look to for guidance and leadership.Â As for the man of the hour, Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill bossed every scene he was in. He was funny, he was witty and most of all, his wisdom from being a Jedi Master for over 40-years shone throughout. Every question on why he went into exile was also answered and we loved how the director handled Luke’s character.
As for the main baddie, Supreme Leader Snoke finally made his proper on-screen appearance and even with that limited time, was able to showcase what he was capable of. My only gripe was the janky CGI work done for him. In a world where wookies pilot a space freighter with a space penguin on tow, Snoke’s CGI left a lot to be desired.
There were genuinely funny moments throughout and the amount of lame jokes which was quite ubiquitous in The Force Awakens are thankfully minimal. The porgs, which many fear would be this movie’s stand-ins for the ewoks were surprisingly likeable. None of that forced-cutesy bits and we have no issues with these space penguins. Also, a shoutout to Domhnall Gleeson’s Admiral Hux who also, like Hamill, stole every scene he was in.
The twists are aplenty in The Last Jedi and they came at the most unsuspecting moments. Yes, there will be deaths of major characters and while you will be shocked at first, will slowly accept that Star Wars doesn’t revolve around several key characters.Â There are also several ‘plot holes’ that eagle-eyed viewers would start questioning mid-scene but all of these ‘issues’ will be resolved by the end of the movie. A legendary character also makes a very unexpected yet pleasant cameo in The Last Jedi and even his motives were found out by the time the credits roll.
TL; DR
PositivesÂ
â€“ A movie of its own without heavily reflecting any of the original trilogy movie
– The most action-packed Star Wars movie to date
– Good flow following The Force Awakens
– Exploring of the wider concept of the light and dark sides of the force and viewing it from a whole new perspective
– Every scene featuring Mark Hamill
– The most satisfying of all modern Star Wars movies to date (vs The Force Awakens & Rogue One)
Negatives
– Certain plot points seemed pointless and fillers and could be easily omitted without affecting the overall story
– Could have had more lightsaber combat moments
– The universe’s timeframe and timeline were a little out of whack
– Dodgy CGI at certain parts
SCOREÂ :Â 85Â /100

Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in Malaysian cinemas 14th December 2017. We caught the movie on iMAX via press screening courtesy ofÂ The Walt Disney Company (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd


Borderlands 3 Director’s Cut Features New Raid & Questionable Story Focus [Update]

Update: Added 11th February hotfixes at the bottom.
There’s a ton of Borderlands 3 info out this week, specifically detailing the upcoming DLC called Director’s Cut. So let’s break it down.

New Story Missions Featuring Goddamn Ava

Yep, the rumours and leaks are true: the new mission content in the Director’s Cut will feature everybody’s not-so-favourite Siren, Ava.
You’ll be helping her in her quest to solve murders. Unfortunately, it’s not hers; it’s a series of them involving other victims scattered all over Pandora, and you’ll also be revisiting past locations and helping out old Borderlands 3 friends like Clayton and Lorelei.
I do wonder how the community will react to this. Head of Gearbox Story Group Randy Varnell mentions that this DLC will flesh Ava out better than the main story did.
Vault Cards

Borderlands 3 will be getting dailies and weeklies in the form of Vault Cards; finish challenges & activities and you’ll get rewards. These range from cosmetics to legendary gear you cannot get anywhere else.
First-Ever Raid Boss

There’s going to be a Raid Boss in Borderlands 3. It’ll be a giant red Varkid called Hemovorous the Invincible and it’ll be a challenge for long-time players. She’ll be located at a locked door that’s been in the game since launch; she’ll be scaled to your level and active Mayhem mode, so have fun!
To participate, you need to complete the game and have 500 Eridium ready to fight it per session. If you die, you start over; simple as that.
Broken Hearts Will Relaunch Tomorrow

The Broken Hearts event is back from 11th February to 25th February. You know what that means: time to start farming one of the best sniper rifles in the game: Wedding Invitation. Now, this gun comes in two elements and it’ll be level 65. So hooray!
Director’s Cut Art & Content
Folks who buy the DLC will also get to see content that’s cut from Borderlands 3. From behind-the-scenes stuff to lost maps and footage, you’ll be seeing all the cool stuff that’s not in the final game.
Disciple Of The Vault Pack
Ever wonder how the Vault Hunters would look if they were part of the Children of the Vault? You’ll get to find out with these upcoming cosmetics.

You can get these for free if you have the base game and the Season 2 Pass.
Borderlands 3 Director’s Cut Release Date
The DLC will be out 18th March.
Tales from the Borderlands Back On Sale
Also, Tales from the Borderlands rereleases 17th February. Previously, it was made unavailable in 2019 due to Telltale Games shutting down and losing the license somewhat. If you haven’t played it yet, you should: it’s a pretty good spin-off game with a great story and adventure bits.
The Usual Hotfixes
There’s a ton of weapons that are getting buffs in the 11th February hotfix. Here they are:
Hail

Increased weapon damage

Crit

Lowered the chance that the weapon would drop on reload

Bouncing Pair Grenade Mod

Increased damage

Kaoson

Increased weapon damage

Garcia

Updated weapon to fire correctly in multiplayer. Players will notice that the weapon will now only fire two shots before reloading in both solo and co-op
Increased weapon damage

Impaler

Increased damage dealt

Void Rift

Increased Spike damage
Increased Black Hole singularity damage

Black Hole

Increased damage dealt


Here’s Our First Official Look At Obi-Wan Kenobi

Disney+ Hotstar and EW have shared an exclusive selection of images from Obi-Wan Kenobi that show revealing details from the series.
Check them out below:
Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Moses Ingram as Inquisitor Reva.
Moses Ingram as Inquisitor Reva.
Joel Edgerton as Uncle Owen (left), Moses Ingram as Inquisitor Reva (right).

However, we’re still waiting on a full trailer.
The Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series will premiere on the Disney+ Hotstar streaming service on 25 May 2022.
Obi-Wan KenobiÂ will be set 10 years after the events ofÂ Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The SithÂ and presumably before the events ofÂ Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope.
It is executive-produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, Deborah Chow, McGregor and series writer Joby Harold. Deborah Chow will direct Obi-Wan Kenobi after having helmed two episodes ofÂ The Mandalorian.
Obi-Wan KenobiÂ is only one of severalÂ Star WarsÂ live-action series currently in the works Disney Plus, includingÂ The MandalorianÂ Season 3,Â The Book Of Boba Fett,Â Ahsoka Tano, and many more.
Other cast members include:

Moses Ingram.
Joel Edgerton.
Bonnie Piesse.
Kumail Nanjiani.
Indira Varma.
Rupert Friend.
Oâ€™Shea Jackson Jr.
Sung Kang.
Simone Kessell.
Benny Safdie.

We also learned more details duringÂ Disney+ Day last year, including the potential appearances of Inquisitors and more.


Tekken 8 Features Special Style Controls & Special Intros

Taking cues from other 2D fighting games, the upcoming Bandai Namco 3D fighting game Tekken 8 will feature a few nice additions apart from its more aggressive Heat system.
The game will include a new Special Style control type that offers easier access to combos and special moves for new players, as well as some added flexibility. When Special Style controls are activated in Tekken 8, you’ll get 5 different buttons with assigned uses, along with a move display that stays on-screen. By default, players have 4 buttons to work with. An IGN preview showcases that the triangle button will be for air and launcher moves; press it repeatedly for a combo.
In addition, this control scheme is also context-sensitive and can change depending on your character’s status in the match. This seems like a hybrid between Modern and Dynamic controls in Street Fighter 6.

Characters will now have special intros whenever they fight specific people (via Tekken content creator spag). For example, a Jin vs Xiaoyu fight will have special dialogue and animations since they’re both high school friends, while Kazuya and Jun Kazama will have a unique intro as they were former lovers, with the latter being dead before her “return” in part 8.

Whether Special Style controls will be legal in tournaments remain to be seen, but so far Tekken 8 has no release date. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. In terms of special intros, that’s always nice to see in any fighting game with a long lineage and backstory.
Tekken 8 will be out for PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5.


Fantastic Beasts The Secrets Of Dumbledore Injects A Bit More Magic Than Its Predecessor

Many critics and Potterheads alike were disappointed with 2018’s Fantastic Beasts The Crimes Of Grindelwald, which was messy and diverted too much from franchise lore. After four years, the sequel is finally here in the form of Fantastic Beasts The Secrets Of Dumbledore. Thankfully, it’s an improvement over its predecessor in many ways, but ultimately still pales in comparison to the original Harry Potter films.
Accio!

Fantastic Beasts The Secrets Of Dumbledore is to Fantastic Beasts The Crimes Of Grindelwald like how Star Wars Episode IX The Rise Of Skywalker was to Star Wars Episode VIII The Last Jedi. However, the third Fantastic Beasts movie is more successful in that regard compared to the ninth Star Wars movie. Several canonical problems from the second movie are finally addressed in Fantastic Beasts The Secrets Of Dumbledore, but of course, this isn’t perfect either.
This movie has a more coherent plot and better flow in its pacing. The highlight of the movie is definitely Jude Law’s Albus Dumbledore and Mads Mikkelsen’s Gellert Grindelwald. Despite some censorship, the movie acknowledges the sexuality and romance between the two. It helps that they both have chemistry with each other, so much so that I now can’t imagine what would happen if Johnny Depp had stayed in the role of Grindelwald. Oh, and don’t expect the movie to address why Grindelwald looks different now.
The rest of the cast are fine, with Eddie Redmayne once again portraying the socially-awkward magizoologist Newt Scamander. Besides Dumbledore and Grindelwald, we get more of Newt and his friends (including Callum Turner as Newt’s brother, Theseus Scamander, and Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski) here again, and a lot less focus on Ezra Miller’s Credence (which was a good decision by the screenwriters in retrospect).

As for easter eggs and references, there are several sprinkled throughout the film, but as a Potterhead myself, I was a bit disappointed that the Hogwarts sequence was so brief, so that’s to be expected considering that the focus of the Fantastic Beasts franchise has never been on the iconic school of witchcraft and wizardry. That said, I appreciated that Fantastic Beasts The Secrets Of Dumbledore delved more into the wider Wizarding World and expanding it with some political intrigue and other elements.
Unfortunately, Fantastic Beasts The Secrets Of Dumbledore is sort of let down by its ending, which is somewhat both climactic and anti-climactic at the same time. That final battle was unsatisfying, to say the least. While two more Fantastic Beasts movies have already been confirmed, this movie does give us a little emotional payoff and ties a neat bow for several supporting characters to leave the franchise, and leaving open for new ones in the remaining two films.
The Adventure Continues

Fantastic Beasts The Secrets Of Dumbledore is a significant improvement over its predecessort; one that fans will enjoy a lot more. The movie still ultimately caters more to Potterheads than casual viewers, but there’s a lot more that the next two films will have to improve on to be anywhere close to the quality of the original Harry Potter films.
FINAL SCORE: 70/100
We attended a press screening of Fantastic Beasts The Secrets Of Dumbledore courtesy of Warner Bros Malaysia. Fantastic Beasts The Secrets Of Dumbledore premieres in Malaysian cinemas on 14 April 2022.


New Return To Silent Hill Movie Will Be A Silent Hill 2 Adaptation

During the Silent Hill Transmission, Konami announced a new live-action Hollywood Silent Hill movie titled Return To Silent Hill. Director Christopher Gans, who directed the original 2006 live-action Silent Hill film, is returning to direct the new movie.
What’s most interesting is that Gans confirmed that Return To Silent Hill will adapt the story from 2001’s Silent Hill 2. In case you missed it, Silent Hill 2 will also be getting a remake on the PS5 and PC from developer Bloober Team.
The movie doesn’t have a release date yet, and it will probably be a while before we hear anything new about the movie, considering that we’re only getting our first look at the artwork from Return To Silent Hill, one of which confirms that Pyramid Head will return.

Check them the featurette below:


Sentinels VALORANT Roster Signs Marved As Their Substitute

Marved, a renowned Valorant player from North America, has returned from his break to join Sentinels, one of the top teams in the region. He’ll be filling in for SicK as the team’s sixth man for the 2023 VCT Americas League season.
Hunter “SicK” Mims got suspended from Sentinels on 6 March, after being charged with criminal trespassing, which eventually led to a Class B misdemeanour. Sentinels’ CEO, Rob Moore, tweeted two days ago that the team is on the lookout for a replacement since the Americas League’s inaugural season is only a few weeks away.

However, due to the upcoming start of the franchise league, we will be looking to sign a 6th man that is able to take up the spot he's left vacant for the time being. I appreciate the community's patience as we get through this together. 2/2
— Rob Moore (@robmooreEsports) March 9, 2023

Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen, formerly of OpTic Gaming, was one of the best Controller players in the world during the 2022 VCT season, thanks to his excellent mechanical skills and expertise in various utilities. He has also won a major Valorant LAN event and finished as a runner-up in two more major events.

Mans is a Sentinel now
?@Marved6 pic.twitter.com/QkC9VvA58r
— Sentinels (@Sentinels) March 13, 2023

Although Marved took a break from esports after the 2022 season ended, he joined his friends under the banner UNTAMABLE BEASTS to compete in the NA Valorant Challengers League Open Qualifiers. His break left him with limited opportunities, but SicK’s situation opened up a spot for him on a franchised Valorant roster.
Marved may not be ready to return to a starting lineup, but as the team’s substitute, he can stay connected with the pro scene by practising with Sentinels regularly. While he may not get much playtime due to his role, his talent and experience can undoubtedly help the team achieve their goals in the ongoing VCT season.

Roster
Here is the full roster for Sentinels in the upcoming VCT Americas League season:

Tyson “TenZ” Ngo
Zachary “zekken” Patrone
Gustavo “Sacy” Rossi
Bryan “pANcada” Luna
Rory “dephh” Jackson
Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen (Substitute)
Don “SyykoNT” Muir (Head Coach)

Marved’s addition to the team has strengthened their roster even more, and it will be exciting to see how he fits into the team’s dynamic. With the VCT Americas League season just around the corner, Sentinels and their fans will be eagerly waiting to see how they perform with their new addition.


Random Kid Sneaks Onto The Game Awards 2022; Is Arrested By LAPD

Crazy things can happen in an awards show, like a renowned actor slapping the mouth off of a renowned comedian. The Game Awards 2022 is no different somehow, as a random person sneaks in and managed to get a spotlight.
At the tail end of The Game Awards 2022, when From Software got the win for its game Elden Ring for Best Game of 2022, a youth popped out of the shadows and invade the group. Shortly after the congratulations speech from director Hidetaka Miyazaki, the kid said the following on the microphone:
“Hey Martin, you know real quick I want to thank everybody and say that I think I want to nominate this award to my reformed Orthodox Rabbi Bill Clinton. Thank you everybody!”

The kid was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department, according to The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley.

The individual who interrupted our Game of the Year moment has been arrested.
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) December 9, 2022


Balsa Model Flight Simulator Open Beta Takes Off Today

Felipe â€œHarvesteRâ€ Falanghe, creator and lead developer of the original Kerbal Space Program, is bringing his passion for aviation physics to his next project, Balsa Model Flight Simulator with his new studio Floating Origin Interactive.
Focusing on true independent development, the Floating Origin team – comprising just three developers – designed Balsa to be unique in the flight sim category with its detailed, powerful editor where players can design, build, fly and battle their own model aircraft.
Powered by a sophisticated physics simulation and built from the ground up for Multiplayer, Balsa takes the next step in player-built flight simulation games, delivering an entirely new, multi-genre experience for virtual pilots of all skill levels.
Officially announced during last night’s Future Games Show, the open beta test for BMFS launches today with sign up viaÂ Steam for PC.
Falanghe said:
â€œWhen I started working on what became Balsa I really wanted to get back to that feeling of creating a game with the community from the very beginning.
It really felt to me that so much of indie game development had been sucked up into how the big guys do it these days, that the sense of sharing your ideas and seeing how the players take it and shape it had sort of been lost.
We are launching an open beta for the game now to make sure it has the absolute best foundation before we put it into Early Access, just like we did with Kerbal Space Program 10 years ago.
Weâ€™re really hoping that will come about very soon and we canâ€™t wait to work through the community feedback to make the game really, really great.â€
You can sign up for the Balsa Model Flight Simulator Beta test here.


Here’s Everything We Know About Black Myth Wukong So Far

Last month, a game from a previously-unknown Chinese developer captivated the world with its incredible pre-alpha gameplay footage video. Gamers were impressed with the luscious visuals and exciting Soulsborne-like gameplay of Black Myth Wukong by Game Science Studio.
In an exclusive interview with IGN, the developer revealed more details and information about the game:
Black Myth Wukong has been in development for the past two years.The game is planned for release within the next three years.The game will be over 15 hours long.There will be over 100 enemy types in the final game, including bosses.Black Myth Wukong is designed to be a gritty take on Journey to the West, featuring a more complex and darker version of the legendary tale of Sun Wukong the Monkey King escorting a monk with a sacred scroll.The area featured in the gameplay footage video is called Black Wind Mountain and it took six months to build.The playtime of Black Wind Mountain is planned to be 30 to 60 minutes on normal difficulty. It will be one of the game’s earlier levels.The demo is entirely playable and can be approached in multiple ways; including fighting enemies instead of transforming into a Golden Cicada to avoid them (as seen in the video), for instance.The player can use a variety of different transformations during the Wolf boss fight; more than the one shown in the video.Black Myth Wukong is the first of three planned Black Myth games, each one drawing on different Chinese tales. The developer wants to create a Chinese Black Myth Universe, similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

There you have it, folks, everything we know about the game so far. We might not receive any more details and information for a long time. Game Science Studio co-founder Feng Ji said:
â€œWe might go quiet for a long time because right now we need to settle down and finish the project. It is a complete surprise that the trailer got so popular, but itâ€™s also a challenge for our next reveal. If we canâ€™t make something that is even better than this trailer, we wonâ€™t show it to the rest of the world.â€

The developer currently only has 30 people working on the game, but is planning to hire more to bolster development. Since the Black Myth Wukong video went viral, they have received over 10,000 resumes.
Powered by Unreal Engine 4, Black Myth Wukong is slated to release for PC and unspecified consoles. In the meantime, check out the gameplay footage of the game below:


Free Fire Adds New Cosmetics & More In Battle In Style Global Brand Campaign

Garena is set to launch its first major brand campaign for Free Fire since its launch four years ago, with its upcoming Battle In Style global event. With various in-game modes and fashion items for players to express themselves and face in-game battles creatively, Free Fire is looking to become more than just a game.Â
Harold Teo, Producer, Garena said:
â€œWe spoke to players all over the world to better understand the challenges they face in life, approaches to overcoming them, as well as the aspirations they have. Battle In Style was then conceived as our very brand identity, which seeks to inspire players to stay positive and have fun, even when taking on challenges or chasing aspirations in life. That is what Battle In Style is about.â€
Battle In Style film: Life is a Battle, Battle In Style

A Battle In Style short film will bring to life the new brand identity for players around the world to experience in-action. The film revolves around the experiences of an ordinary girl overcoming and battling challenges in real life and in the game. She does so with her unique style and positive spirit, illustrating the inspirational message behind the film: â€œLife is a Battle, Battle In Style.â€Â
Booyah Day celebrates the new brand launch in the gameÂ
Garena will introduce Booyah Day, the in-game celebration of the Battle In Style launch, where a variety of themed features and items will be offered to players. This will allow players to style and express themselves in even more ways – ones that they can call their own.Â
Harold added:
â€œThe ability for players to adopt many character styles, customise appearances, and embrace their true individuality in Free Fire is one of the top reasons why players enjoy the game. We will continue to offer different ways for players to express themselves, with Battle In Style and beyond.”
Booyah Day will take place between 12 and 20 November, and will feature new in-game designs, items, events, and a chance to receive themed rewards.Â
Finale of the festivities with a live performance by T.R.A.P.Â
Fans and players will also not want to miss a Livestream performance featuring Free Fireâ€™s virtual band, T.R.A.P., made up of four of the gameâ€™s favourite characters.Â
Moco, Antonio, Miguel, and Kelly will deliver a live musical performance that exemplifies Battle In Style. Viewers will have a chance to get involved in the performance with the interactive technology that will accompany the performance.Â The performance will feature a lineup of music, choreography, and virtual interaction this end-November that will be broadcast live on YouTube.
Free Fire can be downloaded from the Apple iOS App and Google Play store. Free Fire MAX is also available on both the Apple iOS App and Google Play store.


Dune Is An Epic Sandstorm Of A Grand Sci-Fi Spectacle

Review originally published on 7th October.
Denis Villeneuve is shaping up to be this generation’s Ridley Scott with a string of great science fiction movies under his belt. These include 2016’s Arrival and 2017’s Blade Runner 2049, all good films in their own right.
Now he can add 2021’s Dune to the list, arguably his best and biggest movie to date.
Dune is based on the iconic 1965 novel series of the same name by the legendary Frank Herbert, which is extremely influential in the creation of future sci-fi classics like Star Trek and Star Wars. David Lynch originally attempted to adapt the book into a feature film in 1984 but it wasn’t much of a success, perhaps due mostly to the limited technology of the time (the 80s) and fickle studio intervention (the director has since disowned that movie).
How is the modern 2021 adaptation of Dune?
Let The Spice Flow

The best way I could describe Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Part One (yes, it’s officially titled as such during the movie’s opening title screen) is it’s a sci-fi movie on a scale as ambitious as those of Peter Jackson’s The Lord Of The Rings films. Dune is a marvel in terms of visuals and cinematography.

The production value is out of this world, to the point that even the recent Star Wars sequel films with all that Disney money can’t hold a candle to.

Watching Dune feels like you’re transported to an actual alien landscape. The production design, costumes, sound effects, music, score, VFX and ambience combine for an immersive experience the likes of which reminds me of 2001: A Space Odyssey. This includes long lingering shots of breathtaking sandy dunes to dark interiors of alien architecture to the incredible designs of the suits and spaceships.
If you’ve seen Blade Runner 2049 or Arrival, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about, but Dune is just on another level. This visual spectacle just begs to be seen on a massive IMAX screen. The original score by Hans Zimmer, in particular, sets the vibe and tone for the movie, with music that sounds so alien that you’re both creeped out and entranced by it all. Sometimes the music does tend to drown out the dialogue somewhat, but that’s a deliberate choice by the filmmakers to unnerve the audience during its tense & harrowing moments.
Empires Of Sand

All that said, the achievements of Dune is more than just the visuals and details. Denis Villeneuve and his co-writers (Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth) have made the complex universe and mythology of Dune much easier to understand for those who have never read the books. That’s no easy task. The exposition in this movie feels natural and not forced. That can also be attributed to the phenomenal all-star cast of the movie.
Where do I even begin? The plot and narrative of Dune Part One feel very Games Of Thrones-esque. There are feudal dynasties in conflict (albeit on an intergalactic scale), multiple mysterious factions with unclear agendas and a protagonist seemingly burdened by responsibility and prophecy. This movie focuses on the conflict between House Atreides and House Harkonnen over the rule of a planet named Arrakis.
What’s so special about Arrakis? It’s home to an important resource for interstellar space travel simply referred to as Spice.

House Atreides are basically the good guys, and TimothÃ©e Chalamet portrays the protagonist of Dune, Paul Atreides. His father is Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), who is under threat by his rival, the Baron of House Harkonnen (Stellan SkarsgÃ¥rd). Meanwhile, Paul’s mother, Lady Jessica, is portrayed by Rebecca Ferguson, while Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin play Duncan Idaho and Gurney Halleck, respectively (both of whom are important characters in House Atreides).
To say more would be to spoil the story, but the themes cover everything from intergalactic politics, religion, and even some colonialist undertones. In addition, you’ll be hearing a lot of Arabic-sounding terms and names, especially in regards to the native people of planet Arrakis, the Fremen (Zendaya plays Chani, one of the more prominent characters from this tribe in the movie). He took a lot of inspiration from Arab, Islamic and Middle-Eastern culture, so don’t be alarmed if it all feels a little too close to cultural appropriation. It’s science fiction, after all.
Sand In Your Eye

I’ve been heaping lots of praise on Dune but of course, it has its flaws. Running at more than two and a half hours, the movie’s pacing may feel a bit odd. The movie’s epic setpieces take place earlier than expected, which causes the third act of the movie to be slower than you’d expect from a space opera like this. In fact, the movie may end a bit too abruptly for some viewers, with a cliffhanger that’s not surprising considering that this is only supposed to be Part One.
Furthermore, some characters do get a lot less screen time as a result as well. To save you of any disappointment, don’t expect to see much of Zendaya’s Chani and several other characters. They’re clearly being saved for bigger and meatier roles in an eventual Part Two. This movie is more like The Fellowship Of The Ring than The Return Of The King, if you catch my drift. It’s best to enjoy our introduction to the Dune universe first, before delving into the eventual good stuff awaiting us.
Dune Miss Out
I won’t mince words: if you’re a fan of science fiction, Dune Part One is a must-watch on the biggest IMAX screen you can find. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this has the potential of becoming the science fiction equivalent of The Lord Of The Rings in pop culture history.
Just keep in mind that this is half of an epic sci-fi tale adapted from the book that was one of the genre’s pioneers. Unfortunately, for now, Dune Part Two has not officially been given the green light as of yet. It would be really devastating if we never get the continuation of this grand sci-fi epic in the making. The only way of ensuring that happens is to go out and watch Dune.
Final Score: 90/100
We attended a press screener of Dune courtesy of Warner Bros Malaysia. Dune is slated to premiere on 14 October 2021 in Malaysian cinemas.
[videopress HFY9es5b]


Jordan Peele’s NOPE Is A YUP For Sci-Fi Fans

Jordan Peele’s name is now synonymous with modern horror, thanks to the success of 2017’s Get Out. After 2019’s Us and a stint at being the exec producer of the Twilight Zone reboot, he has returned with a brand new original film, Nope. His movie has always been horror movies with sci-fi elements, but with Nope, he’s attempting to do something different, a sci-fi movie with horror elements.
Alien
Daniel Kaluuya, Brandon Perea, and Keke Palmer in NOPE, written, produced, and directed by Jordan Peele.
It’s important to note that like his previous movies, Nope is best experienced with little to no prior knowledge. Jordan Peele’s movies are best when you don’t know what to expect and Nope is no different. All you need to know is that Nope has aliens and that it has a heavier emphasis on sci-fi than his previous films. Nope is best described as an extended episode of The Twilight Zone. It’s also somewhat reminiscent of other sci-fi movies like M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs (2002) and Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival (2016), as well as a little bit of Steven Spielberg’s War Of The Worlds (2005) in there.
That said, Nope is definitely a film with an original story and a fresh take on the usual alien invasion story. Sci-fi fans will love how Jordan Peele puts his own twists on science fiction tropes we’ve seen before, as well as even references and easter eggs from anime like 1988’s Akira and Neon Genesis Evangelion. I certainly can’t go into detail without spoiling the movie, but all of these elements make for a movie that’s unique. If there’s one thing you’ll probably remember forever after watching Nope, it’s everything to do with the alien, especially in regards to its refreshing and unique design.
In addition, I recommend watching Nope on IMAX, not only because it was shot using IMAX cameras, but also because Jordan Peele is emulating Denis Villeneuve with his lingering wide-angle cinematic shots that inspire spectacle (the same style that Denis Villeneuve employs in his movies like Arrival and Dune). It’s impressive how a lot of these shots are often at night, but you can still see everything clearly, so kudos to cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema (who is best known for his work in Interstellar, Tenet, and Spectre). Unfortunately, one might argue that Nope sacrifices plot coherence, narrative and pacing for atmosphere, spectacle and visuals.
Daniel Kaluuya in Nope, written and directed by Jordan Peele.
There’s a lot to praise about Nope, but it blunders when it comes to pacing. Nope is just over two hours long but the experience feels much longer due to how the movie’s pacing keeps increasing and decreasing. In comparison, Get Out had almost perfect pacing, gradually increasing tension and leading up to the movie’s big twist. Nope suffers from many distractions, including a plot that might seem disjointed and confusing even if you’re paying attention. Jordan Peele’s obsession with allegory, symbolism and double/hidden meanings strikes again in Nope, though that’s often what his fans like most about his films.
Last but not least, the cast is unsurprisingly amazing. Daniel Kaluuya as OJ (Otis Haywood Junior) is no stranger to science fiction or horror, so it’s always great to see him doing his stuff. Keke Palmer plays his sister, Emerald Haywood, in a very enthusiastic role that may seem a bit grating to some, but she’s a great actress and no stranger to horror herself, having starred in the brilliant but short-lived Scream Queens. Meanwhile, the supporting roles are also greatly filled by the likes of Steven Yeun and Brandon Perea. However, there’s no standout performance in Nope that comes close to Daniel Kaluuya’s earlier turn in Get Out or Lupita Nyong’o’s incredible one in Us. It seems like Jordan Peele wants the movie to be the main MVP this time around.
More Like YUP

Ultimately, it’s up to preference. If you’re a Jordan Peele fan and a huge fan of science fiction, Nope is definitely a must-watch. Big-budget sci-fi movies are always appreciated and like I previously mentioned, it’s best to go into Nope not knowing anything. Maybe you’ll find yourself peeling (sorry for the pun) back the movie’s hidden meanings and secrets.
FINAL SCORE: 80/100
We received an early screener of NOPE courtesy of United International Pictures Malaysia. NOPE is slated to premiere on 15 September 2022 in Malaysian cinemas.


PlayStation ChinaJoy Press Conference Livestream Happening Next Month

Sony Interactive Entertainment Shanghai is set to host its PlayStation ChinaJoy press conference next month. The company will likely be revealing never-before-seen games during the live stream.
Key visuals for what seems to be new games slated to be unveiled at the event have been released (via Gematsu). There are a total of 14 key visuals, which probably means that there will be at least 14 games showcased during the event.

The PlayStation ChinaJoy event will be live-streamed on Douyu from 5.30pm to 7.30pm CST on 1 August 2019 (or from 6.30am to 8.30am on 2 August 2019 in GMT+8 regions like Malaysia). Not much is currently known about the event, but more information will be revealed later this month on 25 July 2019.


Netflix Military Heist Flick Triple Frontier Releasing Next Week

The next Netflix blockbuster, Triple Frontier, is overflowing with star power, as well as features a unique mix of two movie genres. From the look of the poster, you might think that it’s simply a military-themed movie, but it is, in fact, a heist flick at its core.
It boasts an all-star cast, which includes former Batman Ben Affleck, Star Wars alum Oscar Isaac, Narcos’ Pedro Pascal, Pacific Rim’s Charlie Hunnam, and Tron: Legacy’s Garrett Hedlund.
In the upcoming movie, they play five friends (all of whom are military veterans and former special forces operatives) who reunite to steal the fortune of a drug lord running one of the world’s most dangerous cartels. Triple Frontier tells the story of their heist and the unintended consequences that follow.
Check out the explosive trailer for Triple Frontier below, which is slated to release on 13 March 2019. In the meantime, head on over here to browse through our personal recommendations of other exciting Netflix movies and series you could binge-watch in March 2019.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo3yRLLrXQA&w=560&h=315]


We Talk To The Malaysian Creator Behind Turbo Cat Fight In This Video

Turbo Cat Fight is the debut game of Malaysian solo developer Chaosmore, promoted during the recent Steam Next Fest and later released on Valentine’s Day. The game features pixel-perfect action, and manages to pull off one of the most surprising genre mashups – a ‘minimalist spectacle fighter.’ This can be seen during the mini-tournament, which was also hosted during the Steam Next Fest program.
We had the chance to sit down with Chaosmore for his Steam Next Fest stream and ask a couple of questions – and look super cute while doing it (note the cat ears; they’re very cute).
Check out the interview below!


Dragon Age 4 Is Shaping Up Mighty Fine, According To EA

EA and Bioware’s big fantasy RPG sequel is on schedule, according to recent reports.
Venturebeat journalist Jeff Grubb has reported that Bioware’s upcoming Dragon Age 4 is potentially going to release in 2023. The game is in good shape, with its developers hitting their respective milestones and thus being on schedule.
“It is still at least 18 months out from today, so not early 2023, maybe late 2023, maybe. That seems to be the earliest you can begin to expect it.”
Guess removing all that live service nonsense out of Dragon Age 4 helped exponentially, huh?
In related news, Bioware has no plans on releasing a remastered Dragon Age trilogy similar to Mass Effect Legendary Edition. This is because the Dragon Age titles aren’t as linked as the Mass Effect trilogy; plus they were made on different engines. Just take a look at Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2, and you’ll see the differences in gameplay, engine, and quality.


CD Projekt Admits Not Spending Time On Last-Gen Versions Of Cyberpunk 2077

The Cyberpunk 2077 & CD Projekt drama continues.
When not being waylaid by game journalists about not doing much with its representation and topics of adult culture, it’s being lambasted by fans for its piss-poor quality of the base PS4 and Xbox One versions. And wouldn’t you know it: the figureheads at CD Projekt admitted they done f***ed up on a recent conference call with its investors and shareholders.
The public meeting involved CD Projekt leads Adam KiciÅ„ski, Piotr Nielubowicz, and MichaÅ‚ Nowakowski. It highlighted the following inquiries:

The team was definitely focused on PC and next-gen performances rather than current-gen; they did not spend enough time looking at that. PlayStation and Xbox quality assurance folks were assured that CD Projekt was supposed to fix it upon release; that wasn’t the case. From the mouth of MichaÅ‚ Nowakowski:

“[I]f your expectation is that the game is going to be equal to, say, nextgens or PC in terms of performance, that definitely isnâ€™t going to happen. Having said that, Iâ€™m not saying itâ€™s going to be a bad game â€“ but if youâ€™re expectations regarding, say, visuals or other performance angle, are like this, then weâ€™re openly stating thatâ€™s not going to be the case. It will be a good, playable, stable game, without glitches and crashes, though. Thatâ€™s the intention.”

Regarding refunds, CDPR makes it clear that they do not have a special agreement with Sony or Microsoft.

This didn’t stop CD Projekt from not saying a damn thing about the low quality of the base console performances. You can check out the full transcript here.
For more Cyberpunk 2077 goodness, at least on next-gen and PC platforms, head here for our review and guides.Â


Netflix’s MH370 Documentary Premieres On The 9th Anniversary Of The Tragedy

8 March 2023 will mark the 9th anniversary of the tragic disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight 370 or MH370 in 2014. On that day, Netflix will release a documentary that tells the story of that mysterious tragedy, which involved 239 passengers.
The Netflix MH370 documentary will feature interviews with family members, scientists, journalists, and other people around the world. It will consist of three episodes.
Directed by Louise Malkinson, all three episodes, which will be 60 minutes each, will premiere on 8 March 2023.
Check out the trailer below:


The Next-Gen Xbox Is Actually Just Called… Xbox

Last week during The Game Awards 2019, Microsoft officially unveiled the next generation of the Xbox console; the Xbox Series X. No matter what you think about the name, it turns out that it’s not really the name for the next-gen Xbox after all.
The official name for the next-gen Xbox is simply Xbox.
In a statement to Business Insider, a Microsoft representative said:

â€œThe name weâ€™re carrying forward to the next generation is simply Xbox.
And at The Game Awards you saw that name come to life through the Xbox Series X.
Like the first Xbox generation, the next one is simply named Xbox.
Similar to what fans have seen with previous generations, the name â€˜Xbox Series Xâ€™ allows room for additional consoles in the future.”

So, it seems like Microsoft is giving their console the reboot treatment, and just call it the Xbox for the next gaming generation. However, this also means that like the current console generation with its Xbox One X and Xbox One S, we should expect more versions of the next-gen consoles to come after the Xbox Series X.
The Microsoft rep also said:

â€œWeâ€™re excited to offer fans a glimpse at the next generation of gaming with Xbox Series X.
But beyond that, we have nothing further to share.â€

The Xbox Series X already looks like a refrigerator, so maybe we’ll even see Xbox consoles shaped like toasters or microwaves in the future. For more details and information on the Xbox Series X, head on over here.
There you have it, folks. It’s Xbox, not Xbox Series X.
Let’s just be glad that Sony’s naming conventions for their consoles are a lot clearer and more distinctive.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tUqIHwHDEc&w=560&h=315]


Beerus Will Be In Dragon Ball Z Kakarot’s First DLC Next Week

Dragon Ball Z KakarotÂ is a decent game (check out my full review here), and a successful one for Bandai Namco, having sold more than two million copies as of March 2020. Now, its first story DLC expansion is finally coming next week on 28 April 2020.

Those who own the Dragon Ball Z Kakarot Season Pass will be able to play â€œA New Power Awakens â€“ Part 1â€. Players can look forward to unlocking the Super Saiyan God Vegeta and Super Saiyan God Goku transformations, as well as fight God Of Destruction Beerus, who is set at a whopping level 250.

Beerus will apparently be so hard that even the game’s producer Hara Ryousuke swears that “Beerus is so strong, my clear rate for this battle is 1 out of 10!”. For instance, I obtained the Platinum trophy for the base game and only managed to reach a little over level 100, so I can’t fathom what it’ll be like to fight a level 250 Beerus.
The second DLC expansion “A New Power Awakens â€“ Part 2” will also be releasing sometime later this year, which will presumably be introducing Super Saiyan Blue transformations. However, that remains mere speculation for now.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua-riwi5K60&w=560&h=315]


Ubisoft Dishes Out Sam Fisher Details For Rainbow Six Siege Update

By now, a lot of Splinter Cell fans will already know that Sam Fisher is coming to Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege in its upcoming new update. Today, Ubisoft has revealed more details and information about the third season of Rainbow Six Siege Year 5: Operation Shadow Legacy.
This new Operation introduces Sam â€œZeroâ€ Fisher from the Splinter Cell franchise as a new playable Operator, in addition to an entirely reworked Chalet map and additional gameplay features.

In Rainbow Six Siege Operation Shadow Legacy, players will rediscover Sam Fisher as an Attacker named Zero, equipped with a new gadget, the Argus Launcher, a two-way drill camera. The cameras are launched to pierce soft or reinforced walls, windows, and hatches or stick to any surface. Once in the camera, the Attacker can rotate the cameraâ€™s vision to see the other side of the wall. Each camera is equipped with one laser charge, usable to deal damages to Defenders or destroy gadgets.
What’s intriguing is that Sam Fisher will also be coming with his unique weapon theÂ SC3000KÂ & melee weapon: the Karambit. He’s been using the Southeast Asian weapon since 2013’s Splinter Cell Blacklist.

In addition to Sam Fisher, players will be able to explore a reimagined Chalet map, which has been newly reworked. The developer improved the first and the second floors, and the roof is now traversable, among other features. Objectives were the main focus of the rework, with a hallway added to improve rotation in the Basement, and the Trophy site has been switched for a new one in Dining.
In addition, Tom Clancyâ€™s Rainbow Six Siege will be available to play for free from 27 August to 4 September 2020, depending on the platform.
Ahead of this free week, Ubisoft also announced the launch of SquadFinder, a mobile and desktop web application designed to help players match with teammates according to their language, playstyle, and overall game habits. SquadFinder is now available at http://rainbow6.com/squadfinder.
Additional game updates include the following:
Ping 2.0Map BanNew secondary gadget: the Hard Breach ChargeNew Optics and Sights ColorsNew Reinforcement Pool
The Test Server for Operation Shadow Legacy goes live today on 17 August 2020, but this is exclusive to Windows PC.


Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands: All Classes Skill Trees Revealed So Far

The next game after the first-person looter shooter RPG title Borderlands 3 is not called Borderlands 4, but Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Taking place after Borderlands 2, the game pits dungeon master Tiny Tina as she whisks her players -called Fatemakers- to a fantasy world of her making, where you go adventuring in first-person and kill monsters and fantasy beasts with guns, swords, and spells.
Just like with past Borderlands titles, there will be a multitude of classes and skill trees to spec your characters to the best of their abilities. Here are the ones that are out for the public right now thanks to recent previews surfacing online.
Note: Button prompts and inputs are using Xbox and PlayStation controllers.
Stabbomancer

Class Feat: Dirty Fighting
The Fatemaker’s Critical Hit Chance is increased. Initial stat: 30%.
Action Skill #1: Ghost Blade
Fatemaker throws out a Ghost Blade which spins in place, dealing Melee damage periodically to nearby enemies based on the Fatemaker’s equipped Melee Weapon. Pressing RB/R1
Base reposition penalty: -5% of Max Duration
Melee Damage: 75% of Melee Weapon
Melee Damage Frequency: same as Melee Weapon
Duration: 16 secs
Cooldown: 37 secs
Action Skill #2: From The Shadows
The Fatemaker enters Stealth, turning Invisible. While in Stealth, all damage dealt is automatically a Critical Hit, but these Criticals deal reduced damage.
Critical Hit Damage: -25%
Duration: 8 secs
Cooldown: 36 secs
Skill Tree Tier 1
Arsenal (5 points max) – Melee Damage, Spell Damage, and Gun Damage are increased. Base buff: +3%.
Haste (3) – Melee Attack Speed is increased. Movement Speed is increased. When a Fatemaker casts a Spell, this bonus is doubled for a duration.
Movement speed: +4%
Melee Attack Speed: +4%
Duration: 12 secs
Potent Poisons (5): Status Effect Damage and Status Effect Duration are increased.
Status Effect Damage: +4%
Status Effect Duration: +8%
Skill Tree Tier 2
Follow Up(3): Whenever the Fatemaker deals Gun Damage to an enemy, the Fatemaker’s next Melee Attack deals increased damage. This effect can stack. Melee Attacks consumes all stacks.
Base Melee Attack Damage: +2%
Max Stacks: 10
Swift Death(5): While moving, the Fatemaker gains increased Damage Dealt. The faster they move, the greater these bonuses.
Base Damage Dealt: +4% at default walk speed
Exploit their Weakness(3): Whenever the Fatemaker applies a Status Effect to an enemy, the affected enemy takes increased Damage from all sources for its duration. This effect can stack per unique Status Effect.
Damage increase: +2%
Skill Tree Tier 3
Nimble Fingers: Whenever the Fatemaker deals Melee Damage, their Fire Rate and Spell Damage are increased for a duration.
Fire Rate: +6%
Spell Damage: +8%
Duration: 8 secs
Shadow Step: Kill Skill. The Fatemaker’s next Melee Attack is a guaranteed Critical Hit for a short duration. Duration: 6 secs.
Skill Tree Tier 4
Sneak Attack: Critical Hit Damage is increased. Critical Hit Damage: +3%
Elusive: The Fatemaker can now shoot and Sprint at the same time. Also gains a chance to Evade incoming damage while moving. The faster they move, the greater the bonus.
Evasion: +10% at default walk speed.
Contagion: Whenever the Fatemaker applies a Status Effect, there is a chance it spreads to nearby enemies. If no enemies are nearby, apply a different random Status Effect to the initial enemy instead.
Spread Chance: +8%
New Status Effect Damage: 50% of applied Status Effect Damage.
Skill Tree Tier 5
A Thousand Cuts: Critical Hits grant increased Damage Dealt for a duration. This effect stacks. Melee Critical Hits grant additional stacks.
Damage Dealt: +0.2% per stack
Duration: 12 secs
Max Stacks: 25
Alchemical Agent: Melee Critical Hits apply a random Status Effect.
Status Effect Damage: 10% of Melee Damage dealt
Skill Tree Tier 6
Executioner’s Blade: Gun and Spell Ciritcal Hits have a chance to create an Ethereal Blade above the target that will impale them after a short delay. Ethereal Blades deal Melee Damage based on the Fatemaker’s equipped Melee Weapon.
Base Chance: 20%
Damage: 100% of Melee Weapon

Graveborn

Class Feat: Demi-Lich Companion
The Fatemaker is accompanied by a floatingÂ Demi-Lich CompanionÂ that targets enemies at range and dealsÂ Dark Magic damage. Whenever the Fatemaker casts aÂ Spell, theÂ Demi-LichÂ will castÂ Hellish Blast, creating a homing projectile of the Spell’s elemental type, dealing damage to nearby enemies on impact. Any increases to the Fatemaker’sÂ DamageÂ also apply to theirÂ Companions.
Action Skills #1: Dire Sacrifice
The Fatemaker sacrifices some of theirÂ Current HealthÂ to dealÂ Dark Magic DamageÂ and applyÂ Dark Magic Status Effects to all enemies nearby. Dire SacrificeÂ deals bonus damage proportional to the sacrificed amount ofÂ Health.
Dark Magic Ability Damage: 76
Health Sacrifice: 40% of Current Health
Bonus Damage: 150% of Sacrificed Health
Cooldown: 25 secs
Action Skills #2: Reaper of Bones
The Fatemaker is fullyÂ Healed, gainsÂ Leech Efficiency, and dealsÂ Bonus Dark Magic DamageÂ for a duration, but loses an ever-increasing amount ofÂ HealthÂ per second.
When the Fatemaker would die, they becomeÂ InvulnerableÂ for a duration, restore some of theirÂ Health, andÂ Reaper of BonesÂ ends.
Action Skill Duration is based on the current Health percentage and cannot be modified by other sources.
Bonus Dark Magic Damage: 20%
Leech Efficiency: 25%
Invulnerability: 3 secs
Health Restoration: 20% of Max Health
Cooldown: 50 secs
Skill Tree Tier 1
Mortal Vessel (5): Max Health is increased. Dark Magic Efficiency is increased.
Max Health: +12%
Dark Magic Efficiency: +12%
Essence Drain (5): Kill Skill. Spell Cooldown Rate is increased for a duration.
Spell Cooldown Rate: +5%
Duration: 12 secs
Faithful Thralls (3): The Fatemaker deals increased Damage Dealt for every Companion she/he has. Companion respawn rate is increased
Damage Dealt: +9% per companion
Companion Respawn Rate: +45%
Skill Tree Tier 2
Sanguine Sacrament (3): Whenever the Fatemaker casts a Spell, he/she regenerates Health over a brief duration.
Health Regen: +5% per second
Duration: 2 secs
Dark Pact (5): Dark Magic Damage is increased
Dark Magic Damage: +4%
Harvest (3): Kill Skill. Companions deal Bonus Dark Magic Damage for a duration. This effect stacks.
Bonus Dark Magic Damage: +3% per stack
Duration: 12 secs
Max Stacks: 2
Skill Tree Tier 3
Dread Covenant (1): A portion of the damage taken by the Fatemaker is redirected to theÂ Demi-Lich. When the Fatemaker reaches 1 Health, they immediately restoreÂ Health, sacrificing theÂ Demi-Lich. This skill has a long cooldown.
Damage Redirected: 35%
Max Health Restored: 75%
Cooldown: 120 secs
Stain of the Soul(5): The Fatemaker’s Spells deal Bonus Dark Magic Damage.
Bonus Dark Magic Damage: +4%
Dark Hydra (3): Kill Skill.Â Chance to summon aÂ Dark Hydra Companion, dealingÂ Dark Magic Ability DamageÂ to nearby enemies for a duration.
Chance: 6-%
Dark Magic Ability Damage: 15
Max Dark Hydras: 1
Duration: 10 secs
Skill Tree Tier 4
Ascension(3): Kill Skill:Â Maximum HealthÂ andÂ Spell DamageÂ are increased for a long duration. This effect can stack.
Max Health: +2% per stack
Spell Damge: +2% per stack
Duration: 30 secs
Max Stacks: 10
Punishment (1): When theÂ Demi-LichÂ castsÂ Hellish Blast, there is a chance it will be cast again after a brief delay.
Chance: 20%
Skill Tree Tier 5
Lord of Edges (1): The Fatemaker gains increasedÂ Damage DealtÂ andÂ Damage ReductionÂ the lower their Health.
Damage Dealt: +25%
Damage Reduction: +25%
Blast Grasp (5): Whenever the Fatemaker dealsÂ Spell Damage, there is a chance to create an explosion, dealingÂ Ability DamageÂ of the Spell’s elemental type to nearby enemies. TheÂ Elemental ExplosionÂ cannot critically hit.
Chance: 20%
Ability Damage: 10% of Spell Damage dealt
Skill Tree Tier 6
Morhaim’s Blessing (1): Casting aÂ SpellÂ automatically activates all of the Fatemaker’sÂ Kill Skills.

Brr-Zerker

Class Feat: Rage of the Ancients
Using an Action Skill causes the Fatemaker to become Enraged, adding bonus Frost Damage to their attacks. Enrage Duration will not deplete while an Action Skill is active and ends if the Fatemaker enters Save Your Soul. Activating an Action Skill when already Enraged restores a portion of the Enrage timer.
Action Skill #1: Dreadwind
The Fatemaker spins, slashing anything nearby with their melee weapon and essentially becoming a pain tornado. Grants increased Movement Speed and Slow Immunity for a duration.
Action Skill #2: Feral Surge
The Fatemaker leaps toward their target, dealing Frost Damage to all nearby enemies. Any non-Boss enemies damaged will be instantly killed if their Total HP is below a certain percentage. If Feral Surge kills an enemy, its cooldown is reset.Â
Skill Tree Tier 1
Ancestral Frost (5): Frost Damage is increased.
Savagery (5): Melee Damage is increased. Enrage duration is increased.
Unyielding (3): A percentage of Missing Health regenerates over time. While Enraged, this effect is doubled.
Skill Tree Tier 2
Ice Breaker (3): The Fatemaker gains increased Damage Dealt to enemies that are Slowed. The closer an enemy is to being Frozen, the more Damage is increased.
The Old Ways (5): The Fatemaker deals Bonus Damage and gains increased Damage Reduction the closer they are to the enemy.
The closer the enemy is, the greater the bonus.
Instinct (3): Reload Speed is increased. Weapon Swap Speed is increased.
While Enraged, this effect is doubled.
Skill Tree Tier 3
Cold Snap (3): Movement Speed is increased. Frost Efficiency is increased.
While Enraged, this effect is doubled.
Unarmored Defense (1): A portion of the Fatemaker’s Ward is Reserved and cannot be restored, but their Maximum Health is increased by a percentage of the reserved amount. Health can no longer be Reserved.Â
Blood Frenzy (3): Kill Skill: Restore a percentage of your Enrage timer and a percentage of your Maximum Health.Â
Skill Tree Tier 4
Ancient Fury (5): Maximum Health is increased. Splash Damage is increased.Â
Relentless Rage (1): If the Fatemaker damages an enemy while in Save Your Soul, its duration is extended. The amount extended decreases over time.
Killing an enemy while in Save Your Soul will cause the Fatemaker to become Enraged.
Skill Tree Tier 5
Blast Chill (1): Whenever the Fatemaker deals Melee Damage to an enemy, there is a chance to release a Frost Nova, dealing Frost Ability Damage to nearby enemies. Frost Nova cannot Critically Hit.Â
Iron Squall (5): Fire Rate is increased. Melee Attack Speed is increased.
While Enraged, this effect is doubled.
Skill Tree Tier 6
Blood of the Fallen (1): Kill Skill: The Fatemaker’s remaining Action Skill Cooldown is reduced by a percentage. If an Action Skill is currently active, its duration is extended instead.Â

Clawbringer

Class Feat: Wyvern Companion
The Clawbringer is accompanied by a Wyvern Companion that flies through the environment and attacks enemies with its claws and Fire Breath. Any increases to the Fatemaker’s Damage also apply to their Companions.
Action Skill #1: Cleansing Flames
The Fatemaker summons their Hammer and slams it into the ground, dealing Melee Damage and creating a massive Fire Nova, dealing Fire Ability Damage to nearby enemies.
Action Skill #2: Storm Dragon’s Judgment
The Fatemaker summons their Hammer and hurls it, dealing Lightning Ability Damage to all enemies it touches. It sticks wherever it lands and deals Lightning Melee Damage every second to all nearby enemies. The Fatemaker can recall the Hammer, damaging enemies along its path, ending the Action Skill early, and refunding a portion of the cooldown.
Skill Tree Tier 1
Oath of Fire (5): The Fatemaker deals Bonus Fire Damage with their guns and their Wyvern Companion deal Bonus Fire Damage.Â
Radiance (5): The Fatemaker gains increased Maximum Ward Capacity.Â
Oath of Thunder (5): The Fatemaker deals Bonus Lightning Damage with their melee attacks and their Wyvern Companion deals Bonus Lightning Damage.Â
Skill Tree Tier 2
Dragon Aura (5): The Fatemaker is surrounded by a Dragon Aura that grants themselves and all allies inside it increased Elemental Damage.Â
Dedication (5): The Fatemaker gains increased Action Skill Cooldown Rate. The higher their Ward, the greater the bonus.Â
Rebuke (5): The Fatemaker gains Damage Reduction from all attacks. Additionally, all allies near the Fatemaker gain a chance to reflect damage back to their attackers as Lightning Damage.Â
Skill Tree Tier 3
Blasthamut’s Favor (1): Kill Skill: Killing an enemy with a gun summons a Fire Orb that seeks out a new enemy dealing Fire Ability Damage. Killing an enemy with melee damage summons a Lightning Orb that seeks out an enemy, dealing Lightning Ability Damage.Â
Skill Tree Tier 4
Fire Bolt (1): The Wyvern Companion will occasionally shoot Fire Bolts at enemies, causing damage in an area and leaving a splat. Additionally, the Fatemaker gains increased Gun Damage.Â
Friend to Flame (5): The Fatemaker’s Wyvern Companion gains Increased Damage.
Storm Breath (1): The Wyvern Companion will occasionally use its Lightning Breath on enemies, causing Lightning Damage that can arc from enemy to enemy.
Additionally, the Fatemaker gains increased Damage Reduction.
Skill Tree Tier 5
Awe (3): After dealing Fire Damage, the Fatemaker gains increased Critical Hit Damage.
After dealing Lightning Damage, the Fatemaker gains increased Critical Hit Chance.
Indomitable (1): If the Fatemaker would enter Save Your Soul, instead they refill their Ward and deal Bonus Lightning Damage for a short time. This skill has a long cooldown.Â
Skill Tree Tier 6
Storm Smite (1): Whenever the Fatemaker activates an Action Skill, they call down Elemental Bolts that deal Fire Ability Damage or Lightning Ability Damage to all nearby enemies.

Spellshot

Class Feat: Spellweaving
Casting a Spell or reloading a weapon grants the Spellshot a stack of Spellweaving, increasing Spell Damage. Spellweaving stacks automatically decay after a few seconds. Casting a Repeating Spell has a chance to award additional Spellweaving stacks with each Repeating Cast.
Action Skill #1: Ambi-Hextrous
The Spellshot may equip a spell into their Action Skill slot. Whenever the Spellshot presses the Action Skill Button, they cast that spell.
Action Skill #2: Polymorph
The Spellshot turns an enemy into a Skeep for a few seconds. If the enemy is immune, the Spellshot instantly casts a free Spell on that enemy and gains two free stacks of Spellweaving.
While Polymorph is active, any player that damages the Skeep has a chance to cast a free spell. This effect is guaranteed the first time the Fatemaker deals Gun Damage. If the Spellshot casts a free spell this way, they gain a stack of Spellweaving.
Skill Tree Tier 1
Spell Sniper (5): Gain increased Spell Critical Hit Chance.Â
Magic Bullets (3): A portion of all bonuses the Fatemaker receives to Spell Damage is applied to their guns.
Prestidigitation (5): Gain increased Reload Speed.Â
Skill Tree Tier 2
Font of Mana (5): Gain increased Spell Cooldown Rate. Gain increased Action Skill Cooldown Rate.Â
Mage Armor (1): Whenever the Fatemaker gains a stack of Spellweaving they restore a portion of their Ward.Â
Just Warming Up (5): Gain increased Fire Rate for every Spellweaving Stack.Â
Skill Tree Tier 3
Glass Cannon (1): The Fatemaker’s Ward no longer automatically recharges, but they gain drastically increased Spell Damage.
Skill Tree Tier 4
Imbued Weapon (5): Whenever the Fatemaker casts a Spell, their Guns deal Bonus Damage of that spell’s element for a short time. This effect stacks once per spell.
High Thread Count (1): Gain increased Max Spellweaving Stacks.Â
War Caster (5): Kill Skill: Whenever the Fatemaker kills an enemy, there’s a chance their weapon is instantly reloaded. This chance is increased per Spellweaving Stack.
Skill Tree Tier 5
Double Knot (3): Whenever you score a Critical Hit with a Spell, deal bonus damage equal to your gun’s element.Â
One Slot, One Kill (1): Gain increased Gun Damage per Spellweaving Stack.
Skill Tree Tier 6
Sever the Thread (1): Gun Critical Hits have a chance to instantly reset all Spell Cooldowns. This skill has a short cooldown.Â

Spore Warden

Class Feat: Mushroom Companion
The Fatemaker is accompanied by a Mushroom Companion that targets nearby enemies and deals Poison Damage. Pinging an enemy will cause your Mushroom Companion to lunge towards them. Any increases to the Fatemaker’s Damage also apply to their Companions.
Action Skill #1: Barrage
The Fatemaker summons an Ethereal Bow, firing 7 arrows that deal Ability Damage on impact. Arrows ricochet twice between nearby enemies. Barrage has multiple charges. Increases to Gun Damage apply to damage dealt by Barrage.
Action Skill #2: Blizzard
The Fatemaker creates 3 Frost Cyclones for a duration that seek out nearby enemies, dealing Frost Ability Damage over time.
Skill Tree Tier 1
Bounty of the Hunt (5): Kill Skill: Action Skill Cooldown Rate is increased for a brief duration.
Kindred Heart (5): Companion Health is increased. Companion Damage is increased.
Eagle Eye (5): Gun Damage is increased. Gun Handling is increased.Â
Skill Tree Tier 2
Affinity (5): Ability Damage is increased.Â
Spore Cloud (1): Your Mushroom Companion will occasionally let one rip, Taunting enemies and leaving a Poison Cloud that deals damage over time.
Bullseye (5): Gun Critical Hit Chance is increased. Companion Critical Hit Chance is increased.Â
Skill Tree Tier 3
Quiver of Holding (3): Magazine Size is increased. The Fatemaker’s currently equipped weapon regenerates ammo over time.Â
Medicinal Mushroom (1): While the Fatemaker is in Save Your Soul, their Mushroom Companion will attempt to revive them. If it does, you and your Companion gain increased damage dealt for a duration.Â
Windrunner (3): Kill Skill: Increased Movement Speed and Fire Rate for a duration. This effect can stack.Â
Skill Tree Tier 4
Thrill of the Hunt (3): Gun Critical Hits grant increased Companion Damage for a duration. This effect can stack up to 10 times.
Called Shot (3): While aiming down sights, the Fatemaker gains an ever-increasing amount of increased Gun Damage and Damage Reduction.
Skill Tree Tier 5
Wrath of Nature (3): Whenever the Fatemaker deals Ability Damage to an enemy, the affected enemy takes increased Damage from all sources for a duration.Â
Headhunter (1): Gun Damage dealt to Critical Hit Areas is increased.
Skill Tree Tier 6
Play the Angles (1): The Fatemaker’s Gun Critical Hits have a chance to Ricochet, dealing reduced Ability Damage to a nearby enemy. Ricocheted shots have a small chance to ricochet an additional time.Â


Power Rangers Battle For The Grid Adds Two Iconic Street Fighter Characters

Power Rangers Battle For The Grid launched in 2019 and already features 21 playable characters from across the franchise, including those from the original Mighty MorphinÂ series, the expanded Boom Studios comics, and the 2017 live-action movie.
Now, developer nWay has announced thatÂ Ryu and Chun-Li from Capcom’s Street FighterÂ franchise will be the next two additions to the game’s roster. Exclusively revealed via IGN, the announcement trailer mostly focuses on Ryu’s combos but ends with an appearance from Chun-Li.
What’s interesting is that they will both be donning their own unique Power Ranger suits, with Ryu officially listed as the Crimson Hawk Ranger and Chun-Li as the Blue Phoenix Ranger.
Both of them will be available in a Power Ranger Battle For The Grid Street Fighter DLC Pack for US$12.50 on 25 May 2021, which will also include exclusive skins that will be revealed at a later date. They can also be purchased separately as well for US$5.99 each.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Street Fighter 6 To Get 30-Minute Showcase With Lil’ Wayne Next Week

It’s only a few months away until we hit it to the streets with Capcom’s sixth mothership fighting game title. And we’re getting a slew of new information soon.
Capcom announced that it will be making big new announcements on 21st April GMT+8 for Street Fighter 6, with the show hosted by Lil Wayne. The showcase will last 30 minutes and will give us sneak peeks.
We’re guessing it’ll be new characters post-launch, some new fights and features, and new single-player campaign tidbits. Personally, I’m happy to be surprised by what’s in store, especially with that shot of Final Fight’s Damnd who may be a boss-type character for the campaign.
Details below:
Date: 21st April GMT+8
Time: 6am
Watch: https://t.co/U3uN0wAScQ (YouTube)

Tune in to the #SF6Showcase for an extended final look at Street Fighter 6 with over 30 minutes of big news and announcements.
? Hosted by Lil Wayne (@LilTunechi)? Date – April 20? Time – 3:00PM PT? Watch – https://t.co/U3uN0wAScQ pic.twitter.com/P4rWqMsUwu
— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) April 12, 2023

Street Fighter 6 will be out on 2nd June for PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.


Original Doom Trilogy Now Available For Mobile Platforms & Major Consoles

The original Doom trilogy – Doom, Doom 2, and Doom 3– is now available for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, and Android.
This news was made during QuakeCon 2019 a few hours ago courtesy of Doom Eternal directors Marty Stratton and Hugo Martin from id Software. So if you want to check out how old-school FPSs work, you can do that on modern devices now.

Doom and Doom 2 costs US$4.99, while Doom 3 is US$9.99. While these games have been on Xbox and iOS platforms, this is the first time parts 1 and 2 are on Android.


Blizzard Plans For BlizzCon Return In 2023

BlizzCon has been absent for the past three years, but it looks like the event might finally be returning next year. In an interview with the LA Times, Blizzard president Mike Ybarra confirmed that they’re currently working to make BlizzCon 2023 happen.
He said:
“We previously announced we’re taking a pause on BlizzCon while we reimagine it for the future but do want to return to a live event that enables us to celebrate the community.
We recently hired a new leader of BlizzCon, April McKee, who is hard at work on that plan. We are committed to bringing back BlizzCon in 2023.”
However, keep in mind that Ybarra is only saying that they’re planning the event for 2023, but until the event is officially announced with dates and everything, BlizzCon 2023 has yet to be confirmed as of now. BlizzCon 2020, 2021, and 2022 were all cancelled because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
We’ll have to wait for more details from Activision Blizzard down the line. Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei!


Road To EVO Japan 2019 Street Fighter V Tournament In Malaysia This October

Want to prove that you’re the best Street Fighter V player in the Southeast Asia block? Then look no further: the Road To Evo Japan 2019 tournament will be launched this October.
Here are the details:
Date: 27th October 2018
Venue: Future Games Esports Centre (Taylor Lakeside University )
Slot: 64
Console: PS4
Registration Fee: Free of charge
Eligibility: Players from Southeast Asia Region
Registration link:Â https://goo.gl/forms/LOpzTmxdW5UrdYme2
The total prize pool of this entire event is worth more than RM30,000. The winner of this Street Fighter V tournament will win a return air ticket to Japan plus accommodation to compete in EVO Japan 2019, a TT Racing Gaming Chair, AOC 27 inch Gaming Monitor, and a few other Flash Vision-branded goods.
As long as you’re from Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, you should be eligible for this. Best you get to practising!


Gears 5 Is The Biggest Xbox Game Studios Launch This Generation

Compared to the Xbox 360, the Xbox One has been severely lacking in exclusives. However, it looks like it might be picking up with the recent release of Gears 5, which has turned out to be the biggest Xbox Game Studios launch this generation so far.
According to Microsoft, Gears 5 broke the record with over 3 million players in its first weekend alone, making it the most-played Xbox Game Studios title in its first week since 2012â€™s Halo 4. That’s also double the first-week performance of Gears Of War 4.
This great achievement is likely due to the fact that Gears 5 is available on the Xbox Game Pass for both the Xbox One and PC. It is also the Xbox Game Studiosâ€™ best-ever debut on the Steam platform, which means that it’s selling well.
We gave it an 80/100 in our Gears 5 review, which you can check out here. In the meantime, check out the story trailer below.


Boss Key Productions is No More As Cliffy B Announces Shut Down

Following back-to-back failures in gaining significant player-base ad traction of their games, Cliff Blezinski has decided to close down his studio, Boss Key Productions after nearly four years of operation.
Announcing it via Twitter earlier today, Blezinski, former design director for Epic Games said:

A statement: pic.twitter.com/LwJD54bCwL

â€” Cliff Bleszinski (@therealcliffyb) May 14, 2018

In 2017, LawBreakers was released to much fanfare, backed by an army of video game streamers yet it was unable to sustain its momentum and attributed to its weak player base to other similar hero shooters in the market, namely Overwatch. Initially touted to be free-to-play, Blezinski’s decision to tag a US$30 pricetag onto the game started its spiral to obscurity. It failed to pick up in terms of sales and player count and only managed an all-time peak at just a little under 7,500 concurrent players. At last check, it had a peak of 25 concurrent players in April.
In their last swing of the bat, Boss Key jumped onto the battle royale hype-train and released Radical Heights which received criticism for its apparent similarity to Epic Games’ Fortnite. The public didn’t take too kind with the similarity and the official reveal trailer was disliked by more than 75% of its viewers.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMJF6TXGVEk&w=560&h=315]
Bleszinski confirmed that the Radical Heights servers will remain online “for the near future.”


Dragon Quest 35th Anniversary Livestream Slated For End Of May

Square Enix just announced that it will host a Dragon Quest 35th Anniversary Livestream online called Dragon Quest Day.
It will be held on 27th May and will be the first time the live stream will have English subtitles to accompany the Japanese language live stream. The stream will be announcing a huge slew of new and upcoming Dragon Quest title, with maybe a 12th mothership title in the mix. Possibly.

For more Dragon Quest, check out our coverage of the mobile game spin-offs.


10 Animes That Deal With Mature Themes

This piece is contributed by Tenoq, one of Malaysia’s renowned anime connoisseurs. Follow him here on Twitter.Â
Millennials like me grew up surrounded by adults who insist that “cartoons are for kids”. For better or worse, we ended up watching cartoons with relatively mature themes that were clearly not kid-friendly. The Simpsons and South Park were the shows that all the cool kids watched, either for the liberal use of profanity or for the snark sarcasm that somehow resonated with us: the generation that witnessed the birth of proto-social media and archaic memes.
Today, â€˜adultsâ€™ would gleefully watch Bojack Horseman, Archer, and Family Guy. These are all cartoons, but they were definitely not meant for children. English-speaking audiences eventually warmed up to the idea of “mature” shows and the animated medium no longer became a mark of permanent adolescence.

https://i.imgur.com/9ligfdp.mp4
Strangely enough, Anime doesnâ€™t seem to get the same level of reverence and recognition with mainstream audiences outside Japan. Despite the fact that anime has had mature themes since the 70s, the medium never quite got dissociated with younger audiences and there are still millennials today who would unironically claim that â€œanime is for kidsâ€.
As discerning readers of high-quality content here on Kakuchopurei, this writer trusts that you have come to read this piece in search of mature anime shows to put on your watch list. In the interest of giving your brain something substantial to chew on, hereâ€™s a starter pack of 10 anime titles (in no particular order) with mature themes for you to enjoy!
Cowboy Bebop (2001)

Allow me to Pixar-pitch Bebop to you: bounty hunters in space. At first, the show passes off as a light-hearted swashbuckling adventure of charming rogues planet-hopping in search of criminals and fugitives. Itâ€™s all fun and games until a few episodes in where it tackles themes of wealth disparity, social ills, government propaganda and sometimes, desperation when youâ€™re just shit out of luck.

Cowboy Bebop is a much beloved and celebrated masterpiece for its top-notch animation, timeless soundtrack and impeccable vocal performances. With 26-episode TV series and a theatrical film, it exemplifies the animated medium as a whole. A friendly gateway recommendation for anyone unfamiliar with anime.
Wolf Children (2012)

Mamoru Hosoda gained a following after many successful anime films such as The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Summer Wars. Not long after, he came up with Wolf Children, a heart-wrenching story of a single mother raising two kids as she juggles work, education and childrearing. Lots of tragic, emotional moments to process.
https://i.imgur.com/c4zSOyT.mp4
It features phenomenal animation work from legendary studio Madhouse with lots of character acting that draws you in deep. One of the (very) few anime films that made me cry. Oh, by the way, if you thought the main character looks familiar, she was once a sleepy student in Lofi Hip Hop Radio 24/7 Chill Gaming / Study Beats.
Patlabor (1988)

Donâ€™t you just love a good buddy cop story? Now take the winning formula of police duos and put them in giant robots. You would be forgiven to think this is a kiddy mecha battle, but I advise you to sit down and give it a go. Between office politics, drunk mecha pilots, and public complaints about traffic congestion (because of course, giant robots would obstruct cars), thereâ€™s a lot of heart to be found here.

Behind the glossy mecha animations, you will quickly see that Patlabor is a story about modern humans, coping with the daily struggles that come with modern life – except that thereâ€™s a construction robot that ripped the power lines and the whole city is left in a blackout. Youâ€™ve got three TV seasons and at least two films to watch so get to it, cadet!
Akira (1988)
https://i.imgur.com/BRXPy4j.mp4
How does one write a list of mature anime without including Akira? Itâ€™s impossible! Even if youâ€™re not into anime, if youâ€™re a film buff you would have at least heard of this legendary title. At bare minimum, you would know the “bike slide”. Yes, THAT bike slide, and now you know where it came from. You see it once, you will now see it EVERYWHERE.
Itâ€™s a dystopian future of biker gangs, corrupt corporations and experiments on children. This adaptation captures only but a piece of Katsuhiro Ootomoâ€™s masterpiece manga, one that explored themes of exploitation, class divide, loyalty and betrayal. An undisputed entry in the annals of anime history.
Planetes (2003)

First of all: itâ€™s pronounced PLA-NE-TES. Not Planets, not Planet-E-S. It comes from the Greek word Î Î»Î¬Î½Î·Ï„ÎµÏ‚ (PlanÄ“tes) which means â€œwanderersâ€. Despite the name and the story being set in space, itâ€™s not a story of planets but rather a story of very human characters. They wander between jobs, between having a steady income and being broke, between good, easy days at work and bad days when every floating piece of shit seems to hit all the turbo fans.

Taniguchi Goro (who would later go on to direct Code Geass) cooperated with JAXA to maintain a level of realism never before seen in sci-fi anime. Scenes in the vacuum of space are completely silent, save for background music and radio chatter. No whooshes, no clangs or bumps, not even the sound of thrusters. To emphasize the effects of weightlessness, some scenes were animated and broadcast at significantly higher frame rates.
Beneath the technical accomplishments on show lies deeper undertones of office politics, corporate buyouts, sexual harassment, glass ceilings, struggling entrepreneurs, the enduring, undying love for family. One of my favourite essays on the human condition.
Â
NEXT: The remaining 5