The Best Makoto Shinkai Films, Ranked

Weathering with You – or Child of Weather in Japanese – is now out in Malaysia. Itâ€™s not just director Makoto Shinkaiâ€™s latest film, but also the first since his 2016 hit, Your Name, which brought him into the mainstream spotlight.
Shinkaiâ€™s films are varied in length, but many feature an air of poignancy and nostalgia, with romance often being a part of them as well. Strong visuals are another consistent aspect of his work, and his filmsâ€™ ability to wow with their backgrounds and, lately, food porn never ceases to improve.
With the recent addition of Weathering with You to his filmography, itâ€™s a good time to rank Shinkaiâ€™s shorts and feature films and see how his latest work fares.
11) Other Worlds (1998)

Other Worlds (Japanese title: Distant World) is a recognizably early piece of work. Itâ€™s a little unrefined, with some of its black-and-white scenes resembling sketches, and itâ€™s also very short, being only a minute-and-a-half long.
The story centres on an intimate relationship that was never meant to last, with some of the unspoken lines roughly meaning: “Until you find your true love, please stay by my side”.
The poignant yearning expressed by those words is an instantly familiar Shinkai theme, but the brevity and hurried pace of the film holds back the potential of its premise. Itâ€™s still worth a watch though since itâ€™s just 90 seconds.
10) The Place Promised In Our Early Days (2004)

Shinkaiâ€™s first feature film combines melancholic yearning with alternate history – where Japan is separated into two halves – and parallel worlds. When they were middle school students, Hiroki Fujisawa and Takuya Shirakawa dreamed of flying to a mysterious sky-piercing tower on Hokkaido (called Ezo in the film) with their classmate, Sayuri Sawatari. However, matters are complicated by Sayuriâ€™s strange, literal dreams, as well as a looming war between the two halves of Japan and the existence of other worlds.
The concept is certainly intriguing, but the actual experience is a plodding one that makes 90 minutes feel like an eternity. The speculative fiction elements are surprisingly dull, and arenâ€™t helped by the fact that they feel more like means to an end. The bigger issue is that the film just isnâ€™t as poignant as it wants or needs to be. The soundtrack tries but often sounds saccharine instead of sincere, while the central relationship doesnâ€™t feel genuine enough. The best parts of the film are its vistas, which are lovely but canâ€™t salvage the film.
9) Egao (2003)

Scrumptiously detailed apartments inhabited by lonely people arenâ€™t an uncommon sight among Shinkaiâ€™s works, but Egao (â€œSmileâ€ in English) also has an adorable furball. This short film/music video is about a girl with a pet hamster who suddenly remembers an ex-boyfriend, triggering a sudden bout of sadness in the process.
The story isnâ€™t much, but the combination of attractive visuals – the scenes of the hamster bounding across shifting landscapes are incredibly charming – and a really nice song make it a very pleasant watch.
8) Voices of a Distant Star (2002)

Voices of a Distant Starâ€™s combination of a long-distance relationship with 3DCG mecha battles made for an attractive DVD cover, one which was an eye-catching part of Popular Bookstoreâ€™s anime section years ago. Sadly, the film itself doesnâ€™t combine these two elements with the same elegance.
The spacecraft and mecha designs donâ€™t feel like they came from the setting as the 21st Century environments on Earth, and the same sense of contrast applies to the juxtaposition between rueful rumination and kinetic mecha action. The CGI and character designs havenâ€™t aged very well either, although itâ€™s still impressive that Shinkai animated everything himself.

The rumination is done by Mikako Nagamine and Noburo Terao, close friends who are separated when the former ends up battling aliens in space instead of entering high school.

Their phones keep them connected, but the further Mikako is from Earth, the longer it takes for her messages to reach Noburo â€“ at one point, the estimated delivery time exceeds an entire year. Itâ€™s not bad, but a later film in this feature did the separated-by-distance theme better.
Fun fact: Donna Burke, who sang Metal Gear Solid Vâ€™s Sins of the Father, had a small role in this film.
7) She and Her Cat: Their Standing Points (1999)

This award-winning short, which received an anime series adaptation in 2016, is about a cat called Chobi (voiced by Shinkai himself) who is fond of his female owner (voiced by Shinkaiâ€™s wife, Mika Shinohara). Through his thoughts, the film provides a glimpse into the life of a young woman who is experiencing loneliness and unhappiness in the city. Itâ€™s never stated if she has a boyfriend, but Chobiâ€™s seemingly irrelevant relationship with another cat, Mimi, may in fact be a reflection of the womanâ€™s own love life.
Although presented in monochrome, the filmâ€™s layouts, lighting, and details (the cats however are drawn simply) make each scene an aesthetic success. Unlike Other Worlds, there is also time to enjoy these scenes â€“ the short runs for slightly less than five minutes, but feels longer than that. She and Her Catâ€™s story never felt moving for me, but itâ€™s not an insubstantial experience.
6) Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)

Shinkai has been thought of as the next Hayao Miyazaki, but his films (even the more fantastical ones) donâ€™t usually invite direct comparisons to Studio Ghibliâ€™s often fantasy-based offerings. Children Who Chase Lost Voices is an exception, thanks to the mythical, underground land of Agartha and an art style that looks more Ghibli than typical Shinkai.
While the film doesnâ€™t feel as charming or magical as Ghibliâ€™s best, the journey into Agartha is still an interesting one with some fascinating sights. The land is believed to have the power to reunite the living with the dead, and so the main characters are guided not by a keen sense of exploration, but by loss. The filmâ€™s primary message – that we have to learn to move on – is pretty obvious, but it imbues the proceedings with a palpable sense of pathos.
Unfortunately, the charactersâ€™ journey culminates with a quick climax that isnâ€™t weighty enough.
And now, the top 5 Makoto Shinkai films!


Trove Sunrise Update To Add New Class, New Biome & More Next Week

Gamigo has announced that the Trove Sunrise update will arrive on 28 June 2022, which will include the new Solarion class, the new Sundered Uplands biome, Ultimate Bosses in new 5 Star Dungeons, and much more.
The new Solarion class works as a servant of the Sun Goddess to smite enemies through a combination of their bow for long-range attacks and a pet phoenix that rushes in with fast and fierce melee attacks. This fired-up class uses their Phoenix Radiance passive ability to increase their attack rate and gain energy to summon a pet phoenix to aid in battle. When the phoenix is slain, a self-healing egg will spawn and explode once its max health is reached. And from the egg’s ashes, the Solarion’s phoenix will rise again to aid their master once more!
Additional abilities for the Solarion include Solar Flare – a charged explosive shot that damages enemies over time – and Guiding Light – summoned pillars that damage enemies and heals friendly targets within their area. Their Ultimate Prismatic Blast deals damage to enemies surrounding the Solarion while stacking damage buffs up to 5 times. Once their energy is depleted, their Ultimate will stop.
Trovians that reach Uber-1 Adventure Worlds can explore Trove’s newest biome, Sundered Uplands’ unique upper and lower levels, but it’ll primarily be found in Uber-7 Adventure Worlds and will certainly give them more of a challenge than neighboring biomes. Be mindful that both levels aren’t created equal as the Irradiant Sky Giants build and expand land stolen from down below. This tips the balance of power in their favor, resulting in a biome filled with many challenges:

Don’t Look Down: The Cloud Layer is filled with rich resources the Irradiant Sky Giants have stolen from below, which Trovians will want to mine. The Ashen Wastes, on the other hand, are not as pleasant seeing how the fallout of the group’s reckless deeds festers and grows in strength down there.
Clipped Wings: Don’t expect to fly around as you please as the Sundered Uplands is covered in a Flight Suppression Field to deliver a permanent NO FLY ZONE. Although, there’s a rumor that Fungi Scrollpeddler may have something to help free Trovians from this debuff. You did not hear that from us, though!
Dangerous Dungeons: Dungeons will appear in both the top and bottom layers of Sundered Uplands. Special 5-star dungeons will spawn to offer more of a challenge as Trovians face off against one of the new Ultimate Bosses in addition to other new enemies.
With so many dangers ahead, Trovians will not be fighting with their backs against the wall as they can head to Fungal Outposts to gain access to Personal Chests, Flask Refillers, Loot Collectors, Fungi Adventures, and a variety of merchants. The new Crystal Gems can also be used to improve a Trovians’ gear to help them fight off the numerous monsters lurking in the Sundered Uplands.

Trove’s Sunrise update will be available for free on PC on 28 June 2022 and will be available on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch sometime this summer.


The Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla Free Weekend Begins Today

Ubisoft has announced that Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla will have a Free Weekend for the first time starting today (25 February 2022) until 28 February 2022 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC via the Ubisoft Store.
During the Free Weekend players will have access to the full main game content, and their progression will carry over if they decide to purchase the game.
Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla offers players the captivating experience of playing as Eivor, a legendary Viking warrior, driven from Norway by endless wars and dwindling resources in the ninth century AD. Players can relive the ruthless fighting style of Viking warriors with a dynamic dual-wielding combat system and experience exciting gameplay features such as raids, assaults, and the settlement, as well as a substantial progression and gear upgrade system.
In addition, Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhallaâ€™s next major expansion, Dawn of RagnarÃ¶k, will be released on 10 March 2022. Dawn of RagnarÃ¶k will be available as a separate purchase for all owners of the main game. It can also be purchased as part of the RagnarÃ¶k Edition of the game, which includes the main game and the expansion; or as part of the Digital Complete Edition of the game, which includes the main game, the Season Pass, the Ultimate Content Pack and Dawn of RagnarÃ¶k.
With development led by Ubisoft Sofia, Dawn of RagnarÃ¶k is the next major expansion, continuing Year 2 of post-launch support for Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla. In this expansion, Eivor must embrace their destiny as Odin, the Norse god of Battle and Wisdom. The dwarven kingdom of Svartalfheim is crumbling, and amid the chaos, Odinâ€™s beloved son, Baldr, has been taken prisoner by the unkillable fire giant, Surtr. In Dawn of RagnarÃ¶k, players will be able to unleash new divine powers as they continue their legendary Viking saga by embarking on a desperate rescue quest through a mythological world of contrasts.
All players purchasing Dawn of RagnarÃ¶k until 9 April 2022 will receive the Twilight Pack, which will be immediately unlockable in the main game. This exclusive bonus includes the Dellingr’s Envoy Raven Skin, the Havardr Lynx Mount, the Twilight Gear Set and the Algurnir Dane Axe Weapon.
In the meantime, check outÂ our full review ofÂ Assassinâ€™s Creed ValhallaÂ here, orÂ head on over here for our guideÂ on how to be the best Viking in the game.


The Russians Invade In New Vikings Season 6 Trailer

History has finally revealed the release date for the sixth and final season of Vikings, along with an epic new trailer. Vikings Season 6 is slated to release on 4 December 2019 with a special two-hour premiere episode.
In an interview with IGN, Vikings creator Michael Hirst said:

â€œI always knew how â€˜Vikingsâ€™ would end and, after 89 episodes, I truly believe the saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons has been told and we are leaving our beloved fans with the proper and definitive ending they so deserve.
Although it is bittersweet there are still 20 episodes left and the most ambitious and intensely emotional episodes are still to come.â€

While the first 10 episodes of Vikings Season 6 will start airing from 4 December, the remaining 10 will be released in a separate batch later sometime in 2020. The official description reads:

“Season 6 returns following the battle between brothers which has left Bjorn victorious and a hero to the people who have been under the tyrannical rule of Ivar for so long.
As the new leader of Kattegat, Bjorn struggles to fill his late fatherâ€™s shoes as king, while facing several dilemmas and wrestling with the idea that power overshadows morals.
Meanwhile, Ivar, searching for a new path to separate him from his past, is seen traveling along The Silk Road eventually leading him to Russia.
He meets his match in Prince Oleg (Danila Kozlovsky), a ruthless and unpredictable Russian ruler, who shocks even Ivar with his merciless actions.
Lagertha has her own agenda â€“ to live a quieter and less public life on her own farm â€“ but new dangers lurk close to home.
This season, the Vikings continue to take over Scandinavia as Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith) and Torvi (Georgia Hirst) travel to Iceland to uncover the mystery circling around Flokiâ€™s (Gustaf Skarsgard) disappearance and Hvitserk (Marco IlsÃ¸) pursues his personal vendetta against Ivar.”

Check out the trailer below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7d0A5re7-0&w=560&h=315]


New Alienware Gaming Laptops Are Coming To Malaysia

Alienware prides itself on delivering the most immersive gaming experiences powered by the latest technologies. As we blast into 2021, Alienware partnered with NVIDIA to push the boundaries of PC gaming further, with an amazingly fast and powerful experience for gamers and creators.
More Power & Performance for On-the-Go Gamers
Already the thinnest laptops weâ€™ve ever made, the new Alienware M15 and M17 R4 coming to Malaysia deliver a faster and more powerful competitive edge with the next-gen NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop GPUs which have been engineered with 12-phase graphics voltage regulation for rich marathon gaming sessions, up to 2.5TB of storage, and faster memory speeds up to 2933MHz.
With these thin and powerful notebooks, gamers can game with confidence knowing their on-the-go battle stations will stay properly cooled thanks to vapour chamber technology included in every configuration – a new advantage of the Alienware Cryo-Techâ„¢ cooling technology designs in our R4 generation.
For those seeking the highest possible framerates, our Alienware m17 R4 is â€˜bringing the hertzâ€™ with an optional 360Hz FHD panel that delivers faster refresh rates and smoother gameplay, perfect for AAA titles like Valorant and Cyberpunk 2077. With technology this cutting-edge, itâ€™s no wonder the new Alienware m17 R4 is recognized as a CES 2021 Innovation Award Honoree (Gaming).
Both M15/M17 laptops are available in colours Lunar Light and Dark Side of the Moon, with a new matte finish front panel.Â
Alienware M15 R4

Alienware M17 R4

Join Alienware and Special Guests Live on Twitch
Alienware is hosting a livestream event at 4am GMT+8 on 27 January 2021 via Twitch.TV/Alienware to celebrate the launch of these new gaming rigs with community members, gamers, partners, and fans.
Along with learning more about the new systems, attendees will hear directly from Team Liquid and NVIDIA GeForce, enjoy gameplay with a special guest and have the chance to win exclusive prizes.Â
Pricing & Availability:

Products
Starting Price
Available Specs
Availability in Malaysia

Alienware m15 R4
RM 10,999

10th Generation Intel Core i7-10870HÂ
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
2TB PCIe M.2 SSDÂ
15.6â€ FHD (1920 x 1080) 300Hz
Available colours: Lunar Light, Dark Side of the Moon

January 2021

Alienware m17 R4
RM 10,799

10th Generation Intel Core i7-10870HÂ
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
2.5 TB (2x1TB + 512GB PCIe SSD)
17.3â€ FHD (1920 x 1080) 360Hz (also available in UHD 3840 x 2160 60Hz)
Available colours: Lunar Light, Dark Side of the Moon

January 2021


Grim Reaper Office Game Is One Of Steam’s New February Releases

While we wait for Doom Eternal to release in March, it seems like there aren’t any interesting games at the moment. Or are there?
The arrival of Metro Exodus on Steam aside, there are actually a few interesting-looking titles that came out this month. Let’s have a look.
Death and Taxes (RM30)

Release Date: February 21
What Is It? It’s a 2D game where you play as the Grim Reaper. This isn’t the scythe-wielding Grim Reaper though, but one dressed in formal wear and stuck at the office.
Your job still involves peoples’ lives, though, and your choices will have an effect on the game. “Keep the chaos away or foil plots to destroy the world and rise through the ranks of Reapers all the way up to MIDDLE-MANAGEMENT, wow!” reads the description. “Death and Taxes is a game in the vein of narrative-based indie titles, such as ‘Papers, Please’, ‘Reigns’, ‘Beholder’, and ‘Animal Inspector’, to name a few.”
Beautiful Desolation (RM39, on sale for RM35.10 at time of writing)

Release Date: February 27
What Is It? A 2D isometric sci-fi adventure game. Set in a post-apocalyptic setting, it looks pretty interesting (and pretty), based on the screenshots.
The description says that the game will have you “solve puzzles,Â meetÂ new friends and make powerful enemies,Â mediate conflicts, andÂ fight for your life as you unravel the secrets of the world around you”.
Taur (RM44)

Release date: February 20
What Is It? A tower-defense strategy game made by a team of one. It looks action-packed and has pretty lasers. The title is also a weird pun.
Interestingly, you’re not just building towers in this game. As the Steam page says:

“Control the Prime Cannon and unlock all of its powerful weapons and abilities. Build turrets, droids, aircraft and more as you fight to protect the homeworld of the Tauron droids against a relentless invasion. Will your Taur stand against the Imperion warmachine?”

Broken Lines (RM44)

Release date: February 25
What Is It? Tactical RPG set in an alt-history World War 2. I initially mistook it for a World War 1 game, but it’s still an interesting concept.
The game is turn-based, but with a twist. Here’s the game description:

“Soldiers move only when the action phase starts. However, when new enemies and hazards appear, the game pauses to allow you to plan your reaction to this new change. Will you continue to charge forward, or back off and seek cover?”

In addition, choices can affect the campaign ending you get.
Warzone 2100 (Free)

Release Date: February 18
What Is It? Warzone originally came out in 1999, but it’s now out on Steam for free. It’s a real-time strategy game, but one that’s a bit different from your Starcrafts and Command and Conquers.
As the Steam page explains: “Compared to other real-time strategy games, Warzone 2100 has a greater focus on artillery, radar, and counter-battery technologies, more frequent in-game cinematic updates as gameplay progresses, a massive research tree, as well as a vehicle design system.”
OshiRabu: Waifus Over Husbandos (RM39, on sale for RM35.10 at time of writing)

Release Date: February 28
What Is It? I don’t know if there are any dark twists lying in store, but OshiRabu: Waifus Over Husbandos looks like a cute and light-hearted yuri visual novel on the surface. The plot description is amusing too:
“Akuru Hayahoshi is an unlucky otaku office worker who just can’t pull her husbando in the gacha game she’s obsessed with, no matter how much money she throws at it. Until one day, she runs into the garishly gorgeous and freakishly lucky Ren Furutachi.
“A series of misunderstandings lead to a proposal, and Ren starts to full-on pursue Akuru. One thing leads to another, and in order to bring her husbando home, she ends up… bringing Ren home?!”


Google Sets Up New Stadia Studio Led By God Of War Executive Producer

Google has set up a new Stadia game development studio in Playa Vista, California, revealed Jade Raymond, the VP and Head of Stadia Games and Entertainment in a blog post.
She also announced that the new Playa Vista studio will be led by Shannon Studstill, the executive producer of 2018’s God of War. Studstill was previously the boss of Sony Santa Monica, and was involved in games ranging from the God of War series, The Order: 1886, and Twisted Metal.

“The new Playa Vista studio will focus on delivering exclusive games, using new gameplay mechanics, creative ways to play together and unique interaction models that weâ€™re just starting to explore,” said Raymond.
“While weâ€™re not ready to share specific game plans yet, rest assured we are listening to what gamers want and adding our own Stadia twists to create new IP and experiences.”

We previously wrote about the lack of game releases on the Stadia. Hopefully, the combined efforts of the Playa Vista studio and the previous Montreal studio can change things.
In the meantime, it seems that The Division 2 and its Warlords of New York expansion are heading to the platform, as reported by Eurogamer.


The Netflix Tekken Series Trailer Shows Off The Best Tekken 7 Stage, EWGF, & More Classic Characters

Fans of animated video game adaptations on Netflix, you are eating heavy this half of 2022. Tekken: Bloodline’s new trailer just dropped, and it looks promising.
We now get a clearer vision of the show, though the recent sneak peeks did help. We see two fighters (presumably Jun and her son Jin) in one version of the Infinite Azure, perhaps the most-played stage in Tekken 7.

With the show taking place after the events of Tekken 2 and being the entire story of Tekken 3, we also get to see Tekken 3 big boss Ogre in his regular form.

Then we get the training montage where his granddad Heihachi Mishima beats the snot out of Jin with his Electric Wind God Fist combos so that Jin gets tough enough to be the badass he is in Tekken 3.
View post on imgur.com

Don’t worry: Jin does it too in the trailer.

Here’s a comparison between Tekken: Bloodline’s moves from Heihachi and Jin with Tekken 7’s versions of their iconic moves like the former’s Electric Wind God Fist and that one overhead kick he has since the first Tekken.

There’s also our first look at Tekken veterans Paul Phoenix (hair and all), Julia Chang in her Tekken 7 streamer outfit, and Nina in her trademark purple assassin jumpsuit that’s made for its titillating era.

Oh and there’s Jin’s childhood friend Xiaoyu and his Taekwando rival Hwoarang.

Here’s the full description of the show:
“Power is everything.” Jin Kazama learned the family self-defense arts, Kazama-Style Traditional Martial Arts, from his mother at an early age. Even so, he was powerless when a monstrous evil suddenly appeared, destroying everything dear to him, changing his life forever. Angry at himself for being unable to stop it, Jin vowed revenge and sought absolute power to exact it. His quest will lead to the ultimate battle on a global stage — The King of Iron Fist Tournament.”
Tekken: Bloodline will be out on 18 August. Watch the full trailer below.


Free Fire Crowned Esports Mobile Game Of The Year For Second Consecutive Year

The Esports Awards 2021 named Free Fire as the â€˜Esports Mobile Game of the Yearâ€™ at their annual awards ceremony held (from 03:08:51) over the weekend. This is the second year running that Free Fire has won the accolade.
Free Fire was nominated alongside titles like PUBG Mobile, Arena of Valor, Mobile Legends, Call of Duty: Mobile, Brawl Stars, Clash Royale, and League of Legends: Wild Rift.
In his acceptance speech, Justin Lye, Global Esports Manager, Garena, shared that the team was â€œhonoured and humbledâ€ to have won the award, and dedicated the win to Free Fireâ€™s global community â€“ its players, viewers, and partners. Justin acknowledged the great work that the team has put in to make the win possible, and said that this award win gives them the confidence and motivation to do even better in 2022.
The win builds on Free Fireâ€™s achievements in 2021 â€“ setting a new global esports record with having over 5.4 million peak concurrent viewers for the Free Fire World Series 2021 Singapore and becoming the first mobile battle royale game to achieve one billion downloads on the Google Play Store.
You can watch The Esports Awards 2021 here on Twitch.


Trials Of Mana Looks Gorgeous In New Gameplay Trailer

Square Enix has not one, but two JRPG remakes coming out in April 2020. The first is Final Fantasy VII Remake, but not many may have realised the other one releasing later in the same month; Trials Of Mana. The original game (known as Seiken Densetsu 3 in Japan) initially launched back in 1995 for the SNES.
Trials of Mana is a full HD remake of the third entry in the classic Mana JRPG series, updated with fluid real-time combat and gorgeous 3D graphics. Players can experience vastly different stories by selecting a party of three from six unique characters. These characters can even change classes and learn over 300 different abilities.
The graphics remind me of 2018’s Dragon Quest XI: Echoes Of An Elusive Age (also by Square Enix), which means that it looks positively brilliant. Unlike that game’s traditional turn-based gameplay, Trials Of Mana features Tales-like real-time combat.

Those who pre-purchase or purchase Trials Of Mana by 21 May 2020 will receive the Rabite Adornment DLC, allowing players to gain more EXP after battles up to level 10. Pre-orders of the digital PS4 version of the game will also include an exclusive avatar set featuring the gameâ€™s six playable characters.
Trials Of Mana is slated to release for the PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC on 21 April 2020. In the meantime, check out the gameplay trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HpBMhNUJnA&w=560&h=315]


Genshin Impact 2.8 Update Will Be Out Mid-July; Features New Fischl & Diluc Costumes Too!

Genshin Impact’s upcoming 2.8 update will be slated for the middle of July according to developer Hoyoverse, and based on the graphic on the feature page, it’s going to be a anime beach episode type of deal.
The update introduces a new 4-star Anemo Catalyst user named Shikanoin Heizou. He’s a young prodigy detective from the Tenryou Commission. He lets his Anemo attacks and fists do the talking as a last resort as he prefers to solve problems the detective’s way.

???????????????????????????????????????????????#?? #Genshin #??????? pic.twitter.com/BMbGmbJduM
— ???Genshin??? (@Genshin_7) July 2, 2022

The update also introduces a new story quest featuring Kazuha and his family’s history as blacksmiths. Speaking of Kazuha, his banner is going through a rerun when the update launches. We’re also getting the second beach episode quest called Summer Time Odyssey, and it involves Fischl and Mona in a bunch of beach adventures.
Fischl and Diluc will be getting brand-new outfits; Fischl’s will be available as a reward from the summertime quest while Diluc’s require you to pay real money/Primogems for it.

???????Ver.2.8????????????????????????????????????????????#?? #Genshin #??????? pic.twitter.com/aS1WNWoInV
— ???Genshin??? (@Genshin_7) July 2, 2022

???????Ver.2.8???????????????????????????????????????????#?? #Genshin #??????? pic.twitter.com/Qfk4WlgMDj
— ???Genshin??? (@Genshin_7) July 2, 2022

Check out the gameplay trailer below. The Genshin Impact 2.8 update will go live on 13th July.

As an icing to this delicious update cake, Hoyoverse also teased update 3.0, which will have players explore the jungle continent of Sumeru.

??????????????????????????#?? #Genshin #??????? pic.twitter.com/LENW72fgJ5
— ???Genshin??? (@Genshin_7) July 2, 2022


Activision Makes Exclusive Deal With YouTube To Livestream Its Esports Shooter Leagues

Back in 2018, Twitch signed a two-year deal with Activision to be the sole third-party provider of Overwatch League livestreams in all regions outside of China. Now that it’s 2020 and that deal has expired, Activision will be signing on with a new partner.
The company has recently signed a new multi-year deal with YouTube for exclusive livestreaming rights for all of Activision’s pro esports leagues and events. This is including and not limited to:

Overwatch League
Call of Duty League
Hearthstone Esports
World of Warcraft Esports

https://twitter.com/Fwiz/status/1220809570827689984
Three of these titles are Blizzard games, FYI.
The deal will entail “premium network quality of service” and a way for Activision to “tap into Google Cloud’s AI tools to offer curated recommendations for in-game offers and differentiated gaming experiences”, according to Google Cloud head of gaming Sunil Rayan.

“We’ve worked closely with Activision Blizzard for the past few years across mobile titles to boost its analytics capabilities and overall player experience. We are excited to now expand our relationship and help power one of the largest and most renowned game developers in the world”.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed yet, but we assume that it’s worth the same as Activision’s 2018 deal with Twitch.tv: US$90 billion. Here’s an official statement from Activision Blizzard Esports CEO Pete Vlastelica:

“This is an exciting year for Activision Blizzard Esports as we head into the inaugural season of Call of Duty League and our first ever season of homestands for Overwatch League all around the world.
Itâ€™s our mission to deliver high-quality competitive entertainment that our fans can follow globally, live or on-demand, and to celebrate our players as the superstars that they are. This partnership will help us deliver on that promise at new levels, by combining our passionate communities of fans and players with YouTube’s powerful content platform and exciting history of supporting next-generation entertainment.”


Netflix December 2020: Our Highlights & Picks

Since everyone is (still mostly) staying home because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Iâ€™m sure you wonâ€™t want to waste time sifting through Netflixâ€™s extensive catalogue of shows and movies just to decide on what to watch. The streaming giant updates its site every day, week, and month with new content, so Iâ€™m here to save your precious time.
Here are my personal recommendations and highlights for Netflix Malaysiaâ€™s December 2020 lineup and how to fill up your free time with worthwhile content at home:
Mank (4 December 2020)

Directed by acclaimed director David Fincher (of Seven, Fight Club, and The Social Network fame), Mank is a biographical drama about the life of Herman J. Mankiewicz as he wrote the legendary movie Citizen Kane (1941), as well as the problems that arose with Orson Welles during production and leading up to the film’s release.
It stars Gary Oldman as Herman J. Mankiewicz, and a star-studded cast that includes Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Arliss Howard, Tom Pelphrey, Sam Troughton, Ferdinand Kingsley, Tuppence Middleton, Tom Burke, and Charles Dance.

Detention (5 December 2020)

Detention is a supernatural horror drama based on the video game of the same name developed by Red Candle Games (the same studio behind the controversial 2019 horror game Devotion).
Set in the period of martial law known as the White Terror in Taiwan, Detention entwines the suffocating political situations under martial law and heart-stopping legends of local deities, portraying a labyrinth of unspeakable oppression.
The synopsis reads:
A tormented student uncovers unsettling secrets at her remote high school as betrayal and a paranormal encounter upend her life.

Alice In Borderland (10 December 2020)

Alice In Borderland is a live-action adaptation of the manga of the same name about a video-game-obsessed young man finds himself in a strange version of Tokyo where he and other visitors must compete in deadly games to survive.

The Prom (11 December 2020)

The Prom is a new musical movie directed by Ryan Murphy and adapted to the screen by Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin, from their and Matthew Sklar’s 2018 Broadway musical of the same name.
The film stars Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells, Ariana DeBose, Kerry Washington, and Jo Ellen Pellman.

The Midnight Sky (23 December 2020)

Directed by and starring George Clooney, The Midnight Sky is a science fiction movie based on the novel Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton.
It also stars Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Tiffany Boone, DemiÃ¡n Bichir, Kyle Chandler, and Caoilinn Springall.
The synopsis reads:
This post-apocalyptic tale follows Augustine (George Clooney), a lonely scientist in the Arctic, as he races to stop Sully (Felicity Jones) and her fellow astronauts from returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe. Clooney directs the adaptation of Lily Brooks-Daltonâ€™s acclaimed novel Good Morning, Midnight, co-starring David Oyelowo, Kyle Chandler, DemiÃ¡n Bichir and Tiffany Boone.
Transformers War For Cybertron Earthrise (30 December 2020)

In July 2020, Netflix released the first part of the new CG animated seriesÂ Transformers War For CybertronÂ with the six-episode Chapter 1: Siege. The second chapter, Earthrise, now has a release date.
The synopsis reads:
With the Allspark gone, Megatron is forced to confront the harsh reality that his Decepticons are trapped on a dying Cybertron.Meanwhile, lost in the darkest reaches of space, Optimus Prime and his team embark on a desperate mission, unexpectedly running into â€¦ the spacefaring Mercenaries.

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina Part 4 (31 December 2020)

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina reimagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft.
Over the course of Part 4â€™s eight episodes, The Eldritch Terrors will descend upon Greendale. The coven must fight each terrifying threat one-by-one (The Weird, The Returned, The Darkness to name a few), all leading up toâ€¦The Void, which is the End of All Things.
As the witches wage war, with the help of The Fright Club, Nick begins to slowly earn his way back into Sabrinaâ€™s heart, but will it be too late?
This will be the final season of the series.

Those are just several selected highlights from next monthâ€™s offerings of new TV series and movies on Netflix. Now you can plan your Netflix binge-fest for December 2020.


The Dungeons & Dragons 2023 Movie Has A Huge Nod To The 80s Cartoon Series

The Dungeons & Dragons movie is out now, and it’s a far cry from the 2000s POS adaptation. It’s a hearty recommendation from us at Kakuchopurei as the film is full of action, witty banter, some heartfelt moments, and all-around homages to the source material.
In fact, there’s one particular homage that will resonate with some fans who were in tuned with the franchise in the late 80s, or more specifically its animated TV series adaptation. However, the tribute appears in the second half of the film. So here are your spoiler warnings since we have to bring up some late movie plot details.

In the second half of the show, Ed’s party (Ed the bard, Holga the fighter, Simon the wizard, Doric the tiefling druid) gets captured after a failed heist in Neverwinter and are tossed in as forced participants in an arena-style gladiatorial contest. Said contest is lethal and has a makeshift maze alongside some terrifying monsters like the Displacer Beast, the Gelatinous Cube, and the Mimic.
When the games start, we have Ed’s party and two other adventure parties. The second party features characters dressed up like the D&D characters from the 80s cartoon of the same name. The camera is off-focus in this portion since it’s Ed and his party talking strategy, but you make out the character outfits and equipment: the Cavalier’s yellow garb and shield, the Barbarian’s helmet, Presto’s green outfit, and so forth.

During the games, we get close-ups of “Bobby the Barbarian” (now a 40-year old man) scoring a weapon from a chest alongside “Sheila the Thief” (who has dark hair) and “Eric the Cavalier” (who is Indian). We also get to see a short bit where the 80s D&D heroes win the first round of the games as they wait in the caged elevator to ascend to the next portion of the games: all six of them as the camera circles within the same room.

Since the show is recently out in cinemas and there’s no digital copy on sale yet, we can’t show you the on-screen comparisons just yet. But it’s good to know that the makers pay tribute to the classic cartoon series.


Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 Gaming Monitor Is Now Open For Registration Of Interest

Samsung Malaysia has announced that you can now register and be the first to know all about the New Samsung Odyssey Neo G9, the highly anticipated gaming monitor for its cutting-edge design, display, and unbeatable specifications, which will put you through an immersive gaming experience.
The New Odyssey Neo G9 comes packed with DQHD Ultra-Wide Mini LED, so it gets brighter and better local dimming, HDMI 2.1 inputs with 1ms response time, 240Hz refresh rate and Quantum Matrix HDR2000 that gives higher contrast ratio which allows you to discover the absolute best immersive visuals in every game.Â
With Samsung Odyssey Neo G9, each scene leaps to life with incredible colours and pinpoint accuracy. Its mesmerizing, curved screen delivers breakthrough immersion, surrounding your senses with electrifying depth.
Start levelling up your game experience and register for more updates on the New Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 at https://www.samsung.com/my/odyssey-neo-g9-pre-registration


Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain; Shoot First Think Later

Platforms: PlayStation 4
Genre:Â Third-person bug shooter with powerful exosuits.
Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain was just released recently. After giving it a go during my calm weekend, my final thoughts were… rather mixed.
Let’s see what Yuke’s latest game brings to the table. You’ll be playing the last member of a raid squad tasked to take down an insect mothership. The mission went south, and you were caught in the initial blast, but survived and went into a coma for 7 years. After regaining consciousness, it became your job to kill the enemy, collect shiny cores, and don’t die in the process.
The game offers you a campaign which could be played solo, or duke it out with a friend online or take it locally and ask a mate to fill in that empty couch and hand him the second controller for some hectic split-screen action.

For the first time ever, the series has its very first competitive multiplayer mode which makes it appearance in Iron Rain.
Called Titled Mercenary, the mode pits players in a 2v2 grab for energy gems dropped from enemy bugs. Points are awarded by bringing those gems to certain points on the map while being wary of the enemy team who can steal what youâ€™ve gathered if they kill you.
The small nature of the arena creates a perfect environment to breed pandemonium as tons of insects appears on-screen, rendering even the most composed strategists inane. Mostly not because of the swarm, but by the frequently dipping framerates caused by millions of insects. So players will be scrambling to grab whatever energy gems the could find and stashing it in the designated location.
In short, a quick dose for mindless fun.
Create Your Own Exterminator
For once in an Earth Defense Force title, you can create your own hero. There is a wide range of customizations you can unlock along your journey to save the earth.
FFXV’s Noctis moonlighting since Insomnia went broke.
You can switch anything anytime. Not happy with your face? Switch it between missions. Wanna play as a female? Just go with that transgender operation.
Need some humongous Japanese anime tiddies? Be my guest. The flexibility is unparalleled.
Mindless Violence
So let’s start off with me saying that this is a perfect game after the truly soul-crushing experience of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.Â Why? Because it’s mindless violence, that’s why.
In Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain, you don’t have to think. In my entire experience of playing, one has only need to hold R2 and push the right analog stick to point in the right direction and you’re all set. All you need is a semblance of aiming, and you’re all set to enjoy Iron Rain.
JUSTICE RAINS FROM ABOVE!
You’ll be facing waves of ginormous insects, aliens, machines and worst of all, arachnids, in a mission. Most of the mission requires you to simply wipe out all the enemies in the area. This can be achieved through the method mentioned earlier; hold R2, point in the right direction, don’t think.
Mobility is another arsenal up your sleeve. The PA Armor you have equipped offers you a few abilities, ranging from dashing to flying, to shielding. Plus, the armour and weapons all look futuristic. The cornerstone of a Japanese fantasy shooter.
Weapons deal tons of damage, with unlimited magazines. You’ll be able to equip two weapons for each mission. Imagine rocking an assault rifle and a rocket launcher. Keep in mind that you won’t run out of magazines. ‘Iron Rain’ makes perfect sense if you think of it that way.
One of the sci-fi fantasy weapons.
Each kill rewards you with a satisfying splurt.Â The sound of a dying ant colony is simply instant gratification.

Yuke has successfully implemented the formula of ‘kill everything, and leave nothing standing’. They have pulled it in a way that is gloriously cathartic.

A Stinging Sensation
As fun as the game can be, there are a few gripes about the game.
For starters, the graphics, dear lord. We’re coming to the end of the PlayStation 4’s lifespan yet this game has graphics that make Need For Speed Underground look like it was released yesterday.
The graphics and animation look outdated in a world where Marvel’s Spider-Man exists. Corpses show weak ragdoll physics and they simply dissolve into nothingness, as if Thanos snapped a second time most probably thanks to a pesky ant climbing to his nether regions.
Simple textures, yet appalling framerates.
Textures look very simple for a PlayStation 4 game. Buildings simply crumble and break like cookies dipped into milk for a second too long. It also just simply disappears after a set time. Again, it’s a disappointment in a world where Battlefield 3 exists. Even Battlefield 3 looks like it’s years ahead in terms of rubble physics.

Initially, I thought it was done so to keep the frames high, but with frames diving into single-digit territory the moment all hell breaks loose, it creates for a disastrous playing experience.

It even occurred to me that this game might do better if it were a Nintendo Switch title due to its fast-paced action and short missions. Then again, maybe not. If the mighty PlayStation 4 can’t keep up with such framerates, probably the Switch would just melt into oblivion. If only it was optimised better for the console. I mean, it is a PlayStation 4 exclusive, it should’ve been better.
It does get repetitive though. After quite a while of asinine brutality, it gets boring to a point you’d stop playing for a while, and let your cathartic appetite grow again.
And when it’s looking for more, you know where to find it. You know what to do. But with all that said above, it does not mean I did not enjoy a single bit of action from the game.
Just like the variety of missions offered: flat-out dead.
Spray Some RAID Before Touching
Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain is fun in the purest form. The game offers you challenges, at the same time, the power and ability to overcome such challenges through wacky weapon loadouts.
The game might have its flaws, but its overwhelming fun is something that makes the experience palatable. If you’re able to look past all its flaws, Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain will shower you with one of the zaniest experiences in gaming history.
I never expected that I would enjoy the game. Trust me, if there is one shooter I’d suggest you play right now, it’s this one. Give it a try.
Pros:

Instant gratification.
Therapeutic violence.
Character creation (FINALLY!).
Wacky loadouts.
Fun missions.
Futuristic and cool looking suits.
Split-screen coop multiplayer.

Cons:

Outdated graphics and animation.
Repetitive gameplay.
Grindy endgame.
Choppy framerates.

FINAL SCORE: 60/100


PokÃ©mon Sword & Shield The Crown Tundra DLC Drops This October

During a live stream earlier today, The PokÃ©mon Company announced that the next expansion for PokÃ©monÂ SwordÂ andÂ Shield, The Crown Tundra, will launch on 22 October 2020.

The first expansion, The Isle Of Armor, originally launched in June 2020. Only several months later, The Crown Tundra is expected to add a brand new icy and frozen region to the game. A new mentor, Peony, will choose you to lead an exploration team heading into the Crown Tundra to check out the mysteries of the land.

The presentation also revealed that players will be able to catch all Legendary PokÃ©mon from past mainline games, as well as new versions of the Legendary Trio; Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres.

In addition, players can also look forward to the Galarian Star Tournament and take on the regionâ€™s best trainers. Meanwhile, Dynamax Adventures will let players join 3 other players for tough raids.

On 6 November 2020, there will also be new bundled versions of PokÃ©mon Sword and Shield, which comes with their respective expansion passes. However, no price has been revealed as of yet.

You can catch the 10-minute presentation below, which ends with a catchy new song from a Japanese band.


Microsoft & Sony Signs Agreement To Keep Call of Duty On PlayStation, Confirms Xbox Head

After all the drama and the cold war between Microsoft and PlayStation these past few years, Xbox head Phil Spencer has announced that Microsoft and PlayStation have finally signed an official agreement to keep releasing future Call Of Duty games on Sony’s PlayStation platform even after Microsoft has acquired Call of Duty developer/publisher Activision.
This news was revealed by Phil Spencer himself via Twitter and it comes less than a week after Microsoft and Xbox won their court case against the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
At the time of writing, no details have emerged, including how long this agreement will officially last or how long (or how many) future Call of Duty games will be made available on PlayStation.

We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and @PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) July 16, 2023

In other related news to come out of the recent Microsoft Xbox FTC trial, it was revealed that the upcoming Bethesda MachineGames Indiana Jones game will be an Xbox exclusive and that Starfield was originally planned for the PS5 before Microsoft purchased Bethesda. Microsoft also expects that the next-gen consoles will arrive in 2028 and that the PS5 Slim/Pro is slated to release sometime later this year.


Outriders Secures More Hits Than Misses

Platforms: Xbox Series, Xbox One, PC, PS5, PS4
Genre: Online-only looter shooter from the folks behind Bulletstorm
To my horror, the gamertags at the top right corner of my screen went from green to red in an instant. Both my teammates were down. My partner whom I queued with, the Trickster was felled almost simultaneously, right next to the random drop-in squaddie who, like me, was also a Technomancer.

Unsure whether both were felled due to continuous sniper shots or Moloch’s altered powers, I wasn’t planning on finding out. I weaved, dipped, dived and rolled in between shots and would-be explosion and area of effect in order to revive them. We’ve gone too far to just give up now. I just had to make it.

I went straight for the Trickster whom I know has the ability to generate a time-bending forcefield. He read my mind. Almost instantaneously after being revived, he popped up the forcefield and proceed to revive the third squadmate while I move to a more advantageous position. In an instant, we were back to full power, ready to finish the final leg of the fight.
[videopress SDcOmZ9X]
That was one but a number of crazy boss fights I encountered in Outriders, a shooter developed by Polish studio People Can Fly renowned for several notable classics including Gears of War Judgment and Bulletstorm. From the get-go, you’ll instantly realize that these folks know what they are doing.
Outriders oozes the DNA of games People Can Fly has worked on in the past while also exhibiting traits of other games. It’s one part exploration looter shooter like Destiny 2 and Borderlands 3, one part cover shooter like the aforementioned Gears game, one part shooter mechanics from Titanfall 2 and Apex Legends, and one part character class system ala Diablo series. Does this homunculus work, especially in a world filled with similar games-as-a-service titles that have failed time and again? For the most parts, yes.
Future Shock
Those familiar with Destiny 2 would feel immediately at home with Outriders. In fact, the way the story was written, with subtle tweaks of the storyline here and there, would slot just fine as an unofficial prequel to Destiny. But it isn’t. The story, exploration elements and types of enemies encountered while close enough, still manages to make Outriders a game of its own right.
In Outriders, you play as well, duh, an Outrider. The cream of the crop of the remaining human race’s fighting and security force. OK let’s be real. The writing leaves a lot to be desired but hey, I’m here to make things go “BOOM”. Anyway, serving as what would happen if we don’t change the trajectory we are on right now when it comes to the (mis)handling of this planet, in Outriders, the human race was forced to abandon Earth for the stars.
After eighty years or so in space, the last remaining remnants landed on Enoch, an Earth-like planet which appears to be hospitable enough for Earthlings to resettle. Then shit hits the fan. Long story short, you gained new God-like powers. You, my friend, are now an Altered.

After a pretty meaty intro which was part of the demo, you’re given the choice to choose from four starting classes;

Trickster – A mostly melee/ rogue build that emphasizes quick, devastating hits whilst controlling space and time. Great for those who always hunt for the kills.
Technomancer – The ranged support role that relies a lot on gadgets and long-ranged weapon boosts. The go-to class if you prefer dealing damage from afar and whittling down the horde with your gadgets. Think Ironman.
Pyromancer – Mid-ranged fire role. Area control and suppression that relies on burn effects.
Devastator – The team tank. You know what tanks do. Hulk smash up-close and soak up damage.

While there are four classes to choose from, the game only allows a squad of three to run around Enoch like headless chickens. So if you plan on teaming up with your mates, heed this advice – select your classes which not only fit your style of play but build them to complement your squadmates’ powers and weapon mods which are bonkers to call them mildly.
In my current build, thanks to the “Shadow Comet” mod, my assault rifle brings down a freaking comet onto the enemy.
With a cooldown of 3 seconds and splash damage that’s scaled to the weapon’s level, this weapon’s devastation is only outrivaled by its sure ridiculousness. And that’s ok: we like ridiculous stuff.
Each class are able to unlock eight different skills but are only able to use three of them at any given time. So until you’ve unlocked all of them and found your perfect setup, expect to spend a ton of staring at the character menu, min-maxing your build whilst keeping an eye out for other numbers such as armour, health, anomaly and firepower. It can be a bit taxing at first, but once you’ve gotten a hang of it, is a breeze to navigate through.

Just like the thumping sound of bullets being spat out of your guns in Gears and Apex, the shooting in Outriders feels punchy, meaty. Each connecting bullet gives that “THUMP THUMP THUMP” feedback that I cannot get enough, making each shot you land matter.
Although the enemies typically utilize the swarm tactic on you, once they identify your tendencies,they switch modes to force you out of your comfort zone. Prefer the Gears-ish shooting from cover method? The AI, which is one of the more impressive ones in recent times, will react in several ways. Suddenly several grenades are being tossed right next to you to flush you out. Or a squad of melee troops flanking from either or both sides. The fact that certain covers are destructible makes the firefights frenetic from start to finish, forcing you to improvise your approach in order to survive.
The main campaign on Outriders should eat up about twenty to thirty hours, depending on the difficulty you are on. Unlike other looter-shooter games where the level of the enemies and tiers of loot scale accordingly with your character’s level of progression, Outriders allow you to tweak them via a “World Tier” slider.
[videopress FnOaec54]
These tiers unlock via an independent scale that progresses concurrently with your character’s XP. Each tier grants several perks in the form of a higher chance of obtaining and the ability to wear Epic and Legendary loot – though at the cost of stronger enemies. For example at world Tier 9, your loot rarity modifier bumps up to 225% alongside a Legendary drop rate modifier bonus of +330%. You are also permitted to equip items six levels above your character’s current level which means if your character is at Level 18, you are allowed to carry items up to Level 24.
However, the tradeoff is this: The enemy levels scale up with your gear as well.
In other games, the tried and tested rule is to switch to the highest available gear. Due to the multiple gear rarities and statistics, it isn’t as straightforward in Outriders. Do you prioritize your health over firepower? Or do you emphasize Anomaly power? And the mods that come with each gear – while can be swapped out, leave at least one locked in making porting your favourite setup to the next higher level gear isn’t as clear cut.
This prompts the exhaustive yet satisfying cycle of disassembling or selling items you don’t need to boost up your gear of choice. Speaking of which, some protips:
#1: Selling items and using the profits to buy Titanium from Bailey seems to be the most effective way to accumulate the rare metal. Especially once you reach level 30.
Post campaign, a new free-world mode opens up called Expeditions where you are able to tackle a more condensed map filled with higher tier enemies. The drops are much better and the maps – 15 overall – are rotated daily. Legendaries are more common in this mode but believe us when we say this – you’ll have to earn them.
#2: A sure-fire way to obtain Legendary items is to complete all the side quests – the side stories, bounties, hunts and even the Historian quests. Completing each of these quests reward you with at least one random Legendary-tier item even before the final boss fight.
For more rare metals and farming tips, head on over to our guide here.
(Enoch)ulous Eye Candy
Aesthetics-wise, Outriders is clearly Destiny’s edgier, brooding cousin. Everything is grimmer, rougher and bloodied. Surprisingly though, the colour palette is more extensive thanks to the varying world levels you’re dropped into – from the forests, to the mountains, grimy World War 1-like trenches and to the desert. Each presents a unique set of setting for a unique and distinguishable feel.
Does it make sense if I tell you that the graphics during gameplay is much better than the ones shown during cutscenes? I can’t help but feel that the cutscenes were afterthoughts once the core gameplay was fully developed.
I do appreciate that they match the gear I had on in the cutscenes, though.

As much as I enjoyed Outriders, I will not sugarcoat its rough launch that affected my experience. Although nowhere close to the more recent disasters like Cyberpunk 2077, Outriders‘ problems cannot be ignored. Game-breaking? Heck no. Annoying as hell? You bet.
Playing it on the Xbox Series S, apart from the network-induced troubles, the game ran fine for us, save for quests and navigational bugs. These can be remedied by either opening the menu page and reverting, or simply jumping back to the lobby.
In short, the game could use some extra housekeeping and we foresee these problems sorted in the near future.
Speaking of the Xbox, Outriders was added as a Game Pass free game at launch. A move that may have bumped up the player count tenfold has also become the culprit in overloading the game’s servers. The servers appeared to be buckling due to the immense player count and as a result, I faced countless disconnections and crashes during the first week of launch. To a point, cross-play between console and PC players had to be suspended and at the time of writing, has been resumed thanks to a new patch released by the developers.

Riding High?
Outriders is a fun, engaging yet flawed game. The devs stuck to their guns and emphasized on their strengths and being true to the name of their studio – it aimed for the sky when producing its own loot-and-shoot action title, yet ultimately brought back down to reality by server issues. But don’t let that dissuade you from trying out the game. Underneath the rough start lies a very promising franchise you should not sleep on.
The fact that it’s got a free demo encompassing the first world and stage boss should allow you to get a better grip of how the game is. All progress carries over to the full game so your effort isn’t in vain.
If you’re on Xbox Game Pass – what do you have to lose? Give it a go and thank us later.
Pros

Extremely solid gunplay.
Splendid variety of play styles.
Great inter-play between online squadmates allows for smoother firefights.
It’s a AAA-level game that is free on Game Pass.
Exciting post-campaign content.

Cons

Server and connectivity issues – expect this to be remedied as we go along.
Boring story & main campaign pacing that goes on longer than it should.
Less than stellar cut-scenes.

Final Score 70/100
Outriders copy provided by Bandai Namco Asia. Reviewed on Xbox Series S.


Atelier Sophie 2 Announced; Out Next February

The sequel to the next Atelier JRPG title from Koei Tecmo and Gust will be revisiting the character of Sophie and her spirit friend Plachta.
The game is called Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream, and it’s slated for PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on 25th February, 2022. The sequel features a revamped combat system with tag-team attacks, new art and game engine based on Atelier Ryza 2, and a reworked synthesis system.
The title takes place right after her adventures in part 1. Here’s the synopsis:
“Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream continues the story of Sophie and Plachtaâ€™s many adventures. After leaving Sophieâ€™s hometown of Kirchen Bell, the pair discovers a huge tree identical to one that Plachta had seen in a dream, and as they get closer, a mysterious vortex pulls them inside. Sophie awakens alone in a curious new world called Erde Wiege, and itâ€™s not long before she hears about an alchemist named Plachta that lives on the outskirts of town.
Shockingly, when Sophie arrives at the atelier, she meets a young alchemy enthusiast named Plachta, and even though the alchemist shares the same name as her friend, she doesnâ€™t recognize Sophie. What other surprises await Sophie on this journey? As the adventure continues, Sophie meets aspiring alchemist, Ramizel Erlenmeyer, who willingly agrees to help her in her time of need. The narrative elegantly unfolds with a charming new visual style that combines the art of the Mysterious sub-series with the high-quality graphics and animations featured in 2021â€™s Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy.”
Alternate universe Atelier game, anyone? Check out the trailer, gameplay overview, and screenshots below.


League of Legends: Wild Rift Will Celebrate It’s Anniversary With The Release of Patch 3.4

With League of Legends: Wild Rift’s anniversary on the horizon, Riot Games has come out and announced that Patch 3.4 will be released during the anniversary so here’s what you can expect.
CHAMPIONS

Gwen, the Hallowed Seamstress, is travelling to the top lane and longs to enjoy life. Even if she does run with scissors.
Yone, the Unforgotten, slices his way back from the spirit realm as a melee mid and top laner.
Vex, the Gloomist, rolls into the mid-lane harder than a teenager rolls her eyes. With the power of angst and her companion Shadow, Vex is a combo-loaded Yordle of doom, gloom, and sarcasm.
Warwick, the Uncaged Wrath of Zaun, is a fearsome melee jungler who excels at chasing down low-health enemies from all over the map.

ITEMS
The AP item system is getting an upgrade. The update will include changes to items like Liandry’s Torment and additions like Cosmic Drive. Additionally, two new Support starting items are being introduced, SpectralSickle and Relic Shield, each with a unique focus on offensive and defensive capabilities. Both items grant up to 3 charges that you can use to apply lane pressure and earn extra gold — as long as you have an ally nearby. To complement the items, Riot is also adding and upgrading some Support Enchants.

Riftmaker: Grants you omnivamp and when in combat with champions you’ll gain a stack. Each stack increases the damage you deal. At max stacks, the additional damage becomes true damage.
Serpent’s Fang: An item we are bringing directly from PC League of Legends as an anti-shielding AD assassin output. This works identically to its PC counterpart, being more effective for melee users and both reducing current shields and future shields for a short duration after the Serpent’sFang user hits an enemy champion.
Imperial Mandate: Very similar to its PC version, offering a payout in bonus damage and marking enemies for slowing or immobilizing enemy champions. Allies can then consume the marks for additional damage and movement speed.
Cosmic Drive: Active abilities and empowered attacks grant Ability Haste as Movement Speed after dealing damage to an enemy champion. This movement speed will decay over time. Cosmic Drive’s other passive Hyperdrive will also provide movement speed.
Relic Shield: Earn gold from this item to transform it into Targon’s Buckler. While near an allied champion, abilities and attacks consume a charge to execute minions below a percentage of their max health. Killing a minion grants you and your ally a percentage of the kill gold and heals you. These effects recharge.
Spectral Sickle: Gain Attack Damage or Ability Power (Adaptive). While near an allied champion, damaging abilities and attacks against champions or structures grant gold. These effects recharge every second. Earn gold from this item to transform it into Harrowing Crescent.
Meteor Enchant: Lights up an area and summons a meteor after, dealing a percentage of each enemy’s max health as magic damage.
Protect Enchant: The power of the next heal or shield ability you use is increased. It does not affect heals or shields from items or runes.

DUEL MODE
Riot has also been experimenting with a new, never-before seen in Wild Rift 1v1 game mode! Queue up to duke it out on Howling Abyss against a single PvP opponent.
RANKED
High-ranking, competitive players want to be confident that their teammates are playing their best champs, so Riot’s adding a new gate for Legendary queue based on your champion Mastery score. It will limit you to picking only champs for which you have a high enough Mastery. If you want to play a new champ, you’ll need to get some experience in another queue first.
Another ranked season also means another glorious champion to unlock. The icon of self-love—or is it obsession?—Glorious Crimson Draven arrives to take over Ranked Season 7. Play ranked games to unlock him from the Season Rewards tab starting in October.
WILD PASS
The Wild Pass progress and reward claiming system has changed. The “Bonus Rewards” section is now the “Wild Pass Emporium.” Pass progress is changing from a linear track for Levels 51 through 75, into an Exchange where you can claim rewards in any order you like. Claiming enough Emporium rewards grants you the upgraded Wild Pass Skin Augment.
Additionally, there are two new ways to earn experience. All players will have a set of simple, repeatable missions for playing matches that give a constant stream of Wild Pass Experience. These missions have cap and reset each week, giving players steady momentum simply for coming in and playing games.
For Elite Pass purchasers, new Seasonal Missions are being added to help them attain all the rewards they want in the Wild Pass Emporium.
Finally, Elite Pass purchasers who buy the Pass will receive a new Random Skin chest at level 1, but instead of getting any random skin, you can narrow down the choices to just one lane role — Solo lane, mid, jungle, duo lane, or support!

This Season’s Wild Pass will introduce Superhero Jayce. Unlock him when you reach level 50 in your Wild Pass. Earn his Ascended Superhero skin by playing matches and claiming it from the Wild Pass Emporium.
EVENTS
Riot has a few missions and rewards planned that are entwined with the swordsman that is Yone. Following this, October is expected to be action-packed starting off with a high-stakes battle between master fighters. For honour—and victory—choose a side and take part in an epic martial arts tournament during the Supreme Cells Event. This idle game will let you train your fighter so he can participate in the tournament and help you earn rewards, even if you can’t queue up for games every day. Riot will also be giving out free goodies during their Power Spike Party.
Then finally, make way for the Vex Parade—I mean—Bewitching Vex Bingo event. Laugh and play a little B-I-N-G-O to welcome our number one brooding yordle to Wild Rift with her favourite thing of all: a smile
SKINS

Space Groove Gwen
Bewitching Vex
Bewitching Morgana
Bewitching Miss Fortune
Supreme Cells Kennen
Supreme Cells Sett
Supreme Cells Zed
Glorious Crimson Draven (Ranked S7 Reward)
Superhero Jayce & Ascended Superhero Jayce (Wild Pass)
Old God Warwick
Crystal Rose Yone


This Nifty Razer Headset Features Good Vibrations & Real Gaming Immersion

As much as I like my old-school headsets with cables, sometimes it’s fine to splurge a bit on some wireless tech as long as the audio fidelity justifies the price tag. With the Razer Nari Ultimate, your wallet’s content might mysteriously vanish through impulse purchase. Probably mine too.
What makes the Razer Nari stand out from other gaming headsets, apart from pretty sleek design sensibilities that don’t remind you of a bag of cat innards filled with crayons and oil pastels, is its Hypersense feature. That’s just a pretty codeword for Razer’s own advanced haptic/touch technology that delivers pulse-pound vibrations that make you feel the sounds from your games in a hugely immersive manner.

Whatever audio cues you receive in your ears, you’ll feel the touch-sensory & tactile feedback, be it that gunshot in Overwatch or that cursor in a Ubisoft sandbox game telling you where to go. I think my eardrums will need a cigarette if I put on the Doom reboot using the Nari Ultimate.
You can thank the German engineers from Lofelt for this brand of aural pleasure. Other features of this headset include:

THX Spatial Audio that creates realistic depth and immersion by simulating 360-degree sound with pinpoint accuracy for greater awareness during gameplay.
Game/chat balance, which works in both wired and wireless mode for added compatibility across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices.
Innovative comfort technology that includes an auto-adjusting headband for a fuss-free fit, swiveling ear cups to fit every head shape, and cooling gel ear cushions that keep gamers feeling cooler for longer periods of time compared to traditional memory foam ear cups.

The best part? The Nari’s HyperSense works will all forms of audio from games, films, and YouTube shows, so you don’t need to do any customization of sorts to get that tactile feedback and crisp sound it may deliver. Apparently, if you have something crafted for 3D audio, the Nari is built to make sure you feel the difference and depth.

The Nari comes in Regular (S$229.90), Ultimate (S$309.90), and Essential (S$159.90) flavours. The Regular version omits HyperSense and mirrors the Ultimate in comfort. The Ultimate is the one with the features above, while the Essential version features THX Spatial Audio and “unparalleled comfort”. You can get the Nari now at select Razer stores; you’ll have to wait until the end of the year (specifically Q4) to get the Ultimate and Essential versions.
To make life easier for everyone, here’s a comparison chart between the three:

I can’t speak for everyone, but I do know that I will wear this for hours on end, be it for music-listening or just playing a few rounds of Overwatch and Warframe. It’ll be interesting to see how the different versions of the Nari work.
And for something off-kilter, check out this tryhard ad of the Nari below.


Fortnite Confirmed As Launch Title For Next-Gen Consoles

Epic Games has announced that Fortnite will initially launch on the PS5 and Xbox Series X at launch with Unreal Engine 4. All progress and purchases from current-gen platforms will carry over, while cross-play support will be available across generations. For those still playing on current-gen platforms, don’t worry because the game will still be supported on current-gen platforms alongside next-gen consoles.
While weâ€™re still a year out from games actually taking full advantage of Unreal Engine 5 (which was announced during the second live stream of Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest 2020), Fortnite will likely be one of the first games to be powered by Unreal Engine 5. Epic Games have confirmed that the popular battle royale game will migrate to the new engine by mid-2021.
Speaking with The Verge, Epic Games clarified that the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of Fortnite won’t just simply be ports, but specially optimized for the next-gen consoles. Even so, it still won’t be a completely new game in any way except “performance and visuals”.

â€œNo, this is not a new version of Fortnite.
Itâ€™s Fortnite optimized to take advantage of the new hardware and features on next-gen consoles.
How will Fortnite take advantage of next-gen console hardware?
While we canâ€™t share specifics at the moment, more powerful hardware will allow us to improve performance and visuals.â€


HBO’s New Historical Drama The Gilded Age Begins In January 2022

From Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes comesÂ HBOâ€™s The Gilded Age, which debuts same time as the U.S. onÂ Tuesday, 25 January 2022 at 10am exclusively onÂ HBO GO and HBO (Astro Channel 411), with a same-day encore at 10pm on HBO.
As a history buff, it’s an interesting era to set a TV series in. The Gilded Age is the name of a real period in American history when the country experienced a massive boom in terms of economy directly after the American Civil War ended. Historians satirized the promised “golden age” after the Civil War, and The Gilded Age is an irony; portrayed as an era of serious social problems masked by a thin gold gilding of economic expansion. It was a timeÂ of materialistic excesses combined with extreme poverty.
HBOâ€™s The Gilded AgeÂ begins in 1882 with young Marian Brook (Jacobson) moving from rural Pennsylvania to New York City after the death of her father to live with her thoroughly old money aunts Agnes van Rhijn (Baranski) and Ada Brook (Nixon). Accompanied by Peggy Scott (Benton), an aspiring writer seeking a fresh start, Marian inadvertently becomes enmeshed in a social war between one of her aunts, a scion of the old money set, and her stupendously rich neighbors, a ruthless railroad tycoon and his ambitious wife, George (Spector) and Bertha Russell (Coon). Exposed to a world on the brink of the modern age, will Marian follow the established rules of society, or forge her own path?

Written by Julian Fellowes and Sonja Warfield and directed by Michael Engler and Salli Richardson-Whitfield, the nine-episode drama series stars an ensemble cast of Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, DenÃ©e Benton, Louisa Jacobson, Taissa Farmiga, Blake Ritson, Simon Jones, Harry Richardson, Thomas Cocquerel, Jack Gilpin, with Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski.
The series also stars Ben Ahlers, Michael Cerveris, Kelley Curran, Claybourne Elder, Linda Emond, Katie Finneran, Amy Forsyth, Michel Gill, Ward Horton, Bill Irwin, Sullivan Jones, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Debra Monk, Donna Murphy, Kristine Nielsen, Kelli Oâ€™Hara, Patrick Page, Taylor Richardson, Douglas Sills, John Douglas Thompson, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Erin Wilhelmi.

You can subscribe toÂ HBO GOÂ onlineÂ atÂ https://www.hbogoasia.my/Â or the mobile appÂ via theÂ App StoreÂ orÂ Play StoreÂ forÂ as low as RM23.30/month. You can also accessÂ HBO GOÂ via Astro. HBO GO is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


New Hearthstone Cards From Rastakhan’s Rumble Expansion Revealed in Live Stream

Hyped for Hearthstone‘s Rastakhan’s Rumble? To tide fans over until its release, Blizzard has revealed several new cards from the upcoming expansion as a taste of what to expect next month.
During a live stream on November 19, 2018, Hearthstone Lead Initial Designer Peter Whalen and Hearthstone streamer RegisKillbin unveiled nine new cards. Highlights include Zentimo and Jan’alai, the Dragonhawk.

Zentimo is theÂ Shaman Legendary minion and champion of Kragâ€™waâ€™s Frogs, whose targeted spells will also splash adjacent minions on the board. Meanwhile, Jan’alai is the Mage Legendary minion and loa, whose Battlecry ability can summon Ragnaros the Firelord if the player has dealt eight Damage with their Hero Power during the game.

If you missed the stream yesterday, head on over to Twitch to watch it. According to the developer’s schedule, the next card reveal stream is set for November 28, 2018. So far, 45 out of 135 new cards have been revealed.
Hearthstone‘s Rastakhan’s Rumble expansion is slated to arrive on December 5, 2018. Here’s a friendly reminder that if players log into the game on the expansion’s launch day, they can claim a free Legendary Loa, two Spirit cards from the same class, and six Rastakhanâ€™s Rumble card packs.
In the meantime, check out Hearthstone‘s Rastakhan’s Rumble cinematic trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG35phnCKRc&w=560&h=315]


You Can Play The Original Diablo On Your Browser Right Now

Miss the 1996 version of Diablo? Want to see pre-rendered graphics of heroes, demons, and evil things murdering each other in an isometric via a million clicks from your mouse button? Then you should take a trip down memory lane and play the shareware version of Diablo right now.
When I say “shareware”, I mean the version with just the first two areas of the dungeon and one of the three character classes. However, if you have the original and have all the files on hand, you can play the whole game via browser. Just drag a specific file and drag it onto the browser page.
This port by Rivsoft is based on source code recreated by two programming teams, bugs and all. All you’re getting is just a town to walk into, and demons to kill in real-time fashion. No overt narrative, no long-ass cutscenes, no nothing. Just pure straight-up hack-and-slash loot-hoarding 90s fun.Â


The League of Legends LST 2019 Will Have Asia’s Finest Fighting In MOBA Glory

If you want to see Asia’s very own big leagues in League of Legends duke it out to be the SEA equivalent of SKT or Royal Never Give Up, you’ll want to stick around for this. The folks at Riot Games, Garena, and FunPlus Esports will be hosting the League of Legends Southeast Asia Tournament (LST) 2019 to determine the best of the best in the MOBA circuit.
The countries involved will be Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Vietnam isn’t there because it has its own official Riot Games-sanctioned league. They’re ahead of the curve here.
The tournament will have a Spring and Summer tournament, with each of them featuring four stages: Online Ranked, National Qualifiers, National Minors, and SEA Tour Major. Let’s break it down:
Online Ranked

It’s open registration for all Southeast Asian teams.
Each team gains as much MMR point from 2nd March to 8th of March. That’s happening right now, FYI. Register at lolseatour.com
The top teams from each nation will move on to National Qualifiers

National Qualifiers

This tournament will have 16 teams; they’re either invited or the top teams from the ranked qualifiers.
These will be best-of-one matches.
The top 4 teams from each nation will advance.

National Minors

This fight will feature the top 4 teams from each nation.
The teams are seeded based on previous stage performances.
This will be on a single elimination bracket with best of 3 matches per fight.
The winning team will advance to SEA Tour Major

SEA Tour Major

The last fight will feature the top team from The Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore/Malaysia, as well as other qualifying top teams from the region.
This will be on a single elimination bracket with a best of 3 format for the semis. The Grand Finals will have a best of 5 set.
The winner of the tournament will be the SEA Tour Spring champion and earn a slot at the Mid Season Invitational Play Ins; that’s quite a big deal in the LoL esports circuit since they’ll be fighting teams from South Korea and China.

So the Spring portion is sorted, but what about the Summer bit? Well, the organizers said that the seeding from Spring will affect the Summer seedings. So if you did well in Spring but didn’t win, you’ll be placed fairly in the Summer brackets.
Oh, and if you’re wondering about casters, Riot Games and company will be placing priority on community casters within the region. The tournaments will have a secondary stream with recognized amateur casters doing their shoutcasting work. Looks like things are looking up for LoL esports in the Southeast Asian region.


Free Survival Shooter Lost Light Launches On Mobile & PC

Lost Light, a free survival shooter game developed by NetEase Games, has kicked off its global launch today. Developed with NetEase’s game engine Messiah and currently available on iOS, Android, and PC, it is aimed to bring a refreshing warfighting experience to players all over the world. Since its first CBT in 2021, Lost Light has attracted more than four million players and the game has ranked among the Top 30 New Games on Google Play multiple times.
The story of Lost Light takes place in the 2040s in a post-apocalyptic world where a pheromone outbreak has rendered the world to succumb to chaos. In order to continue human civilization, people have to move to underground shelters and the Firefly Project comes into being. As a member of the Firefly Force, players find themselves trying to survive in the perilous exclusion zone.
Lost Light stands out from the ordinary shooting game market filled with battle royale elements. It strives to find a new path for survival shooter games. The “survival in the match and progression outside the match” gameplay offers a more realistic and exciting gaming experience. The game abides by the rule of “high risk-high return” and is seasoned with elements such as survival, warfighting, and progression. Relying on tactics to evacuate from the exclusion zone is the only objective in the game.

Lost Light supports cross-play on iOS, Android, and PC. Players can team up with their friends anytime, anywhere, thanks to cross-platform support. After a series of tweaking and refining, the mobile version currently supports devices with at least 2GB of RAM. The PC version supports devices with a GTS 450 GPU or better, 4 GB RAM, and Windows 7 SP1 or above.
Search every inch of the battlefield for resources, food, and supplies and sell them in the exclusion zone for a profit. Players can build their own shelter in this post-apocalyptic world and write their rules of survival.
The battlefield is a place without constancy and players’ tactics are crucial. Direct assault or try to outflank the enemy? Armed to the teeth or be a minimalist? Execute or rescue them when seeing a knocked-out enemy? Different tactics can have different outcomes. Staying alive and successfully escaping is all that matters. The highly customizable firearm modification system offers thousands of possibilities.
Team up with up to four friends and lead the team to escape from the perilous exclusion zone and take home fat loot. The custom lobby mode also offers diversified gameplay. However, the game is currently unavailable in the following countries or regions: Belgium, Vietnam, South Korea, and the People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan & Mainland China).


You Can Now Play The Original Warcraft And Its Sequel Via GOG.com

Blizzard‘s Warcraft franchise popularized the fantasy RTS genre, just like Diablo did for the top-down dungeon-crawling APRG genre. The original Warcraft was released more than 20 years ago but now gamers have been given the chance to revisit the legendary and classic title.
Blizzard Entertainment and GOG.com have teamed up to re-release both Warcraft: Orcs & Humans and Warcraft II Battle.net Edition, the latter of which includes the Tides of Darkness and Beyond the Dark Portal expansions.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Eewh1Oj7g&w=560&h=315]
Originally launching in 1994, Warcraft: Orcs & Humans features the first ever battle for Azeroth while Warcraft 2 (which released a year later in 1995) featured naval battles and introduced more races to both the Alliance and the Horde.
The GOG.com version of Warcraft: Orcs & Humans has been fully optimized to work on modern operating systems. For Warcraft 2, players can opt for either the updated version with support for high-resolution displays and multiplayer via LAN connections; or the authentic period-appropriate classic version that includes the original SVGA graphics and matchmaking through the classic version of Battle.net.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n5TvJgeydM&w=560&h=315]
Warcraft: Orcs & Humans for Windows and Mac and Warcraft II Battle.net Edition for Windows are available now on GOG.com for $5.99 and $9.99, respectively. Players can also purchase the Warcraft bundle for a cheaper price and get both games for $14.99.


Muse Vietnam To Deliver Free, Vietnamese-subtitled Anime

Muse Asia, the YouTube channel that provides officially-licensed anime to Asian regions for free, has announced its upcoming Muse Vietnam channel. Beginning from March 1, you can watch anime episodes with Vietnamese subtitles on it.
Based on Muse Vietnam’s YouTube banner, their first upload (or one of the first) will be the Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun series. However, their Facebook posts (and Facebook’s translation) show that Isekai Quartet 2 and Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense will also be available on the channel when it launches.

It’s great to see Muse Asia expanding its services in the region. We even have Muse Malaysia en route and schedule to launch on the same day as Muse Vietnam.
Until then, you can watch a variety of anime – both simulcast and completed – with English subs on the main Muse Asia channel. Its selection of Winter 2020 anime includes Isekai Quarter 2, Smile Down The Runway, Asteroid in Love, and Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense.


Netflix’s Snowpiercer Goes Full Steam Ahead Later This Month

South Korean director Bong Joon-ho may have won an Oscar for his brilliant Parasite, but he has a lot of other amazing movies under his belt, including the underrated 2013 science-fiction dystopia film Snowpiercer based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige.
Now Netflix has made its own series adaptation of Snowpiercer, with Bong Joon-ho returning as executive producer.

Set more than seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, the series centres on the remnants of humanity, who inhabit a perpetually moving train, with 1001 cars, that circles the globe. Class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival play out in this riveting television adaptation.

It stars:

Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind)
Daveed Diggs (Hamilton, Black-ish)
Alison Wright (The Americans)
Mickey Sumner (Frances Ha, Battle of the Sexes)
Susan Park (Ghostbusters)
Iddo Goldberg (Peaky Blinders, The Zookeeperâ€™s Wife)
Katie McGuinness (Dirty Filthy Love)
Lena Hall (Hedwig and the Angry Inch)
AnnaliseBasso (Bedtime Stories)
Sam Otto (Jellyfish)
Roberto Urbina (Narcos)
Sheila Vand (Argo)
Jaylin Fletcher (Saturday Church)

Award-winning writer and producer Graeme Manson (Orphan Black) is the showrunner for Netflix’s Snowpiercer, which will premiere its first two episodes on 25 May 2020 before moving to a weekly schedule for its remaining eight episodes (for a total of ten episodes in its first season).

In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2naO4fNzn8&w=560&h=315]


Samsung’s Latest Gaming Monitor Is Hefty, Fine, And Very, Very Expensive

Can you put a huge price tag on beauty and power? Yes you can, especially if you’re a high-end peripheral maker of quality phones and monitors like Samsung.
The Samsung 49″ Odyssey Neo G9 Gaming DQHD Quantum Mini-LED Monitor is the company’s answer to excess. It is frickin’ huge, is widescreen, is curved, and features a ton of gaming and non-gaming visual options to enrich your eyes and computing experience.
It is also a frickin’ expensive monitor, but we’ll get to that later.
Giant-Sized Fun

The Samsung 49″ Odyssey Neo G9 has it all: size, girth, a gorgeous panel, a massive 5120×1440 resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, and an HDR 1000 rating. The latter is important if you have consoles and a PC rig meant for HDR purposes.
The Samsung 49″‘s colours and black levels are the best I’ve seen in ages; you will not find the best kind on any other monitor. Playing games like Borderlands 3 and Halo Infinite is really a feast for the eyes especially when you crank up the graphics settings to Ultra or the equivalent.
Adjusting colours and sorting out display options is easy thanks to the joystick nub at the bottom right of the giant-ass monitor. You can either set up gaming presets for different titles using the monitor’s three recessed buttons (from first-person shooters to fighting games) or switch inputs between PC to console(s).
While it may not be for a dual or triple screen gaming/working person like myself, single screen players and users will get the ultimate treatment for their eyes and other sightly senses.

However, its Picture in Picture/Picture By Picture mode (ie: the mode where you split your widescreen into two individual screens) is basic. There is no way to adjust most of the colour and contrast features once you go in this mode. You can still adjust it in the operating system of your PC, but not on the monitor’s options itself. But if you’re going for the single widescreen gaming route? It’s absolute bliss.
Behemoth-Sized Issues

The only problem to sort out when you’re dealing with the Samsung 49″ is mostly price. And space. The RM$9,499 price tag is enough to send many people to a state of shock, but you’re getting a lot for what you’re paying for.
That also includes weight and heft; you will need at least a 50-inch table to carry this beast and accommodate your other existing setups. Not only that, you will have trouble managing cables behind the monitor that’s connected elsewhere; the stand is heavy enough to damage any kind of cable underneath it. While the monitor’s inputs can be lined up with the vertical stand’s casing, other cables will need to be wrapped around it to avoid its space.
I also felt that the monitor needed more display inputs and ports. You have two USB Type-A ports, one USB Type-B cable, two HDMI 2.1 ports, and one DisplayPort. Keep in mind that the latter DisplayPort only supports up to 120Hz, so you need to use the HDMI 2.1 cable with the monitor to take advantage of the aforementioned 240Hz refresh rate. It’s sad that you’re paying a lot for basic input options, especially for players who want to run multiple consoles and use 2 HDMIs from the PC’s display input.

After all is said and done, how much can you put on the ultimate in curved gaming widescreen monitors that span “2 screens” wide? Try RM9,499. And if you’re going for a dual-screen setup, there are cheaper alternatives.
But if you have the cash and want to have the ultimate widescreen gaming and entertainment experience on your desk with your PC of choice with a RM4,000+ graphics card of the ray-tracing variety, go for it. For the rest of the world, the Samsung 49″ Odyssey Neo G9 monitor may be excessive, but it’s the best kind.
Pros

The best colours, contrast, brightness, and black levels you’ll see on a widescreen monitor yet.
Best with high-end PC rigs with the best graphics cards.
Highest level of HDR yet.

Cons

Very expensive.
Heavy to set up.
Limited input options for what you’re paying.

Final Score: 80/100

Vital Statistics
Price: RM9,499
Screen Size: 49″
Screen Curvature: 1000R
Aspect Ratio: 32:9
Brightness: 420
Resolution: 5120×1440
HDR+10: Yes
Dimension (with stand): 1149.5 x 537.2 x 418.3 mm
Weight (with stand): 14.5 kg


Queen’s Blade & Ikki Tousen Anime Studio Declares Bankruptcy

Arms, the anime studio renowned for creating such anime giant hits like Ikki Tousen and Queen’s Blade, has declared bankruptcy. The company filed for liquidation on 22nd July after its shareholders declared bankruptcy early 2020.
Arms was founded in 1996 and used to do hentai anime like the La Blue Girl series and a Dragon Knight anime before releasing its SFW hit Ikki Tousen and ultraviolent sci-fi show Elfen Lied. The most prominent staff member was Rin Shin, who was the character designer, animator, illustrator, and director.

For those who don’t know, Ikki Tousen is a battle anime featuring well-endowed schoolgirls and women in school uniforms that tatter conveniently mid-bout. Queen’s Blade is a fantasy sword-and-sorcery anime featuring well-endowed warriors. You can see a pattern bouncing a mile away.

Most recently, Arms released Ikki Tousen: Western Wolves and Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid, shows that are also renowned for its top-heavy topics, fighting, and ecchi material. It’s rather sad that a company catering to a seemingly-popular niche is gone. Guess it isn’t as lucrative as one would think.


Anno 1800 Is Ubisoft’s Fastest Selling Game Of The Series

Ubisoft’s city-building gameÂ Anno 1800 is the fastest selling game in the series to date.
The company revealed that, during its first week of launch, Anno 1800 was sold four times more than the previous opus Anno 2205 in its first week. Anno 1800 launched worldwide on 16 April on Windows PC.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XF7ueyFiKQ]
Anno 1800 has seen players building ships and nurturing cities here and there. Here are some juicy collective stats from the game:

Players have reached almost 7 billion citizens across their islands, more than three times the global population back in 1899,
Players have built over 10 million ships,
Players have built over 1 billion grain fields,
Over 3 million islands have been settled.

Benedikt Grindel, Managing Director at Ubisoft Blue Byte, pointed out that ‘they are now completely focused on delivering the best post-launch content possible for Anno 1800.’

Anno 1800 and the Season Pass released on 16 April are available digitally on the Ubisoft Store and the Epic Games store for Windows PC.
The Season Pass can be purchased at the price of â‚¬25 (RM116). Digital Deluxe and Pioneers Editions owners will have access to exclusive content including the Anarchist character.


OGN Supermatch: Lunatic-Hai Wins Last Ever Tourney As Lunatic-Hai (seriously)

Lunatic-Hai cemented their position as the most successful team in the Korean the Overwatch scene by disposing their arch-nemesis from APEX Season 3, Cloud9 KongDoo in the finals of the inaugural OGN Supermatch. It was a bittersweet moment for the Lunatic-Hai players as this win is the last tournament they will have under the ‘Lunatic-Hai’ name as the organization is set officially rebrand themselves as Team Seoul for the upcoming Overwatch League.

After pulling off a reverse sweep against China’s Miraculous Youngsters in the semis, Lunatic-Hai found a familiar foe awaiting them in the final, Cloud9 KongDoo whom they defeated in the epic 7-match marathon at the Grand Finals of APEX Season 3. A match featuring the best and second-best Overwatch teams in the world, Lunatic-Hai put the disappointment of an early exit at APEX Season 4 by racing to a quick and convincing first set 2-0 win on Oasis.Â  C9KD had no response to Lunatic-Hai’s new lineup with ‘munchkin’ on Tracer and ‘Fleta’ on Pharah running riot decimating their backline and the trend repeated itself as they struggled to contain Lunatic-Hai’s push on Numbani.

Lunatic-Hai were feared for their strong support and discipline especially with ‘Ryujehong’ on either Ana, Mercy or Zenyatta and ‘Tobi’ on Lucio patroling the backlines are even scarier now with DPS specialists ‘Fleta’ & ‘munchkin’ at the vanguard. C9KD didn’t really have a proper answer to that sort of offensive threat and while ‘Birdring’ and ‘Rascal’ – who played out of their socks – managed to give their opponents a proper fight, were ultimately outplayed by a more-organized Lunatic-Hai lineup.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09kYmoMROZk&w=560&h=315]
Two games down and facing an embarassing 0-3 loss (it isn’t really if you’re against Lunatic-Hai), Cloud9 KongDoo stepped up on Volskaya and finally chalked up a point after out-playing Lunatic-Hai on overtime. Volskaya is definitely not one of Lunatic-Hai’s favorite maps when playing against C9KD as they really had no reply against the dual-sided threats of Rascal on Genji and Birdring’s Tracer who took out Ryujehong and Tobi whenever they had the chance. Suddenly Lunatic-Hai looked very vulnerable and a talk of a possible reverse-sweep was on the cards.

On the fourth map, Dorado, C9KD started strongly on offense, with a very strong push to hit the first two checkpoints with a huge timebank to spare. However Lunatic-Hai’s strong defense staggered C9KD’s march once they were in the control room and was denied a full completion at the end. On the reverse, Lunatic-Hai’s push was slower albeit steadier as Fleta, back on Pharah went uncontested in the air. With him denying Rascal the opportunity to harass Ryujehong, ‘munchkin’ controlled the lanes with excellent space control on Widowmaker. It was surely a round Rascal would want to forget as he was denied countless times including having his McCree’s Deadeye ult shot down by Munchkin, and another Genji Dragon Blade stopped dead on its tracks courtesy of Ryujehong’s orbs as Lunatic-Hai wrapped up the map to win the set 3-1.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxWp-LjsA-o&w=560&h=315]
With that win, Lunatic-Hai walked home $60,000 richer while also sending a very strong signal to other teams competing in the Overwatch League; that they are much more balanced now with an improved roster. It is hard to see anyone else come close to their level, considering the space separating them from their closest competitor as seen in their handling of C9KD. APEX S4 was indeed a blip in Lunatic-Hai’s form and they are our early favorites for the Overwatch League.
We will indeed be covering the Overwatch League extensively so for all stuff on competitive Overwatch, keep it locked on to Kakuchopurei.com.

You can also stay up to date with our stories by following us on Twitter and Facebook


Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered Is Coming Next Month

Publisher Electronic Arts and developer Criterion Games haveÂ announcedÂ Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered. It is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC viaÂ SteamÂ andÂ OriginÂ on 6 November 2020 and Nintendo Switch later on 13 November 2020.
The original Need For Speed Hot Pursuit initially launched for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC in 2010, over a decade ago.
The following features will be in Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered:
There will be cross-play support between PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.Players will receive access to all the additional main DLC delivered at launch including an extra six hours of gameplay and more than 30 challenges. This includes brand new achievements, wraps, car colours, reduced hard stops, an updated photo mode and gallery, and multiple quality of life updates create an even more well-rounded gameplay experience.Check out the full list of cars availableÂ here.Players can experience gameplay up to 4K resolution / 60 frames per second and enjoy improvements such as higher-res models, shadows, and reflections, more objects and props, longer draw distance, boosted textures, more particles, and improved anti-aliasing/screen space ambient occlusion.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


This Mass Effect Reaper Sovereign Statue Replica Will Haunt Your Sci-Fi Dreams

The baddest Mass Effect villain is getting a lovely recreation from Gentle Giant Studios.
Bioware is teaming up with the sculptor group to create the Mass Effect ship replica of the Reaper Sovereign. The statue is made of polyresin, is 14-inches tall, has a 11-inch diameter base, and is US$299.99.
Preorders are available right now (via this link), and you better grab them fast because they’re limited to 1,000 units. The statue will ship out starting November 2022.
We’ll post the statue’s additional specs below:

Edition Size: 1000
Expected to Ship to Customers: November 2022 – January 2023
Materials: Polyresin
Sculptor, Prototyping, and Paint: Gentle Giant Studios
Ordering Limitations: 2 Per Customer
Product Packaging Size: 16” (406.4mm) x 13” (330.2mm) x 13” (330.2mm)
Product + Packaging Dimensional Weight: 9lbs