An Elder Scrolls V Skyrim Board Game Is In The Works

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The Board GameÂ is on the way from Modiphius Games, publisher of miniature games based on franchises like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls.
The project will launch on Gamefound, a new crowdfunding platform custom-built for tabletop games.
Speaking with Polygon, Awaken Realms founder and CEO Marcin Åšwierkot said:

â€œI think that the board games are the ones pushing the boundaries to the limits of what is possible [on Kickstarter].
They are certainly the most innovative in terms of rewards […] the most complex for sure.
I guess we as board gamers like to make things complex for ourselves.â€
What’s unique about Gamefound is that it includes key information such as the timeline of campaigns, and details on their current funding levels, as well as a focus on community features like a robust comments system with threaded conversations and hashtags. Only five percent of the funds raised will go to Gamefound, while three percent of funds raised will go to the payment processor.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The Board GameÂ will be the first project from Modiphius to launch on Gamefound. However, no details have been revealed about the project, but those interested can sign up at Gamefound for future updates. The crowdfunding campaign is expected to go live sometime in June 2021.
In the meantime, check out our picks for the best 25 Skyrim mods here.


Witcher Origin Series Trailer Showcases Michelle Yeoh Doing What She Does Best

Netflix just released a new trailer for its upcoming The Witcher prequel dubbed Blood Origin, which stars Michelle Yeoh as a butt-kicking elf in a dark fantasy universe.
The Witcher: Blood Origin tells the story of the first prototype Witcher (since they weren’t made yet in this story) and the events that lead to the series’ Conjunction of the Spheres. As such, it’ll feature a ton of elves played by Datuk Yeoh herself, Sophia Brown, and Laurence O’Fuarain.
“Every story has a beginning. Witness the untold history of the Continent with The Witcher: Blood Origin, a new prequel series set in an elven world 1200 years before the events of The Witcher. Blood Origin will tell a story lost to time – exploring the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal â€œConjunction of the Spheres,â€ when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.”

The Witcher: Blood Origin will be out on Netflix in 2022.


When Will PlayStation’s Project Q Come Out In Malaysia?

PlayStation has announced its upcoming remote streaming game-playing device Project Q during last week’s PlayStation Showcase 2023. It’s got an 8-inch LCD screen, has a screen & body with two halves of a DualShock 5 controller on each side, and streams games from your PS5 via Remote Play; it’s essentially PlayStation’s take on the Wii U but probably more successful.

There’s no release date or price on the upcoming device for worldwide and Southeast Asian markets yet, but some rumours have predicted a November release date for the device. Insider Gaming predicted with information from various sources that the device will arrive in mid-late November 2023.
In addition, Project Q’s battery life is reported to be around 3 to 4 hours. More information will be shared according to PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan, but so far all signs seem to be pointing towards this device being more of an add-on and complementary device instead of an essential one.
How Much Will It Cost?
With its build, its 3 to 4 battery life, and November release month schedule, all that’s left is determining its price point of the remote play handheld device. Our guess would be US$200 (RM910 to RM1,000) or so; it has to be half or less than half than the PlayStation 5 since you require the console to even run Project Q. It would be foolhardy to charge otherwise.


Disco Elysium Hustles Its Way To The Top Of The 2019 RPG Spot

Platform: PC
Genre: Detective game with an existential crisis RPG
So far, 2019 has been a great year for role-playing games. With titles like Fire Emblem: Three House and The Outer Worlds giving RPG fans great opportunities to dive into massive worlds full of interesting characters spouting well-performed dialogue, there’s no doubt that it will be hard for other games to captivate would-be adventurers.
Disco Elysium came out about just a week before The Outer Worlds and many players were already saying that it blew every other 2019 RPG out of the water. As someone who’s played both games, I wholeheartedly agree. I would even go as far as saying that Disco Elysium is the best RPG I’ve played in my entire lifetime.
Having played games from award-winning series such as The Elder Scrolls, Dragon Quest, Fallout, and many others, I understand that that’s a big claim. I’m one of those people who prefer great writing and narrative in my RPGs rather than engaging combat systems, and truth be told, Disco Elysium heavily delivers on the former.
Putting The R & P In RPG

Like most good RPGs, Disco Elysium begins with you making your character. There aren’t any options to tweak your appearance or choose a class. All you can do is designate points into the four stats of the game and choose a signature skill out of 24 different skills.
For my first run, I decided to equally dump all my points into Intelligence and Psyche thus making myself a charming smart-ass but my abysmal Physique and Motorics meant that I could die from almost anything.
The game starts and I wake up as a middle-aged man lying naked on the floor, presumably after a wild night of drinking and getting high on god-knows-what. I check around the room and I see a pair of pants on the floor and a tie stuck on the spinning ceiling fan.

I put on the pants, get a +1 boost to a skill called Electrochemistry because it’s tight around the crotch but also a -1 penalty to a Motorics skill called Savoir Faire because it’s too tight around the crotch.

Next on my to-do list was to get that tie down from the ceiling fan. My high intellect manifested itself as a voice in my head representing the skill of Logic and it told me to pull the switch attached to the fan before I did anything stupid. Being the smart man I am, I heeded its advice and got myself a new tie which also began talking to me.
Then, I noticed there was also an option to switch on a light that was attached to the fan. RPGs often silently encourage you to exhaust all dialogue options to see what you can dig up so I did just that and switched on the light. It proved to be too bright for my hungover brain and the mistake cost me one health point.
It was the only health point I had because of my low Physique stat so my character got a heart attack and died. 10 minutes into the game and I faced my first game over screen thanks to me switching on a lightbulb.
That’s basically how Disco Elysium plays, and it is glorious.
Whimsical Whodunit

There are no actual combat encounters in the game, at least in the typical sense. Conflict and action purely come from dialogue options and stat checks. There are stat checks you can re-attempt at a later time if you fail them and there are one-attempt only stat checks as well.
As I replayed the game and made a more balanced character, I discovered that I was playing as a detective who was assigned to investigate a murder that happened near the premise which I awoke in. Once I got my bearings and left my room, I came across Kim Kitsuragi. He’s a fellow police officer who acts as the player’s sidekick of sorts, joining your party permanently throughout the game.

Kim’s serious personality and low tolerance of nonsensical topics provide a very welcomed balance in contrast to our character’s ridiculous disposition, making him a shoe-in for one of 2019’s best characters in a game.

At this point, the main story and questline become clear: find out who committed the crime you were sent to investigate and bring them to justice.

Along the way, you’ll pick a ton, and I mean a TON, of sidequests or tasks that you can complete. This is one of those games where being a completionist isn’t a good thing. There are tasks that, if you carry them out, will actually put you in a position you don’t want be in, such as becoming the laughing stock of your precinct after reporting that you lost your police badge.
When people say a game is full of “diverse characters”, it rarely means what I think it means. For this game, it deserves that compliment. You’ll have to confront people who are liars, thieves, greedy businessmen, racists, and more.

Anyone can be your enemy or your friend. There is no wrong or right; just a lot of grey you can work with.

Like how most characters will have their own beliefs in politics, religion, and so on, your dialogue options will allow you to choose the kind of detective you want to be. Communist? Fascist? Disco? There is almost an infinite number of personality combinations, you just have to prod yourself into the right direction of mental oblivion. In fact, you can equip multiple “thought processes” from the in-game Thought Cabinet which help you bolster your stats; think of these as special artifacts and perks from other RPGs within this context.
Whether you choose Advanced Race Theory or Date of Birth Generator, each depicted with surreal watercolour artwork, these can help you pass your speech and situational checks easily. Or just make the game more fun; your choice.
It’s quite obvious that a game like this would need to be really well-written for it to be engaging. Believe me when I say that Disco Elysium has that base covered and then some.

In my 20+ hours of playing and replaying Disco Elysium, I’ve read thousands of words and rarely felt bored or uninterested. It felt like reading a really good book but way more fun, of course.

At first, it will seem as if the setting is quite small. The case will take more than just a day to solve and as the week progresses, more parts of the town begin opening up. New characters will also appear each day and there are tasks that can only be done at specific times on specific days. One playthrough will at least take you a dozen hours.
I don’t want to say more about the story and characters as I believe that it’s much better for you to experience it all yourself. I can safely say it’s an adventure worth playing through many, many times.
Electric Boogaloo

It’s not hard to see that Disco Elysium is an indie game. I don’t mean that in a bad way. The game’s tones shift erratically from depressing to crazy very often and the hauntingly beautiful art direction complements this. Every character and every voice in the player’s head has a portrait of their own and each one seems to have been illustrated in such a way that makes them all leave a mark in your memory.
The music is very minimal in this game but it’s often used to set up the atmosphere which it does very well. The true star of the audio department is the voice acting. Not every single line is voice acted but when characters do speak, it’s very convincing. My favourite is the voice in your head that represents your brain itself (yes, it’s a character too) who speaks in a deep, growling tone that makes my skin crawl.
Disco Elysium‘s strongest appeal outside of its gameplay is how it slowly opens up the fictional world and its history to the player. Everything from the country’s origins to its political systems is gradually demystified as the main character talks to other characters and himself.

Fun fact: If you invest in the Encyclopedia skill, there will be a voice that often weasels into your conversations so that it can tell you everything it knows about the world, including the useless stuff not relevant to your case. Like any trivia-loving asshat would. Classic.

Aside from a few graphical glitches, I really don’t have much to complain about. Again, Disco Elysium is one of the best games I have ever played and is most definitely my favourite 2019 RPG.
If you’re looking for a game that will humour you with an amazing narrative for at least 20 hours, this is the game. For those of you who don’t like reading a lot of text in video games and prefer combat over conversations, I would advise looking elsewhere. Disco Elysium has enough words to fill out at least a few thick books, and it’s worth more than a gloss-over or two.
Pros

Very deep and meaningful stat-based gameplay.
Extremely well-written story and dialogue.
Simple yet beautiful visuals.
Very replayable.

Cons

A few graphical glitches here and there.

FINAL SCORE: 90/100


Arrested Development & Archer’s Jessica Walter Dies

Emmy Award-winning actress Jessica Walter passed away in her sleep at home in New York City on 24 March. She was 80.
Her acting career has spanned five decades, including her debut role in Play Misty For Me and The Flamingo Kid. In the past few years, she was more renowned for portraying the catty Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development and Malory Archer in Archer.
Her other achievements include serving as 2nd National Vice President of the Screen Actors Guild, and a member of the SAG Board of Directors for 10 years plus.

SVP Drama Programming at Fox Entertainment Brooke Bowman, who is Walter’s daughter has issued the following statement regarding her late mother.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of my beloved mom Jessica. A working actor for over six decades, her greatest pleasure was bringing joy to others through her storytelling both on screen and off. While her legacy will live on through her body of work, she will also be remembered by many for her wit, class and overall joie de vivre.”
You will be missed, Jessica Walter. Let’s celebrate her accomplishments with pictures and videos of her finest moments in acting and stardom.


These Apex Legends Physical Editions Look Cool But…

It was only a matter of time. EA has confirmed that physical editions of Apex Legends are coming out next month. There will be two versions, one focused on Bloodhound and another on Lifeline.
Each physical release will cost you US$19.99 (~RM84) and of course, it’s charging you for in-game cosmetics in the form of skins, banners, and badges.
Seeing as how Apex Legends is a free-to-play game, everyone’s asking the same question: Is it worth the money?
The physical editions will come with the following:
The Lifeline Edition

Legendary Guardian Angel Lifeline skin
Legendary Chooser of the Slain Flatline skin
Exclusive Winged Guardian Banner
Exclusive Angel Struck Badge
1,000 Apex Coins

The Bloodhound Edition

Legendary The Intimidator Bloodhound skin
Legendary Wrath Bringer Prowler skin
Exclusive Feeling Impish Banner
Exclusive Tormentor Badge
1,000 Apex Coins

The legendary skins that come with the physical editions are not (yet) available for purchase in the game’s digital store so it’ll be fairly obvious to everyone playing that you’re one of those people who coughed up RM84 for Apex Legends. A big bonus if you’re into that.
That extra 1,000 Apex Coins? Buying it straight from the Origin store will cost you US$16.00 (~RM67) so when combined together with all the exclusive in-game items you’re getting, you’re definitely paying less to get more.
I can confidently say you won’t be seeing me get back into Apex Legends with an exclusive Bloodhound or Lifeline skin anytime soon. These skins look cool and all but I’m someone who’s focused on having fun. I don’t need these to have fun.
If you’re short on cash (like me), skip this one and just play the game for free. You’ll still be having the same amount of fun as everyone else. Assuming you’re good at the game, of course (I’m not).
Both the Bloodhound Edition and the Lifeline Edition of the Apex Legends physical release are launching on 18 October 2019 for US$19.99 (~RM84). For more information, check out the official announcement here.


Puzzle & Dragons Creators Announces Chrono Magia, An Upcoming Competitive Card Game

Looks like there’s going to be another Japanese digital collectible card game entering the market soon. GungHo, the folks behind Puzzle & Dragon, just announced a new competitive title called ChronoMagia that will be out for smartphones in Japan in the near future.
The game will have a heavy strategy focus and use many cards, which is the basis of any collectible card game really.
Here’s what we know so far:
-The game’s lead producer is Daisuke Yamamoto, who produced Puzzle & Dragons. He said in the Famitsu interview that Chrono Magia is a very important project and plans to make the game with “the best members and with plenty of spirit.”
-The game’s OST will be composed by Yuzo Koshiro. You remember him from Streets of Rage 2, Etrian Odyssey, and the early Ys games from Falcom, right?
-Every card game needs a ton of illustrators for their content, right? Here’s the current list of featured artists for Chrono Magia:

NINNIN
Shinnosuke Hino
Rare Engine
Yoichi Ito
Erajima
Takahiro Araya
Miho Midorikawa
Ittoku
Shishizaru
Hideaki Takamura
Yosuke Adachi

-The game will also be available outside of Japan, making this a possible third game to be competing in the mobile CCG-slash-esports space. The first two are Hearthstone and Shadowverse, in case you’ve been living under a rock.
Based on these Famitsu scans so far, there are schoolgirls with katanas, lolis, fantasy beasts, fantasy beauties, and two-headed dragons. We can’t wait until we get more info on how the game works, so in the meantime, enjoy the pretty pictures.

(scans courtesy of ryokutya2089 & Siliconera)


Ultraman Soaring Onto Netflix Next Year

Good news: there’s going to be a brand-new Ultraman anime set for early 2019 on Netflix. Bad news(?): it’ll be rendered in CG and won’t be done tokusatsu style. Probably for the best.

Who will be directing this CGI monster fightfest? Why it’ll be Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki; they both are responsible for Ghost in the Shell Complex and Appleseed Alpha respectively. Production IG and Sola Digital Arts in charge of the CGI.
The CGI anime is adapted from the 12-volume manga series that takes place a few years after the classic live-action TV series. Here’s a detailed synopsis.
Decades ago, a being known as the Giant of Light joined Shin Hayata of the Scientific Special Search Party to save Earth from an invasion of terrifying monsters known as Kaiju. Now, many years later, those dark days are fading into memory, and the world is at peace. But in the shadows a new threat is growing, a danger that can only be faced by a new kind of hero – a new kind of Ultraman…
Shinjiro is an ordinary teenager, but his father is the legendary Shin Hayata. When he learns that his father passed on the “Ultraman Factor” to him, and that he possesses incredible powers, nothing will ever be the same again.
So I gotta ask: will there be a Bahasa Melayu dub for this upcoming Ultraman? It’s only fair, given that ALL of our Ultraman shows were first in BM dub back on the RTM evening kid’s show slots.


Microsoft Predicts Next-Gen Xbox & PS6 To Arrive In 2028

It seems like we still have half a decade to enjoy our PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles before the PS6 and next-gen Xbox arrives.
According to court documents reviewed by IGN, Microsoft said the “expected starting period” of the next-gen consoles such as the PS6 and whatever the next Xbox will be is sometime in 2028, which is five years away from now.
What this means is that Xbox Series X/S and PS5 are expected to have an approximately 8-year-lifespan. The news comes from documents made public during today’s trial between Xbox/Activision and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
In other related news to come out of the 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.


Upcoming Strategy RPG Blade Prince Academy Announced For PC

Get ready for an exciting new strategy RPG game called Blade Prince Academy, which is going to launch on Steam soon. Developed by Angel Corp and published by Firesquid, this game has a cool anime-inspired art style and will be available for PC. To fund this amazing game, a Kickstarter campaign is scheduled to launch on 11 May.
So, what is Blade Prince Academy all about? Well, it’s a tactical RPG game that’s set in the mysterious city of Abjectalia. As a student at the Blade Prince Academy, you’ll be part of a group of highly trained magical assassins known as the Blade Princes. Your mission is to protect the city from all kinds of threats like gangs, cults, and vampires that are causing chaos.
In the game, you’ll be able to explore Abjectalia and unravel its mysteries while fighting various enemies. As you progress, you’ll also be able to assemble a roster of heroes, each with their own unique backstory, strengths, and weaknesses. With true real-time with pause gameplay, you’ll have full control over your units and be able to plan the perfect combos and manipulate the timing of each attack.
The Blade Prince Academy also acts as a social hub where you can interact with other Blade Princes, grow social relationships, and learn new skills. You’ll need to carefully select the right heroes and equipment to complete various missions successfully. Your decisions will have consequences, and your choices will determine the fate of Abjectalia. So, be careful when you make double-edged pacts with darkness!
With its anime-inspired art style and unique gameplay, this game will undoubtedly be a hit among strategy game fans. So, stay tuned for more updates and make sure to support the Kickstarter campaign on 11 May. For more information then feel free to check out the game’s Steam Store page.

Key Features

True Real-Time with Pause – Perfect your control of movement and attacks to gain the upper hand in any situation.
Combo System – Combine attacks and abilities with the right effects to generate powerful combos.
Relationships – Your choices will impact the Blade princes and how they feel about each other, which in turn affects their lives as well as the best strategy to adopt.
Pacts – Powerful rituals that change the abilities and skills of a character.
Talent Trees – Manage upgrades and unlock skills. Gradually gain access to more and more powerful spells!
Spell Loadout – Define your strategy from a large number of available spells before each mission.
Challenging Boss Fights – Fight unique bosses with terrifying powers. These fights will require complete mastery of the combat system and combos.


Overwatch’s Latest Hero Is Sigma, A Gravity-Manipulating Mad Scientist

This story is still in development.
Blizzard recently announced Hero 31 in Overwatch: a bald guy in space armour called Sigma. He’s also a scientist of sorts.
Here’s his origin story, which is basically portraying him as a scientist who has three split personalities: a trapped patient, a hubris-filled scientist, and a living weapon working for Talon. This was all caused by the gravity experiment he was doing prior to the events in Overwatch.

We’re guessing he’s the new “gravity” tank in Overwatch, given that the last few revealed characters were a DPS (Ashe) and a Support (Baptiste). We’ll be sure to update this page with his gameplay bits and whatnot.


E3 2018: These Are Your Best Reaction Videos

E3 reaction videos have been a staple since the ex-Gametrailer guys (who now formed Easy Allies) started losing their collective s**** during the PlayStation press conference back in 2015.

Yes, we know these videos have been around since, but there’s been quite a resurgence of these for the past few years. So how did 2018 fare in terms of people shouting and speaking non-cohesive words over video games?
Pretty decent, if you’re a millenial who needs validation from others to confirm your decisions. I kid, obviously, because these reactions showcase the genuine love for the medium that can’t be contained. Here are our top picks.
ProZD shows us how casuals and fans react to Kingdom Hearts III. And turns out there’s a meme for that bit in the end. The more you know, eh?

AfroSenju XL really, REALLY like Kingdom Hearts.

And so do these guys.

The reception for Halo Infinite was pretty darn strong as evident in this crowd shot and reaction from the Xbox press conference.

Some guy named Etika reacts to the reveal of the Metroid space pirate Ridley. He also breaks stuff too.

Speaking of Ridley reveals, the whole Nintendo New York store were loosing it, and followed up with a “not too big” chant.

Fighting game streamer Maximilian and his crew watch the Devil May Cry 5 trailer for the first time. As a Capcom fan, he is obviously stoked.

Giant Bomb’s Dan Ryckert learns about pirates mid-stream.

Even Twitter wasn’t spared. Thanks for breaking my eardrums, ksizzle.
https://twitter.com/ksizzleNJ/status/1006596658338115587
YouTuber Keana Flores goes ga-ga over Ellie and her coming out party in The Last of Us Part 2.

We cap off this segment with the folks who popularized the reaction trend. Here are the Easy Allies crew when they saw the Resident Evil 2 Remake crew for the first time.

Bonus: their reaction to Star Fox being in Ubisoft’s shooter Starlink.

Know any reactions we missed out on. Let us know!


Hunter x Hunter Manga Returns On 23 October

After being on hiatus for four years, the Hunter x Hunter manga will be returning to Weekly Shonen Jump on 23 October with brand new chapters!
Yes, you read it right, after a much-needed extended break, Yoshihiro Togashi’s hugely popular Hunter x Hunter manga will finally be returning to Japan’s ever-popular Weekly Shonen Jump on October 23 with brand-new chapters.
The English Shonen Jump app also confirmed that the manga will simulpub on the same day in English with all the previous chapters being released on the service today to catch up on the series before it returns.
Hunter x Hunter has been on hiatus since November 2018 due to the health of Togashi, but lately, he’s been getting back into the rhythm of creating manga and setting up a Twitter account for the progress of his work.
Although do take note that, this doesn’t mean that Hunter x Hunter will continue until it finishes. It is highly likely that Togashi may need to take another break sometime in the future so fingers crossed he doesn’t push himself too hard.

Major announcement!!! Hunter x Hunter returns Oct 23! Brand new simulpub chapters are coming to Shonen Jump! https://t.co/71vuObOtms pic.twitter.com/yFLU0POddg
— Shonen Jump (@shonenjump) October 11, 2022


Path of Exile 2 Announced, Will Probably Be Out Before Diablo IV

Free-to-play action RPG game Path of Exile, a game that shows Diablo III how it’s done, is getting a sequel.
However, it’s not a separate new game. Rather, it’s an expansion that overhauls the base game in the process. So what’s new in this version of the game? Let’s break it down:

A brand-new seven-act story that takes place 20 years after the end of the first Path of Exile.
An overhaul of the game’s core systems and reworking of the combat and class mechanics. There are seven classes in the game, so that’s a lot of improving.
19 new Ascendancy Classes that bolster your new character in the sequel.

Check out the rather dark trailer and sweet revamped gameplay below.

Looks good, right? Well, Path of Exile 2 is still a long way off: Grinding Gear Games said it won’t likely even begin beta testing until very late in 2020. Never fear; Path of Exile expansions will continue to release on their regular three-month schedule, with content that will be available in both Path of Exile 1 and 2 campaigns.


100 Thieves Is Joining The Call Of Duty League As LA Thieves

Esports team 100 Thieves are joining the Call Of Duty League as LA Thieves.
According to Dexerto, sources claim that they are purchasing the spot previously held by OpTic Gaming Los Angeles.
100 Thieves are joining the Call Of Duty League for the first time after missing out on the first season in 2020. It remains to be seen who will be joining the official roster for LA Thieves in 2021, but it could consist of Austin â€˜SlasheRâ€™ Liddicoat, Kenny â€˜Kuavoâ€™ Williams, Thomas â€˜TJHaLyâ€™ Haly, and Zack â€˜Drazahâ€™ Jordan.
They’re no stranger to Call Of Duty esports, as they previously won two major trophies in Call Of Duty World League and finished second in the Call Of Duty World League Championship.


River City Girls 2 Marian Trailer Confirms Her Double Dragon Origins

WayForward just released new gameplay for River City Girls 2, spotlighting on new character Marian.
Well, “kinda” new, since she’s THE same Marian in Double Dragon lore, former damsel in distress. The video below explains that she’s been working out on her own while waiting to be rescued by her “close friends” Billy and Jimmy Lee while they’re fighting ninjas in temples and robots in underground labs.
Her fighting style is a mix of grapples and boxing techniques; it’s light on combos but heavy on damage and also has giant swings in the mix. She also loves flaunting her abs of steel which is a byproduct of being punched in the gut too many times; a clear reference to her intro in the first Double Dragon game in 1987.
Check out her power kit below. River City Girls 2 will be out later in 2022 for PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.


Just Dance 2020 Spices Up With Asian Flavour

Ubisoft is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Just Dance by adding some Asian flavour into the latest iteration of the dancing game franchise. Just Dance 2020 will soon add new tracks â€œUgly Beautyâ€ (æ€ªç¾Žçš„) by Jolin Tsai and â€œFANCYâ€ by TWICE on 5 November 2019.
That’s only two of the 40 new songs slated to arrive in Just Dance 2020, including the following (of which only 27 has been revealed so far):

God Is a Woman â€“Â Ariana Grande
Skibidi â€“Â Little Big
Vodovorot â€“Â XS Project
Bangarang â€“Â Skrillex Ft. Sirah
Con Calma -Â Daddy Yankee Ft.Â Snow
Bad Boy -Â Riton & Kah-Lo
High Hopes â€“Â Panic! At The Disco
Kill This Love â€“Â BLACKPINK
Sushi -Â Merk & Kremont
I Like It -Â Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin
Policeman -Â Eva Simons Ft. Konshens
Rain Over Me – Pitbull Ft. Marc Anthony
365 â€“ Zedd & Katy Perry
Con Altura – ROSALÃA & J Balvin Ft. El Guincho
Fit But You Know It – The Streets
I Am The Best (ë‚´ê°€Â ì œì¼Â ìž˜Â ë‚˜ê°€) – 2NE1
Old Town Road (Remix) – Lil Nas X Ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
SÃ³ Depois Do Carnaval â€“ Lexa
Taki Taki – DJ Snake Ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna, Cardi B
The Time (Dirty Bit) – Black Eyed Peas
Just An Illusion – Equinox Stars
Baby Shark – Pinkfong
Bassa Sababa â€“ Netta
My New Swag (æˆ‘çš„æ–°è¡£) – VAVA Ft. Ty. & Nina Wang
Tel Aviv – Omer Adam Ft. Arisa

Just Dance 2020 is available now on the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. In the meantime, check out the preview of both new tracks â€œUgly Beautyâ€ (æ€ªç¾Žçš„) by Jolin Tsai and â€œFANCYâ€ by TWICE below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRfL112XPiM&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybReeaA7KHs&w=560&h=315]


E3 2019: Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Slated For September, Still Looks Effin’ Gorgeous

There’s nothing as timeless as 2D animation, especially if it’s Studio Ghibli-made animation. And that is more apparent when we’re talking about their first official foray into video games in partnership with developer Level 5: the epic tale that is Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch back in 2011.
Now it’s getting a remaster for the PS4 and PC. If you haven’t played it yet, you are in for a treat! It features a pretty well-written and surprisingly mature JRPG plotline featuring a kid who has to come into grips with reality while adventuring in a fantasy world. Crazy, I know!
Check out the trailer below and witness the cel-shaded game in its up-rezzed glory.

You can get your hands on this version this 20th September, real-time Pokemon-style battle system and all.


Kai Cenat’s Twitch Ban Has Been Lifted After 1 Week

Twitch has lifted the ban on Kai Cenat just a few days after initially giving him the boot. In case you don’t know, Kai Cenat is one of the top streamers on Twitch, known for his high-energy streams and collaborations with other top streamers. He even broke the subscription record earlier this year, racking up over 300,000 subscribers!
The news of Kai Cenat’s unban comes from the Twitter account StreamerBans, which keeps tabs on active bans and ban histories of prominent streamers. The reason behind Cenat’s latest ban is still unclear, but rumours suggest it may have been for some explicit simulated activity in Grand Theft Auto. Given the mature nature of the game, it’s not hard to imagine what he was up to!

? Twitch Partner "KaiCenat" (@KaiCenat) has been unbanned after 1 week, 4 minutes and 53 seconds! ?https://t.co/b3E7QWuWQl#twitch #unban #partner #twitchpartner ?
— StreamerBans (@StreamerBans) April 24, 2023

This isn’t the first time Kai Cenat has been banned from Twitch – it’s actually his fifth time. The previous ban was because he ingested cannabis edibles and passed out while streaming, breaking Twitch’s rules on drug use. Despite all these bans, Twitch seems to be pretty forgiving of Cenat, which is a common complaint among other streamers on the platform.
Even though Kai Cenat is one of Twitch’s biggest names, there are rumours that he may jump ship to rival platform Kick. Kick sent him a gift recently, possibly to one-up a gift from Twitch, and Adin Ross even asked Cenat to join him on Kick. It seems like the competition is heating up to snag top streamers like Kai Cenat.


The Legend of Tianding Is A Slick 2D Action Platformer Set In 20th Century Taiwan

When’s the last time you played a comic book-stylized action game set in 1920s Taiwan during the country’s Japanese rule? Never? Exactly!
Which is why it’s great to see a game like The Legend of Tianding taking place in this not-quite-spoken-of time in history, albeit in a 2D action platformer context. Publisher Neo Doctrine and developer CGCG just announced the game via Steam and via this awesome-looking trailer which features slick comic book 80s manga art and over-the-top 2D action.

Play as the hero Liao Tianding, a vigilante of Taipei city who fights for the poor and for justice, defeating colonial Japanese authorities and other goons with kung fu fighting, a sh**-ton of combos and cancels, and rocket launchers. Yes, you can use guns dropped by the army in case you’re feeling outgunned.
Apart from the 2D action platforming shenanigans in full display, you can also play the Taiwanese board game Four Color Cards in minigame form. The Legend of Tianding will be out October 2021 for PC, and I for one cannot wait to kick colonial butt in this title!


KKP Best Of 2020: Game #16

Check out our full(?) Games of 2020 list here.
#16: Call of Duty Warzone

This modern warfare FPS redefined and reinvigorated not just the CoD franchise, but the battle royale scene as a whole. It brought so many new mechanics and novel ideas into the genre many thought is in its last legs.
Thereâ€™s a logical reason why this game hit 30 million players within 10 days, and it may partly be due to the COVID-19. Itâ€™s because people are clamoring for a high polished and â€œfreshâ€ take on the battle royale that also happens to be absolutely free. Activision finally caved in after delivering Blackout; theyâ€™re going the F2P route and are getting love and plays for it.
With new systems like the second wind â€œgulagâ€ feature and the contracts that make even the best of PUBG campers think twice about their current status, developer Infinity Ward is at the top of their game in both claiming their dominance and showing guys like Epic Games and BlueHole how itâ€™s done.


Malaysia’s Getting A Giant-Sized God of War PS4 Pro Bundle

Sony Interactive Entertainment Hong Kong Limited Singapore Branch (SIES) and PlayStation Asia have announced that a new PS4 Pro God of War bundle and PS4 Pro 2TB model will be available in Malaysia starting from January 11, 2019.

The PS4 Pro God of War bundle will arrive with a retail price of RM1799. It includes a PS4 Pro 1TB console, a Dualshock 4 controller, and the physical copy of God of War. It’s a great deal, especially since gamers will essentially be receiving God of War for free since a non-bundle PS4 Pro would also normally go for around the same price.

The latest model of the PS4 Pro with 2TB storage will be coming to Malaysia, specifically designated as the CUH-7218C B01 model, at a retail price of RM1949. Though the price is a bit steep considering there are cheaper models and bundles of the PS4 Pro, the additional storage space is sure to entice players who want to fit in a lot of games without resorting to buying an external hard disk.
Check out the list of PlayStation Authorized Dealers, Sony Stores, and Sony Centres in Malaysia over at this link to locate the nearest branch.


PlayStation CEO Not Sure If Starfield & Elder Scrolls 6 Is Coming To PS5

Since Microsoft announcedÂ their acquisition of BethesdaÂ in September 2020, many gamers have been wondering what exactly that means for other platforms, specifically Sony PlayStation’s PS4 and PS5.
Will future Bethesda games like Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 still launch for the PS4 or PS5?
Not even PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan knows the definitive answer to that, folks.

In an interview with Russian publication TASS, Ryan said that the decision in question is “out of his hands”, which means that he’s also waiting to see if those games will be coming to the PS5, just like the rest of us.
He said:
Thatâ€™s a decision that is out of our hands, weâ€™ll wait and see what happens. I look forward to learning about that. We just take a different approach. Our emphasis has been to focus on really steady, slow, but constant organic growth of our studios, selectively bolstered by acquisitions. We respect the steps taken by our competition, they seem logical and sensible. But weâ€™re equally happy and confident, weâ€™ve got a better launch lineup than weâ€™ve ever had at any of our console launches.
Interestingly, in the same interview, Ryan also mentioned something that indicates PlayStation has a plan to counter Xbox’s successful Game Pass subscription service.
When asked about how PlayStation will respond to the Xbox Game Pass, he said:
“There is actually news to come, but just not today. We have PlayStation Now which is our subscription service, and that is available in a number of markets.”
That’s really intriguing, considering that one of the few advantages that Xbox currently has over PlayStation is the Xbox Game Pass, which is the closest thing to a Netflix for gaming as there has ever been to date.
It definitely sounds like this generation’s console war will a lot more eventful and less one-sided than the previous one. That only translates to good news for gamers out there.


Rainbow Six Siege Operation Steel Wave To Add New Operators & More

Today, during a remote live stream reveal, Ubisoft announced the full details for the second season of Tom Clancyâ€™s Rainbow Six Siege Year 5, Operation Steel Wave. It will introduce new Operators Ace and Melusi, a new Attacker and Defender from Norway and South Africa respectively, as well as an entirely-reworked House map and other gameplay changes.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohl8qv4mX88&w=560&h=315]
Norwegian Attacker Ace and South African Defender Melusi are the two new Operators
coming in Operation Steel Wave.
As a part of the Norwegian Home Guard, Ace acquired a heroic reputation. After being accepted into the Forsvarets Spesialkommando, on a joint UN operation in Somalia, Ace emerged saving Kaliâ€™s life. The offer to join NIGHTHAVEN swiftly followed.
Ace is equipped with S.E.L.M.A., a throwable and stickable device that will stick to any vertical surface and slowly destroy up to 3 panels, one after the other. The S.E.L.M.A gadget can also be thrown at almost any defensive gadget and destroy it with its arms or water explosive.
Ace.
Melusi signed up with the South African National Defence Force to broaden her skillset and fund her field ranger training. After an ambush left her badly wounded, she resigned from the military and â€“ as the heart of the Inkaba Task Force Anti-Poaching Unit â€“ began training local women in tracking, interception, and surveillance.
Melusi is equipped with Banshee deployable electronic gadgets. It applies a slowing effect to any attackers that are in a direct line of sight. The Banshee can also be used as an intel gadget as it produces an identifiable sound when an attacker entire its range.
Melusi.
In addition to these two new Operators, players will be able to explore a reimagined House map, which has been newly reworked. Its owner welcomed a newcomer in the family, leading to notable changes including expansions to the basement area, attic, and office tower. Additional changes can be experienced throughout the map, all with the intent of evolving the gameplay meta.
The Test Server for Operation Steel Wave goes live today on 19 May 2020. The Test Server (which is exclusive on PC) is an alternative version of Rainbow Six Siege, allowing players to test upcoming gameplay features that will make their way into the main game itself.
All additions mentioned above will be free to every Rainbow Six Siege player when Operation Steel Wave launches on PS4, Xbox One and PC. While Year 5 pass holders will receive one-week early access to the new Operators, Ubisoft has yet to announce the official release date.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfVAMR2OAII&w=560&h=315]


God Of War Ragnarok Day 1 Patch Features Over 160 Fixes

Sony’s big holiday release of 2022, the action RPG title God of War Ragnarok, has a launch day patch. And it’s very huge!
The patch notes state over 160 fixes for the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 game, which is out right now.
“We strongly encourage you to download this patch to ensure you have the best possible experience when you play on Nov. 9.”
God of War Ragnarok has received rave reviews online. I myself have given it a distinctively high score for its gameplay, exploration, and story. Patch notes are below:
Dialogue

Fixed several cases where dialogue would not play from shopkeepers.
Fixed a case where shop dialogue would repeat too frequently.
Fixed several cases where stories would be incorrectly interrupted.
Fixed a number of situations where dialogue was incorrectly prioritized, causing minor dialogue to play instead of critical dialogue.
Fixed a case where puzzle hint dialogue would interrupt and block quest dialogue during the quest “Across the Realms.”
Fixed a case where the companions would direct the player to stun enemies that could not be stunned.
Fixed a case where Mimir gave incorrect instructions to use a relic item.
Fixed a number of locations where dialogue could play out of order, causing repeating dialogue or confusing conversations with the companion.
Made adjustments to dialogue timing to make conversations sound more natural.

Cinematics

Fixed a case where the cinematic did not play when entering the office in the quest “The Quest for Tyr.”
Fixed a case where a cinematic did not play during the quest “The Lost Sanctuary.”
Fixed a case where backtracking during the quest “The Lost Sanctuary” caused a story beat to not occur.
Fixed several cases where dialogue and subtitles would not play if the player restarted from last checkpoint during a cinematic.
Fixed a case where dialogue and subtitles would not play during the quest “The World of Fate.”
Fixed a case where contradictory dialogue will play during the quest “The World of Fate.”
Fixed a case where a story beat would not occur during the quest “The Summoning.”
Fixed a case where the wrong conversation could be triggered during the quest “The Realms at War.”
Fixed a case where the characters were in the wrong position after restarting a checkpoint during a cinematic in the quest “The Realms at War.”
Fixed a rare case where stories would not play after completing the quest “A Viking Funeral.”
Fixed a case where stories would play during the quest “The Weight of Chains”, interrupting quest dialogue.

Quests and Progression

Fixed a case where an NPC would reappear after completing the quest “Cure for the Dead.”
Fixed an instance where the player would be unable to interact with an NPC in the quest “The World of Fate.”
Fixed a case where the companion would not activate a puzzle element in the quest “The World of Fate.”
Fixed a several cases where the companion would not move to the correct location during the quest “Forging Destiny”, which blocked puzzle completion and required a restart from last checkpoint.
Fixed a case where gates would be unavailable when backtracking during the quest “Reunion.”
Fixed a case where enemies could spawn twice, causing an abnormally difficult encounter.
Fixed several cases where specific shopkeepers would not spawn, requiring a checkpoint restart to restore them.
Fixed a case where the player could not exit the room in the quest “Into the Fire.”
Fixed a case where a critical encounter would not spawn in the quest “Scent of Survival.”
Fixed an area that would not load in time which resulted in rare cases where the player would fall out of the world in the quest “The Quest for Tyr.”
Fixed a case where the player could be pushed out of the world during the quest “The Quest for Tyr.”
Fixed a few cases where the companion would disappear during the quest “Nine Realms in Bloom.”
Fixed a case where the quest NPC could be invisible in the quest “For Vanaheim!”
Fixed a case where a chain did not appear, blocking further progress in the quest “The Runaway.”
Fixed a case where the wolf sled would disappear after restarting from checkpoint during a wall squeeze traversal in the quest “Hunting for Solace.”
Fixed a rare case where a gear would not freeze in the quest “Return the Favor” blocking progress and requiring a restart from last checkpoint to correct.
Fixed a case where the camera could get stuck in a cinematic in the quest “Creatures of Prophecy” requiring a load from an earlier save.
Fixed a case where the player was teleported backwards and reset when trying to leave an area in the quest “Creatures of Prophecy”, requiring a restart from last checkpoint to correct.
Fixed a case where restarting from checkpoint during the cinematic would cause characters to be missing during the quest “Surviving Fimbulwinter.”
Fixed a case where a character could remain in the quest “Unleashing Hel”, causing disruption to gameplay until restarting from the last checkpoint.
Fixed a rare case where the sled would not pass a gate in the quest “Surviving Fimbulwinter.”
Fixed a case where the sled would teleport behind a locked gate severely impacting the quest “The World of Fate.”
Fixed a case where the game would return the player to an incorrect checkpoint when restarting from checkpoint in the quest “The Realms at War.”

Gameplay

Fixed several cases where enemy loot would fall in inaccessible places and could only be retrieved from the lost items chest in the shop.
Fixed a few cases where the companion would get stuck and not follow the player.
Fixed cases where the companion would behave erratically.
Added checkpoints to specific encounters that were missing them.
Made improvements to AI pathing.
Fixed several cases where the player could fall through the world under certain conditions.
Fixed several locations where the player could not interact with an elevator or was blocked from entering an elevator.
Fixed a case where the player was unable to enter the Svartalfheim office, which prevented them from returning to the bay when backtracking.
Fixed a case where the player was unable to interact with health stones during the quest “The Lost Sanctuary.”
Fixed a case where the companion could get stuck to the sled and carried away.
Fixed a few cases where the player would be unable to dismount a sled while exploring, which required a restart from the last checkpoint.
Fixed several cases where the sled did not properly follow the player when traversing on foot in exploration areas. (It can be a long walk!)
Fixed a case where the player could lose functionality while interacting with a mask and fall off a ledge during the quest “Unlocking the Mask.”
Fixed a case where the player could lose functionality and be unable to open a gate after completing the quest “The Last Remnants of Asgard.”
Fixed several cases where picking up collectible items could cause the player to fall out of the world.
Fixed a case where the player would fall out of the world when loading in after having restarted from last checkpoint while crawling through a cave.
Fixed a case where camera control could become disabled if the player and the companion entered a crack climb simultaneously.
Fixed a case where the companion would behave incorrectly during a tutorial in the quest “The Reckoning.”

Combat

Fixed a rare case where the final boss does not appear in the final boss fight, requiring a restart from previous checkpoint to correct.
Fixed several cases where canceling a move to evade would not properly cancel.
Fixed a case where projectiles from a player weapon would be invisible.
Fixed a number of cases where enemies could be knocked out of the world.
Fixed several cases where enemies could get stuck in the environment.
Fixed a case where the enemy in the quest “The Burning Skies” could remain passive.
Fixed a case where fighting a particular enemy while exploring would cause the weapon to be visually misaligned from the enemy.
Fixed a case where an enemy would not be properly stunned by a particular heavy runic attack on Give me God of War difficulty.
Fixed a case where using a realm shift ability when an enemy was spawning could cause them to get stuck during the quest “The Desert Door.”
Fixed a case where the companion could fall out of the world when using a resurrection stone.
Fixed a rare case where an enemy could hit for double damage.
Fixed a case where the companion could incorrectly trigger a Ravager detonation.
Fixed some cases where an enemy attack could hit the player outside of the visual damage radius.
Fixed a case where the Bifröst status element was causing more damage to the player than indicated.
Fixed a case where the player could recall the Leviathan Axe if it was equipped during the boss fight in the quest “The Reckoning.”
Fixed several cases where the Stun Grab (R3) move would play incorrectly when the move damaged, rather than killed, the enemy.
Fixed some cases where an enemy would be incorrectly marked indicating a Stun Grab (R3) move was available when they were not stunned.
Fixed a rare case where an enemy affected by a damaging Stun Grab (R3) move that left them at 0 health would not die and could not be killed, blocking progress in the game.
Fixed a case where enemies in an adjacent encounter could heal enemies in the active encounter.
Fixed a case where an enemy was missing an unblockable indicator when performing an unblockable attack.
Fixed a case where a specific AoE attack at a lower height level could unfairly connect with the player.
Fixed a case where the player was not properly invulnerable when exiting Rage Fury.
Fixed a case where a particular enemy would clear all status effects mid-fight, unintentionally making the fight harder.
Fixed a case where the counters count incorrectly in the “Ring Out Challenge”, leading to failure of the challenge.
Fixed a case where an enemy would not be properly dispatched during a narrative moment, preventing progress in the quest “Reunion,” requiring a restart from last checkpoint to correct.
Fixed a rare case where “the Hateful” enemy could become invulnerable, requiring a restart from last checkpoint to correct.
Fixed a case where enemies could become idle and invulnerable in the quest “The Broken Prison.”
Fixed a rare case where animation could become misaligned during the boss fight in the quest “Reunion.”
Fixed a case where the boss continued to attack when stunned in the quest “Surviving Fimbulwinter.”
Fixed a rare case where the player could be knocked out of the arena in a boss fight during the quest “The Realms at War.”
Fixed a case where if the player restarted from last checkpoint, the companion would not attack the boss in the quest “The Realms at War” until commanded.
Fixed a case where the player could be teleported out of the world when restarting from checkpoint during a Stun Grab (R3) move in the boss fight during the quest “The Reckoning.”
Fixed a case where the companion would not attack the enemy “Slag Horn” until commanded.
Fixed a case where the player would be unable to use the Rampaging Ibex runic summon in a specific encounter in the quest “The Lost Sanctuary.”

Equipment and Upgrades

Fixed a case where attempting to upgrade an equipped shield would fail after upgrading other equipped armor.
Fixed a case where Shattered Runes could not be sold in the shop after completing the main story.
Fixed a few cases where the player would be unable to upgrade or craft equipment despite having the required resources.
Fixed a case where upgrading Rage Fury while it was active caused it to stay on indefinitely, blocking further progress in the game.
Fixed a case where some armor items would appear under the wrong category when buying back from the shop.
Fixed a case where an amour set could be acquired multiple times, preventing other armor sets from being upgraded and required loading a previous save to progress.
Made the first resurrection stone free!

UI/UX

Made improvements to the compass throughout the game.
Made tutorial timing adjustments throughout the game.
Made improvements to font rendering.
Fixed a case where the player could become stuck in the shop with no UI when pausing and unpausing the game while in the shop menu, requiring a reboot of the application to fix.
Fixed a few cases where interacting with puzzle elements during a tutorial could cause the tutorial prompt to remain on-screen, requiring a restart from last checkpoint to clear.
Fixed a case where subtitles could remain on screen after the dialog was finished, requiring a reboot of the application to clear.
Fixed a case where the “Death from Above” tutorial did not appear if the player cleared the enemies using ranged attacks before entering the area.
Fixed a case where the incorrect instructions would appear for a “Crucible Challenge.”
Fixed a case where headers would display incorrectly in the Favors menu.
Fixed several cases where context-sensitive information did not appear when hovering over map icons.
Fixed a case where the scrollbar would be missing from the Accessibility Preset menu.
Fixed a case where the Dreki health bar would be the incorrect power level color after reloading from a checkpoint on Give me God of War difficulty.
Fixed a case where the map markers would be missing when returning from the “Unleashing Hel” quest.
Fixed a case where after restarting from a checkpoint, the companion HUD would remain visible while the companion was unavailable in the quest “The Quest for Tyr.”
Fixed a case where the companion down indicator could remain on-screen throughout a cinematic if the companion was downed when the cinematic started.
Fixed a case where the compass markers could overlap boss health bars.
Fixed a case where completing an encounter did not remove the marker from the map.
Fixed some missing lore entries in the journal.

Stability and Performance

Fixed several conditions that could cause a temporary drop in frame rate.
Fixed several crashes that could occur when browsing the journal.
Fixed several instances of crashes when using the equipment menus.
Fixed a number of rare crashes when exploring.
Fixed an issue where the game would stall and become unresponsive during the “Phantom Challenge.”
Fixed a rare crash related to the Rampage of the Furies ability.
Fixed several cases where the application could crash:

During the quest “The Quest for Tyr”
During the quest “Unlocking the Mask”
During the quest “Old Friends”
During the quest “The Summoning”
During the quest “Scent of Survival”
During the quest “In Service of Asgard”
During the quest “The Realms at War”

Fixed a crash in the final boss fight due to a particular attack hitting the player when using the accessibility feature “Recenter On Attack” set to “Priority +”.
Fixed a rare crash when using the “Falcon Dive” runic ability.
Fixed a rare crash when destroying an explosive pot in the quest “Old Friends.”
Fixed a crash when fighting enemies in “The Crucible” challenges.

Visual Impact

Fixed a few cases where enemies would load in slowly.
Fixed a few cases where the zip line rope would become disconnected from the supports.
Fixed several cases where the environment would “pop in” when moving throughout the realms.
Fixed a few cases where the player could see missing world geometry from specific vantage points.
Fixed a situation where arrows embedded in enemies would not embed deep enough.
Fixed a few cases where the boat could be docked into rocks at the side of a beach.
Fixed a condition where the sled harness could become misaligned.
Fixed many places where armor and equipment could clip through the character model or environment.
Fixed several cases where VFX would be missing from specific player attacks.
Fixed a case where performing a shield punch and recalling the Leviathan Axe at the same time would cause the shield to remain open.
Fixed a case where a gate remained visible after being destroyed during the quest “The Quest for Tyr.”
Fixed a case where Dínner is missing when returning to the Svartalfheim safety office.
Fixed a case of incorrect VFX sorting in the quest “The Summoning.”
Fixed several cases of missing lip sync.

Audio

Made general improvements to the Audio Mix.
Fixed a case where dialog and sound effects would stop playing, requiring a reboot of the application to restore.
Fixed cases where puzzle elements would not play environment sounds until interacted with.
Fixed instances of missing sounds from lift gates.
Fixed several cases where dialog volume was too low impacting story comprehension.
Fixed several cases where the player could hear Odin’s Ravens in the environment when they had already been collected.
Fixed a case where the low-health “heartbeat” sound would remain on past when it should, requiring a restart from checkpoint to correct.
Fixed several cases where the sound of doors or gates could continue looping, requiring a restart from checkpoint to correct.
Fixed missing sound for narrative moments in the quest “Into the Fire.”
Fixed duplicate sounds for the player when using Spartan Rage.
Fixed missing wolf sounds when using the sled in the quest “Surviving Fimbulwinter.”
Fixed several cases of combat status effects incorrectly causing dialog to be quiet.
Fixing missing sound on parry and impact when using certain shields against particular enemies.
Fixed a case where combat music would be missing when restarting a checkpoint during the encounter during the quest “The Lost Sanctuary.”
Fixed several cases where combat music would be missing while exploring after completing the quest “The Realms at War.”
Fixed a case where part of the combat music either would not play, or would not stop playing, during the boss encounter in the quest “The Summoning.”
Fixed a case where the player struggle efforts would continue after death during the quest “Unlocking the Mask.”
Made improvements to audio blending between ambient zones.

Accessibility

Fixed a case where the characters would become unresponsive in the quest “The Lost Sanctuary.”
Made improvements to the Navigation Assist feature throughout the game.
Made Improvements to the high contrast markup throughout the game.
Fixed a few cases where the screen reader did not read on-screen prompts.
Fixed a case where setting an accessibility preset to Full would set all accessibility presets to Full by default.
Fixed a condition where threat indicators would not flash to indicate enemy attacks when using High Contrast mode.
Fixed a number of cases where the Audio Cues would not play or would play incorrectly.
Fixed a case where a second button press would be required with the feature Repeated Button Presses set to “Hold” in order to register the input during the quest “Unleashing Hel.”
Fixed a case where the feature High Contrast mode would cause unexpected results in Niflheim.

Localization

Fixed several alignment issues with Arabic text in the menu screens.
Fixed a few missing lines of dialog in Russian.
Fixed a case of incorrect information for armor stats in Arabic.
Fixed a case of incomplete text for graphics modes in Greek, Italian, Japanese, and Russian.

PS5 Specific

Implemented additional tuning and coverage for DualSense controller haptics.

PS4 Specific

Fixed several instances of loading hitches.
Fixed a few cases where the world would load in slowly causing temporarily degraded graphics.
Fixed an extremely rare crash when loading a save file.


Latest Elden Ring Update Nerfs Bloodhound Step & Buff Big Strength Weapons

Fans of PvP Elden Ring combat will be pleased to know that the odds are being tweaked in their favour, if the latest Elden Ring patch is of any indication.
The latest Elden Ring 1.06 patch that’s out right now for consoles and PC has nerfed two major Ashes of War skills: Bloodhound Step and Rivers of Blood. This is done to make changes in the game’s PvP to make the playing field levelled. On the buff side, Greatswords, Curved Greatswords, and Great Hammers will have a bunch of tweaks to make them slightly faster to attack with these heavy Strength weapons than before. I’m not sure if certain boss fights will be needlessly tougher with the nerfing of Bloodhound Step, but I’m very sure we’ll find a number of new setups and builds to take advantage of the other new buffs.
Here’s the full list:
Elden Ring 1.06 Update Balance Changes
-Added the following adjustments to Greatsword, Curved Greatsword and Great Hammers:
-Reduced the time it takes for rolling to become possible after an attack (Jump attack, dual wield attack and attacks while mounted not included)
-Increased the motion speed of strong attack and charge attack (mounted attacks not included)
-Increased Guard Counter’s motion speed
-Increased the attack speed of Great Axes and reduced the time it takes for rolling to become possible after an attack (Jump attack, dual wield attack and attacks while mounted not included)
-Increased rolling distance when player has a light equip load.
-Increased the hitbox of Cipher Pata’s weapon skill “Unblockable Blade”
-Increased the range of Ash of War “Glintstone Pebble” and “Glintstone Dart” projectile while decreasing the damage and stagger power
-Decreased the travel distance and invincibility frames of Ash of War “Bloodhound Step” while adding the changes below:
?Reduced performance when used continuously
-Increased travel distance when on light equip load
-Shortened the activation interval when using “Quick Step” skill in succession, increasing its ability to circle around the enemy when locked-on and add the changes below:

Reduced performance when used continuously
Increased travel distance when on light equip load

-Decreased the damage and bleed build-up of weapon skill “Corpse Piler” when hit with the blood attack. When hit by the blade, the damage is only decreased slightly.
-Decreased the target tracking ability of sorcery “Stars of Ruin”.
Bug Fixes

Fixed a bug which caused some attacks of “Lucerne” to not pierce enemy’s guard
Fixed a bug which made it harder for a two-handed jump attack with “Bloodhound’s Fang” to break enemy’s stance
Fixed a bug which caused the effect of “Determination” and “Royal Knight’s Resolve” to disappear after using the “Parry” skill with a dagger
Fixed a bug when dual wielding Axe and Greataxe which caused additional effects from Spells, Weapon Skills and Items to not be applied correctly
Fixed a bug when two-handing a Halberd which made it harder to withstand enemy’s attack after using guard counter
Fixed a bug which caused the physical attack affinity of some weapons to be different from the affinity listed in the description.
Fixed a bug which caused the player to become more easily noticed by the enemy when wearing “Deathbed Dress”, even when crouching
Fixed a bug which caused charge attack with flail to damage ally character when wearing “Deathbed Dress”
Fixed a bug that caused HP to regenerate when switching your equipment to certain type of armor
Fixed a bug where the effect added to the weapon upon using “Mists of Slumber” was lost when the player receive an attack
Fixed a bug which caused the playable character’s movement to become unstable upon hitting certain enemies with the skill “Ghostflame Ignition”
Fixed a bug which prevented player from using “The Queen’s Black Flame” skill’s follow-up attack when performing the skill with insufficient FP
Fixed a bug with the weapon skill “Zamor Ice Storm” which allowed player to more easily withstand enemy’s attack when using the skill with insufficient FP
Fixed a bug which caused the effect of spells and items added to right-hand armament to occur when using certain weapon skills with left hand.
Fixed a bug which caused the FP consumption description of certain weapon skills to be different from its actual FP cost
Fixed a bug that allows “Rock Blaster” to not consume any FP when used with a staff on the left hand and no weapon on the right hand
Fixed a bug which caused the charged version of “Black Flame Ritual” to consume the same amount of stamina as the normal version
Fixed a bug which caused the player to receive less HP recovery from incantations and items other than “Flask of Crimson Tears” when activating the effect of “Malenia’s Great Rune”
Fixed a bug which caused the “Opaline Hardtear” to not boost physical damage negation
Fixed a bug which prevented the player from jumping mid-air while riding under specific condition
Fixed a bug which allowed jump attack with Colossal Weapons while mounted to hit twice consecutively
Fixed a bug which caused some signs to appear more than once in the Summoning Pool
Fixed a bug which caused the effect of some weapon skill’s attack to persist under specific circumstances
Fixed a bug which sometimes caused significant performance issue at “Ordina, Liturgical Town” under certain circumstances
Fixed a bug which prevented the player from picking up dropped Runes upon death under certain circumstances
Fixed a bug which allowed users to reach certain inaccessible area during multiplayer
Fixed a bug which caused the multiplayer area to have different boundary than expected
Fixed a bug that causes some enemies to have incorrect visuals and behaviors.
Fixed a bug that caused incorrect sounds to be played under certain circumstances.
Fixed a bug which caused some areas to make the player unable to move which lead to death
Fixed a bug that caused some places on the map to have incorrect visuals and hitboxes.
Fixed a bug in some maps that allowed users to reach unexpected locations using certain procedures.
Fixed a bug with the PC version which caused click input to occur when equipping Staves or Sacred Seals and switching Windows to active.
Other performance improvements and bug fixes.


Stephen King’s The Stand Gets A Chilling Teaser Trailer

CBS All Access has finally revealed a premiere date and a teaser trailer for its upcoming miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand. The first episode will debut on the streaming service on 17 December 2020.
New episodes of The Stand will continue to air weekly every subsequent Thursday, with nine episodes in total.
The Stand stars Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Abigail and Alexander SkarsgÃ¥rd as Randall Flagg.
The setting of the book is essentially in a post-apocalyptic world decimated by a plague with the remnants of humanity forced into a struggle between good and evil.
The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abigail and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied by a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers named Randall Flagg; the nefarious Dark Man. After a superflu nicknamed Captain Trips wipes out 98 percent of humanity in The Stand, the survivors rally around either Abigail or Flagg.
With the world still facing an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the release of The Stand will never be more timely.
The series’ cast also includes:
 James Marsden as Stu RedmanOdessa Young as Frannie GoldsmithJovan Adepo as Larry UnderwoodAmber Heard as Nadine CrossOwen Teague as Harold LauderHenry Zaga as Nick AndrosBrad William Henke as Tom CullenIrene Bedard as Ray BretnerNat Wolff as Lloyd HenreidEion Bailey as WeizakHeather Graham as Rita BlakemoorKatherine McNamara as Julie LawryFiona Dourif as RatwomanNatalie Martinez as Dayna JurgensHamish Linklater as Dr. Jim EllisDaniel Sunjata as CobbGreg Kinnear as Glen Bateman
The New Mutants director Josh Boone serves as an executive producer and directed the series premiere and finale episodes, while Taylor Elmore is serving as showrunner alongside Ben Cavell.
Check out the 30-second teaser trailer below:

(Image Credits: Vanity Fair)


TGS 2019: The Romancing SaGa 3 Remaster Will Doom Us All This November

You can’t be as JRPGÂ  and as obtuse as the Romancing SaGa series, perhaps one of Square Enix’s more niche games in a sea of their own niche titles back in the 90s. The third entry, Romancing SaGa 3, now has an English version release date: 11th November.
Which means it’ll be the first time this game will be out in that language. Legally.

The game features 8 heroes with different scenarios that intertwine with one another, a pretty nifty combat system where you can improve stats depending on what weapons and skills you use, and an epic tale involving a cataclysm that needs to be prevented. This entry is known for the concept of RPG level scaling that’s now commonplace with tougher RPGs.
The remaster will be out for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.


How Gears 5’s Custom Mapbuilding In Escape Mode Works

One of the more thrilling additions to the upcoming Xbox One/PC third-person cover-heavy shooter Gears 5 is the Escape mode. Think Left 4 Dead co-op but with Locusts, traps, and deadly segmented rooms. You go from point A to B surviving and fighting while the entire room fills up with deadly gas.
And if that isn’t enough to entertain you, perhaps the game’s custom map mode will entice you to create your own deathtrap labyrinth of sorts. Players will get to use a map editor for Escape if they feel the current selection isn’t enough. They will be using a simple but extensive toolbox as demonstrated by developer The Coalition in this video below.

The map editor is tailor-made for consoles, so you can’t mess around with custom meshes or make new assets. You’ll be working with prefabricated room tiles that snap together; this is similar to 2016 Doom’s SnapMap feature. Still, you can place enemies and weapon pickups whenever you like, as well as determine the speed of the poison that’s chasing you down. Plus, there’s a handy fly-through mode that checks how the map goes at a glance.
Hopefully, this will get people’s creative juices flowing when making and sharing Gears 5 maps. We do hope the map editor’s budget bar, which probably limits the number of things you can put on a map, doesn’t restrict the creative process. Part of the fun is finding out what wacky things you can do with the Gears toolset, right?


E3 2019: Midnight Ghost Hunt Is A Multiplayer Nod To Ghostbusters

While plenty of shooters, oddball adventures, and big updates for popular action-packed thrillers appeared on the five-year strong PC Gaming Show, Midnight Ghost Hunt stands out as the first-person shoot-fest to look out for. While the idea isnâ€™t new, it is a title to keep an eye on due to the big twist it implements.
From indie-game studio Vaulted Sky Games and long-running games publisher Coffee Stain comes an immersive hide-and-seek team-based hunting shooter. Play as either Ghosts or Ghost Hunters and fight to the last ghoul/man before midnight strikes. The ones doing the hunting will win the game if they manage to rid the map of spirits. If they fail to do so when 12am hits, the tables will turn; the ones hiding will get a major power-up and become major threats.

Hunters have 4-minutes to clean-up the location of all the ghosts or become the prey for vengeful demons when time runs out. During the countdown to midnight, the hunted can possess the furniture and use them to hurt, maim, and kill the hunters.
Players who want to give this a go can now sign-up for the closed alpha and visit the haunted house come Summer 2019. Please keep in mind, this is a hardcore take on Luigiâ€™s Haunted Mansion and will NOT feature adorable spirits or fun puzzles.


Hereâ€™s Why This PokÃ©mon Tshirt Design Was Banned From Uniqlo

Uniqlo is a company well known for its collaborations with pop culture to create sweet merchandise, for example, they have Overwatch themed t-shirts, Monster Hunter tees, and Mario tees.
So, when Uniqlo set about holding their annual design contestÂ last year, the chosen theme was PokÃ©mon, and after a while, they announced their winner.

Li Wen Pei won the UT Grand Prix and was about to win $10,000 and have his design featured inÂ PokÃ©mon SwordÂ andÂ Shield, set to come to Switch later this year, but it took a turn when Uniqlo says Wen Pei has been disqualified for failing to adhere to the contestâ€™s rules.
Uniqlo commented in a statement in regards to the disqualification;

â€œUniqlo, the Japenase global apparel retailer, today announces that it has disqualified the Grand Prize winner and another finalist in its PokÃ©mon-themed UT Grand Prix 2019 design contest after learning that the designs in question were not in accordance with the terms of that competition.
Uniqlo will not award the Grand Prize to another entrant or sell merchandise feature the designs.â€

This is the design that won Li Wen Pei the contest.
Uniqlo hasn’t commented about the disqualification but it is speculated that this isn’t the first time Li Wen Pei used this design for commercial purposes, which violates the rules of the contest.
According to a translation of aÂ now-deleted postÂ on the Chinese social media website Sina WeiboÂ by website Nintendo Soup, it is said that Wen Pei sold some phone cases with the exact artwork on it. The same design was also seen on t-shirts. Wen Pei said that the design’s appearance on t-shirts was the work of piracy.
It isn’t surprising that piracy is rampant in China, but Uniqlo did not accept the reason.
One of the UTGP 2019 rulesÂ states that â€œUniqlo may withdraw prizes and/or terminate merchandising of t-shirts with Winning Artworks without prior notice to an entrant, irrespective of the originality of the Artwork submitted by the entrantÂ if similar artwork is already publicly available from outside Uniqlo stores.â€
There you have it, folks, that might be the reason why Uniqlo pulled this design off, although hasn’t confirmed the reason why Wen Pei was disqualified from the contest.


Here Is Sony’s Official Statement Regarding COVID-19’s Impact On Game Delays

The COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic has negatively affected the global economy and disrupted many businesses in the process, including the games industry. Major gaming events like E3 2020 and GDC 2020 have been cancelled, while developers are mandating that their employees work from home.
As such, gamers have been appropriately worried about the scheduled and planned release dates for upcoming highly-anticipated games. For instance, Sony and PlayStation have huge titles on the way, including the likes of Naughty Dog’s The Last Of Us Part II and Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Earlier today, Sony has released an official statement on how the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic has affected their business practices and output. For their Game & Network Services Segment (which includes everything related to PlayStation), they said (via press release):

“Sony estimates that there will be no material impact on this business for the current fiscal year.
Although no issues have emerged so far,
Sony is carefully monitoring the risk of delays in production schedules for game software titles at both its first-party studios and partner studios,
primarily in Europe and the U.S.”

To that end, Sony has also revealed that they have shut down both of its manufacturing plants in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Penang) for the period between 18 March and 14 April 14 2020. This is in accordance with the Malaysian Government’s currently-ongoing Movement Control Order mandate.
They also said that their business has been impacted by factors such as restrictions on the movement of people across national borders, which makes it difficult for Sony to send engineers to manufacturing hubs such as China and countries in Southeast Asia (including the aforementioned Malaysian plants above).
Sony has also temporarily shut down all of its film and television production, which means that more of their upcoming movies will likely be delayed or postponed. These include major motion pictures like Morbius and Venom 2, amongst others.
It remains to be seen if upcoming games will be delayed, but it seems highly likely at this point in time that The Last Of Us Part II will probably be delayed yet again. Just be prepared for the worst-case scenario, folks.
In the meantime, you’ll still have other great games like Nioh 2Â to play.


Who Won The Most Gold Medals At The Asian Games 2018 Esports Demonstration?

The Asian Games 2018 Esports demonstration tournament is done and over with.
Sure, this whole week was a week-long exhibition. The medals don’t count towards the official Asian Games tally. Still, it doesn’t mean that its significance is lessened, far from it. This bold step into worldwide legitimacy means that we’re only a few years to seeing this sort of thing on the main stage of the next Olympics event.
With that said, we have to ask: who won the most Gold medals? Which country is the best all-rounder esports team? Which country rules supreme in this Asian Games esports exhibition? Here’s what we got:

China won the most Gold medals, with 2 in total.
Chinese Taipei/Taiwan won the most Silver medals, with 2 in total.
Vietnam has the most Bronze medals, with 4 in total. Vietnam also has the most medals among all the other countries.

Without further ado, here are the official medal tallies for each country that has been placed in the top three for each game: Arena of Valor, Clash Royale, League of Legends, Starcraft II, Hearthstone, and Pro Evolution Soccer.
China
2 Gold medals (Arena of Valor, League of Legends), 1 Silver medal (Clash Royale).
South Korea
1 Gold medal (Starcraft II), 1 Silver medal (League of Legends). Yeah, we’re just as shocked as you were that South Korea got Silver in LoL. Just because you have the best players doesn’t mean you have the best synergy.
Hong Kong
1 Gold medal (Hearthstone). On that note, the MVP in the Hearthstone tournament is Giggling Inventor, the latest Boomsday expansion card that is dominating the meta right now thanks to its Taunt/Divine Shield double whammy.
Indonesia
1 Gold medal 1 Silver (Clash Royale).
Japan
1 Gold medal (Pro Evolution Soccer 2018).
Chinese Taipei:
2 Silver medal (Starcraft II, Arena of Valor), 1 Bronze medal (League of Legends).
Vietnam
4 Bronze medals (Arena of Valor, Clash Royale, Starcraft II, Pro Evolution Soccer 2018).
Iran
1 Silver medal (Pro Evolution Soccer).
India
1 Bronze medal (Hearthstone).


WandaVision Episode 4 Easter Eggs Explained

WandaVision Episode 4 was definitely different from the past three episodes. It’s a helluva ride, let’s just say that.
Iâ€™ll be discussing heavy spoilers fromÂ WandaVision Episode 3 so if you havenâ€™t seen them or want to avoid spoilers, nowâ€™s your chance to stop reading. If you haven’t, you can check out my previous articles on the first two episodes, and Episode 3.

Monica Rambeau Was A Victim Of The Blip And Maria Rambeau Has Died

The opening sequence of WandaVision Episode 4 reveals that Monica Rambeau was a victim of the Blip (also known as Thanos’ Snap). This means that she has been away for five years. Her mother, Maria (who was Captain Marvel’s best friend) died during the five years of time between 2018’s Avengers Infinity War and 2019’s Avengers Endgame.
After coming back to life, she immediately returns to work at SWORD (Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division), which is officially introduced into the MCU in this episode. It is also revealed that SWORD has been established even before 2018’s Avengers Infinity War (since Monica is just returning to her old job after disappearing for five years due to the Blip) and that Monica Rambeau is already a captain, which brings her on par with the military rank of Carol Danvers AKA Captain Marvel.

It is also revealed that the pre-Infinity War SWORD was more comics-accurate, focusing on space “manned missions”, according to SWORD Acting Director Tayler Hayward (played by Josh Stamberg, who is also introduced in this episode). Now, post-Endgame, SWORD is more focused on “robotics, nanotech and AI”.

Also, another bombshell: Maria Rambeau founded the MCU version of SWORD, and she was the Director.

Monica Rambeau first job is to be SWORD’s liaison to the FBI, who are investigating a “missing person’s case” in New Jersey and she meets up with…
The Return Of Jimmy Woo And Darcy Lewis

It seems that Wanda didn’t create a fictional town. Instead, she took over an existing town (and its entire population) to remake and recreate in however she likes.
This episode also confirms that Monica was the one that sent the drone helicopter in Episode 2.

It also looks like Monica Rambeau wasn’t undercover as I insinuated before, but she was sucked into Westview and somehow assimilated into the fake reality created by Wanda.

We also reunite with Darcy Lewis from the Thor movies, and she is now an astrophysics expert (and a full-fledged Dr.) brought in by SWORD to investigate the Westview mystery.

The Introduction Of The Power Cosmic In The MCU

Well, this is interesting. The Power Cosmic is an important concept in Marvel comics, but it’s never been mentioned before in the MCU (I might be wrong). Until now, that is. The Power Cosmic is the name of a vast source of limitless, godly, cosmic energy utilized by characters like Galactus, the Silver Surfer, the original Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell), and others.
Now it looks like whatever’s powering this fake reality is described as “Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation”. While it hasn’t been explicitly mentioned, I’m sure that this is no coincidence. Perhaps Wanda’s power to alter and change reality is based on the Power Cosmic. If so, that’s a huge revelation for the MCU moving forward, making it possible for more “cosmic” powered individuals in the future.
And yes, the Power Cosmic can be used restructure and transmute matter. In other words, changing or altering reality as we know it, just like Wanda is supposedly doing in WandaVision.
That Beekeeper From Episode 2 Was A SWORD Agent

No, he’s not from AIM or HYDRA. He’s just an agent of SWORD whose last name is Franklin. He only looks like a beekeeper in Westview, because apparently everything that enters this fake reality gets altered and assimilated for some reason.
That Voice On The Radio In Episode 2 Was Jimmy Woo’s

I Might Have An Answer On Why The Map Of Westview Is Hexagon-Shaped; Possible Chthon Connection?

This might seem like a farfetched idea, but maybe the hexagonal shape of the fake Westview’s map is a reference to the fact that in the comics, Wanda’s original powers were described as “hex powers” that could cause random and unlikely events to take place. This was later retconned by writer Kurt Busiek so that Wanda’s powers are now based on “chaos magic” instead due to manipulation from the Marvel villain and demon Chthon.
Maybe Chthon is somehow involved in making Wanda’s powers more powerful in the MCU, especially considering that she’s never previously exhibited this level of power (changing reality) in the MCU.
This is the comics version of Chthon.
Also, a mention of Skrulls, as SWORD lists them as one of the possible suspects.

Agnes Has Yet To Be Identified By SWORD, Might Still Be Agatha Harkness

SWORD has identified most of Westview’s inhabitants but mysteriously enough; not Agnes. This lends further credibility that Agnes might turn out to be Agatha Harkness; a prominent magical character in the comics.
In the comics, Agatha Harkness was a magical tutor to Wanda. She was also the one who mind-wiped Wandaâ€™s lost children from her mind, and would later be the one to restore her memory as well, kickstarting the events that eventually led to Avengers Disassembled and House Of M.
Agatha also died at the hands of an unhinged Wanda, so that might very well be the ultimate fate of WandaVisionâ€™s Agnes. That is, if Agnes really does turn out to be Agatha Harkness.

Yes, This Fake Westview Was Very Likely Created And Currently Actively Maintained By Wanda

A lot of theories are flying around. Some are saying that Mephisto or some other Marvel villain might be behind the fake reality Wanda is currently in. However, WandaVision Episode 4 dispels that notion, as Wanda is aware of the situation and is the one who directly banishes Monica out of Westview using her powers.
If that’s true, this is very much like House Of M in the comics, when Wanda became mentally unstable and altered reality. I mean, she even says this to Vision when he questioned where Geraldine went.

Even Monica pretty much sums it up at the end of the episode.

Vision Did Die In Avengers Infinity War And Wanda Revived Him

In a brief split second when Wanda is still emotionally unstable after banishing Monica from Westview, we get a glimpse of what might be Vision’s true current visage. This may confirm Vision’s status; that he did indeed die after getting killed by Thanos in Avengers Infinity War and that Wanda brought him back to life.
However, Wanda’s insistence to create and maintain Westview might hide another truth; that perhaps Vision can only stay alive in this fake reality bubble which she created. Does she have that kind of power? Or did she have to make a deal with someone else to bring back Vision’s soul? A certain Mephisto? It’s too early to say since we still have five episodes left to go in WandaVision.
As a conclusion, WandaVision Episode 4 is pretty much a just a look at what happened in the past three episodes from the perspective of the outside (read: real) world and also to re-introduce an adult Monica Rambeau, as well as the return of Jimmy Woo (last seen in 2018’s Ant-Man And The Wasp) and Darcy Lewis (last seen in 2013’s Thor The Dark World).


SEA Games 2019 Esports Live Update: Day 2 Results

The SEA Games 2019 Esports matches resume, now with day 2! Nine Southeast Asian countries have sent their athletes to battle it out across six video games for a chance at winning 18 medals.
Let’s see who came out on top in day 2.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

Vietnam vs. Singapore (1 – 0)
Singapore vs. Vietnam (0 – 1)
Malaysia vs. Indonesia (0 – 2)
Philippines vs. Vietnam (2 – 0)

StarCraft II

Malaysia vs. Thailand (3 – 2)
Singapore vs. Philippines (3 – 0)
Singapore vs. Singapore (1 – 3)
Indonesia vs. Malaysia (1 – 3)
Vietnam vs. Philippines (2 – 3)
Singapore vs. Malaysia (3 – 0)
Vietnam vs. Singapore (1 – 3)

Hearthstone

Singapore vs. Malaysia (3 – 2)
Vietnam vs. Thailand (1 – 3)
Thailand vs. Indonesia (3 – 1)
Thailand vs. Singapore (0 – 3)
Thailand vs. Malaysia (0 – 3)
Indonesia vs. Vietnam (2 – 3)
Singapore vs. Thailand (2 – 3)
Malaysia vs. Vietnam (3 – 2)
Malaysia vs. Singapore (3 – 1)

It looks like Day 2 hasn’t been kind to the Malaysia MLBB and StarCraft II team. However, we’re doing pretty good in Hearthstone. Day 3 will be start of the first matches for another two games: DOTA 2 and Arena of Valor. I know for a fact a lot of people are super hyped for the DOTA 2 matches.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSK2m2J8Hu8&w=560&h=315]


Retro Adventure Hayaku! And The Island Of Darkness – A New Metroidvania Game for PC

The Argentinian-based Pizia Studios, just announced their latest game, Hayaku! and the Island of Darkness, a retro-style Metroidvania game that will be available on PC via Steam.
According to a Gematsu article, the developers said they’re trying their best to make the game available on other platforms as well, but there’s no guarantee at this time.

What’s the game about?
So, what’s the game all about? Well, the game’s Steam page has some details for us. Hayaku! and the Island of Darkness is a retro-style Metroidvania game that pays tribute to classic 8-bit games. It has challenging platforming, intense combat, and an interesting story!
The story goes like this: you play as Hayaki, a talented soldier and member of an organization called Reikan, which investigates and stops unusual activities. Recently, a strange island has become home to dangerous and unpredictable creatures for no apparent reason, so Reikan has decided to look into it. As a member of the team, Hayaki is the best choice for navigating the tricky terrain and figuring out the island’s secrets. But he’s not just doing it for the job. His brother, who also worked for Reikan, disappeared on the island, so Hayaki is determined to find him no matter what it takes. So, are you ready to help him?

Key Features

Lose Yourself in Huge Maps – Immerse yourself in the lost world using the map system that keeps track of your progress, and find navigation stations that unlock the map of the area you’re exploring.
Arsenal System – Explore and create more than 12 weapons that can be utilized as upgrades for either your sword or pistol. Each weapon can level up and exhibit entirely different behaviours based on its level.
Ride Armor Customization System – Discover and collect new Ride Armor parts throughout the game world, allowing you to customize your combat robot with new abilities and upgrades. Experiment with different combinations to find the perfect setup for your playstyle.
Soundtrack – Featuring a chiptune soundtrack that could have been created for the NES, the game’s soundscapes bring back memories of classic video games while delivering a fresh experience.
Visual Design – Drawing inspiration from the NES, but with added creative elements that create a balance of nostalgia and innovation, providing a new and exciting experience.


Marvel & Riot Games Team Up To Publish League of Legend Comics

As if creating a pop music video to sell epic skins for your MOBA isn’t enough, the League of Legends franchise is now invading the comic book space. Marvel Comics and Riot Games are teaming up superhero style to publish comics about the LoL universe.
Its first issue will be focused on the first-ever LoL champion Ashe in a comic called League of Legends: Ashe – Warmother. The issues will be released monthly on digital platforms like Marvel’s and Comixology on 19th December onwards, followed by a graphic novel slated for May 2019. Here’s the synopsis:
The first full-length comic series in the League of Legends universe, delivering an epic journey through the Freljord!
Raised in the savage wilds of the north, Ashe is an Iceborn, a warrior gifted with a magical connection to her frozen homeland–and burdened by her motherâ€™s fanatical expectations. When they set out on a dangerous quest for the truth behind an ancient myth, bonds are broken, secrets come to light, and Runeterra is forever changed. Will young Ashe become the leader her people need? Or is destiny merely an empty dream?
Riot Games writer Odin Austin Shafer will be penning the script and words of the series while Nina Vakueva (Heavy Vinyl) will be doing the art. Personally, I can’t wait for Marvel to tackle the rise and fall of KDA in glorious trade paperback form.


You Can Get A Steam Deck In Asia, But…

Valve’s pocket gaming rig, the Steam Deck, will rolling out in several Asian markets starting 17 December.
The Asian territories that will be selling the Steam Deck next month will be:

Japan
Hong Kong
Taiwan
South Korea

You can get the Steam Deck via the Komodo website in 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB configurations. So if you know someone in those Asian regions, you can ask them to ship it to you. However, the locations above aren’t Southeast Asian spots. When checking out the Komodo website, it states that it doesn’t ship to SEA regions. That sucks, unless you have close friends in the aforementioned Asian countries.
Is the Steam Deck a big deal? Perhaps, though it depends on what kind of portable gaming you’re looking for. Let YouTuber Nerrel sort you out with his take.


Satria Dewa Gatotkaca Gets New Official Poster & Trailer

Horizon Entertainment has unveiled a new poster and trailer for the Malaysian release of Indonesian superhero movie, Satria Dewa Gatotkaca.
Part of the Satria Dewa Cinematic Universe, Satria Dewa GatotKaca will premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 18 August 2022. It features a superhero equipped with awesome magical armour.
The synopsis reads:
Realizing that he’s the lineal descendant of Gatotkaca from Pandawa family, Satrio must fight his way to unlock the power lies inside him and face Aswatama, the remaining Kurawa warrior who lives on to destroy the world by changing the history of Bharatayudha.

Back in 2019, Gundala (which is part of the Bumilangit Cinematic Universe) showed in Malaysian cinemas, and as a comic book fan, I found it to be a great but flawed superhero movie with its own merits (check out my review here). The superhero genre is definitely booming with potential in Indonesia. I just hope that Malaysia follows suit one day with our own superhero movies we can actually be proud of (maybe that Keluang Man movie will finally change things for the better).
Check out the new trailer below: