KKP’s Best TV Shows Of 2021

2021 has been a hybrid year of folks staying at home due to the pandemic and also people heading out and resuming their daily lives. In-between all this, there have been many, many TV shows that popped up on many streaming services. Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime, HBO whatever: they’ve kept us sane throughout months of staying at home and delighted many to no end.
Here are Kakuchopurei’s best and favourite shows of 2021, be it live-action, animated, anime, or otherwise.
Succession (Season 3)

The Rupert Murdock family & media empire comedy-drama returns in 2021, and is just as snarky, mean-spirited, and engaging as ever. Succession is about cruel family patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox), and his equally cunning and asshole family trying to run the multimillion-dollar media business due to Logan’s deteriorating health. And just like most super-rich families, there’s a lot of internal strife going on, with the siblings trying to outdo each other while also being in daddy’s good graces, while daddy himself is psychologically manipulating them to fight each other.
The third season is about the fallout between Logan and his older son Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong), with the latter trying to go against his father after refusing to take the fall for a company-wide disaster. His quest starts off strong, then goes to a downward spiral thanks to himself and his family planning and outwitting him bit by bit. It’s a mess no one wants to be in, and we’re all the more blessed to watch it unfold thanks to the writing and how the best-laid plans get awry if you aren’t even committed to them in the first place.
Arcane

The best origin story for the Legend of Runeterra/League of Legends universe, set in the fictional city of Piltover and Zaum. The tale focuses on the estranged relationship and its pratfalls between streetwise kids Vi and Powder, with the latter growing up to be antagonist Jinx. Meanwhile, the state of the world’s tech advances with the introduction of magic championed by scientists Jayce and Viktor.
Even if the plot turned out dull, which thankfully didn’t, the show’s production value is definitely one of 2021’s standout moments. It’s amazing what a company can do with an infinite budget from its hit MOBA game spanning back to 2011. You haven’t lived as an animation fan until you’ve seen all 9 episodes of Arcane in action.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean Part 1

Stone Ocean is basically more JoJoâ€™s Bizarre Adventure, like it or not. Iâ€™m in the â€œlikeâ€ category just because of the namesakeâ€™s bizarre (battle) tendencies. However, it still retains the many tropes that people arenâ€™t fans of, especially if shonen manga adaptations arenâ€™t their bag.
Still, you aren’t going to find an anime that features magic ghost powers named after famous rock bands and jazz groups (Foo Fighters, Goo Goo Dolls), crazy fights set in zero gravity (on an Earth prison mind you), and an all-girl hero team doing the Orange Is The New Black/Prison Break type thing in reverse. Our heroine Jolyne is likeable and charismatic, while her newfound prison pals like Ermes and Weather Report are a hoot.
Inside Job

2021 is clearly a boon for the animation industry, especially the Western side of things. Inside Job is also another standout title on Netflix that focuses on a company that aims to hide the world’s conspiracies. Lizzy Caplan brings out her VO chops as the socially awkward but super-smart lead scientist Reagan Ridley, with Christian Slater playing her deadbeat dad Rand Ridley.
The show is mostly comedy and laugh-a-minute antics, poking fun at existing conspiracies like Flat Earthers, the lizard people trope, and even the moon landing cover-up, though it has some character-building moments particularly with Reagan’s estranged relationship with her dad and newbie Brett Hand trying to fit in. The quality of the show and the hidden nuggets of easter eggs are not surprising, given that showrunner Shion Takeuchi worked on the classic Disney show Gravity Falls.
Invincible (Season 1)

If you’re burnt out by Marvel and DC films and TV shows for following a particular template, you should check out Invincible. The first episode looks like it’s going a typical origin story direction until the last 10 minutes happened. From there on out, Invincible ends up being very, very brutal yet optimistic in its superhero approach.
If you’d like to find out the possible violent scenarios that will happen in Seasons 2 and 3, you should check out this Invincible feature we did. Caution: it’s spoilerific!
Squid Game

Director Hwang Don-hyuk’s 9-episode miniseries is indeed the talk of the town in 2021, and with good reason: it’s shocking but well-told, well-shot, and well-produced.
While Squid Game’s last few episodes fall on the predictable side and an unnecessary cliffhanger, the rest of the show is made with love and care. If you ever felt like the whole “rich and poor” dichotomy being explored in the most brutal and unsubtle of ways using deadly versions of children’s games, this Netflix series is worth the watch. Yes, even with all the hype and popularity probably turning most people off because it’s the “in thing”, don’t let that discourage you from tuning in to this well-made gripping drama full of nice twists and turns.
Midnight Mass

Mike Flanagan’s limited series on the dangers of group thinking, religious fanaticism & blatant justification, and existential horror from the mundane, leading up to a climax that not many will expect, is indeed the Stephen King story experience of 2021. Midnight Mass has all of the tropes from a Stephen King drama series adapted from the pages, but (a) Midnight Mass is an original piece of work and (b) it actually sticks the landing. With a stellar cast -Samantha Sloyan as Bev Keane and Rahul Kohli as Sheriff Hassan being standouts-, a slow-building but well-paced narrative, and a stellar production, there’s not much to complain about a show revolving around a small village and its parish.
The Mandalorian (Season 1 and Season 2)

Made available in most of Southeast Asia recently thanks to the new Disney+/Hotstar initiative, this sci-fi TV show goes back to the Wild West feel of the earlier Star Wars films but is amplified to be more badass. Part Lone Wolf & Cub and part Star Wars Dark Horse tales, The Mandalorian stands out because of its multitude of examples of “show, don’t tell” moments, telling a more powerful tale of a bounty hunter making it out alive in the crappier side of the Star Wars universe.
Star Wars: Vision

Star Wars short stories, but anime made by the best of the best. How can you not love such a concept?
While the show arguably peaked in the first episode “The Duel”, the other entries aren’t too bad, ranging from the Studio Trigger-animated “The Twins” to the Production I.G. “The Ninth Jedi”.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe TV Stuff On Disney+/Hotstar

We’re putting it all in one category because there’s a lot to keep track of and they’re linked to each other. WandaVision, The Falcon & Winter Soldier, Loki, What If?, and Hawkeye: these shows basically continue the MCU movie plotline and focus on the side characters and the repercussions following Avengers: Endgame.

Each of the shows deals with a plethora of tones and arcs: Loki has his redemption story going on, while The Falcon & Winter Soldier touches on both an uneasy alliance and classism/racism but with a few super-heroics and patriotism tossed in-between. Marvel’s What If? covers the multiverse and some nice stories from alternate universes without breaking the budget, while Hawkeye focuses on our hero’s not-so-rosy homicidal past and possibly passing the mantle on to a new and chipper ward.
Because of how integral all of it is, it’s safe to lump all these shows together as essential viewing of 2021, especially if you’re a big comics/comics-to-movie-to-TV fan.
Foundation Season 1

Science fiction fans were in for a treat in 2021. Sci-fi TV is making a comeback and Foundation on Apple TV+ is proof of that. It has some of the highest production value we’ve ever seen in a TV series, with film-level cinematography and visual effects. If that’s not enough, this is cerebral science fiction at its best, with an epic scale that matches the heavy subject matter explored in the series.
Fans of shows and movies like Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica and DuneÂ should definitely check out this series. It’s no exaggeration to say that Foundation is probably the Game Of Thrones of sci-fi that we’ve been waiting for.
Chucky Season 1

Chucky received the TV series treatment this year for the first time, and it’s one of the biggest pleasant surprises of the year. Horror franchises don’t necessarily translate well to TV, as most of them wind up like a cheap imitation of their original movies. Chucky is the exception, as this series is helmed by franchise creator Don Mancini, and the original actor of the doll himself, Brad Dourif, returned to reprise his role. In fact, this isn’t simply a reboot or set in a different place in the same world; the Chucky TV series is a direct continuation of movie canon (it’s a sequel to 2017’s Cult Of Chucky). If you’re a horror fan, don’t miss out, as Season 2 is already on its way.
Mythic Quest Season 2

We don’t get many quality sitcoms these days, so Mythic Quest on Apple TV+ has been a great series to fill that void. It’s like The Office, but it takes place inside a video game developer. Mythic Quest is a lot more than just comedy though, as it wasnâ€™t afraid to be both funny and over-the-top while also being hard-hitting and packing an emotional gut-punch. In the words of F. Murray Abrahamâ€™s C.W. Longbottom: Huzzah!
Young Justice Season 4

Young Justice Season 4 is still ongoing at the time of writing, but it’s almost halfway through the season, so you’ll have to forgive us. The fourth season is definitely a return to form for the series after the disappointing third season. Young Justice Phantoms feel a lot like the first season again, and that’s a good thing because the first season is still regarded as the best. At its best, Young Justice offers complexity and emotional depth the likes of which that most live-action comic book TV shows can’t compete with. It’s definitely the best DC Comics TV show, be it live-action or animated.
Resident Alien Season 1

It’s hard to describe Resident Alien. It’s about an alien who crashes lands on earth and takes on the identity of a doctor in a local American town. It’s a perfect showcase for Alan Tudyk to showcase his bizarre but unique brand of comedy, and that’s always a fun time (he’s so underrated). Season 2 is already confirmed, so we can look forward to more of this sci-fi mystery comedy series when it returns in 2022.


The 30 Best Games Of 2021: #1

Every day from December to January, we’ll be posting our top 30 games of 2021 daily. Here’s number 1.
#1: Chicory A Colorful Tale

Platforms: PS4, PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch
Ever wondered what it would be like to live in a world without colour? Will you bring colour back to a colourless world? In Chicory A Colorful Tale, you can do exactly that. It’s a top-down adventure game in a colouring book world where you can draw on anything. The premise sounds simple, but the narrative is what will make the game stick in your mind long after you’ve finished the 10-hour-long or so story.
In Chicory, you use your paintbrush and painting powers to bring colour back to the world by exploring, solving puzzles, and discovering a story that touches upon imposter syndrome, depression, and anxiety. But really, just the act of colouring the world in this game can make you feel good, which is sorely needed in 2021; a year where we’re still not safe from the yoke of the ongoing pandemic.
At the end of it all, bringing colour back to Picnic Province will surely reignite the colours in your own life.


Marvel’s Secret Invasion Release Date Potentially Leaked

It looks like the release date for Marvel’s Secret Invasion TV series may possibly have been leaked via Disney+ themselves, as the Secret Invasion page on Disney+ US showed that it will premiere on 21 June 2023 (via Nerdist).

However, as of now, it’s best to take this with a grain of salt. Disney and Marvel Studios have yet to officially confirm the news at the time of writing. It’s been a while since the last official news on Secret Invasion. In addition, the last Marvel TV series was She-Hulk Attorney At Law, which premiered in August 2022 and released the final episode of its first season in October 2022, while the last Marvel special on Disney+ was The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in November 2022.
Why did it take so long for a new series to premiere? Kevin Feige previously confirmed that there will be fewer Marvel releases on Disney+ in the future.
Samuel L. Jackson will reprise his role as Nick Fury, Ben Mendelsohn will return as the Skrull warrior Talos, Don Cheadle is back as James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Cobie Smulders returns as Maria Hill, plus Emilia Clarke, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Olivia Colman also star. Kyle Bradstreet serves as executive producer and writer.
In the series, Fury returns to Earth and teams up with Talos to prevent a Skrull invasion. Hill has been calling Fury to help back on the planet, but this time he’s finally back to deal with the dangerous Skrull threat. In one scene, Talos faces down Ben-Adir’s character as other Skrulls in the room take on the same appearance as Ben-Adir.
In the meantime, re-watch the trailer below:


Xbox Game Pass July 2022 Adds Yakuza, Tennis & More

Microsoft has announced new titles coming to Xbox Game Pass for Console and PC in June 2022, which includes the first three Yakuza games (which we covered earlier today) and more.
Check them out:
Available Today
Last Call BBS (PC) ID@Xbox
Available on day one with PC Game Pass: Boot up your Z5 Powerlance and dial into Last Call BBS, the last game from Zachtronics! The Barkeep’s loaded up his retro computer with a full set of puzzle games for you to download and play. No need to worry about copy protection, they’re all fully cracked and ready to enjoy.

Yakuza 0 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The glitz, glamour, and unbridled decadence of the 80s are back in Yakuza 0. Play as Kazuma Kiryu, a low-ranking yakuza, who gets caught in a world of trouble when a simple debt collection goes wrong. Then, step into the silver-toed shoes of Goro Majima and explore his “normal” life as the proprietor of a cabaret club.
Yakuza Kiwami (Cloud, Console, and PC)
1995, Kamurocho. Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima, takes the fall for the murder of a crime boss to protect his sworn brother, Akira Nishikiyama, and his childhood friend, Yumi. Experience the story that kicked off the legendary Yakuza series, with all the drama, action, and hilarious minigames you’d expect.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
An assassination threatens to erupt an all-out war between the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance. Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima, must travel to Sotenbori, Osaka to broker peace between the rival clans, but Ryuji Goda, the Dragon of Kansai, will stop at nothing to get his war.
Coming Soon
DJMax Respect V (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – July 7
DJMax Respect V is the latest installment from the creators of the critically acclaimed rhythm game franchise DJMax. Experience tracks from popular artists such as Marshmello, Porter Robinson, and Yukika, exclusive Full HD Music Videos, online multiplayer, new game modes, and more!
Matchpoint: Tennis Championships (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – July 7
Available on day one with Game Pass: Matchpoint: Tennis Championships is a modern take on tennis, featuring a true-to-life on-court experience supported by a deep career mode and unique rivalry system. The game places a strong focus on tactical realism, positioning and aiming, allowing the player to move their superstar in exactly the right way to get the most out of their shots.
Road 96 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 7
On this risky road trip to the border, you’ll meet incredible characters, and discover their intertwined stories and secrets in an ever-evolving adventure. But every mile opens a choice to make. Your decisions will change your adventure, change the people you meet, maybe even change the world.
Escape Academy (Console and PC) ID@Xbox – July 14
Available on day one with Game Pass: You’ve just arrived at Escape Academy, a school where promising students train to become the ultimate Escapist. Play over a dozen masterfully hand-crafted rooms, designed by experienced experts in the field of real-life escape rooms.

My Friend Peppa Pig (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 14
Start a fun-filled adventure with Peppa Pig! Create your character, ring the doorbell, and step into the TV show. Peppa suggests activities everywhere you go, from the Museum to Potato City. Help find Daddy Pig’s glasses, follow forest tracks, splash in muddy puddles, and more. Every playtime is different!
Overwhelm (PC) ID@Xbox – July 14
You’re outnumbered, low on ammunition and the paranoia sets in. Overwhelm is an action horror-world platformer where enemies get power ups and you don’t. Explore the oppressive caverns of the hive, guided only by a sparse map. As you defeat each of the five unique bosses, their abilities get distributed to the enemies of the world with escalating difficulty.
PAW Patrol The Movie: Adventure City Calls (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 14
A big city means a bigger adventure! When Ryder and the PAW Patrol learn that Mayor Humdinger has taken over a buzzing metropolis, they must race into action to save Adventure City from his selfish scheming. The pups need you to join Team PAWsome!
PowerWash Simulator (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 14
Available on day one with Game Pass: Release the pressure with PowerWash Simulator and wash away your worries with the soothing sounds of high-pressure water. Fire up your power washer and blast away every speck of dirt and grime you can find. Lose yourself to the simple satisfaction of power-washing to a sparkling finish.

In Case You Missed It
House Flipper (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – Available now
This is where your interior design imagination meets gaming! Reach for your best decor, furnishing, and color scheme ideas. As a professional flipper, you’ll be met with tons of makeover opportunities, clients with sublime requirements, and a handful of tools suitable for every job. Learn more here.
DLC/Game Updates
Marvel’s Avengers Introduces Jane Foster as The Mighty Thor – Available now
Jane Foster joins the Marvel’s Avengers roster as the Mighty Thor in a free update.  She possesses all the strength and power of a God of Thunder, but with human touches all her own. This update adds to a game already packed with content, including a sprawling single-player story campaign, ten playable heroes, and endless multiplayer action for up to four players. Learn more here.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Fall Guys: Robo Rabbit Costume – Available now
Battle bizarre obstacles, shove through unruly competitors, and overcome the unbending laws of physics as you stumble towards greatness. Hop your way towards the Crown as Robo Rabbit, the adorable android bunny!
FIFA 22: Supercharge Pack – Available now
Boost your Ultimate Team with the Supercharge Pack, featuring 10 players rated 80 or above and a choice of one of four Team of the Season Loan Players rated 95 and above for five games to help you dominate on the pitch!
MLB The Show 22: Summer Bundle – July 12
Celebrate summer at the ballpark! The MLB The Show 22 Summer Bundle is here, with one Diamond Cover Athlete choice pack, one Diamond Ballplayer Pack, and five The Show Packs. That’s 29 total items!
Halo Infinite: Pass Tense Rocket Warthog Bundle – July 13
Customize your Season 2: Lone Wolves arsenal with the exclusive “Pass Tense” Rocket Warthog Vehicle Coating, four 2XP Boosts and four Challenge Swaps!
Century: Age of Ashes – Krød Slaglands Dragon Bundle – July 14
Unleash the dragons for Season 1! Claim your Krød Slaglands dragon, Armour, Player Icon and XP Booster.
Leaving July 15
The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon, so be sure to jump back in and tie up any loose ends before they go. Of course, you also have the option to save up to 20% on your purchase to keep them!

Atomicrops (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Carrion (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Children of Morta (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Cris Tales (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Lethal League Blaze (Cloud, Console, and PC)

For more on the latest Xbox Game Pass offerings, head on over here and here for the June 2022 additions.


Netflix Geeked Week Day 3: Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Masters Of The Universe Revolution & More

Netflix Geeked, Netflix’s home for all things genre entertainment, is prepping their second annual Geeked Week. Geeked Week 2022 is a free five-day virtual event celebrating Netflix’s genre series, films, and games that runs from 6 June to 10 June 2022. You can expect tons of exclusive news, new trailers, celebrity appearances and so much more.
In the meantime, you can check out the Day One announcements and Day Two announcements here.
Check out the announcements and reveals of day three below:
Masters Of The Universe Revolution

It’s a sequel to Masters Of The Universe Revelation.
However, there is no release date.
The Dragon Prince Mystery Of Aaravos

The Dragon Prince Season 4 has received an official subtitle: Mystery Of Aaravos.
However, there is no release date.

Arcane Bridging The Rift

Arcane co-creator Christian Linke discusses the series’ inception and the partnership with animation studio, Fortiche, that brought the show to life. Arcane Bridging The Rift is a five-part docuseries about the making of Arcane, coming to Riot Games Youtube on 4 August 2022.

Arcane profile icons are now available on Netflix as well.

Entergalactic

From the minds of Kid Cudi and Kenya Barris comes a story of two young artists navigating the twists and turns of finding love in New York City, that boasts a star-studded voice cast, including Vanessa Hudgens and Timothee Chalamet.

Behind The Scenes Look At Love. Death & Robots Season 3’s Jibaro Episode

Take a look at the behind-the-scenes of the Alberto Mielgo animated short Jibaro from Love, Death & Robots Season 3, which is now streaming on Netflix.

Farzar

From the creators of Brickleberry and Paradise PD, comes the outrageous sci-fi animated comedy series Farzar. It will premiere on 15 July 2022 on Netflix.
Egotistical human warrior Renzo liberated the planet Farzar from the evil alien Bazarack, and then established a human settlement under a huge dome, becoming the Czar of FARZAR. Years later, FARZAR is under attack by the evil aliens once again and Renzo’s well-meaning and not-so-bright son Prince Fichael ventures out with his special crew “S.H.A.T.” (Special Hostile Assault Team!), made up of a human-solider-turned-cyborg, clashing conjoined twins, an unhinged scientist, a highly incapable mutant and a mischievous little alien known as a chaos-celot. As they begin their journey to fight the aliens that want to kill/eat them, Fichael quickly discovers that all is not what it seems and he may be living a lie.

Exception

Here’s your first look at Exception, a new sci-fi anime following a team of survivors tasked with exploring the galaxy to terraform a new home planet and save humanity from the brink of extinction.

here's your first look at EXCEPTION, a new sci-fi anime following a team of survivors tasked with exploring the galaxy to terraform a new home planet and save humanity from the brink of extinction #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/44Z62Mlonw
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) June 8, 2022

Moonrise

From the visionary Wit Studio (BUBBLE, ATTACK ON TITAN), get ready for Moonrise, an exciting and visually breathtaking anime that explores the vast hardships of exploring outer space.
The Seven Deadly Sins The Grudge Of Edinburgh

Check out this character art for The Seven Deadly Sins The Grudge Of Edinburgh, an original two-part spin-off film that tells the story of Tristan, son of Meliodas from The Seven Deadly Sins.
Inside Job

Leaked footage from Inside Job Part 2. Coming soon to Netflix.
For employees of Cognito Inc., conspiracies aren’t just theories, they’re a full time grind. INSIDE JOB is a peek inside the actual Deep State, as one woman manages the chaotic office of lovable morons secretly controlling the world.

Uncle From Another World

based on the manga by the same name, Uncle From Another World is an isekai anime about what happens after someone returns from a magical life in another world.

based on the manga by the same name, UNCLE FROM ANOTHER WORLD is an isekai anime about what happens after someone returns from a magical life in another world #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/F0xNj1Symt
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) June 8, 2022

Skull Island

Here’s our first look at Skull Island, a new animated series set in the Legendary MonsterVerse from Powerhouse Animation.
Junji Ito Maniac Japanese Tales Of The Macabre

Junji Ito introduces his upcoming Netflix series, Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre. Get ready as he reveals some of his works getting the anime treatment as well as gives a first look sneak peek at some of the character designs.

Cyberpunk Edgerunners

From CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger comes Cyberpunk Edgerunners, which will premiere on Netflix in September 2022.
The series tells a standalone, 10-episode story about a street kid trying to survive in Night City — a technology and body modification-obsessed city of the future. Having everything to lose, he stays alive by becoming an edgerunner — a mercenary outlaw also known as a cyberpunk.
CD PROJEKT RED, the company behind the Cyberpunk 2077 video game, is producing the series with Rafa? Jaki (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher: Ronin) as Showrunner and Executive Producer, with Satoru Homma, Bartosz Sztybor and Saya Elder serving as producers.
The team at CD PROJEKT RED has been working on this new series since 2018. Acclaimed Japan-based animation company, Studio Trigger, will serve as the animation studio on the series and bring the world of Cyberpunk to life with their signature, vibrant style. Hiroyuki Imaishi (Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill, Promare) will direct the series along with creative director Hiromi Wakabayashi (Kill la Kill), character designer and animation director Yoh Yoshinari (Little Witch Academia, BNA: Brand New Animal), and the adapted screenplay by Yoshiki Usa (GRIDMAN UNIVERSE series, Promare) and Masahiko Otsuka (Star Wars: Visions ‘The Elder’).
The original score will be composed by Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill series).


Square Enix Trademarks Valkyrie Elysium

Back in the late 90s during the PlayStation One era, Enix released a pretty sweet JRPG called Valkyrie Profile. It featured a reworked Norse mythology storyline, a main protagonist who acts as a heavenly recruiter for a literal soul army, and a nifty turn-based combat system involving action prompts and combos.
Seems like the series may make a comeback of sorts if the latest trademark news is of any indication. Square Enix filed an English and Japanese trademark for the title “Valkyrie Elysium” in Japan on 16th September (via Gematsu). This may suggest a new entry in the Valkyrie Profile series; the last entry was called Valkyrie Anatomia: The Origin which came out for mobile devices back in 2016. It’s a mobile RPG F2P thing, if you must know.
Hopefully this upcoming Valkyrie entry is a return to form and will be for console and PC platforms.


Guess Which Awesome Legacy Composer Is Involved With The Mega Drive Mini?

Legendary music composer Yuzo Koshiro, who made his mark in the Ys series and in a ton of Sega Megadrive/Genesis games, will be involved with the Mega Drive Mini.
He will be making brand-new music for the menu, which is fitting considering he’s contributed a ton of aural masterpieces during the MegaDrive heydays. In keeping with the old-school theme of the mini console, he’ll be composing tracks using the YM2612 sound chip or some form of it.

I'm proud to join the Genesis mini project doing music for the menu lined up the great games. I programmed the music dedicated to YM2612 sound chip playing authentic Genesis/MegaDrive sound with many soundbanks chosen from actual games in the menu. I hope you guys like it!
— Yuzo Koshiro (@yuzokoshiro) April 2, 2019

The Mega Drive Mini will have its emulation handled by M2, which means it could be a real rival to the SNES and NES Classic. Fingers crossed. In the meantime, you should remind yourself why Yuzo Koshiro is one of the best via the music videos below.

Top image credit: Polygon


Shazam Fury Of The Gods Comes To HBO GO Next Week

HBO GO has announced that Shazam Fury Of The Gods will premiere on the streaming service on 23 May 2023.
This action-packed Super Hero sequel brings even more excitement, adventure and comedy, along with all-new realms, bigger threats, monsters and mythical creatures to our heroes. Now fully bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with having adult Super Hero alter egos. But when the Daughters of Atlas, a vengeful trio of ancient gods, arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Billy—aka Shazam—and his family are thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of their world. But can a bunch of teenagers actually save the day? Does Billy even want to…?
Shazam! Fury of the Gods stars returning cast members Zachary Levi (Thor: Ragnarok) as Shazam, Asher Angel (Andi Mack) as Billy Batson, Jack Dylan Grazer (IT Chapter Two) as Freddy Freeman, Adam Brody (Promising Young Woman) as Super Hero Freddy, Ross Butler (Raya and the Last Dragon) as Super Hero Eugene, Meagan Good (Day Shift) as Super Hero Darla, D.J. Cotrona (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) as Super Hero Pedro, Grace Caroline Currey (Annabelle: Creation) as Mary Bromfield / Super Hero Mary, Faithe Herman (This Is Us) as Darla Dudley, Ian Chen (A Dog’s Journey) as Eugene Choi, Jovan Armand (Second Chances) as Pedro Peña, Marta Milans (White Lines) as Rosa Vasquez, Cooper Andrews (The Walking Dead) as Victor Vasquez, with Djimon Hounsou (A Quiet Place Part II) as Wizard. Joining the cast are Rachel Zegler (West Side Story), with Lucy Liu (Kung Fu Panda franchise) and Helen Mirren (F9: The Fast Saga).
The film is directed by David F. Sandberg (Shazam!, Annabelle: Creation) and produced by Peter Safran (Aquaman, The Suicide Squad). It is written by Henry Gayden (Shazam!, There’s Someone Inside Your House) and Chris Morgan (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, The Fate of the Furious), based on characters from DC; Shazam! was created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. Executive producers are Walter Hamada, Adam Schlagman, Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Victoria Palmeri, Marcus Viscidi and Geoff Johns.
Joining director Sandberg behind the camera are director of photography Gyula Pados (the Jumanji franchise), production designer Paul Kirby (The Old Guard, Jason Bourne) and editor Michel Aller (Shazam!, The Nun). The music supervisor is Season Kent (DC League of Super-Pets, The Addams Family 2) and the music is by Christophe Beck (Free Guy, Frozen II). Visual effects supervisors are Bruce Jones (Aquaman, IT) and Raymond Chen (Alita: Battle Angel, The Meg). The costume designer is Louise Mingenbach (Jumanji: The Next Level, Godzilla: King of the Monsters).
You can subscribe to HBO GO online at https://www.hbogoasia.my/ or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store for as low as RM23.30/month. You can also access HBO GO via Astro. HBO GO is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.
Check out our review here and our post-credits breakdown article here.


The Cowboy Bebop Anime Lands On Netflix Next Week

All 26 episodes of the Cowboy Bebop original anime series will be available on Netflix globally on 21 October 2021 (at 3 pm GMT+8 in Malaysia). Space Cowboys everywhere will get to relive where it all began in this classic anime that has captured the hearts and imaginations of anime fans and beyond since 1998.
In this jazz-inspired, genre-bending galactic adventure, we meet Bebop crew Spike Spiegel (a former syndicate member), Jet Black (an ex-cop), Faye Valentine (a con artist), Radical Ed (a hacker kid), and Ein (a data dog), who live paycheck-to-paycheck while scouring space for bounties.
In less than a month, fans will also get to experience the live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, brought to life by the full cast of original Japanese voice actors – including Koichi Yamadera as Spike, Megumi Hayashibara as Faye Valentine, Norio Wakamoto as Vicious, and Gara Takashima as Julia. The live-action series, co-produced by Netflix and Tomorrow Studios, debuts on 19 November 2021 only on Netflix.
Courtesy of Netflix Malaysia, we were lucky enough to be the only Malaysian media to participate in an exclusive interview with Netflix Anime Creative Director of Content Acquisition Taiki Sakurai. We spoke with him about Netflix anime, the future of anime on the streaming platform, and more.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Here’s How Much Riot Games’ Gender Discrimination Lawsuit Cost Them

Despite being one of the most successful video game companies in the world, Riot Games isn’t all that progressive when it comes to its treatment of its female employees. Back in August, we discovered that a gender discrimination lawsuit had been filed against them and looks like it has come to a proper conclusion.
Riot Games’ employees. Photo from their official website.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Riot Games has agreed to pay out at least US$10 million to all the women who worked at the company in the last five years. The lawsuit began all the way back in November 2018 when two women who worked there sued the company for allegedly subjecting them to sexual harassment and gender discrimination.
There are approximately 1,000 female employees who have been working at Riot Games since November 2014 and each one of them is entitled to a payment from the multi-million dollar sum. The amount that each employee receives will be based on how long they have worked for Riot, with full employees receiving more than contractors.

â€œWeâ€™re pleased to have a proposed settlement to fully resolve the class action lawsuit. The settlement is another important step forward, and demonstrates our commitment to living up to our values and to making Riot an inclusive environment for the industryâ€™s best talent.â€
– Riot Games spokesperson, talking to the LA Times.
In the settlement filing, the company has also outlined several initiatives that it will be carrying out in order to improve its company culture especially on the front of improving sexual harassment and discrimination reporting. This also includes reviewing all pay, promotion, and hiring practices to ensure that a fairer and more transparent process is in place.
To give you a good idea of what the women in Riot Games went through, it’s stated in the lawsuit that there were allegations of inappropriate behaviour such as “crotch-grabbing, phantom humping, and sending unsolicited and unwelcome pictures of male genitalia” plus managers circulating a “hot girl list“. Pretty horrible stuff for such a big company.
Here’s hoping that Riot has finally learned their lesson and other giant companies in and outside of the video game industry will follow suit in ensuring that women are treated with respect at the workplace.


Valorant Weapon & Agent Buffs & Nerfs Are Afoot As New Character Drops In

Riot Games’ competitive team-based shooter Valorant is going to be in its third Episode next week on 22nd June, starting with its first act and new Agent KAY-O. This also means the rest of the cast from Phoenix to Jett are getting buffs and nerfs.
The latest build of the game will be nerfing popular Agents like Jett and Raze, with a bit of extra pricing to their abilities (which can be bought before the start of a round). These changes are sure to shake up the meta next week. Here’s a full list (via Upcomer.com)
KAY-O (New Agent)

Speciality: Suppress enemy abilities, team support
Abilities
ZERO/point (E): Free

Official Tool Tip

EQUIP a suppression blade. FIRE to throw. The blade sticks to the first surface it hits, winds up, and suppresses anyone in the radius of the explosion.

FLASH/drive (Q): 250

Official Tool Tip

EQUIP a flash grenade. FIRE to throw. The flash grenade explodes after a short fuse, blinding anyone in line of sight.

Notable Mechanics

Right Clicking the flashbang, throws a charged flash, causing it to only have to cook for 1 second, as opposed to left click throwing a flash that cooks in 1.6 seconds.

FRAG/ment (C): 200

Official Tool Tip

EQUIP an explosive fragment. FIRE to throw. The fragment sticks to the floor and explodes multiple times, dealing near lethal damage at the center with each explosion.

NULL/cmd (X): Ultimate, 7 Points

Official Tool Tip

INSTANTLY overload with polarized radianite energy that empowers KAY/O and causes large energy pulses to emit from his location. Enemies hit with these pulses are suppressed for a short duration.

Notable Mechanics

While Overloaded, KAY/O gains Combat Stim
If KAY/O is killed while overloaded, he is downed and enters a destabilized state, allowing allies to stabilize his core and revive him.

Astra
Astral Form: Price reduced from 200 to 150.
Starting Stars: Reduced to 1.
Jett
Cloudburst: Price increased from 100 to 200.
Updraft: Price increased from 100 to 150.
Blade Storm: Increased from 6 to 7 points.
Breach
Aftershock: Price increased from 100 to 200. Now worth 3 Explosions.
Flashpoint: Price increased from 200 to 250. Charges reduced from 3 to 2.
Brimstone
Incendiary: Price increased from 200 to 250.
Cypher
Neutral Theft: Reduced from 7 to 6 points.
Killjoy
No price changes.
Omen
Shrouded Step: Price increased from 100 to 150.
Paranoia: Price reduced from 400 to 300.
Dark Cover: Price increased from Free to 100. Cooldown increased from 30 to 40 seconds.
Phoenix
Curveball: Price increased from 200 to 250.
Raze
Boom Bot: Price increased from 200 to 400.
Showstopper: Increased from 7 to 8 points.
Reyna
Leer: Price increased from 200 to 250.
Sage
Slow Orb: Price increased from 100 to 200.
Skye
Trailblazer: Price increased from 200 to 250.
Guiding Light: Charges reduced from 3 to 2. Price increased from 100 to 250. Now has 40 second cooldown.
Sova
Owl Drone: Price increased from 300 to 400.
Shock Bolt: Price increased from 100 to 150.
Hunter’s Fury: Increased from 7 to 8 points.
Viper
Snake Bite: Price increased from 100 to 200.
Yoru
Blindside: Price increased from 200 to 250.

Weapon Price Changes
Sidearms
Shorty: Price reducedfrom 200 to 150.
Frenzy: Price reduced from 500 to 450.
SMGs
Stinger: Price reduced from 1100 to 950.
Shotguns
Bucky: Price reduced from 900 to 850.
Judge: Price increased from 1600 to 1850.
Rifles
Bulldog: Price reduced from 2100 to 2050.
Guardian: Price reduced from 2400 to 2250.
Sniper Rifles
Marshal: Price reduced from 1000 to 950.
Operator: Price reduced from 5000 to 4700.
Machine Guns
Ares: Price reduced from 1600 to 1550.


Silent Hill Art Director Is Working On A New Game

One of the reasons why Silent Hill 2 became such an iconic game was thanks to its atmosphere. We’ve got the game’s art director Masahiro Ito to thank for that. It looks like the man is hard at work on a new project.

I'm working on a title as a core member. I hope the title won't be cancelled.
— ????/Masahiro Ito (@adsk4) January 4, 2020

In a recent tweet from his own personal account, Ito revealed that he’s currently a core member of a yet unrevealed title. In a follow up to that tweet, he says he can’t talk about the project just yet.
I’m sure Silent Hill fans are thrilled to hear this but the second half of the tweet really worries me. In the industry, it’s quite common for titles to be cancelled if company board members aren’t impressed and don’t think the game will sell well.
The last game Ito worked on was the not-so-celebrated Metal Gear Survive. A lot of Metal Gear fans called it one of the worst releases in 2018 and sales-wise, it didn’t perform all that well either. Here’s hoping Ito’s next project won’t be as terrible.


Guess Which Celebrity Received The Official Malaysian PlayStation 5 Set?

The celebrity and influencer marketing courtesy of PlayStation Asia continues. First with Singapore singer JJ Lin for the Singapore set of the PS5, now it’s Malaysian singer Yuna.
The Malaysian celebrity, known for her hit single song “Crush” and “Stay Where You Are”, is the first person in the country to receive the Malaysian set of the Sony PlayStation 5 (Facebook via Lowyat.net). This is done to hype up the upcoming console’s release on 11th December, a console that is still hard to get pre-orders in this month, we wager.
https://www.facebook.com/yunamusic/posts/10159060552995879
Yuna has a hand in doing tech and gaming promos with companies like HP and her own Twitch stream with her husband, so she’s no stranger to gaming.
On a related note, Philippines cosplayer superstar Alodia received her PH set PS5 this week as well. She and her sister Ashley has been working closely with PlayStation Asia for a number of marketing promotions for titles like Horizon: Zero Dawn. So this is on par with the branch’s strategy to using celebrities in Southeast Asia who are renowned for dipping into gaming culture.
https://www.facebook.com/AlodiaGosiengfiao/posts/10157973201396747:0?__cft__[0]=AZW22P8LJRbIA5qhw4_iTcZ7LJ3GXFSnnVqTWRmRvIlya8kI1VxJblg4ncnxWuYgEW73sU-EEAitohdGA1Rl8-iPdoL-6uXfUeborwsGBjVEwYuMsUct206JVx_l8kZkD2eiyPHx0ogVxRNjvi1JNeMdBLzoCmNPntEtUYib3pVzAw&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
The celebrity marketing angle is consistent with PlayStation’s plans; SIE picked up Travis Scott as a creative partner in hyping up the system.

The majority of Southeast Asia is getting their PS5 pre-orders sent in a little late, since the US, Europe, Australia, and Singapore got theirs last month. Stay tuned to our upcoming review of the PS5 on launch week.
In the meantime, if you’re curious about the PS5’s rival next-gen console, check out our early review of the Xbox Series X and S.


Gods Be Praised, Pikmin 3 Is Coming To Switch This October

For the few of you who bought a Wii U, you probably enjoyed its library of titles like the action-puzzle “strategy type” Pikmin 3. Well, you can rest assured that the sequel will be getting the deluxe treatment on Nintendo Switch this 30th October.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe Edition will feature full story mode co-op, new side missions, lock-on targeting, and new difficulty options if you thought the original Wii U title wasn’t that tough. It also includes all DLC missions from the original game.
As a complete noob in real-time strategy games -I’m not the best in StarCraft 2 or even Command & Conquer– this Nintendo game’s “real-time army management” aspects involving the cute little Pikmin is a good stepping stone to the hardcore RTS genre. It’s nice that this Wii U title is getting a second lease in life on the Switch.


Get More Borderlands 3 Loot This Weekend Via Mr Torgue Events

This April is incredibly bountiful for Borderlands 3 fans because of the co-op bonus that’s happening. Basically, if you team up with other online Vault Hunters, you stand to get more Legendary drops than usual.
As if that wasn’t enough, this weekend’s going to be even more loot-savvy. From 16th to 23rd April, the Mr. Torgue’s Slaughter Onslaught mini-event will increase the number of dedicated loot drops from Circles of Slaughter bosses.
And yes, you can spend time farming the boss by killing it when it appears at the fifth and final round and wave, and then killing yourselves (via jumping off a cliff) to restart that previous round.

The Making It Rain event will increase the in-game currency Cash drops for normal, Badass, and Anointed enemies. It’ll last from 16th to 23rd April as well.

No rest for the wicked, eh Vault Hunters?


ONI: Road To Be The Mightiest Oni Is Smashing Adorable; Out 2022

What’s blue and cute all over? This little fella here and his upcoming action game from publisher Clouded Leopard Entertainment and developer Kenei Design.

His upcoming game is called ONI: Road to be the Mightiest Oni, and the game’s main plot and objective is exactly that: to be the best around. How? By attacking enemies with his club and sucking their spirits out of their physical bodies. The oni, named Kuuta, will be teaming up with a sprit named Kazemaru as they take on all challenges in different shapes and sizes.
Watch the gameplay trailer below. ONI: Road to be the Mightiest Oni will be out for PC, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 sometime in 2022.


Does Devil May Cry 5 Fall Short Of Being An Action Game Godsend?

Platforms: PS4, PC, Xbox One
Genre: Puzzle game where you figure out a 100 ways to kill a demon; of course it’s an action game!
For a good amount of time in the 90s and even the 2000s, Capcom was at their prime with arcade and action games galore. But let’s focus more on the latter. After the first Devil May Cry was released to much acclaim in 2001, they started churning out really great single-player action games like Viewtiful Joe, Okami, Resident Evil 4, and so forth.
And then there was a time in the mid-2000s and near the tail end of 2010 where they lost focus. They let Western developers play with their toys and that venture didn’t go down so well or made gangbuster sales, and they kinda screwed the pooch with everything else from Resident Evil to Bionic Commando. Street Fighter was fine, but not so much the rest.
It wasn’t until recently that it looked like the company was actually going to be in that 90s and 2000s renaissance period, what with Resident Evil 7 and that really awesome Resident Evil 2 reboot turning heads and making people believe in Capcom again. And I sincerely believe that their most recent blockbuster effort, Devil May Cry 5, is going to spearhead that to the fullest.

After all, it’s a damn fine game on its own merit. 16 hours in, and I’m still playing it to try to get the best rank possible and upping my demon-slaying game on the higher difficulty levels. With great action beats and three distinct characters to power through, Devil May Cry 5 isÂ shaping up to be potential GOTY 2019 material. It’s pure fun with each swing of your devil hunter’s blade and swipe from your panther-shaped shadow spawn.
Having said that, it has quite a few ways to go to be “greatest of all time” and that “one game” to revolutionize the genre in a game-changing way.

I’ll elaborate further.
Three Caballeros

Anyone can tell you that the key to a great action game is its setup, its controls, and its pacing. Devil May Cry 5 has all of these down pat probably due to the lessons learned by its director Hideaki Itsuno. He’s the same guy who directed Devil May Cry 3 and 4 as well as Dragon’s Dogma, so you know part 5 is in good hands. After playing through it, I’m just glad that everything went to clockwork.
The kicker of this game is its three distinct protagonists: Nero, V, and Dante. You play as Nero in the first few stages to get the hang of his fighting style, which is a mix of swordplay, revolver gunplay action, grappling enemies from a distance or ziplining to demons, and his Devil Breakers. The latter lets him equip special arm types that let him do additional special attacks like a simple zap to a rocket arm ala Mazinger Z except this being a DMC game, Nero can ride it like a skateboard to stylin’ effect.
Oh and he also can do a “get off me” burst (called a Breakaway) which lets him cancel from his Devil Breaker effect or attack chain to get him out of harm’s way. Think of Nero as a beginner-friendly character for an action game, one that gets you through most of the game that still throws a lot at you.
And then you get to play V’s scenarios, where you control an Adam Driver lookalike still in his TheÂ Cure-worship phase who can summon a bird called Griffon and a panther called Shadow to do the attacking for him. His playing style takes a while to get used to, but it feels like as if Hideaki had answered the question “What if Dragon’s Dogma had a wizard who can summon two ass-kicking familiars?”
The answer amounts to a rockin’ good time with DMC 5’s weird-yet-satisfying-to-play segments. Playing keepaway while letting your minions attack in your stead can be quite a sight, as you see Shadow doing combos while shapeshifting into axes and buzzsaws while Griffon attacks simultaneously with lightning projectiles and an AoE multi-hitting move that saved my bacon on occasion.
At the same time, you may have to be on standby because your partners in crime can go out of commission and go into “stalemate” mode if they take a ton of hits. And you also have to finish off enemies with V’s cane attack, so you also have to get into the fray somehow.
Inferno

To cap off the demon-filled roller coaster ride of hyper action goodness, you end up playing as Dante where he’s pretty much a revved-up version of his DMC3 and DMC4 counterpart. You have your four styles that you can switch on the fly using the d-pad: the offensive Swordmaster, the dodge-heavy Trickster, the long-ranged Gunslinger, and the counter-savvy Royal Guard. You also have a plethora of guns and weapons to switch to on the fly, with melee weapons like the iconic Rebellion sword, and his ranged fares like his Ebony and Ivory pistols.

While being the most complicated character to master, he also has the best arsenal to use. If you aren’t impressed and sated with his motorbike chainsaw-esque heavy weapon Cavaliere and his Dr. Faust ranged weapon that lets him garner a lot of Red Orbs at the expense of some of his own, what’s wrong with you?

One’s a pretty slow but damaging melee weapon that requires you to anticipate its winding time to use effectively, while the other lets you put a hat onto a demon to get more Red Orbs out of beating it to an inch of its life with other weapons. What’s not to love?
And we haven’t even touched upon his Devil Trigger mode and the many extra moves that come with each different style he’s in, as well as the other upgrades like phantoms swords, an ice nunchuk that can also combine into a flaming pole, and a rocket launcher.
It would be enough if Devil May Cry 5 had just Nero to contend with, but with the other two who are fleshed out as player characters, you have a game that somehow blends in three distinct playstyles that fit the hack-and-slash action mould. Coupled with a slew of stages that not only look gorgeous but also have some good linear layouts and action beats to them, playing as either one of these devil hunters is a blast. You don’t need me to tell you how slick and responsive these controls are; you’ll be putting the hurt on demons with style as you dodge and fight your way through Red Grave City.
This being a city that’s already been infested with demon plant-esque roots, expect to see half the insides of a former metropolis and half a demon underworld to explore. All of it is lovingly crafted and looks as realistic without coming off as too cartoony and off-kilter. One minute you’re taking a Nidhogg bug to open up a disgusting-looking door through a hotel room filled with demons, the next you’ll be falling down what I think could be Satan’s multiple assholes as you descend through a gauntlet of, you guessed it, demons.
Personally, I don’t mind a bit more saturation in my action games, but the graphics here tread that line between realistic and not-too-muted colours that makes it easy to spot your character amidst the chaotic fiend-laden mess that you will be subjected to.
The Town’s Already Painted Red

Speaking of overrun cities, there’s a decent plot to follow. It’s basically “a big bad demon called Urizen took over a city, and it’s up to our heroes to stop them” type of narrative; nothing big, but nothing too complex either. The fun of it all is just seeing how it all unravels within a span of a day with the cast of van-riding demon hunters, with a few flashbacks to play through here and there to add more context as to why these events happened.
Devil May Cry lore fans will definitely get a kick out of how it all unfolds especially if you’re one of those who dig DMC 3 and its one standout character, who also made guest appearances in fighting games.
It’s a shame a few side characters who were prominent in the past games were kept in the sidelines, but the game’s main focus is still concerning the three devil hunters. I should also add that new helper Nico is quite a barrel of laughs and help keep the over-the-top vibe light and cheery.

But you’re not here for the plot. You’re here to use said three hunters and get high rankings for fights and be challenged. And challenge you’ll get by the boatload, my action-craving friends.

In the game’s default Devil Hunter setting (ie Normal), the challenge ramps up at a decent pace, with the earlier levels being a playground to getting your combo and weapon-switching groove on to the later levels cramming in enemy-spawning contraptions and armoured foes that require you to pull out your heavy-duty arsenal and Devil Breakers.
From the axe-wielding demons who get enraged when knocked down to the flying Baphomet flying goats who can freeze you on the spot if you’re not paying attention, you’ll definitely die a number of times getting the hang of crowd control and your character’s playstyle.
Hellbound

And then we come to the bosses. While most of them aren’t that memorable, they do have standout patterns and damaging attacks that require you to be on your toes so that you don’t use up your Red Orbs or Gold Orbs to revitalize yourself when you’re out of the count. The fights aren’t as out there and as eye-popping as a Platinum Games’ title, but they’re not too shabby.
My personal standouts include the Neo Angelo knight fight, the giant walker demon thing whose legs you have to knock down, and the real fights with Urizen.
Every other boss encounter? It’s what you expect from a Devil May Cry game: big giant demons with fire coming out of its belly, a flying angel-like winged demon with lasers, a three-headed giant dog with elemental attacks, and some demon with three wyrms that need taking down to get to the main guy. While that’s not a bad thing, they should have at least taken a few pages off of Hideki Kamiya’s past efforts and be a little more creative in design and fight setpieces.
Thankfully, the “Son of Sparda” and “Dante Must Die” difficulties up the stakes with remixed enemy placements and additional enemy health and attack damage. So far, the enemies don’t have any other unlocked moves in higher difficulty levels, which is a real shame since action gaming experts will not find that much of a special challenge with this iteration of Devil May Cry. It’ll still bust your balls, but not in a special Ninja Gaiden 2Â Â or Dark Souls kind of way.
Since we’re on the faults nitpicking bit, it wouldn’t hurt to at least have a few Quick Time Events here and there to cap off the fight in a more satisfying manner instead of relying on cutscenes. As awesome as that intro to Devil May Cry 5 was with Nero going all slo-mo with the development team’s names popping up, I felt that it would have been a bit more effective if it was an interactive in-game scene.
And what is up with that “Devil Trigger” tune that plays during Nero’s fight that’s trying so hard to be a catchy earwig but ends up being annoying? It’s not a complete dealbreaker since they do switch it up with better music to accompany the fighting, particularly the themes of V, Dante, and the final few bosses. However, I’d rather Capcom mix it up with something akin to Noisia and Combichrist’s metal and electronica fusion from the Ninja Theory Devil May Cry game.
I should also point out the amount of loading going on, but that’s more for the console versions. The PC version is pretty fast if you have a beefy PC. That Bayonetta practice mode in-between loading and transitions would be very beneficial here.
Almost A Jackpot
So the question remains: Is Devil May Cry 5 better than Bayonetta & Bayonetta 2? Of course not, but nothing is.
What we have here instead is a pretty damn good action hack-and-slash title featuring three awesome-to -play-as power fantasies that oozes style and substance; something that’s rare in this day and age. True, it’ll be a while to decide if this will be placed high in the best action game of all time shelf, but it’s definitely a noteworthy action title for this year that succeeds and is arguably superior to the games that preceded it.

It may not score platinum, but it deserves many gold medals simply for making up for its past sins of the series. So keep the hits coming, Capcom!

Pros
-Awesome controls, weapon choices, & combat.
-The three playable heroes are fun & unique from one another.
-Challenging yet fair gameplay & difficulty.
-Detailed and lush aesthetics.
Cons
-Not-so-memorable boss fights.
-Could use more over-the-top setpieces & action beats/QTEs.
-Tryhard battle music.
Final Score: 80/100


Tencent & Krafton Win In Legal Battle Against PUBG Mobile Cheaters

Federal Courts in the United States and Germany have ruled in favour of Tencent Games and KRAFTON, Inc. in their cases against members of a hacking group. In a decisive reproach of the defendantsâ€™ activities of creating and distributing hacks and cheats that provide their users with an unfair advantage when playing PUBG MOBILE, the defendants are ordered to pay Tencent Games and KRAFTON around US$10 million in damages.
The defendants are further ordered to cease future illegal activities involving game cheating, as well as provide details of how they exploited PUBG MOBILE and about any collaborators.Â Tencent Games and KRAFTON will invest any recovered funds in further development of anti-cheating technology in PUBG MOBILE.
These rulings are not only a resounding win for Tencent Games and KRAFTON but for the broader video game industry and its collective battle against illegal hack and cheat creators.
Rick Li, Producer of PUBG MOBILE, Tencent Games, said:
â€œMillions of players worldwide enjoy PUBG MOBILE and we will ensure a level playing field for everyone. Sadly, the actions of hacker groups undermine the fairness of the game. These Judgements send a clear message that we will not tolerate cheating in PUBG MOBILE of Tencent Games.”
Minu Lee, Head of PUBGM Product Management at KRAFTON, Inc, said:
â€œThis legal victory bolsters our collective commitment to fiercely protect our games, PUBG IP and global community. Fun and fairness is the bedrock of the PUBG MOBILE experience and cheating in any form will not be tolerated. As such, we will continue enforcing our IP rights with unwavering resolve against any who seek to tarnish or misuse them.â€
These lawsuits highlight an ongoing commitment to combat cheating and come after the shutdown of the worldâ€™s biggest video game cheating operation based within China in March of this year and several global hacking groups abandoning cheats for PUBG MOBILE.
Measures employed to identify and prevent cheating include continued investment in technology to improve replay screening and evaluation; more penalties for players found exploiting cheats, including isolated match-making and collaborating with members of the community to make the reporting process simpler.Â
Furthermore, PUBG MOBILE has recently launched one of its strictest anti-cheating measures â€“ the device ban feature. The PUBG MOBILE security team will identify the devices of users who deliberately cheat and continue to adversely affect the gaming environment. Once verified as being used for malicious purposes, the playerâ€™s device will be banned permanently, and it will no longer be possible to log into the game or create a new account on that device.


STRYKZ – Blurring the Lines Between Video Games and Crypto Currency & Blockchain

Crypto currency is easily the buzzword nowadays and now have the gaming scene in its sights. But how does these two, seemingly very differing worlds merge? We spoke toÂ Christian Szymanski,Â Co-Founder and CMO of Stryking Entertainment GmbH who shed some light to it. The German-based developer and operator of the Fantasy Sports platformÂ FootballÂ Stars alsoÂ just recentlyÂ announced the introduction of its ownÂ Ethereum-based utility tokenÂ STRYKZ and we figured who better to ask for the lowdown of this whole thing.
Where do you see the crypto currency & blockchain technology in regards to the games scene a couple years down the road?
We have already seen the first ICOs from the gaming scene with Unikoin, Enjin or the upcoming Kinguin ICO. The big question is how developers will implement a crypto currency into their game and what the aim of the implementation is. If the token is only used for financing reasons, then crowdfunding appears to be the better solution. A great opportunity of crypto currencies is the ability to reward the community of a game and give something back with real value.
In my eyes, we have not yet seen the killer application for gaming & blockchain, but it will certainly be coming soon. In the long run, it will be normal to have games which have implemented the blockchain technology next to free-to-play modes or classical box products. Some game genres will be more suited to implement the blockchain technology and other genres will be stronger in the classical off-blockchain form.
Pairing up with the Bundesliga is a huge deal – any chances of integrating with not only other football leagues, but other sports as well? (NBA/ NFL)
Certainly! From a technical point of view, adding new sports to Football-Stars is straightforward: The same core mechanics can easily be adapted to other sports. But right now, our main focus is on football. While the fantasy sports game providers for American Football, Baseball or Basketball are already huge players in the North American market, the European market is still underdeveloped while the Asian market has just started to grow.
This provides us with many opportunities to grow in these markets and address the whole football fanbase before moving on. There are many sports which are not yet addressed by fantasy sports games, all with bigger fan bases than American sports. After football, the next most popular sport is cricket with about 2.5 billion fans globally. Additionally, tennis, golf, rugby and Formula 1 have huge fan bases around the world. We are looking forward to integrating a wider variety of sports in Football-Stars. Letâ€™s see which one we will pick first!

There are multiple avenues to play Fantasy Football (Fantasy.premierleague , ESPN, etc) – what separates football-stars.com from the others (apart from its technology) that will entice first-time players?
The Stryking team has a background in gaming, therefore our approach is different from most of our competitors which are coming from the betting and gambling industry. In Football-Stars, users can play both the classic season-long mode as well as exciting daily challenges, which are based on real matches from all European top leagues as well as Champions League, Europe League and national team matches. With an outstanding meta-game, Football-Stars can entertain users in the long run. Regardless of whether they lose or win a challenge, users will earn experience points and climb up the levelling system.
Along the way, they can unlock cool achievements, which provide features such as new user titles, additional profile pictures or in-game currency. While most other daily fantasy platforms rely on a cash-in cash-out model, Stryking has intentionally taken another approach. The free-to-play monetisation and retention model makes Football-Stars stand out in the Daily Fantasy Sports universe. And we will now even take it a step further by introducing our own crypto-currency STRYKZ in order to reward those users who contribute to the platform. This will turn Football-Stars into the first, and only, user-centric fantasy sports platform.
Which country is your main focus, especially in the SEA region, why and what is your next step?
The SEA region as a market is highly interesting for Football-Stars. There are lots of football enthusiasts who follow the European leagues and are fans of the European clubs. But managing these markets from Europe with the local characteristics, languages, time difference etc. is very difficult. In our home market, we have partnered up with Germanyâ€™s biggest football website â€œKickerâ€.
Football fans visit the website daily to get information about their favourite teams. Our approach for new markets is the same: We are looking for partners where potential users of our platform already spend their time. We can provide and operate the game, manage the content and take care of the development while the partner is responsible for promoting the game to new users. We are in active discussions with potential partners in different Asian markets and hope that we will be ready to launch our platform there soon.

Named as one of the Top 50 Most Innovative Startups by the HYPE Foundation, they were also chosen as a 2017 Red Herring Top 100 Europe Winner. For more info, you can head on over to their official website hereÂ Â and can register for the Fantasy Football competition here.Â


Mass Effect Legendary Edition Might Get Multiplayer, Says Director

Mass Effect 3‘s multiplayer mode was controversial for its forced integration with the game’s single-player mode, but some players do have fond memories of spending their time there. It’s good news, then, that the recently-released Mass Effect Legendary Edition might receive a multiplayer mode in the future.
According to Mass Effect Legendary Edition director Mac Walters in an interview with CNET, there’s a possibility that multiplayer might return in the game.
He said:
“I would never say no to that — we want to see what kind of reception the Legendary Edition gets and what the demand for the multiplayer is.
And then we’ll ask ourselves if we have the resources and time to bring it up to the quality level we and fans want.”
While that’s not exactly a definite yes, at least players can be happy knowing that the developers are at least weighing their options and considering it. It’s all up to reception and demand at the end of the day, though.
Mass Effect Legendary EditionÂ is now available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC. For more details on the list of improvements, head on over here.


Techland Asks Dying Light Fans Who The Next Hero Should Be In A Sequel

Techland has asked fans what kind of hero they want to play as in a future Dying Light sequel.
This is more of a hypothetical question, as the company did not announce a Dying Light 3. The Polish developer is gauging interest in a Twitter poll with the following results from a recent poll:

Just a survivor: 33.7%
Nightrunner: 19.5%
Pilgrim: 4%
GRE Agent turned good: 42.8%

DISCLAIMER: This is not Dying Light 3 announcement 🙂
But – we were chatting today overseeing last details for the Gut Feeling update (3 days to go!), and we couldn't agree…
…so please help:  if we do DL3, would you be most excited if the main hero was (as a "profession"):
— Tymon Smekta?a (@smektalaTM) April 17, 2023

This isn’t the first time the company has brought up a potential sequel. Dying Light 2’s lead designer Tymo Smektala said that in a theoretical third game, he wants the playable character to start with more powers, more skills, more abilities as his basic skill set.
Dying Light 2 is out right now for PC and consoles. Check out our review and guides here.


Dallas Fuel Signs OGE’s Replacement

The Overwatch League (OWL) has become one of the most popular esports tournaments in the past few years. As per usual of most franchise leagues with millions of dollars constantly at stake, players often jump from team to team and it looks like Dallas Fuel has just found the tank player that will replace Min-seok “OGE” Son.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJUA7Cx597k&w=560&h=315]
Dallas Fuel has signed former Shanghai Dragons player Young-jin “Gamsu” Noh. Previously in his career, Gamsu also played for the Boston Uprising. The tank player that he’s replacing, OGE, has transferred to the Los Angeles Gladiators.
This also means that Gamsu has been reunited with former Boston Uprising teammate Lucas “NotE” Meissner, an off-tank player. Dallas Fuel themselves noted this and stated in their announcement tweet that the “tank duo is BACK”.
With Overwatch League 2020 just a few months away now, we can expect to see more transfers happening and interesting changes happening soon. Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for more OWL news.


[Rumour] The Next Bioshock Game Will Take Place In The Antarctic

While publisher 2K Games has confirmed a new Bioshock game is in the works, everything else from gameplay and its setting is still a mystery. Thanks to the rumour mill, the latter may be set in stone.
Colin Moriarty of Last Stand Media said on his podcast series that the game will take place in the 1960s in an Antarctic city called Borealis.
“[The game’s] codenamed ‘Parkside’â€¦ Iâ€™ve been told that the development team has incredible latitude to get it right. Internally the game is very secret and apparently, totally locked up. Apparently the inclination there is that they understand full well that this game will be compared to what Ken Levine does. And by the way, [2K] is also publishing Levineâ€™s next game.”
This lines up with what Eurogamer and VGC have heard as well.
The next Bioshock title will be made by developer Cloud Chamber Games, with design director Jonathan Pelling, creative director Hoagy de la Plante, and art director Scott Sinclair at the helm. The trio has worked on the series since the first game back in 2006.


Monster Hunter microSD Cards Spotted For Its 15th Anniversary

March marks the 15th anniversary for Capcom’s Monster Hunter series and Capcom is celebrating the milestone by releasing sets of limited edition microSD cards by Honma Corporation and FolloWWind. In case you weren’t sure, the first Monster Hunter was released on PlayStation 2 on 11 March, 2004.

For now, the Class 10 microSD cards are available for preorder in Japan starting today. These cards will be released on 25 April and will go for 1,980 yen (RM72) a pop. Details and purchasing options can be found on Honma’s official website.
Monster Hunter: World microSDHC Card (16GB, CLASS10) + SD Adapter Set

Monster HunterÂ CrestÂ microSDHC CardÂ (16GB, CLASS10) + SD Adapter Set

Monster Hunter Felyne microSDHC Card (16GB, CLASS10) + SD Adapter Set

The cards look fantabulous, make no mistake, but 16GB? What am I supposed to do with 16 gigs of storage? I’ll probably keep it in the box as eye candy, as intended.


Millions Of People Saw DC FanDome; Who Knew?

DC FanDome was DC Comics and Warner Bros’ grand experiment; an entirely virtual event free for everyone to around the globe to watch and participate in. The first day of DC FanDome was ambitious, with 24 hours of live streaming announcements and reveals for video games, movies and more.
Was it a success? Well, according to statistics provided by Warner Bros (via Variety), it definitely was. DC FanDome managed to attract over 22 million views across 220 countries and territories in its first day.
In addition, the total number of views accumulated by all the new trailers released during DC FanDome, including Matt Reeves’ The Batman, Warner Bros Montreal’s Gotham Knights and the Justice League Snyder Cut, attracted over 150 million views.
Besides that, DC FanDome also trended on Twitter in 53 markets, and on YouTube in 82 markets. Ultimately, the event was very much a success, and certainly much better than the lacklustre showing of the Comic-Con At Home event earlier this year.
You can check out our coverage of everything related to DC FanDome here.


UiTM, MMU & IIUM Come Out Tops In University e-League

The winners of the University e-League (UEL) powered by KITKAT CHUNKY have been announced following several weeks of intense competition as university teams from across the country battled for the championship. Held between 9 July until 11 August 2021, the competition saw over 70 teams compete for a total prize pool of RM20,000 across three game titles including DOTA 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and League of Legends Wild Rift.

In the DOTA 2 category, Team MMU from Multimedia University (MMU) went undefeated to clinch the title while Sunway University and the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) took second and third place respectively.
Meanwhile in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang category, IIUM Mustang from International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) held convincing victories against rival teams to earn the championship, while Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) took the remaining podium spots.
In the League of Legends: Wild Rift category, team No Luck from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) held dominant performances to be crowned champions, while Universiti Selangor (UNISEL) and Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) claimed second and third place respectively.
The winning teams in each game category took home RM2,500 in cash, while the runner-up and second runner-up took RM1,500 and RM1,000 respectively. As part of UELâ€™s development programme, the winners of each category will soon have the opportunity to represent their university at international friendly matches against other collegiate teams in Southeast Asia.
Team MMU DOTA 2 captain Jackie Foo said:
â€œWe feel extremely proud to have been given this experience to compete in the University e-League this season.
Thankfully our hard work and dedication to prepare for the competition has paid off and we are grateful to Multimedia University (MMU) for their full support and encouragement on this journey.”
Adrian Gaffor, Head of Business Development at University e-League said,
â€œThe level of talent and competition between universities at UEL brings to light the authentic culture of esports that we love.
We celebrate the values of dedication and teamwork showcased by the university teams in the competition.”
Commenting on the success of UEL, he added:
â€œUniversity e-League would not be possible without our proud partners: KITKAT CHUNKY, Mountain Dew Malaysia and SEGi University & Colleges who have shown tremendous support for homegrown esports talent and strived to create meaningful opportunities for students and esports enthusiasts nationwide.”
The University e-League powered by KITKAT CHUNKY also marked KITKAT CHUNKYâ€™s venture into the Malaysian esports scene to empower young talent. Acknowledging the challenges faced by passionate student gamers and esports enthusiasts, KITKAT CHUNKY features a “POWER UP” campaign to encourage gamers to step away from their screen, enjoy a break in the form of their favourite chocolate and re-charge in an effort to feel re-energized before continuing on gaming.
While the University e-League draws to a close for three game categories, the UEL MGA: Valorant series is still underway with the Wild Card round and Grand Finals happening between 14 August to 12 September 2021.
For future updates and information on UEL, you can visit http://www.universityeleague.com/ or @UELMY on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/UeLMY/posts/352986179884450


Stray Comes To Xbox Consoles This August

Annapurna Interactive and BlueTwelve Studio have announced that Stray will launch for the Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One on 10 August 2023. Stray originally launched for PS5, PS4, and PC via Steam in July 2022.
Lost, alone, and separated from family, a stray cat must untangle an ancient mystery to escape a long-forgotten city. Stray is a third-person cat adventure game set amidst the detailed neon-lit alleys of a decaying cybercity and the murky environments of its seedy underbelly. Along the way, the cat befriends a small flying drone, known only as B12. With the help of this newfound companion, the duo try to find a way out.
In the meantime, head on over here for our review of Stray.
Check out the trailer below:


Game of Thrones’ Viserion The Dragon and The Night King Spotted At Bukit Jalil

Game of Thrones‘ fans and media folks had a blast of a day when they converged at Astro AABC to see the unveiling of Viserion the Dragon, as well as a photography session with the Night King and White Walkers.

The day started off with giveaways from Astro to some lucky fans and a photo session with the Iron Throne. For a limited time, fans can rest on the throne for some awesome photo opportunities.
The Night King and White Walkers
We were also treated to see the unveiling of Viserion the Dragon. The dragon played a major role going into the final season, but I can’t say much without spoiling to what seems an epic finale to a long-standing battle between the houses of Westeros.
I love the smokey nose.
A closeup of its gnarly teeth.

Viserion the Dragon will be travelling around the Klang Valley in the near future so you can snap photos of him with the hashtag #AstroGoT. Keep an eye out for updates on the dragon’s tour dates.
Agnes Rozario, the Director of Content at Astro, shared her thoughts on having Game of Thrones‘ finale on HBO.

â€œWe are privileged to be the Malaysian home to HBOâ€™s spectacular Game of Thrones, offering all GoT fans the opportunity to catch the worldwide premier and stream all episodes uncensored via Astro on demand.
We would like to thank HBO for their continuous support as one of our pioneering channel partners on Astro and commend them for their consistently ambitious and artistic premium content we are able to offer Malaysians.â€

It seems that we’ll be having the GoT Season Finale directly on HBO as the same time as the US, so rest assured you won’t get any spoilers as you wait for the show on local time, unless you go dig for ’em. Oh, and unlike most premieres in Malaysia, you’ll be seeing the show uncensored; it’s not exactly a family-friendly show what with the betrayals and deaths and all.
As fans, we couldn’t wait to see what Season 8 has in store for us. We even copped a pair of a GoT UltraboostÂ because of the hype. For more details on the HBO Game of Thrones pass, you can head here to see what Astro has to offer.


These Are the Titles Which May Be Affected By Recent DC Layoffs

Despite gearing up for DC Fandome later this month on 22 August 2020, DC Comics just can’t catch a break as the majority of the staff from the comic book giant and the DC Universe streaming app have been laid off.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, these include editor-in-chief Bob Harras, senior VP of publishing strategy and support services Hank Kanalz, VP of marketing and creative services Jonah Weiland, VP global publishing initiatives and digital strategy Bobbie Chase, senior story editor Brian Cunningham, and executive editor Mark Doyle, who oversaw the rollout of the Black Label graphic novels.
Roughly one-third of DC’s editorial ranks are being laid off. However, no major creative teams of writers and artists are included in the list so far, which means that no comics have been officially cancelled as of yet.
While these layoffs will likely have an immediate effect on the publication of DC Comics monthly titles, we have no idea which ones since most of the ones laid off (that we know of) so far are editors and not the creatives. However, readers should expect a rapid reduction of titles. It’s logical that a lot of comics will have to disappear as there simply won’t be enough people to work on them.
The only speculation I can make is that the DC Black Label comics might be most affected, since executive editor Mark Doyle is named (so we know that at least). These include ongoing and upcoming comics like:
(Disclaimer: Based on present and upcoming projects)
Rorschach (Tom King & Jorge FornÃƒÂ©s)

American Vampire 1976 (Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque)

The Last God: Songs of Lost Children (Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Riccardo Federici)

Batman: The Three Jokers (Geoff Johns & Jason Fabok)

Strange Adventures (Tom King & Mitch Gerads)

Harley Quinn And The Birds Of Prey (Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti)

Wonder Woman Dead Earth (Daniel Warren Johnson)

The Question: the Deaths of Vic Sage (Jeff Lemire & Denys Cowan)

Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity (Kami Garcia & Mico Suayan, Mike Mayhew)

More victims of the layoffs include the majority of the staff of the streaming service DC Universe has been laid off, which might have been a casualty of the HBO Max launch, and DC Direct, the companyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s in-house merchandise and collectibles manufacturer (probably with Warner Bros. Consumer Products replacing it).
DC Universe makes shows like Young Justice, Titans, the Harley Quinn animated series and more, but these might just be joining Doom Patrol on HBO Max instead of being outright cancelled.


Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands DLC Coiled Captors Legendary Weapons Guide & Boss Farm Walkthrough

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ first-ever DLC is out and it’s called The Coiled Captors. It features a ton of landsharks and Coiled warriors to fight in different dungeon layouts and maps, as well as a boss to deal with.
The DLC also introduces a new Wheel of Fate gimmick (get souls, cash them out for random rewards at the Wheel), as well as the opportunity to repeatedly play through the Coiled Captors dungeon run. This guide will list down the new weapons and gear exclusive to this DLC, as well as tips on how to farm gear specific from this Coiled Captors DLC.
For the full Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Legendary Weapons & Gear guide, head here.
Check out the best Wonderlands class TIERS & Class synergies here.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands How To Farm Coiled Captors Legendary Gear Easily
Here’s a great way to farm for Coiled Captors Legendary weapons and Souls for the Wheel of Fate.
All you have to do is kill the boss of the Coiled Captors DLC Chums the Old God, and then repeat the process by downing yourself. Here’s a step-by-step (via Joltzdude).

Before you start, equip a weapon or spell that has friendly fire, or at least have one in your backpack. A rocket launcher, any weapon or spell that creates ice puddles, fire puddles, etc.
Go through the Coiled Captors’ dungeon via the mirror at the Dreamveil Overlook stage.
Play through the stage until you reach the boss room, just before you drop down the pit where Chums reside.
Jump down the pit and fight Chums. If you’ve been playing the game and doing fine with Chaos Level 20, you should have no problems handling Chums.
Once he’s dead, do not exit the level. Instead, use your friendly fire weapon to kill yourself.
You will respawn at the same spot just before the boss pit. Head down to the pit. Chums will respawn. Kill him again.
Repeat until you get the Legendary loot(s) you want. This cuts down precious dungeon running time. You may have to restart the run if you run out of bullets.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Coiled Captors Legendary Weapons & Gear List
Note: the DLC introduces a new combat status effect: Soaked. Basically any target that gets Soaked will receive more damage from Lightning and Frost, but less damage from Fire. The new Legendary weapons here can apply the Soaked effect.
All the gear listed below are exclusive to this DLC. Having said that, some of them are World Drops.
CHILLING TWISTED DELUGEON (via Moxsy)

Gear Type: Rocket Launcher
Attributes

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

How To Get: World drop, Chums (Coiled Captors boss), Chaos Chamber, Wheel of Fate spin.
Slip n’ Stun
Gear Type: Amulet
Attributes

Shocked it to ya. Slide Speed increases by 50% and sliding leaves behind a Lightning Trail. After Sliding, the next Melee Attack deal 30% bonus Lightning Damage.
+25% Status Effect damage.
+32% Gun Handling.

How To Get: World drop, Chums (Coiled Captors boss), Wheel of Fate spin.
Tidebreaker

Gear Type: Spell. Casts around owner.
Attributes

Drenched and doused. Fires a wave that knocks back targets and applies Soaked to the targets for a duration. Soaked targets take 150% damage from Lightning and Frost, but less damage from Fire.
+32% Spell Damage.
2 Spell Charges.
Frost damage. Slows Enemies.

Lethal Catch

Gear Type: Ring
Attributes

WANTED: Dead not alive. On killing an enemy, this ring’s buffs and effectiveness is increased 25% for 8 seconds. If the killed enemy was a Land Shark or Crab, it is increased 100% instead.
Buffs are various, ranging from weapon critical damage buffs to gun buffs.

How To Get: Chums, World Drop, Chaos Chamber, Wheel of Fate


F2P Shooter The First Descendant Opens PC Beta Test Registration

Publisher Nexon and developer Nexon Korea have opened PC beta test sign-ups for The First Descendant. It is a free-to-play co-op third-person shooter and action RPG previously known as Project Magnum.
Pre-registration have opened since 7 July 2022 and the The First Descendant will run from 28 September 2022 to 4 October 2022. Here’s how you can pre-register:

Click on the “Request Access” button on The First Descendant‘s Steam page.
An email will be sent to your Steam account’s email address if you are selected.
Check if you have received the invitation email.

The First Descendant is slated to launch for PS4, PS5 and PC via Steam.
The First Descendant is a free third-person cooperative action RPG shooter featuring high-quality graphics. Experience the fun of strategic boss fights through four-player co-op and various unique characters, exciting gunplay, and looting. A variety of equipment is necessary for growth, and you can obtain them through clearing scenario missions within the game or in the World Missions where cooperation is crucial and battles with huge bosses.
The player becomes a Descendant in the game and is given a mission to fight against the invaders for the survival of humans and to protect the “Ingris Continent.” The player can experience a spectacular story by growing stronger through various missions and stories to finally discover the Descendants’ secret. You can also feel The First Descendant‘s unique atmosphere through high-quality fields developed with Unreal Engine 5 and gain a new experience of reality and SF fantasy coexisting in one place.


All The Games From EA Play Live 2021

The EA Play Live 2021 live stream took place earlier today, revealing new games and new details for existing games like Apex Legends and more.
Check them out below:
Dead Space (Remake)

EA has finally confirmed that a Dead Space remake is in development by Star Wars Squadrons developer MOTIVE for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
The sci-fi survival horror classic Dead Space returns, completely rebuilt from the ground up by Motive Studios to offer a deeper and more immersive experience. Harnessing the power of the Frostbite game engine and next-generation consoles, this remake brings jaw-dropping visual fidelity and improvements to the gameplay while staying true to the original.
Isaac Clarke is an everyman engineer on a mission to repair a vast, sprawling starship, the USG Ishimura, only to discover something has gone horribly wrong. The ship’s crew has been slaughtered and infected by some alien scourge…and Isaacâ€™s beloved partner, Nicole, is lost somewhere on board.
Now Isaac is alone with only his tools and engineering skills as he attempts to uncover the nightmarish mystery of what happened aboard the Ishimura. Trapped with hostile creatures called â€œnecromorphsâ€, Isaac faces a battle for survival, not only against the escalating terrors of the ship, but his own crumbling sanity.
No other details were revealed.

GRID Legends

Codemasters has announced that GRID Legends is coming in 2022. The game’s story mode will utilize the same XR technology as the one used in Disney+ Hotstar’s The Mandalorian. There will be various racing locations, including Moscow, London, and more.
It’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Apex Legends Emergence

An Apex Legends Emergence gameplay trailer will arrive on 26 July 2021.
Apex Legends Emergence launches on 3 August 2021.

Battlefield 2042 Portal

Battlefield Portal is a community-driven platform within Battlefield 2042 that will let you create and find fantastic experiences made by the seriesâ€™ creative and passionate community. The creation suite includes Settings, custom modes, and a Logic Editor so you can build your own signature spin on Battlefieldâ€˜s sandbox; youâ€™ll be able to change team ratios, tweak victory conditions, restrict weapons, and even put different factions from different eras in Battlefieldâ€˜s history against one another. Those who want to focus on discovering what others have created will have easy access to an entire world of unexpected battles featuring some of the seriesâ€™ most famous eras mashed together in distinct, exciting experiences.
On top of the content available in Battlefield 2042, Battlefield Portal also lets you play with maps, weapons, vehicles, and more from some of Battlefieldâ€˜s greatest experiences, all reimagined at modern visuals. Weâ€™re excited for you to be able to relive content from Battlefield 1942, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Battlefield 3.
Battlefield 2042 is slated to launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on 22 October 2021.

Lost In Random

Welcome to Lost in Random, a dark and twisted fairytale where anything can happen with the roll of a dice. Together, with your companion Dicey, youâ€™ll battle fearsome opponents as you travel through the six shadowy realms of Random on a mission to save your sister from an evil Queen. Collect coins on your journey and trade them for powerful cards. Then, roll Dicey to freeze time in deadly dice combat and play your cards to unleash formidable attacks, abilities, combos, and more. Youâ€™ll also meet unpredictable residents and take on courageous quests as you travel deeper into the heart of Random.
In this thrilling action-adventure game from studio Zoink!, youâ€™ll adapt or perish as you battle inside giant board game arenas that change with every dice throw. Join fearless Even and her companion Dicey as they learn to play the odds and dive into a dark wonderland where only the brave survive.
Lost In Random is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Nintendo Switch on 10 September 2021.

Knockout City Season 2

Fight at the Movies stars a new map, the Holowood Drive-In, where the playing field changes in real-time as you brawl through scenes from movies across every genre. Whatâ€™s a movie without snacks, though? Grab yourself a concession-stand classic with the all-new Soda Ball. Time your throws to cover your rivalsâ€™ screens with sticky soda!
Season 2 also brings a new season of League Play (with its own shiny rewards), tons of new cosmetics, new Playlists, and more. Arrive in matches in style in a shiny new stretch limo Crew Vehicle, unlockable in all-new weekly Crew Contracts.
Knockout City Season 2 will arrive on 27 July 2021.

You can watch the entire EA Play Live 2021 presentation below.


Guerrilla Collective 2021: Our Favourite Indie Games From The Livestream

The indie gaming train isn’t stopping anytime soon this weekend. Here’s what we loved from the recent Guerrilla Collective 2021 livestream today. You can catch the archived stream on Twitch.
Anno: Mutationem

This long-awaited cyberpunk action-adventure game with RPG elements is still looking sharper than usual. Coming soon in 2021 for PC and consoles.
Trifox

You play a fox who can change to three different classes in an isometric action-adventure RPG world. From the looks of things, the game evokes the spirit of 3D platformers of yore. Available in Q1 2022 for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. A PC demo is out now.Â
Rubi The Wayward Mira

A pretty cool-looking 2D pixel-based Metroidvania-style game with some emphasis on challenge and difficulty. You play a girl named Rubi who has to overcome a world filled with science and magic disasters. Comes with multiple playstyles and endings; out for PC and Nintendo Switch soon.
Source of Madness

Cthulu meets Dark Souls meets Metroidvania meets Darkest Dungeons. That’s how we can sum up this upcoming 2D action-adventure gothic game where you play a sorcerer fighting chaotic-looking monstrosities. Coming out soon for PC.
Ultra Age

A 3D high-speed action game made by a small team, this sci-fi title is slated for PS4 and other platforms for Autumn 2021.
Fire Tonight

A couple of long-distance lovers in 90s try to reconnect when their respective places are on fire and in chaos. Looks pretty light-hearted and insightful, and probably has a message about maintaining long-distance relationships. Out 12 August for Nintendo Switch and PC.
Chernobylite

A survival horror first-person perspective RPG, you play a man named Igor who is investigating the disappearance of his fiancee in the Chernobyl Power Plant Exclusion Zone, which is probably filled with anomalies and radiated monsters.
The game is currently in Early Access for PC right now, and will be out in full for PC and consoles in July 2021. The PS5 and Xbox Series versions will be available later in 2021.
El Paso Elsewhere

A third-person shooter where you’re stuck in a motel with werewolves and other things that go bump in the night. Thankfully you seemed well-armed to survive a few hours of the evening. Also, check out the retro 3D graphics on this killer! Coming soon to PC.
Super Space Club

Need a lo-fi chillax 2D thumbstick shooter game? Well, give this one a shot! Out for Xbox consoles and PC later in 2021.
Palworld

Probably the craziest reveal of the bunch. The game trailer starts out being an open-world crafting game featuring fantasy pets you can command and control. And then you start using them as animal shields and cover while you’re firing with your AK-47, and then have most of them working in assembly lines like slaves.
The game is slated for 2022.


ASUS Unveils Its Steam Deck Challenger

ASUS has entered the handheld gaming device fold with their newly unveiled ROG Ally. At first, many people thought the announcement was just an April Fools’ joke, but ASUS later confirmed that it’s the real deal.

It’s real!Stay tuned for more ?#ROG #ROGALLY #PlayALLYourGames pic.twitter.com/UcYyUebBSZ
— ROG North America (@ASUS_ROGNA) April 3, 2023

When it comes to portable gaming, Nintendo Switch is dominating the market. However, Valve recently introduced the Steam Deck, which lets you play various Microsoft Windows titles. The Steam Deck comes in three models with different internal storage options and price points.
Although there are a few alternatives to the Steam Deck, the options are pretty limited. But with ROG Ally on the horizon, it could give Valve’s handheld gaming PC a run for its money.
According to ASUS, the ROG Ally will have the fastest AMD APU yet, which is roughly twice as powerful as the Steam Deck. Other features include a 7-inch display with 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Unfortunately, we don’t know much about the battery life and price yet.

The Steam Deck, on the other hand, has a 40Wh battery that provides 2 to 8 hours of playtime, depending on the graphics settings. As for the price, there’s no information on how much the ROG Ally will cost, but some are speculating that it could be around $1000.
Valve is reportedly working on a follow-up to the Steam Deck, but we don’t know much about it yet. We’ll keep you posted on any updates on the potential Steam Deck 2, including price and specs. In the meantime, you can sign up for pre-order information for the ROG Ally on the Best Buy website.


Call of Duty World War 2 & Spider-Man Will Be Free For PS Plus Members This June

Good news, PlayStation Plus fans and members. If you haven’t played Call of Duty: World War 2 yet, you can download and play it for free on 26th May. Which is today.
We’re guessing this is just a pre-emptive offer before PlayStation delivers the rest of the free goods.

That’s not all: Marvel’s Spider-Man may be the next free game available with PlayStation Plus as well this June. The standard edition of the game will be playable for free next week. We say “may” because it could be a PlayStation Store glitch.

You don’t need us to tell you that playing one of 2018’s best games for free is a very, very good thing. Any PlayStation 4 owner worth his or her salt probably bought this game, but in the off chance you didn’t, you can rectify that next week.


You Can Now Pre-Register For The Digimon ReArise Mobile Game

Digimon fans in Japan have been enjoying the Digimon ReArise mobile game since June 2018. However, fans of the franchise worldwide will soon be able to do the same, as Bandai Namco has announced that it will be launching outside of Japan sometime later this year.
While the developer didn’t provide a definitive release date, the App Store page for Digimon ReArise states that the expected release date is on 21 October 2019. The mobile game is described as an RPG, where players are Tamers who nurture relationships and battle with their own team of Digimon.
Digimon ReArise features a completely original story, as well as brand new characters designed and illustrated by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru. Nakatsuru is one of the character designers who have worked on the Digimon anime series.
The official synopsis reads:

An unknown Digimon calling itself Herissmon has appeared in your smartphone.
Suddenly, a mysterious force known as â€œSpiralsâ€ attack…
A story of new faces and old friends begins now in this Friendship Digivolving RPG!

It features real-time battles with up to 5v5 matches. Developing your Digimon will allow them to Digivolve, which any fan worth his/her salt would know is the best part of any Digimon experience.

While the first trailer for the English version of Digimon ReArise doesn’t show any actual gameplay, it does set up the story and the unique characters in the mobile game, not to mention the awesome music. The Digimon franchise has always had great songs, and this one is no exception (The Future Is Now by STRAIGHTENER).
All of these will definitely appeal to long-time Digimon fans, who have long suffered from being compared to the more popular Pokemon franchise. Unlike Pokemon Go, this one will actually have battles and involve the player bonding with their Digimon, so that’s a plus.
Head on over to the Digimon ReArise Google Play Store and Apple App Store to pre-register now.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7_RNTB0KdU&w=560&h=315]