E3 2019: No More Heroes 3 Confirmed; Now With More Aliens & Sentai

Travis Touchdown is back again, and this time not in top-down arcade action game form.
During Nintendo’s E3-themed Direct video, we get a glimpse of No More Heroes 3, a game where you kill a lot of assassins using your lightsaber beam katana and your wrestling moves. And you also recharge your weapon by doing a wanking motion. And you save your games by taking a break in the little boy’s room.

Guessing by the teaser, Travis Touchdown (still portrayed by original voice actor Robin Atkin Downes) can now don a Power Ranger-esque suit and shoot out Macross missiles through the power of god-knows-what. He’ll also be fighting aliens who may have graduated from the Rita Repulsa College of sentai goons. Also, Sylvia makes her return and will probably tempt our hero with sex to make him do whatever she asks.
All I can say is punk is definitely not dead. Neither is developer Grasshopper Manufacture and Suda51’s imagination, it seems. No More Heroes 3 will be slicing its way to your Nintendo Switches next year.


Watch The Tales of Arise Opening Movie Here

Bandai Namco just revealed the opening movie for its upcoming JRPG Tales of Arise, and it looks slick.
The OP song is “Hibana” and is performed by Kankaku Pierro. The animation is done by production studio ufotable, who is famous for the lovely-looking Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime adaptation. Check it out below; the OP features some slick combat moves and even some new antagonistic faces that haven’t been revealed prior to this. Here’s one with Japanese lyrics…

…and one with English lyrics.

Tales of Arise will be out on 10th September for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms.


Two Obscure Sega Games Are Getting The Movie Adaptation Treatment

Sega has announced two new game movies they want to make: Space Channel 5 and Comix Zone.

Space divas, comic panels, and the movies!
SEGA is partnering with @picturestart to produce film adaptions of Space Channel 5 and Comix Zone!
Which parts of these SEGA gems are you most excited to see played out on the big screen? ?#SEGA #SpaceChannel5 #ComixZone pic.twitter.com/WcdfnWJe5y
— SEGA (@SEGA) August 19, 2022

In a recent statement, Sega confirmed it’s partnering with production company Picturestart to develop film adaptations of the two obscure 90s titles (via The Hollywood Reporter). Producing these films will be Sega’s Toru Nakahara, with Space Channel 5 game design director Takumi Yoshinaga to be involved with the game’s movie adaptation. Sega producer Kagasei Shimomura will join the team for Comix Zone.
Space Channel 5 will be a comedy dance-filled show tone-wise with the following synopsis:
“[This is a story of] a hapless fast-food worker who is recruited by a freedom reporter from the future to save the world from aliens using the one thing that unites all people on the planet: our love of silly viral dances.”
Comix Zone will have the following story:
“[Comix Zone] follows a jaded comic book creator and a young, queer writer of colour who, when sucked into the final issue of his popular series, must put aside their differences to stop a dangerous supervillain from sowing complete destruction.”
Space Channel 5 was a rhythm game for Sega Dreamcast where you play space reporter Ulala as she blasts music-loving aliens with her blaster in simple Simon Says-esque gameplay. Michael Jackson did make a cameo in the game. Comix Zone was a 2D action beat-em-up title in 1995 where you play a comic artist stuck in his own created world and fight mutants. The game was notorious for its difficulty, even among challenging games in that era.
In any case, it’s rather daring of Sega to adapt these niche games. Perhaps it’s due to the huge success of both Sonic The Hedgehog movies that the company is willing to take chances.


Deadpool 3 Stops Filming Due To SAG-AFTRA Strike

According to a report by Variety, Deadpool 3 has stopped filming due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, which now involves both writers and actors alike.
News of the production halt comes only several days after the movie gave us our first look at Ryan Reynolds in costume as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman in the iconic yellow costume of Wolverine.

The SAG-AFTRA union represents over 160,000 performers, including actors, announcers, hosts, DJs, stunt performers and broadcast journalists. They are currently seeking wage equity and improved working conditions, as well as other issues such as AI likenesses, residuals from streaming content and more.
Deadpool 3 is slated to premiere next year on 3 May 2024, which is less than a year from now. The movie will also star Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Jennifer Garner as Elektra.


Sony Delays PlayStation 5 Showcase To 12th June [Update]

Disclaimer: Story originally posted on 2nd June; it’s bumped up now & edited due to recent updates.
Sony just announced that it will be delaying its PlayStation 5 event, which was scheduled for 5th June at 4am GMT+8. The new date is now 12th June at 4am GMT+8.
The chief reason? So that “more important voices can be heard”.

“While we understand gamers worldwide are excited to see PS5 games, we do not feel that right now is the time for celebration and for now, we want to stand back and allow more important voices to be heard.”

pic.twitter.com/ZAY8StN0EU
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) June 1, 2020

The announcement comes after a weekend of protests that happened throughout the United States of America. PlayStation also sent out a tweet denouncing “systemic racism and violence against the Black community”.

pic.twitter.com/fnkB9ZmYg5
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) June 1, 2020

Basically, this is the stark opposite of Quantic Dream’s way of making a statement in such troubled times. Good call on Sony for taking a step back and reading the room. I’m very sure the video game community are very understanding about this…

…I think I need to lie down.


The U.S. Isn’t The Most Active in Game-Related Tweets

As gamers, we have always had the impression that the U.S. was the central attention to big trends, including the gaming scene. But surprise, surprise! The country that hosts big video game conventions like E3 is apparently not the most active when it comes to talking about video games on Twitter.
In a Twitter analysis and cover by Matt Gardner on Forbes, while it has the most active Twitter user at 77 million, America missed the top spot to none other than Japan for having the most active game-related discussion on one of the world’s most used social media platform.
Meanwhile, South Korea lands in 3rd place, followed by Thailand in 4th and Indonesia in 5th place. This makes Asian countries dominate the top spots on this ranking.

Next up we have the most tweet about games. The rankings have remain unchanged for the most part for the past 6 months with miHoYo’s Genshin Impact taking the lead. Unsurprisingly, 2nd spot was taken by the daily puzzle Wordle, followed by Ensemble Stars!, Final Fantasy, and Project Sekai respectively. Based on the visual chart below, it seems as a surprise that Elden Ring isn’t where we thought it should be but is still a worthy place for 7th despite being the most-streamed game in Q1 of 2021.

At last but not least, Twitter data also revealed ranking for another important community of the gaming scene, if not one the most prominent; Esports teams. Taking the 1st in the most discussed Esports team is Brazil’s LOUD, suprsingly dethroning established teams like G2 Esports, FaZe Clan, Fnatic, and T1.

For honorary mentions, here are few more gaming-related Twitter rankings for more food for thought.

Were you surprised by the Twitter rankings? Which do you think are deserving of the place (and which that don’t) and why? Let us know in the comments or head on over to our socials Twitter and Facebook to join the discussion.


Disney Plus Is Hiring For Malaysian Roles

Disney Plus is currently still not officially available in Malaysia. However, that might be changing sooner than we initially expected.
On LinkedIn, Disney has posted several Malaysia-based job openings for roles related to Disney Plus. We discovered six different job openings for four Malaysia-based roles (in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor) for Disney Plus, including the following:
Disney+, Metadata QC Coordinator – 3 Months ContractDisney+, Assistant Manager – Curation & PlanningDisney+, Manager – Brand & Partnerships Marketing (Job Opening One, Two, and Three)Disney+, Senior Manager – Brand & Partnerships Marketing
It seems like the first two roles will be more directly involved with the content side of Disney Plus, while the latter two roles will be responsible for planning and developing marketing strategies for the Malaysian market.
These job openings come only a few months after Malaysia’s Ahmad Izham Omar was appointed as executive director of content & creative for Disney Plus in Southeast Asia.
The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) was also mentioned in the ending credits for The Mandalorian Season 2 due to Malaysia-based Base FX’s VFX work.
It might not be long now until Disney Plus officially arrives in Malaysia, especially now that even Disney-related channels have been taken off Astro as of January 2021.
Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for more on this and Disney Plus-related news.


Valorant Shows Off Gameplay Glimpse Of Support Hero Sage

The Valorant Twitter page has released a small gameplay preview of one of its characters, the Chinese support hero Sage.

SAGE /// China"Let them try to get through me."#VALORANT pic.twitter.com/zJMeaaUi2P
— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) March 26, 2020

Through the use of orbs, Sage can heal allies from afar, and create an ice barrier to block chokepoints or elevate herself. She can also cover an area in ice, which slows enemy movement. “I am not just your healer!” she declares.
Her ultimate isn’t shown in the teaser, but a leaked image from a month back revealed that her ultimate was called Resurrection. I can’t help but think that she’s a bit like Mercy, Mei, and Zenyatta (because of the orbs) rolled into one.
For more on Valorant, check out our rundown of Riot’s upcoming free-to-play game here. It’s basically Counter-Strike with hero abilities, and there’s even a weapon-buying screen.


You Can Now Play As WWE Superstars In Brawlhalla

Video game crossovers are not unheard of nowadays with games like Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Brawlhalla is another fighting game that’s been featuring a few crossover fighters in its rosters and the latest additions are both unexpected and exciting.
Starting 8 August 2019, Brawlhalla will be hosting a crossover event with WWE in anticipation of this year’s SummerSlam which will be happening on 11 August 2019.
The crossover features a number of WWE Superstars plus a unique SummerSlam-themed arena and game mode called Brawldown. Check out the trailer:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMp07_LQJak&w=560&h=315]
The following WWE Superstars can be unlocked for 300 Mammoth coins each:

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

John Cena

Becky Lynch

Xavier Woods

The Brawldown game mode will basically put you and other fighters in a wrestling ring with breakable tables, chairs, and wrestling ropes with physics turned up to 11. The WWE Superstars can still be purchased even after the event has ended.

Prior to this, Brawlhall has featured crossovers with other popular works such as Shovel Knight, Hellboy, and Adventure Time.
Brawlhalla is free-to-play on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and macOS. The SummerSlam in-game event is free for all players but the WWE Superstars must be purchased as mentioned before.


Front Mission Spin-Off Left Alive Gets Release Date & Malaysia Price Tag

Sony Interactive Entertainment Hong Kong Limited Singapore Branch (SIES) has announced thatÂ Front Mission spin-off Left Alive will be released for the PS4 in Malaysia on 5 March 2019.
The physical retail copy of Left Alive will be priced at RM239, while the digital version will be slightly cheaper at RM229. Each edition of the game will arrive with different early purchase bonuses.
The physical retail copy of Left Alive will include an Initial Limited Bonus code to redeem the Survival Pack, which contains the following:

Klyuch (SP) Weapon – A special colour variant of the in-game Klyuch rifle. Its attributes are different from the standard version.
Ammo Pack – Contains different kinds of ammo for in-game use.
Grenade Pack – Contains different kinds of grenades for in-game use.
Recovery Pack – Contains different kinds of recovery items for in-game use.
Light Body Armour – This is a defense item which reduces the amount of damage taken from attacks when equipped.

Meanwhile, the digital version will come with the Tactical Pack as an Early Purchase bonus, which not only contains an exclusive PS4 theme but also the following in-game items:

Slava Weapon – A special colour variant of the in-game Slava submachine gun. Its attributes are different from the standard version.
Ammo Pack – Contains different kinds of ammo for in-game use.
Material Pack – Contains different kinds of materials for in-game use, which can be combinedÂ to obtain other items of various kinds.
Recovery Pack – Contains different kinds of recovery items for in-game use.
Light Body Armor – This is a defense item which reduces the amount of damage taken from attacks when equipped.

Developed by Square Enix for the PS4 and PC, Left Alive is set to feature stealth/action gameplay mechanics with mech battles. In the meantime, check out the latest Left Alive trailer below, courtesy of PlayStation.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ezhi5_pGgQ&w=560&h=315]


UNIQLO UT Unveils History Of Dragon Ball Collection

UNIQLO UT has dropped a new T-shirt collection that brings fans of Dragon Ball back to memory lane. If you’re a fan of the anime, you would be delighted to choose from a variety of designs UNIQLO has in store for this limited edition collection, paying homage to the iconic author Akira Toriyama’s masterpiece, Dragon Ball.
The designs range from the “Son Goku Boy Arc” to the “Buu Arc”, considered to be the genesis of the series. Fans are able to adorn the t-shirts from the classic logo of the anime to the whole Dragon Ball cast of the Arcs. One of the many iconic scenes presented in this collection would be the “Saiyan Arc”, in which Son Goku and Vegeta square off against each other.
Moreover, the UNIQLO Dragon Ball collection let parents and children style in matching outfits or just showcase their favourite scenes together. Definitely a thumbs up on the cool parent department. Let’s unwrap all the designs in the “History of Dragon Ball” UNIQLO UT collection starting from the kids’ lineup to men.
Kids Dragon Ball UT T-shirts

Men Dragon Ball UT T-shirts

A lot of the designs in this collection are similar to the designs in the kids’ collection. The collection for men, especially, can be purchased as a complete set called the “History of Dragon Ball” Complete Box. With the Complete Box, you can enjoy all seven Dragon Ball UT designs featuring Goku and his friends on their adventures and epic battles. The set also comes with stickers from the original Dragon Ball series, as well as an augmented reality (AR) feature that makes the magical dragon Shenron appear. That’s definitely a set worth purchasing!

The Complete Box set is priced at RM449.90 and is only available at UNIQLO Malaysia Online Store from 19 June 2023 onwards * while stocks last*. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the franchise or just wanted to take cool Instagrammable-worthy shots with your kids, now is your chance!
Collaboration Overview
Launch date: 19 June 2023
Pricing: RM59.90 each for seven men’s T-shirt designs.
Novelty gift: Purchase one Dragon Ball UT t-shirt will get you one free Dragon Ball sticker.
Special website: HERE


Malaysian Board Game Bansan Is Now Up For Pre-Order

From the developer of the Kaki Lima board game comes another Malaysian board game, Bansan. Bansan, which means ‘local wet market’ in the Northern Peninsular Hokkien dialect, is a board game inspired by the multi-sensory experience of a bustling Malaysian market.
In Bansan, players are market vendors who juggle multiple roles, deal with wholesalers and customers, buy and sell ingredients, as well as cook and serve authentic Malaysian food. You will have to navigate the intricate relationships of a local market as you interact with fellow vendors, customers, wholesalers, and municipal council officers. It’s like managing your own pasar.

Here’s how it plays: You obtain goods from wholesalers to stock your stalls, buy produce to cook and sell local dishes and manage the waste generated in the market from your activities. On your turn, you choose a number of actions in order to optimize how much income you make. The vendor who generates the most money at the end of the game wins.
There are 40 Malaysian-flavoured events and 54 recipes in Bansan, which provides a lot of different varieties and strategies to make each gameplay fresh.
The pre-order period for Bansan is from today (8 June 2023) to 14 July 2023, which you can do on the official website here. The pre-order price is RM128, while the retail price at launch will be RM168.


Netflix March 2022: Our Picks & Highlights

Iâ€™m sure you wonâ€™t want to waste time sifting through Netflixâ€™s extensive catalogue of shows and movies just to decide on what to watch. The streaming giant updates its site every day, week, and month with new content, so Iâ€™m here to save your precious time.
Here are my personal recommendations and highlights for Netflix Malaysiaâ€™s March 2022 lineup and how to fill up your free time with worthwhile content at home:
The Pirates The Last Royal Treasure (2 March 2022)

A gutsy crew of Joseon pirates and bandits battle stormy waters, puzzling clues and militant rivals in search of royal gold lost at sea.
It’s been a while since we’ve had anything with pirates. If this is anything near as good as The Admiral Roaring Currents or Black Sails, you should definitely check it out. Cinematic naval battles are always epic and exciting to behold, especially when done well.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe Season 2 (3 March 2022)
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (L to R) Antony Del Rio as Man-At-Arms, Zeno Robinson as Stratos and Yuri Lowenthal as He-Man in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX Â© 2022
The fate of Eternos hangs in the balance as He-Man and the heroes forge new alliances â€” and new destinies â€” to stop Skeletor from raising an Army of the Dead and obtain ultimate power.

The Last Kingdom Season 5 (9 March 2022)

A fragile peace has reigned in England for years, but Uhtred believes that trouble is just over the horizon â€” and events soon confirm his suspicions.
This will be the final season of the series.

The Adam Project (11 March 2022)
The Adam Project (L to R) Walker Scobell as Young Adam and Ryan Reynolds as Big Adam. Cr. Doane Gregory/Netflix Â© 2021
After accidentally crash-landing in 2022, time-travelling fighter pilot Adam Reed teams up with his 12-year-old self on a mission to save the future.
This science-fiction time travelling movie reunites director Shawn Levy and actor Ryan Reynolds after 2021’s Free Guy.

Windfall (18 March 2022)
WINDFALL – (L-R) LILY COLLINS as WIFE, JESSE PLEMONS as CEO and JASON SEGEL as NOBODY. Cr: Netflix Â© 2022
A Hitchcockian thriller following a young couple (Lily Collins, Jesse Plemons) who arrive at their vacation home only to find itâ€™s being robbed.
It also stars Jason Segel of How I Met Your Mother fame.

Inuyasha Seasons 1 To 6 & Inuyasha The Final Act Season 1 (25 March 2022)

The series begins with Kagome Higurashi, a fifteen-year-old middle school girl from modern-day Tokyo who is transported to the Sengoku period after falling into a well in her family shrine, where she meets the half-dog demon, half-human Inuyasha. After the sacred Shikon Jewel re-emerges from deep inside Kagome’s body, she accidentally shatters it into dozens of fragments that scatter across Japan. Inuyasha and Kagome set to recover the Jewel fragments, and through their quest, they are joined by the lecherous monk Miroku, the demon slayer Sango, and the fox demon Shippo. Together, they journey to restore the Shikon Jewel before it falls into the hands of the evil half-demon Naraku.
I’ve always wanted to check out Inuyasha, considering that it’s one of the most iconic shonen anime out there. Soon, the entire anime series will be available on Netflix, so anime fans won’t have a problem trying to find somewhere to watch every episode of this anime.

Those are just several selected highlights from next monthâ€™s offerings of new TV series and movies on Netflix. Now you can plan your Netflix binge-fest for March 2022.


E3 2021 Will Be “Reimagined” For Next June

It looks like we can now start setting our calendars for E3 2021, as the ESA has revealed the dates for the event.
As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, E3 2021 will be held from 15 June to 17 June. It will be a “reimagined” event, perhaps a response to Sony’s and Geoff Keighley’s announced absences for the now-cancelled E3 2020 as well as the resignation of iam8bit from its role as E3 2020 creative director.
E3 2020 was originally meant to be held from 9 June to 11 June in Los Angeles. However, the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak caused the event to be cancelled. Let’s also not forget the leaked content creators and journalists list from last year’s E3. Suffice to say, it’s to tell whether this “reimagined” image will swoon people.


Princess Connect! Re: Dive Celebrates Global 1st Year Anniversary With Free Gacha Rolls Every Day!

For you fans of cultured content and mobile RPGs out there, Cygames and Crunchyroll have a treat for you.
The mobile RPG Princess Connect! Re:Dive (or Priconne), which is renowned for its all-female cast who all happen to be well-endowed and thicc AF, is celebrating its 1-year global anniversary. To showcase their generosity, the publishers will be offering a free 10-draw everyday gacha bonus from right now until 15th February 8:59 GMT+8. That’s basically 14 free 10-draw gacha rolls total, meaning there’s a good chance you’ll get the high-tier characters you want.

Here's another anniversary gift from us, Knights! From now until Feb 15, 12:59PM (UTC), log on each day to get a free 10-draw everyday! ? pic.twitter.com/SC0FxVZTH4
— Princess Connect! Re: Dive (@priconne_en) February 1, 2022

For more on Princess Connect! Re:Dive, head on over to our character tier-list and guide.


PS VR2 Is Immersive & Sleek As All Heck, But…

Review originally published on 16 February 2023. This review is brought forward since the device is available for purchase this week.
From PlayStation’s point of view, the future is white, immersive, accessible and not cheap. This edict is definitely evident in the company’s gaming hardware future: the PlayStation VR2. At what price immersion and fidelity? Well, stick around and I’ll tell you.
Sense & Sensibility

Clearly the offspring of the original PlayStation VR back in 2016, this revamp features a new VR headset and two special “ring-shaped-and-designed” Sense controllers (see above) with straps all in one fancy box. I’ve said earlier that they look sleek and futuristic from the get-go. What I can now mention is that I really, really like the feel and tactile input of the new Sense controllers.
If you ask me to just use the VR controllers for everything PS5 related from now on, I’m down with this idea. So far with the games I’ve played, the VR controllers are implemented really well and track close-to-accurate. We were given the following games to playtest and review using the PS VR2 – flagship title Horizon: Call of the Mountain, Moss: Book Two, Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge, Kayak VR: Mirage, and Thumper. I’ve played the first two to completion, with the other games taking up an hour or less just to get the feel of how PS VR2 is implemented in the previously-out titles. And they work great, with near-flawless tracking, responsive inputs and controls, and just better fidelity from the headset’s viewpoint.

Speaking of the kit, the setup is very, very easy. You just plug in the headset to the front part of the PS5, snap on the stereo headphones (with built-in microphone) to the back headband, charge the controllers for a bit (an hour would do), and then follow the on-screen instructions after wearing it. Fiddling with the headset and making sure it’s snug on your head while your view isn’t impaired is a piece of cake; there’s a button and knob-combo to adjust the horizontal width of the headband so that it fits the back of your head.

The VR set also has a front scope adjustment button and lens adjustment dial so that the front part of the device fits your face and aligns with your viewpoint. Once you’re locked in, you just have to press the power button, and you’re in! After some easy calibration options, you get to adjust the virtual play area. There’s a really cool floor tracking and wireframe option that shows off the wireframe boundaries of the play area.
You can set it up and adjust the size by just pointing at the floor and play area using the Sense controllers, and then pressing the correct inputs to expand or enclose the space. Plus it looks really, REALLY cool when you start it up.
As someone who wears glasses, I feared my experience might be stifled compared to those without eye accessories. Not so with the PS VR2: short of cleaning my own glasses from time to time, the experience is really sublime and comfortable compared to using other VR devices like the Oculus or HTC Vive.

Perhaps the biggest issue for VR gaming -space- is also circumvented with the PS VR2’s build and tech. While the device did recommend having a 6×7 space minimum for the gaming experience, I purposely tried out a slightly smaller playing area (ie: my workspace where I do all my video editing) where there’s ample room to move my arms, but not move my feet and body.
The PS VR2 executes this really well with the tracking and limitations given. As long as the game you’re playing doesn’t require much walking or getting out from the spot you originate from, you’re golden. Just make sure you don’t have breakable objects and drinks nearby.
The Money Symbol-Plastered Elephant In The Room We Need To Address…
The PS VR2 costs as much as a PlayStation 5 console. That’s the make-or-break statement for would-be buyers.
That price point is a very, VERY huge ask for anyone and everyone. But at the same time, I really cannot see how its price tag can scale down further given how well-made the tech and tracking are, as well as its ease of use for VR tech dummies like yours truly. The non-backwards compatibility aspect of the PSVR 2 doesn’t help matters either. You have to rebuy certain games just for the PS VR2.
Still, if it’s VR power you want, and if you already have a PS5 to run it, you might as well go for broke with PlayStation’s answer to the tech. If anything, it’s very impressive and shows there’s hope for the future of VR if they make more games like Horizon: Call of the Mountain and keep them exclusive. Tech and VR enthusiasts with spare change to burn definitely need to apply.
Pros

Best VR tech we’ve used and played in a while.
Great tracking tech.
Controllers feel good to use.
Setup is intuitive and even works in smaller-than-usual spaces.
First-party game is a worthy app to highlight PS VR2’s strengths.

Cons

Very expensive.
Old PS VR games aren’t backwards compatible with PS VR2.

Final Score: 80/100
Review unit provided by PlayStation Asia.

Vital Statistics
PlayStation VR2 Screen: 2000×2040 per eye
Sensor: 6-axis motion sensing system (3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis accelerometer)
Cameras: Tracking camera x4 (for VR headset, controller tracking)
Input/output: USB Type-C connector
Audio: Input – Built-in microphone, Output – Stereo headphone jack
Input power rating: 12V – 0.6 A
External Dimensions: Approx. 212x158x278mm
Mass: Approx. 560g (excluding cables)
Price: RM2,799. Horizon: Call of the Mountain PSVR2 bundle costs RM2,999.
Games List

After the Fall (Vertigo Games)
Altair Breaker (Thirdverse)
Before Your Eyes (Skybound Interactive, launch window)
Cities VR (Fast Travel Games)
Cosmonious High (Owlchemy Labs)
Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition (Survios, launch window)
The Dark Pictures: Switchback (Supermassive, launch window)
Demeo (Resolution Games)
Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate (MyDearest Inc., Perp Games)
Fantavision 202X (Cosmo Machia, Inc.)
Gran Turismo 7 (via free update to PS5 version of GT7)
Horizon Call of the Mountain (Firesprite, Guerrilla)
Job Simulator (Owlchemy Labs)
Jurassic World Aftermath (Coatsink)
Kayak VR: Mirage (Better Than Life)
Kizuna AI – Touch the Beat! (Gemdrops, Inc.)
The Last Clockwinder (Pontoco/Cyan Worlds)
The Light Brigade (Funktronic Labs, purchase includes PS VR and PS VR2 versions)
Moss 1 & 2 Remaster (Polyarc)
NFL Pro Era (StatusPro, Inc., free PS VR2 upgrade)
No Man’s Sky (Hello Games, launch window)
Pavlov VR (Vankrupt)
Pistol Whip (Cloudhead, free upgrade)
Puzzling Places (Realities.io, free upgrade)
Resident Evil Village (Capcom, via free update to PS5 version of RE Village)
Rez Infinite (Enhance)
Song in the Smoke (17 Bit)
Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge – Enhanced Edition (ILMxLAB)
Synth Riders (Kluge Interactive, free upgrade)
The Tale of Onogoro (Amata K.K)
Tentacular (Devolver)
Tetris Effect: Connected (Enhance)
Thumper (Drool LLC)
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners: Ch. 2: Retribution (Skydance, launch window)
Vacation Simulator (Owlchemy Labs)
What the Bat (Triband)
Zenith: The Last City (Ramen VR, free upgrade)


ATO Gaming Cafe To Host Retro Gaming Carnival; Features C&C Red Alert 2

There’s no school like the old school.
ATO Gaming Cafe will be hosting a pretty awesome 2000s-era LAN party and couch gaming this coming weekend. The event is called the 1st Retro Gaming Carnival, featuring a Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 LAN Party as its highlight.
The event will also feature a Retro Bazaar where you can shop for retro gaming goodies. Here are the details:
Date: 11-12 March, starts at 10:30am
Location: ATO Gaming Cafe TTDI, Jalan Sungai Penchala, Kampung Sungai Penchala, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia (location link)
Games: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, Crash Team Racing, Mario Kart Arcade GP, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is a big deal back in the 2000s; it’s one of Westwood Studios’ finest real-time strategy games to date and features an awesome soundtrack from one Frank Klepacki.


Wyrdsong Is An Open-World RPG From Bethesda Vets’ New Studio

During Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022, a brand-new studio from 15-year Bethesda Game Studios veteran Jeff Gardiner, Something Wicked Games, was revealed. With initial seed funding of US$13.2mm from NetEase, Something Wicked Games is a new, globally dispersed AAA games studio with creative and leadership talent from The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 4, The Outer Worlds and more. Their first game, an open-world AAA preternatural RPG, Wyrdsong, is currently in development.
They also revealed an animatic teaser trailer for the studio’s first game, Wyrdsong. Wyrdsong is an occult historical fantasy RPG set in a fictionalized Portugal in the middle ages. Players will be challenged to question both their reality and the choices they make as Wyrdsong is set to expand, question, and re-define aspects of what makes up the current Role Playing Game genre.
Gardiner’s career in games boasts some of the most well-known franchises in the RPG space. Gardiner served as lead producer and project lead across several of Bethesda’s flagship titles in the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls franchises. Before making the difficult choice to leave Bethesda Game Studios following a 15-year career, Gardiner’s efforts on Fallout 76 saw its transformation into one of the most successful, robust examples of the games-as-a-service model.
The studio’s talent roster also includes Co-Founder & Design Director Charles Staples (Obsidian Entertainment). Staples’ 15-year tenure at Obsidian was highlighted with his Design Director role on The Outer Worlds, as well as his work as Lead Level Designer on Fallout: New Vegas.
“Our goal with Something Wicked Games is to utilize our independence and creative autonomy to create the next evolution of open world RPGs,” said Something Wicked Games CEO and Founder Jeff Gardiner. “Our first project, Wyrdsong, has been my dream game for some time now, and I’m thrilled to finally share it today.”
Developed on Unreal Engine 5, Wyrdsong immerses fans in a dark historical fantasy where every decision has a consequence, both in this world and others yet to be discovered.
Headquartered in the capital region of Washington, D.C., Something Wicked Games is fully remote and hiring across all positions. Currently staffed with 12 developers, the studio hopes to achieve a full roster between 65-70 as development continues to ramp up.
Check out the trailer below:


Horizon Forbidden West Tallnecks & Cauldrons Location Guide: How To Find & Solve Them All

Horizon Forbidden West is out now and is quite an adventure if you’re into open-world RPGs and robot dinosaur killing-slash-overriding.
You’ll be doing quite a bit of the latter, and you need to power up Aloy’s tech stick to jack into robot beasts and tame them even for a brief moment. You do this by sticking your stick into cores located in Cauldrons. You’ll also need to get the lay of the West you’ll be exploring, meaning you’ll need to scale onto giant robot beasts called Tallnecks and scan the region you’re in.
We have guides for both the Tallnecks and the Cauldrons. Here they are:
Horizon Forbidden West All Tallneck Locations & Walkthroughs

Horizon Forbidden West All Cauldron Locations & Walkthroughs

Cauldron MU
Located at the southeast part of the map. It’s at the southwest of the Tallneck at Cinnabar Sands. Requires level 18 to tackle effectively.
Overrides unlocked: Burrower, Scrounger, Grazer, Scrapper, Fanghorn, Widemaw.
Cauldron IOTA
Located at the northern edge of the central part of the map. It’s north of the Tallneck at the Shining Wastes. Requires level 22 to tackle effectively.
Overrides unlocked: Leaplasher, Glinthawk, Lancehorn, Longleg, Clawstrider, Skydrifter, Bellowback, Ravager, Snapmaw, Rollerback.
Cauldron KAPPA
Located at the northwest part of the map at the coastline. It’s northwest of the Tallneck at The Stand of the Sentinels. Requires level 40 to tackle effectively.
Overrides unlocked: Rockbreaker, Tideripper, Tremortusk, Stormbird, Thunderjaw, Slitherfang, Dreadwing, Slaughterspine.
Cauldron CHI
Located at the southwest part of the map. It’s south of the Tallneck at The Stand of the Sentinels.
Overrides unlocked: Frostclaw, Redeye Watcher, Shell-Walker, Clamberjaw, Behemoth, Stalker, Shellsnapper, Spikesnout, Scorcher, Fireclaw

Cauldron Tau/Repair Bay Tau
Play through the game’s Main Quest 6: The Dying Lands. You’ll be exploring that Cauldron.
Overrides unlocked: Plowhorn, Bristleback

Cauldron GEMINI
Play through the Main Quest 14: GEMINI. You’ll explore that Cauldron through the course of the story.
Overrides unlocked: Sunwing

For more guides, do check out our Horizon Forbidden West skills & leveling guide.


Overwatch League: Hangzhou Reveal Name & Colors + Tease for Possible Roster?

It’s finally coming true. At least we hope it is.
When Team Hangzhou revealed their official name for Season 2 of the Overwatch League, it wasn’t their name that grabbed the attention. It was the color they are set to be sporting – hot pink!

We are Hangzhou Spark! âœ§*ï½¡Ù©(ËŠá—œË‹*)Ùˆâœ§* pic.twitter.com/yq63oaseQw
â€” Hangzhou Spark (@Hangzhou_Spark) November 15, 2018
And it wasn’t due to misogynistic nor homophobic reasons – it’s because it so closely resembles the getup of one of the best supported Overwatch League teams in history: RunAway.
In case you aren’t aware, known best for their hot pink sweater uniform they wear during tournaments, the whole RunAway roster which won Korean Contenders Season 2 have been signed to a yet-to-be announced Overwatch League team.

While we aren’t so hot with the ‘Spark’ name, the choice of color more than make up for its lack of imagination. We already have electric-themed teams in SF Shock and the newly revealed Guangzhou GatoradeÂ  Charge so a different nomenclature is highly welcomed.
Anyways, I don’t know about you but the Hangzhou Spark has got the ‘R.U.N.A.W.AY’ branding written all over it. Come on Spark. Reveal the roster already.Â Â We know which expansion team jersey we are gonna get.


Master of Magic Might Make Mystical Return

Remember that cool fantasy-themed 4X game from Microprose called Master of Magic? Here’s a refresher:

Looks pretty old-school, right? Well, turns out it will be getting a new chance at life via Slitherine Software, who is renowned for a number of strategy titles like Panzer Corps, Conquest! Medieval Realms, and a few Warhammer 40,000 games. The company acquired the rights to the IP from Atari.
Slitherine development director Iain McNeal said that the company is “looking forward to working on this immensely popular franchise. We know there is a high level of responsibility when we try and develop sequels or successors to popular IPs. We have proven it is possible to fulfil players expectations with the likes of Panzer Corps when it comes to work on these legendary products.”
While not an official announcement, it seems likely that a Master of Magic sequel is in the works. Hopefully, it’ll learn from the mistakes of 2015 spiritual successor Worlds of Magic, a valiant but failed attempt at recapturing the magic of…er… Master of Magic.


LEGO Overwatch 2 Set Delayed

LEGO has delayed a new Lego set based on Blizzard’s Overwatch 2.Â The reason why is because they’re apparently reviewing their partnership with Blizzard following the many scandals and issues arising from the video game company over the past few years.
The official statement from LEGO (via TheBrickFan) reads:
We are currently reviewing our partnership with Activision Blizzard, given concerns about the progress being made to address continuing allegations regarding workplace culture, especially the treatment of female colleagues and creating a diverse and inclusive environment.
While we complete the review, we will pause the release of a LEGO Overwatch 2 product which was due to go on sale on February 1, 2022.
The LEGO Overwatch 2 Titan set is based on a scene from the gameâ€™s announcement cinematic from BlizzCon 2019. It features Lego mini-figures of Overwatch heroes Tracer and Mei in a battle against an Omnic Titan. However, it’s currently unclear when or if the LEGO set will be released.

The last we heard of any official news regarding Overwatch 2 was in November 2021, when Blizzard confirmed that both Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 have been delayed indefinitely.


Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Reveals Its First Two Classes

Gearbox Software and 2K Games just released its latest trailer for its Borderlands spin-off, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.Â
The latest video talks about the game’s first two classes in its fantasy first-person shooter RPG: the Stabbomancer and Brr-Zerker.

The Stabbomancer is the stealth class that, well, stabs people using long-reaching attacks and hit-and-run tactics involving stealth. The Stabbomancer skills include Ghost Blade, an AoE ethereal blade attack that hits from afar and From The Shadows which enables stealth mode and increases damage while stealthed.

The Brr-Zerker smashes things with weapons made out of ice. Its AoE attacks are also ice-based. The Brr-Zerker’s skills include Feral Surge, which is a leap strike with an AoE splash damage on its landing, and Dreadwind which is a damage-over-time spinning attack that lasts until you’re out of mana. Thankfully you’re out of first-person camera mode when you’re doing the move; I can’t imagine how it’ll look in first-person mode with the spinning.
Check out the classes in action below. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands will be out for PC (Epic Games Store), PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, and Xbox One on 25th March, 2022.


Oops! Overwatch 2’s PvE Adventure Takes a Comic Turn, Ends up in the Recycling Bin

In a new live dev stream, Blizzard has officially announced that they have scrapped the PvE content that was promised. But fear not fans, creative leads game director Aaron Keller and executive producer Jared Neuss have assured fans that there will still be PvE content going forward. The difficult decision was made by the team saying they have opted to go a different direction. This was said to be done for the good of the game and to focus on improving their multiplayer component.
“We can’t deliver on that original vision for PvE that was shown in 2019. So what that means is that we won’t be delivering that dedicated hero mode with talent trees, that long-term progression…those things just aren’t in our plans anymore.” – Overwatch 2 Executive Producer Jared Neuss.
This was a big disappointment to many fans since they’d been waiting for a long time for an update on the PvE content. The PvE campaign was one of the main appeals of the shift from the first Overwatch to its sequel. As a fan who has been waiting for this content as well, I’m frustrated but I understand what a hard decision it must be for them to make. I do love the transparency and honesty from the team and greatly appreciate it.
“Development on the PvE experience has not really hasn’t made the progress that we have hoped. The team has created a bunch of amazing content so there’s awesome missions that are really exciting. There’s brand new enemies that are super fun to fight and some truly great and ridiculous hero talents. But unfortunately, the effort required to pull all of that together into a Blizzard-quality experience that we can ship to you is huge, and there really is no end in sight or defined kind of end date where we can put that out into the world.” – Jared Neuss.
In the words of Game Director Aaron Keller, Overwatch 2 is taking a different approach to PvE content. Instead of releasing big, one-time PvE adventures, they are integrating co-op experiences into the game’s live roadmap. The goal is to provide players with more frequent and diverse co-op gameplay opportunities compared to the initial announcement.

According to the new Blizzard roadmap, the first batch of PvE story missions is set to debut in Overwatch 2 Season 6, slated to kick off on August 15. Keller mentioned that future missions will encompass both “canon” and “very not canon” stories, allowing the developers to explore the Overwatch universe, its heroes, and villains while also experimenting with new ideas. This approach grants them the flexibility to delve deeper into the game’s lore while introducing fresh and innovative content.
You can find more details on the roadmap here.


Action-Adventure XEL Drops On PC & Switch Next Month

Assemble Entertainment and Tiny Roar have announced that action-adventure game XEL will launch for PC via Steam and GOG on 12 July 2022, followed by Nintendo Switch on 14 July 2022, as well as PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S later in 2022.
XEL is a 3D action adventure set in a science-fiction fantasy setting. Play as Reid, shipwrecked on the strange world of XEL. Without any recollection of her former life, it is up to you to unravel her past and connection to XEL. Ready your sword and shield as you explore the overworld of XEL and dive into imposing dungeons full of unforeseen threats and challenging puzzles.
Throughout your journey you will make new friends and foes, find new gadgets as well as being able to jump through time and space. As Reid delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding XEL, she discovers an endless cycle of peril. In XEL, you will explore a mysterious world and uncover its dark past, as well as hack and slash your way through gone-haywire-robot-minions and face the exotic wildlife of XEL.
You will also solve time bending puzzles and make use of your arsenal of gadgets, as well as utilize unique abilities will let you jump through time to traverse prior inaccessible areas or encounter foes in a weaker state and bend the rules of space. In addition, XEL offers vibrant visuals, handcrafted by a passionate Indie team as well as a timeless soundtrack composed by Gidon Wolff.


Warhammer 40K: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters Bring X-COM Turn-Based Combat To PC This May

Frontier Foundry’s upcoming X-COM-style tactical RPG set in the Warhammer 40K universe is coming out soon.
Warhammer 40K: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters will be out for PC on 5 May, 2022. The game will feature pretty slick turn-based strategy gameplay and a ton of Warhammer 40K Space Marines and other soldiers at your disposal.
The game also features Andy Serkis voicing some bigwig named Vardan Kai. Sounds pretty important if the game devs brought in the guy who played Caesar from the Planet of the Apes reboot and directed the second Venom movie. Also, players who pre-order the game will get two exclusive in-game items for their own Grey Knights squad.
“[They are] powerful relics from the hallowed vaults deep within the Citadel of Titan. The ancient tome Domina Liber DaemonicaÂ is carried into battle by a hero of the Chapter during times of great need, and the words within have the power to send Daemons howling back into the warp.
The centuries-oldÂ Destroyer of Crysâ€™yllix Daemonhammer, meanwhile, was the first Nemesis Daemonhammer of its kind, famously used centuries earlier to shatter the Lord of Change Crysâ€™yllix. Both items can be equipped to any of the playerâ€™s Grey Knights in-game.”
Check out the pre-order trailer and the screenshots below.


The Game Awards May Not Take Sides On The Activision Fallout [Update]

Update [4 December 2021]: Geoff Keighley stated that Activision Blizzard will not be a part of this year’s Game Awards.

Beyond its nominations, I can confirm that Activision|Blizzard will not be a part of this year’s #TheGameAwards
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) December 4, 2021

The Game Awards 2021 may have its fair share of controversy during the weekend.
The show’s host and creator Geoff “Mountain Dew” Keighley said to the Washington Post that he’s thinking about how to “navigate” Activision Blizzard’s involvement in the ceremony due to the company’s recent sexual misconduct and the Bobby Kotick issue.
“We want to support employees and developers. [I] supported people coming forward with their stories but [I also do not] want to diminish developersâ€™ opportunities to spotlight their games. We have to think very carefully about how to proceed here.”
Keep in mind that Geoff Keighley is the same guy who sided with Hideo Kojima during the Konami fallout with the prolific Metal Gear creator. Though to be fair, the Konami fallout is a whole different can of worms. The fact that a show like Game Awards being totally dependant on publisher relationships for that sweet exclusive showcase means that the showrunners will have to favour long-term business decisions over other types of decisions. After all, the Game Awards advisory board includes Activision president Rob Kostich among other game executives.
Still, one does wonder if The Game Awards this year will take a stand following the Activision Blizzard issues, and whether it will elevate itself beyond being a celebratory annual show for new game trailers and industry awards/backpatting/circlejerking.

I have a lot of respect for Geoff, but if he doesn't bring the same Kojima/Konami energy to this issue (which is infinitely more important) then that is a going to be a big disappointment. The Game Awards is too powerful a platform to waste on trailers alone. https://t.co/w6kiR9q0mf
— Skill Up (@SkillUpYT) December 3, 2021

You'll take a stand & give an impassioned speech after Konami disallowed your friend Kojima from accepting a trophy, but you won't do the same after Activision Blizzard enabled workers to suffer rampant harassment, abuse, & discrimination for decades? You've chosen your side. https://t.co/MfxsbgIO2y
— YongYea (@YongYea) December 3, 2021

The Game Awards 2021 will air online on 10 December GMT+8.


Borderlands 3 Will Be Getting Crossplay Support, But…

Good news: after almost 2 years, Borderlands 3 is finally getting full crossplay support. Almost.
Soon, PC gamers can play with their Xbox One/Xbox Series brethren and co-op like never before.Â The bad news? Well, developer Gearbox Software was forced by a certain publisher to remove crossplay support for PlayStation consoles. In other words, there’s no crossplay for the PS4 and PS5 versions of Borderlands 3.

Good news or bad news first? Good News: An update for Borderlands 3 has been prepared for release that includes full crossplay support across all platforms. Bad News: For certification, we have been required by the publisher to remove crossplay support for PlayStation consoles.
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) May 27, 2021

That certain publisher is 2K Games, though we’re not sure if the decision stems from 2K or Sony. One theory is that 2K Games isn’t willing to pay for crossplay privileges to Sony, since Epic Games does feature crossplay for PS4/PS5 users as long as Epic pays Sony. It could also be a certification issue; PlayStation crossplay functionality could happen at a later date or month.
Previously, Sony has been resistant to allow multiplayer between players on its consoles and those on PC, Xbox, and Nintendo platforms. That stance has changed, thankfully.


The ‘Milliennial’ JSA Grows & Improves In DC’s Stargirl Season 2

DC’s Stargirl has always been a hard sell from the beginning. Instead of the more iconic and well-known Justice League, they decided to focus on the classic Justice Society of America (JSA) from the Golden Age of DC Comics. For those unfamiliar, the JSA was the precursor to the Justice League in the comics, featuring the original versions of famous heroes like Green Lantern (Alan Scott) and The Flash (Jay Garrick), as well as more obscure ones like Starman, Wildcat and Hourman.
Teen Society

The first season was pretty good, and it pretty much set up a new teenage version of the JSA thanks to the effort of Brec Bassinger’s Courtney Whitmore AKA Stargirl. This time around, it’s refreshing to not have secrets to incite forced and fake drama between the characters. Now that most of them know each other’s secrets, the series can move on to more pressing and interesting issues, while still keeping the light tone. Of course, this being a more teenage-focused series with a majority of the protagonists being on the younger teen in high school side, there still has to be drama somewhere.
The various members of the teenage Justice Society are still recovering from their lingering traumatic experiences from last season. For instance, Courtney AKA Stargirl herself(Brec Bassinger) feels like every new hero does, especially one who is as young as she is. She’s become too overzealous and even paranoid after her victory against the Injustice Society Of America in the previous season and she’s struggling to balance her responsibility as a student and as a superhero.

Besides that, it’s not exactly a secret that we’re finally meeting Green Lantern’s daughter, Jade (as portrayed by Ysa Penarejo). I won’t and can’t reveal how or why she shows up. However, as an avid comic book fan myself, you can rest assured that this new season of DC’s Stargirl opens up more avenues and opportunities for more obscure and classic Golden Age DC Comics content to be adapted. In addition, there are more members of the Justice Society being introduced this season, including Alkoya Brunson as Jakeem Thunder and Jim Gaffigan as the 5th-dimensional genie Thunderbolt (who’s obviously going for a Will Smith’s genie from Disney’s Aladdin vibe).
Fans should also be excited for the arrival of the dark and evil Eclipso, who makes his long-awaited live-action debut for the first time ever in DC’s Stargirl Season 2. Eclipso is as menacing as he is in the comics thanks to the performance of Nick Tarabay, but the budget of a TV series somewhat limits the scope of what could be accomplished with a villain like this.
In the comics, Eclipso is a being who is the manifestation of God’s Wrath, making him one of the powerful entities in the DC universe. Well, at least he looks the part, and trust me, he looks a lot better than in motion than the official poster makes him out to be. Oh, and his official appearance is creepy. It’s one I won’t forget anytime soon. This is nothing like the disappointing debut of Trigon in Titans Season 1/2, so yeah.
DC’s Stargirl — Image Number: STG_Eclipso_1st_Look.jpg — Pictured: Nick Tarabay as Eclipso — Photo: Tina Rowden/The CW — Â© 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Stars And Stripes

As exhilarating as it is to see these Justice Society members and classic DC Comics characters come to life, DC’s Stargirl Season 2 is still mostly populated by young teen characters, which means that it’s prone to the occasional high school drama. However, there’s a lot less of that now compared to the first season. The first season featured high school pop culture cliches that one would find in other teenage rom-coms or dramas, but fortunately, DC’s Stargirl Season 2 has smartly chosen to forego most of that.
It would be remiss of me not to point out that this series still manages to explore the themes of legacy and heroism that is rare even amongst the many superhero adaptations out there. Perhaps that’s why DC’s Stargirl remains one of the better ongoing CW TV shows. It has improved from the first season with a lot more room to grow. Plus, the Golden Age of DC Comics and the history of the Justice Society are gold mines with plenty of content to expand upon.
Also, DC’s Stargirl has the added advantage of being set on a different Earth from the rest of the CW Arrowverse shows, which means that it’s not restricted to the same shared universe. I’m still looking forward to the day that DC’s Stargirl might officially introduce Infinity Inc. (the official team for the successors to the JSA; similar to the relationship between the Teen Titans and the Justice League) and the road to that happening could be fast approaching. For now, let’s enjoy the adventures of Courtney Whitmore and her super friends.
FINAL SCORE: 70/100
We received an early access screener of the first six episodes of DC’s Stargirl Season 2 courtesy of WarnerMedia.
It is slated to premiere on the same day as the U.S on 11 August 2021 at 9pm GMT+8 on Warner TV (Astro Channel 712 / UnifiTV Channel 451). Meanwhile, the entirety of Season 1 is currently streaming on HBO GO.


Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Brings A Tech-Detecting Operator, New Map, Crossplay & Cross-Progression In Operation Solar Raid

Ubisoft has announced that Operation Solar Raid is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. This game-changing season introduces many long-awaited features including crossplay and cross-progression, a new and improved battle pass, a new map, a new Colombian Operator, the new Ranked 2.0, and the ability for players to see their Reputation Standing.
Operation Solar Raid shines a light on the new Defender Solis and her SPEC-IO Electro-Sensor gadget that gathers crucial intel for a coordinated strategy. Solis can clearly analyze and identify Attacker devices including drones, breaching devices, and more. Her gloves also allow her to interact with the gadget overlay and trigger a cluster scan. Solis is a medium-speed, medium-health Operator, carrying the P90 or an ITA 12L as a primary weapon and an SMG-11 as a secondary weapon.
In addition, Year 7 Season 4 brings exciting new updates to Rainbow Six Siege: crossplay and cross-progression. Console players will now be able to squad up with friends from other consoles via Ubisoft Connect. Players who wish to opt-out of crossplay can turn off Crossplay Matchmaking in the Options menu. After logging into their Ubisoft Connect accounts, players’ progress, currencies, and items will be shared across all platforms. Additionally, their Ubisoft Connect account will get one free Alpha Pack.
Solar Raid creates a new experience for the Ranked playlist. Firstly, players’ Rank is no longer decided by their MMR, but by how many Rank Points they win or lose after every Ranked match. Each Rank now has five divisions, and each division requires 100 Rank Points to advance to the next. In addition, a new Rank, Emerald, has been added between Platinum and Diamond.
Secondly, as MMR has been separated from players’ Rank, it will be known as a new value: skill. Skill is a hidden value for all playlists and will carry over from season to season. There will be no more squad MMR restriction, and players can squad up with any of their friends. A new algorithm will adapt matchmaking despite varying skill levels among squad mates. Lastly, Ranked’s reward system has been revamped: players will get one reward for every Rank division achieved throughout the season, and rewards will be granted at the end of each season.
Alongside the new operator Solis, a brand-new map, Nighthaven Labs, arrives today and will not be bannable during Operation Solar Raid to ensure players get to learn and play on the new map during the season. Serving as an extension of Nighthaven’s headquarters, the map’s open sea, green cliffs and clear sky invite players to explore its immaculate architecture and technological marvels on display. The interior features many access points, allowing for free navigational flows, especially if players are ready to take down the many breakable walls. Both Attackers and Defenders will have to avoid getting too comfortable as they could easily be flanked and lose their position. Built for creative strategies, this R&D facility challenges players to take advantage of unusual opportunities like the runout hatch just outside Meeting Room.
This season, the Reputation Score Display lets players access their Reputation Standing. During the beta phase, which is coming in Operation Solar Raid, players won’t receive any positive or negative effects based on that Standing. The objective is to start with a safe onboarding process that gives everyone a chance to adapt and modify their playstyles and interactions accordingly.
The Battle Pass has evolved from its linear system into one with branching paths. Now players can plan their progression and prioritize the rewards they get. No matter which path they take first, they’ll still be able to unlock all the tiles and complete the Battle Pass.
Highly requested quality of life and balancing updates arrive with the release of Operation Solar Raid. Quality of life updates include the removal of friendly fire in the preparation phase, the ability for Zofia and Capitao to switch ammo types for their device without needing to equip it, a bombsite marker update, and drone speed is no longer slowed down when strafing diagonally while using a controller. Lastly, to rebalance the relationship between Operator speed and health, all Operators now move at the same speed while aiming down sights.
A new accessibility update is also added this season expanding team colour customization options to Operator devices and Observation Tools. The colour preferences are reflected in the visuals of the devices to help players identify what is owned by a teammate and what belongs to an opponent. When using Observation Tools, the LEDs now match the chosen team colours, letting players recognize if it’s being used by a teammate or an opponent.


Buy A New Samsung Galaxy A Series Phone & Get Free MLBB Diamonds

Samsung and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang are collaborating so that players who are looking to purchase a Samsung Galaxy A series phone are also entitled to a bunch of in-game diamonds.
When you purchase the Galaxy A23, Galaxy A33 5G, Galaxy A53 5G or Galaxy A73 5G, you can redeem these bundles at checkout:

Category
Quantity
Gifts
Total Value Worth in USD$ (approx.)

Mythic Bundle
5
34,000 in-game diamonds
3,400 (USD680/MYR3,000 per bundle)

Legend Bundle
10
16,425 diamonds
1x Limited skin worth 1,500 diamonds
1x Ling special skin worth 899 diamonds
1x Nana special skin worth 899 diamonds
1x Lunox special skin worth 899 diamonds
1x Esmeralda special skin worth 899 diamonds
1x Lancelot special skin worth 899 diamonds
1x Misc. in-game item worth 1,580 diamonds
4,800 (USD480/MYR2,100 per bundle)

Epic Bundle
20
2,800 diamonds
1x Special chest level 8 worth 1,089 diamonds
1x Tournament chest level 5 worth 599 diamonds
10x Chest level 2 worth 100 diamonds
1,835 (USD90/MYR400 per bundle)

Category
Gifts
Total Value Worth in USD$ (approx.)

Master
Random skins worth up to 2,000 in-game diamonds
USD40/MYR176

Elite
Random skins or tickets worth up to 350 in-game diamonds
USD7/MYR30.80

But don’t worry, if you aren’t looking to buy a new phone, because you can also stand a chance to win a bunch of in-game diamonds for yourself by watching San Gaming’s Facebook livestreams happening on 23 July, 31 July and 6 August.
To redeem the Epic Bundle, Legend Bundle and Mythic Bundle, just tune in to San’s live streams on 23 July, 31 July and 6 August at 8:00 PM (GMT+8) respectively, and purchase either the Galaxy A23, Galaxy A33 5G, Galaxy A53 5G or Galaxy A73 5G to be able to redeem. Listen closely to San and take note of the special code to enter at checkout when you purchase your choice of Galaxy A.
To claim the Galaxy Chest, all you have to do is stay tuned to any of San’s three livestreams and answer correctly in the Q&A session during gaming intermission. San will pick lucky winners at random based on your answers in the comment section. Simple, right? Don’t miss out on this opportunity and set a reminder in your calendar. See you then!
For more details on the offer, check out Samsung’s website.


Don’t Buy Valorant Closed Beta Accounts; Here’s Why

The Valorant Closed Beta launched yesterday, with more than 1.7 million peak concurrent viewers on Twitch, breaking the record for most single-day hours watched in a single game on the streaming site. However, the dark side to all this is that the demand is overwhelming the folks at Riot Games, who were not expecting this kind of reception.
On the official website, Riot Games said that they “want to support a stable, competitive, high-fidelity gameplay experience above all, even if that means limiting the number of people we can support for now”.
As of now, Valorant Closed Beta access is granted to beta stream viewers on Twitch, whose total viewing time are tracked. Once they pass a certain threshold of viewing time, they’ll receive an email. The developer said:

“The selection is random to give fairness, but we give a higher â€˜weightâ€™ to those of you who have more hours watched of Valorant streams.
This weight gives you a higher chance at being selected but itâ€™s still not guaranteed.
Hours watched also has diminishing returns, so please donâ€™t burn yourself out trying to marathon Valorant streams.”

The immense sudden popularity of the Valorant Closed Beta means that many have started taking advantage of the high demand. A suspiciously high number of Valorant beta accounts are currently available for sale on eBay, with starting prices around US$150, or roughly RM650+.
To combat this issue, Riot Games is “actively looking into account sellers”. Anyone who buys an account for Valorant Closed Beta access will be banned, which they have already done to several offenders, as revealed by the developer via a tweet earlier today.

We’ve banned a pile of VALORANT closed beta account sellers and botters to free up more entitlements. Tracking more. Don’t buy accounts, you might lose them!
â€” VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) April 9, 2020
If you want to play Valorant, you can either watch a ton of it on Twitch, or wait for the eventual release of the full version. It’s not worth it to buy an account just to get banned for good. In the meantime, head on over here for more of our Valorant coverage.


Happy Labour Day: Our Favourite Workers In Video Games

Happy Labour Day, everyone.
To celebrate the mid-holiday and the first of May, let’s pay tribute to video games’ most under-appreciated workhorses. All of them.
WarCraft’s Peons & Peasants

Before Blizzard made the Warcraft series its MMO cash cow, the franchise used to be a strategy title where humans and orcs fought each other with soldiers and ballistas. But before you can get all of that off the ground, you need workers to mine for gold and cut wood for lumber resources. Enter the Alliance’s peasants and Horde’s peons: without them, you can’t build jack.
Plus, their quotes are hilarious, ranging from “work work”, to “yes m’lord”.
NEXT


Our Favorite Video Game Dogs & Good Boys

To celebrate the release week of dog murder sim The Last of Us Part 2, let’s tune into something happier and talk about video game doggies and good boys.


Garena Will Cease Publishing League Of Legends In Southeast Asia & Taiwan

Riot Games has announced that they will be taking over the publishing of League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics in Southeast Asia and Taiwan starting from January 2023.
Whilst self-published by Riot Games across Southeast Asia, Riot will appoint Taiwan Mobile and VNGGames will be appointed as the new publishers of League of Legends and TFT in Taiwan and Vietnam respectively.
For those who may not be familiar, since the launch of League of Legends back in 2010, Garena has been in charge of the publishing rights of the MOBA along with helping provide server locations for both Southeast Asia and Taiwan.

“We are grateful for Garena’s partnership and publishing support over the past decade. Their efforts have built an incredible community of League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics players across Southeast Asia, and the games’ success would have been impossible without them.
Over the past few years, Riot has also worked hard to expand our capabilities across the region, building strong local teams and a deep network of partners. We now feel that this is the right time for us to own the publishing of League and TFT in Southeast Asia, as part of our expansion into Asia Pacific.
As we further our focus on being the most player-focused game company in the world, we are excited to bring our players immersive and meaningful experiences, both in and out of game. We are looking forward to seeing our players benefit from a unified Riot ecosystem and look forward to writing the next chapter with them,”
– Alex Kraynov, Managing Director for APAC, Riot Games
Kevin Huang, Regional Producer of League of Legends at Garena also added: “We would like to thank Riot and the League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics communities for their tremendous support and partnership in growing both games to the successes they are today in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. We are honoured to have worked together with Riot over the past decade to create the best possible experiences for players, and wish the team every success in this next chapter,”
Account Migration

As part of the publishing transition, Riot will launch new League and TFT servers, and Garena servers will cease operations by January 2023. To ensure that players transfer and retain their existing account data in time, Riot and Garena are working closely on the account linking process that will open for all from 18 November.
After players kick off the account linking process in November they can continue to play League via the Garena client until early January 2023. However, starting in January, Riot servers will open and all players can access League on the Riot multi-game client. Once players confirm their instructions and log in for the first time via the Riot multi-game client in January, their game history will be fully migrated. Confirmed relaunch dates will be announced at a later date.
A full account migration tutorial and FAQ are now available on the Account Migration Microsite. Players are encouraged to migrate their accounts as early as possible, to enjoy the full Riot experience with minimal disruption. Players who migrate their account data early will also be rewarded with a suite of welcome in-game rewards. Personal data provided to Garena will not be migrated.
The publishing relationship between Garena and Riot will officially conclude in January 2023. Once the publishing transition between both companies is complete, players can look forward to a suite of exciting welcome events and rewards, access to regional Riot publishing services including Localisation, Billing, and Player Support, as well as local marketing activities and the continued publishing of League esports. In the long term, players can expect to enjoy deeper content integration within the Riot ecosystem, exciting in-game campaigns and cross-franchise campaigns to enjoy.
League and TFT will be published in Taiwan and Vietnam by Taiwan Mobile and VNGGames respectively, and players in those markets can continue to enjoy the suite of publishing services by both publishers as presently offered for Legends of Runeterra, VALORANT and League of Legends: Wild Rift.


Guillermo Del Toro Returns To Horror In Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark Trailer

Guillermo Del Toro is going back to his pure horror roots with Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark. A new trailer for the movie has been released, finally showing us what sweet horrors we can look forward to when the movie arrives in August 2019.
Though he won’t be directing the upcoming movie, Del Toro co-wrote the story. AndrÃ© Ã˜vredal, best known for found footage film Trollhunter and horror movie The Autopsy Of Jane Doe, will be directing Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark.
As scary and creepy as the creature designs (achieved with brilliant old-school practical effects), Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark will still be rated PG-13 and not R, since the original book and source material for the movie is actually meant for a younger audience.
Don’t let that fool you, though. Pan’s Labyrinth was also PG-13, but it featured a man smashing the face of another person into a bloody pulp with a glass bottle. If you’re still not convinced, here’s what Del Toro had to say about the movie in an interview with Polygon:

â€œPersonally, I think the most dangerous time is your childhood. Itâ€™s always like, â€˜Itâ€™s a golden time.â€™
Not for me, man. I was in Shawshank. I was going to a Jesuit school, I was in the prison, having to fight in the yard and this and that.
[Ã˜vredal] captured that, and it made the kids more complex. A lot of movies simplify kids and make them cute, skateboarding dudes who say one-liners and never get killed.
In my movies, kids do die.
They are more frail, but at the same, more complex, and they see that darkness, and that extends to this movie.â€

In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlya92LZqZw&w=560&h=315]


Former Final Fantasy XV Director Announces New Sports RPG About Pegasus Olympics

Hajime Tabata, former Final Fantasy XV director and founder of JP Games, has announced their next game, The Pegasus Dream Tour. This title is the first official video game of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The game is created with the concept of taking role-playing games to the next level and creating an abundant future with games. It will have a 2020 worldwide launch date and will arrive on various platforms, including smartphones.
It also features people with wings. And a lack of pegasi.Â Maybe Tabata will reveal winged horses on a later date.

With the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games coming in 500 days, the game is aimed to promote the Paralympic Games.
JP Games provided a short overview, seen below;

The Pegasus Dream Tour, which marks the first title to be released by JP Games, is a completely new sports role-playing game, where players participate in a virtual Paralympic Games that takes place inside a fantasy metropolis known as Pegasus City.
Here, players awaken their special abilities or â€œXtra Power,â€ in an alternate Paralympics world dynamically rendered in ways that only video games can achieve. The makers are planning for the â€œPegasus Dream Tourâ€ to be accessible on various platforms, including smartphones.

IPC Committee President, Andrew Parsons, said, “Ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, we are eager to explore innovative ways to engage with new and younger global audiences.” He also believes that the game will help boost the public’s interest in the Paralympic Games and makes it more accessible to people all over the world to enjoy and experience the atmosphere of the event.
Hajime Tabata commented saying that ‘this is no ordinary video games about sports.’
“JP Games is going to represent fully the wonders that are unique to Paralympic sports in this brand-new role-playing game, a genre we excel in,” he added.

“With this video game, we want to contribute to the future growth of the Paralympic Games, not just as a sporting event, but as entertainment as well, with contents that we hope will have lasting value in the future.â€

This is a great move by the gaming industry to spread and reach a wider audience. For those interested, you can visit the official website here.


Wonder Woman 1984 To Premiere In Malaysia Earlier Than The U.S.

It was announced a few months ago that Wonder Woman 1984 would premiere in cinemas on 25 December 2020 worldwide. As an early Christmas gift, fans in selected countries can look forward to watching the movie even earlier.
Warner Bros has announced that the movie will premiere in several international markets on 16 December 2020. In Malaysia, Wonder Woman 1984 will premiere on 17 December 2020, which has been confirmed by local cinema chain GSC Cinemas.

CONFIRMED: #WW84 will be coming to Malaysian cinemas starting 17 December! pic.twitter.com/ZAYJnmeczE— GSC x Mat Kilau ?? (@GSCinemas) November 19, 2020

However, as pointed out by GSC Cinemas, this new release date is subject to whether cinemas in Malaysia will re-open in time. This is especially so considering that the latest and current CMCO is slated to end on 6 December 2020, but there’s a possibility that it might still be extended.
In addition, Wonder Woman 1984 will also premiere on the HBO Max streaming service alongside cinemas on 25 December 2020 (via The Verge). The movie will be available to watch on HBO Max for a limited window of one month at no additional cost, albeit only for those in the U.S.
In the meantime, check out the latest trailer below:


Looking For A Video Game Job In Malaysia & Singapore In 2020 & Beyond? Here Are Our Suggestions

2020 is a pretty crappy year for a lot of folks, especially for those looking for a job. Anyone who specifically needs a job in video games, especially in Malaysia and Singapore, would probably need a heads up for this sort of thing.
Luckily, we’re here to help. Rather than relying on the usual job portals that can allegedly be rigged, how about going straight to the source and points of contact instead?
Here are a few humble suggestions from yours truly. Why? Because we would like nothing more than our current video game industry to thrive and stay healthy, while also having them return the favour with awesome video game experiences.
Get Educated With Level Up @ Schools

Link: https://www.levelup.my/schools/
Level Up Schools is an initiative by MDEC to provide exposure to game development skillsets to high school students to learn ideation, creation, and completion of digital games. The initiative offers two days worth of game development workshops using industry tools and nation-wide game competitions.
If you are a parent who would like to see their sons and/or daughters be awesome game developers in the future, consider bringing them for this. Ditto for the teens & YAs.

Above are the schools & universities supporting this educational endeavour. So yeah, it’s a big deal especially for those who want to see a future prospect in Malaysian game development.
Show Up For Level Up KL, Online

Speaking of Level Up KL, you should sign up for 2020’s iteration. This is happening next week; so go sign up online and check out the schedule here.

16th -29th November: LEVEL UP KL @ Play Day
28th – 29th November: LEVEL UP KL @ Play Day performance/lucky draw/esports finals

Also, check out the #MYDigitalWorkForce initiative where the platform matches digital career opportunities to potential talents. That also includes video game developer/programming/art jobs all powered-up by renowned recruiting firms like Hays and WOBB.
Gaming Communities: Check Out Games HQ

GamesHQ is a non-profit Facebook group that aims to bring together Malaysian game development students, hobbyists, academics and the industry together. Its bulletin board is a neutral venue where job-seekers can refer to and for companies to post up positions that need filling up.
You may need to filter out obvious content creator spam, but generally, there’s a few noteworthy jobs and local game initiatives buried amidst the dirt.
Budding Writers, Freelancers, & Journalists: Ask Your Local Game Sites
Being a fledgling games journalist & critic is fun and has its perks, but be prepared for relatively low pay, lots of sleepless nights, and lost hours spinning stories and breaking news. International game sites only rely on a tight-knitted freelance writer pool, so your chances to get noticed are very, very slim.
Why not hone your craft with local game sites? Go check out the career emails for GamerMY, MyGameOn, and so forth. Their emails & contact points are ripe on display on their main sites, but if you do not have time to click on pages and searching for small print and tabs, we’ll lay it out for you:

Gamer Matters/Malaya: gamermalaya.my [at] gmail [dot] com
MyGameOn (Bahasa Melayu): https://www.facebook.com/mygameondotmy
Salty News Network: https://www.saltynewsnetwork.com/contact, info@saltymedia.biz

We aren’t sure how our peers at the sites mentioned earlier conduct their vetting process, but at Kakuchopurei, the interview starts with the first cover letter email. How you introduce yourselves, your interest, how you came to know about said site and of course, whether you are able to turn a mundane email into something interesting and worth the read.
We also recommend doing your homework by getting to know the folks you want to work with (and for). Social media is your best friend. An email seeking for a job which starts with “To whom it may concern” belongs to the bin. Just kidding. Or not.
Oh, and you can also email us for freelancing opportunities: kakuchopurei [at] gmail [dot] com. We’re always on a lookout for evergreen features & write-ups.
Top image credit: LevelUp KL


Henry Cavill To Star In Amazon’s Warhammer 40K Series

It was a sad day for Henry Cavill and his fans yesterday when it was announced that he won’t be returning as Superman for DC Comics movies moving forward. However, there’s at least some good news as the actor is now attached to star and executive produce a series adaptation of Warhammer 40,000 or Warhammer 40K for Amazon Prime Video.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon is in final talks for the rights to the game, produced by Games Workshop, after months of negotiations and fending off rival companies that also sought the rights. However, there are no writers or showrunners attached right now.
Warhammer 40K is set in a future where human civilization is stuck in an unending war with aliens and magical beings, with gods and demons. You can also head on over here to read about the time when Henry Cavill became an easter egg in Total War Warhammer 2, or when he appeared on TV and talked about Warhammer 40K.


Dragon’s Dogma 10th Anniversary Page Launched; Probably Alludes To Upcoming Sequel News

Capcom has launched a 10th anniversary website for Dragon’s Dogma. This clearly means the company may finally, FINALLY announce a sequel to the hit JRPG. Here’s a message from the site itself and from Capcom:
“Starting May 2022, Dragon’s Dogma is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
Thank you, Arisen, for taking up arms and braving through the impossible challenges laid ahead of you. We are forever grateful for your support throughout the years and hope you will join us in this momentous celebration of Dragon’s Dogma!”

Ten years ago, the mighty Dragon, Grigori, sealed a fateful pact with Arisen with the release of Dragon’s Dogma.
As we look to the future, we'll also reflect on ten years of endless adventures, and we’re inviting you to join the celebration!#DragonsDogma10th pic.twitter.com/LKrPO93uwC
— Dragon's Dogma (@DragonsDogma) May 24, 2022

This could be a big deal, since there was a previous Capcom data breach in November 2020 that mentions a sequel to Dragon’s Dogma.
Dragon’s Dogma came out for PS3 and Xbox 360 on 22 May of 2012. The expanded version, Dragon’s Dogma; Dark Arisen, came out for PS3 and Xbox 360 on 2013, came out on PC in 2016, and on PS4 and Xbox One in 2017. An anime adaptation on Netflix was released on September 2020, but it was dogs***, so let’s forget about that.
Suffice to say, the original game wowed critics for its high-flying action gameplay and monster-slaying, pawn system, and its rockin’ soundtrack. You know a game is magical when it starts off with some J-Rock from B’z.


Witcher Anime In The Works By Legend Of Korra Team

Netflix’s The Witcher isn’t just a success. It’s on its way to becoming one of the most-watched first seasons in the streaming platform’s history. With that much positive reception, it’s only appropriate that the producers fully capitalise on the show.
Their next move isn’t just a regular spin-off, it’s going to be an anime film. To sweeten the deal even further, it will be done by Studio Mir who produced the beautifully animated Legend of Korra. It will be written by the same people who wrote the Netflix show, Lauren Hissrich and Beau DeMayo.
The title of the anime film? The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.

The rumors are true, a new Witcher story is in the works! The anime film, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, will take us back to a new threat facing the Continent. Brought to you by the Witcher team @LHissrich and @BeauDeMayo, and Studio Mir the studio behind Legend of Korra.
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) January 22, 2020

That’s pretty much all we know for now so it’s safe to say the show was probably just greenlit very recently. Still, it’s some pretty exciting news for fans of the show and the video game series as it means we’ll be getting to see more of Geralt of Rivia’s adventures.


[Rumour] EA May Release Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster Before Next April

Yesterday, EA has publishedÂ its first-quarterly 2020 earnings report, which confirmed that FIFA 21 is slated to launch as usual later this year. However, the report also stated that the developer/publisher is planning more games, including an “EA HD title”.
According to VentureBeat’s Jeff Grubb, that “EA HD title” actually refers to a remaster of BioWare’s beloved Mass Effect trilogy. If true, the Mass Effect trilogy remaster will launch sometime before 31 March 2021, which is when the current fiscal year ends.
While Grubb doesn’t mention any specific platforms, he does say not to expect the game to arrive on the Nintendo Switch at launch, whenever that may be.
This news might sound far-fetched and too good to be true. Fans have been waiting for a proper remake or remaster of the Mass Effect trilogy since it ended with 2012’s Mass Effect 3. Sure, there was 2017’s Mass Effect Andromeda, but it’s better to pretend like that horrible game just doesn’t exist.
As of now, EA has yet to confirm or deny the rumours of a Mass Effect trilogy remaster. Until then, we should take all this with a grain of salt. Maybe we’ll learn more about EA’s future games during their planned EA Play 2020 in June 2020.

EA Play Live goes digital in 2020!
See you on June 11th at 4pm PST… World premieres, news and more! https://t.co/ShTNzjqJ3D pic.twitter.com/xqmYfGBWfs
â€” Electronic Arts #stayandplay (@EA) May 4, 2020


Lunark Walkthrough: How To Solve All Puzzles In This Another World Tribute

Lunark is out right now for PC and consoles, and is a huge treat for 90s cinematic platformer fans who love how these kinds of games move and feel. Granted, it may not be for everyone, but it is unique and looks nice doing what it does best.
The game can get pretty tough, with a lot of trial and error going on with its platforming and its obstacles. Luckily, we’re here to help. Here are a number of video guides to help you out.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4/Ending


The Division 2 Private Beta Feels Like A Loot-&-Shoot Winner So Far

The Division 2 private is now live until 11 February in the evening.Â We have our own Mr Toffee and Syazwan Bahri play through the private beta. Here are their thoughts on the matter:
Mr Toffee: The Division 2 definitely feels more different than the past game. The shooting definitely feels improved and varied. Right off the bat when I reached level 4 I already have 4 different types of guns to fool around with: automatics, single-shot scout rifles, LMGs, and shotguns.
They work how you would expect and deal the sort of damage you want out of an action RPG set in a dystopian modern time setting in a run-down Washington DC featuring sleeper agents. Your scout rifles are better at picking off enemies from a mid-distance, while your automatics are your mid-to-close ranged options. Shotguns can stop enemies dead if they’re too close for comfort or if you happen to have a stand-off in a corridor. LMGs can lay down suppressive fire -effectively lowering enemy stats while they are stuck in cover- and can deal quite a bit of damage if they so much as get out of cover.
The enemies are a bit more daring this time around; we’ve been flanked a number of times during some main missions and some of the control missions. The purple and gold-coloured boss figures too are a bit more dangerous thanks to their “smarter” and more suicidal grunts.
I definitely don’t remember the “parkour” mode from the first game; this time around I can just hold the Control and Shift keys to keep on running and making a smooth exit. How was your experience teaming up with me, Syazwan? As someone who has tolerated more Destiny 2 than I could, is this Ubisoft’s loot-and-shoot answer for 2019?

Syazwan: As a live service game, it’s hard to say at this point, honestly. In my experience, live service games tend to start slow at launch, that’s what happened with Destiny 2. However, the similarities with Destiny 2 is sparse. The Division 2 is a fresh game with potentially great gameplay mechanics to boot.
I’ll say this: I definitely had a blast. The gunplay is great, like you said, as it feels spot on, but I am more inclined to talk about the skills in the game. The beta offers only 3 skills at the moment: Drone, Tracker Mine, and Turret. Each of the skills has its own ‘specialization’ so to speak. For example, there are 4 types of drones available to pick from; Striker, Fixer, Defender, and Bombardier, each has their own quirks like harassing enemies or laying out bombs to keep enemies away.
In our playthrough, I went for the Fixer Drone which heals allies, and an Auto Turret, effectively making me a tactical support class. The potential in role-playing is massive and Ubisoft has successfully pulled off the RP in RPG, which I haven’t seen other games do correctly in recent time.
The controls were unintuitive at first but I got the hang of it quick. This is probably just me, but what do you think?
Mr Toffee: I definitely agree, particularly when taking cover. I’m so used to spamming the cover button or key, I forgot that The Division 2 has a more intuitive method of jumping from cover to cover. Oh, and also you can vault over cover via the aforementioned “parkour” mode. Old Gears habits die hard; nothing a few deaths and hard knock learning can’t fix, right?
I also don’t remember the SHD tech being as prevalent as in the first game. Here, it’s literally everywhere: you need it to boost up your skills, your passive skills, and even your vendor and ally perks. Yes, it makes sense for your shopkeepers and crafters to get their hands on SHD tech you salvage so that they can make better gear for you to kick ass in. You also have a ton of sidequests where you have to find SHD tech locked up in some basement filled with Hyena faction guards, or in some random bike shed.
If you fancy the further apolitical tales of The Division 2, you can find ECHO spots that recreate past plot points pre-effed-up-Washington DC. It’s cool to look at, but it’s optional if military shooter stories aren’t your cup of tea.

I know we’re close to Wawasan 2020 and co-op games with triple-A backing should be seamlessly implemented, but I have to say that finding people to group up within The Division 2 is quick and painless. Yes, we should have better co-op options that transition easily from single-player sessions, but somehow even bigwig publishers can’t get that right.
Thankfully Ubisoft seems to have their head in the game. True, Syazwan and I did disconnect abruptly during one or two major story missions, but hopefully that’s a problem Ubisoft is fixing tirelessly before the game’s March release date. Besides, I managed to find a quick game where I continued from the point where we disconnected in the story; straight to the boss fight against a Hyena sniper elite and her pack of purple grunts.
Any final few words before we head back to Trump’s future Washington in 5 years time guns-ablazing, Syazwan?
Syazwan: Problems-wise, there’s nothing serious in particular. Probably some ironing out the creases here and there; I mean it is beta for now.Â  I would love to see some simplification to the menus and such. There are one too many button presses just to access my inventory.
Another thing annoys me so far is the small objective marker. We’ve gotten lost a few times in buildings and mission areas, but at least the open-world pathfinder does its job greatly, in my opinion.
Well, that’s all I could say for now. I just can’t wait to get my hands on better loot in the game! Shall we drop back into Washington, Agent?
Mr Toffee: Totally!


Check Out Cyberpunk 2077’s Minimum & Maximum PC Specs

Good news, PC master race folks. CD Projekt just released a full PC requirements guide to run Cyberpunk 2077 either with minimum specs or ray-tracing Ultra specs. Here’s the quick breakdown.
Minimum (1080p, low settings)

OS: Windows 7 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K or AMD FX-8310
RAM: 8GB
GPU: Nvidia GTX 780 or AMD Radeon RX 470
VRAM: 3GB
Storage: 70GB HDD

Recommended (1080p, high settings)

OS: Windows 10 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 or AMD Ryzen 3 3200G
RAM: 12GB
GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB/GTX 1660 Super or AMD Radeon RX 470
VRAM: 6GB
Storage: 70GB SSD

High (1440p, ultra settings)

OS: Windows 10 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 or AMD Ryzen 3 3200G
RAM: 12GB
GPU: Nvidia RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5700XT
VRAM: 6GB
Storage: 70GB SSD

Ultra (2160p, ultra settings)

OS: Windows 10 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
RAM: 16GB
GPU: Nvidia RTX 2080S/RTX 3070 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
VRAM: 8GB
Storage: 70GB SSD

Ray Tracing Minimum (1080p, RT medium settings)

OS: Windows 10 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 or AMD Ryzen 3 3200G
RAM: 16GB
GPU: Nvidia RTX 2060
VRAM: 6GB
Storage: 70GB SSD

Ray Tracing High (1440p, RT ultra settings)

OS: Windows 10 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
RAM: 16GB
GPU: Nvidia RTX 3070
VRAM: 8GB
Storage: 70GB SSD

Ray Tracing Ultra (2160p, RT ultra settings)

OS: Windows 10 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
RAM: 16GB
GPU: Nvidia RTX 3080
VRAM: 10GB
Storage: 70GB SSD

With the power of Nvidia’s graphics processor support and Microsoft’s DirectX Raytracing API, magical 4K things can happen. It’s not just restricted to Nvidia GeForce cards; you can use AMD’s RX 6000-series graphics cards.
If you want a sneak peek at Cyberpunk 2077 in its full ray-tracing Ultra glory, check this Nvidia video below.

Cyberpunk 2077 is still on track for 10th December this year for PC, Xbox One, and PS4.


Andy Serkis Will Be Directing Venom 2

You read that right, Andy Serkis (he’s the one who played Gollum in Lord of the Rings) has been signed on to direct the sequel to Venom. The first movie was directed by Ruben Fleischer but he’s got his hands full with Zombieland: Double Tap (he directed the first movie) so a new director was needed.
According to Variety, Serkis was chosen among a few other candidates including Travis Knight who directed the 2018 Bumblebee movie and Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Ruper Wyatt.
Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue AKA Klaw.
It’s funny to note that this isn’t Serkis’ first time being involved in a Marvel project. I’m pretty sure everyone still remembers that he got his torn arm torn off by UItron in the second Avengers movie. He then returned in Black Panther with a new prosthetic arm.
It’s still a bit disappointing to know that Venom won’t be coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe since it’s still owned by Sony. However, I can at least take comfort in knowing that Venom 2 will be directed by someone talented and experienced.
Serkis is still very new when it comes to directing but his directorial debut Breathe was a well-received biopic based on Robin Cavendish, an well-known advocate for the disabled. A daunting topic for a first film.
Filming for Venom 2 is expected to begin later this year with Tom Hardy returning to play Eddie Brock and Woody Harrelson (who also stars in Zombieland) playing the red symbiote Carnage.


We Are Getting A New G.I. Joe Game Based On The Classic 80s Version

GameMill Entertainment has announced G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout, a team-based third-person shooter for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It is slated to release on 13 October 2020.
G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout features 12 playable characters across Team Joe and Team Cobra, including fan-favourites like Duke, Snake Eyes, Cobra Commander, Destro, Roadblock, and Storm Shadow.

Players can take part in an 18-mission story campaign playable in either single-player or local split-screen cooperative modes; as well as a variety of player-versus-player multiplayer modes including Capture the Flag, Assault and King of the Hill.
The story campaign of the game follows an original story based on the 80s comics of G.I. Joe that will take players to familiar locations like the Cobra Headquarters and the U.S.S. Flagg aircraft carrier.

While the gameplay looks generic and similar to other third-person shooter titles, the visuals look interesting and inspired by the 80s G.I. Joe comics. This would do well in distinguishing it from the millions of other similar-looking shooters out there like Fortnite.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1j4lhpCmgo&w=560&h=315]


New PlayStation State Of Play This Friday To Focus On Final Fantasy 16

Sony Interactive Entertainment will be holding a special PlayStation State Of Play live stream on Friday, 14 April 2023 at 5am GMT+8. It will focus on the upcoming Final Fantasy 16 for the PS5.
The live stream will reveal more about the game’s dark fantasy setting, the powerful Eikons and the Dominants who house them, and the flashy battle system teased in those early trailers.
Final Fantasy 16 is slated to launch for the PS5 on 22 June 2023.


Dawn Of The Monsters Gets Arcade + Character DLC Pack

Publisher WayForward and developer 13AM Games is adding more content to its past year 2D kaiju beat-em-up Dawn of the Monsters.
Titled “Arcade + Character DLC Pack”, the DLC adds a new Arcade Mode, a new playable character called Meteor Temujin which is a Power Rangers’ Megazord tribute piloted by an all-female team, and a whole lot of new character skins and colour palettes. If you feel that the base game is too easy, there’s New Game +, New Game ++, and Nightmare Mode too.
Check out the gameplay trailer and full feature list below. No release date has been announced yet, but the DLC will be out for PC and consoles.
Features

Arcade Mode

New power-up system with two options: classic (choose from a predetermined set) or rogue (randomly generated).
Revamped scoring.
Countdown timer.
Normal and Nightmare difficulties.
Five unlockable ending illustrations.

New playable character Meteor Temujin.
50 new character skins (18 for Meteor Temujin, 8 each for Megadon, Ganira, Aegis Prime, and Tempest Galahad).
New gallery items.
Three new archive files.
New challenges and achievements.


GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition Mobile Has Been Delayed

Take-Two has reportedly delayed the mobile version of Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy The Definitive Edition. It originally released late in late 2021  for consoles and PC and was originally announced for iOS and Android devices in the first half of calendar 2022.
Recently, the company’s full-year earnings report appeared to confirm a delay (via VGC). The game is now scheduled for release during the company’s current fiscal year ending on 31 March 2023. Unless the game releases next month, this would represent a slip.
The console and PC versions were heavily criticised for launching with technical issues and bugs.


DC FanDome: DC League Of Super Pets Unveils First Look At Krypto & Ace

During FanDome 2021, DC League Of Superpetsunveiled our first look at Krypto the Super Dog (Dwayne The Rock Johnson) and Ace The Bat-Hound (Kevin Hart).
DC League of Super-Pets is loosely inspired by the Legion of Super-Pets, which debuted in 1962’s Adventure Comics #293 by Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan and George Klein and consisted of Beppo the Super-Monkey, Comet the Super-Horse, Krypto the Superdog, Streaky the Supercat and later grew to include Detective Chimp, Proty II, Bat-Cow, Flexi the Plastic Bird, Clay Critter and Titus.
The new animated movie is slated to premiere in May 2022.