Solid Snake Takes The Helm Of American McGee’s Alice TV Series

Remember 2000’s American McGee’s Alice? It was a third-person action-adventure video game developed by Rogue Entertainment under the direction of designer American McGee and published by EA for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. It later received a sequel in the form of Alice Madness Returns in 2011.
According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter,Â Ted Fieldâ€™s Radar Pictures has grabbed the rights to American McGeeâ€™s Alice, and David Hayter is attached to do a TV adaptation in partnership with Abandon Entertainment.
Yes, that David Hayter. The voice of Solid Snake and Naked Snake in the Metal Gear franchise. He’s actually also best known for co-writing the 2000 X-Men movie, 2009’s Watchmen, and more.
In a statement, Hayter said:
â€œAmerican McGeeâ€™s Alice and Alice: Madness Returns game series is a groundbreaking reimagining of the classic tale. It takes you into the heart of a corrupted Wonderland and throws light into shadowy corners the world has never seen. I am beyond excited to bring this world of madness and wonder to a global audience.”
The TV adaptation will begin after Alice returns from the trip to the Looking-Glass, her house is burnt down and her parents have died in the fire. Alice is the only survivor of the terrible accident. After repeated attempts at suicide, she gets locked up inside a mental institution and is slowly wasting away there before she is summoned to Wonderland again by the White Rabbit.
But this time itâ€™s a Wonderland gone seriously bad and gory. The only chance for Alice to restore her peace of mind and find out more about the death of her parents is to fight through Wonderland and free it from the evil powers.
In a statement, American McGee said:
â€œDavid Hayter brings imagination, experience, and stealth sneaking skills gained through successful missions in film, TV, and video games â€“ a unique combination sure to make this adventure into Wonderland a successful one for the franchise and the fans.
I am excited to be working with him and know the Alice fans will welcome him with mad affection.”
There are currently no details yet on when it will be released.


E3 2019: Bethesda’s New Streaming Tech Is Impressive

Bethesda showed off their take on cloud streaming called Orion. The claim that Orion will take 40% less bandwidth and reduces perceptible latency by 20%.
Orion is a patented collection of software technologies that improve the quality and speed of game streaming that is built ground-up from the engine level. It will also complement, not compete, with other gaming services. It’s not going up against guys like Google Stadia or Microsoft’s xCloud platform. “This can be put into any game engine,” said Bethesda director of publishing James Altman.

“It can be used with any streaming platform to provide a better experience for any consumer playing that game on that platform and to deliver it at a lower cost for whoeverâ€™s serving the data.”

The end result is faster and cheaper streaming for players and developers. Orion allows players to stream games with max settings, with the usual ‘YEAH’ response from the crowd. This may theoretically mitigate cloud gaming’s biggest problem, like lowering minimum internet speed, makes physical distance from a server less important, and requires less data centers to run.
They demoed the tech and showed to the audience that they could stream Doom 2016 on a phone with no hits to the graphical quality. Bethesda says you can test the tech out later today here.
So far, there’s no implication of where Orion will be implemented.


Henry Cavill Unveils First Look At The Witcher Season 2’s Geralt

Netflix’s The Witcher Season 2 recently resumed production in August 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier today, Henry Cavill unveiled our first look at The Witcher Season 2 with two new images of Geralt of Rivia in his awesome new armour.
Cavill shared the new photos on his Instagram account. Interestingly, the caption for the images is accompanied by a quote from Time Of Contempt; the second novel in the Witcher series of books written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski.

What does it all mean? We probably won’t find out until 2021, at least, As of now, The Witcher Season 2 doesn’t have a release date.
Joining Henry Cavillâ€™s Geralt Of Rivia, Anya Chalotraâ€™s Yennefer, Freya Allanâ€™s Ciri and Joey Bateyâ€™s Jaskier include the following new additions:
Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones) as NivellenPaul Bullion (Peaky Blinders) as LambertYasen Atour (Young Wallender) as CoenThue Ersted Rasmussen (Fast and Furious 9) as EskelAgnes Bjorn as VereenaAisha Fabienne Ross (The Danish Girl) as LydiaMecia Simson as Francesca
In the meantime, check out our full review of the first season here.


Check Out All The Cool Stuff At PSX 2018 Bangkok, Thailand

Last weekend, PlayStation fans were in for a treat. At least the ones in Bangkok, Thailand, and the ones who managed to fly down there on time. The PlayStation Experience 2018 took place at the GMM Live House, featuring upcoming titles like that Spider-Man game, SoulCalibur VI, and Kingdom Hearts III, as well as guest appearances by Low Cost Cosplay and the actor who played that android in Detroit: Become Human who gets killed a lot and probably befriends Hank.
Verily, it was a convention and expo for the ages, and goes to show that PlayStation does care about both Malaysia and Thailand when it comes to having their big-ass gaming expos in places with a swathe volume of fans and gamers. The rent’s probably affordable too especially if you’re getting paid in yen or SG.
But enough about that: how about seeing the action for yourself in video form? Thank our pals Aksiz for this fine, fine Bahasa Melayu-language video; the first 50 seconds is all PSX content. You can enjoy the sights and sounds of the expo itself if you don’t know the language.

Here is Aksiz’s first look at the Resident Evil 2 remake that’s slated for next year. Yep, that is one useful knife. And yep, it plays like RE4.

And here’s Aksiz asking Bryan “Connor” Dechart to speak in Bahasa Melayu for a short bit.


You Won’t Believe What The New Birds of Prey Movie Is Called

It seems like Warner Bros doesn’t want us to forget that the upcoming Birds of Prey movie is actually a Harley Quinn spinoff. Margot Robbie revealed the full title of the movie on her Instagram page by posting a picture of the script’s front page, and the official title for the movie is this:
Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).

According to the Hollywood Reporter, this is definitely not a joke, despite the fact that it sounds similar to the 2014 Oscar-winning movie Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).
Earlier this month, we reported that Birds of Prey will star Ewan McGregor as villain Black Mask, alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress and Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary. The movie’s director Cathy Yan also confirmed that the movie will be R-rated and will feature the live-action debut of Cassandra Cain.
My fear of the movie turning out to be too focused on Harley Quinn is becoming more of a reality every day. In the comics, Harley Quinn has never been a Birds of Prey member until very recently, and even then, it was temporary. Now it looks like the DCEU version of the all-female superhero team will be led and even formed by Harley Quinn.

On another note, it’s very likely that the title (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) alludes to the character’s ’emancipation’ from her abusive and self-destructive relationship with the Joker in 2014. Although that relationship defined Harley Quinn since the beginning, she has now developed into her own independent character without needing to tie to the Clown Prince of Crime.
Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is slated to release on February 7, 2020.


Ubisoft Reminds Us Of A Time When They Made Good Prince of Persia Games

In lieu of using past franchises for their multiplayer team-based fightfest For Honor, Ubisoft will be using an IP long-forgotten by time: the Prince of Persia series.
From now until 2nd April, For Honor players can now team up in a special Prince of Persia crossover event, Blades of Persia, and earn in-game rewards with the Free Event Pass. Basically, you have to fight the Prince and his sand monsters in For Honor fashion.

I have no words for this. The history between Ubisoft, Prince of Persia, and its in-house replacement Assassin’s Creed is a huge one to tackle indeed. But since they own the IP, they can do whatever the heck they want; even parade its husk into other games in hopes of scratching that nostalgic itch.


The Ascent Gets CyberSec DLC & Free Transmogrificiation Update Today

Publisher Curve Games and Swedish indie studio Neon Giant have announced that The Ascent CyberSec DLC pack is now available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
The CyberSec Pack is available now for US$4.99 and the new explosive collection from CyberSec Mega includes:

2 NEW WEAPONS:Â Â

NEWT MGL / Grenade Launcher
RECOIL / Ballistic burst rifle

1 NEW TACTICAL:Â

THE GR00P CLUSTER GRENADE / Lethal Grenade with explosive cluster damage

4 NEW PIECES OF ARMOR:

The BOOMBLOCK SCALP / Medium head protection
The BOOMBLOCK H-HD / Advanced Head Protection
The BOOMBLOCK VEST / Advanced torso protection
The BOOMBLOCK SHIN PROTECTOR / Medium leg protection

4 NEW ANIMATED WEAPON SKINS:Â BLUE DIGITAL, HYPNO 01, HYPNO 02 and RED DIGITAL

The game is also getting a free patch today, which introduces a brand new Transmogrification feature, allowing Indents to change their appearance to match the visual style of any armour currently in their inventory by visiting the Stylist and paying a small fee. Once a visual style is applied, players can equip any armour based on their gameplay priorities whilst keeping their customised look.
Co-founder and Creative Director of the studio Arcade Berg said:
â€œWeâ€™re really excited to be able to add more content for our amazing community. Weâ€™ve been working hard since launch to improve the game as much as possible and listening closely to the community feedback and what people are keen to see, so we are really happy to be able to share additional features like the transmogrification option for players.â€
Tor Frick, Creative Director and fellow co-founder of Neon Giant, added:
â€œWe have some great new content planned over the next few months, which we recently outlined in our post-launch Roadmap. Weâ€™ll be introducing features such as NewGame+, new VO lines for side missions, a free Winter Pack in December and a paid update to the Chongqing Pack and a brand new Cyber-Warrior paid pack early next year, so keep an eye out on our community pages for updates.
As always weâ€™d like to thank our wonderful community for all their support – we hope everyone enjoys the new content!â€
In the meantime, you can check out our review of The Ascent by heading over here.


20 Hours In, Oninaki Is As Mediocre As Its Developer’s Choice Of Name

One shouldn’t really name their development company with a rote name like Tokyo RPG Factory; it just means you’re just known for churning out title after title of mediocre value. But to be fair, the company’s previous efforts, I Am Setsuna and Lost Sphear, are full of charm and aesthetically-pleasing choices, but they just come off as shallow copies of previous RPGs we knew and love back in the SNES glory days of the 90s.
Oninaki, a full-on action RPG involving spirits and intentionally washed-out palettes, is keeping in theme. While it has a few lovely story moments, they don’t change the fact that the game is as middling and as flawed as they come.

A Ghost Story
The plot of Oninaki is one filled with a lot of spiritual elements. As a Watcher, it’s your job to keep the spirits a-flowing and underworld order maintained while also passing judgment on how people in the material world should be judged.
You also get into some Supernatural or Constantine type scenarios where you converse with spirits to get to the bottom of certain murders and suicides happening in the course of the tale.

Without spoiling much, Tokyo RPG Factory did a damn good job at telling a heavy story involving death and the (possibly high) cost of living, much like that Sandman spin-off.
The game isn’t afraid of making its audience uncomfortable with its depressive themes. It’s up there with games like Phantom Brave and Final Fantasy X that deals with the afterlife and spirits.

Inaction RPG

Game-wise, however, that’s when it starts faltering. Let’s start with the good: the Daemon mechanic makes the game a tad interesting. Alone, you only have a few basic moves, but when paired up with a Daemon, you have access to a plethora of special skills and moves to kill off the monster horde like dashes and screen-clearing and AoE attacks. From a samurai swordsman that buffs up your evading skills to a ranged crossbow wielder, you’re spoilt for choice as you can switch between them on the fly. Plus, they have cool backstories since they start off as ghosts who have no idea how they ended up as such. It’s pretty riveting.
Unfortunately, the bad parts of the game start seeping in the longer you experience it. Being a top-down isometric-esque action RPG, you would think the fighting and the controls would be smooth at least after the first few hours. Not so in Oninaki. While the Daemons give you cool abilities, it’ll take you a long, long while until your Watcher feels less-than-sluggish from the get-go. The cool combo teching and ability cancellation mechanics all start coming in eventually; keep in mind that this is a 20 hour+ game that spreads out its rewards and ability upgrades in the worst way possible.
Tokyo RPG Factory needs to work on design and pacing in order to keep even the most patient of gamers invested. Refer to games like Diablo III and Hades for better examples of giving you cool mechanics to work with from the get-go.
On top of all that, there isn’t anything interesting you can use your cool abilities onto. Instead of unique boss battles, you end up fighting giant crabs and bugs in the first half, with each of them having predictable patterns.

The enemies you fight are just moths, penguins, and other bland-looking beasties that aren’t indicative of the special spirit realm narrative the game is emphasizing on.
Coupled with some special techniques that don’t land due to shoddy hit-boxes, and the overall experience starts to grate on you.

Ghosting

Oninaki is a case study of two halves that work against each other. Its narrative half is well-done despite its third act being a bit too draggy -what middling JRPG’s climax isn’t? Its gameplay half needs a lot of work when it comes to getting the action and skills opening up to give players a sense of freedom with their attacks and combat after the first few hours.
With a shorter run time and a bit more tweaking with its action RPG mechanics, the game could have been more than just a “Factory”-made title.
Pros

Intriguing story about the afterlife and the concepts of death.
Decent aesthetics.

Cons

Too darn long for its own good.
Mediocre action RPG with a lot of jankiness.
Ho-hum enemies and bosses.

FINAL SCORE: 50/100


The League Of Legends Pacific Championship Series (PCS) Returns In 2021

Riot Games Southeast Asia, Carry Live Co., and GarenaÂ have announced the return of the Pacific Championship Series (PCS) presented by CTBC for theÂ  2021 season, commencing on 5 February 2021.
The second season of this cross-regional league will feature teams from the inaugural season and one newly qualified team competing at the highest levels of play.
Recently returning from Worlds 2020, both PSG Talon and Machi Esports represented the regionâ€™s talent during the group stages.
Talon Esports CEO Sean Zhang said:
“Both our organizations PSG and Talon are super excited for whatâ€™s ahead with the 2021 Pacific Championship Series. We have been working very hard during the offseason to ensure that we are in the best possible position to better everything we did last season. We donâ€™t aim to rest. This region has incredibly talented players, passionate fans, and a dynamic competitive ecosystem â€“ all of which we aim to showcase further. We canâ€™t Â wait for the new season to start and to continue crushing our opponents with our fansâ€™ support!â€Â
Machi Esports owner Jeffrey Huang said:
“As a team, we had an incredible 2020 in the PCS and are proud of making it to Worlds this year.Although our performance didnâ€™t get us out of groups, the hard work put in by the team when training during the offseason will be showcased in the 2021 Pacific Championship Series.Â We’re looking forward to playing against old rivals, as well as facing new ones, with newlyÂ  promoted teams joining the league next year.”Â
With the vision of taking the level of competition to new heights across Southeast Asia, Taiwan,Â  and Hong Kong and creating engaging experiences for fans, Riot Games Southeast Asia has appointed Carry Live Co. as co-organizers and operators of the 2021 season of the PCS.
As co-organizers and operators of PCS 2021, Riot Games Southeast Asia and Carry Live Co. are committed to all its partnerships across the region with the support of Garena, the publisher ofÂ League Of Legends in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and CTBC, the leagueâ€™s official presenting sponsor.Â
Riot GamesÂ  Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau Head Of Esports Chris Tan said:
â€œSince its conception last year, the Pacific Championship Series has made its mark on the global League of Legends esports scene, with teams like PSG Talon and Machi Esports making it to the group stages at this yearâ€™s Worlds 2020.The teams have proven their dedication to achieving success in the league, and weâ€™re thrilled to announce the return of PCS for SeasonÂ  2021 with our new partner Carry Live Co. In partnership with Garena and Carry LiveÂ  Co., we look forward to bringing yet another exciting year of League esports to fans across theÂ  region.â€Â


Sony Announces New PlayStation Stars Loyalty Program

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced PlayStation Stars, a new loyalty program that will be free to join when it launches later in 2022.
PlayStation Stars is a brand new loyalty program and will be free to join when it launches later this year. Once you become a member, you’ll earn rewards by completing a variety of campaigns and activities. The “Monthly Check-In” campaign requires you to play any game to receive a reward, while other campaigns require you to win tournaments, earn specific trophies, or even be the first player to platinum a blockbuster title in your local time zone.
All PlayStation Stars members will have opportunities to earn loyalty points. Points can be redeemed in a catalog that may include PSN wallet funds and select PlayStation Store products. As an additional benefit, PlayStation Plus members enrolled in PlayStation Stars automatically earn points for purchases on the PlayStation Store.
In addition, PlayStation Stars will also offer a new type of reward called “digital collectibles.” Speaking to Washington Post, Sony Interactive Entertainment network advertising vice president Grace Chen said the digital collectibles are not non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
She said:

“It’s definitely not NFTs. Definitely not. You can’t trade them or sell them. It is not leveraging any blockchain technologies and definitely not NFTs.”

There you have it, folks. We’ll have to wait for more details to come, so stay tuned.


The 30 Best Games Of 2021: #21

From December to January 2022, we’ll be sharing our top 30 games of 2021. Here is number 21!
#21. The Artful Escape

Platform: Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC
It was either this or 12 Minutes. And the latter is pretty overrated, so we’re cashing in our pretentious art-in-games card for the #21 slot: The Artful Escape which is both about escaping and is as artful as it has any right to be.
While this Annapurna and Beethoven & Dinosaur-made game may be lacking in the playability department, the experience, the aural and visual sensations, and the story here outlive and outshines most indie titles and even story-savvy games like that Life is Strange game everyone’s harping about this year. Without spoiling anything, The Artful Escape is both self-indulgent and over-the-top with its setting and its focus on a guy trying to break out of his current path in life, and rocking out in the best way possible.
Your 3 hours with this art exhibit of a title will not go unsatiated; this we can guarantee you.


EA Gives Players The Chance To Nominate Their Fave Songs For The Ultimate FIFA Soundtrack

As the EA SPORTS FIFA 23 World Cup update nears, it’s time to let the ultimate soundtrack debate kick off. For 25 years, EA SPORTS has defined the sound of the world’s game and is now challenging FIFA players across generations to nominate their favourite tunes for the Ultimate FIFA Soundtrack, along with which songs they would like to be included within the upcoming World Cup update.
Starting today, fans will have the chance to choose the greatest game soundtrack the world has ever seen by picking their top song choices from past FIFA titles – from recent hits like Glass Animal’s “Heat Waves” to classics like Blur’s “Song 2”.
EA SPORTS and Spotify have partnered to make 1,000+ songs of the FIFA Soundtrack back catalogue playable in one place. Fans can back their favourite song by streaming directly on Spotify and sharing their chosen track on social media using the hashtag #UltimateFIFASoundtrack. To help fans select their Ultimate FIFA Soundtrack, Spotify has curated a personalized “FIFA Mix” and suggested “FIFA Anthem” for each user based on their past listening habits, which can also be shared across social media.
The debate will conclude on 7 November 2022, when EA SPORTS and Spotify will announce the Ultimate FIFA Soundtrack, a playlist on Spotify consisting of the Top 100 most-streamed and most-nominated tracks by 7 November 2022. Additionally a selection of the most popular tracks will also be unveiled and will be included in FIFA 23’s World Cup update, debuting on 9 November 2022.
In September, EA SPORTS unveiled the official soundtrack of FIFA 23, which showcased a range of global hitmakers, like Bad Bunny, Jack Harlow and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, along with rising stars, such as Baby Tate, Ibeyi, Pheelz and fan favorites including FKA Twigs, Flume, Phoenix, ODESZA and many more.
FIFA 23 is developed by EA Vancouver and EA Romania and is available worldwide on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Check out our review of FIFA 23 by heading over here.
Check out more of what to expect in the trailer below:


Cyberpunk 2077’s Johnny Silverhand Is Getting The Hot Toys Treatment

Famed toy manufacturer Hot Toys has announced that Keanu Reeve’s Johnny Silverhand character in Cyberpunk 2077 is getting his own 1/6th scale collectible figure.

Get hyped! It’s Johnny Silverhand the Rockerboy from Night City. Fans will soon be meeting the famous rock star as the breathtaking 1/6th scale collectible figure, inspired by the highly anticipated action-adventure Cyberpunk 2077.  Stay tuned! #HotToys #Cyberpunk2077 pic.twitter.com/HhD18sKyi1— Hot Toys (@hottoysofficial) December 9, 2020

This announcement comes just in time for the game’s 10 December 2020 release date. However, there are no details yet on the Johnny Silverhand Hot Toys figure, including its own release date and what it will fully look like.
Cyberpunk 2077 is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Google Stadia on 10 December 2020.
In the meantime, check outÂ the latest PC specs for the game here, orÂ head on over hereÂ for the contents of the gameâ€™s final Night City Wire live stream.


Marvel Studios Exec & Producer Victoria Alonso Departs The Company

Marvel Studios, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), have lost one of its earliest co-founders as The Hollywood Reporter reports that Victoria Alonso has resigned. However, the official reason for her departure remains unclear.
Alonso originally joined Marvel Studios in 2006 as chief of visual effects and post-production and helped launch the MCU as a co-producer on 2008’s Iron Man. She also served as co-producer and executive producer on many MCU movies since. In 2021, she was promoted to president of physical and post-production, visual effects and animation production.
It remains to be seen how this will affect the MCU moving forward, considering that the past few movies have not been garnering as much critical acclaim or financial box office success as its pre-pandemic era. We’ll have to wait and see how the MCU will change without one of its most influential executives.
In the meantime, check out our interview with She-Hulk herself AKA Tatiana Maslany below:


Pixar’s Elemental Is Their Next Animated Film After Lightyear

Pixar Animation Studios has revealed details about its 27th feature film, Elemental, which will release on 15 June 2023. Directed by Peter Sohn (The Good Dinosaur, Partly Cloudy short) and produced by Denise Ream (The Good Dinosaur, Cars 2), the film journeys alongside an unlikely pair, Ember and Wade, in a city where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live together. The fiery young woman and the go-with-the-flow guy are about to discover something elemental: how much they actually have in common.
Elemental is an original film inspired by Sohn’s childhood in New York.
Sohn said:
“My parents emigrated from Korea in the early 1970s and built a bustling grocery store in the Bronx. We were among many families who ventured to a new land with hopes and dreams—all of us mixing into one big salad bowl of cultures, languages and beautiful little neighborhoods.
That’s what led me to ‘Elemental.’ Our story is based on the classic elements—fire, water, land and air,” Sohn continued. “Some elements mix with each other, and some don’t. What if these elements were alive?”
Check out the official logo and artwork below:

In a city where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy are about to discover something elemental: How much they actually have in common. Directed by Peter Sohn and produced by Denise Ream, Disney and Pixar’s “Elemental” releases June 16, 2023. Concept art by Sohn. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
Pixar’s next film (before Elemental) will be Lightyear, which premieres on 17 June 2022.


New Overwatch PTR Patch Goes Live Today; Buffs Junkrat, Reaper, Symmetra

Overwatch gets new public test region (PTR) updates today which sees a few heroes getting tweaked here and there. Most notably the spammy Junkrat, Reaper, and Symmetra.
While these changes are available only on the PTR which is a PC-only server, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox will receive the changes in a future patch. Be reminded that these changes are in the testing phase and are subject to change in the full patch.

Changes and Improvements
Hero Updates
Junkrat

Frag Launcher

Projectile speed increased from 20 to 25
Grenades now bounce less but explode sooner

This change was meant to slightly increase the range at which Junkrat can land direct hits yet keeping aiming consistently as before the tweak. The main idea is to reduce the amount of rolling grenade spam when playing against him.
Reaper

Shadow Step

Can now be used in air
Time to exit Shadow Step reduced from 1.0 second to 0.5 of a second
Reaper is now invisible for the entire time it takes to exit shadow step
Can now teleport onto surfaces that would usually break, like railings

Shadow Step is getting a more offensive approach as Wraith Form is already viable escape mechanism, making Reaper more efficient in a wider range of situation.
Symmetra

Teleporter

Railings and other breakable objects no longer block teleporter placement and teleporting

User Interface Updates
Hero Gallery

You can now set your Victory Pose choice to random

Social

There is now an option to set your profile so only your current group can view it

Bug Fixes
Blizzard has squished a ton of bugs in the game, such as the jittery view while standing on certain objects; the offset camera when rapidly switching into the third-person view; and sealed off some unintended gaps that were shootable through at certain maps such as Illios, Nepal and Temple of Anubis maps.
Heroes and maps are also getting fixed here and there. Check out the full, detailed patch notes here.


One Piece Odyssey DLC ‘Reunion of Memories’ Announced

Bandai Namco and ILCA just dropped some exciting news about their One Piece Odyssey DLC called “Reunion of Memories”! We don’t have a release date yet, but let me fill you in on what we do know.
The DLC’s announcement also comes with a Producer Message from non-other than Katsuaki Tsuzuki, the lead producer of One Piece Odyssey which you can check out below.

Our favourite pirates are finally taking a break from their epic adventures on Waford Island and in Memoria, the world of their memories. They’re celebrating their last night together before setting sail when a mysterious girl who looks like Lim shows up. She’s wearing all black and carrying a creepy black cube. Who could she be?
Suddenly, the Straw Hat Crew is thrust back into Memoria and transported to Alabasta, but things are different this time. The cube they need to escape is gone, and the world of memories has changed.
Luffy and his pals have to find their way back home, but not before they solve one last mystery. Check out the announcement trailer for One Piece Odyssey’s “Reunion of Memories” to see what lies ahead for the Straw Hat Crew.
One Piece Odyssey is available now for PS5, Xbox Series X | S, PS4, and PC via Steam.


Ultraman & Gundam Themed Uniqlo Collections Are Coming This Month

If you’re a fan of anime and Japanese pop culture, a ton of new collections are coming to Uniqlo Malaysia this month. These include (but are not limited to) PokÃ©mon, Ultraman, Gundam, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gegege No Kitaro, and more.
Here’s when the specific collections will be available for sale:

GUNPLA 40th ANNIVERSARY – 13 July 2020
Ultraman – 20 July 2020
Manga UT (Gegege No Kitaro, etc.) – 27 July 2020

Check out some of my personal favourite picks below, but you can head on over here to the official website for the full collections:


Final Fantasy VII Remake PS Plus Redeemers Can Upgrade To PS5 Version Later This Week

Square Enix initially made a lot of gamers unhappy earlier this year when they gave away Final Fantasy VII Remake for free on PlayStation Plus in March 2021 but denied anyone who redeems this version from upgrading to the PS5 version. Now, almost a year later, Square Enix has announced that those who redeemed the game on PlayStation Plus can finally upgrade to the PS5 version for free starting from 22 December 2021.
In the same post on Twitter, the developer revealed that the Final Fantasy VII Remake Episode Intermission DLC featuring Yuffie Kisaragi will also be 25 percent off on the same day for a limited period of time.

Starting this Wednesday…
• PS Plus subscribers who previously redeemed @FinalFantasy VII Remake via @PlayStation Plus will be able to upgrade to the PS5 version of the game.
• Episode Intermission, the DLC featuring Yuffie Kisaragi, will be 25% off for a limited time! pic.twitter.com/mnkCIRR586
— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) December 19, 2021

In the meantime, head on over here for our review of Final Fantasy VII Remake, or check out our separate review for the Episode Intermission DLC with Yuffie.


Ace Attorney’s Sexy Clown Girl Is Trending Online For Some Reason

Fans of the Ace Attorney series since the Game Boy Advance days are aware of the crazy and weird-ass witnesses who usually take a stand during a testimonial, who mostly chastise the defendant be it title character Phoenix Wright to greenhorn Athena Cykes. One of these kooky characters happen to be a buxom clown girl named Geiru Toneido who looks like she’s been designed by thirsty Capcom folks, Capcom being the makers of the lawyer-focused adventure series.
Geiru Toneido is a villainess in the last Ace Attorney entry: Ace Attorney 6 – Spirit of Justice; she’s homicidal and a daughter of a famous performer who is told she isn’t cut out to follow her dad’s legacy, ergo she became a balloon artist is considered a suspect in one of the game’s cases. And she’s trending online as of late.
How? Well, Geiru is a clown with suspenders and a frilled dress as her attire, and she’s as suggestive as you would think and is talented with balloons. Lately she’s the focal point of the newly-appointed clussy meme. Said meme is a brief animated clip where Geiru takes her suspenders and snaps them back in place, which causes her assets to jiggle, probably to entice and infuriate the courtroom as a means of distraction.

All the replies are people who are genuinely upset about the clussy meme and I’m losing my mind over it https://t.co/7nNp5PtEdS pic.twitter.com/8vWqUlQKkG
— ?Kiyomi Hoshi? ?YokaiLive? (@YokaiRiderVT) June 26, 2022

Everyone online is somehow up in arms about a make-believe character in an adventure game. Here are a few comments about the character getting the spotlight:
“I love how everyone outside the ace attorney fandom seems to like that one animation but everyone INSIDE the ace attorney fandom fucking hates it. You take our game and corrupt it into something unrecognisable. shame on you.”
“that animation is probably an act of vandalism to the ace attorney fandom”.

The Ace Attorney fanbase is in turmoil pic.twitter.com/9juHHPfSSc
— FalKoopa? (@FalKoopa_) June 26, 2022

“The fact that Ace Attorney fans are genuinely upset that people find the clown lady hot is so funny.”

The fact that Ace Attorney fans are genuinely upset that people find the clown lady hot is so funny pic.twitter.com/ZDvofAgGTM
— ?Kiyomi Hoshi? ?YokaiLive? (@YokaiRiderVT) June 26, 2022

If THIS is what Ace Attorney fans are so upset about I’m certain if they ever watched a single Newgrounds parody from 2009 they’d disintegrate on the spot pic.twitter.com/mhPcxu8Tb3
— ?Kiyomi Hoshi? ?YokaiLive? (@YokaiRiderVT) June 26, 2022

Honestly, if this means more people picking up and playing any of the awesome Ace Attorney games be it for consoles or mobile devices, I’m happy because that series needs more love. Also, this goes to show that clowns in pop culture do stir tons of emotion among the internet fanbase and community. After all, there was that one clown who fought with a rich guy in a bat suit in some crappy part of town….


Hungry Shark Teams Up With Discovery Channel For Shark Week Content

Ubisoft has announced Hungry Sharkâ€™s annual partnership with Discovery Channel to deliver brand new game content in celebration of Shark Week. Developed by Ubisoft Future Games of London (Ubisoft FGOL) and Ubisoft Barcelona Mobile, Hungry Shark World and Hungry Shark Evolution are currently available to download for free on mobile devices on Android and iOS platforms.
To kick off this yearâ€™s Pirates-themed Shark Week, Hungry Shark Evolution is getting a fin-tastic Shark Week â€œtakeoverâ€ in-game. Get hooked on jaw-some social posts and a real-life shark fact series that will put your knowledge to the test. For the main event, set sail with your shark for two different live events, the Treasure Hunt (11 July to 14 July 2021) and Captain Whiteâ€™s Last Will (15 July to 19 July 2021). With treasure pieces hidden throughout the map, uncover four pieces every day to get rewarded with a new item to add to your loot.

If youâ€™re still hungry for more, get your fins on a new pirates-themed item pack in Hungry Shark Evolution, including a rare treasure chest and ruthless swordfish baby, to work your way up the food chain. The Shark Week Items Pack will be available for in-game purchase.
With a new download every second, Hungry Shark World is also bringing back fan-favourite Shark Week content from previous years in an exclusive mini-level that is sure to pack a bite.


Pixel Action Cyberpunk Game Replaced Is Delayed To 2023

Sad news for action gaming fans who love pixel art and cyberpunk elements.
Sad Cat Studios and publisher Thunderful have announced that its upcoming 2D action game Replaced is getting delayed to 2023. This is due to the continued war in Ukraine heavily impacting the Belarusian-based studio.
“The priority for Sad Cat was for the safety of the team and their families. As a result, part of the team has now relocated and work has only recently restarted on Replaced.”

????????ô????????????????r?????????????????y????????????? pic.twitter.com/KgY852bBna
— REPLACED (@REPLACEDGame) May 25, 2022

Real life issues are bigger than video games; we wish the developers a safe passage in their respective countries.


What You Need To Know About World of Warcraft’s Upcoming Expansion

Let’s face it: nothing can top the climax of World of Warcraft’s last expansion, Legion, in terms of stakes, theatrics, and endgame battles. So instead of trying to outshine it with another expansion that may diminish what was accomplished, Blizzard opt to follow up with something a little different.
Not necessarily less epic, but a little fresh and a little darker. WoW’s Battle for Azeroth will be the seventh major expansion for the long-spanning MMO that still gets away with a subscription-based model (next to FFXIV:ARR). To prep you for its release on 14th August, here are some key features & tidbits you need to know in case you’re not up to speed.
Also, don’t act too shocked if your colleagues are taking leave during the week of 12th August.
New & Revamped Locales
For starters, areas like Kul Tiras and Zandalar look more impressive than ever and are way beyond the mountain bulges of 2004.
We also get new areas like the dark woods of Drustvar (for the Alliance), a new instance filled with cult members and ancient spirits. The Horde get to muck around in the cursed swamplands of Nazmir that’s filled with derelict temples and a sense of dread. And that’s not counting the blood trolls you’ll be fighting and the Troll gods you have to interact with.
Something about these areas in WoW feels a bit more mystical and darker in tone compared to past expansions. It’s a shame that the quests themselves are the typical MMO busywork. Perhaps they’re saving the best for the final game, but for now, the alpha build is a case of “all filler, some killer”.Â Blizzard spared no expense in crafting out new environments and remaking old stops.

Wars. All The Wars
Blizzard didn’t call it the Battle for Azeroth for nothing. With a revamped world PvP system and a new battleground for players to fight in, the company will be introducing new ways to contribute to the war effort without engaging other players too much.
That’s where the Island Expeditions come in. Once unlocked, you and two other heroes will participate in a PvE-ish environment where you race against an opposing faction or two to collect Azerite from any of the random islands you’re assigned to. This mode comes with its own mob and boss fights, so there’s a lot of fun to be had here. If you need PvP in this, you can opt to fight other online players in Island Expeditions.
There’s even a new mode called Warfronts where 20 players co-op with each other to battle against an enemy fortification ala the Warcraft RTS trilogy. Your 20-man team fight in the Arathi Highlands; you start by building a Townhall, then collect resources to build new structures while figuring out where to go on the building tech tree. Yes, we’re going into RTS-lite territory here.
You’ll be battling AI armies using your own soldiers. These AI fodder are commanded by a specific enemy commander who has his own strategies and army composition. There are also randomized events that might pop up, like goblin merchants who will sell powerful mercenaries.
Coupled with the game’s new open-world PvP policy and new PvP Brawls, it’s clear as day that “war” is the keyword that Blizzard is hammering home to its huge fanbase.
The Heart Of Azeroth Will Replace Artifact Weapons
Back in Legion, players had Artifact Weapons which can be leveled up and customized. That’s going to be replaced with a new necklace item called the Heart of Azeroth.
The Azerite resources you’ll be collecting will be feeding this new necklace and unlock new powerups that will unlock new armour bonuses. You get Azerite from the aforementioned expeditions, exploration quests, dungeons, and raids. Each piece of armour in Battle for Azeroth has 4 rings, and each ring is unlocked if you level up your necklace to greater heights.

New Features For Chat & Socializing
For one, Battle.net voice chat will be integrated into WoW, so no need to use third party programs like Discord to sort your communication needs. Players can now use WoW Communities, which is similar to the guild system but now you can have multiple communities while still committing to your original guild.
Communities have rosters and roles so that there are people moderating them, meaning that the already-robust socializing aspect of WoW has opened up further. So if you want to build a community inside WoW that worships Tracer’s original win pose, no one’s stopping all 10 of you sad sacks.
A Ton Of Story Videos Leading Up To Its Launch
Just like with Overwatch, Blizzard is setting the tone of its story with animated clips of WoW’s lore. Right now we have Jaina’s Warbringer story, told in lovely 2D stills and animation. Warcraft III fans might get some nostalgic tinglings just watching this.

We’ll be seeing shorts for Sylvanas and Aszhara soon. Brace yourselves for some hot and heavy WoW Lore action!
With a level cap of 120, you may need to start grinding if you want to experience all of the features this expansion has to offer! And that’s not counting the extra dungeons and raids that will be introduced soon. While this WoW expansion is not going to cap off the overarching story and be the be-all-end-all episode, its myriad of features and modes is enough to warrant another trip back to Azeroth.
Are you looking forward to more WoW? Let us know on KKP and on our Facebook page!


Senua’s Saga Hellblade II Showcases Next-Gen Facial Animation In New Video

At GDC (Game Developers Conference) 2023, Ninja Theory released a new video for Senua’s Saga Hellblade II, which showcases the game’s use of real-time facial animations with Epic Games‘ MetaHuman framework.
The game, which is a sequel to 2017’s Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice, is notable for being in development with Unreal Engine 5. It is currently in development for Xbox Series X/S and PC. However, there is no release date or release window as of yet.
Check out the impressive visuals below:


Sony Interactive Entertainment Trademarks A Bunch Of PS Names

Everyone’s waiting up for the PS5, but it seems that Sony decides to future-proof themselves with trademarks galore.
The interactive entertainment division has filed trademarks for PS6, PS7, PS8, PS9, and PS10 in Japan to secure its future PlayStation platform names (via piercesword). This is standard for the company since they’ve been doing this for a long while.

“PS” (trademarked in 2000, released in 1994)
“PS2” (trademarked in 1999, released in 2000)
“PS3” (trademarked in 2005, released in 2006)
“PS4” (trademarked in 2006, released in 2013)
“PS5” (trademarked in 2006, released in 2020)

For more PlayStation 5 news from us, head here.Â


New The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Trailer Teases Climactic Showdown

Marvel Studios and Disney Plus have released a new trailer for The Falcon And The Winter Soldier in anticipation of the upcoming final two episodes.
It excitingly teases a climactic showdown between Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), andÂ  John Walker (Wyatt Russell), who is the new Captain America.

“You don’t want to do this,” John warns both Sam and Bucky in the trailer.

“Yeah, we do,” Bucky replies.
Also, if you havenâ€™t, you can check out my previous breakdown and easter egg articles for The Falcon And The Winter SoldierÂ Episode 1,Â Episode 2,Â Episode 3Â and Episode 4.
Check out the new trailer below:


Viking Glory Awaits: Valheim Raids Xbox!

Fellow Vikings on Xbox, your time has finally come! You can now dive into the world of Valheim on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, either by purchasing the game or playing with Xbox Game Pass. If you haven’t heard of Valheim, it is a open world survival game in which you get to explore a world, battle enemies, build a base, and uncover the secrets of this realm. Valheim transports you into a world of adventure and danger with its simple yet gorgeous graphics and immersive gameplay.
The best part about this update for Xbox gamers? Crossplay is fully supported, so you can team up with your fellow vikings, no matter their platform. Don’t forget to of course enable the crossplay option. An FAQ for Crossplay is provided here if you run into any issues.
To commemorate the release of Valheim on Xbox, you can get 20% off on everything in the official merch store for the next two weeks! The snuggly Valheim hoodie is something I’d get honestly. So don’t miss out on this limited-time offer!
Whether you’re a seasoned Valheim gamer, or a new adventurer, here’s the brand new Xbox release trailer to get you ready for the adventure!

Skål!


DC’s Stargirl Season 2 Kicks Off This Week

DCâ€™sÂ StargirlÂ returns for a second season onÂ Warner TV at 9pm GMT+8 on 11 August 2021. A new episode will premiere on the same day as the U.S. on subsequent Wednesdays at the same time on Warner TVÂ Â (Astro Channel 712 / UnifiTV Channel 451).
DCâ€™sÂ StargirlÂ follows high school sophomore Courtney Whitmore as she inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to take on the legacy of DCâ€™s very first superhero team, the Justice Society of America. In the thrilling second season, Courtney and her friends take on one of the most frightening adversaries in DCâ€™s mythology; the dark entity of corruption known as Eclipso.
The action-packed series stars:

Bassinger (School of Rock, Bella and the Bulldogs) as Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl.
Yvette Monreal (Rambo: Last Blood, Matador) as Yolanda Montez/Wildcat.
Anjelika Washington (Young Sheldon, Weâ€™re Not Friends) as Beth Chapel/Dr.Mid-Nite.
Cameron Gellman (Heathers, 20thÂ Century Women) as Rick Tyler/Hourman.
Trae Romano (Little Ghosts, 555) as Mike Dugan.
Hunter Sansone (Hurricane 360) as Cameron Mahkent.
Meg DeLacy (The Fosters, The Disappearing Girl) as Cindy Burman/Shiv.
Nick Tarabay (Ozark, True Detective) as Eclipso.
Amy Smart (Justified, Shameless) as Barbara Whitmore.
Luke Wilson (Roadies, Idiocracy, Old School) as Pat Dugan.

Created for television by Geoff Johns (Titans, Wonder Woman, Batwoman), the series is executive produced by Johns, Greg Berlanti (Arrow, Titans, The Flash, Supergirl, DCâ€™s Legends of Tomorrow), and Sarah SchechterÂ (Batwoman, Riverdale, Blindspot).
You can catch up on Season 1 by streaming or downloading all 13 episodes of DCâ€™sÂ StargirlÂ onÂ HBO GO. Other DC series to binge-watch onÂ HBO GOÂ include eight seasons ofÂ Arrow, six seasons ofÂ The Flash, and five seasons ofÂ DCâ€™s Legends Of Tomorrow,Â GothamÂ andÂ Supergirl.
You can sign up for HBO GOÂ for only RM34.90 per month. Astro Movies Pack customers can enjoyÂ HBO GOÂ at no additional charge, while other Astro customers can enjoy some savings and pay from just RM25 monthly.Â Â HBO GO is available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.
The series is great for presenting comic book themes of legacy and heroism, as Courtney strives to build a new version of the classic Justice Society of America (JSA). For those unfamiliar, the JSA was the precursor to the Justice League in DC Comics, featuring Golden Age heroes like the original Alan Scott Green Lantern, Wildcat, and of course, Starman.


PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Coming to Mobile

In China, that is.Â At least that is what we gather via crude Google translation.
A little backstory. A few days back, we reported that Tencent will be bringing PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds to China, but with a minor twist; they are taking “necessary steps to modifyÂ BattlegroundsÂ to better align with â€œsocialist core values, Chinese traditional culture and moral rules.â€
Back then, Chief Executive Officer of PUBG Corp, C.H. Kim was quoted as sayingÂ â€œTencent will localize and operate the game by catering to the preferences of Chinese gamers. We will also offer a different, fun experience on PC.â€
Little did we know ‘catering to preferences of Chinese gamers’ meant releasing the game on mobile.

A Google-translated newspiece from tech.qq.comÂ  dated 27th November 2017 reported that “Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds” (“PUBG”)Â , a popular global gameÂ , has officially entered the field of mobile games.”Â
The presser also described the game as an “Eating Chicken” and “Jedi Survival” game. Shit.
WE. ARE. SOLD
It adds that TenCent and PUBG has come to an agreement to publish the game on mobile platforms in the Chinese market.
In a joint-statement, the earlier-quoted Mr Kim and Ma Xiaoyi, Senior Vice President of Tencent Group, said: “Thanks to the excellent accumulation of PUBG on the PC terminal and the teamwork between the two teams, the preparatory work for mobile games is proceeding very smoothly and in the near future, Chinese players can enjoy the genuine game anytime, anywhere on the mobile phone.”
This is indeed a very interesting development consideringÂ Tencentâ€™s somewhat rivals, NetEase released several PUBG-like battle-royale themed survival games for mobile devices called â€˜Survivor Royaleâ€˜ and â€˜Terminator 2â€˜.Â NetEase are also official distributors of another highly popular game in China, Overwatch and are also owners of the Shanghai Dragons who will be competing in the inaugural season of the Overwatch League. With the release of an ‘official’ PUBG on mobile, seems like the hype for battle-royale styled games is far from being over and we can expect some juicy developments coming out of this.
Meanwhile, you can try out NetEase’s ‘PUBG-clone’ by downloading the said games for free on either iTunes or Google Play store. We tried it and we thought that while the game manages to capture the feel of PUBG on PC, it still has a lot to work on especially with the controls which were super clunky. Graphics-wise. it’s pretty close to the real deal, to be honest. Go ahead. Give it a looksee. It’s a free-to-play game anyway.


Destiny 2: Lightfall – Root Of Nightmares Raid Guide

Destiny 2’s latest Raid from its new expansion, Lightfall, is out right now. With the Raid’s Contest Mode already taken down 48 hours since its debut on 11th March GMT+8, players can use their preferred loadouts and whatever Power levels they’re at.
In any case, the Root of Nightmares Raid features a ton of new mechanics and ample amounts of teamwork from a 6-person party of Guardians
Destiny 2 Root Of Nightmares Walkthrough
Here’s a breakdown of the raid encounters & sections (via Datto).

Cataclysm: Survive the onslaught
Sission: Enter the root
Traversal Platforming
Macrocosm: Kill Zo’aurc
Final encounter: Kill Nezarec

Intro Area
You begin this part by traversing the entrance, walking forward until you can go no further. Then, follow the path to the left around the exterior of the ship. Go continue around the curve, then after fighting enemies, you’ll come across a large statue. Keep going forward.
Once you pass the statue, head through the corridors to the right; follow the curved pathway to reach the first encounter…
Cataclysm: Survive the Onslaught

The first section of the Raid requires you to kill things; have a few of your squad carry machine guns or high-rate-of-fire weapons.

This is the part where you’re introduced to the Raid’s main mechanics: the Field of Light buff (see above). The goal is to transfer the orb to the other side of the arena by passing it through nodes (the spiral-helix-thingy on the map with the blue-pink water orbs; see picture below).

Note that shooting the nodes does nothing if the player does not have the Field of Light buff, and that they will lose the buff each time they shoot a node. Also, if one player grabs the buff while other players already have it, it will disrupt the current buff-holder’s buff. However, the buff can also be granted to multiple players at once. Shooting the Traveler orb will activate a spiral node on a different plate, which the Light Orb will direct you to in the form of a ray of light.
Once you shoot that spiral node, it will transform into a Light Orb and will have a light beam directing you to the next plate. However, the Guardian who activated the plate will no longer have the Field of Light buff and will have to rebuff by shooting the Light Orb again; make sure the Traveler orb is fully grown before you shoot it for the buff, otherwise it will despawn and your team will have to wait a while for it to grow again.
From the time you start the encounter, keep an eye on the Sweeping Terror debuff. Your fireteam will wipe if the number reaches zero. To fill up the Sweeping Terror clock, you have to kill Tormentors in encounters. Tormentors spawn (either left or right side of the arena) every time you kill two Psions from the bubbles in the area. To kill Psions, use melee on them.
Our protip here is to have just two people as designated Field of Light orb handlers, while your other teammates kill everything in sight. They will be in charge of activating the orbs with the four others clearing enemies throughout the encounter. One Guardian shoots at the Traveler orb while another Guardian stands outside it, granting the player who shot the orb the Field of Light buff. The Guardian with the buff should head toward the first spiral node plate.
After that player activates it, the person still near the initial plate can immediately shoot the Light Orb and get their own Field of Light buff, though note that this will eventually change locations around the arena.
Shooting this will grant that second player the buff, so they can head to the next spiral node as called out by the first player who saw which direction the orb they just shot pointed. In the meantime, the first player should seek out the Light Orb plate so they’re ready to get their Field of Light buff just after their fellow Guardian activates the second node. These players should alternate and do this several times while the four other teammates continue to defeat enemies, until the Sweeping Terror debuff goes away and the team can move up to progress the activity.
There will be four phases of this Field of Light buff and orb activation segments; the fourth phase will have Tormenters spawning at nodes, which can make the fight harder. Once these four phases are done, your team can move on to the next encounter…
Sission: Enter The Root

This is the second encounter. This is the part where you’re introduced to the Raid’s other main mechanic: the Flux of Darkness buff.
These will point to nodes you must shoot to progress the activity. Again, only players who have the correct buffs -Field of Light or Flux of Darkness- can activate these nodes. The respective orbs are across a chasm, which means the runners will have to shoot a black diamond/Dark orb to trigger a launcher. However, they must be positioned correctly against the launcher to make it across each time without dying.
Also, you will need your fireteam to be close to you when activating the Field of Light/Flux of Darkness buffs because there will be shielded enemies that can only be damaged by the correct buff. Also, you only have 2 minutes to complete each floor, and you have three floors of these to complete. If the Immediate Expulsion timer reaches zero, it’s a team wipe.
To tackle this mode effectively, split into teams of three: team Light and team Dark (cute team names include Team Ellen for the former and Team Wesley Snipes for the latter). Designate one person from each group to be the orb runner. Each side’s single runner follows the orb indicators and shoots the orbs. This player then returns to the orb that grants the buff.
The enemy killers can also return to the orb, where shooting the orb will refresh all players’ buffs. With the buff refreshed, the runner will then continue and the players on both sides will hold the buffs required to defeat the enemies that require the buff to defeat them. Players must clear the Centurions to be able to ascend to the next level. Once all three floors are cleared, you can move on to the next section…
Traversal
This platforming section introduces the Darkness’ Refuge mechanic. Basically, get the Field of Light buffs from each Light Orb to get the Darkness’ Refuge buff. This buff will protect you from the shockwaves that emanate from the tower in the distance. If you get hit by the shockwave, you die.
There will be enemies to kill, but this isn’t a Darkness Zone so you can die as many times as you like and you’ll respawn quick. For this traversal bit, just get together as a group and push forward while getting Field of Light buffs.
Macrocosm: Zo’aurc

In this encounter, you need to line up planets to the correct spots to allow for a damage phase against the boss of this encounter. It’s pretty tough, but at least you’re learning fresh new mechanics here. You may want to get your boss-killing weapons ready here like Thunderlord and Divinity.
The room will be split into three areas (left, center, right). The planets are at the tips of triangles and, to start, the side on the left will be four Light and two Dark, and the right will be four Dark and two Light, though you won’t see this at first (we’ll explain why in a later paragraph).
Clear adds until the centurions spawn, and you’ll see colossi spawn on each triangle. Shift all Darks to one side and all Lights to left. Once the colossus is killed, one player must walk under the triangle and pick up the buff. Take the buff of the planets on the wrong side and carry them to the correct sides.
Only the person who kills the colossus gets the Planetary Insight, a buff that allows the player to see whether a planet is Light or Dark, can only see the ones on their side, and can only move the ones on their side. So communicate with your team on which planets to move and where. Only players with Planetary Shift buffs get to move the planets to the correct spot.
After the players from both sides insert the buffs, the planets will shift positions. You’ll do this with three rounds of centurions, at which point the damage phase begins. Another centurion and colossus will spawn, and killing this colossus will show you whether the centre planets are light or dark. To damage the boss, you need to see what colour he’s glowing. If he’s white, stand on the white/Light plates and attack. If he’s orange, stand on the orange/dark plates and attack. There will be a final stand with this boss, so go on the correct plate and unload on him before your team wipes.
Oh, and be sure to watch out for Psions who can sneak up on you and possibly overwhelm you and your team during the planet-moving phases.

Raid Boss Nezarec

To defeat, the boss of the Raid, you need to coordinate with your team once more to activate all the plates to make the boss vulnerable.
One team member needs to be the Field of Light activator, while the other is the Flux of Darkness activator; everyone else handles the enemies and Nezarec’s aggro. The fight’s damage phase begins with players chaining both sides from the beginning to the end. The remaining team members should be firing at Nezarec’s critical hit spots; have one extra person assigned to be the boss handler, preferably to track what colour he’s glowing.
After you shoot his head and shoulders, he glows either orange/Dark or white/Light. You must then quickly seek the buff matching his energy type or else you get wiped by Nezarec’s screen-clearing wave. If he is Light, you must grab a Darkness aura/Flux of Darkness buff and shoot a Light orb. If he’s Dark, then you must grab a Light node/Field of Light buff and shoot a Dark orb. Just like before, shooting the node will grant immunity to players within the aura, so stand on the plates to get protected from Nezarec’s wave. However, you need to shoot an orb that doesn’t have a glowing aura surrounding it.
For the final damage phase, stand on the final Light/Dark plate and fire at him or else you get wiped.
Root Of Nightmare Secret Chests
Secret chest #1: Moving toward the second encounter, you’ll find a psion shooting at you from high above. Kill the Tormenter that spawns in and head toward the psion to find the chest.
Secret chest #2: During the second jumping puzzle, turn at the stairs and find the darkness switch to open a door. Opening this brings you to chest, which you can find by jumping around the outside area before entering the room.
Root of Nightmares Loot & Rewards
Exotic Loot: Conditional Finality Shotgun

A dual-barrel shotgun that splits damage between Stasis and Solar. Stasis pellets will freeze targets, and all Solar pellets will ignite pellets. Players who complete various triumphs will have an increased chance of earning the Exotic as its drop rate is very low. However, you can only get the Exotic after killing Nezarec.
Legendary Loot

Briar’s Contempt Solar linear fusion rifle (first encounter, final encounter)
Koraxis’s Distress Strand grenade launcher (first encounter, second encounter, final encounter)
Nessa’s Oblation Void shotgun (first encounter, second encounter, final encounter)
Mykel’s Reverence Strand sidearm (second encounter, third encounter, final encounter)
Acasia’s Rejection Solar trace rifle (second encounter, third encounter, final encounter)
Rufus’s Fury Strand auto rifle (third encounter, final encounter)

Loot Table (via Blueberries.gg)

Mod Rewards

Chill Out: Defeating a combatant with a Stasis weapon spawns a Stasis crystal. Must have a Stasis subclass equipped.
Precise Jolts: Rapid precision hits with Arc weapons jolt target. Must have an Arc subclass equipped.
Volatile Volleys: Defeating powerful combatants with a Void weapon gives your Void weapons Volatile Rounds. Must have a Void subclass equipped.
Radiant Heat: Powerful combatant final blows with Solar weapons grants Radianr. Must have a Solar subclass equipped.
Tangled Up: Defeating a combatant with a Strand weapon spawns a Tangle. Must have a Strand subclass equipped.
Cabal Extinguisher: When an ally grains Flux of Darkness or Field of Light, deal increased weapon damage to Cabal combatants for a short time.
Release Recover: When you lose Flux of Darkness or Field of Light, begin recovering health.
Focused Darkness: When you have Flux of Darkness, gain increased ability damage or mobility.
Focused Light: When you have Field of Light, gain increased weapon damage and resilience.


Global Esports’ SkRossi & Lightningfast Await Visa Approval To Compete In VCT Pacific

There’s some uncertainty surrounding the approval timeline for SkRossi and Lightningfast’s South Korean visas ahead of the VCT Pacific League.
While the remaining five players of Global Esports’ roster are most likely going to play in the initial matches, SkRossi and Lightningfast are waiting for their visas to be approved. According to Dr. Rushindra Sinha, CEO of Global Esports, the delay is due to Indian passport-holder visas still being processed.
But don’t worry, the CEO has already submitted all necessary documents, and they’re just waiting for their passports to be returned. They’re not sure when they’ll arrive yet, but as soon as they do, they’ll fly out to Seoul. Dr. Sinha emphasized that the delay isn’t anyone’s fault and that they just have to follow the necessary processes.
Even though SkRossi won’t be able to play in the initial matches, Global Esports still has their seven-man roster to work with. They’ve dealt with similar challenges in the past, like when they had to compete without Australian player WRONSKI due to personal issues.
So, let’s keep our fingers crossed that SkRossi and Lightningfast’s visas get approved soon, and we can see them in action!

Roster:

Jordan “AYRIN” He
Michael “WRONSKI” Wronski
Cahya “Monyet” Nugraha
Kim “t3xture” Na-ra
Park “Bazzi” Jun-ki

Ganesh “SkRossi” Gangadhar (Awaiting visa approval)
Abhirup “Lightningfast” Choudhury (Awaiting visa approval)

Hong “Eraser” Chang-pyo (Coach)
Peter “Spin” Bradford (Assistant coach)
Morgan “BigTime” Jay (Assistant coach)


INFINIX HOT 30 is Smoking To The Core

With mobile gaming, and content creators on the rise, it’s no wonder phone companies are manufacturing phones to cater to them. Infinix is no different and delivers well. We were given the Infinix Hot 30 phone to review, and my oh my, it impressed me. Thanks to its 6.78-inch perforated screen with a 1080P high resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, and 270Hz touch sampling rate, we can now enjoy a smoother gaming experience, better responsiveness and also smoother browsing when using the phone. With 8GB + 8GB (16GB) of RAM, the HOT 30 doubles its performance.
Now of course the Infinix phones are not like iPhones or Samsung. And no, it isn’t fair to compare Infinix to these brands. However, for its price, which by the way is INCREDIBLY cheap at (RM599), you get way more than what you are paying for.

Effortlessly Trendy with a Great Viewing Experience
The Hot 30 is available in 3 colours – Racing Black, Surfing Green and Sonic White. I was disappointed that there was no purple (Why don’t phone companies ever want to make things in purple anyways? Totally not saying this because it’s my favourite colour). The phone also comes with a charging cable and an adapter, not forgetting a clear phone cover case. This should be a standard among all phone companies if you ask me. If Infinix can provide a phone, with all these necessary accessories for just a mere RM599, big companies should definitely be doing the same (psst, I’m looking at you Apple).
The design is stylish and no matter which colour you pick, it’s shiny, reflective and definitely eye-grabbing. It’s trendy looking with its holographic design in the front and light (196 grams), which is great for creating content on the go. I mean, my iPhone weighs like a brick so this is pretty nice for a change. Called Shifting Zone, this design is the combination of two different textures. One is a Fresnel lens texture machined with a single-point diamond super-precision lathe, and the other is an ultra-precise laser engraving process that uses over 5,000 continuous lines of varying wavelengths and curvature on a near-nanometer scale to create a texture with a sense of spatial dimension and linear speed.
In terms of aesthetics, I’d say it’s almost perfect, except for the fact that it’s a teensy bit lengthy, which makes it difficult for one-handed usage.
One of the best features about this phone is that it is Widevine L1 Certified, and for those of you who don’t know what that means (like me), you can stream full HD content on Netflix, Amazon Prime and some other streaming services. Yay to us lazy folks who want to watch good-quality shows in bed. The Hot 30 comes with DTS Stereo Surround Sound, creating deep bass, strong highs and clear midranges for an immersive audio experience especially when you’re relaxing in bed.

It Never Dies (Big Battery Capacity + Fast Charge)
The everyday performance is pretty decent for a mid-entry device. The HOT 30 is powered by an 8-core MediaTek Helio G88 processor, containing two powerful ARM Cortex-A75 cores with a maximum frequency of 2.0GHz, and this allows it to provide exceptional performance. As someone with ADHD who opens multiple apps (and of course never closing them, leaving them all running at once), the battery life did very well even with a lot… running.
It was slightly laggy of course which was to be expected. It is powered by a features a 5000mAh battery that can last throughout the day, or days even. The phone supports up to 18 applications opened simultaneously.
I went out with my puppies, took some pictures and videos here and there, and the battery lasted me all day with still well over 40% to spare at the end of the day. The HOT 30 also offers the exclusive Power Marathon power-saving mode, which enables the phone to standby for a whole day or operate continuously for 2 hours at 5% limit. This means you don’t have to carry that heavy power bank with you everywhere you go! But if you do need to juice up that phone, Infinix has equipped the Hot 30 with a 33W fast charging technology. And for the tech dummies like me, that means the phone will charge two times faster than the previously used 18W of its class. You’ll be able to charge your phone up to 55% in just 30 minutes. The charger also comes with a Type-C fast charging cable.

Light Gaming & Content Creation
Keep in mind this is a budget gaming phone, so you’re not going to expect it to do crazy graphics, but for the price that you pay, it does very well. I tested several mobile games on the Hot 30 including Genshin Impact and Apex Legends. We were able to push the graphics to medium settings, although the frames struggled to stay at a constant 60 fps. The HOT 30 integrates the advanced Dar-Link 3.0 gaming engine which enables the Hot30 to have smoother gameplay.
This is a new feature which provides intelligent sensing by evaluating the load scenario and uses an AI algorithm to preload the required resources, this will then ensure that key specifics such as image and sound are automatically optimized. One thing I noticed is that after gaming on it for over an hour, the phone did not heat up. It took about more than 3 hours before the phone started to heat up. I’d recommend only light gaming on this mobile though because it’s not really built for intensive gaming. That means if you’re planning to go competitive, this might not be what you want to start with. It didn’t stutter as much as I thought it would.
To enhance your gaming experience even further, it supports Link-Booming and UPS Signal Boost network optimization technology for multi-network adequacy. This means you’re able to connect to both Wi-Fi and mobile data to increase the speed of data transmission on weak networks.

The camera is decent for its price, of course. It would be unfair again to compare it to big brands since this is a mid-entry-level phone. It comes with a 50MP main camera with a large F1.6 aperture, along with 4 LED flashlights.
Colours and details on the phone are pretty good when using the rear camera although it doesn’t do very well in low-light areas. For all you selfie lovers, well, the front camera is decent but not the best. They have a Super Night mode that leverages AI algorithm and f/1.6 large aperture to bring in more light in every shot you take. A big plus for content creators who make content on the go, the Hot 30 is equipped with several advanced editing tools that support various templates which include sounds, transitions and special effects.
These are some images taken with the AI Camera on the Hot 30.

Hot To The Core
At the price of RM599, the Hot 30 is a great deal with the features you are getting, and honestly, it is an easy recommendation for those who are looking for a budget phone or a phone which allows you to do light gaming. I’d say it’s honestly TOO GOOD for an entry-level phone. Well, if you’re not focused on taking pictures with it…
PROS

An impressive package deal for a RM500 device
Latest Android 13 OS with XOS 12.6 UI support
Very good battery life performance
Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
Multiple colour options are available
Comes with 33W fast charging

CONS

Clunky for one-handed usage
Does not support 5G network
No 4K video recording
Decent photography

FINAL SCORE: 80/100
A review unit of the Infinix Hot 20 was provided to us by Infinix.

VITAL STATISTICS
PERFORMANCE
Processor : Octa-core (2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55)
Chipset : Mediatek Helio G88 (12nm)
GPU : Mali-G52 MC2
RAM & Storage : 128GB, 8GB RAM
External Storage : microSDXC (dedicated slot)
OS : Android 13, XOS 12.6
Battery : Li-Po 5000 mAh, non-removable battery 33W wired, 55% in 30 min

SCREEN
Display size : 6.78 inches, 109.2 cm2 (~84.5% screen-to-body ratio), 1080 x 2460 pixels (~396 ppi density)
Display type : IPS LCD, 90Hz, 500 nits (typ), 600 nits (peak)

CAMERA & VIDEO
Rear Camera : Dual: 50 MP, f/1.6, (wide), 1/2.55″, AF + Secondary unspecified camera
Front Camera : 8 MP, f/2.5, (wide)
Video : 1440p@30fps, 1080p@30fps, Selfie: 1080p@30fps
Features : Quad-LED flash, HDR, panorama, Selfie: Dual-LED flash

CONNECTIVITY
SIM : Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
Data Speed : HSPA, LTE
Wifi : Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
Bluetooth : Yes
NFC : Yes
USB : USB Type-C 2.0, OTG

SENSORS
Sensors : Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass
Radio : FM radio

AUDIO
Loud Speaker : Yes, with stereo speakers
Sound Jack : Yes, 24-bit/192kHz audio
Radio : FM radio


This Wireless Headset Costs As Much As An Xbox Series X

Bang & Olufsen has announced the Beoplay Portal (via Xbox Wire), its first wireless gaming headset. However, it’s more than just an average headset. In fact, it costs US$499, which is as much as an Xbox Series X console.
The Beoplay Portal is designed for the Xbox ecosystem. With a push of its pairing button, users can connect to the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, or to a PC that has the Xbox Wireless adapter plugged into it. They also support a connection via Bluetooth 5.1 for other devices (including other consoles if you have a Bluetooth adapter).

There are reasons why the Beoplay Portal is so pricey.Â For starters, it has adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC) and a gaming audio mode that automatically activates when connected wirelessly to a console or when wired via USB-C to a PC. It also comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack, if you would rather go wired.
Plus, the memory foam earpads are wrapped in lambskin leather, and it uses bamboo fibre textile to cover the headband padding with a few anodized aluminium details on the Portal, like the touch-sensitive discs on the outside of each ear cup. It also weighs only 282 grams, which is lighter than even the official Xbox Wireless Headset.
This Beoplay Portal can last up to 12 hours per charge when connected through both Bluetooth and Xbox Wireless, as well as using the active noise cancellation feature. However, if youâ€™re just using Bluetooth and noise cancellation, you can expect up to 24 hours of use.

It is available now in black at Best Buy, the Microsoft Store, and via Bang & Olufsenâ€™s site. Two other colours, grey and navy, will be available starting in May 2021. Does anyone really need a US$499 gaming headset? In comparison, the official Xbox Wireless headset only costs US$100. It’s a luxury item, that’s for sure.


Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin Sales Top 500,000 Worldwide

The devs from Edelweiss & publisher Marvelous are doing a bang-up job with their 2D platformer-slash-farming-simulation fantasy title Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin.
The PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch title has garnered a total worldwide sales figure of 500,000 units, both digital and physical. The fact that it cracked the top 10 on Steam this November proves that people do love a little ingenuity in their platformers, as long as it features a cute-as-a-button protagonist playing a goddess. The fact that you can learn a lot about rice and how the process goes is also a bonus.
We played a few hours of Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, and so far we love the whole rice-growing and harvesting bits. The 2D platforming and action could use a little more tweaks in the controls, but generally, it’s meant to be experienced at a relaxing pace. Stay tuned to our site for a full review of the title.


World Of Warships: Legends Sails Into Spring In Its Latest Update

It’s that time of year again, and WoWS: Legends is ready to welcome spring with open arms. The latest update is jam-packed with exciting features, including the return of Racing Legends, St. Patrick’s Day festivities, and five new Tier VIII ships to add to your collection.
Plus, if you’re up for a challenge, there’s a five-week campaign to earn the French Tier VIII cruiser Carnot. And that’s not all – the first-ever Pan-American ship is also making its debut, along with a new Legendary Tier Bureau Project. But wait, there’s more! We’re also celebrating the greenest day of the year with some special St. Patrick’s Day content.

Racing Legends: start your engines!

That’s right, the Racing Legends mode is back by popular demand, and it’s better than ever! Starting on March 20th, players will have three opportunities to compete in week-long seasons and prove themselves as the fastest and most skilled captains on the seas. But beware, it won’t be a walk in the park – competitors will have to choose their ships and special consumables wisely to get ahead of the pack. Oh, and did we mention that torpedoes are also in play? That’s right, you’ll need to dodge incoming torpedoes while launching your own at your opponents to gain an edge.
But it’s not all about bragging rights – players can earn valuable rewards by participating in Racing Legends. By competing, ranking, and winning, you’ll earn Racing Legends Tokens that can be redeemed for some seriously cool loot. This includes the “Bulletproof” destroyer, which lives up to its name with superior armour, as well as three different Commander guises to add some variety to your gameplay.
So get ready to hit the throttle and race your way to victory in Racing Legends! It’s a limited-time mode, so make sure you don’t miss out on the chance to prove yourself as the ultimate speed demon.

Shamrock and roll for St. Patrick’s Day

But that’s not all – Legends has struck gold this St. Patrick’s Day with a whole range of exciting new content! The game is getting into the spirit of the holiday with a special event that’s sure to make you feel lucky.
First up, we’ve got a brand new Commander guise to add to your collection – the one and only Cara McMordoff. This lucky lass is sure to bring you some good fortune on the seas.
And what’s a St. Patrick’s Day celebration without a pot of gold? Legends has got you covered with special Pot of Gold Crates that are chock-full of doubloons and St. Paddy camouflages. You never know what treasures you might find inside!
Last but not least, we’ve got the pièce de résistance – the Premium cruiser Celtic, sporting a festive new skin that’s perfect for the occasion. This ship is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, and now it’s dressed to impress for St. Patrick’s Day.
So whether you’re a fan of new Commander guises, exciting loot crates, or just love to show off your ship’s style, Legends has got something for you this St. Patrick’s Day. Be sure to check it out and see what kind of luck is in store for you!

Welcoming new Tier VIII ships to Legendary waters

Legends is also getting a major upgrade with five new ships dropping anchor in the harbours. These mighty vessels include two cruisers, two destroyers, and a battleship, all hailing from different nations and ready to join your fleet. With ships representing the US, Japanese, British, and Pan-Asian navies, there’s something for every kind of captain.

Campaign the way to Tier VIII Carnot

Legends’ Spring update also brings a brand new campaign to the high seas! Introducing “Lazare’s Heritage Campaign,” a classic five-week, 100-milestone event that’s sure to challenge even the most experienced captains.
At the end of this epic campaign, you’ll have the chance to earn the coveted French Tier VIII cruiser, Carnot. This Premium ship boasts impressive hit points and long-range guns, making it a formidable addition to any fleet. And with the catch-up mechanic in place, even if you fall behind, you can still catch up and claim your reward with Admiralty Backing active. Completing this campaign will also give you access to a number of Heroic Effort missions, allowing you to earn even more rewards and cement your status as a true Legend of the seas.

Legendary Bureau Project and Pan-American arrival

And last but not least, the Legends Spring update has one more surprise in store for us! Introducing the latest addition to the Bureau: the German battleship Schlieffen. This Legendary Tier battleship boasts the farthest-reaching secondaries of all Legends, as well as an ample torpedo load that’s sure to strike fear into the hearts of your enemies.
But that’s not all – we’re also thrilled to welcome the first Pan-American ship to Legends! The Tier VII Premium battleship, Atlântico, is equipped with a powerful Pan-American universal Commander, Pedro Lima Santos. With this formidable ship at your command, you’ll be ready to take on any challenge the high seas can throw your way.
Of course, no update is complete without some bug fixes, upgrades, and balance changes. The Legends team has been hard at work making sure everything is shipshape and ready to go, so you can enjoy a smooth and exciting gaming experience.


HBO Unveils Official Zack Snyder’s Justice League Poster

The key art forÂ Zack Snyderâ€™s Justice LeagueÂ has been revealed. The movie will be made available worldwide in all markets day and date with the US HBO Max exclusive debut on 18 March 2021.Â In Asia, the film will be available exclusively onÂ HBO GO in territories including Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Check out the official key art and poster for Justice League Snyder Cut below:

The official synopsis reads:
InÂ Zack Snyderâ€™s Justice League, determined to ensure Supermanâ€™s (Henry Cavill) ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) aligns forces with Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions.
The task proves more difficult than Bruce imagined, as each of the recruits must face the demons of their own pasts to transcend that which has held them back, allowing them to come together, finally forming an unprecedented league of heroes.
Now united, Batman (Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and The Flash (Ezra Miller) may be too late to save the planet from Steppenwolf, DeSaad, and Darkseid and their dreadful intentions.
Zack Snyderâ€™s Justice LeagueÂ willÂ debut on HBO GO AsiaÂ on the same day as HBO Max; onÂ 18 March 2021.


Spider-Man Far From Home Suits Get Hot Toys Treatment & They Look Webtastic

The two new suits that will be making their debut in the upcoming Spider-Man Far From Home are receiving the Hot Toys treatment, and they look freaking fantastic.
That includes the new Spider-Man Stealth Suit, that Peter Parker will receive from Nick Fury, and the Spider-Man Upgraded Suit, the red-and-black costume that Peter Parker will presumably be making on his own. This is the most detailed look we have for both suits to date, as we’ve only seen glimpses of them in images and trailers so far.
The Stealth Suit Hot Toys figure comes with ten interchangeable hands, black suit, black belt, and black web-shooters (you get the idea, black = stealth). However, the Hot Toys Deluxe Version also comes with an additional Molten Man diorama figure base featuring LED lighting.

The Upgraded Suit Hot Toys figure is the more striking of the two, as it will likely be the highlight and main costume for Spider-Man in the upcoming movie. It comes with three sets of magnetic web-wings, a bunch of other web accessories, and a smartphone.

What’s interesting is that it will also come with a mysterious additional accessory, which could spoil an important plot point from Spider-Man Far From Home. For example, the mysterious accessory for the Avengers Endgame Captain America Hot Toys figure turned out to be Mjolnir.
The Stealth Suit and Upgraded Suit Hot Toys are slated to release in Q3/Q4 2020 and Q3/Q4 2021, respectively. In particular, the Upgraded Suit can already be pre-ordered on websites like XL-Shop for a price of US$214.60 or RM880.


Bright Tracer Is A Techno-Laden Pink Sky-Filled Running Action Game Slated For May

Japanese game studio Hexadrive must have played a lot of PS1’s Pepsi Man, because its latest game is like that but with a ton more.
Enter Bright Tracer, a high-speed running action game where you play a robot who, well, races for its life through dangerous roads and obstacles. Jump, wall-run, hook shot, sliding, dashing: all these moves are there as you keep your momentum and don’t stop for anything.
The game will be out for PC this May. Check out the trailer and game features below if you’re itching to see a 2023 version of a proper endless running game.
Features:

A High-Speed Running / Seamless Action Game: Gradually accelerate by chaining various actions seamlessly, such as wall-run, sliding, and wire-hook. Dash through the stages elegantly at a high-speed by linking a series of actions.
Stylish Battles to Dodge and Sweep Away Enemies: Perform “Dodge and Counter-Attack” by taking actions at the right timing to dodge enemy attacks. By succeeding, you gain further acceleration and bonuses, allowing you to ride at top speed. Actively dodge and sweep away many enemies.
Time Attack: You are ranked by your clear time. Aim to reach your destination faster and achieve an S+ rank.


Malaysia To Host Virtual Video Game Music Pixel Event This December

Some of Malaysia’s gaming and music talents are partnering up to deliver its own virtual concert event to the spirit of a MAGFest event.
That’s right: Malaysia will be the first Southeast Asian country to host its own virtual gaming music event with the Revive Arcade Festival this 4th and 5th December. The event is dubbed as Southeast Asia’s “first interactive 2D pixel art music festival” which is a win for Malaysia in our books (via Music Press Asia).
This two-day music and gaming virtual event will have two creative companies on board: Persona Theory Games (Kabaret, Fires at Midnight) and Tala Records Asia. Paying audiences will get to build their own virtual characters, play minigames, and enjoy live performances from artists and rising talents from Southeast Asia. Highlights include Malaysian band Joyberry who is recently known for its track “Selamanya“.
You can get more information about Revive Arcade Festival here, which is supported by Malaysia’s MyCreative initiative (that’s under the PENJANA program).


What The Golf? Makes You Appreciate The Insanity Of Indie Games, Not So Much Golf

Platforms: PC, iOS (via Apple Arcade)
Genre: A golf game for people who hate golf. Couldn’t have said it better ourselves…
For a game with golf in the title, there is surprisingly little of it in What The Golf?. And that’s what makes this indie game from Triband quite a remarkable 2019 treasure.
What The Golf? only has one gameplay mechanic: pull back, aim, and release. You just have to hold the mouse button and move your mouse to determine the strength and direction of your shots. It’s everything else that entertains you to no end, from the game’s story featuring a computer who wants to improve the sport of golf, to the chill soundtrack.
Beyond Par
The first stage of this wacky bright game makes you hit a ball into a hole like in conventional golf game, but all bets are off after that.Â You get to knock a house into a golfing zone with cars driving onto the course to impede you. You even get to launch a golfer into a hole. Sometimes, the hole moves around like a sentient being to avoid getting a ball in. Heck, there’s even football, bowling, and even first-person shooting shoved in to keep you on your toes.
[wpvideo e8RrYJF5]
And sometimes, you have to guide a cowboy’s loogie into a bucket while electric fans are trying to blow it away off-course.
The objects you’re using as projectiles have their own physics and obstacles to deal with. You have to take into account how fragile a vase is and how it rolls in one direction if it’s positioned in a particular way. Or even figure out how an office chair would move in a course. Riveting questions, really. Or solve a multi-ball puzzle; there’s a lot of that here in What The Golf?, and it’s really challenging.
The puzzles here are more creative and tricky than frustrating, and the strange vibes of the world you’re stuck in makes the experience all the more calming. Like you’re doing a physics-based puzzle while an acapella group snaps their fingers to a catchy yet low-pitched beat.

The game’s humour also blindsides you with what you’re using as a projectile and its wordplay. I rather not spoil all of it, as I want you, readers, to experience this game’s zaniness for yourself.
Let’s just say that if you’re up-to-date with your memes and gaming references, you’ll appreciate the easter eggs and course inspirations this title has to offer.

And if you want a bigger and better challenge, the game’s stages also have alternate versions with a time limit and a restriction on your moves. You’ll get some sweet trophies for your troubles.
No Bogeys In Sight
My only nitpick is that some of the more esoteric challenges are a bit awkward to control with the “pull back, aim, and release” control scheme, and with a mouse to boot. I feel that this game is better played on a touchscreen for certain segments, but it’s not a complete game-breaker; you just need a few tries to get used to it.
Still, don’t let that deter you from one of 2019’s finest indie gems. What The Golf? is a funny, challenging, and inventive take on an old-timer sport that relishes in its insanity.
Pros

An innovative take on golf.
Zany visual style mixed well with smooth soundtrack.
Easy controls
Creative & challenging physics-based puzzles.
Funny and cute narrative & tone.

Cons

Awkward controls in certain reflex-based sections.

FINAL SCORE: 90/100


[Report] The Last Of Us Part 2 Has A Release Date

The Last of Us Part 2, Naughty Dog’s sequel to the critically acclaimed third-person shooter of 2013, was announced at PlayStation Experience a few years back. But so far, that’s all we know. Sony never revealed the release date, or if it will come on a next-gen console.
Past rumours have indicated a 2019 release date, and so far recent leaks have proven that the game will be out later this year. A Peruvian retailer, LawGamers, recently published a promotional poster on its website, with the release month clearly stating an October 2019 release.

Peruvian gaming retailer LAWGAMERS, have issued promotional material for the Last of Us Part 2, suggesting an October 2019 release date. #PS4 #NaughtyDog #LastofUs pic.twitter.com/NMjOLT3LAD
â€” Game Signal (@game_signal_) March 3, 2019
First discovered by TheLootGaming, the leak has not confirmed anything outside of the small print. It could be a speculative image that wasn’t meant to see sunlight, but it looks pretty official to me.
The October 2019 window seems like a suitable launch time for the game as it makes sense to fill in the holiday gap with a game of this genre. Even Death Stranding is still far away.
Sony nor Naughty Dog has commented on this leak, so it’s still just a rumour. For the time being, take it with a grain of salt. In the meantime, here’s a refresher on The Last Of Us Part 2.


Here’s Our First Look At Raya And The Last Dragon’s Southeast Asian Character

Earlier this year, Disney delayed their upcoming animated movie Raya And The Last Dragon to 12 March 2021, due to the uncertainty of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This means that we won’t be getting a single feature film from Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2020 (if we don’t count Pixar’s Onward and the upcoming Pixar’s Soul).
Today, Disney has released a new promotional poster and a simple synopsis for Raya And The Last Dragon (via Inside The Magic). Check out the awesome poster below:

The synopsis for the movie reads:

Raya will be an epic fantasy adventure with Southeast Asian themes, set in a realm called Lumandra, described as â€œa reimagined earth inhabited by an ancient civilizationâ€.
Five clans form the land of the dragon, and Raya is determined to find the last dragon.

Raya And The Last Dragon will feature the voices of Awkwafina as Raya and Cassie Steele as Sisu the dragon. However, no additional details have been revealed as of yet. While the movie is inspired by Southeast Asian legends and folklore (as well as written by Malaysian-born screenwriter Adele Lim), it’s unclear from which country the main premise of the movie originates from.
We’ll probably learn more about the animated movie as its release date inches closer.


Catch The Master Thief In The New Google Earth Carmen Sandiego Game

There’s a game you can play on Google Earth (yes, you read that right), and it features none other than the globe-trotting master thief herself, Carmen Sandiego. Some might not realize (even those who grew up with the iconic 90s animated series) that the franchise actually started as educational edutainment game in the 80s.
According to a recent Google blog post, The Crown Jewels Caper is the first in a planned series of Google Earth Carmen Sandiego games, and it plays almost exactly like the original 1985 PC game, Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? In the game, players assume the role of an ACME agent who has to track down Carmen Sandiego across the world and recover the crown jewels.

What players do in the game is basically visit real locations around the globe using Google Earth tech, visiting landmarks and learning about these places. Along the way, they must find and interview witnesses to determine the whereabouts of Carmen Sandiego.

Geographical and travel buffs will love this game, as they will get to apply their knowledge in this game. While the game doesn’t feature any sound or audio whatsoever, the charming pixel art more than makes up for it.

The game is now available on Google Chrome, Android and iOS. To start playing, look for the special edition of the yellow stick figure Pegman icon on Google Earth, or just head on over to this link here.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJRMplV9SpA&w=560&h=315]


Cook And Feast As King Arthur In New Fate Cooking Game Coming Out This Year

The Fate/Stay Night universe is known for many things. Legendary heroes, heartbreaking storylines, and of course, extremely detailed cooking sections. For that third element, they turned it into an entire manga and anime. Now it’s going to be made into a game.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OntAkbR-aGc&w=560&h=315]
You read that right, folks. Emiya-san Chi no Kyou no Gohan is getting a video game. It’s being made for the Nintendo Switch and planned to be released in spring 2020. The cooking game is being developed by Kadokawa Games.
You’re put in the shoes of sword-lover and chef-extraordinaire Emiya Shirou. However, you’re not the one doing the cooking. Genderbent King Arthur AKA Saber is there for you to guide. The objective here is to help her choose ingredients and teach her how to cook.

Judging by what’s shown in the above trailer, the cooking sections play out like rhythm games. After preparing your meal, Saber herself eats them and you’re given ratings based on your performance. Finally, a game that lets you claim you S-ranked a plate of curry rice.
The game hasn’t even gotten CERO rating yet so I’m sure we’re very far away from any news of an English localisation. I have a feeling it will never be localised due to the lack of demand in the Western market. For you Fate cooking fans out there, let’s hope I’m wrong.
You can check out the game’s official website here.


Trolley Problem, Inc. Is A Thought-Provoking Moral Game Set For Late April

If you ever needed a game that really and truly delve into what kind of morals you have, assuming you do, then this narrative-based indie title is one to watch out for.
Trolley Problem, Inc. is an adventure game based on the famous trolley problem psychological test. Except this game amps it up further with various ethical quandaries for you to decide who lives or dies. And it’s also topical as it also brings up vaccination, war, and immigration. Here’s an insightful quote from creator Samuel Read-Graves regarding the game; he was also the producer of Gang Beasts.
“Everything is awful at the moment. So what better way to take your mind off that fact by playing something which will make you feel worse? Trolley Problem, Inc. presents some genuinely testing and morally challenging scenarios based on philosophical problems and has been designed to spark debate in a format only possible through videogames.
The journey isn’t entirely bleak – there are moments that I hope will make players laugh out loud – but ultimately, it’s a game about making hard choices and discovering more about yourself and how your moral compass compares with the rest of the world.”
The upcoming adventure game also features the following:

55 intensely thought-provoking multiple-choice questions across a 90-minute playtime
Streamer mode allows content creators to engage with a live viewing audience
Multiple profiles allow local players to compare and discuss their choice – whilst global statistics reflect the choices players across the world have made
References to the original philosophical papers
A host of unlockables to discover throughout the game
The strangest ‘Achievements’ ever featured in a video game
Voice acting by Dead Ringers, Spitting Image and Skins actor, Jan Ravens
Support in 10 different languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Arabic

Check out the trailer below, which does a great job at presenting the dilemmas you’ll be faced with. Trolley Problem, Inc. will be out on 21st April for PC (Steam).