Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Outfit Guide: How To Unlock Them All

The new Guardians of the Galaxy game from Square Enix and Eidos Montreal (which we really love)Â features a ton of costumes and throwbacks to the comics of old. There’s quite a number of them to collect, so you have your work cut out for yourself.
Thankfully, there are no microtransactions here; you can find all of them in-game and if you take your time exploring each Chapter which you can revisit over and over. Here are the costumes.
Protip: use Star-Lord’s visors to find them easily; they’re usually shown as yellow outlined objects. For more GotG 2021 tips, head here.
Golden Guardians Outfits (ALL)

This awesome costume for everyone in your team can be unlocked by starting Chapter 14 of the game.
Chapter 1 Outfits
Rocket’s GotG MCU Outfit
Early in the mission, you’ll come to a junction; Rocket will tell you that way is a dead end. While he leads Groot through the small opening on the left, you should head towards the route that looks like bones.
When you get onto it, immediately turn to the right and you’ll see a ledge to jump down to. Once you jump down, turn to the right and you’ll see the box in the corner containing Rocket’s MCU outfit.
Groot’s GotG MCU Outfit
Head to the “inside” of the stage where it’s less pink and pretty dark. Keep heading forward until you see a pink blockage with a small hole in the bottom.
Head towards it and you’ll crouch down and go through the hole. Groot’s MCU outfit is inside.
Chapter 2 Outfits
Star-Lord’s Nova-Lord Outfit

When you’re walking through the bowels of the ship you’ll get to a point where you have to help Cadet Gold block some flames by pushing a box across them.
As you move forward, she will go right but straight in front of you is a small cut-through. Go straight forward and through it, follow the path and you’ll find the outfit box for Star-Lord’s Nova Corps outfit.
Chapter 3 Outfits
Gamora’s MCU Outfit
Arguably one of the hardest to find. Head through the mission and approach a forest-like area. You’ll see a red structure overhead. You’ll trigger an interaction with Gamora while she’s looking at tracks on the ground.
Turn right here, follow the path to the end, and then turn left. Head through the small opening into a cave. In the back right corner of the cave, destroy the gunk to head through another small opening. You’ll now have to defeat some of the jelly cube creatures; after that encounter, clear one final opening and climb up to claim the outfit.
Groot’s Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse Outfit
This outfit is overlooking the arena where you fight the two creatures to acquire the cage. Follow the mission path; once you get Groot to provide a bridge, head left instead of right. Use the element gun to freeze the geyser and use it to ascend to the upper tier and open the box.
Chapter 4 Outfits
Drax MCU Outfit

When you’re at the spot where you avoid the first death drone, your mission path will be through the door on the left. Forget that for a moment and instead go straight. The side area will become visible. Drop down and traverse the area and at the very end is the costume box.
Rocket’s Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse Outfit
The mission path will bring you to a fork, with the rest of the Guardians going right. Turn and go the other way and tucked up against a blocked path you’ll find the box for Rocket’s Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse outfit.
Chapter 5
Outfits
Drax’s Nova Corps Uniform

Early on when you find yourself in the room where you have re-route the power to unlock the door in order to proceed, there is a second door to unlock.
Using Star-Lord’s visor, direct the power to the left-hand door which will open and give access to a bathroom. Just inside the door on the left, you will find the costume box.
Groot’s Nova Corps Outfit
Later in this chapter, you’ll come to a room where you have to climb up a thing that looks a bit like a scissor lift. Instead, head towards the back of the room, and then hiding behind some boxes on the right-hand side you’ll find this costume box.
Chapter 6 Outfits
Star-Lord’s MCU Outfit
This costume is located in the central area of Knowhere after Mantlo’s Bar, after you’ve been separated from the team. When you see the structure with the upper deck and a staircase to the left of it, you need to aim between the two. There’s a cut-through onto some red pipes. Hop the barrier onto the pipes, turn left and follow it to the outfit box.
Chapter 7 Outfits
Rocket’s Nova Corp Uniform
When trying to remove the clamps for the second time on the big Nova Corps power conductor, you’ll head into two rooms. In one of them, use Star-Lord’s visors to help redirect power from the electrical switch to the small door on the right. Head through the door to get the costume box inside.
Gamora’s Nova Corp Uniform

Head to the same staircase you went down with Nikki Gold back in Chapter 2 (the bit with the water flooding in). Head to the very bottom and you’ll find a switch on the wall to turn off the electricity with Star-Lord’s element gun.
Next, direct Gamora to cut through the vertical pipes in the corner, then squeeze through and find the box containing the Gamora Nova Corps outfit.
Chapter 8 Outfits
Star-Lord’s Bad-Lord Costume
When escaping from Raker you come across a pool of red liquid where you have to escape down a drain. As you reach the bottom of the slope, there is a large box to the right.
Get Drax to move it and place it over the gap you just emerged from. Climb the box, jump over the ledge and as you drop down the outfit box will be in front of you.
Drax’s Cage Match Outfit

When you come to this room with the large circular drop in the middle surrounded by a walkway, go to the direct opposite side to the door. The costume’s just right ahead.
Chapter 10 Outfits
Gamora’s Five Horsemen Of The Apocalypse Outfit
When you first enter the cave and come to the river you have to cross with a waterfall to your right, head straight through the waterfall. On the other side and off to the left is the costume box.
Rocket’s Hero of Halfworld Outfit
As you emerge from a small cave there will be a ledge on the right-hand side. Jump up onto this and go straight ahead and cross the walkway where you’ll be edging along a rock face. The costume box is on the other side.
Groot’s Annihilation – Conquest Outfit
Head further to the chapter where Groot is lighting the way. As you advance, the mission path will take you left. Head a little and on the rigth side where there’s a small gap in the rocks with plants growing around it. Squeeze through here for the outfit box.
Chapter 12 Outfits
Drax’s Thanos Imperative Outfit

You can find this outfit at the beginning of the chapter. Jump up onto the right-hand structure after dealing with the enemies nearby. Then jump the gap to the other structure to get to the box.
Rocket’s Smuggler Outfit
Head to the ruined Knowhere marketplace. You’ll come to a location where your mission path takes you to the left. Keep going straight; on the right side there will eventually be a blockage to clear using the wind element from Star-Lord’s gun. That’s where the outfit’s box is.
Gamora’s Casual Kill Outfit
There’s a bit halfway in the Chapter where Drax has to break a hole in the floor to proceed. When you slide down the newly created ramp, turn around and you’ll see a small opening to crawl through. Go through here and you’ll find the box for Gamora’s Casual Kill outfit.
Star-Lord’s Apocalypse-Lord Outfit
Once you’re done with the fight on the white brain donut thing in the Chapter, you’ll get Drax to move a large box to progress. Climb up the gantry, then head to the end of the nearby panel; command Gamora to jump up and anchor on to throw you to a higher platform. That’s where the costume box is.
Chapter 13 Outfits
Groot’s Five O’ Clock Sprouts Outfit
There’s an early part of the Chapter where you cross a narrow ledge pressed up against the wall. You’ll find a small opening in the mountain; go left and inside. Keep an eye out on the right corner of that passage; the outfit box is nearby.
Rocket’s The Stinger Outfit

Once you’ve unlocked the Plasma Element for Star-Lord’s gun (during the Wendigo fight), you’ll come across a space full of alien plants. Over in the far right-hand corner of this space, you’ll find two plants close together. Burn these away and behind them is the costume box.
Gamora’s Black Vortex Outfit

Later in the Chapter, you’ll find a flat surface where you can deploy Gamora to help propel you to a really high ledge. From that ledge, ljump across to the nearby adjacent ledge to get this outfit box.
Drax’s Katathian Monk Outfit
Pass the snowy field of death plants later in the Chapter; you’ll come across a ramp with one of the same plants at its base. Go up the ramp towards the blue icy wall to find this outfit box.
Chapter 14 Outfits
Star-Lord’s Team-Lord Outfit
Inside the wind tunnel, you’ll find an outfit box on the upper platform at the very end. To get the box, you need to reach the end using the wind element to raise the blockades to hide behind until the wind stops.
Once you reach the end, quickly jump up onto the raised platform on your left and pull up the blockade to avoid being blown away. When the win stops again, jump across to the other platform to get the box.
Drax’s Five Horsemen Of The Apocalypse Outfit
This box is at the point in the Chapter where you’re travelling through the central portion of the ship. After beating some robots and going back outside you’ll cross a Groot root bridge. You’ll then come across a path to the right, which has an ice wall. Melt the wall using the plasma shot, go through, and then jump up the platforms to the very top; the outfit box is there.
Gamora’s Chosen Daughter Outfit
When traversing the mines you come to an area where you need to freeze a geyser to cross a gap. To the left of this are more geysers; freeze them.
Then ump across them, and squeeze through the small gap. You’ll come to a space with a lot of components to collect and the outfit box on the far right.
The Rest Of The Outfits
When you finish the game, the following outfits will be unlocked.

Star-Lord: Gold-Lord
Star-Lord: Sleek-Lord
Star-Lord: Space-Lord
Star-Lord: City-Lord
Star-Lord: Sun-Lord
Rocket: Golden Guardians
Groot: Golden Guardians
Drax: Golden Guardians
Gamora: Golden Guardians


Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man Remastered Reveals Two New Suits

Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Insomniac Games haveÂ revealedÂ the â€œArachnid Riderâ€ and â€œArmored Advancedâ€ suits added toÂ Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man: RemasteredÂ for PS5.
Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man: Remastered will be included as part of Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales Ultimate Edition for the PS5.

Your first glimpse of the Arachnid Rider and Armored Advanced Suits, two all-new looks for Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered. Details on this enhanced version of the PS4 classic: https://t.co/iGY2mLTmfl pic.twitter.com/nEgzNY5AeT— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) November 6, 2020

AsÂ previously confirmedÂ by Insomniac Games community manager James Stevenson, these new suits will also be made available in the PS4 version ofÂ Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man.
Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man: Miles MoralesÂ is slated to release for the PS4 and PS5 on 12 November 2020. It is now open for pre-orders on the PS4 (check out all the details here).


Splinter Cell Creative Director Is Reportedly Rejoining Ubisoft

The Splinter Cell franchise has long been dormant since its last game, 2013’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist. It’s even been totally absent in the current gaming generation, with no current-gen games as of yet. However, that may change in the near future, as former creative director Maxime Beland is said to be rejoining Ubisoft.
Beland was responsible for two most recent Splinter Cell games, including 2010’s Splinter Cell: Conviction and the aforementioned 2013’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist, as well as three Far Cry titles under his belt. He left Ubisoft in early 2019 to become creative director at Epic Games.
According to the report (via VideoGamesChronicle), Beland will be joining the newly-revamped Ubisoft editorial team as the new vice-president. The new editorial team is being set up due to the disappointing performances of recent games like The Division 2 and Ghost Recon: Breakpoint.
The last we heard about Splinter Cell was in April 2019 when Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said that the developer/publisher has plans for a new Splinter Cell game. However, no updates have been announced or given since then.


Here’s How You Can Punt Ping Problems Away In Apex Legends

In fast-paced games, it’s important to have low latency and ping. In layman terms, you’re going to need an instant response of your actions to get the most out of your game.
That is the case for Apex Legends.Â Players have been reported to lag and disconnect during games, frequently seeing symbols on the top right corner of the screen during said hiccups.
Credit u/madchuska83
Fortunately, the developers have been toiling hard to make sure that you have the best battle royale experience by not only eliminating input lag and latency, but also reducing ping with this simple trick:

By selecting your datacenter.

The datacenter screen.
As of June, the game should be able to detect the best datacenter and automatically connect to it. This reduces the chances of a bad connection. However, if for some reason the game fails to do so and you are lagging during gameplay, you can take things into your own hands.
As a matter of fact, you can manually change the datacenter you are connected to. Thankfully, the steps are very simple!
Here are the steps:
On Console
These steps apply to both PS4 and Xbox One.
When you see the Apex Legends splash screen,Â press on the right stick,Â then you can use the left stick to chose any datacenter you like, preferably with the one with low ping and 0% packet loss.

Press the right stick on this screen.
On PC
This one is even simpler. Wait until you see the Apex Legends splash screen, then hover your mouse over the highlighted region as seen in the picture below, then click it.

What’s The Best Number?
The June update should have arranged the best server on top of your list, with low ping numbers and 0% packet loss.
Ping? Packet Loss?
We’ll break down each of these terms for you.

PingÂ is basically the time it is needed for data to reach you. So in this case 59 stands for 59ms, which means there’s a 59-millisecond gap, or lag, between you and the server.
Packet Loss isÂ when data travelling across the network fail to reach their destination, in this case, your console/PC.

There you have it. You’ll have a better gaming experience in no time thanks to this simple little trick. Have fun dominating the Apex Arena!
No more rage-inducing lag.
If you think lag isn’t your problem and need to step up your game, the contents of our updated guide may shift the delta in your favour.


Better Late Than Never; Here’s The Spider-Man Reveal Trailer For The Marvel’s Avengers Game

It’s been a year, and Square Enix is still trying to justify spending millions on the Avengers live service action game. Here they are again with the next addition to the title, which is kinda late but better than never, I suppose.
Spider-Man will be popping up for the PlayStation versions of Marvel’s Avengers as an extra playable character on 30th November. The trailer shows off Spider-Man kicking criminal butt and teaming up with the Avengers. The nature of the game is still a third-person action RPG with beat-em-up mechanics, so we’re not going to have a hugely flexible Marvel’s Spider-Man style Spider-Man. But at the very least he’ll be just as fast as Black Widow, arguably faster and with more counter options thanks to his Spider Senses.

You’re basically out of Spider-luck if you only have the Xbox and PC versions of the game. On a related note, Square Enix’s recent annual report for 2021 stated that Marvel’s Avengers was an ambitious title that was not proven as successful as they would have liked, citing issues like the transition to work-from-home during the pandemic and not selecting the right game designs that “mesh with the unique attributes and tastes of its studios and development teams”.
Long story short: don’t blow US$48 million forcing a single-player game-making dev team like Crystal Dynamics to make a Games as a Service action RPG brawler using rental versions of a famous comic book license.


Netflix Geeked Week Day 1: Shadow And Bone Season 2 & More

Netflix Geeked Week is a free five-day event that runs from 7 June to 11 June 2021. There will be tons of exciting announcements and exclusive first-looks to new trailers, celebrity appearances and so much more.
ALL THE NEWS & SNEAK PEEKS FROM DAY 1
Fret not if you canâ€™t watch Geeked Week live because weâ€™re compiling all of the latest news, hottest clips and lots more this week to keep you up-to-date and on top of the action.
Shadow And Bone Season 2 Confirmed

Netflixâ€™s critically-acclaimed fantasy series Shadow and Bone, based on Leigh Bardugo’s worldwide bestselling Grishaverse novels, has been renewed for a second season.
More than 55 million member households chose to watch the epic new fantasy series in its first 28 Days. The series made the Top 10 list in 93 countries around the world and hit #1 in 79 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Germany, Russia, Spain, South Africa, and the U.S.
Following the series launch on Netflix, the Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology returned to bestseller lists worldwide and has spent over a month in the #1 spot on The New York Times Bestseller list.
The new season will feature 8 all-new 1-hour episodes.
Quote from showrunner, writer and executive producer Eric Heisserer: “I’m honoured and thrilled to return to the Grishaverse and continue the stories of these endearing characters, particularly Milo.”
Quote from author and executive producer Leigh Bardugo: â€œI’ve been writing in the Grishaverse for nearly ten years now, so I’m thrilled we get to keep this adventure going. There are so many places we’ve barely gotten to visit and I can’t wait to introduce our audience to more of the saints, soldiers, thugs, thieves, princes, and privateers who make this world so much fun to explore. It’s going to be real magic to see our brilliant, talented cast expand.â€
Quote from executive producer Shawn Levy (21 Laps Entertainment): â€œMy 21 Laps colleagues and I are thrilled that audiences around the world can continue to explore the Grishaverse and revel in the epic, unique storytelling of Shadow and Bone. The fun of our jobs as producers is the collaboration with creative partners who inspire us. Leigh Bardugo and Eric Heisserer are two such partners; together they have created a world and pantheon of characters that fans all over the globe have embraced. We canâ€™t wait to take viewers on the wild ride that comes next…â€
Jessie Mei Li (Alina Starkov), Archie Renaux (Malyen Oretsev), Freddy Carter (Kaz Brekker), Amita Suman (Inej), Kit Young (Jesper Fahey), Ben Barnes (General Kirigan), Danielle Galligan (Nina Zenik) and Calahan Skogman (Matthias Helvar) are set to reprise their roles.Â  Additional casting details to be shared at a later date.
Shadow And Bone premiered on 23 April 2021 and is currently streaming worldwide, only on Netflix.

New Movie: Sweet Girl

Upcoming Jason Momoa action flick, Sweet Girl, tells the story about a devastated husband who vows to bring justice to the people responsible for his wifeâ€™s death while protecting the only family he has left, his daughter (Isabela Merced).
Lupin Season 2 Gets A New Exclusive Clip

When the chase is on ??  even the wife will understand.  #GeekedWeek @NetflixGeeked @omarsy pic.twitter.com/qeXtovOkiV
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) June 7, 2021

New Movie: Blood Red Sky

In the likely event of an emergency, strap in for a bloody ride. The teaser for Blood Red Sky is out now. ?  #GeekedWeek@NetflixGeeked @grahammctavish pic.twitter.com/clnThuvKwy
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) June 7, 2021

Directed by Peter Thowarthâ€™s Blood Red Sky is an upcoming horror film about a mysteriously ill woman flying with her young son who is forced to unleash a dark secret when terrorists attempt to hijack their transatlantic flight.
New Movie: The Ice Road

On this road, one split second decision can mean the difference between life and ice.  #GeekedWeek @NetflixGeeked @ambermidthunder pic.twitter.com/AZYrldDaAk
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) June 7, 2021

The Ice Road is a film starring Liam Neeson and Laurence Fishburne about ice road truckers on an impossible rescue mission over a frozen ocean to save trapped miners.
New Movie: Kate

Kate centres on a ruthless criminal operative who, after being irreversibly poisoned, has less than 24 hours to exact revenge on her enemies and in the process forms an unexpected bond with the daughter of one of her past victims.
Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kate launches on 10 September 2021, only on Netflix.
New Movie: The Last Mercenary

The exclusive action-packed trailer for The Last Mercenary is revealed. The Jean-Claude Van Damme action comedy follows a former French secret service special agent turned mercenary, who must reach out to his old contacts and join forces with a bunch of reckless youngsters when a mob operation threatens his sonâ€™s life.
Vikings Valhalla First Look

Set sail behind the scenes of Vikings: Valhalla  #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/gr3RCCsbjJ
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) June 7, 2021

Set sail behind the scenes look at the new world of the highly anticipated spinoff, Vikings: Valhalla, which begins 100 years after the original series concludes, dramatizing the adventures of the most famous Vikings who ever lived.
You can watch the entire Netflix Geeked Week Day 1 live stream below:


The 50 Best Pokemon Of All Time

809 Pokemon, but only one to rule them all!
Today, I’m counting down the top 50 Pokemon of all time, based on lore, cultural significance, and general cuteness factor. But mostly the cuteness factor.
Wanna read up on some Pokemon lore before Detective Pikachu hits theatres this May? Here’s your chance!
#50. Shuckle

In a world of mythical beasts, fire-breathing chickens and web-shooting bugs, Shuckle stands firm in simply being… a turtle.
You may ask “Why is Shuckle on this list?” I can’t give you an answer. Only Shuckle can. But it won’t. Because it’s a turtle.
NEXT


Daredevil & Kingpin Will Return In Marvel’s Echo TV Series

The Hawkeye spinoff Echo series is currently filming in Atlanta, Georgia, in the US, but details are already coming out about which characters will be appearing in the upcoming Disney+ Hotstar show.
According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, who portrayed Matt Murdock AKA Daredevil and Wilson Fisk AKA The Kingpin, respectively, have joined the Echo series. Cox most recently reprised his role in 2021’s Spider-Man No Way Home while D’Onofrio’s was in 2021’s Hawkeye series. They both last appeared on-screen together in Daredevil Season 3 back in 2018.
Sources say the Echo series will include a plotline in which Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock AKA Daredevil will be searching out a former ally, who is said to be none other than Jessica Jones, who was portrayed by Krysten Ritter in three seasons on Netflix. If Ritter as Jones does appear in Echo, that would leave Luke Cage, Iron Fist and the Punisher as major characters still left to be reintroduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
The Echo series will follow Maya Lopez AKA Echo (Alaqua Cox), as her life in New York as a gang leader catches up with her and she returns to her hometown to reconnect with her Native American roots. We last saw her shooting Kingpin in the Hawkeye season finale after learning he was responsible for the death of her beloved uncle, William Lopez (Zahn McClarnon).
McClarnon will reprise his role, and other cast members include Chaske Spencer, Tantoo Cardinal, Devery Jacobs, Cody Lightning and Graham Greene. Sydney Freeland and Catriona McKenzie will direct episodes with Marion Dayre serving as head writer. The Echo series is expected to release sometime in 2023.
In the meantime, You can check out my previous breakdowns of Hawkeye Episodes 1 and 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, and Episode 6 here.


Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4 Movie Dates Revealed; All Of Them

Marvel Studios just unleashed a bunch of Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4 movie dates to the public in a pretty snappy marketing sizzle reel.
Here are the official dates for the upcoming comic book films, from spy show Black Widow to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Black Widow: 9th July, 2021
Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow goes on a quest involving her past in-between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. She also fights Taskmaster, a comic book villain known for his copycat skills and outrageous costume in the comics.

Shang-Chi: 3rd September, 2021
Shang-Chi (Simu “Kim’s Convenience” Liu) becomes a master of kung-fu and will have to confront his dad (the legendary Tony Leung) who is the real Mandarin in the MCU canon. Also, Awkwafina’s in it as comic relief because why not.

Eternals: 11th November, 2021
Bonus: we get a quick sneak peek at this upcoming film. This one’s about a race of immortal beings in the Marvel Comics universe. Something tells us this may be the stand-in for the “Marvel superpowered family” archetype that should have been filled by the Fantastic Four. But, you know…

The Rest of The Films

Spider-Man: No Way Home: 17th December, 2021
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – 25th March, 2022
Thor: Love & Thunder – 6th May, 2022
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – 8 July, 2022
The Marvels: 11th November 2022.
Antman & The Wasp: Quantumania – 17th February 2023
Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 – 5th May 2023

That’s quite a blowout, as well as a reminder that the MCU will be invading cinemas all around the world in the near future. Check out the sizzle reel below.


Doctor Who Casts Its 14th Doctor

The BBC has announced Ncuti Gatwa is the new Doctor set to take charge of the TARDIS. He will be the fourteenth Doctor, the 14th Doctor, after Jodie Whittaker, who has been the Doctor since 2017.
Ncuti is best known for his critically acclaimed performance in Netflix’s Sex Education as the iconic Eric Effiong, for which he was awarded Best Actor Award at the Scottish BAFTA’s in 2020 as well as numerous nominations including Best Male Performance in a comedy programme at this year’s BAFTA’s.
Speaking of his new role, Ncuti said:
“There aren’t quite the words to describe how I’m feeling. A mix of deeply honoured, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared. This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care. I will endeavour my utmost to do the same.
Russell T Davies is almost as iconic as the Doctor himself and being able to work with him is a dream come true. His writing is dynamic, exciting, incredibly intelligent and fizzing with danger. An actor’s metaphorical playground. The entire team have been so welcoming and truly give their hearts to the show. And so as much as it’s daunting, I’m aware I’m joining a really supportive family. Unlike the Doctor, I may only have one heart but I am giving it all to this show.”
Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies adds:
“The future is here and it’s Ncuti! Sometimes talent walks through the door and it’s so bright and bold and brilliant, I just stand back in awe and thank my lucky stars. Ncuti dazzled us, seized hold of the Doctor and owned those TARDIS keys in seconds.
It’s an honour to work with him, and a hoot, I can’t wait to get started. I’m sure you’re dying to know more, but we’re rationing ourselves for now, with the wonderful Jodie’s epic finale yet to come. But I promise you, 2023 will be spectacular!”
Jodie Whittaker is set to leave the role after a final special episode, which will release sometime in late 2022.
However, Ncuti won’t be the first Black Doctor. That distinction and honor went to Jo Martin, who played the Fugitive Doctor in three episodes of the Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor run.
Jo Martin as the Fugitive Doctor.
As a Whovian, the last few seasons of Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor under showrunner Chris Chibnall has been underwhelming and forgettable. I hope the return of Russell T. Davies (who was previously the showrunner of the 9th and 10th Doctors) and a new Doctor will be enough to revitalize the long-running and iconic sci-fi series.
Check out the trailer below:


eFootball PES 2021 Data Pack 2.0 is Now Live

Konami previously announced that we won’t be getting a full updated game this year, but instead, more of a season update. The free Data Pack 2.0 update for eFootball PES 2021 has gone live, and it adds a lot more content to the game post-launch.
The eFootball PES 2021 Data Pack 2.0 update adds the latest league, club and player data for numerous countries, over 150 new Player Faces, more than 200 Kit Updates, 14 new boots and brand new Iconic Moment Series Players.
The highlight is the addition of current Rangers FC manager and football Legend, Steven Gerrard as a new Master League manager. Those aforementioned countries include the leagues from Italy, Spain, Turkey, Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil, and China.

In addition, over 200 teams have received the latest real-world kit updates, and clubs like Arsenal, FC Barcelona, Celtic FC, Juventus, Manchester United and AS Roma have also received newly-updated third kits.

Players can also look forward to new boots from NIKE, PUMA, UMBRO, MIZUNO and Joma, as well as unique â€œFull Celebration 3â€ drops for select Iconic Moment Series players too. Players can trigger it by just pressing L3 after scoring.

In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Westworld Is Back, But Is It Better Than Before?

The sci-fi androids-focused show Westworld admittedly hit a stumbling block in its third season. After all, how can you follow up such a couple of tough acts that is the first two seasons with its themed amusement park for adults concept with an android uprising amidst all of it?
The only way forward for the series is to focus on the aftermath, of course. The season starts with a writer named Christina (Evan Rachel Wood) who looks suspiciously like Dolores from the previous seasons. Caleb (Aaron Paul) seems to have a happy life away from Season 3’s events, but ends up teaming up with Maeve (Thandiwe Newton) to infiltrate the new Delos theme park -set in the Golden Age of 1900s- to stop the plans involving The Man In Black (Ed Harris) who may be alive.
Meanwhile, Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright) is finding answers in the closed-down parks. Yes, you will get lost if you aren’t in touch with Seasons 1 to 3, but at least the story is expanding to slightly new grounds, especially when it pulls the rug from under you at the latter half of episode 4 “Generation Lost”. Oh, and the ones behind the scenes is Charlotte Hale  (Tessa Thompson), the Delos Destinations Board executive director.
Robotics In Disguise

Other highlights include the episode 4 “Annees Folles” key action scene in the theme park features some nice theatrics and a lovely cover of Metallica’s Enter Sandman using an orchestra. And then there’s the other theme park that’s based on Season 2’s turn of events that’s sure to keep the already-bending plot even more screwy. Which is definitely the most interesting element of the overall show and the current season because it sure as hell isn’t the acting. Everyone’s playing it really straight and serious, this being a drama, but no one here really stands out as it’s one of those series where the lore and the plot take centerstage. Everyone has equal screentime, though you can argue that Caleb and Maeve get a bit more screentime as their current mission is the early season’s first half focus.
Still, the first four episodes of Westworld is definitely a promising new start for the series, though the stretched storyline is starting to wear thin and it’s not friendly for those who didn’t do their homework. Were it not for its actors like Evan Rachel Wood and Aaron Paul just giving in a right amount of effort to make the show palatable, along with the show’s mystery box being unveiled at the right time, we might end up with a mediocre experience. Thankfully, there are some working wheels left in this amusement ride.
Final(?) Score: 70/100


Su Ling Chan Of No Straight Roads Is The First Malaysian To Voice A Major Anime Series

Kageki Shoujo!!, a pretty popular anime series about acting troupes practising to be the best, will be one of the first major titles to sport a Malaysian talent in its official English voice casting.
Su Ling Chan, whom you may know as the VO of Mayday from hit 3D action music-laced game No Straight Roads, will play Akiya Shirakawa’s mom as well as various students in episodes 7 and 10 in the hit show. Su Ling recorded all of her lines in Malaysia with Sound Cadence studio in Texas, meaning she did all the work remotely.

The English dub of Kageki Shoujo!! is available right now on Funimation; you may need to use VPN-related means to tune in if you’re based in Southeast Asia.
As a region known for having talented English VOs and dubbing work, this is a helluva win for Malaysia’s VO talent, and Southeast Asia by extension. We do hope this breakthrough paves the way for more Malaysian and Southeast Asian English voice actors to star in more mainstream animes and animated features.


Indie Studio Devolver Digital Acquires Even Smaller Indie Studio Doinksoft

Devolver Digital, the company known for publishing some pretty cool indie games, has gone and acquired doinksoft, a game studio from Oregon.
You might have heard of doinksoft from their previous games, like Gato Robot and Demon Throttle. And get this, they’re also working on a new game called Gunbrella, which is coming out in 2023 for the Nintendo Switch and PC through Steam.
So what’s Gunbrella all about, you ask? Well, it’s a wild ride of a game that takes place in a world that’s super dependent on a natural resource that’s quickly running out. You play as a tough-as-nails woodsman who’s out for revenge, armed with a special weapon that’s both a gun and an umbrella (yes, you read that right).
Along the way, you’ll come across all sorts of characters, from ghouls and gangsters to cops and cultists, and you’ll have to navigate through the aftermath of corporate greed and exploitation. Sounds pretty intense, right? We can’t wait to get our hands on this one.

Key Features

Engage in side-scrolling action combat with a focus on manoeuvrability and close-quarters gunplay. Your gun is also a movement tool. Use the umbrella to glide, swing, dash, and dive.
Interrogate and speak to a cast of bizarre characters. What you learn is recorded in your investigative notebook.
Manage your resources. Find scrap and spare parts to trade for different munitions and upgrades.
Explore various locations from a small town menaced by cult kidnappings, to a junkyard-turned-fortress ruled by a trash gang, and maybe even the mythical city of Avalon, where it’s rumoured that you can still see the sky.
Uncover the mysteries of the supernatural as wraiths and monstrosities materialize in places where blood has been shed…


Fantasy Stars: Ranking All The Final Fantasy Games From Fabulous To Flat

If you know JRPGs, you should damn well know the Final Fantasy series. This series, and arguably Dragon Quest but no one gave a s*** until the late 2000s, help shape everybody’s perception of JRPGs. Created by former Squaresoft/Square Enix developer & producer Hironobu Sakaguchi, the series started off as a desperate attempt to survive in the cutthroat games industry, which then blossomed into a multi-million dollar franchise and property that also spawned a number of sequels, spin-offs, and animated features.
To celebrate the birthday of Mr. Sakaguchi’s pride and joy on the Famicom back in 1987, I’ll be examining each main Final Fantasy title and then rank them all from bottom to top. I’ve played too many Final Fantasy games to the point that I’m pretty confident this list is the be-all-end-all one.
Here are the rules:

if it does not have a number in the title, itâ€™s not going to be on this list.
Weâ€™re not counting sequels and spin-offs, so thereâ€™s no Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII here either. We want to focus on the mothership entries that helped shape the seriesâ€™ history and future.

Which entry is the best? Which entry defined the Final Fantasy name and experience as a whole? Which entry is obsolete and was just a product of its time? Take a look below and see if I’m right or wrong. Okay, I probably am right; my goddamn Final Fantasy part of my brain would otherwise be left there for naught.
#16: Final Fantasy XIV (PC)

In Square Enixâ€™s infinite wisdom, they followed up their online magnum opus Final Fantasy XI withâ€¦this.
Final Fantasy XIV felt like a step backwards; it used the old quest system and class design of FFXI without any of the polish and improvements expected for a spiritual sequel.
The gameâ€™s world and aesthetics were rather lifeless and, for reasons only known to Square Enixâ€™s internal committee, was a processor hog for computers. And this is coming from a company renowned for creating and optimizing awesome graphics and presentation tech for their games.
The original FFXIV is so bad and so broken, it made Square Enix reevaluate their stances in making Final Fantasy games. They went above and beyond the call of duty by swallowing their pride and burning down the foundations of this hot mess that needed more Phoenix Downs than usual. Thankfully, their second take did succeed; weâ€™ll be touching upon that further up on the list.
#15: Final Fantasy II (NES)

This game came out a year after the first Final Fantasy game made headlines in Japan back in 1987. This JRPG introduced new mechanics like the ability to level up your individual skills and stats, as well as a simple-yet-dramatic narrative (which were novel concepts in the late 80s).
Both concepts fell apart in practice. Players could beef up their characters by hitting their own party members. The gameâ€™s system did not take into account that whether youâ€™re fighting stronger or weaker enemies, the amount gained from levelling up is the same.
While heroes had names and personalities, they never went beyond their archetype. The dungeon design was horrendous too, with some rooms and secret areas not containing anything and usually filled with a higher enemy encounter rate than most. This is one FF game you can skip.
#14: Final Fantasy (NES)

While the very first Final Fantasy was a landmark in RPG history, it sure as heck did not age well. Just like any first draft of a movie script or a TV pilot, there are a ton of rough edges that were smoothed out with each new sequel.
If you must revisit the game that started it all, you should check out the PSP remakes which smoothed out the menu and selection system.
#13: Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, Xbox 360)

Pretty and simple: thatâ€™s the ethos of the thirteenth mothership FF title. The game wanted to take a more linear and cinematic approach to the genre. The problem was that FFX did a better job at it without sacrificing its complexity, thought-provoking narrative, and deep levelling systems.
Instead, a lot of mechanics were streamlined. The Paradigm combat system lets you change roles and classes on the fly so that youâ€™re ready for any fight, especially against bosses that can change up their strategies and attack patterns at a whim. The levelling up system just makes you fill up a roleâ€™s crystals without any sort of branching path to customize them.
FFXIIIâ€™s sequels improved further upon the base template, so you should play those instead if you want a meatier FF experience. But for the sake of this list, weâ€™re putting this at the bottom because this mothership title was so uninspired and trite, it needed its two sequels to carry it to some form of relevance.
#12:Â Final Fantasy III (NES)

Final Fantasy IIIÂ was a leap forward in terms of innovation back in the early 90s; it introduced the revolutionary Job System where your four playable party members can change their character class anytime they want (except during combat). This led to a lot of inventive and challenging battles and boss scenarios where you need to change your entire team to a specific bunch of classes to stay alive and endure.
The game also built upon the previous gamesâ€™ template, with a rich narrative, a load more continents to explore, and some exceptional dungeon design that challenges players to their witâ€™s end. However, there were later entries and spin-offs that made part 3 a tad obsolete.
At the very least, FFIII serves as a reminder of the good old days and a lesson in how to up the ante for your franchiseâ€™s future.
#11: Final Fantasy XI (PC, PS2)

Since its global release in 2004 until now, Final Fantasy XI has been the only go-to mass online RPG congregation for FF fans (apart from game forums). The game predated World of Warcraft and was one of the few pioneers in the MMO landscape, with numerous expansions that made the game livelier with more quests, more continents, and more classes.
It was a landmark, but itâ€™s not active anymore. It did pave the way for the next online entry in the Final Fantasy series, which we will get to later on this list.
#10: Final Fantasy XV (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

A game literally 10 years in the making; this entry used to be called Final Fantasy Versus XIII back in 2006. The final product ended up being an ambitious game with quite a number of potholes that needed filling.
That said, the gameâ€™s open-world concept was brought out to full force here, as the world of Eos is vibrant and full of activities and secrets waiting to be discovered. Even though you only control one person in combat, the four-man tag team fighting is fast, fluid, frenetic, and a joy to play from start to finish. There are also a ton of giants and mob bosses to hunt for and fight.
True, the gameâ€™s story needed a lot of work in its middle portion, but the camaraderie between protagonist Noctis and his pals Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis is the gameâ€™s highlight from a narrative standpoint. We canâ€™t really care much about an RPG if there arenâ€™t any characters to root for; FFXV covered that with its four main heroes.
#9: Final Fantasy X (PS2, PS4, PS Vita)

A number of people decry Final Fantasy X for its linear storytelling nature. However, thereâ€™s actually more to the game than meets the eye.
For starters, FFX eschews the Active Time Battle system introduced in FFIV in favour of a turn-based party-switching combat system. Since all the major fights in the game require more than three classes, the combatâ€™s flexibility lets you temporarily bring in a party member to buff or even cast that game-winning spell just to turn the tide of battle.
Secondly, the gameâ€™s plot is rather dark and sombre as it deals a lot with the concept of death and the afterlife; the Danse Macabre. The main leads in the game, Tidus and Yuna, have to deal with the burden of succeeding the predecessors and parents while also fighting off a world-ending beast thatâ€™s more of a force of nature than an actual bad guy trying to conquer the world.
Third and last, thereâ€™s actually still a bevvy of sidequests and optional fights to deal with despite the gameâ€™s linear nature. While not as big a world to explore, there is still some fun to be had in the world of Spira. If anything, FFX represents a tonal shift that is welcome since its past wacky and bright iterations.
And if you want to start off with the FF series that isn’t made before 2000 and see what the hubbub is with the series, FFX is great in that regard. Everything about it is laid out for you to learn the ropes and its classes, since it’s the most “linear” FF of the lot.
#8: Final Fantasy IX (PS1, PC, iOS, Android)

FFIX is what happens when Square Enix decides to create a â€œGreatest Hitsâ€ compilation in a form of a self-contained FF entry. The game features a revved-up Active Time Battle system with a four-man party, a world with a bunch of FF homages from black mages to callbacks from the first FF to FFV, and a ton of random encounters for every step you take on the world map. The game is nostalgia-pandering for good and ill.
FFIX also boasts a likeable cast from the cheery swashbuckling-style hero Zidane to the tough-as-nails female dragoon knight Freya, as well as oddities like Quina. While the gameâ€™s second and third act is a jumbled mess with varying tones narrative-wise, the rest of the package is a great tribute to the golden days of JRPGing yore.
The game is available on PC and even on mobile phones with much-needed features like a fast-forward button. So if you want a 3D version of a classic Final Fantasy game and canâ€™t stand going back to retro trappings of games, you canâ€™t go wrong with FFIX.
#7: Final Fantasy VIII (PS1, PC)

If Final Fantasy VII was more story-centric, Final Fantasy VIII was the polar opposite. Rather than focusing on the gameâ€™s school-life military blues story with a tacky love story shoved in, FFVIII just throws in a lot of crazy and innovative-for-its-time ideas for its combat and gameplay.
Using your summons as both a nuke and as a stats-boosting power-up, magic as a finite source that needs to be drawn from enemies and “hotspots”, enemies being the same level as you so that you canâ€™t power-grind your way through the game. These mechanics plus a few others make this entry unique and memorable.
Final Fantasy VIII was also responsible for one of the greatest card-based minigame around: Triple Triad. There hasnâ€™t been a more simple and addictive card game around that spawned off an RPG since Gwent.
#6: Final Fantasy VII (PS1, PC)

FFVII has not aged well, what with the new art styles and graphics of JRPGs and even within the series itself. The transition from small chibi-sized deformed 3D models to regular-sized characters in the battle screen is jarring in todayâ€™s context and itâ€™s hard to go back to this. The battle system and Materia customization options are also made obsolete thanks to later entries that are even more worthy.
However, we remember FFVII because of its plot and character development. Main hero Cloud may seem like an aloof bad boy of a warrior, but he ends up being a flawed shell of a person who isnâ€™t what he seems after the first third of the game. Main antagonist Sephiroth too is actually more of a pawn being led on and controlled by his heritage and bloodline.
And to say nothing of the allegories about the main corporation Shinra that dominates the landscape of FFVIIâ€™s world, which is all about globalization, corporate culture, and the fine line between activism and terrorism. FFVIIâ€™s story is smarter than it seems, and thatâ€™s why it takes precedence over everything else.
It’s also the most important one that brought the JRPG genre to mainstream status, meaning its cultural impact has placed it pretty high on this coveted list.
#5: Final Fantasy IV (SNES, Game Boy Advance, iOS, Android)

Most fans remember FFIV more for its characters and story, and why not? The game’s cast is clearly-defined and has specific Jobs & skillsets to round up the party composition.
However, the fourth mothership game is renowned for its expanded scope, its bold new step into the SNES era, and also its combat. FFIV introduced the gameâ€™s staple Active Time Battle system which led to fast-paced combat with that turn-based option-selecting feel. You can opt to switch it to turn-based mode, but where is the fun in that?
This change alone help set the precedence for other Final Fantasy games in the future. Also, the silly & melodramatic narrative of the series is in its base form here, tropes and all. The love triangle, the self-sacrifices, the personal journeys of self-discovery; all of it came from part 4. As such, FFIV is a great starting point for those who want to experience the 2D FF games in their prime.
#4: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (PC, PS4)

What a difference a few years can make. The revamp of Final Fantasy XIV, subtitled A Realm Reborn, was met with universal acclaim. Itâ€™s also still going on too, with its expansions Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers adding in even more content for MMO players to play with.
Many of the boss fights and dungeons are lovely nods and throwbacks to past Final Fantasy titles. The gameâ€™s class system and combat go well within a group context of an MMO. And above all, the new FFXIV universe is a packed world thatâ€™s worth exploring and spending loads of time with.
FFXIV: ARR is the best mass multiplayer online version of a Final Fantasy game thatâ€™s currently online as we speak. Provided that you have the time and dedication to pay a monthly subscription fee for the game, you should jump in without fail.
#3: Final Fantasy V (SNES, PS1, Game Boy Advance, iOS, Android)

The fifth game in the series takes the best parts of part I and III, and basically made it into a much more fun, enjoyable, and most importantly, fair experience. FFV is Hironobu Sakaguchiâ€™s last directorial FF work before handing over the reins to the new FF lead Yoshinori Kitase, and my itâ€™s quite a sendoff.
The patented Job system is where the game is at: with more Jobs and more flexibility to the system. Boss fights and mob battles are more strategic and creative, as well as requires players to change up their Jobs to effectively fight them.
If youâ€™re looking for the best version of a traditional Final Fantasy game without the design errors of past games, Final Fantasy V is perfect.
#2: Final Fantasy XII (PS2, PS4, PC, Xbox One)

You cannot go wrong with this iteration of Final Fantasy, a series known for breaking new ground and taking risks. FFXII is the culmination of that design philosophy as it introduced an open world that is interconnected with one another and a real-time-ish combat system that isÂ reminiscent of your MMO fares.
You arenâ€™t given a clear directive on where to go when you start heading out into the wilderness, but thatâ€™s the beauty of it. Many sections of the game are purposely littered with a high-level monster so that the game leads you to the â€œcorrectâ€ destination without outright telling you. Landmarks and mob placements help guide you so that you figure out the path on your own.
The game also introduces the Gambit system for combat. You basically set a bunch of commands to make your player characters attack and cast magic depending on the situation in the field. Yes, you can program the game to play itself but there are boss fights and special battles that will force you to retweak your Gambit settings and even perform commands on the fly.
These features, coupled with a grand story with political intrigue, actually makes Final Fantasy XII better with age. This entry encompasses the core value of a Final Fantasy title: the fact that it attempts to break new ground in the JRPG market while also keeping true to its magic and fantasy D&D-inspired roots.
Oh, and the soundtrack is also a thing of beauty.

#1: Final Fantasy VI (SNES, Game Boy Advance, iOS, Android, PC)

FFVI takes the old and the new, blends them together, and then amps it up further with great production values and game design that even hold up today.
How often have you had the second half of a game open up to you right after a world-ending catastrophe, and then having to split up into three groups to tackle its last dungeon? And how often does a game let its chief antagonist go from literal court jester to nihilistic megalomaniac who actually succeeds in his plan for world domination?
Not many JRPGs went this route; FFVI did this in the mid-90s and somehow it still resonates to fans and JRPG players to this day. Speaking of groups, FFVI has to this day the largest playable cast ever assembled for an FF game. Unlike other RPGs of that magnitude, every single one of them gets fleshed out and have their screentime and moments, provided you do your diligence in playing through their sidequests.
In short, Final Fantasy VI is the best game among the mothership titles because it is the full package. It is an epic rollercoaster ride that you will remember from start to finish.


This Man Left A Cushy Riot Games Job For An NFT Game Company; We Find Out Why

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) games have been making the rounds across the web, and many of the faces behind the games may have been involved in some of your favourite games, whether you like it or not.
For example, a Riot Games higher-up leaves for a chance to make NFTs work in brand-new games. Justin Hulog, is a former employee of Riot Games, the international gaming conglomerate most renowned for League of Legends and VALORANT. Earlier this year in March, Hulog left his cushy job at Riot Games to pursue the NFT-gaming industry and joined Immuntable as Chief Studio Officer. Perhaps the prospects of NFT in games seem too attractive a calling to not ignore, it seems. Amidst the sea of grifters and pyramid schemes, perhaps this company might be the one to not be part of that bad side of NFT.
So far Immuntable has developed two free-to-play games. One is an online tactical card game dubbed Gods Unchained and led by the former game director of Magic The Gathering: Arena. The game focuses on competitive play, which means players must strategically outsmart their opponents by building decks that are able to combat a wide variety of tactics. In Gods Unchained players completely own their digital items, giving them the freedom to trade, sell and use their cards any way they like – just like owning real, tangible cards. And the other game is Guild of Guardians, which is still yet to publically released. Guild of Guardians a mobile RPG where “players can turn their gaming passion into assets”. It will be a multiplayer, fantasy, action RPG where players build their dream team of ‘Guardians’ and compete in a guild to earn epic, tradeable rewards.
We sat down with him and asked him a series of questions regarding the transition from Riot to Immutable, the games being produced and where they stand in the industry as well as his views on the longevity of NFT games.

Why did you leave Riot for Immutable?
As a Filipino-American who was originally from the Philippines and grew up in the US, who had also worked in the early days of web2, I’ve experienced a lot of transformations within the digital landscape. As a gamer myself, and through my time at Riot, I witnessed first-hand the impact that mobile gaming has had on the gaming landscape and could see a lot of parallels with the advent of web3 games.
Over the past year, I saw how big web3 games were growing back at home in the Philippines. All of my nieces and nephews were really into it; and in web3 games, they were able to take their time and engagement in video games more meaningful. At the same time, I noticed a lot of resistance and pushback against web3 games, very similar to the pushback against mobile games a few years ago. Today mobile is arguably the largest and most profitable part of the gaming industry.
Being part of web3 and spearheading this transformation across the digital landscape felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity. I happened to meet Robbie Ferguson and Immutable opportunistically and was really impressed by the genesis of Immutable as a gaming-first web3 company. Immutable’s mission to build great games that leverages the power of blockchain in an innovative and player-focused way resonated with me deeply.
So when Immutable invited me to join, I couldn’t say no.
Tell us more about the two games Gods Unchained and Guild of Guardians.

Gods Unchained is a free-to-play tactical card game that gives players true ownership of their in-game items. Led by the former game director of Magic The Gathering: Arena, the game focuses on competitive play, which means players must strategically outsmart their opponents by building decks that are able to combat a wide variety of tactics. In Gods Unchained, players completely own their digital items, giving them the freedom to trade, sell and use their cards any way they like – just like owning real, tangible cards.
The game has tens of thousands of active users and hosts a thriving play-and-earn economy. Over $52M worth of cards have been exchanged on the marketplace with over US$13 million worth of NFTs out in the world.
Guild of Guardians is a free-to-play multiplayer, action RPG (ARPG) where players build their dream team of Guardians and compete in a guild to earn epic rewards. GOG combines action, deep strategy, a dynamic trading economy metagame and social-focused gameplay that will keep players engaged for years. It is set to be released on iOS and Android later this year.
The game already has a community of over 400,000 pre-registered users and successfully sold out their first NFT Founder sale which generated $4.6 million which will be used to build and grow the game.
How do the two action RPG games stand out in a market already saturated by games like Diablo 3, Diablo Immortal, and Path of Exile?
Both Gods Unchained and Guild of Guardians stand out in a highly-competitive gaming market because unlike mainstream games, our games give players complete ownership over their in-game assets. Unlike mainstream games where players are only licensing/renting these items short term, we empower players to truly own, trade and upgrade their in-game items.
How does Ethereum NFT and blockchain gaming make the two games fun?
NFTs and blockchain make games more fun a few key ways:
In blockchain games, the time and money that players spend on a game is no longer a sunk cost for players and instead they are rewarded for their labour and purchases. Additionally, with trading enabled, players can choose to buy cards or heroes directly and can bypass painful gacha systems.
Furthermore, the NFT and token economy adds additional depth to the metagame and introduces new ways to engage with our products via economic gameplay.
How long do you see both games last? Is there a backup plan in case NFTs and blockchain tank?
We’re building both Gods Unchained and Guild of Guardians for players for years to come. We have long-term ambitions for growth for both games and their IPs. We strongly believe that NFTs and gaming will continue to progress irregardless of the NFT/crypto market condition.
We are no stranger to bear markets here at Immutable. Gods Unchained has been on the market since 2018 and launched right into a crypto downturn (which some would argue was in some ways even shakier than the current cycle).
Times like these are when we believe projects like Gods Unchained and Guild of Guardians which are built with the right fundamentals and substance – those focused on ownership and utility and not short-term financial gamification – will continue to grow and thrive. With our recent Series C funding, we are going to continue to build and grow and disrupt the gaming industry and onboard millions of users to NFTs.


Here’s How You Can Play Obsidian’s Upcoming Survival Game Demo

Remember the fine folks who created the awesome The Outer Worlds? They’re also in the midst of working on its upcoming title Grounded; think Honey, I Shrunk The Kids but in co-op survival game form.
You can get a taste of the game when the single-player demo is out from 9th June to 14th June via the Steam Game Festival. You can also check it out via Xbox One’s Insider program (register here). Sorry, no PS4 demo.
Check out the action below if it’s your bag. Obsidian’s brand of humour is intact in this game, so it’s probably worth a look.


Netflix’s Luther The Fallen Sun Drops This March

Netflix has announced that Luther The Fallen Sun will premiere on the streaming giant on 10 March 2023.
Idris Elba returns as detective John Luther in the upcoming feature film, co-starring Andy Serkis, Cynthia Erivo, and Dermot Crowley.
In Luther The Fallen Sun, an epic continuation of the award-winning television saga reimagined for film, a gruesome serial killer is terrorising London while brilliant but disgraced detective John Luther (Idris Elba) sits behind bars. Haunted by his failure to capture the cyber psychopath who now taunts him, Luther decides to break out of prison to finish the job by any means necessary. The film also stars Cynthia Erivo, Andy Serkis, and Dermot Crowley, who returns as Martin Schenk.
Check out the trailer below:


Minecraft Dungeons’ Creeping Winter DLC Snows In Next Month

Minecraft Dungeons is getting another DLC expansion pack next month on 8 September 2020, and this time it’s an early winter for players of the game.
The Minecraft Dungeons Creeping Winter DLC will feature new missions and enemies, as well as a bunch of new stuff to loot. These include new armour, weapons and artifacts to collect.
However, Mojang’s post didn’t reveal much on details, but we’ll probably see more as the release date looms. While players have to pay to receive the Creeping Winter DLC, they can still look forward to a free content update that will launch on the same day, featuring new merchants and Daily Trials.
Merchants like the Blacksmith will upgrade items while the Gift Wrapper will allow players to trade items with other players in multiplayer. The Merchants can also be levelled up for additional stock. Meanwhile, the Daily Trials will provide fun new “difficult” and “experimental” challenges every day.
Last but not least, Minecraft Dungeons is now available in physical format for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. The physical retail version of the game is the Hero Edition of the game, which includes the Jungle Awakens DLC, Creeping Winter DLC, base game, and unique cosmetics (like a cape). These will also be releasing on 8 September 2020.

In the meantime, check out our review of Minecraft Dungeons here.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9W9XWmBBBE&w=560&h=315]


Baldur’s Gate 3 Early Access Owners Gets Digital Deluxe Edition For Free

Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming out later this 31st August 2023. But for those who got into Early Access, you’ve been playing the game since 2019 or so in its broken state.
To reward those loyal to Larian’s RPG efforts, they’re going to give Early Access players the Digital Deluxe version of the game for free. As long as you bought the Early Access version early before the launch day, you’ll get this deluxe version of the game free of charge.

If you already own Baldur's Gate 3 on PC, or purchase it in Early Access before launch, you get a free upgrade to the Digital Deluxe Edition on launch day ?
— Larian Studios is releasing BG3 on August 31st ? (@larianstudios) February 23, 2023

The Digital Deluxe version comes with a custom dice skin based on whether you bought it on PC or PlayStation 5, as well as the following bonuses:

Divinity Bard Song Pack – Astound audiences by performing this special set of new songs from the Divinity series
Paintings from Rivellon – Discover a new collection of paintings across the Forgotten Realms
Adventurer’s Pouch – Receive a collection of camp supplies and potions to help get your journey started
Digital OST – Enjoy the music of Baldur’s Gate 3 from composer Borislav Slavov
Digital Artbook – Explore the art and design of Baldur’s Gate 3 in this digital artbook, written by Larian
Digital Character Sheets – Peruse a set of four-page D&D character sheets for each Baldur’s Gate 3 origin character
Treasures of Rivellon Pack (4 artifacts based on party members from Divinity: Original Sin 2)

Baldur’s Gate 3 will be out for PC and PS5 on 31st August. This version of the game will feature the second and third act of the story, as well as access to all of the races, classes, and spells from the Player’s Handbook. If you want to play the first act in its Early Access state, go and buy the game right now.


Here’s How You Can Watch All The MAGFest 2022 Concerts

In spite of what’s happening in the real world, video game music concert fiesta MAGFest is still living on and partying it out online for the start of 2022. The event is happening from 7th to 9th January, with its highlights happening online as many of us are still a bit wary about growing COVID-19 concerns.
Here’s how you can catch the upcoming acts and performances online, because they’re still most likely going to be better than most video game music acts out there.
MAGFest 2022 Music Lineup
Negativland
Bit Brigade
The Megas
Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band
Magnificent Danger
Master Sword
The Audio Gremlins
Paladin
Aeoxis
Lacey Johnson Music
Triforce Quartet
Super Guitar Bros
Kirby’s Dream Band
GameBreax
Star Fighter Dreams
Nullsleep
DEFENSE MECHANISM
Watch Out For Snakes
nmlstyl
Let’s Disinfect
Inverse Phase
GrooveCube
Tetracase
Damn Selene
Shubzilla
Bill Beats
Kadesh Flow
Mega Ran
GR3YS0N
SUE-C
MAGFest 2022 Concert Livestream & Schedule
Schedule
8/1/2022 (Saturday): 7am to 3pm (GMT+8)
Saturday music lineup: Triforce Quartet, Kirby’s Dream Band, Damn Selene, Inverse Phase, Kadesh Flow, Gr3yson, Negativland +Sue-C, Bit Brigade, DJ Block: Groovecube, VGR, DV-1, Tetracase
9/1/2022 (Sunday): 7am to 3pm (GMT+8)
Sunday music lineup: Aeoxis, Watch Out For Snakes, Super Guitar Bros, Let’s Disinfect!, Shubzilla x Bill Beats, Paladin, Mega Ran, The Megas, Dinari Nullsleep, Cass Cuttlefish< Starfighter Dreams, Defense Mechanism
Livestream

MAGFest 2022 Music Archives


Coraline Director Teams Up With Jordan Peele For Wendell & Wild

Wendell & Wild is an upcoming stop-motion animated dark fantasy comedy horror film directed by Henry Selick, from a script by Selick and Jordan Peele, based on Selick and Clay McLeod Chapman’s unpublished book. It was originally announced during Netflix Geeked Week in June 2022.
Produced by Netflix Animation, Monkeypaw Productions, Gotham Group, and Principato-Young Entertainment, the film stars Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele as the titular characters, with Lyric Ross, Angela Bassett, James Hong, Sam Zelaya, Tamara Smart, Seema Virdi, Ramona Young and Ving Rhames in supporting roles.
The synopsis reads:
From the delightfully wicked minds of Henry Selick (director of The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline) and Jordan Peele (Nope, Us, Get Out) comes the story of Kat (Lyric Ross), a troubled teen haunted by her past, who must confront her personal demons, Wendell & Wild (played by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele) to start a new life in her old hometown. Wendell & Wild also stars Angela Bassett, James Hong, and Ving Rhames.
This is Selick’s first feature film since 2009’s Coraline. Selick is also best known as the director of the animated classics, 1993’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and 1996’s James And The Giant Peach. Dark stop-motion animated movies are his forte. Meanwhile, Jordan Peele is, of course, best known for his horror movies like Get Out, Us and most recently, Nope (as well as his comedy sketch series Key & Peele on YouTube).
Wendell & Wild premieres on Netflix on 28 October 2022. Check out the trailer below:


The Legend Of Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom Confirmed To Be The First US$70 Nintendo Switch Title

Nintendo recently unveiled the new trailer for The Legend Of Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom during today’s Nintendo Direct February 2023 edition. Behind all the hype, it’s easy to overlook that Nintendo has also confirmed that the sequel to 2017’s The Legend Of Zelda Breath Of The Wild will be the first Nintendo Switch game to be priced at the new next-gen standard of US$70 or roughly RM300+.
You can pre-order it now on the Nintendo eShop.
That makes it on par with the price of first-party PS5 games like Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart or Returnal.
Meanwhile, the Collector’s Edition of The Legend Of Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom will be priced at US$129.99.

The Legend Of Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom will launch for the Nintendo Switch on 12 May 2023.


Here’s A Look At Call of Duty’s Battle Royale First “Warzone” Map

The biggest inquiry whenever we hear about a new battle royale game is always the size of the map. The developers can include all the features they want into their battle royale game but the decider whether a battle royale game is gonna work or tank relies heavily on the map it is being played on.
Leading up to the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s battle royale-dedicated mode, ‘Warzone’ which drops tonight (or tomorrow morning for those who haven’t purchased the game), we now have a glimpse of the map we will be dropping in thanks to a bunch of YouTubers who got an early look of the mode recently.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E44DClsX5Q&w=560&h=315]
CoD-dedicated YouTuber Inkslasher got into depth with his latest video to describe the in-game locations. These include elements seen previously in several Ground War maps such as Krovnik Farmland, Tavorsk District, and Karst River Quarry.
Feast your eyes on the map where 150 – yes, 150 players are dropping in for some mega carnage. We aren’t sure how does the size compare with other battle royale maps but by simply eyeballing it, the map should be around the size of what we are accustomed to on PUBG.

As shown on the map, vehicles are available throughout alongside in-map points of interests such as Buy Stations and contracts which awards players with killstreaks, in-game currency and special items.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare‘s battle royale mode ‘Warzone‘ drops tonight, free to play on all platforms. And yes, you can play the game as a standalone without owning Modern Warfare. The full video can be viewed below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr9wdHnQqzA&w=560&h=315]


Your Highness: Celebrating Gaming’s Royal Rulers

Happy belated royal birthday, Yang Dipertuan Agong of Malaysia. To most of us in Malaysia, it’s a nice long weekend. But for some of us (sorta) hard at work at Kakuchopurei and definitely, DEFINITELY not distracted by Marvel’s Spider-Man on the PS4, it’s another opportunity to reminisce about the best kings and queens of video game culture. Because by golly there’s a ton of them who deserves their time in the spotlight as of late.
Here are our personal favourites. Just one major rule: Our finely-selected rulers, be it male or female, needs to at least rule a nation and is the official monarch of said fictional nation. Yes, title and all.
Princess Peach (Mario Series)

Let’s start with the obvious ones from the Mushroom Kingdom. She rules over her Toadstool subjects, each of them with different colourful hats. And while she does get kidnapped way too often, she at least shows some initiative like rescuing Mario & Luigi in her own Nintendo DS game that showcases the company’s lack of understanding concerning women & stereotyping them.
She has shown her competence in taking action & maintaining a stable Toad government via titles like the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi RPGs and even that Super Mario 3D World game where she’s the most OP platformer in the game. That hovering dress must have been cooked up by a crack team of Toad scientists, yo!
Princess Zelda’s Dad/King of Hyrule/King Rhoam (The Legend of Zelda Series)

While the Princess of Hyrule gets top billing instead of her loyal manservant-knight-elf-person, she deserves less when it comes to keeping Hyrule in check. That honour should go to her dad in the many Zelda games.Â He’s the true ruler of Hyrule, not his daughter who loves going on adventures and solving nearly-unsolvable myths instead of governing her own country. Or getting kidnapped or overpowered by Ganon/Ganondorf.
King Bowser (Mario Series)

He runs the ever-changing Koopa nation that runs either in a daimyo estate-influenced nation or a carnival-savvy one. As much as a despot he is, you can’t say he doesn’t keep up with the times. Even if he plans mostly around kidnappings, he at least runs an efficient brigade and military army filled with flying turtles, mutant mushrooms, and linebackers.
He’s also known to be a better family man than other dads in the video game world, having to raise and deal with 8 Koopalings (the 7 from Super Mario Bros. 3 + Bowser Jr). If you can deal with self-destructive children on a daily basis, running a military kingdom with flying castles and lava moats should be easy-peasy stuff.
King K.Rool (Donkey Kong Country Series)

Also another military leader in the footsteps of Bowser, this crocodile giant instead wants to steal Donkey Kong’s banana stash and even the big man DK himself in subsequent escapades.
He’s not only a monarch, but also a pirate captain, a mad scientist, and a pugilist. He also happens to be accompanied with a pretty kickass DKC last boss theme that starts off all jolly, then goes into sinister territory. Nintendo knew his importance in the DKC legacy, so much so that he’s making a comeback in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Ultimate games.
Emily Caldwell (Dishonored Series)

This queen means business and can get her hands dirty if needed. While she was a defenceless young one in the first game and needed Corvo’s help 99% of the time, she came on her own in the not-as-good-but-still-decent sequel.
Just when you think you can usurp her throne, she comes crawling back and kicking ass with powers from the Outsider. She can shadow walk, use Far Reach to jump from one end to another undetected, and can cast Domino which lets her take down her marked targets simultaneously. It’s up to you if you want to make her a decent queen or an iron throne monarch. With the s*** she’s been through, you can understand why most of us want her to start making the kingdom of Karnaca her bitch.
Noctis Lucis Caelum (Final Fantasy XV)

We can’t have a feature about kings without mentioning the most recent Final Fantasy title where you get to play as a king. About an hour or less, your old man King Regis bites it thanks to an assault from warring neighbourhood country Niflheim -on that note, stop naming your countries after ominous mythical places, Square Enix.
This, of course, puts you next in line as the “True King” who will save the world of Eos from complete darkness. So what does our dear boy do together with his kingsguard?Â Go fishing, hunt monsters, and help out people while riding on giant fantasy chickens. Forget all that responsibility of country-ruling and paperwork and dealing with neighbourhood countries; these guys know where the real country-shaping priorities are at.
M.Bison (Street Fighter Series)

M.Bison (or Vega if you’re from Japan) is the stylish-looking self-proclaimed emperor of the Shadaloo nation who is obsessed with mastering his Psycho power and also the Satsui no Hadou. His obsession is so messed up he hosts international tournaments just to gauge the best fighters and get them together so he can take the winner’s power for himself.
Oh, and he wrecked up the lives of a cheongsam-wearing Interpol agent, a British blonde cat-lover who wears one-pieces, a friend of a soldier he killed (who became a zombie), and countless other folks. To us FGC folks, he’s the SFV douchebag with the high-priority scissors kick and that forward HP safe attack that teaches people not to mash lest you have a quarter of your life gone.

M.Bison is also portrayed by both a Shakespearean actor and that bad guy in Arrow in live-action films that made people go “did Hollywood really greenlit that?” He met his end in Street Fighter V where he’s vanquished by the power of Ryu’s spirit energy/Super Hadouken. Rest in peace/pieces, tyrant of Shadaloo.
Shao Kahn (Mortal Kombat Series)

All hail the other big bad boss of video games: Shao Kahn, the ruler of the Outer Realm and one other sole reason why Mortal Kombat is a fighting game crowd favourite if it weren’t for those pesky blue and yellow ninjas usually at the top spot.
When he’s not making up tournaments to rule countries and dimensions, he hypnotizes a woman from another kingdom to willfully be his wife, makes a near-perfect clone of his own daughter to be his obedient servant, and had a throwdown with the Justice League at one point.
He’s also a textbook example of a king who gets his hands dirty when dealing with Earth people and gods trying to usurp his rule. He lays the beatdown so hard that he’s considered even worse than most SNK bosses especially in the 2011 reboot of the Mortal Kombat franchise.
Despite the fact that he looks like a rejected 90s WWF Attitude Era gimmick, Shao Kahn is the reason why people keep cursing when they’re almost at the end of Mortal Kombat 2 and 3. He leaves quite an impact, to say the least.
Arthas Menethil (World of Warcraft series)

The previous Lich King is a cautionary tale of what happens when you push people away in your pursuit of vengeance and power, a plot thread that’s worn out by many a fantasy novel for teenagers.
Still, there’s some merit to this guys’ look and presence since so many Warcraft fans enjoyed the series’ lore so much. He killed a number of major players in Warcraft’s lore and cemented himself as a de facto adversary of the realm, and he appreciates his undead subjects, armies, and his close necromancer buddy Kel’Thuzad.
Kerrigan (Starcraft Series)

The Queen of Blades, long may she reign as she puts the beatdown on her Terran oppressors and betrayers. Formerly a Terran covert operative, she and her squad were overrun by the Zerg during a mission which her boss Arcturus Mengsk set her up with.
The Zerg made her the new queen, and she swears vengeance on Mengsk. She got around to it in Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm in a climax every Starcraft fan wanted since Starcraft: Brood Wars. Along the way, she displays a mix of mercilessness when dealing with her oppressors while also being sympathetic towards the Terrans who temporarily support her as well as the OG Primal Zergs. She’s all business in the end, much like the queen bee is to her hive.
The King of All Cosmos (Katamari Damacy Series)

Let’s cap off this list with the weirdest one of all: The King of All Cosmos. Yes, he screws up more than he creates and governs. While he makes stars and galaxies, he’s usually the cause of the destroyed stars in the first Katamari Damacy game.
Hell, the situation was so bad, he asks his son The Prince to clean up his mess with a magic ball that gathers stuff on Earth and grows super-big to the point of absurdity. He even caused a black hole incident via an intergalactic tennis match with his wife that undid the Prince’s effort from the past game. The planet and galaxy’s restoration all rests on The Prince and his cousins’ efforts.
Wait, why was he nominated on this list again? Oh yeah, because he talks in scratch disc noises and he does own up to his mistakes. Most of the time.
And those are the kings and queens we can spare on this list. Let us know your favourite regal rulers in video game history on our Facebook page and here too.Â


Here’s How You Can Play The Football Manager 20 Beta

Football Manager 2020 has been announced and it’s coming out early November 2019 for PC and Google Stadia which marks the first time that series is launching on a new platform. There will also a Mobile and Touch version also releasing in November 2019.
There will be an exclusive early access beta for fans who pre-order the game from FM Scout, a Football Manager community website. The beta will come in the form of a Steam key. On top of that, purchasers will also get a gift copy of FM Touch for PC, and a couple FM Scout exclusive rewards.

According to the website, the beta version is very close to the final version of the game and is more than just a demo, which will be released much closer to the game’s release date. The early access period will last around 2 weeks starting either before or on 25 October 2019.
It’s said that all game modes will most likely be playable in the beta but this isn’t official confirmed yet so take it with a pinch of salt. The Data Editor will not be available with the beta.
When the game finally comes out, those who have the beta downloaded will get their games automatically updated to the launch version. Progress in the beta will remain as a saved game and can be continued in the full game.
The pre-order is priced at Â£32.99 (roughly RM170) and can be purchased at FM Scout’s website here. For more updates on FM20, stay tuned on Kakuchopurei.


The Nike PG 5 PlayStation 5 Colorway Drops This Month

PlayStation has announced the PG 5 PlayStation 5 colorway.
According to PlayStation Blog, Nike and PlayStation designers, including Yujin Morisawa â€“ the artist behind the PS5 consoleâ€™s design â€“ worked closely together to bring the spirit of basketball player Paul George and the look of PS5 to life in this unique collaboration.

Hereâ€™s a peek at what you can expect to see in the design this time:

As with all my PlayStation collaborations, the tongues of the shoe have the PG and PlayStation logos on them.
The colours of the shoe are heavily inspired by the industrial design of the PS5 with references on the sock liner and outsoles.
It wouldnâ€™t be a true collaboration with PlayStation if we didnâ€™t include the iconic PlayStation shapes, which are spotted along with each shoe in the same pattern as on the DualSense wireless controller.

The PG 5 PlayStation 5 colorway drops in select regions starting on 14 May 2021. For more information on the release and availability in your country, download the Nike SNKRS appÂ (if available in your country) or keep an eye out on yourÂ local Nike website.


Keanu Reeves’ Neo To Return In Matrix 4

After almost two decades, the Matrix franchise will be returning with a brand new instalment, with both Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss set to reprise their iconic roles as Neo and Trinity, respectively.
According to Variety, Lana Wachowski will be directing the untitled Matrix 4 movie, with Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures producing and distributing. Sources say that Matrix 4 will begin production sometime in 2020.
Warner Bros. Picture Group chairman Toby Emmerich said:

Ã¢â‚¬Å“We could not be more excited to be re-entering Ã¢â‚¬ËœThe MatrixÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ with Lana.


Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Adds Maria Bakalova & Chukwudi Iwuji To The Cast

During San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Marvel Studios announced several new additions to the cast of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3.
These include Maria Bakalova, who you may have seen in the most recent Borat movie. She will be playing Cosmo, who we’ve actually already seen in one of the post-credits scenes of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 1. Cosmo is a psychic dog who works as the lead security at Knowhere.

Maria Bakalova stars as Cosmo in ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 3’. #SDCC pic.twitter.com/z8UZkFJhHS
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 24, 2022

Meanwhile, Chukwudi Iwuji, who you may have seen in the recent Peacemaker TV series, will be playing the High Evolutionary, an iconic villain from the comics. Perhaps he will be the main antagonist of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3.

Chukwudi Iwuji stars as the High Evolutionary in ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 3’. #SDCC pic.twitter.com/f9JhRmyXQN
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 24, 2022

Chukwudi Iwuji enters #SDCC in costume as The High Evolutionary from ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 3’. pic.twitter.com/2odywSjrPu
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 24, 2022

While a special clip from Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 was shown at SDCC 2022, it’s unclear when or if it will be released to the public.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is part of the MCU Phase 5 and will premiere on 5 May 2023.
Stay tuned to Kakuchopurei for the latest news!


The Outer Worlds’ Launch Trailer Is Asking You Whether You’re A Savior Or An A**hole…

You know you’re onto something special when your game’s launch trailer is questioning your “silent” protagonist’s allegiance. That’s basically The Outer World’s launch trailer in a nutshell, complete with T.Rex’s “20th Century Boy” blaring while your player character is going nuts.

You can either be a hero, a villain, or just a loiterer who sells soap as a Moon Man. That’s probably the selling hook of The Outer Worlds if this launch trailer is anything to go by. As for our full-blown thoughts? You’ll have to wait until next week to find out (*hint *hint).
The Outer Worlds will be out 25th October for Xbox One, PS4, and PC (via Epic Games). Check out the PC system requirements in case you’re planning on getting it for the latter platform.


Halo Infinite Gets Epic Trailer A Week Ahead Of Launch

Publisher Microsoft and developer 343 Industries have released a brand new Campaign launch trailer for Halo Infinite about a week before its upcoming release on 8 December 2021.
The Halo Infinite campaign synopsis reads:
When all hope is lost and humanityâ€™s fate hangs in the balance, the Master Chief is ready to confront the most ruthless foe heâ€™s ever faced. Step inside the armor of humanityâ€™s greatest hero to experience an epic adventure and explore the vast reaches of Zeta Halo, from stunning heights to mysterious depths below the ring.
Rescue UNSC marines to gain reinforcements in your fight against a fearsome enemy known as â€œthe Banished.â€ Enjoy true Spartan freedom in the biggest, most wide open and adventure-filled Halo experience yet.
Halo Infinite is slated to release for the Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 8 December 2021. However, the free-to-play Halo Infinite multiplayer is already playable (check out our review here).


Elvis Premieres Next Week On HBO GO In Malaysia & Asia

Elvis, the epic, big-screen spectacle from Warner Bros. Pictures and visionary, Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Baz Luhrmann that explores the life and music of Elvis Presley, starring Austin Butler and Oscar® winner Tom Hanks, premieres on Friday, 2 September 2022 on HBO GO.
A thoroughly cinematic drama, Elvis’s (Butler) story is seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks).  As told by Parker, the film delves into the complex dynamic between the two spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).
Starring alongside Butler and Hanks, award-winning theatre actress Helen Thomson plays Elvis’s mother, Gladys, Richard Roxburgh portrays Elvis’s father, Vernon, and DeJonge plays Priscilla. Luke Bracey plays Jerry Schilling, Natasha Bassett plays Dixie Locke, David Wenham plays Hank Snow, Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays B.B. King, Xavier Samuel plays Scotty Moore, and Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Jimmie Rodgers Snow.
Also in the cast, Dacre Montgomery plays TV director Steve Binder, alongside Australian actors Leon Ford as Tom Diskin, Kate Mulvany as Marion Keisker, Gareth Davies as Bones Howe, Charles Grounds as Billy Smith, Josh McConville as Sam Phillips, and Adam Dunn as Bill Black.
To play additional iconic musical artists in the film, Luhrmann cast singer/songwriter Yola as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, model Alton Mason as Little Richard, Austin, Texas native Gary Clark Jr. as Arthur Crudup, and artist Shonka Dukureh as Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton.
Oscar® nominee Luhrmann directed from a screenplay by Baz Luhrmann & Sam Bromell and Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner, story by Baz Luhrmann and Jeremy Doner. The film’s producers are Luhrmann, Oscar® winner Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss. Toby Emmerich, Courtenay Valenti and Kevin McCormick executive produced.
The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Mandy Walker, Oscar®-winning production designer and costume designer Catherine Martin, production designer Karen Murphy, editors Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond, Oscar®-nominated visual effects supervisor Thomas Wood, music supervisor Anton Monsted and composer Elliott Wheeler.
Principal photography on Elvis took place in Queensland, Australia with the support of the Queensland Government, Screen Queensland and the Australian Government’s Producer Offset program.
A Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation, A Bazmark Production, A Jackal Group Production, A Baz Luhrmann Film, Elvis is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Stream or download Elvis from 2 September 2022 on HBO GO. Catch other outstanding musical biopics such as Get on Up, Ray and Bessie on HBO GO. Subscribe to HBO GO online at https://www.hbogoasia.my/ or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store for as low as RM23.30/month. Or access HBO GO via Astro. HBO GO  is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.
In the meantime, check out our review of Elvis here.


The Best Final Fantasy Games In The Main Series

You’ve seen the worst; now here are the best titles in the mothership Final Fantasy series. After all, with the new extension in the Malaysia MCO thing, we may need to hear more happy and positive things!

Disagree or agree with our list? Let us know either on our website or Facebook.


Trolls World Tour Is An Improved Sequel With More Music

All I remember of Trolls were the scraggly-looking dolls with scruffy hair from when I was a kid. When the Trolls animated movie came out in 2016, I dismissed it, only watching it several days ago to prepare for Trolls World Tour.
I was surprised to discover that it was by Dreamworks Animation and that it was a decent animated movie, though one that didn’t necessarily warrant a sequel. Plus, it only grossed US$346.9 million, which wasn’t much compared to the billions made by Disney Pixar and even Illumination’s Minions/Despicable Me franchise.
Still, the studio somehow decided to make a sequel anyway and Trolls World Tour turns out to be superior to its generic and simplistic predecessor by incorporating even more eye-popping bedazzling visuals and most importantly, more music.
Sing It For The Trolls

The first Trolls movie was just okay, but was hampered by its boring and simplistic plot we’ve already seen in a million other animated movies (protagonists who go on a quest to save their village/friends/family from destruction). While the story in Trolls World Tour isn’t that much more complex, at least it offers a significantly more interesting and unique premise.
In Trolls World Tour, the Trolls from the first movie discover that they are but one of six different tribes each devoted to a different form of music: Pop, Funk, Classical, Techno, Country and Rock. The story begins with the Rock Trolls on a warpath to unite all the Trolls into One Nation Under Rock.
It may seem predictable and conforming to stereotypes that the Rock Trolls are the antagonists, but the movie’s underlying message is a good and worthy one, especially in this post-Brexit-Trump-administration-Malaysian-political-crisis world. Am I looking too much into what is ultimately an animated movie catering to kids? Of course not.
Consider this, the Rock Trolls want to establish peace, order, and stability, but by forcing Rock music on the other Trolls, as they believe that different music is what caused them to remain isolated into different tribes. ‘Different music’, which is clearly a thinly-veiled allegory for different cultures, religion, or skin colour, is frowned upon and rejected.

I like the fact that the heroic Pop Trolls are not exempt from making similar mistakes. For instance, when Queen Poppy first encounters the Country Trolls, she finds their music too sad for her tastes, which leads her to make the assumption that these Country Trolls don’t know what happy music sounds like.
She then proceeds to perform not one but ‘every’ pop song she knows. Sure, she’s technically not forcing the Country Trolls to like her music, but that’s essentially similar to what the Rock Trolls are guilty of: they both think that they know what’s best for others without bothering to understand or comprehend beforehand.
Trolls World Tour teaches us to embrace our differences to promote harmony, which is an essential lesson in today’s increasingly-divided era. I’m not usually for overly-preachy movies, even if they are for kids, but this movie manages to do that convincingly and without coming on too strong.
Music, Music, And More Music

2016’s Trolls did feature music, but Trolls World Tour gives more bang for the buck by featuring a lot more songs, with a heavier emphasis on musical numbers compared to its predecessor. Almost every scene comes with music, as the movie bombards you with song after song.
Adults may find that either endearing or annoying, but kids will surely love it. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything in this movie that’s as memorable or catchy as the first movie’s hit number “Can’t Stop This Feeling”. That song was not only nominated for an Oscar, but it was playing repeatedly on the radio all year long.
Still, for a movie that’s supposed to have you embracing “different music”, Trolls World Tour remains mostly filled with pop music and songs. Don’t expect much of Rock music or any of the other genres. The Pop Trolls are still the main protagonists, after all, and pop is still more popular with kids than anything else.
Having said that, Trolls World Tour‘s choice of rock songs seem to be premedicated and intent on making older viewers feel, well, older. These include songs like Scorpions’ Rock You Like A Hurricane and other classic hits (most of which, I realised, were from the 80s, go figure).
Let’s also not forget that the real reason that the music is great owes itself to the impressive cast consisting of actual singers and musicians. We have Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake returning as Queen Poppy and Branch, both of whom make a cute couple. We also have Mary J. Blige, Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, K-Pop group Red Velvet, the legendary Ozzy Osbourne, and more.
Some of these (like Ozzy Osbourne and Red Velvet) are criminally underused, while others get their share of shine and screentime, especially Kelly Clarkson as Country Trolls leader Delta Dawn, who actually gets the opportunity of showcasing her vocal prowess by belting out some tunes.
Dazzling Explosion Of Colours

The visuals in Trolls World Tour might not be as impressive (tech-wise or plot-wise) as the likes of Frozen 2 or Toy Story 4, but it makes up for that in other ways. The dazzling array of eye-popping colours and oceans of glitter make this a charming visual feast of its own. When I say oceans of glitter, I literally mean that.
The different tribes of Trolls also provide Dreamworks animators with the chance to show off their skills in the art of animation. They all have distinctive physical traits that distinguish them, an improvement over the bland and unimaginative designs of the weird ogre-like antagonists from the first movie.
It Brings Joy

Trolls World Tour isn’t as good as other superior animated movies or even Dreamworks’ own better movies like the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy. It doesn’t have to be because, at the end of the day, its target audience is for families and kids.
It’s fun, beautiful, and has lots of music, and that’s enough, especially with the added advantage of having a great and timely message for the youth.
FINAL SCORE: 60/100
We received a special preview screening courtesy of United International Pictures Malaysia. Trolls World Tour premieres in Malaysian cinemas on 12 March 2020.


Ubisoft Black Friday Sale Offers Deals On Riders Republic & More

As part of the Ubisoft Black Friday sale,Â Riders Republic, the massively multiplayer open-world outdoor sports playground from Ubisoft Annecy, will offer a wide range of discounts on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC through the Ubisoft Store and the Epic Games Store.Â
Ubisoft is also offering Black Friday discounts on Far Cry 6, Just Dance 2022, Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla, and more.Â
Check out the Riders Republic discounts below:

PC via Ubisoft Connect: From 17 November to 2 December 2021, 25 percent off of the Standard, Gold and Ultimate editions.
PC via Epic Game Store: From 21 November to 30 November 2021, 25 percent off of the Standard, Gold and Ultimate editions.
Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S: From 19 November to 2 December 2021, 30 percent off of the Standard edition and 20 percent off of the Gold and Ultimate editions.
PS4 and PS5: From 19 November to 29 November 2021, 30 percent off of the Standard edition and 20 percent off of the Gold and Ultimate editions.
PS4 and PS5 via Ubisoft Official Shop on Shopee Singapore and Malaysia: From 25 NovemberÂ to 30 November 2021, 20 percent off the Freeride Edition.

In the meantime, check out our review of Riders Republic here, or watch the trailer below:


Xbox One & Switch To Get Final Fantasy VII End Of March

One of the most iconic games in the Final Fantasy series, which is Final Fantasy VII,Â is about to come to the Xbox One and Switch.
Don’t be mistaken though, this is not the remake everybody has been hyping about. This one is the original Final Fantasy VIIÂ and it is coming very soon.

Today, Square Enix announced that the game would be available on the two consoles by the end of March.Â Square Enix said, “Relive the unforgettable moments from the ground-breaking role-playing games that revolutionized gaming. The original Final Fantasy VII is coming to Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on March 26.”

Relive the unforgettable moments from the ground-breaking RPG that revolutionized gaming. The original #FinalFantasy VII is coming to #NintendoSwitch and #Xbox One on March 26, 2019. pic.twitter.com/NzIrJSclwb
â€” FINAL FANTASY (@FinalFantasy) February 13, 2019
Final Fantasy VIIÂ was released in 1997 and it set up quite a yardstick for even the next games in the series. The game was the genesis of great RPG games in its era and was considered a cult classic. Here’s hoping it would stand the test of time while we wait for Final Fantasy VII RemakeÂ to come out of silence.