Devil May Cry 5’s Bloody Palace Will Arrive 1st April

If you’re done with Devil May Cry 5 and its action gaming awesomeness, then you should mark 1st of April because the game’s Bloody Palace mode will be appearing then.

Attention demon hunters! Prepare to get downright demonic because Bloody Palace mode will be available as a free update to all Devil May Cry 5 owners starting April 1, 2019 ????
And just to stress, this is not an early April’s Fools joke ?#DMC5 #DevilMayCry5 pic.twitter.com/fM2DVb7NGd
— Capcom Europe (@CapcomEurope) March 14, 2019

Basically, this mode is an enemy arena gauntlet. You climb up each floor by killing a number of enemies and bosses in the same room. Whether this mode will introduce new enemies or just mix it up with random spawns is anyone’s guess. There are rumours that this mode may feature co-op elements or even a fan favourite character playable just for this mode.
I’m totally hyped for this. If it weren’t for all this work, I’d be playing Devil May Cry 5 right now. You can check out my glowing review of the game here, or check out our KKP guide to the game.Â


MapleStory 2 Available Now; Hereâ€™s How You Can Play It

The holy day for you South Korea MMO fans outside of South Korea has finally arrived. MapleStory 2 is available now for playing on the PC. And it’s free!
Here’s the launch trailer filled with colourful colours and cute faces.

The sequel is now an isometric 3D action RPG with a bunch of character customisation options, a new progression and growth system, the option to own a house or two, and a ton more. The game’s more open-ended “Minecraft” approach means that it may be less grindey than other F2P MMOs.
So how does one play it from Southeast Asia? Simple; get a third-party VPN app. Turn that on, then open up your Nexon client to play MapleStory 2. Since MapleStory 2 servers aren’t available in Southeast Asia yet, running a VPN client is your best bet at getting your MMORPG cute em up on.
Stay tuned to Kakuchopurei.com for MapleStory 2 guides and protips. No wait, it’s already here.Â


Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 Just Lost Its Senior Narrative Designer

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2’s development might be looking rocky. First, it lost its lead writer Brian Mitsoda and creative director Ka’ai Cluney. Now it has lost its senior narrative designer Cara Ellison.
The former journalist for PC Gamer and Rock, Paper, Shotgun is no longer with the game developer Hardsuit Labs. She is now a senior narrative designer for developer League of Geeks, the makers of Armello.

Meet Cara (@caraellison), our wonderful senior narrative designer! ??
She ?'s cooking, cute hamsters, post-punk/new wave, & all of the beautiful Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
She ?'s planes, international borders, & the extreme speed of the onward march of time. pic.twitter.com/ORNSbbIWVu
— League of Geeks (@LeagueofGeeks) October 18, 2020

Here’s the official statement from publisher Paradox Interactive (via PC Gamer).

“We can confirm that Cara Ellison has decided to leave Hardsuit Labs and is no longer working on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Cara brought fresh ideas to the project and many of her contributions will be present in the game launching next year. We thank her for her work on Bloodlines 2 and wish her the best in all of her future endeavours.”

Keep in mind that the game was delayed to 2021 from its original end of the year release period, so this could be more than just a simple case of narrative designers leaving after they’re done with story bits in a project.


Avengers & Game of Thrones Actress Dame Diana Rigg Died At 82

Actress Dame Diana Rigg, who is famous for portraying the charming Emma Peel in the TV series The Avengers, Mrs. James Bond on On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,Â  and crafty grandma Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones, has passed away at the age of 82. She died of cancer after being diagnosed this March.

“She spent her last months joyfully reflecting on her extraordinary life, full of love, laughter and a deep pride in her profession.”

Rest in peace, OG Emma Peel and House Tyrell matriarch. You will be missed. Check out these heartwarming tweets from her co-stars and fans.

Be a dragon.The realm will always remember Diana Rigg.
— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) September 10, 2020

RIP Diana Rigg 🙁 pic.twitter.com/rhF8L80ySK
— LittleKuriboh (@yugiohtas) September 10, 2020

Rest in Peace Diana Rigg ? The British actress was known best for her roles as Emma Peel in TV series The #Avengers and more recently as Olenna Tyrell in #GameOfThrones. #DianaRigg https://t.co/YK23GtnXe2
— On The Red Carpet (@OnTheRedCarpet) September 10, 2020

"We are very sad to hear of the passing of Dame Diana Rigg, the legendary stage and screen actress who was much beloved by Bond fans for her memorable performance as Tracy di Vicenzo in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the only woman to have married James Bond." pic.twitter.com/nqQCSg35oM
— James Bond (@007) September 10, 2020

It was my great joy and privilege to have known Diana Rigg. From three slightly hysterical months at the Old Vic in ‘All About Mother’ to writing The Crimson Horror for Diana and her wonderful daughter Rachael. Flinty, fearless, fabulous. There will never be another. RIP pic.twitter.com/2EGc4MVx0S
— Mark Gatiss ? (@Markgatiss) September 10, 2020

RIP Dame Diana Rigg. Great actress and good sport – lest we forget, she let Daniel Radcliffe flick a condom on her head in Extras. pic.twitter.com/scFC8KPlZz
— Stephen Merchant (@StephenMerchant) September 10, 2020


The Nier Replicant Remaster Lunar Tear Edition Is Coming Exclusively To Asia

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139â€¦ (also known as the NieR Replicant remaster) is getting a special Lunar Tear Edition, which is coming exclusively to Asia. It will be released on 22 April 2020.
The Lunar Tear Edition will be priced at RM599, while the Standard Edition will cost RM249. Pre-orders will be announced at a later date.

The NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139â€¦ Lunar Tear Edition will include the following:
PS4 Game Packageâ€œLunar Tearâ€ Collectorâ€™s BoxSteelbook Case â€“ A metal case featuring stunning artwork by characterdesigner Akihiko YoshidaGrimoire Pin Set â€“ Grimoire Weiss, Grimoire Noir, and Grimoire Rubrum pinspresented in a specialized display case.NieR Soundtrack CD Set â€“ A two-disc collection; one disc featuring newly-recorded and arranged music for NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139â€¦, the other disc being a special arrangement disc featuring versions of tracks that are exclusiveto the White Snow Edition. Presented in a premium Grimoire Weiss-inspiredpackage.

For more details and information on the release dates for other platforms and versions of the game, head on over here.
In the meantime, check out the TGS 2020 gameplay footage from the game below:


Facebook & YouTube Catching Up To Twitch In Streaming Numbers

Twitch has always been the king of games streaming, but slowly and surely Facebook and YouTube are both catching up to the streaming giant. According to statistics provided by the Stream Elements blog, that’s what is currently happening.
Twitch is still number one with over 2.7 billion hours of live streaming content viewed on the platform, making up 72.2 percent of the total time spent watching live streams. However, in the second quarter of 2019, those numbers declined.

Meanwhile, YouTube had 19.5 percent of the live stream industry withÂ more than 735 million viewership hours. It also broke a record in May 2019, with over 284 million viewership hours, which is the highest number of viewership hours for YouTube Live streams so far.

On the other hand, Facebook Gaming is the third-largest streaming platform and is rapidly growing in 2019. It now holds 5.3 percent (nearly 200 million) of viewership hours, surpassing that of now fourth-place-holder Mixer, which had 112 million viewership hours or 3 percent.
Esports Is Just A Small Part Of Streaming
Contrary to popular belief, esports only makes up fewer than 25 percent of the total viewership hours on Twitch. This is because 75.8 percent of the viewership for the top 200 channels goes to individual streamers and not a brand or esports accounts. These streamers still play games like Overwatch and League Of Legends but not competitively or in esports settings.
Games made it this far without esports and it will continue to thrive without esports.

Here are the top five teams on Twitch in both quarters of 2019 so far:


Better Call Saul Actor Hints At Far Cry 3’s Vaas’ Return

Actor Michael Mando is best known for his roles as Ignacio Varga on Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul, as well as the iconic villain Vaas Montenegro in Ubisoft’s Far Cry 3, which originally launched back in 2012.
However, he has hinted at a possible return for Vaas in a recent Reddit AMA. When asked by a fan whether he was still recognised as Vaas in public, Mando replied:

“Thank you so much!
Vaas is my spirit animal – having co-created that character is something that will always be dear to me.
I still get recognized as Vaas, and I still feel the outpouring of love for that character – makes me very happy.
Who knows… maybe I will reprise the role very soon? :p
Thank you for watching xo.”

While that’s not exactly a confirmation, the phrase “very soon” is weirdly specific language to use in this context. Even if Mando was to reprise the role of Vaas, what form would that take? Ubisoft is currently planning a Far Cry TV series, though that was reportedly an animated Far Cry: Blood Dragon spinoff.
Vaas was infamously killed off halfway through Far Cry 3, so it would have to be a full-on remake (which doesn’t make sense, considering that it was only recently remastered for current-gen), or a prequel game. The latter seems more likely.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfGmzhVJVVI&w=560&h=315]


Story-Driven RPG Thirsty Suitors Is Getting More Platform Releases

Thirsty Suitors will be available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam when it launches. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass. A demo is available now for PC via Steam.
From Outerloop Games comes Thirsty Suitors, a game about culture, relationships, family pressures, and expressing oneself.
Can Jala handle her demanding parents, reconcile with her exes, and mend broken friendships in time for her sister’s wedding? Will she be ready for the impending visit of Nani, the family’s terrifying and judgmental matriarch? Through the game’s story, Jala will confront her exes in cinematic, turn-based battle sequences.
Turn-based, over-the-top combat with upgrades, special abilities, and a unique mood system that lets you take advantage of vulnerabilities. Take the fight to skate punks, random suitors, and ultimately, your exes. Skate, grind, and wall-run across Timber Hills with intricate movesets, combos, and challenges. Unravel the mysteries of Bearfoot Park while battling skate punks and their leader, Soundie the Bear. Try to impress your mom and repair your relationship with action-packed cooking segments, while exploring a rich menu of delicious South Asian inspired dishes.
Check out the trailer below:


There’s Going To Be A Brand New Call Of Duty Warzone; To Be Revealed Later This Year

Activision has confirmed that a new version of Call of Duty Warzone is in development and will be revealed later this year alongside Modern Warfare 2.
This news was shared from an Activision Blizzard Q1 2022 financial report; the new Warzone will be built from the ground up along with Modern Warfare 2, which is coming out much to nobody’s surprise.
“The Call of Duty teams delivered substantial gameplay improvements for Vanguard and Warzone in the first quarter. Development on this year’s premium and Warzone experiences, led by Infinity Ward, is proceeding very well.
This year’s Call of Duty is a sequel to 2019’s Modern Warfare, the most successful Call of Duty title to date, and will be the most advanced experience in franchise history. The new free-to-play Warzone experience, which is built from the ground-up alongside the premium game, features groundbreaking innovations to be revealed later this year.”
If the developers can figure out how to combat cheaters and  hackers in the brand-new Warzone, more power to them for doing this. There’s no confirmed report on whether this is a brand-new Warzone that needs a new client or whether it’s a major update to the existing Warzone. Guess we’ll find out later in 2022.


Borderlands 3 Maurice Black Market Vending Machine Location: 18th June

This week’s Borderlands 3 Maurice Black Market Vending Machine is filled with a cornucopia of delights. Here’s how you can find this week’s machine, since its location always changes every 7 days.
How To Find Maurice’s Black Market Vending Machine For The Week Of 18th June
You’ll have to head down to Atlas HQ on Promethea. Just go through the stage until you reach the front doors…

Go straight through the ground floor and turn to the first room on the right, just under the Claptrap symbol.

Here are the Legendary guns you can buy from the Black Market vending machine:

Ogre Assault Rifle
Brainstormer Shotgun
Free Radical Pistol

Buy the Free Radical Pistol; all of them. For all of your available characters. It’s the best Pistol in the game so far thanks to its rate of fire and additional rockets that trigger on hit.


Six Days In Fallujah Is Finally Coming Out In June

The long-in-development war game Six Days In Fallujah is finally coming out after much delay and pauses.
The upcoming game, which aims to tell the story of the Second Battle of Fallujah in 2004 told through different perspectives, will be out on PC via Steam Early Access on 22 June. The game will cost US$39.99, and features four co-operative four-player missions set in urban maps that are procedurally generated.

The game is under publisher Victura and developer Highwire Games, with the production of the game restarting back in 2017. Back in 2009 or so, the game was originally going to be published by Konami, but it was pulled out due to the controversial nature of the game.


New Hellboy Reboot In The Works With Original Creator Writing The Script

Millennium Media is working on a new live-action Hellboy movie reboot. According to Deadline, Brian Taylor (Crank, Gamer, Ghost Rider Spirit Of Vengeance, Mom And Dad) will direct the movie, which is currently titled Hellboy The Crooked Man.
As the title suggests, it’s based on a Hellboy miniseries that was first published in 2008.
What’s interesting is that Hellboy comics creator Mike Mignola himself will be involved and he wrote the script for Hellboy The Crooked Man alongside Christopher Golden. Production is starting next month in Bulgaria.
The synopsis reads:
“The new film will see Hellboy and a rookie BPRD agent stranded in 1950s rural Appalachia. There, they discover a small community haunted by witches, led by a local devil with a troubling connection to Hellboy’s past: the Crooked Man.”
Millennium Media’s President Jeffrey Greenstein also confirmed that there will be more than one Hellboy movie after this one. Well, depending on how well this one performs at the box office, probably.
He said:
“The Crooked Man is a departure from all previous Hellboy films where Mike Mignola and the creator of the comics will finally shepherd an authentic version of his stories and characters in film form. This is the first in the series of films that will captivate audiences in familiar (and new) ways. Brian Taylor is an expert across the board, and I couldn’t think of a better person to bring this story to life to show our audience this different and original Hellboy slate of films.”
However, no casting has been announced, including who will be playing Hellboy himself.
The last Hellboy reboot was in 2019, which starred David Harbour as Hellboy. You can check out my review of that here, or check out some recommendations of the best Hellboy comics by heading over here.
Oh, and Hellboy even came to Malaysia once in the comics, read more about that here.


Take-Two Buys Zynga, The Company Who Plagued Facebook With FarmVille & Slot Machine Games

Take-Two Interactive, a company known for just relying on its cash cow Grand Theft Auto Online for too darn long that it forgot how to publish remastered GTA games, is using all its fat stacks to buy Zynga.
The Facebook game-savvy developer will be bought for US$12.7 billion. The acquisition is going to happen close during the first quarter of Take-Two’s fiscal year 2023, which will end on 30 June 2022.
Official presser with words from Take-Two Interactive chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick below:
“We are thrilled to announce our transformative transaction with Zynga, which significantly diversifies our business and establishes our leadership position in mobile, the fastest-growing segment of the interactive entertainment industry. This strategic combination brings together our best-in-class console and PC franchises, with a market-leading, diversified mobile publishing platform that has a rich history of innovation and creativity.
Zynga also has a highly talented and deeply experienced team, and we look forward to welcoming them into the Take-Two family in the coming months. As we combine our complementary businesses and operate at a much larger scale, we believe that we will deliver significant value to both sets of stockholders, including $100 million of annual cost synergies within the first two years post-closing and at least $500 million of annual Net Bookings opportunities over time.”
Zynga CEO and ex-EA head Frank Gibeau, a person who defines the phrase “failing upward”, has this to say:
“Combining Zyngaâ€™s expertise in mobile and next-generation platforms with Take-Twoâ€™s best-in-class capabilities and intellectual property will enable us to further advance our mission to connect the world through games while achieving significant growth and synergies together. I am proud of our teamâ€™s hard work to deliver a strong finish to 2021, with one of the best performances in Zyngaâ€™s history.
We are incredibly excited to have found a partner in Take-Two that shares our commitment to investing in our players, amplifying our creative culture, and generating more value for stockholders. With this transformative transaction, we begin a new journey which will allow us to create even better games, reach larger audiences and achieve significant growth as a leader in the next era of gaming.”
One could say this is a match made in heaven: Take-Two needs a proper breadwinner and Zynga can provide it with its lowest common denominator click-heavy games. This may sound like hell, but remember: Zynga’s long-term profits for Take-Two means seeing more titles like a BioShock sequel coming soon. And maybe even a WWE or NBA game that isn’t complete garbage.


Team SMG & Todak To Represent Malaysia At Mobile Legends M3 World Championship

Team SMG emerged as the triumphant winner for the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Malaysia (MPL MY) Season 8. Both Team SMG and Todak will qualify for the M3 World Championship, which will be held in December 2021. Â
The playoffs were held at the Ideal Convention Centre, Tropicana Gardens Mall in Selangor, marking it as the first successful esports tournament hosted offline. There were strict safety measures and rapid antigen testing in place for the closed-door event. YB Dato’ Seri Ahmad Faizal bin Dato’ Azumu, also shared a brief speech on the tournament.Â

YB Dato’ Seri Ahmad Faizal bin Dato’ Azumu, Minister of Youth and Sports said:
â€œThe Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League in Malaysia has long been a driving force for the esports industry in Malaysia, and I am proud of the players rising up and beyond to qualify for the upcoming international tournament. Esports has been growing in popularity and will likely surpass traditional sports in the near future.â€
MPL Malaysia BD Manager Fikri Rizal said:
â€œThe support of our fans, teams, players, partners and the ministry is vital to the success and growth ofÂ  MPL Malaysia and the wider esports ecosystem. We hope to get everyoneâ€™s support for the Malaysian representatives at M3 once again andÂ  bring the trophy home.â€Â Â
Fighting off the runner ups, Todak in a best-of-seven (BO7) series, the last and fiery match with Team SMG Â saw Sasa playing with Bruno for a high damage burst – winning Todak with a clean 4-0 sweep. Team SMG Â will take home part of the USD 100,000 prize pool, including one yearâ€™s worth of Yoodoâ€™s digital subscription.
KFC Malaysia Chief Marketing Officier Chan May Ling said:
â€œKFC is proud to have powered up MPL Malaysia Season 8 and be part of the ever-growing vibrant Malaysiaâ€™s esports industry. Exclusively for this event, we have curated the KFC x MLBB POWERUP Bundle meals served up to all players and fans; not only to power up their games with our Finger Lickinâ€™ Good meals but in celebration of the enthusiastic passion of our Malaysian youths as well. Congratulations to all winners and fret not as the meals are still available until 21 October via KFC Delivery app.”
Lu “Sasa” Khai Bean of Team SMG said:
â€œThis win is a testament to all the support from our fans and loved ones. We will do our best to replicate the same success, if not more – in our upcoming M3 journey.â€ Â
The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League serves as a platform to create opportunities for budding esports athletes. Organised by MOONTON Games and jointly presented by KFC, Yoodo, Â Rexona, and NescafÃ©, the professional tournament has played a pivotal role in Malaysiaâ€™s esportsÂ ecosystem by supporting young talents and esports organisations. The finals smashed viewing records and attained a new high of up to 165,000, up 53,000 from last season (S7). Â
This season, the league has partnered up with KFC, Rexona and NescafÃ© to bring exclusive bundles to Â MLBB players. KFCâ€™s app-exclusive Delivery-only POWERUP bundle and MVP meals are available for delivery till 21st October.
Fans can grab the Special Edition Rexona Men x MPL Malaysia deodorant packs available at selected retail outlets and e-commerce platforms to get MLBBB in-game items & stand a chance to get a permanent skin worth 699 diamonds. For those looking to get a quick coffee break in the midst of your day, you can purchase the NescafÃ© coffee cans from any supermarket/petrol marts near you. Â
For more details and information, you can head on over to https://my.mpl.mobilelegends.com/.


Bandai Namco Is Changing Up Its Logo & Purpose

Longtime video game maker and publisher Bandai Namco will be ditching the yellow and orange in favour of a magenta look.
Bandai Namco has announced a new mission, vision, and logo which will be implemented on April 2022. Here’s a quote from company President and Representative Director Masaru Kawaguchi on the official press release.
“With intense competition in todayâ€™s rapidly changing global market and increasingly diverse consumer needs, this decision aims to strengthen All Bandai Namco concept in every region while leveraging the individuality of each Group company.
Our ultimate goal is to further build the value of the Group brand worldwide.“
Why the new logo change though? According to the press release:
“The new logoâ€™s speech bubble motif, â€œFukidashiâ€ in Japanese, expresses the potential of the brand to connect with people around the world and inspire them with amazing ideas. The speech bubble also represents Japanâ€™s manga culture that has become so popular everywhere.
The logo stands for our determination to communicate with fans worldwide, to connect with our fans, and to create entertainment unique to Bandai Namco. The magenta used as the motif colour not only represents diversity, but also creates a bright and fun impression and is easy to reproduce.”
Bandai Namco will be showcasing its Tokyo Game Show 2021 titles and new game announcements later today at 7pm.


Flip The Bird With New Action Platformer Eagle Island

Imagine a Metroidvania platformer with virtually unlimited procedurally-generated levels and a pet owl for a companion? That’s Eagle Island for you; an indie game by developer Pixelnicks and publisher Screenwave Media.
It initially began life in 2017 on Kickstarter but is available for the PC and Nintendo Switch starting today on 11 July 2019.
In Eagle Island, players can customize 85 different perk abilities during gameplay. No two levels are the same, as they are all procedurally-generated with each playthrough. There are over 12 bosses to defeat, from serpents to dragons to giant plant creatures.

Your owl, Koji, can transform into different elemental forms (like ice and fire) and plays heavily into combat, as hitting enemies in quick succession & maintaining chain combos will earn you greater rewards. However, it can also get hurt and become temporarily incapacitated.
Eagle Island is currently available on Steam for the price of only RM39. There’s even a free demo for you to try out if you’re unsure about purchasing the game. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng5553lW2zk&w=560&h=315]


Ys X Nordics Goes Into Detail About New Character Carja & Cross Action Battle System

Falcom has released brand-new information about its upcoming action RPG sequel Ys X: Nordics (via Gematsu).
Apart from the game starring troublemaker Adol Christin, we now know the name of his female partner-in-crime: Carja Varta.
“The only daughter of Grimmson, leader of the Varta Navy. She is feared by the residents of Karnack as the “Pirate Princess,” who see her as she proudly leads a gang of maritime miscreants in pirate activities. While she has elegant features, she wields a hatchet and round shield in battle, and showcases a rough, brutal fighting style typical of the Norman people.”
Ys X takes place just before part 4 (Ys: Memories of Celceta) where Adol travels to a new island with his best buddy Dogi. That’s all well and good narrative-wise, but what about the combat? We’ve been given screenshots of the new boy-and-girl duo running around, so how does that work? Well, the game’s new combat system is the Cross Action mode, where players can switch between “Solo Mode” and “Combination Mode”.
Solo Mode is for speed and consecutive attacks, while Combination Mode has you controlling Adol and Carja at the same time to deal more damage at the cost of reduced movement; no stepdashing and dodging when in Combination Mode, basically. However, in Combination Mode, you gain access to Guard and can build up a Revenge Gauge via blocking to unleash powerful attacks when it’s full. Like Street Fighter IV’s Ultra meter. Also, if you “just Guard” (block at the last possible frame), you can repel power attacks from enemies and stagger them, opening them up for future powerful attacks.
Ys X: Nordics will be out for PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch in 2023 in Japan. No English release has been announced yet.


Kakuchopurei First Impressions: Star Wars Battlefront II

Our Imperial Cadet Alleef Ashaari booted up Star Wars: Battlefront II a few days earlier than everyone else and here are his early thoughts of the game that’s going through hard times – even before it is open to public tonight.

Amidst all the controversy and outcry regarding EAâ€™s microtransactions, I booted up my copy of Star Wars Battlefront II Elite Trooper Deluxe Edition, a few days in advance ahead of the Standard Editionâ€™s release on Friday. Is it worth it and how does the final product hold up against the complaints? Let’s find out.Â
Warning: Potential Spoilers Abound. You have been warned. Article continues after the video:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNUTWw17rkM&w=560&h=315]
In case you’ve been living under a rock (or somewhere in the Outer Rims), The Battlefront II campaign places you in the role of Commander Iden Versio, in charge of Imperial Special Forces commando unit Inferno Squad and daughter of an Imperial admiral. Playing on the side from the perspective of those fighting for the Empire makes for a unique experience and a dream come true for Star Wars fans like me who sometimes prefer the Dark Side. In the very first level, I encountered an easter egg when Admiral Ackbar appeared in a hologram and speaks to the Rebel forces whilst the player attempts to escape the Rebel Cruiser with our trusty Imperial Probe Droid namedâ€¦ Droid. The next mission has the player fighting on Endor, eventually witnessing the destruction of the Second Death Star during the events of Episode VI: Return of The Jedi. Thereafter, you escape Endor on a TIE fighter and fly through the ruins of the Second Death Star while avoiding the space debris, which was truly a sight to behold.
The shooting feels satisfying enough and itâ€™s extremely exhilarating using the most authentic blasters ever recreated in a game. The sound and visual effects are top-notch, further cementing the notion of starring in your own Star Wars movie. However, it still feels weird that you canâ€™t take cover in shootouts but thatâ€™s just my pet peeve. I like using my Droid to zap unsuspecting Rebels in the back using my Imperial baton stick to beat them into submission. Star Wars Battlefront II really makes the player feel like an elite Imperial Commander, exterminating these Rebel scum for the glory of the Galactic Empire.
The starfighter sections in the campaign are decent and you have to complete a few objectives while getting hounded by X-fighters but besides that, to be frank itâ€™s much more exciting and intense in multiplayer mode when youâ€™re up against real players. Iâ€™m playing on the hardest difficulty and I still managed to fly circles around the enemiesâ€™ X-Wings. The starfighter sections does make me miss the aerial dogfighting in Ace Combat and I hope Iâ€™m not the only one eagerly anticipating 2018â€™s Ace Combat 7: Â Skies Unknown.
Speaking of multiplayer, I haven’t been able to pour in adequate amount of hours into it to warrant a fair assessment of it. However I did managed some rounds of Galactic Assault and Starfighter Assault during the Beta phase. We will update you with our thoughts of it in the following days.
On the subject of loot crates, in-game currencies and whatnot, I can tell you the game doesnâ€™t do a good job of explaining it, if at all. I received a bunch of loot crates from the get-go since I pre-ordered the Elite Trooper Deluxe Edition but heck if I know what most of the Star Cards, etc actually does. For a breakdown of how Star Wars Battlefront IIâ€™s loot boxes and progression system works, head on over here.
I sincerely hope that no matter what how you feel about EAâ€™s microtransaction policy, the developers deserve to be supported when they make good games. I havenâ€™t played enough to write a full-fledged objective review yet but what little Iâ€™ve played so far has been great. Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for future updates on Star War Battlefront II and other gaming news.


VergeWorld Is A Retro-Laced Roguelite Combat Racer Slated For Fall 2022

Need a game that’s a mix between WipeOut and a roguelike? Vergeworld could be that title to scratch that weird itch.
Vergeworld is a retro-fuelled roguelite combat racing game where you fly through procedurally generated canyons, shoot enemies, power yourself up, and survive. The game features high replayability and 16-bit style tunes to go along with its PlayStation 1-era graphics (via IGN). We’ll just repeat the game’s key features in bullet point form below:

Procedurally generated levels
High-speed combat racing with third-person view bullet hell fights
Airship’s highly customizable arsenal
3 alien biomes to navigate
PSX-era 3D graphics with pixel art and a splash of modern inspiration
Nostalgic 16-bit tunes mixed with a synthwave soundtrack

Sounds like my kind of jam! VergeWorld will be out in the fall of 2022. A playable demo of this game is coming to Steam Next Fest.


Demon Slayer The Hinokami Chronicles Shipments Surpass One Million

SEGA has announced that Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba The Hinokami Chronicles has shipped over one million units worldwide. The arena fighting game is out now for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
SEGA previously announced there will be a series of 3 free post-launch content updates coming to the game, with the first update planned between late October and early November which will include the addition of two playable demon characters, Rui (Lower Five) and Akaza (Upper Three) of the Twelve Kizuki.
You can check out my review ofÂ Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba The Hinokami ChroniclesÂ byÂ heading over here. You could also check out gameplay footage of all the awesome Ultimate Arts (ultimate finishers and super moves) in our video below:


Overwatch League Official App Drops For Android and iOS

The official app for the Overwatch League is now available for download on both Android and Apple iOS. As all official league apps provide, expect the standard features from such app including match timings, results, news, video highlights and notifiers of upcoming matches.
You can download the app from the respective stores here:
iOS: iTunes
Android: Play Store
The inaugural season of the Overwatch League starts in a few days. Get up to speed with what’s happening by checking out our special features which include:

OWL Team Power Rankings
How to Get Your Overwatch League Special Skins
Everything You Need to Know about OWL
OWL Team GradesÂ
Want to Play in the Overwatch League? Hereâ€™s How
Why Overwatch League Works


Inti Creates Is Making A Castlevania Tribute With Grim Guardians: Demon Purge

With the work it has done for the Bloodstained 2D pixel side games, Inti Creates would be a shoe-in to make a full-fledged 2D action game in the veins of the Castlevania series.
Wouldn’t you know it, that’s what it’s working on right now. The company that made the Mega Man Zero and Azure Striker Gunvolt series (and GalGun) has announced a side-scrolling action platformer title called Grim Guardians: Demon Purge for PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

You play as two demon hunters simultaneously as they rid the demons plaguing their school, which has transformed into a demon castle. The first sister Shinobu has long-ranged attacks (via her SMG) while the other sister Maya has melee slashes, so you have to switch between them back and forth. There’s even a 2-player mode for maximum demon slaying in 2D glory; you can even control one sister to stand atop the other as a platform in vertical situations.
Check out the gameplay below, which is all kinds of slick. No release date has been announced though.


Cult Of The Lamb Post-Game DLC Will Be Free

Developer Massive Monster has shared more information about its DLC for last year’s cult hit (heh) action-sim hybrid title Cult of the Lamb.
Cult of the Lamb’s post-game addition will be free. It’s called Relics of the Old Faith and will be available once the player completes the main campaign. It features a new storyline, revamped enemies and bosses, remixed dungeons, and a new building structure for the cult’s base. The update’s release date will be revealed soon.

NEW POST-GAME SNEAK PREVIEW? Brand New Post-Game Storyline? Revamped Enemies and Bosses?? Remixed Dungeons and Encounters
Relics of the Old Faith is our FREE Major Content Update! We're working on the final touches and will share a release date soon. See more in ? below pic.twitter.com/mIR34Eoocw
— Cult of the Lamb ?? (@cultofthelamb) April 12, 2023

Cult of the Lamb is out right now for PC and consoles. It’s one of last year’s best games due to its mix of fun gameplay, art style & music, and overall feels and dark humour juxtaposed by cutesiness.


Doom Patrol Season 2 To Debut On Two Streaming Services This June

Doom Patrol ended its first season in May 2019 but was renewed for a second season a few months later. Season 2 of the bizarre comics adaptation will premiere on 25 June 2020 on two streaming services simultaneously; DC Universe and HBO Max.
The official synopsis for Doom Patrol Season 2 (via TVLine) reads:

“DCâ€™s strangest group of heroes are back again to save the world.
Following the defeat of Mr. Nobody (Alan Tudyk – â€œHarley Quinnâ€), the members of the Doom Patrol find themselves shrunken and stranded on Cliffâ€™s toy race car track.
Here they begin to deal with their feelings of betrayal by Niles Caulder aka The Chief (Timothy Dalton – â€œHot Fuzzâ€), while confronting their own personal baggage.
As each member faces the challenge of growing beyond their own past traumatic experiences, they must come together to embrace and protect the newest member of the family: Dorothy Spinner (Abigail Shapiro – â€œBroadway Kids Against Bullying: I Have a Voiceâ€), Nilesâ€™ daughter, whose powers remain a mysterious but real threat to bringing on the end of the world.”

Here comes the DOOM! #DoomPatrol season 2 is coming to #HBOMax on 6/25. pic.twitter.com/CwJ1LTWB5o
â€” Doom Patrol (@DCDoomPatrol) May 13, 2020
In the comics, Dorothy Spinner has the power to bring imaginary beings to life, but from the sound of it, the synopsis for Doom Patrol Season 2 implies that this version of the character might be a lot more powerful. Perhaps even near the power levels of Marvel’s Jean Grey AKA Phoenix from the X-Men.


China Aims To Steer Its Games Industry In The Right Direction, Find Out How

China made headlines and waves in the games industry a few months ago when the country announced that it will be suspending game approvals for an unconfirmed period of time. After approximately four months, the country has now declared that it will once again be resuming review of games for approval, as well as outlining the government’s plans for the Chinese games industry.
At the China Game Industry Annual Conference on December 21, 2018, Deputy Director of the Publications Bureau of the Central Propaganda Department Feng Shixin delivered a speech in which he outlined four major points to help steer the games industry in China.
1. Cultural Responsibility
Game developers and publishers should practice core values of socialism by creating and producing outstanding work. In doing so, they will have firm cultural self-confidence and a high degree of cultural consciousness.
2. Social Responsibility
Since the youth comprises the biggest chunk of gamer demographics, game developer and publishers should be socially responsible by prioritizing social benefits, protecting the rights of minors, as well as balancing “righteousness” and “profit” by paying attention to society.
3. Accelerate Industrial Transformation
Game developers and publishers should establish a level of quality and control the excessive growth of products. The Chinese government will regulate all instances of excessive profit-seeking, infringement plagiarism, and consumer fraud.
4. Promote Excellent Chinese Games Internationally
Game developers and publishers should learn fromÂ the good practices and experience of other countries and actively expand into the international market space. Additionally, they should learn how to improve in disseminating Chinese culture, promoting Chinese values, and embodying Chinese aesthetic tastes through the games.
It remains to be seen how all this will affect not only the games industry in China but also the global games industry as a whole. Here’s hoping that whatever happens will be ultimately better for both gamers and game developers/publishers.
(Source: Invenglobal)


Razer Announces New Laptops & Gaming Peripherals At CES 2022

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers (Hong Kong Stock Code: 1337), is making several exciting announcements while unveiling new concepts and never-seen-before products at CES 2022, the worldâ€™s largest annual consumer technology convention.
Located in booth #15076 in Central Hall, Razer continues its â€˜show stoppingâ€™ tradition at CES, exhibiting the very latest for gamers. Razer will also be hosting a special RazerStore Live from our flagship Las Vegas store at 2am GMT+8 on 7 January 2022Â to recap and cover all things Razer x CES.Â
RAZER ANNOUNCES ALL-NEW BLADE GAMING LAPTOPSÂ

The worldâ€™s fastest laptops for gamers and creators, the Razer Blade 14, Razer Blade 15, andÂ  Razer Blade 17, are now equipped with the recently announced NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop GPUs, up to an RTX 3080 Ti. The new updates also include groundbreaking DDR5 memory, providing blistering clock speeds up to 4800MHz and cutting-edge processor advancements from both AMD and Intel.
For more details, head on over here.
RAZER UNVEILS PROJECT SOPHIA AND ENKI PRO HYPERSENSE

Razer introduced Project Sophia, the worldâ€™s first fully modular gaming desk concept that adapts to meet the needs of any user. Razer also revealed the Enki Pro HyperSense, an advanced gaming chair incorporating high-fidelity haptics, allowing users to experience a new dimension of immersion in gaming.Â
For more details, head on over here.

RAZER EXPANDS CHROMA RGB BEYOND THE PC AND INTO THE SMART HOMEÂ Â

Razer announced the Razer Smart Home App, allowing users to have a one-stop destination to natively control and customize all their connected devices across the PC and mobile ecosystems, for the ultimate immersive smart home experience. Razer also introduced the Razer Â Chroma Smart Home Program, an open invitation for hardware partners from the smart home industry to integrate their products into the Razer ecosystem.Â
For more details, head on over here.
RAZER AND FOSSIL INTRODUCE THE RAZER X FOSSIL GEN 6 SMARTWATCH FOR GAMERSÂ

Razer shared the news of its collaboration with leading watch manufacturer, Fossil, to launch a Â limited-edition smartwatch: the Razer X Fossil Gen 6 Smartwatch. The co-branded wearable leverages Fossilâ€™s most innovative smartwatch platform to date, the highly anticipated Fossil GenÂ 6. It also features three exclusive Razer watch faces as well as two stylish interchangeable straps. Â
For more details, head on over here.

THE RAZER ZEPHYR PRO â€“ THE NEXT GENERATION OF RAZERâ€™S AWARD-WINNING SMART MASK

Following the massive success of the Razer Zephyr, Razer is releasing the Zephyr Pro, which now adds voice amplification to the feature list. Razerâ€™s patent-pending voice amplification technology ensures oneâ€™s speech isnâ€™t muffled even when masked up, allowing the wearer to communicate more seamlessly.


Captain Marvel Isn’t Stellar Enough To Stand On Its Own

I’ve had mixed feelings about past Marvel Cinematic Universe movies before, including the likes of Ant-Man And The Wasp and Thor: The Dark World. However, those movies were still enjoyable to a degree, while Captain Marvel has left me simply whelmed, which best encapsulates my overall thoughts and feelings when the credits were rolling.
What does “whelmed” mean? It’s an adjective originally coined by the character Robin in the animated series Young Justice, which means “aÂ state of being where you are not over-excited nor unimpressed, but just satisfied and calm”.
Origin and Bridge Movie In One?

Let’s just get to it, shall we? It’s hard to discuss what happens in Captain Marvel without spoiling anything since the crutch of the entire movie lies on the repressed memories of Carol Danvers and the secret history of her life on Earth. With that setup, I was disappointed to discover that the movie still stubbornly adheres to familiar origin tropes: alien girl with repressed memories has powers and works for space corp, girl finds out she’s not what she seems in sudden turn of events, girl makes a comeback after the second act realization and memory catch-up.
Captain Marvel follows the same formulaic origin structure that Marvel Studios has been using since 2008’s Iron Man, with little in the way of surprises and experimentations. I won’t lie; the movie does contain a few twists that subverts certain established elements from the comics, some of which are an unexpected improvement over the source material and some of which I consider to be baffling choices.
The origin formula, in and of itself, isn’t much of a problem, though it does contribute to the increasing superhero movie fatigue phenomena. An origin movie is best when it gradually makes viewers invested in the protagonist throughout the duration of the movie.

In Captain Marvel, I didn’t really care about Carol Danvers, and the general stakes of the movie were unclear until at least the end of the second act.

The whole movie acts as a bridge for the entire MCU. This particular responsibility was previously thrust upon 2011’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and now Captain Marvel is here to shoulder that same responsibility. Wanna know how Nick Fury lost his eye and how he thought of the Avengers Initiative? Well, you’re getting your answers at the expense of the movie itself.

This jarringly leads to some continuity headaches and perceived errors in timelines. I had to refresh myself of previous events in past movies before I could string together satisfying and coherent answers to some of those lingering questions (but not all of them). I have no idea how this will affect the viewing experience of more casual viewers.

Sure, maybe some people can relate with Carol Danvers’ plight of getting undermined by everyone who says that she can’t do something or that she’s not strong. Jude Law’s Yon-Rogg even berates her only weakness throughout the movie as being unable to control her emotions and that she relies on her power (read: privilege?) too much.

By the end of the movie, she rises through all that, by proving to everyone that she’s the most overpowered character in the MCU. Yes, that sounds extremely relatable to all the young girls out there (insert: sarcasm?).Â It seems that Marvel doesn’t care enough to make Carol an interesting character in her own right. but instead more intent on convincing the naysayers that she is indeed the promised saviour of the MCU; namely the key to defeating Thanos.

Remember how 2017’s Justice League used Superman? It currently looks like she will be fulfilling that same role for Avengers: Endgame, which I sincerely hope will come true. I remainÂ positive that the best is yet to come from our Mightiest Avenger.

A single movie is not enough to determine the value of a character, least of all an origin movie, which is literally the beginning of that character’s journey.
Humans vs Aliens

Brie Larson manages to do a serviceable job in the role of Carol Danvers and Captain Marvel, stoic and sassy at times, as well as emotional and charming at times. She does appear to be stoic most of the time, especially during the first half of the movie when she still believed herself to be Kree.
The relationship (and chemistry) between Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) forms the emotional crux of the movie, a humanizing plot device so to speak. This also applies to Carol’s relationship with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), who is still merely an agent at this point in the MCU. Seeing Fury’s reaction to aliens and the more fantastical elements is a hoot, as he is far from being the all-knowing director of SHIELD we know and love.
Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos is another noteworthy performance, and I very much like this different incarnation of the character.

The unexpected twist that comes with the Skrulls is one of those welcomed narrative turns I mentioned above, the revelation of which completely caught me off-guard. I love it when Marvel Studios take risks like this.

Am I talking about a possible Skrull Invasion or a misdirection? You’ll never know until you watch the movie.

In contrast, the antagonists are a bit bland and too “straight” for their own good. However, accusing the villains of being one-dimensional is ironic, since they’re supposed to be the comic book version of a group that preaches racial supremacy. I should point out that it’s great seeing a younger Ronan (Lee Pace) in the movie already showing signs of his future extremist zealot self.
What does it mean for a movie when a non-human character often steals the show more often than the protagonist herself? That’s right, I’m talking about Carol’s pet cat, Goose, who gobbles up all the attention in every scene it’s in, thanks in part to its interactions with human co-star Nick Fury.
Forced 90s Nostalgia

The movie’s 90s setting provides nostalgic value to those who lived through the era, though most of it didn’t mean much to me. The Blockbuster video joke from the trailer remains amusing, as well as several other 90s-era gags, my favourite of which involves the time it takes to load a disc on a computer. The othersÂ feel a bit shoehorned in just for the sake of reminding the viewer every few scenes or so that yes, this movie takes place in the 90s.
This is especially true when it comes to the use of 90s music in Captain Marvel. Imagine more of a Suicide Squad kind of situation where it feels like someone played their playlist of the 90s’ greatest hits and less like Guardians of The Galaxy’s more natural application of its soundtrack, turning certain scenes more cringe-worthy.
Stripping away all ties to the larger MCU and its 90s-era shtick makes me realize that Captain Marvel can’t stand on its own. Unlike other past MCU origin movies like Iron Man and Doctor Strange, the movie failed to make me even like the character as much as I did Tony Stark and Stephen Strange by the end of their respective movies.

As Captain Marvel is the first MCU movie to be released after the death of Stan Lee late last year, it features an additional touching tribute to the late legend beyond his usual expected cameo. I won’t spoil it but it was definitely an endearing remembrance of the Man and his long history of cameos in Marvel movies.

The most important question of all is whether Captain Marvel is an essential watch before Avengers: Endgame arrives.
The answer is leaning heavily towards ‘yes’ since it serves as an introduction to the titular hero and acts as a reminder of all how it all began before we get to how it all will end in Avengers: Endgame.

Let’s be honest, the biggest thing going for Captain Marvel is that its sort of a prelude for Avengers: Endgame, and that’s the reason why viewers will be flocking to it. There are only a few MCU movies that I would prefer not to rewatch unless I bored out of my mind, and this is one of them.
FINAL RATING: 60/100
Captain Marvel is now showing worldwide. We caught the movie on TGV Cinemas IMAX via press screening, courtesy of The Walt Disney Company (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.


Pixar’s Turning Red Comes To Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia This March

It’s confirmed; Pixar’s Turning Red is premiering exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar in Malaysia on 11 March 2022, just like on Disney+ in the US.
This will be Pixarâ€™s next animated film after 2020â€™s SoulÂ (check out my review here). It is directed byÂ Domee Shi, who won an Oscar for her 2018 Pixar animated short,Â BaoÂ (which premiered alongside 2018â€™sÂ The Incredible 2).
The synopsis reads:
Disney and Pixarâ€™s Turning Red introduces Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang), a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her motherâ€™s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (voice of Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughter; an unfortunate reality for the teenager.
And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body werenâ€™t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she â€œpoofsâ€ into a giant red panda!
Check out the trailer below:


Huawei Nova 5T Offers Gaming Power At An Affordable Price

We went to the Huawei Nova 5T global launching event at KLCC earlier today, where the Chinese tech giant unveiled the latest addition to its nova family of smartphones.
Gamers will appreciate the Do Not Disturb mode, which allows them to play games without having to worry about calls or other interruptions. In addition, the GPU Turbo 3.0 grants a stable and constant framerate during gameplay, as well as the ability to increase the FPS (framerate per second) up to an incredible 60 FPS.

This is made possible by the fact that the Huawei Nova 5T is powered by the world’s first 7nm mobile AI chipset (and the company’s flagship), the Kirin 980. This is further complemented by 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage space, and a 3750mAH battery.
Plus, the new smartphone is also specially optimized for more than 25 games, including Mobile Legends, PUBG Mobile, Asphalt 9, Free Fire, Subway Surfers, and more.
Bhutanese esports personality and YouTuber Pinda Panda came out on stage to explain what makes the Huawei Nova 5T a potent gaming device. especially for other fellow streamers like her and professionals in the esports industry.

It also comes with a whopping five cameras, with Quad AI at its back (consisting of a 48MP main camera, 16MP ultra-wide camera, 2MP macro camera and 2MP depth camera) and a 32MP front selfie shooter.
Unfortunately, the Huawei Nova 5T doesn’t have a Micro SD slot for expanded storage, which means that users will have to make do with the allotted 128GB.
It will be available for pre-order starting from 29 August 2019. Those who preorder between that date and 5 September 2019 will receive gifts worth up to RM325; including Huawei mini speakers and SuperCharge in-car charger.
Available in three gradient colours (Midsommer Purple, Crush Blue, and Black), the Huawei Nova 5T will be available for purchase starting from 7 September 2019 at a price of RM1599.
In addition, Huawei also revealed its latest tablet, the Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite. Featuring a Full HD IPS screen, ab octa-core processor, and quad stereo speakers by harman/kardon,, it is priced at RM1299.

In the meantime, you can get hands-on experience with the Huawei Nova 5T by visiting the locations at the times below:

Sunway Pyramid, Petaling Jaya – (3 August 2019 to 2 September 2019)
Paradigm Mall, Johor Bahru – (29 August 2019 to 2 September 2019)
Imago, Kota Kinabalu – (29 August 2019 to 1 September 2019)
The Spring, Kuching – (29 August 2019 to 1 September 2019)
KB Mall, Kota Bharu – (29 August 2019 to 31 August 2019)
Sunway Carnival Mall, Perai – (3 September 2019 to 5 September 2019)

In the meantime, check out more pictures from the event below.


Stadia Flopped Because Google Isn’t Paying Developers Enough

Google Stadia was pretty much dead on arrival, and far from the trailblazer for cloud-based gaming that it was supposed to be. Many issues attributed to this, one of which is the fact that its library of games remains pathetic. At the time of writing, only 28 games are currently playable.
According to a recent report by Business Insider, developers have revealed that the reason why they haven’t released their games on Google Stadia stems from lack of incentive to do so.
In this case, Google simply isn’t offering enough money. One indie developer even stated that the money was “kind of non-existent”, while another referred to it as â€œso low that it wasnâ€™t even part of the conversation.â€
Money isn’t the only problem though, as there is also a lack of faith in Stadia and cloud-based gaming in general. The platform’s audience is far smaller than those for consoles and PC, which makes releasing games on Stadia too much of a risk, one that these developers dare not take.
An anonymous publisher executive said:

â€œWith Google, itâ€™s easy to look at them as, well, itâ€™s Google.
But theyâ€™ve failed a ton in the past and walked away from major services.â€

That’s true, for the most part. Look at what happened with services like Google Plus, and other similar failed endeavours in the past. Google is promising 120 more titles to arrive on Stadia by the end of 2020, including upcoming highly-anticipated games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Doom Eternal.
Still, the question remains; why should these developers go to Stadia when consoles and PC are much better and more lucrative platforms? Until Google answers that question, the Stadia will continue to limp on by and probably just fade into obscurity sometime in the future, in the vein of other gaming gimmicks like VR and motion control.


Minecraft Legends: Everything We Know About The New Action-Strategy Game

The world of Minecraft isn’t just relegated to the famous open-world builder title that revolutionized gaming. It’s also a hotbed of potential spin-offs, one of them being the upcoming title Minecraft Legends.
Minecraft Legends is an upcoming action-strategy game combining elements from Microsoft, developer Mojang Studios and Blackbird Interactive. You won’t just fight for your survival. You’ll battle Piglin forces to defend Minecraft’s Overworld, travelling across biomes to build defences and rally allied defenders.
In this spinoff, the distinctive art style offers a new experience while maintaining all the beloved features we’ve come to know and love. Without further ado, here’s what we know about Minecraft Legends.
WHAT IS MINECRAFT LEGENDS?

Minecraft Legends is an RTS spinoff of Minecraft that remixes the series standard survival and crafting into a real-time strategy adventure across the Minecraft Overworld, which is split into both new and familiar biomes. This is Mojang’s first attempt at an action-strategy game.
The first trailer promises to tell a legend of a “united Overworld,” seeming to recruit mobs like Creepers and Skeletons. It appears that the threat in this game is the denizens of the Nether, who are seen escaping a portal and corrupting the peaceful Overworld with its greediness and fiery flames. Your character will be the “hero” that units alliance across the Overworld and lead your troops to victory.
According to creative director Magnus Nedfors, the game focuses on forging alliances with Minecraft Overworld denizens so that you can fight the Piglin forces together.
“It’s not about your character getting stronger. You’re not getting new armor. It’s about making new friends and fighting the piglins together.”
Additionally, the trailer also showed brief glimpses of building mechanics, possibly demonstrating how bases are constructed and maintained. The building showcase seems to be a constructed fort. As for the action gameplay, players will be able to mount horses, with a plethora of mounts to choose from.

DOES MINECRAFT LEGENDS HAVE A MULTIPLAYER MODE?

Minecraft Legends will have both co-op and competitive multiplayer options, and will support cross-platform play. The co-op campaign lets players to team up and play through the campaign mode side-by-side. It is unclear on how many people can join up at the same lobby as the details have yet to be announced.
During Xbox Bethesda Developer Direct, Minecraft Legends’ PVP mode lets you knock down the other player’s base-building before they can do the same to you. The Piglins will appear during the PVP gameplay and will fight both players as well. Up to eight players can join a lobby, in which they’ll split into two teams of four. Each team will then build a base and an army, before charging each other in battle. Matches in this mode are expected to last about 20 to 30 minutes each.
As for crossplay, it’s safe to say that it will be at least cross-platform multiplayer between PC and consoles as the Minecraft Dungeons added cross-platform multiplayer for PC and all consoles, it seems fair to hope this feature will be added to the upcoming action-strategy game.
WHAT KIND OF MOBS WILL YOU ENCOUNTER IN MINECRAFT LEGENDS?

Apart from the Piglins, all mobs will be non-hostile and friendly to players. To underscore this point, the cinematic mob trailer shows a friendly interaction between a Villager and a Zombie Villager.
The following are all the officially confirmed mobs for Minecraft Legends:

Zombies
Skeletons
Creepers
Piglin – Grunter
Piglin – Runt
Piglin – Bruiser
Piglin – Portal Guard
Piglin – Piggo
Plank Golem
Cobblestone Golem
Grindstone Golem
Mossy Golem

Golems act as an NPC companion to provide support during battle. There are four types of golems confirmed so far: Plank Golems which act like mobile turrets, Cobblestone Golems which deal melee damage, Grindstone Golems which provide knock-back defence, and Mossy Golems which provide healing.
Whereas the Piglins in Minecraft Legends will have distinct roles and designs, each with its own characteristics. Piggos appear to be mounts, while Grunters and Runts are mook-level enemies, Bruisers and Portal Guards are beefier, more specialized enemies.
In terms of neutral mobs: rabbits, turtles, chickens, and cats were featured in the cinematic trailer.

WHEN WILL MINECRAFT LEGENDS BE RELEASED AND ON WHICH PLATFORMS?
Mojang Studios and Blackbird Interactive announced that Minecraft Legends will be released on 18 April 2023 on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC via Steam and Xbox Game Pass.
We’ll be keeping an eye out for any upcoming news related to Minecraft Legends so stay tuned. In the meantime, why not check out our review of Minecraft Dungeons? You might also be interested that Microsoft developed an AI to play Minecraft for you.


Godzilla x Kong The New Empire Teaser Reveals The Next Monsterverse Movie

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures have announced the official title for the latest instalment in the Monsterverse film series, Godzilla x Kong The New Empire with a new teaser.
The last MonsterVerse movie was Godzilla Vs Kong in 2021 (check out our review here). The cinematic universe began with 2014’s Godzilla, 2017’s Kong Skull Island and 2019’s Godzilla King Of The Monsters.
Godzilla Vs Kong director Adam Wingard returns to the Monsterverse and is joined by returning cast, including Rebecca Hall as Dr. Ilene Andrews, Brian Tyree Henry as fan-favourite Bernie Hayes and Kaylee Hottle as Jia. Dan Stevens, Fala Chen and Rachel House also join the cast.
This latest entry in the Monsterverse franchise follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs. Kong with an all-new cinematic adventure, pitting the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own. The epic new film will delve further into the histories of these Titans, their origins, and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever.
Godzilla x Kong The New Empire premieres on 15 March 2024.


Joe Quesada Leaves Marvel After More Than Two Decades

Joe Quesada, former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief and current executive vice president and creative director of Marvel Entertainment, has announced that he is leaving Marvel after 22 years at the company (since 1991).
He made the surprise announcement via his Twitter account, writing:
“After two plus decades (has it really been that long?), the time has come for me to move on. As you can imagine, my love for the company, its characters, and all my coworkers runs deep, but I have an exciting new chapter that’s about to begin, so the time feels right.”

And now for something completely different… pic.twitter.com/5Vurcra9kJ
— Joe Quesada (@JoeQuesada) May 31, 2022

In 1998, Quesada worked on the Marvel Knights imprint comics with Jimmy Palmiotti, including characters such as Doctor Strange, Daredevil, the Inhumans, and more.

He then became the Editor In Chief at Marvel starting from 2000, and he oversaw the Marvel’s Ultimate Universe line, as well as major crossover storylines like House of M, Civil War and Secret Invasion. During his tenure, a lot of new talent also made their mark at Marvel, including Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, New Avengers), Ed Brubaker (Captain America, Daredevil), Matt Fraction (The Immortal Iron Fist, Uncanny X-Men) and J. Michael Straczynski (The Amazing Spider-Man, Supreme Power).
He was then officially promoted as Marvel’s chief creative officer in 2010, and stepped down as Editor In Chief in 2011. Quesada was then named executive vice president and creative director in 2019 after Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige was promoted to the role of chief creative officer role at Marvel.
However, this doesn’t meant that he’s abruptly leaving Marvel. His tweet indicates that he still has several film and comics projects, including what might be some new work at Marvel. Overall, Joe Quesada will best be remembered for his artwork over the years.


Kirby Gives Hugs In An Adorable Valentine’s Day Read-Along

Nintendo made a special surprise for Kirby fans on Valentine’s Day by releasing its newest entry to the It’s Kirby Time read-along series, A Hug from Kirby.
The 6-minute narrated video shows Kirby and his friend, Adeleine exploring the idea of love and making their journey meeting all the classic characters from the world of Kirby, and giving them big, warm hugs, in a charming tale that surely melts your heart.
The story starts with Kirby spending time with his friend Adeleine who has fallen in love, which made Kirby wonder what exactly love is. Adeleine gives Kirby a hug and an answer, leaving Kirby feeling more determined to learn everything he can about the feeling. He sets off and meets Waddle Dee, King Dedede, Chilly, and Marx, each character tells new insights about the emotion. The whole setting is purely adorable, befitting for all ages to enjoy, and perhaps for viewers to find their own meaning of love.
The video is the sixth book out of the seven series, It’s Kirby Time. The read-along series was originally released as physical picture books in Japan and as part of the release of Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Each book showcases a self-contained story that follows Kirby’s adventure and tells a positive theme or message. Other series tell a tale of Christmas, friendships, courage, and many more.
Love does come in many shapes and sizes, especially when it comes to Kirby! So, enjoy this Valentine’s Day with the pink ball of joy on the Nintendo of America Youtube channel.


The Last Of Us Part 2 Malaysian Prices Revealed, Including Collector’s & Ellie Editions

Update (30 April 2020):
News has come to light that The Last Of Us Part 2 will require at least 100GB of free space on your PS4. According to IGN, this can be seen stated on the US version of the game’s PlayStation Store page, included in the licensing and copyright details.
The physical edition of the game will be shipping on two discs, so it’s not exactly surprising that the game is so big. It was the same case for 2018’s Red Dead Redemption 2 as well. It looks like gamers will have to clean out their PS4s beforehand.

Sony Interactive EntertainmentÂ Singapore Private LimitedÂ (SIES)Â announced today that The Last Of Us Part 2 will be released in Malaysia on 19 June 2020, same as the rest of the world.
Here are the Malaysian prices for The Last Of Us Part 2:

Digital Standard Edition – RM239
Digital Deluxe Edition – RM299
Blu-ray Disc Standard Edition – RM239
Special Edition – RM349
Collectorâ€™s Edition – RM839
Ellie Edition – RM1,099

Physical disc pre-orders for The Last Of Us Part 2 begins today on 30 April 2020. Those who pre-order any of the digital or physical editions of the game will receive the following bonus in-game items at launch:

Ammo Capacity Upgrade
Crafting Training Manual

In addition, all physical disc pre-orders will also come with a limited editionÂ The Last Of Us Part 2 T-shirt featuring Ellieâ€™s tattoo printed on the back, while stocks last.

The Last Of Us Part 2 Standard Editions (Blu-Ray Disc and Digital)

Pre-order The Last Of Us Part 2 Digital Standard Edition for RM239 and receive a The Last Of Us Part 2Â PlayStation Network (PSN) Avatar featuring Ellieâ€™s distinct tattoo.
The Last Of Us Part 2 Digital Deluxe Edition

Pre-order The Last Of Us Part 2 Digital Deluxe Edition for RM299 and receive all digital pre-order incentives offered via the Digital Standard Edition, as well as the following digital bonuses:

PS4 Dynamic Theme
Set of 6 PSN Avatars
Digital Soundtrack
Digital Mini Art Book from Dark HorseÂ

The Last Of Us Part 2 Special Edition

Priced at RM349, The Last Of Us Part 2 Special Edition comes with a collectible SteelBook Case including the full game, and a 48-page Mini Art Book published by Dark Horse.
It will also include early purchase incentives offered through the Standard Edition, as well as the following digital bonuses:

PS4 Dynamic Theme
Set of 6 PSN Avatars
Digital Soundtrack
Digital Mini Art Book from Dark Horse

The Last Of Us Part 2 Collectorâ€™s Edition

The Last Of Us Part 2 Collectorâ€™s Edition will be available at RM839 and includes all Special Edition bonuses and content listed below:

SteelBook Case with Full Game
12â€ Ellie Statue
48 Page Mini Art Book from Dark Horse
Replica of Ellieâ€™s Bracelet
Lithograph Art Print and Thank You Letter
Set of 5 Stickers
Set of 6 Enamel Pins

Including the following digital content:

PS4 Dynamic Theme
Set of 6 PSN Avatars
Digital Soundtrack
Digital Mini Art Book from Dark Horse

The Last Of Us Part 2 Ellie Edition

The Last Of Us Part 2 Ellie Edition will be available at RM1,099, and includes additional items on top of all the bonuses and content of the Collectorâ€™s Edition, which are listed below:

SteelBook Case with Full Game
12â€ Ellie Statue
48 Page Mini Art Book from Dark Horse
Replica of Ellieâ€™s Backpack
Replica of Ellieâ€™s Bracelet
The Last of Us Part II Logo Patch
7â€ Vinyl Record Featuring Music from the Original Soundtrack
Lithograph Art Print and Thank You Letter
Set of 5 Stickers
Set of 6 Enamel Pins

Including the following digital content:

PS4 Dynamic Theme
Set of 6 PSN Avatars
Digital Soundtrack
Digital Mini Art Book from Dark Horse

Head on over here for a list of official and authorized stores to start making your The Last Of Us Part 2 pre-orders now.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btmN-bWwv0A&w=560&h=315]


Amazon Delays New World MMO To August

Amazon Games’ upcoming MMO New World has been delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a blog post, the developers revealed that the game would be delayed to 25 August 2020, while the closed beta will be launched sometime in July 2020.
“Like most of you, our entire team has been sequestered as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic,” they wrote. “While we are still making great progress, developing an ambitious MMO like New World remotely has introduced some challenges.
“We want to make sure that we have the time needed to make New World the very best it can be for our players. As a result, weâ€™ve chosen to delay the gameâ€™s release in order to reach our quality bar as we work remotely for the foreseeable future.”

The developers also posted an article detailing the game’s Invasions, where defenders have to protect a Territory’s Fort from waves of Corrupted, New World‘s AI enemies. These are restricted to players who are Level 50 or higher. The Territory’s Governor can pick 10 heroes to participate in the Invasion the day before, while another 40 slots will be filled by randomly-selected players who signed up.
Players will be able to use Battle Tokens to purchase items like ammunition, potions, and incendiary mines in a preparation period, and earn more from actions like killing or healing. The Corrupted will appear from portals after this period, with a total of eight waves.
There are at least eight types of enemies, from lowly but numerous Grunts and turret-suppressing Snipers to suicidal Bombers and Brutes that focus on tearing down defenses. There will also be Bosses with varying behaviour, with some focusing on attacking players while others provide buffs to their allies.
Players who helped in the battle will be rewarded with XP, in-game currency, and loot regardless of the outcome, but a defeat will cause the Territory to downgrade. Winning means that the Corrupted will retreat and prepare for another Invasion.

There’s no video preview of the Invasions, sadly, but I quite like the look of New World’s real-time action-RPG-like combat, which you can check out above. There’ll also be a PvP element, though the community Q&A video on PvP was heavily disliked, which doesn’t inspire confidence.
New WorldÂ joins the ranks of games like The Last of Us Part 2, Â Iron Man VR and the Sniper Elite board game in being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cyberpunk 2077, on the other hand, remains on track for its September release.


Infinite Lagrange Return Server Launches With Surprises For Returning Pioneers

Infinite Lagrange is launching a special return server on April 19th, inviting all former Pioneers to come back and experience the excitement of the game once again. The Lagrangian galaxy owes its development and expansion to the intrepid Pioneers, whose past efforts have left an indelible mark on the galaxy’s history. Even those who had to leave temporarily for various reasons are crucial to its ongoing growth.
Infinite Lagrange warmly welcomes all former Pioneers to return and rediscover the game’s thrill. For those who may have missed out on some of the exciting activities and benefits during their absence, Infinite Lagrange has a surprise gift in store.
As the name suggests, the return server is exclusively designed for our returning Pioneers. To join, returning Pioneers need to meet the simple participation conditions and register within the specified time limit. The newly launched return server has been thoughtfully designed to help you get up to speed with the latest developments and changes in the Lagrangian universe. It offers a range of customized activities and benefits to make your return journey as smooth as possible, allowing Pioneers to rediscover the excitement of the game.
It can be disappointing for returning Pioneers to have missed out on exciting events and benefits. To make up for this, the “Reconnect with the Lagrangian Galaxy” activity will be launched after this update, consisting of two parts: the “Lagrange History” event and a new feature “Galaxy Information”.
The “Lagrange History” event allows returning Pioneers to unlock up to three missed events, purchasing and obtaining exclusive Tech Files related to their choices, with a half-price discount on Pioneers’ first purchase. When opening the Tech Files obtained from these events, Pioneers will enjoy a higher chance of getting valuable battleship and fighter blueprints.
For instance, the Heart of Thunderbolt – Integrated Arsenal Ship introduced during the 2023 Beacon Festival event comes equipped with Thunderbolt Group’s ultrahigh energy Ion Cannon and a mobile military integrated system, making it an outstanding performer. Another excellent example is the Hayreddin Follower Pulsar Fighter, which debuted during the 2022 Dawn Celebration. This fighter boasts a 25% dodge rate, full-area air defence capability, and a pulse cannon that can gradually increase damage when attacking the same target continuously. With its comprehensive range of functions, this fighter is a must-have for Pioneers.

The “Galaxy Information” is a new feature which provides returning Pioneers with easy access to get to know the latest missed events and new updates from the past year. This allows them to quickly comprehend and adapt to the current environment of the Lagrangian galaxy. For instance, the flagship ability launched in November 2022 in “Infinite Lagrange” enables Pioneers to grant the entire fleet various bonus effects or abilities by selecting different ships as their flagship, significantly expanding their tactical options. The new “Nova Agreement” introduced this year offers a stable and less competitive setting for Pioneers who meet its conditions, empowering them to explore and progress freely.
Furthermore, the return server has introduced a “Return Channel” for returning Pioneers to share their experiences and foster emotional connections with each other. Orgs can also quickly recruit Pioneers through the channel to collaborate on development.
The “Infinite Lagrange” return server registration will open from 19 April to 3 May 2023. The eligibility application conditions and registration process have been simplified to make it easy for Pioneers planning to return. Starting from 5 April 2023, Pioneers who haven’t logged in for 30 days or more and have successfully expanded their base to Area 5 can register. Simply click the return activity button on the game login interface to view your qualified characters.
The “Infinite Lagrange” team is excited to welcome back all returning Pioneers. By offering a fully immersive space exploration experience with customized convenient activities and rich benefits. We aim to ensure a smooth transition for everyone into the new environment of the Lagrangian galaxy.


Bowsette Watch: From Porn Sites Search Result Numbers To Nintendo’s Official Stance

As previously reported a few days ago, the Bowsette phenomenon took off thanks to an innocuous tweet from Malaysian artist ayyk92. Given the sensual nature of the new character, Bowsette is no stranger to sites like Pornhub.
Speaking Of Which…
…Bowsette searches on the site went from zero to 500,000 within 3 days, according to the site. From 26 September onwards, the numbers shot up exponentially. Here’s an official quote from the Pornhub blog:

Bowsette searches â€¦ appeared first on 23 September and then grew exponentially.Â On September 26, 323,179 people searched for â€˜Bowsetteâ€™ on Pornhub.

For folks who swing the pure reptilian way, classic Bowser searches also went up.

While a few hundred people were already searching for â€˜Bowserâ€™ on a daily basis, his searches reached as high as 51,882 on 26 September. The dynamic duo shelled out over 500,000 Pornhub searches in just over 72 hours.

Other sites like YouPorn saw significant Bowsette search growth from 22 to 25 September.

Search results from these two big sites include “bowsette porn”, “bowsette hentai”, “bowsette cosplay”, “girl bowser”, and “hot girl bowser”. No point capitalizing the “b”; humans are lazy that way.
I’m Sure Nintendo Has A Lot To Say About This. Right?
Japanese site J-Cast News reached out to Nintendo of Japan for official word on the recent Bowsette phenomenon. Here’s what they have to say.

Concerning the drawings and other things uploaded to the Internet, we have no comment.

This might be troubling since Nintendo is infamous for sternly protecting its family-friendly licenses. They previously shut down unofficial mods of their games and place cease-and-desist orders to emulator sites. In fact, they recently shut down MariCar, the unofficial Mario Kart tourist attraction in Japan.
But it could mean nothing. We’ll see. For now, the search for hot Bowsette bad girl action continues.Â


The Sims 4 Courtyard Oasis Kit Drops Next Week

This summer, brighten up spaces with natural sunlight and welcome a refreshing breeze withÂ The Sims 4 Courtyard OasisÂ Kit. Curated for Simmers who want to design a serene and stylish oasis at the centre of their homes, The Sims 4 Courtyard Oasis KitÂ uses vibrant and harmonious pieces inspired by the riads of Morocco.
Courtyard Oasis offers even more ways for players to express their creativity and design opulent spaces with traditional filigree designs, vibrant colours and intricate tile patterns. Build a dreamy courtyard for Sims to lounge in with colourful fountains, ornate furniture, resplendent textiles and lush, tropical plants. Simmers can also incorporate elegant columns, majestic archways and beautifully latticed wooden windows to their homes.
The Sims 4 Courtyard OasisÂ Kit will be available on 19 May 2021 at 1am GMT+8 on PC and Mac via Origin and Steam, PS4 and Xbox One.


Apex Legends Season 8 Mayhem & New Legend Fuse Revealed

Respawn Entertainment hasÂ announcedÂ the upcoming new content forÂ Apex Legends Season 8 Mayhem. This includes a new Legend, a new weapon and a new Battle Pass.
Apex Legends New Legend Fuse

Apex Legends New Weapon The 30-30 Repeater

Apex Legends Season 8 Mayhem is slated to launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on 2 February 2021. In the meantime, learn more about Fuse in the trailer below:


How The Esports Industry Can Help In 2021

The world continues to be affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with no clear end in sight. Games and movies have been delayed, while companies scramble to adapt to the current situation.
The esports industry is no different, and they have had to shift to more challenging online venues to replace the once-lively and crowded stadiums of yesteryear.
So, how can it help?Â According to the AESF, esports can help other struggling industries like the education sector by working closely with local authorities & governing bodies to push for standardised and affordable fast-speed internet in rural areas. This can be achieved by repurposing older machines and other materials from esports for the purpose of education, especially for those not well-equipped enough to even hold online classes.
Level Up
This is how esports bodies and organizations can help contribute to other sectors like education; by lending their technical expertise and adapting them to help others cope with the trials and tribulations of facing a pandemic. Traditional esports streaming and communication services can help improve the online learning process for students out there.

For example, several schools and universities in the United States of America have incorporated esports into their education programs, as a means of helping students thrive in this COVID-19 world. Newport High School in Kentucky has embraced esports as an educational tool by allowing schools to compete against each another and offering opportunities for esports college scholarship funds.

They have even implemented esports into their education programs, opening up both education and career opportunities such as for information technology, advertising, marketing, game development, digital design and other STEM-related (science, technology engineering and math) fields.

Meanwhile, other schools, like the Santa Ynez High School in California, esports is being used to promote an athletic spirit and sense of competition amongst its students, as all physical sports activities have been shut down due to COVID-19. Even their classrooms have been converted to host esports practice sessions and competitions, thanks to the help of PlayVS, a Santa Monica-based esports company.

Recently, in Malaysia, local politician Syed Saddiq successfully launched a fundraiser that provided free laptops and computer peripherals to students in need of such equipment for educational purposes. In fact, he’s still looking for more parties to contribute and donate laptops to his cause to help.

Lagi pukal laptop dibeli, anggaran harga sebuah laptop juga akan lebih berpatutan.
Lagi banyak laptop yang boleh kita biaya. Elok buat begini.
Kami cari laptop yang berkualiti, bukan netbook dan boleh digunakan untuk pelajar belajar dan buat semua jenis assignment.
— Syed Saddiq (@SyedSaddiq) January 1, 2021

Esports brand like Logitech and Razer should take the opportunity to contribute by making their products more affordable for those in need. By allowing parties like Syed Saddiq and other similar fundraisers to buy their products in bulk at a cheaper price, it could help the community and the educational sector while also raising both brand and esports awareness.

Instead of giving away their products to influencers or streamers who could more than afford to buy their products at full price, their laptops and peripherals could improve the learning conditions of less-fortunate students out there.

These are just several ways that esports can start giving back to the world. The aforementioned esports equipment and services can go a long way to helping other sectors and industries survive in these trying times.
Let’s hope that 2021 turn out to be a better and more productive year for the esports industry moving forward.


You Can Have Babies & Raise Them In The Sims 4 Starting This March

EA has announced that you will soon be able to have babies and raise them in The Sims 4. In The Sims 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack, players will have the opportunity to explore that familial bond through various Sim dynamics, watching as their Sims grow up, beginning at a new infant life stage, and grow old and hitting new precious milestones within their families.
Sims can explore three neighbourhoods in San Sequoia: Anchorpoint Wharf, Gilbert Gardens and a relaxed residential locale, Hopewell Hills, which has a slower pace that seamlessly mixes elements of modern and traditional craftsman-style homes.
With so much to do, your Sims’ family will have the perfect outing at the Urban Park where they can walk in a group, learn to ride a bicycle, jog or even hike on a nature path along the Gilbert Garden’s lake. Your Sim can enjoy the views, play on a playground, take it slow and go fishing with the grandparents, watch a movie at the wharf’s refurbished theatre, grab a bite to eat along the pier, visit the library filled with children’s books, or even splish and splash at Whalebert’s public splash pad play area.

In this base game update, you will have the chance to create and modify infants in CAS with the opportunity to show off a wide range of clothing, accessories and hairstyles, adopt an infant, age up from a newborn to an infant to a toddler, change an infant’s diaper, give the infant a nap, put the infant to sleep and more! Infants will also have the ability to express needs, emotions and sentiments.
The Sims 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack will add more choice and opportunity for your growing Sims by bringing up a Sim through new infant milestones. These milestones both highlight the way your Sims are growing up, as well as gain new abilities that open up the world around them for social interaction and exploration. Caregivers will have new ways of playing and caring for their infants with the Changing Station and Infant Playmat, as well as being able to carry them on their backs out into our family-friendly urban world.
There will also be 18 discoverable Infant Quirks that change an infant’s behaviour. With three Quirks per infant, each infant is bound to be unique! Some quirks include: Self-soother, Early Rise, Messy Eater, Frequently Hiccups, Gassy, Good Appetite, Snuggly Sleeper, Happy Spitter, Free-Air Tinkler and more.
You can learn more about Infants, the brand new age coming to all players in The Sims 4 base game update, as well as how the Growing Together Expansion Pack adds even more that will fundamentally change the way you’ll play with Infants on Saturday, 4 March 2023 at 3am GMT+8 on Twitch and YouTube.

In addition, toddlers are also getting the update in this pack. As with Infants, there will be 18 discoverable Toddler Quirks that change a Toddler’s behaviour. These are discovered over time and make each Toddler unique, beyond their traits. Some examples include: Aggressive, Picky Eater, Early Riser, Little Singer, Good Appetite, Loves Water, Hates Bedtime, Loves being Carried and more.
For the first time, Children have received four new Aspirations: Slumber Party Animal, Mind and Body, Playtime Captain and Creative Genius. With all the new content for kids in this pack (the Treehouse, Splash Pad, Bike, Sleeping Bag, Slumber Parties, Friendship Bracelets, and more) there’s plenty to aspire towards.
Through Sims’ experiences and relationships, players will begin to encounter Milestones, which will provide a way of showing players their Sims’ current growth, as well as the lifelong touchstones that continue to impact them as they age. These include overcoming a career obstacle, getting let go from a job, having a midlife crisis, having the family move in and so much more.
Our Growing Together Expansion Pack also includes a new social compatibility feature, which introduces new ways of socializing that will feel different with each Sim, leading to deeper, more meaningful relationships with family and friends. Maybe specific family members are jokesters together or maybe they are competitive. Your Sims family tree will now reflect more complex family relationships.
Your Sim will now have preferences that determine who they are socially compatible with and who are their sworn enemies. As your Sim experiences life, there will be opportunities for both drama and unity that will ultimately affect family dynamics and your Sims’ relationships.
After revealing this new update, The Sims 4 has also been getting shots by right-wing pundits on Fox News in the US, who is criticizing the game for “pushing the trans agenda”.

Can't believe the Woke Left™ has stripped the Sims of its primary educational mission pic.twitter.com/6CsbQKJbI9
— nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) February 1, 2023

You can preorder The Sims 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack now to start playing immediately when it launches on 16 March 2023 on PC via EA app, Mac via Origin, and Steam, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. The Sims 4 has officially launched on the Epic Games Store as well, another download destination for this Expansion Pack.
If you purchase the Growing Together Expansion Pack anytime from 2 February to 27 April 2023, you’ll have access to the Outdoor Playtime Digital Content, where you can help your parent or child Sims have fun and active lives with a swing set, toddler slide and infant carrier.


SPY×FAMILY’s New Opening Melts Your Heart With Wholesomeness

With the second cour of SPY×FAMILY just around the corner set, TOHO animation has decided to treat us by releasing the Opening ahead of the air date, 1 October.
The opening song is by the hilariously named band BUMP OF CHICKEN and is called SOUVENIR. BUMP OF CHICKEN is a staple in the anisong industry, most notably having their songs featured in One Piece The Movie: Dead End no Boken, Juushinki Pandora and Karakuri Circus just to name a few.
The Opening itself has absolutely stunning visuals that when partnered with the song, make an extremely heartwarming and wholesome opening.
Part 2 begins airing on 1 October according to the show’s official website and expect all-new episodes of SPY×FAMILY to be available on Netflix, Prime Video and Crunchyroll.


A Live-Action PokÃ©mon Series Is In The Works At Netflix

PokÃ©mon is once again going live-action as a new live-action series is reportedly in early development at Netflix. According to Variety, Joe Henderson is attached to write and executive produce the Netflix PokÃ©mon series.
Henderson is best known for being theÂ co-showrunner and executive producer of the Lucifer series (loosely adapted from the Vertigo Comics of the same name), which will debut its sixth and final season on Netflix this September. He is also best known for working on shows like Hulu’s 11.22.63 based on the Stephen King novel.
Netflix is currently already home to several PokÃ©mon animated shows, including several seasons of the PokÃ©mon anime. The new PokÃ©mon live-action series on Netflix is said to be separate and independent of Warner Bros.’ Detective Pikachu movie, which premiered in 2019.
Detective Pikachu wasn’t perfect but it was pretty good for being the live-action debut of the long-running franchise. You can check out my review of Detective Pikachu here. It might be a while before we get any details about the Netflix PokÃ©mon live-action project.


KKP Best Of 2020: Game #18

More 2020 Best Games feature work here.
#18.Â No Straight RoadsÂ (PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One)

No Straight Roads is a game that Malaysians can be proud of. It’s probably the biggest fully made-in-Malaysia game ever made to date, and that’s not just in terms of sales alone. The folks at Metronomik have created something truly special with this rhythm-based action platformer.
I was impressed with the overall quality of No Straight Roads. It distinguishes itself with its unique art-style and Malaysian flavour that permeates almost every iota of its design; ranging from the characters, their English accents, easter eggs, and music.
The music is definitely the highlight of the game, and it combines well with the game’s combat mechanics. Yes, No Straight Roads isn’t perfect -it’s a bit buggy. But where else can you find a boss battle featuring wayang kulit (shadow puppets)?


Bethesda Is Only The Beginning, Says Microsoft CEO

Microsoft caused ripples in the games industry two days ago when they announced to the world that they have madeÂ acquired ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, id Software, Arkane, and more.
The company splurged over a whopping US$7.5 billion, giving them now ownership over iconic game franchises like The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, DOOM, Wolfenstein, Dishonored, and more.
Despite now owning Bethesda and 22 other studios (including Double Fine Productions, Mojang, Obsidian, and more), Microsoft has confirmed their intent to continue purchasing more studios and developers in the future.
Speaking with Cnet, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said:
“You can’t wake up one day and say. Let me build a game studio. The idea of having content is so we can reach larger communities.”
Xbox boss Phil Spencer reaffirmed that idea in the same interview, saying:
“Content is just the incredible ingredient to our platform that we continue to invest in. This doubles the size of our creative organization.”
With the acquisition of Bethesda and the prospect of seeing all those games on Xbox Game Pass, not to mention that future titles will be PC and Xbox exclusives, Microsoft is on a warpath during this console war. What previously looked like another easy win for Sony and PlayStation now seems like anything but.


Capcom Cup Cancelled For 2021

2021 is not looking too bright for Street Fighter 5 and esports fans.
Due to the rising cases of COVID-19 worldwide, Capcom has made the decision to cancel Capcom Cup and the Street Fighter League World Championship that is scheduled for 19th February to 21st February. At least, the offline portion of it anyway. Here is Capcom’s official statement:

“Due to the rising cases of COVID-19 worldwide we have made the difficult decision to cancel #CapcomCup. While we strongly believe that we could have executed a great event with limited risk to players, staff and crew, we have re-evaluated as the situation has evolved and the state of this global pandemic has heightened.”

Due to the rising cases of COVID-19 worldwide we have made the difficult decision to cancel #CapcomCup.   In its place we will be producing an online season final for #CapcomProTour February 20th and 21st.  Details following: pic.twitter.com/3WsObiSFVA
— Capcom Fighters (@CapcomFighters) January 15, 2021

Don’t lose hope: in its place is an online season final for Capcom Pro Tour for 20th and 21st February. The best players of the season, the ones who won an online premier, will be invited to participate in the finals. Details on this revised format will pop up on the official website in the next few weeks.
On a related note, the players who are qualified for the Capcom Cup include:

iDOM
Phenom
DR Mandrake
SKZ (Singapore)
Takamura
Daigo (Japan)
Caba
Nephew
Smug
AngryBird
Xian (Singapore)
Jah_lexe
Infexious
MenaRD
Gachikun
Jiewa (China)
Rumours
Samurai
Luffy

Hopefully, Capcom will start adopting rollback and at least fix up their netcode until then.


Yoodo Presents PUBG Mobile Campus Championship 2021 Kicks Off Later This Month

Get ready for the action! Yoodo – Malaysiaâ€™s first truly customisable and 100% digital mobile service â€“ is once again partnering with popular gaming giant PUBG Mobile for the 2021 edition PUBG Mobile Campus Championship (PMCC), with a prize pool of RM 60,000 to be won!
This collegiate-level tournament is also supported by Official Smartphone Partner, Xiaomi; Official Partner Viu; and Official Corn Strips Partner, Mission Foods. PMCC 2021 will pit over 1,000 students from colleges and universities across Malaysia against each other in an action-packed virtual battle for a shot at the prize pool, an automatic wildcard entry into the PUBG Mobile National Championship (PMNC) 2022, as well as Yoodo credits and exclusive merchandise.Â
Yoodo Head Chow Tuck Mun said:
â€œWeâ€™re incredibly thrilled to kick off PMCC 2021 together with PUBG MOBILE and our partners in support of collegiate talents. Amidst the pandemic, esports has uniquely stood the test of our times and continued to grow rapidly with no signs of slowing down. As one of the leading digital telcos in Malaysia and a consistent champion of grassroots talent, Yoodo is here to propel the esports community and talents within to greater heights.â€Â
Head Of Esports Gaga Li said:
â€œWeâ€™re truly excited to bring the action to Malaysian students with our long-time partner Yoodo. PUBG MOBILE and Yoodo both share a longstanding love and dedication for gaming. Weâ€™re proud to partner with Yoodo to launch PMCC 2021 and we look forward to yet another gripping and successful tournament this year.â€Â
This yearâ€™s PMCC also sees the return of Yoodoâ€™s Caster Search, which was first introduced in 2020. This initiative presents a golden opportunity for aspiring commentators to showcase their casting skills and kickstart their careers in the esports scene, while also supporting Yoodoâ€™s ultimate goal of nurturing Malaysian talent.
But thatâ€™s not all! Yoodo is taking their support for local talents up a notch with a search for PMCC 2021â€™s Campus Ambassador â€“ a whole new talent showcase segment dedicated to finding the face that will represent the tournament. Students who think they have what it takes to be the icon of PMCC 2021 will need to submit an introduction video to be shortlisted to show off their talents.Â Â
Meanwhile, aspiring student gamers will drop into the battleground with qualifiers set to take place between 30 October 2021 â€“ 14 November 2021. A total of five virtual qualifiers will be held in the following zones:

Central (Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Putrajaya)
South (Melaka Negeri Sembilan, Johor)
North (Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Perlis, Perak)
East (Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang)
Borneo (Sabah, Sarawak Labuan)

From there, the top 16 of our countryâ€™s best collegiate teams will clash in an intense battle in the PMCC 2021 Grand Finals on 20 â€“ 21 November 2021. Fans of the tournament can catch the action on their screens as the tournament will be digitally aired live on 30 October (Borneo Qualifiers), 31 October (East Qualifiers), 5 November (North Qualifiers), 6 November (South Qualifiers), 7 November (Central Qualifiers), 13 â€“ 14 November (PMCC League) and 20 â€“ 21 November (PMCC Grand Finals) on the Yoodo Esports Facebook page.
Tuck Mun added:
â€œPMCC in the previous years received overwhelming response and support from all corners of the country. Weâ€™re proud to bring back such a beloved tournament to Malaysian students, and even more so to make competitive esports more accessible to young talents with prestigious partners Tencent and XiaoMi.
Weâ€™re all looking forward to a gripping battle for the championship title!â€Â
Registrations for PMCC 2021 are now open. Students can sign up for the tournament at: http://www.yoodo.com.my/pmcc2021.