Overwatch World Cup 2017: Top 8 Preview, Predictions & Stream Schedule

After four sets of qualifiers in four separate continents over a span of two months involving 32 of the best national Overwatch teams in the world, we finally have the final shape of the 2017 Overwatch World Cup playoff rounds set to take place at Blizzcon this November.
For the uninitiated, the final eight are as follows (initial seed in brackets):

ChinaÂ (1) &Â FranceÂ (8) via Shanghai Qualifiers;
SwedenÂ (4) &Â AustraliaÂ (13) via Sydney Qualifiers;
South KoreaÂ (2) &Â CanadaÂ (7) via Katowice Qualifiers
TheÂ United StatesÂ (3) &Â United KingdomÂ (6) via the Santa Monica Qualifiers

Save for surprise package Australia who capitalized on their advantage as hosts, defying the odds to qualify for the final eight, the other seven teams were expected to make their way to the Blizzcon stages. However, so tight was the competition for the 2017 Overwatch World Cup that despite these stellar lineups we stand to witness come November, a number of superstar players and teams were also missing.
Notable mentions include fifth-seeded Finland which is made up of the Rest in Pyjamas crew and Dallas Fuelâ€™s superstar DPS Taimou, my new favourite team Japan who shined in the Sydney qualifiers led by rising DPS player Aktm and last yearâ€™s runners-up, Russia who have the likes of theÂ worldâ€™s number one Genji, ShaDowBurn.
But enough about them. Letâ€™s talk about those who earned their place in Anaheim. The qualified teams are paired against one another in a playoff table and will play in best-of-five rounds of Overwatch in search for the winner of the 2017 Overwatch World Cup. And boy,Â are we in for a treat. Check it out.

Quarters & Semis matches are Best-of-five, while Finals will be Best-of-seven
United Kingdom (6) vs Sweden (4): Will The Brits Be Able to Resist the Vikings? – 3:15AM Nov 4 2017 (KUL/ HK/ SG)Â

How They Got Here:Â The United Kingdom earned their Overwatch World Cup ticket in the best manner possible, without dropping a set during the Santa Monica qualifiers despite being pitted against the likes of Germany in the early round and Taiwan later in the playoff stage. The main strength of the Brits lies in the super effective offence, led by Kruise on Genji, who prior to this, have been training against and with the best Genji players in SÌ¶oÌ¶uÌ¶tÌ¶hÌ¶ Ì¶KÌ¶oÌ¶rÌ¶eÌ¶aÌ¶Â  the world. While the team is made up of players from different teams cobbled together to form a unit, they may face their truest test in the form of Sweden who is the anti-thesis of the UK team.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYObrLZpejc&w=560&h=315]
The majority of the Swedes consist of players from Misfits including hitscan legend â€˜TviQâ€™ and the versatile â€˜Zebbosaiâ€™,Â 123’s ‘snillo’ on DPS supported by Dallas Fuelâ€™s resident support â€˜Chipshajenâ€™ are a very cohesive unit that relies heavily on teamwork and methodical approaches to teamfights. Save for the early hiccup against Portugal at the Sydney qualifiers where they drew 2-2, Sweden has had a relatively easy path to the final, even easily dispatching a resurgent Spain in the deciding match. They finished third in 2016 Overwatch World Cup after losing to eventual winners South Korea and may want to improve on that by going all the way this year.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7Rl_HQ8Swo&w=560&h=315]

Prediction: Sweden 3-0
While Kruise may find a way to get some early, flashy eliminations against the Swedes, a strong and adaptive Swedish backline coupled with team chemistry will prove to be a decisive factor in this match en route to a 3-1 win for the Swedes. I would not be surprised if the UK pulled off a surprise 1-0 lead before being brought down back to reality with a strong rally from the Swedes thanks to their superior experience, team cohesion and stronger backline.
Canada (7) vs Australia (13): Clash of the Commonwealth – 4:45AMÂ Nov 4 2017 (KUL/ HK/ SG)Â

How They Got Here:Â Seventh-seedÂ CanadaÂ is absolutely stacked with talent thanks to the likes of Cloud9â€™s â€˜Surefourâ€™ on DPS and â€˜Roolfâ€™ on Support, along with FaZe Clanâ€™s â€˜Joemeisterâ€™ backing them up as second support. Genji-main â€˜Agilitiesâ€™ who shined in the Katowice qualifier adds extra punch to the heavily favoured Canadians who cut their teeth in the highly competitive North American Overwatch circuit.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yEzd1WDsZc&w=560&h=315]
Judging by sheer individual talent alone, the Canadians would easily be amongst the top four teams at this yearâ€™s tournaments but doubts on how they fare as a cohesive unit was immediately erased following their performance against last yearâ€™s runners-up Russia. By beating Russia in their group tie decider, the Canadians avoided the dreaded South Koreans in the deciding playoff match; allowing a much more favourable match against the Netherlands and a passage to Anaheim.
Unlike Canadaâ€™s All-Star lineup, Australia is fully made up of players from Blank Esports who finished second in the 2017 Overwatch Pacific Championship after losing to Taiwanâ€™s Flash Wolves. At the more recent APAC Premier 2017 tourney, they crashed out in the quarters to China’s Miraculous Youngsters.Â The lowest seed in the final eight teams, Australia face an uphill task to go beyond the quarter finals, and even if they somehow manage to beat the Canadians, the heavily favoured Swedes (or the Brits) stand in their way.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opJ1JCOde7w&w=560&h=315]
Nonetheless, being in the final eight this year is already an improvement than last yearâ€™s outing when the team which was led by YouTuber, Muselk were decimated by eventual champions South Korea.
Prediction:Â Canada 3-1. The Canadians are simply too strong for the Australians and we expect a clean sweep from â€˜Surefourâ€™ & Co. Sporadic stalls from the Australians are expected; perhaps a couple team fights won throughout the bout but ultimately arenâ€™t enough to stop the Canadian juggernaut. Still, we expect a much better performance from the Blank esport boys who sadly will end up firing blanks in Anaheim. Ultimately, the superior individual talent on the Canadian side will prove to be decisive here.
China (1) vs France (8): A Wall Too High for The French Connection – 6:15AMÂ Nov 4 2017 (KUL/ HK/ SG)Â

How They Got Here:Â In the short history of the Overwatch World Cup, France and China surprisingly have quite a history together, having played against each other in the 2016 group stages which saw both teams winning one game apiece â€“ France winning 2-1 in the scheduled match while China picking up a 1-0 win in the tie-breaker match. They were again within striking distance with one another after being drawn into the same qualifier batch â€“ the Shanghai Qualifiers and were only separated by winning their respective groups.
However, the Chinese lineup we will see at the World Cup Final Rounds will be different from the one fielded during the qualifying stages in Shanghai. Save for LGD’s ‘Eileen’ and Oh My God’s YaoYao, the rest of the squad are made of brand new players following visa application issues for the original Shanghai squad. New additions include Miraculous Youngsters duo ‘leave’ and ‘zhufanjun’, ‘YuanFang2’ from Miracle Team One and YaoYao’s teammate from Oh My God, ‘Time’.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3qACfIfztk&w=560&h=315]
Even-though fielding a tourney-untested sextet, the main strength of this Chinese team lies on tactics flexibility and individual playersâ€™ reliability, as each of the members are able to pull off clutch plays that swing the fight to their favour at any given moment. We’ve seen how effective the boys from Miraculous Youngsters are this season, as they pushed Lunatic-Hai to the brink at the OGN Supermatch – and China didn’t get the #1 seed by chance. For all we know, this new lineup is probably even scarier than the one we saw in Shanghai.
On paper, it read â€˜Franceâ€™ but in actuality, itâ€™s French pro-outfit Rogue in national colours who pose the biggest threat to us fans of witnessing a potential mouth-watering duel between the first (China) and second (South Korea) seeds in the 2017 Overwatch World Cup semis. Familiarity is the keyword for the French team as the sextet are possibly the best-gelled team in the 2017 Overwatch World Cup having competed as a team in major tourneys together including the recently-concluded Overwatch Contenders Season 1: North America where they finished fifth in the regular season.
In the Shanghai Qualifiers, â€˜aKmâ€™ & Co showed great promise but were exposed several times notably against flexible outfits, Thailand and Denmark. They will undoubtedly use their participation in Contenders S1 as valuable training ground leading up to the meet against China. Additional trivia – this may also be the very last match we will see this group play together following the disbanding of Rogue after failing to secure a spot in Overwatch League Season 1. This may prove to be extra motivation for them to push the Chinese so we are definitely in for a treat.
Prediction: China 3-2.Â While France will pose the biggest challenge to China up to this stage, the highly adaptable Chinese team will be far superior â€“ tactically and mechanically â€“ compared to the French to win this match by a comfortable margin. The Rogue setup has become too predictable as seen in their early losses to EnVision and FNRGFE in Contenders Season 1, and unless they come up with something extraordinary out of their bag of tricks it is hard to not see China emerge as winners.
South KoreaÂ (2) vs USA (3):Â Who Says Kimchi and Hamburgers Donâ€™t Look Good Together? -Â 7:45AMÂ Nov 4 2017 (KUL/ HK/ SG)Â

How They Got Here:Â Heading into the Katowice Qualifiers, South Korea pledged to not drop a set en route to defending their title. That goal may be in jeopardy as early as the quarter finals, as it does not get any harder than the United States. While on paper China carries a higher seed than the Americans, the US team comprising of North American Overwatch superstars backed by the home crowd pose the biggest threat to the Koreansâ€™ defence. Fielding four Overwatch League-calibre players in San Francisco Shock’s ‘sinatraa’ and the Houston Outlaws trio in ‘JAKE’, ‘coolmatt69’ and ‘Rawkus’, United States are surely aiming for a surprise results early on.
But this is South Korea we are talking about. Any of these South Korean players would easily walk into ANY North American and European pro teams â€“ and why wouldnâ€™t they? Consisting of juggernauts from APEX S3 Champions, Lunatic-Hai (now Seoul Dynasty); â€˜ryujehongâ€™, â€˜zunbaâ€™ and â€˜tobiâ€™ and New York Excelsior duo â€˜Saebyeolbeâ€™ and â€˜Manoâ€™ along with LW Blue’s ‘Fl0w3R’ theyâ€™re akin to the 1970 Brazil or the 95-95 Bulls. Theyâ€™re in a league of their own and also feature the most stacked lineup at this year’s World Cup, with five starters set to feature in the Overwatch League.
South Korea kicked off their title defence in style with three 4-0 wins in the group stages before capping off their impressive run in Katowice with a 3-0 win against last yearâ€™s runners-up Russia. Can anyone stop them?
Prediction: South Korea 3-0.Â â€œThree â€“ zero? But Kenn! Werenâ€™t you just talking up the American team just a while ago?â€ True. But hear me out. As impressive as the American lineup is, none of the teams they play for comeÂ even close to the strongest team in North America right now: EnVyUs (now Dallas Fuel) who recently breezed their way en route to winning Overwatch Contenders Season 1: North America.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JlZ5jJnyng&w=560&h=315]
And get this â€“ EnVyUs were made to look like chumps during their most recent foray into the Asian Overwatch circuit via APEX Season 3. Despite winning Season 1, they were clearly outmatched once the bigger teams come out to play and only managed fourth overall. If not for ‘F10w3R’ failing to agree terms with New York Excelsior for the Overwatch League, we’d have a Korean team made entirely of Overwatch League-calibre players.
San Francisco Shock’s Mr.150K â€˜Sinatraaâ€™ may pull off some cheeky kills on â€˜Ryujehongâ€™ but they wonâ€™t be enough to swing the final outcome. Possibly the must-not-miss match in the early stages of the 2017 Overwatch World Cup but also, Team USAâ€™s only appearance at Blizzcon this year.
So there you have it. The previews and predictions for all four quarter final matches of the 2017 Overwatch World Cup, set to kick off in the wee hours of 4th of November 2017. Semi-final matches will be played later that day at 9:15AM and 10:45AM while the third-placing and Grand Finals are to take place at 1AM and 3AM on the 5th of November 2017.Â All matches will be streamed live on Twitch via PlayOverwatch channel.Â

Do you agree with our predictions or do you have your own as well? Fell free to share them in the comments section below!


Win A Perodua Myvi By Watching This Malaysian PUBG Grand Finals

Getting the chicken dinner is one thing but having the chance to win a Perodua Myvi thanks to PUBG Mobile is another. In the lead up to the PUBG Mobile Pro League (PMPL) MY/SG Grand Finals, Tencent Games is offering fans the chance, in an industry first, to realize their dreams and become the lucky winner of a car just by watching.
The brand new Perodua Myvi 2020 model features industry leading safety, stylish looks, practicality, generous space despite its compact size, plus advanced features usually found in more premium cars.

Standing a chance to win has never been so simple! Through Viewers Milestone Giveaway, the higher the concurrent viewership achieved during the Grand Finals, the more extravagant the prizes will be up for grabs! For reference, the Regular Season has achieved a milestone of 120,000 concurrent viewers.
Concurrent Viewers Prizes100,000 viewersSigned PMWL S0 Poster (50 winners)130,000 viewersRM50 Google Play or iOS Vouchers (30 winners)Aukey Powerbank (10 winners)160,000 viewersAirPods Pro Apple (10 winners)Gaming Chair (5 winners)200,000 viewersIphone SE (4 winners)Iphone 11 Pro Max (1 winner)250,000 viewersPerodua Myvi 1.3L X Automatic (1 winner)

With the recent conclusion of the Regular Season taking place for four-weeks long, 24 PUBG Mobile teams from all over Malaysia and Singapore have battled it out to be part of the Top 16 teams to continue their face-off in the Grand Finals.
Team Secret – 760 pointsJ8 Esports – 627 pointsAXIS NRL MPX – 617 pointsTeam SMG – 582 pointsTRX Elementus – 581 pointsGeek Fam – 565 pointsDamansara Esports – 554 pointsResurgence – 550 pointsYoodo GANK – 549 pointsNED Brotherhood – 543 pointsDingoz MZ – 515 pointsMarlino – 459 pointsEVOS VIP – 451 pointsEZZY LX – 428 pointsTeam Bosskurr – 416 pointsTeam No Recoil – 413 points

Catch all the action of the PMPL MY/SG Season 2 Grand Finals, starting from 25 to 27 September 2020 on the official PUBG Mobile Facebook page.


Mythic Quest Season 3 Premieres This November

Returning for its highly anticipated 10-episode third season this fall, Mythic Quest is the workplace comedy from creators Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Megan Ganz that follows a group of video game developers tasked with building worlds, moulding heroes and creating legends, but the most hard-fought battles don’t occur in the game — they happen in the office.?
In Season 3, as Ian and Poppy navigate the gaming world and their partnership at the newly formed GrimPop Studios, Dana is forced to play mediator to her bosses’ incessant bickering. Back at Mythic Quest, David settles into his new role as the boss where he truly finds himself in charge for the first time with Jo returning as his assistant — more loyal and militant than ever; and Carol attempts to figure out where she fits in after a new promotion. At Berkeley, Rachel struggles to balance her morals with capitalism, while a post-prison Brad tries to return to society as a reformed man.?
Mythic Quest is executive produced by McElhenney and Day under their RCG banner, Michael Rotenberg and Nicholas Frenkel on behalf of 3Arts, and Jason Altman, Danielle Kreinik and Gérard Guillemot for Ubisoft Film & Television. Hornsby and Ganz also executive produce. The series is produced for Apple TV+ by Lionsgate, 3 Arts Entertainment and Ubisoft.
Mythic Quest Season 3 will premiere with the first two episodes on Friday, 11 November 2022, followed by one new episode weekly through 6 January 2023.
In the meantime, check out my review of Season 2 here, and check out the Season 3 trailer below:


Xbox Will Give More Love To Southeast Asian Game Developers; Here’s How

While Xbox consoles are still being sold in a grey market capacity in most of Southeast Asia -with Singapore still being a prime location for official SEA distribution- that isn’t stopping the Microsoft video game arm from reaching out to Southeast Asia.
On a recent 20m Podcast co-hosted by Twitch streamers Arief Johan and Rinoa Skyes, Xbox global expansion representative Jun Shen Chia said that his Xbox Global Expansion Incubation team is focused on exploring new markets with immense potential, like Southeast Asia.
The division was literally formed in 2022 with its sole goal being to cultivate game development potential in parts that weren’t given much love by Xbox.
“Southeast Asia is not lacking in the games industry. If you look at the consumer side everyone here is playing Apex and Overwatch. International companies have done a very good job at marketing to this region, but now we need to be in a position where we do the same for locally-made games.”
Jun also mentions a number of Southeast Asian games he’s looking forward to: Dreadhaunt, Graveless, Cuisineer, and Fallen Tear. Would this be an indicator that these titles might somehow end up on Xbox Game Pass in the future? Who knows, though that would be great exposure and a lovely way to entice SEA gamers to justify more reasons to buy a pass and the console that usually entails. Of course, extra capital injection in these ongoing projects in exchange for some form of platform exclusivity wouldn’t hurt either.
Check out the full show below.


Resident Evil Re:Verse Delayed To Summer 2021

Resident Evil Village‘s multiplayer companion game Resident Evil Re:Verse was previously slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC on 7 May 2021 for free alongside every purchase of Resident Evil Village. However, Capcom has announced that it has been delayed and will now release sometime in summer 2021.
Speculation started when those in the Resident Evil Ambassador Program started receiving emails stating that Resident Evil Re:Verse is now coming in summer 2021. Since then, Capcom has confirmed via spokesperson’s statement to video game publication VGC that the news is indeed true.

The Resident Evil ambassadors have received an email mentioning that RE:Verse will be available in the summer, I also received that email, there are no further details. https://t.co/E103PFP7m7 pic.twitter.com/b5sbTT6mXF
— Resident Evil 4 REMAKE Info/Countdown (@RE4Rcountdown) April 27, 2021

In the meantime, you can check outÂ my reviewÂ of last yearâ€™sÂ Resident Evil Resistance, the multiplayer component for theÂ Resident Evil 3 Remake.


Call of Duty Modern Warfare Now Lets You Help Victims of the Bushfires in Australia

Australia is burning right now. Over the past few weeks, uncontrolled bush fires have not only choked the Australian sky, but it has also destroyed over 12.35 million acres of land, killed over a billion – yes, a billion – of Australian wildlife and displaced thousands more.
The relief effort is in dire need of supplies and financial aid. In conjunction with that, the folks at Activision and Infinity Ward have taken up arms in opening an avenue for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare players to do their part in contributing to the cause via its in-game store.
A special bundle called the Outback Relief can be purchased right now by players on all platforms, with all profits from the sale to be donated to relief efforts in Australia.

The Outback Relief pack, which costs 1800CP, nets you a special operator skin, the ‘Bushranger’ for D-Day, an Epic variant of the AX-50 sniper rifle, a koala charm, a sticker, a calling card, D-Day operator quip, a D-Day unique finisher and one tier skip for the battle pass.
It is definitely one of the costlier bundle packs out there but hey – if it’s for a good cause, to help injured koala bears, wallabies, kangaroos and other marsupials, we are game.

The items from the bundle are purely cosmetic and we commend Activision for this socially conscious move. There are more things to life than video games. Hopefully, bundles like these can help raise awareness amongst gamers to worldwide happenings around them.


Everything Announced In Honkai Star Rail 1.1 Livestream

Honkai Star Rail, the latest masterpiece from the HoYoverse, hit the scene with a big bang! This latest gacha sensation takes everything you loved about Genshin Impact and kicks it up a notch. It’s newest update Version 1.1 is set to release soon and fans are excited to see what HoYoverse will bring to its first major update. Here’s everything we got to know from the English Livestream of Version 1.1 that took place on May 27.
Honkai Star Rail Version 1.1: Special Program
All 3 areas, the Herta Space Station, Belobog as well as Xianzhou Luofu got some updates! We get 3 new characters, Silver Wolf, Luocha and Yukong.
It will also feature 2 new light cones:
1.Incessant Rain : Path of Nihility

2. Echoes of the Coffin : Path of Abundance

Version 1.1: Release date
Version 1.1’s release date is set for 7 June, 2023. The first half of this update will start from the release date until 26 June, 2023 and the second half will run from June 28 to July 18. There will be a 7-Day Log-in event (Gift Of Odyssey) where you will be able to collect 10 free Star Rail Special Pass.

Version 1.1: Banner Schedule
So in Version 1.1, there will be two banner phases. The banners scheduled for the very first major update have been confirmed! It will feature 2 new 5-star units and one new 4-star unit. The 5-stars, as mentioned in the livestream will be Silver Wolf and Luocha. The new 4-star will be Yukong. Here’s the schedule for the banner rotation!

Phase One (June 7-June 28)

Silver Wolf (5-star, Quantum, Nihility)
Dan Heng (4-star, Wind, Destruction)
Asta (4-star, Fire, Harmony)
Serval (4-star, Lightning, Erudition)

Phase Two (June 28-July 18)

Luocha (5-star, Imaginary, Abundance)
Yukong (4-star, Imaginary, Harmony)
Pela (4-star, Ice, Nihility)
Qingque (4-star, Quantum, Erudition)

Version 1.1 Events
We’re getting lots of Events this update. Yay! We love free things.
There will be an event surrounding Silver Wolf, the Starhunt Game set to start as soon as the update hits until 2023/06/19 03:59 which will grant you a lot of cool rewards including a free 4-star Nihility Light Cone (We Will Meet Again).

Everwinter City Museum Ledger of Curiosities is also another event which will run from 2023/06/09 10:00 – 2023/06/26 03:59 in which you will assist Pela to track down missing curiosities from the museum. The trailblazer can take on managerial duties such as collecting exhibits, enlisting other individuals to improve the overall experience for visitors and accumulate funds to expand the museum to get limited time rewards including stellar jades! Once the event is over, the museum will remain as a mode in the game. You can go back anytime to check up on old pals!
Stellar Flare will run from 2023/06/28 10:00 – 2023/07/03:59 in which you will get to assist an intern researcher Grumpy in more challenges similar to the Forgotten Hall. Every stage in Stellar Flare has a challenge theme and corresponding special mechanisms.
Garden of Plenty will run from 2023/07/10 04:00 – 2023/07/17 03:59 in which Calyxes are bountiful. Yes, that means double resources! But hold up, you will have a set number of daily attempts to get double resources from Calyxes!

Lab Assistants In Position will run from 2023/06/19 10:00 – 2023/07/03 03:59 A researcher in the Herta Space Station needs your help! You need to collect monster materials for a lab assistant. If you submit the materials required on a given day, you will receive corresponding rewards.

Version 1.1: Companion Quests
3 new companions missions will be available for Luocha, Yanqing, and Bailu. All these quests will happen in Xianzhou Luofu.

Version 1.1 Redeem Codes
These are the codes we’ve got from the livestream! Be aware that these codes are limited and you can only redeem it once per account. Don’t forget to claim your rewards using both the reward and compensation redemption codes within the time frame: 2023/05/27 11:30AM – 2023/05/28 12:00PM (UTC+8)

ZTPTNMTX8LUF

8A6T6LBFQ4D3

DB7A64BW8LC7

This is a compensation code for the delayed stream:  CS75WMP976AK

That’s all we’ve got for the updates from the livestream on Version 1.1. We will keep you updated as we get more updates. I’m excited and can’t wait and I hope you guys are as well!


Sonic Frontiers Guide & Tips: Supersonic Hedgehog

Sonic Frontiers is a new open-world action game in the franchise, and it’s releasing for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC on 8 November 2022.
You can check out my spoiler-free full review of Sonic Frontiers by heading over here. Here are some tips and tricks I wished I knew before playing Sonic Frontiers.
Note: all inputs are using the PlayStation 5 controller.
Don’t Worry About Parry Timing; This Isn’t A Soulslike

The game tells you this but you can miss it if you don’t pay attention. You can actually parry simply by holding down L1 and R1 (on the PS4/PS5). There’s no timing involved. As long as you’re holding that down, you will parry the enemy attacks. It will make things much easier, especially in boss battles, if you understand this from the beginning.
If You’re Unsure How To Solve A Puzzle Or Defeat An Enemy, Use Cyloop

Cyloop is one of the earliest abilities that Sonic learns in Sonic Frontiers. If you can’t see any clear solution to a puzzle or defeating an enemy, sometimes it’s as simple as using Cyloop on that object or enemy. It’s literally just running around in a circle, so use Cyloop if you’re not sure what to do. Sometimes a broken pillar or object can be fixed or activated by using Cyloop.
Abuse Or Spam Sonic Boom/Cross Slash

In the skill tree, Sonic can learn two combat skill/abilities that allow him to use long-ranged attacks. These are some of the broken and overpowered attacks in terms of damage. You can annihilate enemies and even bosses by spamming Sonic Boom (by holding L2 in mid-air) or Cross Slash (by press R2 and then X in mid-air). Sonic will unleash devastating Dragon Ball-like energy blasts; it’s awesome.
However, keep in mind that Cross Slash can only be unlocked by progressing through the story.
There’s Actually A Form Of Fast Travel You Can Unlock

Sonic Frontiers doesn’t really feature a traditional fast travel system as you’d expect. Checkpoints only unlock railings that connect the map so that you can travel more easily and faster. However, well, scratch what I said earlier because you actually can fast travel in a limited way. The Elder Koco and Hermit Koco can become fast travel points.
How? By fishing, and that goes to my next point.
You Can Ignore Fishing, But You Shouldn’t…

You can pretty much ignore fishing and still complete Sonic Frontiers, but I implore you, don’t. The fishing minigame in Sonic Frontiers is extremely simple so you don’t really need tips for that, but why would you want to fish in the first place? Well, you can only fish by using Purple Coins so make sure to collect those whenever you can (though it has a limit of 999).
Every fish or object that you successfully fish will net you tokens. These tokens can be traded for a lot of things, including the seeds used to improve Sonic’s attack and defense, Koco to improve Sonic’s speed and rings (health), and even stuff needed to progress such as gears and memory tokens. You can pretty much break the game or at least bypass the game’s grind by just fishing.

Boss Fight Guide

Classic Levels Walkthrough


Willow Showrunner Addresses How Much Franchise Creator George Lucas Was Involved

Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar, we were lucky enough to participate in a press conference for the upcoming Willow series. The press conference was attended by Warwick Davis (Willow Ufgood), Erin Kellyman (Jade), Amar Chadha-Patel (Boorman), Ellie Bamber (Dove), Tony Revolori (Graydon), Dempsey Bryk (Arik), Ruby Cruz (Kit) & Jon Kasdan (Writer / Exec Producer).
During the press conference, Willow writer, executive producer and showrunner Jon Kasdan revealed how much George Lucas was involved in the new Willow series. Star Wars creator George Lucas originally conceived the idea and story for the original 1988 Willow movie.
Jon Kasdan said:
“You know, it’s funny, I’ve been getting this question a lot today, and Warwick (Davis) was actually there present on the day that I had my one and only conversation with George about this project.
He came and visited the set of Solo (A Star Wars Story) because he is devoted to Ron (Howard), and they’re dear, dear friends in real life. And they told us sort of that he would be coming for just a moment and that we shouldn’t make direct eye contact or ask him any direct questions.
Instead, he ended up staying for six hours and answering all our questions, being nothing but lovely. And I sort of said to him at this moment when I found myself sitting there next to this god of my childhood, that one thing I thought Lucasfilm had the opportunity to do was to tell more Willow stories.
And he kind of smiled wryly and said he couldn’t agree more and had been trying to make that happen for quite a while and was a supporter and an advocate for any of that that we could get off the ground, and that sort of faith and excitement and genuine boyish enthusiasm was really critical to feeling like this was something we could go off and do.”
There you have it, folks. Although George Lucas wasn’t directly involved with the production of the new Willow series, at least it seems like he gave it his blessing, which is a heartwarming thought for fans out there.
The synopsis reads:
The story began when an aspiring sorcerer, played by Warwick Davis, is whisked away on a journey to protect an infant empress Elora Danan and vanquish the evil Queen Bavmorda from their world of Andowyne. Now, the story continues with Davis reprising his titular role, as he leads an unlikely crew of heroes on a quest to protect Andowyne from an even larger foe than they had imagined possible. Willow also stars Ellie Bamber, Ruby Cruz, Erin Kellyman, Tony Revolori, Amar Chadha-Patel, Dempsey Bryk, and Joanne Whalley.
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar, we also received the opportunity to interview Dempsey Bryk (Airk) & Ruby Cruz (Kit). This interview has been edited for clarity. Stay tuned for the video version of the interview and our review of the series.
Willow is slated to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on 30 November 2022, with subsequent episodes releasing every Wednesday.


Monster Hunter Rise Sales Surpass A Monstrous 5 Million

Capcom hasÂ announcedÂ thatÂ Monster Hunter Rise for the Nintendo Switch has shipped 5 million units worldwide since it launched on 26 March 2021.
Beginning with the first title in 2004, the Monster Hunter franchise has now reached a cumulative sales total exceeding 66 million units shipped as of 31 December 2020.
Monster Hunter RiseÂ is an all-newÂ Monster HunterÂ title exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. The game was developed with Capcomâ€™s proprietary RE ENGINE in order to provide a new, accessibleÂ Monster HunterÂ experience that can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere and with anyone.
Last week, sales of the game reached four million after just three days.


Hasan Minhaj’s Patriot Act Slams The Games Industry’s Shoddy Practices

Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj debuted the first episode of its fourth season on Netflix yesterday, and the comedy talk show (focusing on political satire and social commentary) dissected the many labor issues plaguing gaming and the games industry.
Minhaj exposes the dark side of the games industry, especially in the wake of the recent massive sensation that was the Fortnite World Cup, which concluded with a teenager winning a whopping US$3 million.
Layoffs
The first issue that Minhaj touches on is one of the most prominent problems in the games industry. He touches on how badly the games industry treats its employees,
He mentions last year’s The Walking Dead developer Telltale Games’ sudden shutdown and subsequent layoffs of all its employees. Minhaj even interviews an ex-Telltale Games employee named Emily Grace Buck, who reveals that Telltale CEO Pete Hawley was making inappropriate jokes on that day, just moments before abruptly firing everyone at the company.
When Minhaj jokingly said that working with game developers is like having a bad boyfriend, Buck said:

“One of the scary things about games though is they’re all kind of bad boyfriends, and you just need to pick which kind of bad you need to live with.”Â

Crunch and Microtransactions
Minhaj also discusses the ‘Crunch’ culture in the games industry,Â forcing employees to work overtime and ridiculously long hours without pay or severance.
According to Minhaj, 95 percent of game developers claim to have been forced to crunch, with over 80 percent not receiving overtime pay. It causes employees’ mental and physical health to deteriorate, resulting in PTSD, memory loss, and more.
He specifically mentions Fortnite, as it offers all kinds of microtransactions like dance emotes, character skins, and cosmetics for tools. Minjah even jokingly equates the microtransactions with the business model of drug deals, as both involve excessively exploiting their customers.
Gender Discrimination
Another labor issue that Minhaj explores is widespread gender discrimination in the games industry. He mentions one company as the worst offender of all; Riot Games. The sexist work culture and gender discrimination there led to the first-ever walkout in gaming history.
Minhaj also interviews the games journalist responsible for breaking the Riot Games’ story in the first place, Kotaku’s Cecilia D’ Anastasio. This is what she said:

“No one should be farting on anyone, like, in a work environment.

Games Industry Unionization
Near the end of the episode, Minhaj points out that the solution to all these labor issues in the games industry is to unionization. Unionizing the games industry will allow the rights of individual game developers to remain protected and to solve all the issues mentioned above.
The episode ends with snippets of Minhaj actually playing Fortnite and approaching other players to jokingly ask them about issues in the games industry.
Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj is now streaming on Netflix, so check out the latest episode for a funny but smart and concise look at the labor issues currently afflicting the games industry.


vivo Malaysia Collaborates With Razer & PUBG For Its vivo T Gaming Series

vivo Malaysia has recently announced that a brand-new smartphone series – vivo T1 series – is coming to town and has passed the SIRIM Certification. The series will be available in two colours – Turbo Black and Turbo Cyan.

“Get. Set. Turbo!” is the official slogan accompanying the new T1 series, which convey vivo Malaysia’s commitment to offering its gaming series to Malaysia soon. In conjunction with the T1 series launch, vivo Malaysia is collaborating with the world’s largest gamer-focused ecosystem hardware and software – Razer, to offer an elevating gaming experience on a smartphone.
vivo T1 series will also be collaborating with PUBG to organise a campaign for Malaysians soon.
For more information about vivo Malaysia or vivo T1 series, please visit and stay tuned vivo Malaysia’s Official Facebook Page.


Here Are Destiny 2’s PC System Requirements

Developers of Destiny 2, Bungie has revealed the PC specs you’ll require to run Destiny 2Â  which launches on 24th October 2017. Think your PC can hack it? Let’s find out.
Minimum specs
CPU Intel:Â Intel Core i3-3250 3.5 GHz or Intel Pentium G4560 3.5 GHz
CPU AMD:Â AMD FX-4350 4.2 GHz
GPU Nvidia:Â Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 2GB or GTX 1050 2GB
GPU AMD:Â AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB
RAM:Â 6GB
Recommended specs
CPU Intel:Â Intel Core i5-2400 3.4 GHz or i5 7400 3.5 GHz
CPU AMD:Â AMD Ryzen R5 1600X 3.6 GHz
GPU Nvidia:Â Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 4GB or GTX 1060 6GB
GPU AMD:Â AMD R9 390 8GB
RAM:Â 8GB
In addition to those specs, make sure to have aboutÂ 68GB of free hard drive spaceÂ and have your system running on Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, or Windows 10 64-bit. Pretty decent if you ask us as these specs aren’t as rig-busting we came to expect.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSxElWwWVFE&w=560&h=315]
Currently available on PS4 and XBOX One, Destiny 2 is definitely an improvement from its predecessor, solving several issues which plagued the first game yet still delivering a familiar feel to the MMO-ish shooter. There’s a proper storyline in the game, and the multiplayer is one of the better ones in the market this year.


Daniel Kaluuya Will Be Spider-Punk In Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse

Daniel Kaluuya will voice Spider-Punk in Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse, the sequel to 2018’s Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter.
Kaluuya will voice the character of Hobart “Hobie” Brown, a.k.a. Spider-Punk. He originally appeared in 2015 as a creation of writer Dan Slott and artist Olivier Coipel in the Spider-Verse crossover comics.
The film’s cast also includes returning actors Oscar Isaac, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez and Greta Lee, as well as newcomers such as Issa Rae, Rachel Dratch, Joma Taccone, Shea Whigham and Jason Schwartzman.
Across the Spider-Verse is the second of a planned trilogy with a third instalment, Spider-Man Beyond The Spider-Verse, set to be released on 29 March 2024.
Kaluuya is best known for winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role Judas And The Black Messiah and was nominated for his breakout performance in Jordan Peel’s Get Out. He also recently starred in Peele’s Nope, which you can check out my review of by heading over here.
Justin K. Thompson, Joaquim Dos Santos and Kemp Powers are directing the Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse, which is set to premiere on 2 June 2023.


New Hi-Fi Rush DLC Lets You Dress Up As The Villains

The updates for 2023’s surprise hit game Hi-Fi Rush just keeps on coming.
This time, players will get Hi-Fi Rush’s Update 3, featuring new quality-of-life features and bug fixes. Most importantly, you can dress up main character Chai as Vandelay chief creep Kale, as well as gear up your pals in equally boss-like outfits. The cosmetic DLC called the Bossplay Costume Pack is available for purchase for PC and Xbox. Here are the costumes list and the characters who are wearing them:

Chai – Kale outfit
Peppermint – Rekka outfit
Macaron – Mimosa outfit
Korsica – Zanzo outfit
808 – Roquefort wolf form outfit
CNMN – Korsica outfit

The DLC will cost you US$4.99/RM21.95.
The game’s Update 3 is free and available right now; here’s what you’re getting:

Hi-Fi Rush Update 3 Quality Of Life Updates

2D Rhythm Game Assist (Located in the Accessibility Menu)

Available on Easy and Normal difficulty settings, this feature offers a wider window of success for timed inputs. Note that the frames added for successful inputs varies based on the BPM of the music playing during that Track.
Missing inputs will still allow players to complete the Rhythm Game (instead of instantly failing); players must input at least 70% of the correct inputs to succeed.

Events this feature applies to include:

Generators found in Track 01 and Track 03
Destroying the AR lens in Track 04
Activating the Data nodes in Track 05
Destroying the barrier in Track 11

Auto Rhythm Parry

Available on Easy and Normal difficulty settings, pressing and holding the button for the first action in a forced parry event (or dodge) will allow Chai to automatically parry or evade subsequent actions in the event.
Missing the initial action is okay, so long as players press and hold the input for the subsequent action. A player must still parry most attacks (approximately 70%) to ‘succeed’ in these game events.
In a Rhythm Parry Attack, players must still press attack or parry to the Beat Hit prompt to deal the finishing blow.

This action can be used on:

Rhythm Parry Attacks (regular enemies and bosses)
VU-REV’s grab attacks that require dodging
Lasers that require parrying to destroy

Please note that 2D Rhythm Game Assist and Auto Rhythm Parry are only available on Easy and Normal difficulty modes.
Collectible Information

The stage select screen now displays how many collectibles you have found in each stage. If there are no collectibles of a certain type in a particular stage, it will display 0/0.
Completed collections in a level will display a green checkmark on the stage select screen.

Bug Fixes

During the second phase of the battle with Roquefort, an issue was fixed whereby certain actions would cause the user to fall into the abyss, making it impossible to progress.
An issue was fixed in Track 1 where the player could use the crusher obstacle to be pushed outside of the world.
Fixed an additional instance where a “UE4 Fatal Error” could occur.
Fixed an issue on Track 7 where if the player receives a Game Over exactly as when the final enemy of the fight is defeated, a magnet point will not be able to be grappled and prevents progress after reloading the game.
An instance where the achievement “Saw All Those Hits Coming” might not unlock for players who performed parries in training mode before completing them in a level has been fixed.
Pressing both light and heavy attacks together during the Rhythm Parry Attack on the Brut-1L in Track 3 will now correctly destroy it.
Fixed a bug that sometimes display offscreen enemy HP gauges after unpausing the game.
Fixed a bug where some enemies would not be defeated even when their HP gauge showed “0”.
Minor bug fixes and adjustments to Photo Mode.
The SCR-UB unit’s official paint color has been updated from Blue to Cyber Blue in hopes of increasing its “cool factor” among younger audiences.


Genshin Impact Contending Tides Guide: How To Survive The Anime RPG Battle Arena

This guide is still in development as the other two Contending Tides events are not yet available.
Genshin Impact’s latest event is out now -Contending Tides- and it’s going to be up this whole week. Here’s a guide about the latest event and how you can tackle it.
Overview
The objective in a Contending Tides mission is simple: defeat all enemies in a circular arena. Before you start a fight (by activating the key in the middle of the arena), you can switch up your party and prepare for the conditional fights. Each battle has its own boosts & quirks which we’ll detail below.
Contending Tides Battle Types
Welcome To Easy Mode

Here, you fight an unlimited horde of Hilichurls and Mitachurls; kill a set amount of these fiends before time runs out. While fighting within the Aura in the centre of the arena, your character’s attack is greatly increased. If your character is on full stamina while in the circle, your character will unleash damaging shockwaves that will hit all enemies in the arena.
Our only major protip is to keep your stamina full to exploit the shockwaves, while trying to keep yourself in the circle. Use characters with AoE attacks and Elemental Bursts make opponents stay put like Mona’s.
Higher difficulties mean shorter completion times, higher Mitachurls defeat requirements, and a game over if one of your characters dies.
Don’t Sweat It
You fight Hydro elemental slimes; you have to kill them quick in-between seconds. Electro-Charged reactions deal more damage in this battle. If you create Electro-Charged reactions, you unleash a damaging shockwave.
Use Electro characters here like Fischl and Keqing to trigger Electro reactions easily.
Art of the Cannonball
You fight an endless horde of Hilichurls here, including the big Mitachurls. Here, you can collect three “wind spirit” things to create a wind column that will lift you up; use this to do Plunging attacks for massive damage and create shockwaves that knockdown enemies in a big AoE. This fight is easier with Plunging Attack aficionados like Xiao.
Battle of an Epoch

Here, you fight a number of Ruin Guards one at a time. If you freeze them and hit them while Frozen, you can deal massive damage to them.Â Use Hydro and Cryo characters like Mona, Ganyu, Xingqiu and Kaeya to create a Cryo Elemental reaction situation.
To The Bitter End
You fight a Stonehide Lawachurl in this battle. However, if your life is less than 30% (in the red), you will deal double damage. You don’t really need this buff unless you’re playing at Expert, but generally you can end the fight fast if you’re good at dodging while maintaining your life in the red. Characters like Noelle can give themselves added protection when their lifebar is critical, which means you can take afford a mistake or two.


The Elder Scrolls Online Legacy Of The Bretons Autumn Event Livestream Happens Next Week

The Elder Scrolls OnlineÂ will be hosting theÂ Legacy of the Bretons Autumn Event live stream and will reveal new details surrounding this yearâ€™s final story DLC,Â Firesong, as well as give players a closer look into the various adventures surrounding the final chapter.The Legacy of the Bretons Autumn Event live stream will be live on Twitch.tv/Bethesda on Friday, 30 September 2022 at 3am GMT+8. During this special event, members of theÂ ESOÂ community and development teams will give an exclusive look into the upcomingÂ FiresongÂ DLC including its story, setting, characters, and challenges. In addition to the DLC deep dive, there will also be announcements revealing 2022â€™s upcoming events for theÂ ESOÂ community.Fans who tune in to watch the stream will also earn an assortment of rewards! For those who watch the stream for at least 15 minutes will receive a Clouded Senche-Leopard Cub pet and an Ouroborus Crown Crate as Twitch drops. Those who continue watching will have the opportunity to earn more. Viewers must link theirÂ ESOÂ accounts to Twitch to receive these rewards.Alongside the main show on Thursday, theÂ ESO global community team will also be hosting a series of supporting live streams in French and Spanish and then following the main show, will host a variety of recap shows.
Check out the complete list below.Thursday, September 29Legacy of the Bretons Autumn Eventâ€”Discovering the News (ES)

Who:Â Eurogamer
When:Â Thursday,Â September 29 at 3PM EDT | September 30 at 5AM AEST
Where:Â Twitch.tv/Eurogamer_ES

Recapping the News from the ESO Special Event (BR-PT)

Who:Â Bethesda Brazil team and Mestre Frooke
When:Â Thursday,Â September 29 at 7PM EDTÂ | September 30 at 9AM AEST
Where:Â Twitch.tv/MestreFrooke

Friday, September 30Legacy of the Bretons Autumn Event UK Recap (UK)

Who:Â UK Community Manager Ophelia and Stream Team membersÂ Dawnwhisper, kayPOWXD and Xynode
When:Â Friday,Â September 30 at 9AM EDT | September 30 at 11PM AEST
Where:Â Twitch.tv/Bethesda

Legacy of the Bretons Autumn Event Benelux Recap (BLX)

Who:Â Bethesda BLX team
When:Â Friday,Â September 30 at 11AM EDT | October 1 at 1AM AEST
Where:Â Twitch.tv/Bethesda_NL

ESO Autumn Event Recap (ME)

Who:Â Abu Dahm and the Bethesda Middle East team
When:Â Friday,Â September 30 at 12PM EDT | OctoberÂ 1 at 2AM AEST
Where:Â Twitch.tv/AbuDahmYT

Whatâ€™s New in ESOâ€™s Autumn Update (TR)

Who:Â Emin Citak
When:Â Friday,Â September 30 at 1PM EDTÂ  | October 1 at 3AM AEST
Where:Â Twitch.tv/EminCitak

Special Event: The Elder Scrolls Online Autumn Event (ES-MX)


Sony Malaysia Opens New Batch Of PS5 Pre-Orders

Today, Sony Malaysia at the Sony Mid Valley Megamall branch has opened up new pre-orders for the PS5 at the new and more expensive price.
In Malaysia, the PS5 with physical Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive now costs RM2,499 while the PS5 Digital Edition is priced at RM2,069. In order to register for the new batch of PS5 pre-orders (September 2022), you can fill out the form by heading over here.
However, Sony Malaysia is also offering special bundles, including the following:

PS5 with extra DualSense – RM2,848
PS5 Horizon Forbidden West Bundle – RM2,719
PS5 Horizon Forbidden West Bundle & Extra DualSense – RM3,068

Head on over to their Facebook page below for more details:
https://www.facebook.com/sonycentremidvalleymegamall/posts/pfbid05bPsYRsJkYt4ziE6ffmhzJ3YAfd851zuPuRNZwhBU3jSbdGmSLyYdGE61FDRfjkml


‘Manchester United’ Won’t Be In Football Manager Anymore

It looks like Football Manager will no longer be able to choose Manchester United as the club of their choice in the sim game franchise.
Following a trademark settlement between Manchester United and Football Manager developer Sports Interactive (and publisher Sega), Manchester United FC will be renamed “Manchester UFC” or “Man UFC” starting from Football Manager 2021 onwards.
This was announced via the official website earlier today. However, no details were provided as to how this will ultimately be implemented.
The statement simply reads:
Manchester United and Sega have agreed a settlement to amicably resolve their trade mark dispute relating to Football Manager.
Both parties are pleased to resolve this matter to their mutual satisfaction.
Manchester United isn’t the first football club to receive the same treatment. Previously, it was Italian club Juventus FC that was removed from the game franchise after they signed an exclusive deal with Konami’s eFootball PES franchise.
Football Manager 2021Â is now available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch, Android and iOS.


Netflix Announces Anime Lineup For Late 2019 And Early 2020

As the end of 2019 draws near, Netflix has announced a new lineup of upcoming anime shows that will be launching starting from November 2019 all the way to the second quarter of 2020. Here’s a list of the upcoming shows and their respective launch dates:
Levius – 28 November 2019
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apV1Sy9L-s4&w=560&h=315]
Just reading the synopsis of this show is enough to give me Megalobox flashbacks. There seems to be a lot in common here. It’s about a young man’s journey in trying to learn and succeed in “metal boxing”. I suppose the unique twist here is that story takes place in 1842 but in an alternate world where country names are different but wars are still being fought. Check out the show’s official Netflix page here.
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.: Reawakened – 30 December 2019
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbw7QB6nrTc&w=560&h=315]
This 6-episode new series will see all the original voice actors come back to reprise their roles. J.C. Staff and Egg Firm are also returning as the producers of the show. It seems that this show will not be a continuation of the previous anime but rather a “restart” as Saiki himself points out in the trailer. Check out the show’s Netflix page here.
Japan Sinks 2020 – 2020

Based on the novel Japan Sinks by Sakyo Komatsu, this anime adaptation is being directed by Masaaki Yuasa who also directed Devilman Crybaby. The story focuses on the survivors of catastrophic natural disasters that take place right after the finale of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Refer to the official Netflix page here.
EDEN – 2020
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i8Ds2nVVXE&w=560&h=315]
Now here’s something that I’m super excited for. With Yasuhiro Irie, director of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Cowboy Bebop character designer Toshihiro Kawamoto as part of the staff, there’s definitely a lot of high expectations set on this show. It’s a story set thousands of years in the future where humans no longer exist and the world is only populated by robots. That is, until two robots discover a human baby girl. Netflix official page here.
Cagaster of an Insect Cage – 2020

Based on the manga of the same name by Kachou Hashimoto, this show takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a mysterious disease called “Cagaster” turns people into giant murderous insects. The main characters are a young couple trying to stay alive in the giant bug-ridden world. Here’s the official Netflix page.
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 – 2020
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbc8tdWe6lY&w=560&h=315]
That’s right, my friends. We’re finally getting a new Ghost in the Shell SAC anime series. If you’re not a big fan of 3DCG, then I’m sorry to tell you that this time they’re going for that route. We dedicated an article for the show so go ahead and read that. Of course, it also has its own Netflix page.

If you’re a big anime fan, I definitely think you should consider getting yourself a Netflix subscription. There’s already a decent amount of interesting anime shows and movies in the library aside from the above upcoming ones.


Call Of Duty Vanguard Is Free For A Week Again

Call Of Duty Vanguard will have free access to multiplayer and zombies for a week starting 20 July to 26 July 2022 on all platforms.

The Free Access period begins 20 July at 10:00 AM (PST) until 26 July at 8:00 AM (PST) — that’s 21 July 2022 at 1:00 AM (GMT+8) to 26 July 2022 at 11:00 PM (GMT+8). During Free Access, you will have access to Vanguard’s Multiplayer and Zombies playlists with all maps and modes available, including recent releases like USS Texas 1945, Blueprint Gun Game, and Shi No Numa.
All Aboard the USS Texas

Deploy to the high seas in USS Texas 1945, a classic Multiplayer map first introduced in Call of Duty: WWII. There’s danger — and opportunity — at every turn, whether you’re challenging enemy Operators in the open along the decks or fighting for the interior power positions in Comms and the Weapon Control Room.
The map’s narrow layout encourages constant engagements, so be prepared to defend your position and take control of the objective.
Showcase Your Prowess in Blueprint Gun Game

Show off your weapon proficiency in Blueprint Gun Game. The fan-favorite party mode makes its debut in Mercenaries of Fortune, with the added twist that each weapon utilizes a different Weapon Blueprint.
Be the first to progress through 18 different weapons to win the match. Eliminate a player with your current weapon to move on to the next or take them out with a melee attack to set them back one weapon. And no camping here, soldiers! A persistent UAV pings all Operators throughout the match.
Survive the Horde in Shi No Numa

Enter the Swamp of Death, if you dare. Shi No Numa brings the classic, round-based Zombies experience to Vanguard. There are rumors of a relic located deep in the swampland that can sever the bond between villains Von List and Kortifex the Deathless. Your mission? Build the wonder weapon, find the relic, and uncover the secrets of Kortifex’s past.
You’ll need every advantage available, so hit up the Altar of Covenants and the Tome of Rituals to vastly boost your fighting effectiveness against the horde.
OTHER MAPS

In addition to the most recently added maps and modes, Free Access players will gain entry to the full stockpile of Vanguard content, including Multiplayer maps like Sphere, Mayhem, Shipment, and Das Haus. Try classic and newer modes like Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, and Arms Race.
Vanguard Multiplayer and Zombies Free Access begins on July 20 and ends on July 26. An additional download is required to play. See your platform for details on file size.
Rise on every front.


We Talk To Larian Studios’ CEO About The Malaysian Office & Dealing With Crunch

Larian Studio’s Malaysian office is now 2 years old, and is still hard at work in making the upcoming CRPG Baldur’s Gate 3 ready for its 2022 launch.
Kakuchopurei had the opportunity to secure an exclusive interview with Larian Studio CEO Swen Vincke to talk about the Malaysian branch. We also brought up some questions about how outsourcing works and the state of Baldur’s Gate 3 itself.

Baldur’s Gate 3 will be out of Early Access in 2022 for PC.


Here Are The Most Popular Mobile Gaming Genres In Asia (And MENA) For 2022

Niko and AppMagic have recently published a document, breaking down the data and analysing various factors within the mobile gaming world in 2022.
The research provided focuses on mobile gaming genres in Asia & the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) that contributed nearly 80% of the region’s mobile game spending during 2022: RPGs, Strategy games, MOBAs, puzzle games, and Battle Royale games.

We've published a new FREE downloadable report in collaboration with @AppMagicRocks looking at five key mobile game genres in Asia and MENA.
The bulletin provides analysis on market sizing, player profiles, and rankings across key metrics.
Download here:https://t.co/CHPzklQryj pic.twitter.com/GkTBMsNnHa
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) July 10, 2023

For each metric and category, genres were scored from 1 to 10, with 1 denoting poor performance and 10 denoting excellent performance within that specific factor. A final genre score between 1-10 was then calculated by using a weighted average of the four category scores, providing an approximate value of how each genre performs relative to each other, which is shown below:
Total Genre Score (Averages of all factors)
RPG: 6.6
Battle Royale: 6.4
Strategy: 6.1
MOBA: 5.8
Puzzle: 4.9

Monetization
Scores:
RPG: 7.7
Battle Royale: 6.0
Strategy: 6.0
MOBA: 5.4
Puzzle: 4.9
Based on the information gathered in the bulletin, RPGs generate the highest revenue and have the best monetization score. Puzzle games have the highest number of downloads but the lowest revenue per download. However, puzzle game players tend to have higher average incomes compared to players of most other genres, except for RPG players. Strategy games have an above-average monetization score due to their revenue ranking and the percentage of players who make in-game purchases.
MOBAs perform exceptionally well in Asia and MENA regions, especially compared to Western markets. They have the second-highest revenue per download among the genres discussed. While their high revenue per download and total spending contribute to their monetization score, players of this genre tend to have lower incomes and spend less on gaming overall. Battle Royale games have an average monetization score of 6.0 among the genres covered. They rank first in terms of the percentage of players who have made in-game purchases in the past year (55.1%). However, their total revenue is the lowest among the genres discussed.

Engagement
Scores:
RPG: 6.8
MOBA: 6.4
Puzzle: 6.0
Battle Royale: 5.6
Strategy: 5.2
In terms of engagement, RPG players have the highest average annual income and a more balanced gender distribution compared to other genres. RPG games, including their sub-genres, continue to dominate mobile ranking charts, especially in South Korea where they accounted for 75% of core game revenue in 2022. On the other hand, puzzle gamers show the lowest level of engagement in terms of hours played, with an average of 3.9 hours per week.
Strategy gamers are the least dissatisfied with the games they play and are more likely to try new games in the same genre. The genre performed well in Asia and MENA regions in 2022 but experienced declines in the Western market. MOBA gamers rank first in terms of hours played per week and display the highest loyalty towards their preferred game. This makes the MOBA genre challenging to break into due to the dominance of a few titles in the region. MOBA games have the highest engagement score, ranking first in average hours played per week (6 hours) and player lifespan. The player base of MOBA games is the youngest among the genres covered in this bulletin, and it has a more equal distribution of male and female players compared to battle royale and strategy games.

Esports
Scores:
Battle Royale: 9.5
Strategy: 7.5
MOBA: 6.0
RPG: 4.0
Puzzle: 3.0

The RPG genre has the second lowest esports score primarily because most RPG games lack a competitive esports component. Additionally, RPG players are less likely to engage in activities related to esports, such as streaming esports events, aspiring to compete in esports, or attending esports events in person. Whereas, Puzzle game players are the least likely to be esports fans, stream esports events online, or have aspirations to participate in professional or amateur esports tournaments.
Interestingly, the strategy genre has a high esports score among its players. 65% of strategy game players are fans of esports, and they are more likely to attend esports events in person and aspire to compete in esports at a professional or amateur level. While both the Battle Royale and MOBA genres have a significant number of esports tournaments and prize pools, the Battle Royale genre surpasses MOBA in other esports metrics, such as viewership.

Appeal
Scores:
RPG: 6.8
Strategy: 6.0
MOBA: 5.6
Puzzle: 5.2
Battle Royale: 5.2

According to the information provided, RPG has the highest appeal score among the covered genres. It is more likely to attract both male and female gamers compared to other genres. Although the majority of RPG players are male (61%), this percentage is lower than in other genres where male players can make up 70% or more.
Meanwhile, strategy games have the second-highest appeal score. Players from this category are less likely to be dissatisfied with the game they are playing and more inclined to try new games within the same genre. MOBA games have the youngest player base among the covered genres. They also have a relatively balanced distribution of male and female players compared to battle royale and strategy games.
On the other hand, puzzle games have a comparatively low appeal score, but they have a relatively even split of male and female gamers, second only to RPGs. Puzzle games tend to appeal more to older gamers, as they have the highest average age of players among the covered genres. The Battle Royale genre has a narrower appeal compared to others. It is more likely to attract male players significantly more than female players. Additionally, players of this genre are more likely to be dissatisfied with the game they are playing.

Conclusion
Puzzle games dominated the number of downloads within the 5 genres with well over twice the amount of RPGs and had the largest appeal to an older audience overall. Comparatively, RPG was genre that scored the most in the Monetization, Engagement and Appeal factors, due to its very high number of downloads and purchases per download, showcasing very good financial success. The strategy genre comes in second for appeal, with Strategy game players being less likely to be dissatisfied with their game of choice and more likely to try more games in the genre.
In comparison, taking the Esports score by far was the Battle Royale genre, with well over twice the score of most of the other genres. There were high levels of content consumed, tournaments played or just general esports fans that played Battle Royale games, which contributed to the very high Esports score given to the genre. MOBA games showed the most loyalty, with a lot of players tending to stick with their game of choice for the long run and lead to a lot of in-app purchases for the games.

For more details on the data breakdown, you can visit Niko’s website page.


A Scott Pilgrim Anime Is In The Works For Netflix

A Scott Pilgrim anime is in the works by Netflix and UCP, the division of Universal Studio Group behind The Umbrella Academy and the recent Chucky TV series.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Scott Pilgrim creator, Bryan Lee O’Malley, will write and executive produce the anime alongside BenDavid Grabinski, the person behind the revival of Are You Afraid of the Dark? at Nickelodeon. Both of them will be the showrunners for the Scott Pilgrim anime.
Science Saru will produce the Scott Pilgrim anime. They are best known for Devilman Crybaby, two episodes of Star Wars Visions Season 1 (AkakiriÂ andÂ T0-B1), and more. The band members from Edgar Wright’s live-action 2010 movie will also be involved in the anime. Wright himself and producing partner Nira Park will also receive executive producer credits for the anime.
This is a great time for a Scott Pilgrim anime, considering that the Ubisoft game, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World The Game Complete Edition, was made available once again since last year for new platforms like the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The anime will most likely be faithful to the aesthetics of the comics and video game, especially since Bryan Lee O’Malley was originally partly inspired by manga and anime in the first place.


Call Of Duty Black Ops 4 Operation Grand Heist Drops Today

A whole new bunch of content arrives in Call Of Duty Black Ops 4 today as its latest seasonal event, Operation Grand Heist, launches today on 20 February 2019. Here’s what players are getting in the free update:

A new specialist named Outrider makes her debut. She wields a longbow called Sparrow, which is capable of silently taking out enemies with explosive precision. She is now available in Multiplayer and Blackout.
A new Blackout location called Ghost Town arrives with two areas inspired by Black Ops 2‘s classic multiplayer map Standoff and the classic Zombies map Buried.
A new Blackout mode called Hot Pursuit will be coming on 23 February 2019, where players can drive and pilot three new vehicles including an SUV, muscle car and PBR assault boat in a race to reach supply drops placed around the map containing high-level armor, weapons, and grenades.
The Black Market is restocked with new weapon camos, outfits, gestures, and accessories themed for Operation Grand Heist.
Blackout’s Zombies mode receives several new features, including a new round-based Gauntlet challenge mode for the Classified map, along with a brand-new perk addition called the Ethereal Razor that substantially increases a playerâ€™s melee damage with an area of effect and life regeneration for each hit.

In addition to all that free content, Black Ops 4 Pass owners will also receive the following:

A new multiplayer map called Casino set in a luxurious casino in Monaco where elite thieves formed an elaborate plan to steal the winning racecars on display.
A new multiplayer map called Lockup set in a Los Angeles police station.
A new Blackout character named Cosmic Silverback, who is actually a zombie silverback gorilla originally from the Dead Ops Arcade in Call of Duty Black Ops.

Published by Activision and developed by Treyarch, Call Of Duty Black Ops 4 is now available for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Check out the Operation Grand Heist trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsN6kLSCNyo&w=560&h=315]


Wo Long Fallen Dynasty Launches In March 2023

Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja have announced that Wo Long Fallen Dynasty will launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 3 March 2023, as well as Xbox Game Pass.
It’s a new dark fantasy Three Kingdoms maso-core game from Team NINJA, the developers of Nioh and Nioh 2 and the Ninja Gaiden games. It’s set in 184 AD, Later Han Dynasty China. The land is overcome by chaos and destruction. The imperial dynasty that prospered for many years is now about to collapse.
Wo Long Fallen Dynasty is a dramatic, action-packed story of a nameless militia soldier fighting for survival in a dark fantasy version of the Later Han Dynasty where demons plague the Three Kingdoms. Players fight off deadly creatures and enemy soldiers using swordplay based on the Chinese martial arts, attempting to overcome the odds by awakening the true power from within.


Genshin Impact Dehya Needs Fixing; Fan Outrage Continues

New Genshin Impact Pyro Claymore user Dehya may be a looker, but she’s anything but powerful.
In fact, she’s quite the opposite. Genshin Impact ver. 3.5’s latest gacha waifu is underpowered to the point where players from all over the world are begging HoYoverse to fix her.
Why is she underpowered?
Easy: Dehya’s Elemental Skill and Burst attacks do pitiful damage and do not synergize with other characters. She also can cancel her Burst automatically if she runs into a wall while the attack animations are going on; this can be a huge waste of the Elemental meter you’ve saved up. In fact, she can die off-field if you swap with another character after taking more hits within her AoE buff.
If HoYoverse were to fix her, she would be the second underpowered Genshin Impact character to get a rework, with the first being the ever-handsome-but-broke Zhongli. In any case, the hashtag is #FixDehya if you want to keep the rallying cries going on social media. Twitter account daily dehya seem to have the right idea:

#FixDehya pic.twitter.com/5mDLDwoYB9
— daily dehya ? (@dailydehyaa) March 6, 2023

We have contacted a representative for HoYoverse for comments regarding this. We’ll be sure to update the story if we get a response. For more on Dehya’s story quest in Genshin Impact 3.5, check out the video below.


God Of War Ragnarok New Game Plus Update Is Now Live

Sony Interactive Entertainment and Santa Monica Studio have released the God Of War Ragnarok New Game Plus update, which includes new armour, an increased level cap, new Enchantments, and more.
Check out what the update comes with below (via PlayStation Blog):
New equipment, an increased level cap, new Enchantments – all this and more is introduced with God of War Ragnarök’s NG+ mode. As soon as you’ve beaten the game, you’ll be able to dive right into a NG+ save to experience the story again with many more gameplay options available from the start.
Your equipment, weapons (including the Draupnir Spear), and skills will carry over from your previous save, so you’ll be able to use your entire arsenal from the beginning of your journey.
Please note that you will not start the game with access to Sonic and Hex arrows. All areas requiring either those arrows or the Draupnir Spear to access will not unlock until you have reached the point in the main questline in which they become available via the story.
New Equipment
Armour of the Black Bear

Rest assured, we’ve been taking note of the requests to add Kratos’ cloak from the opening scene since the launch of God of War Ragnarök.
The Armor of the Black Bear will keep Kratos bundled up against the Fimbulwinter frost even after the sled chase. Its stats focus on Strength and Defense with a perk that rewards your last-second evades with a volley of Bifröst shards.
Your NG+ run will begin with the Armor of the Black Bear already equipped.
Spartan Armor

If you want a serious test of your skills and to take on the toughest challenge you can get in God of War Ragnarök, the Spartan Armor is for you. With no Perk, no Stats, and locked at Power Level 1 – the Spartan Armor lets you take a more… well, spartan approach towards protection.
This set is perfect for those of you who want to strip down your power to the minimum and leave no room for error. If you’re brave enough to face the coming of Ragnarök pecs-first, then give the set a try!
If you’re more into the Spartan General look and less into the challenging gameplay, you can always transmog this armour onto another set to achieve the look without sacrificing protection.
The Spartan Armor can be acquired for Hacksilver at Huldra Brothers’ Shop.
Ares Armor

Returning favourites from God of War 2018’s New Game Plus are the Ares and Zeus armours with new visuals and Perks.
The Ares Armor rewards the lucky with a chance to drop a Health Stone on hit. When you stomp the Health Stone, you also get a rage gain alongside a bigger explosion.
The Ares Armor can be purchased for Hacksilver at Huldra Brothers’ Shop.
Zeus Armor

The Zeus Armor will enable the ultimate risk-reward playstyle. This set greatly increases your Melee and Runic damage, while also increasing incoming damage.
A single hit could be enough to take even Kratos down with the Zeus Armor equipped, so you’ll need to be mindful of where your enemies are while you prepare to deal out punishment with the raw power this armour provides.
The Zeus Armor can be acquired by defeating Gná the Valkyrie Queen and completing certain Remnants of Asgard on a NG+ save.
Spartan Aspis – New Shield

The Spartan Aspis returns in God of War Ragnarök and displays Kratos’ heritage boldly.
The Spartan Aspis is similar to the trusted Guardian Shield, but it has a significantly tighter Parry window. While more challenging to time, successful Parries yield a more damaging reward.
The Spartan Aspis can be purchased at Huldra Brothers’ Shop with Hacksilver.
Armour Appearances

For those of you looking to keep things fresh, we’ve also remixed 13 of our existing armours with new colour combinations and styles that were previously unavailable.
These appearances can be bought at Huldra Brothers’ Shop and applied to any of your existing Level 9+ armour in the transmog menu. The new Berserker Armor appearance can be acquired after defeating the Berserker King on NG+.
New Level Cap
In NG+, both Kratos and your enemies will become more powerful with an increased level cap. You will be able to convert all your Level 9 equipment (armour, weapons, weapon components, and shields) into new ‘Plus’ versions that will provide additional levels of progression.
Converting your equipment will also yield a Gilded Coin that can be used to purchase one of the new Enchantments from the shop.
We’ve also added a quality-of-life adjustment to the shop, so you’ll be able to purchase and sell resources incrementally. Buy and selling materials to get your equipment in tiptop shape for your NG+ run is now smoother than Kratos’ scalp.
New Enchantments
Gilded Coins – Engraving and Badge Enchantments
If you ever agonized over an armour choice because you couldn’t choose a favourite Perk, the new Enchantments available in the shop are for you! These take a selection of powerful and versatile perks from Armor (Engravings) and Shield Rönds (Badges), allowing you to equip them in your Amulet as Enchantments.
For example, you can purchase the Dragon Engraving, which has the Dragon Scaled Breastplate Perk, Dragon’s Fury (Blocks and Parries grant a Strength/Defense stacking buff). You can equip that in your Amulet while wearing a different chest piece like the new Cuirass of Ares, allowing you to combine two different chest armour perks at once.
The most powerful enchantments from the Gilded Coins will require certain Stat thresholds to be met to encourage and reward you for getting clever with your builds. With so many new options available, we can’t wait to see which combinations you make.
Berserker Soul Drops – Stat Boost Enchantments
Defeating the Berserker Souls on NG+ will also reward you with new Enchantments to equip. While not as flashy as some of the Perk Enchantments, these will give you big boosts to select stats so you can lean into whatever build you like best even more.
Burdens
Burdens are a new set of Enchantments that will allow you to equip negative Perks for a tailor-made challenge.
For example, the Burden of Evasion will automatically give Kratos the Frost status effect when he rolls.

For those of you seeking to ramp up the difficulty with an exceptionally brutal experience, you can combine Burdens with the Spartan Armor.
We’ve also added a new UI option called Show Difficulty (Difficulty HUD Visualization), which will display the current difficulty setting on the HUD, as well as how many Burdens you have equipped. Feel free to flex a little bit for your friends.
Burdens can be purchased at the Huldra Brothers’ Shop with Hacksilver.
New Progression Paths
New Skill Mod Plus
Upgrade your existing Skill Mod tokens using XP to further enhance the effects of your favourite Mods.
Platinum Tier Labors
Carry over any progress from your Kill Labors or Ratatasks and continue to unlock a new Platinum Tier of rewards.
Additional Stat Gains
Nornir Chests will now provide Yggdrasil Dew to allow players to push Stats far beyond their previous limits.
Expanded Niflheim Arena

The Sparring Arena in Niflheim in NG+ will give you a ton of new options to play with! Alongside a selection of new enemies for you to face off against, you will now be able to play as either Kratos or Atreus and choose any of the following companion characters to fight beside you: Atreus (with Kratos), Freya, Brok, Sindri, Angrboda, Ingrid, Thor, and Thrúd.

With any companion combination possible, we can’t wait to see how creative you can get in gameplay and in Photo Mode.
Endgame Bosses

Got comfortable fighting the Berserker Souls and the Valkyrie Queen Gná? We’ve made sure the toughest optional fights have a few switch-ups in NG+ so even if you’ve beaten them before, they’ll still pack a punch when you meet them again.
Other Enemy Adjustments
Available on All Difficulties in NG+
The Hateful and the Ormstunga, two of our optional mini-bosses, have been given a few new tricks. Be sure to pay them a visit when you can in your NG+ run.
Available on Give Me No Mercy and Give Me God of War in NG+
If you choose to play on Give Me No Mercy or Give Me God of War difficulties, all bosses and mini-bosses will have Runic Armor. Strategic Runic usage in these fights can make the difference between victory and defeat.
In NG+, enemies turning elite can now also happen on Give Me No Mercy in addition to Give Me God of War. Elite enemies will gain an increase in Power Level, so make sure you keep a special eye on them when you see one transform in combat.
Black and White Render Mode

Looking to experience the story again with a more cinematic twist? After you beat the game once, you will have access to a new Black and White Render Mode for any subsequent NG+ or standard New Game saves.
You can find the new mode under the Graphics & Camera settings menu.


The Saints Row 2022 Reboot Feels Unpolished, But Still Fun As Heck

Platform(s): Xbox Series (version reviewed), PC (version tested), Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Genre: Open-world sandbox action adventure crime game, but wacky
The Saints Row open-world action-adventure games where you play a mob boss for a fledging purple colour-scheme gang have always been a good counterpoint to the narrative-focused Rockstar open-world games; it’s essentially a different strokes for different folks kind of ordeal. So what happens if you have a new reboot of a game when this sub-section of a genre is all but gone in this current generation of gaming, with other big-budget games and companies like Ubisoft adopting the format and template?
Well, you have an outlier of sorts in the form of publisher Deep Silver and developer Volition’s apology for their previous trash game Agents of Mayhem. It’s a lovely and heartfelt apology, if I’m being frank, though it’s not as “out there” and ground-breaking as Volition’s past efforts.
Mexi-Can!

The Saints Row reboot is about a group of punks trying to work in odd jobs, usually involving gangs and illicit activities, and then somehow breaking away from those shackles to form a new Saints gang. Doing this requires them to set up shop in an abandoned cathedral (hence the group name) and expand your team’s Criminal Venture -you buy different companies who act as fronts for your illicit-yet-humorous money-making activities. Yes, you can dive headfirst and dick around in the open-world city of Santo Ileso (essentially New Mexico by Volition) but you’ll need funding to keep yourself going and experience points (XP) to power your character up.
To get income and money for weapons, vehicles, and all sorts of customization, you’ll need to do different venture company side missions and quest chains, many side hustles, and complete main quests. Doing the quest chains means a bigger payout cash-wise and levelling up your Criminal Venture tier, which means more companies to buy and more passive income to earn. You can boost the latter by dealing with gang members in your turf, be it the police/Marshall Industries, the Icons, and Los Panteros, each with their own quirks and skills. The Marshall Industry troops are usually armed with high-tech military gear, while Los Panteros have muscle cars and big-bodied melee meatheads to deal with. The Icons are all flashy and neon billboard-lit up and have their flashy grenade launchers and bullet-deflecting party favours to combat you with.
You gain XP by just doing what you do best: kill enemies and fools in your way, perform stunts while driving (airtime, driving through oncoming traffic), and complete missions. The XP you gain will make you level up and unlock new skills, ranging from using a nearby opponent as a makeshift grenade, to tossing smoke bombs and even doing a flame punch. Don’t ask: fictional gang leaders somehow have access to ninja skills if they’re good at their jobs. There’s a lovely sense of progression in Saints Row: every nook and cranny in the big city of Santo Ileso opens up new avenues of destruction and tools of the trade, as well as getting enough money from activities like insurance fraud (where you toss yourself like a rag doll, getting money from being knocked by cars in heavy traffic) and stealing food trucks from aggressive fast food branches. Your due diligence in exploring and completing tasks here and there will be rewarded with powerful weapons like rocket launchers and high-tech sniper rifles, big vehicles like monster trucks and tanks, and extra skills like the Quantum Aperture that lets you shoot through walls.
And you get a pretty awesome hoverboard AND wingsuit to mess around too, with comes with a fun ground pound move for the former and a Super Mario 3-like move that gives you more airtime when you take down someone. What’s seriously not to love here?

Even with all the fun time to be had with this new Saints Row game, it does pale in comparison to past games in some aspects. The characters here aren’t that memorable and feel like retreads of archetypes you’ve seen in recent millennial TV shows, but more homicidal. There are a few gags here and there that are funny, and there’s a lot of thought put into the personalities you’ve seen, but they just didn’t gel with me or anyone who wants memorable two-dimensional characters.
And the bugs: oh man, the bugs. There are a number of graphical glitches here and there that really threw me off immersion-wise, like cutscenes with assets missing and the game’s camera getting too close for comfort unless I do something drastic mid-game like getting out of the car in the middle of a road firefight. There were also instances in enemy wave missions where the bad guys don’t arrive in the area I’m in, leading me to risk leaving the mission zone to pick them off, and possibly force me to restart from the checkpoint. There weren’t any game-breaking bugs and hard crashes (that I know of), but it’s safe to say you’ll need multiple save files for this in case the proverbial s*** hits the fan. These issues do make the game a bit annoying to go through at times.
If you aren’t a fan of archaic mission design, you’ll probably find lots to hate in the Saints Row reboot. Personally, with all the goodies you unlock through the campaign, this aspect doesn’t really bother me that much. I do however wish that the game gives you the option to change your cars and access your garage when you’re early in the mission, rather than have me jack a random car which takes time. Sure, restrict me with your specific setups if I’m in the actual mission, but don’t make me slog all the way if I haven’t even set foot at the place yet.
Half-Baked Taco?

The Saints Row 2022 reboot may feel unnecessary, and at times feel like it needs more time in the oven. The fact that this is Volition’s umpteenth open-world game since the early Saints Row days boggles the mind as to how average this entry feels. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t like the new additions in the formula like the wingsuit, the monster trucks, the revised melee/takedown and special skills system, and the overall open-world activities on hand.
Plus, it’s not like this generation is littered with open-world street crime titles anyway; you could do worse. Besides, how can you say “no” to a crime game that lets you shoot through walls, use hoverboards, have jumping cars that can do barrel rolls, have vehicles that can launch you to the sky, and use an on-the-fly wingsuit? And with co-op play to boot? It’s hard; I should know.
The fact that you have a stylish car-jacking animation where you jump through the side window/windscreen with perfect grace shows that this is truly Volition’s passion project.

Compared to Saints Row IV and Saints Row The Third, this reboot feels more like a glorified retread than an evolution. But to people new to the sandbox crime game genre and who just want a lot of punchy fun & surprises out of their crime games for 25+ hours? It’s a decent introduction and a case study on how to make the genre seem fun again, as well as keep the series grounded to its Grand Theft Auto-inspired roots. Just prepare multiple saves when going in, and mind the day one (out of possibly many) patches. Crime time still pays, with boatloads of fun.
Pros

Open-world crime sandbox fun!
Monster truck & other fun tools are a blast to play with.
A plethora to do via Criminal Ventures & customization.

Cons

Lacklustre character writing & narrative.
A number of immersion-breaking bugs & mission-breaking glitches.

Final Score: 70/100


This Week’s Borderlands 3 Maurice Black Market Legendary Is Worth Buying; Here’s Why

The week of 2nd December is good news for those still playing Borderlands 3, because the weekly Maurice’s Black Market Vending Machine offering is a sought-after weapon.
To find this week’s vending machine, you need to head over to the starting area of Cathedral of the Twin Gods. The location is marked on the map; just head out of the starting area through the first major big room, then turn left after exiting the room.

This week’s vending machine features the following weapons:

Vanquisher SMG
Blood-Starved Beast SMG
Tran-fusion Grenade

The Blood-Starved Beast SMG is a highly sought-after SMG in Borderlands 3 because of its damage and multiple projectiles/splash damage potential. You can farm it from Evil Lilith in the 4th DLC, but the chances of it dropping are very, very low.Â So yeah, go buy multiple copies of it while you can.


Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Has An Expansion Pass; New Story Content Slated For Late 2023

Nintendo has announced that its upcoming JRPG blockbuster title Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is coming out with an expansion pass.
The Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass will be sold for US$29.99 and features the following:

Helpful Items and Outfit Colour Variants (out the same day as Xenoblade 3)
Challenge Battles, New Hero Character and Quests, New Outfits (out 31st December 2022)
Challenge Battles, New Hero Character and Quests, and New Outfits (out 30th April, 2023)
A brand-new story scenario, out by 31 December, 2023

To get these, you’ll have to pay for the whole Season Pass; there’s no word on whether the new characters and outfits will be sold separately as individual DLC. Chances are the new Heroes might be characters from Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and Xenoblade Chronicle 2; who knows?
In related news, Nintendo just livestreamed a huge Nintendo Direct video feature on Xenoblade Chronicles 3. It features a ton of info like the Ouroboros system (combine 2 of your party members to form 1 badass warrior), the game’s equivalent of a Job System, the heroes who occupy the 7th party member slot, and the game’s combat and world. Here’s the full recap via the Nintendo presser we received:
In Aionios, the world of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, there are two opposing nations, Keves and Agnus, whose soldiers fight every day with their lives on the line. Six soldiers hailing from both these warring nations are tasked to take part in a special mission. Can these characters, once filled with mutual hatred, find a path that lets them all live? In this spellbinding tale, you’ll get to journey with these fate-defying hopefuls to learn the truths of their world – a place where every victory in battle and each setback is another chance to change the course of history and triumph over an uncertain destiny.
Here are just a few of the features and activities that can be experienced on your quest:

Explore a Vast World: Aionios features breathtaking natural splendor that stands in contrast to the grim conflict waged between the two nations. Traversing Aionios, the locations you visit are saved as landmarks that you can quickly select and travel to, making traversing this giant world more manageable. Wander freely, or follow a trail to your next destination by enabling a navigation feature. As you explore, you’ll encounter a range of surreal landmarks and diverse wildlife. And just like the lands they inhabit, the lifeforms here range from docile to dangerous. Some creatures, like the notorious Demonic Krenolur, make no secret of their ferocious tendencies, so approach with caution!

Learn the Arts of Battle: When you’re ready to enter a fight, you can harness powerful abilities, called Arts, to strive for victory. Some Arts can throw opponents off balance, some inflict more damage based on where you attack from and some even heal allies! You can link multiple Arts with stunning Chain Attacks to unleash havoc on your enemies. As you become more experienced in battle, you’ll be able to learn powerful Master Arts and Fusion Arts for even more devastating attacks.

Find Rest and Quests at Colonies: Exploring Aionios, you’ll get to scale cliffs, ascend sandy slopes, zipline across ropes and sail the seas. While the stakes may be high, you can enjoy the world at your own pace, and discover colonies where you’ll shop, dine, get to know residents and take up quests. You can catch a glimpse of the lives of Noah and his friends at these colonies and rest spots. Use materials you collect to cook or craft gems to strengthen your abilities. It’s nice to relax and unwind before taking in the next slice of awe-inspiring scenery or felling your next outlandish foe.

Master Character Classes: Each character in your party has a Class that influences how they battle. The Swordfighter leads the fight as a well-balanced attacker, but there are many other classes that specialize in healing, defense and powerful strikes, among other abilities. You can freely swap the character you’re controlling in battle, and your Class can also be changed to match that of your allies. Spend time learning multiple Classes for a well-rounded team!

Recruit Heroes to Your Party: Your journey through Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will feature a party of six main characters, but brave residents of Aionios called Heroes can lend their arms and aptitude to your team as a seventh party member. Only one Hero at a time can assist on the battlefield, but you can swap them out as you see fit. And they bring their own special Classes to your team, like Guardian Commander, Incursor and War Medic. Your party members can even take on any of the Hero Classes as they become your allies. By recruiting more Heroes, you’ll grow the combination of Classes and Arts in your party, widening the breadth of your strategic options!

Fuse Into Ouroboros: By joining together in battle through Interlinking, two characters in your party can fuse into a fiercely powerful form known as an Ouroboros. Earn points in battle to make the already-mighty Ouroboros even stronger. Ouroboros can also join Chain Attacks with the rest of the party. Clear out the battlefield by using mighty Ouroboros Arts!

Expansion Pass Content: Broaden the world of the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 game with a paid expansion pass. The additional content that will be released in four waves* from the game’s launch through the end of 2023 will enhance your journey through Aionios. The content will include helpful items, new outfits and color variants, challenge battles, new quests, new Hero characters and even a new story scenario! The Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass will be available for pre-order in Nintendo eShop later today for $29.99.

Use Any amiibo: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is compatible with amiibo accessories. Tap any compatible amiibo to acquire helpful in-game items for your adventure. Tap the Shulk amiibo to change a character’s sword to appear as the Monado, the iconic weapon from the original Xenoblade Chronicles game, when using the Swordfighter class.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will be out on 29 July for Nintendo Switch.


Gamescom 2019: Here’s How You Can Customise Your Need For Speed: Heat Cars Right Now

A new Need for Speed: Heat trailer has just dropped at Gamescom 2019 and it reveals a lot of new information that suggests that the game is looking back at its best entries and building upon what fans love about the series.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELkZgYzuMlY&w=560&h=315]
Let’s get the most exciting news out of the way first: You can start playing around with the game’s car customisation and it’s completely free. All you need is an iOS or Android smartphone.
The customisation can be done through an app called NFS Heat Studio and it’s available for download worldwide right now. I’ve tested it out myself and I’m glad to share it’s pretty damn fun to toy around with.

Don’t be worried if, like me, you’re not carrying around a flagship phone with 6GB of RAM or whatever. The app has a low-performance mode that makes the experience smoother without making the cars look too ugly.

You’ll be able to customise pretty much everything on your car including the paint job, specific parts like spoilers, rims, and more. There’s even a feature that allows you to create your own custom decals.
To ensure that people don’t just play the app for a bit and then forget about it, there’s an time-based element that will make you want to keep the app all the way till the release of NFS Heat. Cars are unlocked through the opening of containers and new containers are released each week.

The best feature of the app is that you’ll get to transfer all your custom cars into the game when it releases. It’s a very smart way of building up hype and honestly, I think this is how more developers and publishers should use smartphones to market their game.
Need for Speed: Heat is scheduled to be released on 8 November 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Those who have EA Access or Origin Access will get to play a 10-hour trial on 5 November 2019.


These Are Your Monster Hunter World Iceborne Weapon Contest Finalists [Update]

Update: The winner has been announced. Congratulations sheep for the Black Eagle Charge Blade.Â

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Original story:
Monster Hunter World is known for its wacky, over-the-top yet awesome weapons.Â The best part about all this? Capcom usually hostsÂ an annual contest for fans like you to submit your own designs for the ever-updated game.
The last contest saw the Wyvern Ignition Impact Greatsword included in the game. This happened to be one of the best Greatswords in the game, boasting immense raw power and insane looks.
It has a rocket built-in. Think Reinhardt’s Hammer, but it’s a sword.

Since the massive Iceborne expansion is coming soon this year, the contest was held again. We now have our finalists weapons shortlisted. I’m honestly impressed by the designs and concepts of these fanmade weapons.
Feast your eyes at the submissions below:

Have I told you that you can vote for the weapons? Yes, you can decide which weapon to be added into the game.
Just head on hereÂ and Like your favourite weapon(s).Â I, for one, would love that Iron Man inspired gauntlets to be in the game!
Monster Hunter: World’sÂ Iceborne expansion is slated to be released in Autumn 2019; no date yet though.


Check Out Guilty Gear Strive’s Happy Chaos In Action Before He’s Out

If you want to find out more about Guilty Gear Strive’s latest character, look no further than Arc System Works’ recent starter guide video.
Here, we get to see the current game story’s antagonist Happy Chaos in action. He’s a zoner who can target his opponent anywhere on screen with his revolver via his special stance At The Ready. However, he cannot block and can only be in the stance if he has enough Concentration energy (a new bar for him on the bottom side of his field). He can also launch a bunch of decoys called Scapegoats, useful to keep some space between him and his opponent when he needs to reload his gun.

Looks like Guilty Gear may be getting a decent if incredibly technical zoner in the anime fighter mix.Â Happy Chaos will be available for purchase on 30th November via the Guilty Gear Strive Season Pass 1 DLC. If you want to get him individually, you’ll have to wait until 1st December.


You Can Listen To The Entire Resident Evil 3 Remake Soundtrack On Spotify Now

Those who bought the Resident Evil 3 Remake Collector’s Edition would have received a physical double album soundtrack of the game. However, thanks to the Capcom Sound Team and Spotify, users of the music streaming service can now listen to the entire Resident Evil 3 Remake soundtrack for free.
There are over 45 tracks on the Resident Evil 3 Special Soundtrack album on Spotify (here’s the link to the Spotify page) with over 1 hour and 48 minutes’ worth of music. Interestingly, it includes music not only from the Resident Evil 3 Remake but also from its multiplayer companion title, Resident Evil Resistance.
You can listen to Nemesis’ Theme for a jolt of cold sweats, or even listen to the Resident Evil Resistance‘s Final Countdown track (which you’ll listen to a lot while playing the game). It’s all in there for your convenient listening pleasure.
Resident Evil 3 Remake is now available for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Meanwhile, check out my review of the Resident Evil 3 Remake here, or head on over here for my thoughts on Resident Evil Resistance (and what you can expect from the online title).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32LSdT0dqxc&w=560&h=315]