Cyberpunk 2077 Night City Wire Episode 2 Showcases Lifepaths, Music & Weapons

The second episode of Cyberpunk 2077 Night City Wire live stream presentation took place earlier tonight, where CD Projekt Red unveiled more details and information about the upcoming highly-anticipated game.
Lifepaths

At the beginning of the game, players can choose from three different backstories and backgrounds; Street Kid, Nomad and Corpo. However, these will only mostly affect your starting point in the game, as well as offer additional unique dialogue options according to the lifepath players have chosen.

For example, choosing the Corpo background will give players advantages when dealing with corporate stuff, while those with a Street Kid background will benefit from their street smarts when surviving in the seedy underbelly of Night City.
If you choose to be a Nomad, you’ll start the beginning of the game outside of Night City, in the outskirts called the Badlands. However, this area will still be fully playable and freely explorable for players who choose Street Kid or Corpo.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV8BTZ6_PWQ&w=560&h=315]
Music

In the game, Johhny Silverhand (Keanu Reeves’ character) has a band called Samurai, and players will listen to their songs performed in the game. If you can’t wait, you can already listen to four songs from the fictional band on Spotify right now, one track of which (titled A Like Supreme) just released today.

Or on YouTube below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOXOdflScCY&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VZaIG5WZH0&w=560&h=315]
Weapons

There seem to be many varieties of both ranged and melee weapons in Cyberpunk 2077, but the second episode of Cyberpunk 2077 Night City Wire focused on the guns.
There are three distinct types of guns in the game; Power, Tech and Smart.
Power guns are similar to contemporary guns, using normal bullets. Their advantage is that the bullets can ricochet off walls and hard objects. Tech guns use electromagnetic bullets that can pierce metal, while Smart guns use guided missile tech that can track enemies.
Since Cyberpunk 2077 is still an RPG at heart, players can improve their shooting by increasing stats that contribute to faster reload times, faster aiming, less recoil, and more.
While weapons can be bought at vendors in Night City, the best weapons must be taken from enemies and loot caches around the city. Weapons also come in rarities, from uncommon to rare and even legendary.
Legendary weapons are unique but they can only be obtained through specific side quests and certain decisions in the game.
In addition, players can also look forward to installing weapon modifications. There are attachments like scopes and silencers, as well as software mods that increase stats like increased damage, increased firing rate or even add chemical damage to rounds.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4ON7H7RnBE&w=560&h=315]
Check out some of the weapons below:

You can also watch the entire second episode of Cyberpunk 2077 Night City Wire below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do51eJowSyg&w=560&h=315]
Cyberpunk 2077Â is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One and PC on 19 November 2020. In the meantime,Â head on over hereÂ for everything you need to know aboutÂ Cyberpunk 2077Â to date.


Apex Legends’ Loba & Revenant Feud Continues In New Lore Video

Loba originally joined Apex Legends back in May 2020 as a new playable Legend. Months later, Respawn Entertainment has unveiled a new video that continues her story and expands her lore even more.
The new video is in the form of an audio play featuring art from a member of the Apex Legends fan community named Fragment. The developer has begun to collaborate with fan artists in 2020 for more canonical story content like these.
It reveals that Loba had Revenantâ€™s source code in her hands. With it, she could potentially kill him for good. However, she decided not to kill him but sent it to the distant planet of Gridiron instead.
They then proceed to fight but Loba ultimately ends up winning anyway. You can check out the clip in the tweet below:

A fate worse than death. pic.twitter.com/CJK4PgYARc— Apex Legends (@PlayApex) December 27, 2020

Last month, Apex Legends rose to the top of the Steam charts after launching for only a week on the platform.


Xbox Game Pass March 2023 Adds Civ 6, Valheim & Guilty Gear Strive

Microsoft has announced new titles coming to Xbox Game Pass this month including Civilization 6, Valheim, Guilty Gear Strive and more.
Available Today
Guilty Gear -Strive- (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The cutting-edge 2D/3D hybrid graphics pioneered in the Guilty Gear series have been raised to the next level in Guilty Gear -Strive-. The new artistic direction and improved character animations will go beyond anything you have seen before in a fighting game. Let’s rock!

Coming Soon
Dead Space 2 (Cloud) EA Play – March 9
Three years after the Necromorph infestation aboard the USG Ishimura, Isaac Clarke awakens from a coma, confused, disoriented, and on a space station called The Sprawl. Fight new enemies and explore this open world’s massive zero-gravity environments to discover the truth with Xbox Cloud Gaming via EA Play.
Dead Space 3 (Cloud) EA Play – March 9
Journey across space to the icy planet of Tau Volantis with Isaac Clarke and Sgt. John Carver to destroy the source of the Necromorph outbreak. Overcome avalanches, ice climbs, violent wilderness, and an army of deadly, evolved enemies to save mankind from the impending apocalypse with Xbox Cloud Gaming via EA Play.
Valheim (Game Preview) (Console) – March 14
Available now with PC Game Pass and coming soon to Xbox consoles! Valheim is a brutal exploration and survival game for 1-10 players set in a procedurally generated world inspired by Norse mythology. Craft powerful weapons, construct longhouses, and slay mighty foes to prove yourself to Odin!

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 16
Civilization VI offers unique ways to interact with your world, expand your empire across the map, advance your culture, and compete against history’s greatest leaders to build a civilization that will stand the test of time.

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – The Prince’s Edition (Console and PC) – March 21
Once upon a time, there was a world torn by endless war. But then came a great king who would change this world forever. Join the young king Evan to found a new kingdom in the Prince’s Edition, which includes all DLCs.
Game Updates
Fallout 76: Mutation Invasion – Available now
Mutation Invasion is here and mutations from Daily Ops’ missions have infected Public Events! Play a Mutated Public Event every hour for additional rewards and challenges and jump back into Daily Ops to earn scaling rewards and experience a new variety of locations, enemies, and mutations.
No Man’s Sky: Fractal Update – Available now
Completely immerse yourself in an infinite universe with No Man’s Sky update 4.1, Fractal! Introducing a catalogue of your most incredible discoveries, the stunning Utopia Speeder starship, a huge number of quality of life and accessibility improvements, and much more! Learn more here.
Halo Infinite Season 3: Echoes Within – Available today
Halo Infinite’s largest multiplayer update yet is available starting today! Season 3: Echoes Within offers players a new 100-tier Battle Pass, new maps, a new mode and, for the first time, a new weapon and equipment item.

Sea of Thieves: The Forts of Fortune & 5th Anniversary Celebration – March 16 & 20
The Forts of Fortune are heating up again on March 16! New Chests of Fortune have been spied in their Vaults, offering coveted cosmetics and Commendations to any pirate who can hold on to them long enough to hand in. Enjoy new Pirate Legend Voyages and world changes too! Plus, celebrate Sea of Thieves’ 5th anniversary on March 20 with an exclusive log-in bonus, time-limited celebration selfie wall and a supersized Community Weekend event!
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Madden NFL 23: EA Play Supercharge Pack – Available until March 9
Don’t forget to claim a limited-time reward for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members. Give your Ultimate Team a boost with the EA Play Supercharge Pack – just head to the Game Pass Ultimate Perks page by March 9 to claim the pack.
Halo Infinite: Corrupted Assault Rifle Bundle – Available today
Overwhelm your foes with the exclusive “Corrupted Hex” Assault Rifle Weapon Coating, four 2XP Boosts and four Challenge Swaps! This Perk requires Halo Infinite Multiplayer to use.
F1 22: Champions Content Bundle – Available now
Join the grid in F1 22 with three My Team Icons, two drivable safety cars (available only in Time Trial Mode), 18,000 PitCoin, and more. EA Play members can claim this Bundle now until April 3, 2023.
The Sims 4: Sleepover Sleepwear Set – Available now
Get the family ready for a cozy night in with The Sims 4 Sleepover Sleepwear Set, available with your EA Play membership!
Xbox Game Pass Quests
March Game Pass Quests are available for you to complete and claim! Redeem your completed Quests for points on your console in the Game Pass section, PC, or on the Xbox Game Pass mobile app. The more you play, the more you earn with opportunities to try out daily, weekly and monthly Quests.
Available now:

Overcooked! 2 (250 points – Ultimate only): Burn 30 items
Signalis (5 points): Play
Earn an Achievement in any Game Pass Game (50 points)

Leaving March 15
The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon, which means it’s time to give these a proper farewell and jump back in before they go. Don’t forget you can save up to 20% off your purchase on games available in the Game Pass library.

F1 2020 (Console) EA Play
Goat Simulator (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Kentucky Route Zero (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Paradise Killer (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Undertale (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Young Souls (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Zero Escape: The Nonary Games (Cloud, Console, and PC)


Former James Bond Sean Connery Dies At 90

Sir Sean Connery has died at the age of 90. The late legendary Scottish actor’s family reported his death to the BBC earlier tonight.
The late actor was best known for being the first-ever James Bond actor and reprising the role for six movies, having starred in 1962’s Dr. No, 1963’s From Russia With Love, 1964’s Goldfinger, 1965’s Thunderball, 1967’s You Only Live Twice and 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever.
He was also famous for other roles, including the bizarre 1974 sci-fi movie Zardoz, 1986’s Highlander, 1996’s The Rock, and one of his last ever film roles (and an underrated one at that); 2003’s The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
In addition, he also won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Jim Malone in 1987’s The Untouchables.

Rest in peace, Sir Sean Connery. You will always be James Bond in our hearts.
In remembrance of the late legend, check out this iconic line from his role as John Patrick Mason in 1996’s The Rock.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=SQY6IYVAfw8


League of Legends Welcomes Milio

Riot is bringing us “back to basics” with our brand new fiery champion, Milio. He is accompanied by his cute little fire buddies (fuemigos), and an enormous backpack (furnasita) to babysit the little buddies.
Interesting fact, Milio is League’s first male enchanter since Taric, who debuted in 2009. He is also the second successive support champion to take Renata Glasc’s place as the enchanter. We’ve not had much information on Ixtal, and that is where Milio comes in.
As we all know, fire is mostly used offensively, and this is where Milio is different. Milio has a gentle flame that soothes his allies, as opposed to other champions like Annie. As a support, his kit will be all about using his fire to heal and cleanse his allies and empower them for aggressive gameplay, he increases movement speed and he is also able to disrupt enemies.
As a support player, all I can say is, add him to your champion pool! Although Milio is a small squishy one, just like his fellow female enchanters, trust me, he’s one champ you’ll want to have on your team.

Milio’s Abilities
PASSIVE – FIRED UP

Milio’s abilities enchant allies on touch, making their next spell or attack deal a burst of extra damage and burn the target.
Q – Ultra Mega Fire Kick

Kick a ball that knocks back an enemy. On hit, the ball bounces behind the target, damaging and slowing enemies in the area upon impact.
W – Cozy Campfire

Create an empowering zone that heals allies and increases Attack Range for those inside. The zone follows the ally nearest to the cast point.
E – Warm Hugs

Milio tosses a shield to an ally, temporarily increasing their movement speed.

R – Breath of Life

Milio unleashes a wave of soothing flames that heal and remove crowd control effects from allies in range.


Brawlhalla Esports Features A Million Dollar Prize Pool In 2021

Ubisoft and Blue Mammoth Games have announced their 2021 Brawlhalla Esports program, with a total prize pool of US$1,000,000 and five international championships planned from February to November 2021.
Marking Brawlhallaâ€™s biggest prize pool ever, the 2021 season demonstrates Ubisoftâ€™s commitment to supporting the growing esports scene of its epic fighting game now counting over 50 million players worldwide.Â
Five international tournaments will be organized across the year. The 2021 season will kickstart with the Winter Championship: with a US$75,000 total prize pool, this online tournament will happen from 27 February to 14 March 2021.
Brawlhalla supports cross-platform play, allowing players to compete on any platform. Players will be able to register starting from today, and more details can be found at the official website here.
Later this year, players across the world will be able to participate in:

The Spring Championship: happening online in April and May.
The Summer Championship: happening online in July.
The Autumn Championship happening online in September and October.
The World Championship: happening in November. More information on the format will be shared later this year.

In these tournaments, all players will have a chance to earn winnings from the Brawlhalla esports program prize pool.
Ubisoft and Blue Mammoth Games will also organize several invitational events throughout the year, including the Brawlhalla Pro Series, a four-week online competition with a unique new format that will take place in June.
In other related news, Brawlhalla added its 52nd playable Legend with Magyar last month. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


New Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Trailer Reveals Electric-Type Gym Leader Who Is A Streamer

The Pokemon Company just released a huge trailer last week, but this week they’re giving us another one; our first look at a new, electric-type gym leader named Iono from the Levincia Gym. She’s also a streamer, yes, a streamer.
In the trailer, Iono keeps teasing her Pokemon partner, which might be a brand-new Pokemon. However, she doesn’t reveal it just yet.
Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet are slated to launch for the Nintendo Switch on 18 November 2022. Check out the trailer below:


Apex Legends Is Coming To Mobile Platforms

EA recently held a conference call on 7 May 2019, in which they discussed several games, including Apex Legends. Not only is the battle royale game the fastestÂ growing new game from the publisher with over 50 million players to date, but 30 percent of those players are playing an EA game for the first time.
The publisher is also planning to bring Apex Legends to more platforms and new markets, expanding beyond the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. This includes mobile devices like Android and iOS, as well as countries like China. However, they didn’t mention or confirm if it would possibly be coming to the Nintendo Switch.

EA confirmed later in the conference call that they plan to bring Apex Legends to China and to mobile devices. Expands on the final bullet point above.
â€” Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) May 7, 2019
More content will be released for Apex Legends with plans for long term service and new Legends, amongst other things. While the F2P model has proved to be a massive success, EA reassures that it won’t abandon premium $60 titles like Anthem or the upcoming Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order.
In other recent news, a new mode is coming to Apex Legends, but no details have been revealed as of yet. It seems like players don’t have to worry about losing support for the battle royale game in the near future.


Is Minecraft Dungeons Truly An All-Ages Multiplayer Romp?

Review originally published on 22nd May.
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch
Genre: Multiplayer action RPG made for newbies
In the Mojang-developed action RPG spin-off Minecraft Dungeons, equipment matters. Unlike other games cut from the same loot-and-slaughtering cloth, you do not have fancy skill trees to mess with as Mojang’s entry does away with classes and other such “frivolities”.
Instead, you earn Enchantment points to allocate to your equipment. See, each new loot you acquire after killing Minecraft mobs and villains like the Creepers and zombies comes with a bunch of passives you can choose to unlock. That passive ability can be upgraded with more Enchantment points to make it more powerful.
So if you’re someone who uses ranged attacks more, you can opt to give your crossbow a bit more oomph and speed with damage buffs and rapid-fire options. If you prefer hard-hitting area-wide melee swings, you can equip a Claymore or Hammer instead and unlock synergistic passives like better pushback or damage buffs when you’re low on health.

You can also equip up to three artifacts that determine your playstyle and build. Magic-users can just use Soul-using artifacts that can fire lightning or heal, as well as summon pets to act as meat-shields.
The best part? If you get better and rarer equipment -and you will in any action RPG mimicking Diablo- you can salvage the old one and get your Enchantment points back. You’re going to come across better gear with up to three slots of power-ups and better passives as you keep questing the different areas, each with their own randomized layout.
While not exactly on the same level as its source material in limitless potential, Minecraft Dungeons lets you get creative with your dungeoneering setup and build if you put the time into it. I suspect videos of OP builds to break the game in the next few weeks.
The Loot Cycle Cometh
Therein lies Minecraft Dungeons’ strength: its simplicity. The only way to get good weapons is not only to rely on random drops from the game’s bosses and elite mobs from all 9 areas, but to also gather enough money to buy randomly-generated loot from the merchants in your camp. Even when you’re done with said 9 worlds -6 hours or less on regular difficulty give or take- there are still two other difficulty modes to unlock featuring better loot for your Minecraft dungeoneer.

Together with the game’s aesthetics & storybook narrative, variable enemy types to deal with, the difficulty curve, and its drip-feeding of high-level loot with each dungeon run, Minecraft Dungeons succeeds in keeping action RPG fans sated even for a brief moment.
And that’s not even factoring local multiplayer, which is a breeze to set up. That’s important, considering that the Minecraft brand is all about accessibility and getting even non-action RPG fans together into something quick and easy, but with replay potential.

Its simplicity is also its downfall, as hardcore action RPG fans may be done with it after a couple of days. There’s nothing else to keep them from hanging around apart from the higher-level difficulties and the max level cap they need to get the best possible Unique gear.
The “pre-generated” levels start to show some familiar designs after the 8-hour mark, so there’s not much deviation there.

I also need to bring up how buggy and broken the last stage is. There were multiple instances where I ended up stuck after using the level’s trampolines getting to higher ground, as well as getting stuck in corners while the final boss just had its way with me. I do hope the game gets a patch in this section because this may throw off beginners who are just about to find out the big deal and value in the action RPG genre.
Mental Block

Seeing as the game will cost you US$19.99, you’re paying for what you’re getting: a simple action RPG spin-off using one of the world’s most renowned video game IPs.
Is it a game-changer? Nope. Is it even an action RPG to beat pioneers like the Diablo and Borderlands series? Hell no. But it’s still pretty fun and is a great gateway drug for people curious about the genre. Plus, you could do worse than with a price tag like US$19.99.
Pros

Easy-to-learn action RPG gameplay.
Lots of replayability.
Cute graphics.
Much-needed co-op options.

Cons

Difficulty curve shoots upward at last two stages.
Some bugs require stage restarts.
Randomized layouts not quite varied post-game.
Gets old fast, especially for action RPG veterans.

FINAL SCORE: 60/100
Review copy provided by Microsoft & Minecraft.Â
Disclaimer: We couldn’t get online multiplayer started & try out crossplay right away because the game isn’t out yet. Hopefully it’ll be just as painless when it’s up later on 26 May. We’ll be sure to update the review once that’s up.


Capcom Wants Its Games To Mainly Be On PC In The Future

Thanks to the plethora of ports of Capcom titles like Resident Evil Village and Monster Hunter Stories 2, it’s clear as day that this may be the company’s future direction.
During TGS 2021, Capcom president/Chief Operating Officer Haruhiro Tsujimoto said on Japanese news site Nikkei (via Bloomberg) that the company wants to make PC its main platform for games. The company also aims to have half of its sales on PC and the other half on consoles by 2022 and 2023.
Why is this the direction it is taking? It turns out that its record-setting sales numbers play a role in this new focus. The Resident Evil and Monster Hunter series lifetime sales numbers got to a pretty high number because of the PC versions that make up the majority of it. Previously leaked data also mentioned that Monster Hunter World sold better on PC in the west than on PlayStation.
On a related note, Monster Hunter Rise will be ported onto PC in January 2022. Previously, the game was a Nintendo Switch exclusive.


Loot River Overview Trailer Shows Off More Gameplay

SUPERHOT PRESENTS and straka.studio have released a new overview trailer for the upcoming dungeon crawling action roguelike Loot River. The video gives players a look at the weapons and loot that they can find while exploring the game’s fantasy-inspired procedurally-generated labyrinths, and gives some tantalizing examples of how they can be combined to create fun and powerful builds.
In Loot River, players are able to harness the power of the Relic to shift the ground beneath them, sliding around on the floating pieces of ruined landscapes. These Tetris-like blocks can be slotted together to solve spatial exploration puzzles and employed creatively as a tool in combat to manipulate enemies and control the space on which your battles take place. As players venture through these endless catacombs, they’ll encounter a cursed array of tough enemies, lost travelers, and epic bosses. The wealth of new weapons, gear and unholy knowledge you can unearth for permanent upgrades will be crucial to help you get further with each run.
Loot River is slated to release for the Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam, but there is no release date yet. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass.


Shin Megami Tensei V Unveils SteelBook & Premium Editions

Atlus has released a new gameplay trailer forÂ Shin Megami Tensei V, as well as detailed the SteelBook and Fall Of Man Premium editions of the game available now for pre-order for the west.
Here are the details:
Shin Megami Tensei V SteelBook Edition (US$59.99, or roughly RM248+)

Shin Megami Tensei V Fall of Man Premium Edition (US$119.99, or roughly RM497+)

The Fall of Man Premium Edition includes:

Printed Sling Bag.
6â€ x 11.5â€, Inspired by the Protagonistâ€™s school attire.
SteelBook.
Demon Handbook.
Hardcover, A5 size with 100-plus pages
Two CD Soundtrack Disc.
Collectible Box.

Shin Megami Tensei V is slated to launch exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on 11 November 2021 in Japan and 12 November 2021 worldwide. It will feature English and Japanese voice-overs, with English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish subtitle options.
You can pre-order the game participating local retailers or on the official website here. No news on whether they’ll make it on Southeast Asian shores though.
In the meantime, check out that epic E3 2021 Japanese trailer of the game fully localized into English below:

About
In the latest entry of the acclaimedÂ Shin Megami TenseiÂ RPG series, play as a high school student who wakes up in post-apocalyptic Tokyo, now an abandoned wasteland Attacked by demons, he fuses together with a mysterious man and obtains newfound powers. In a conflict between mythical deities and demonic tyrants, you dictate the fate of the world.
When a grisly murder scene in modern-day Tokyo blocks our protagonists walk home, an unplanned detour leaves him buried and unconscious.
He awakens in a new Tokyo, a wasteland ravaged by apocalypse now called Daâ€™atâ€¦ but before bloodthirsty demons can claim his life, a saviour emerges, and they unite to become a mighty being neither human nor demon: a Nahobino.
With newfound power, the protagonist ventures through Daâ€™at, an enigmatic realm filled with mythical deities and demonic tyrants in constant conflict for survival. Searching for answers, the protagonist must forge his own path in a battle between light and dark to dictate the fate of the world.
Key Features

Unfold an allusive story filled with tragic choices, make sacrifices to uphold your ideals as you pursue light or covet darkness to discover your role in the new world.
Fight through a demon-infested wasteland with the Press Turn Battle System, pinpoint enemy weaknesses so you can perform consecutive actions but make one mistake and it may be your last.
Turn formidable foes into worthy allies by recruiting them via negotiations, then fuse them to create demons customized to fit your playstyle.
Explore the expansive world of post-apocalyptic Tokyo, fully rendered in stunning 3D utilizing Unreal Engine 4, a first for the mainlineÂ Shin Megami TenseiÂ series.


Elden Ring Delayed To 25th February

Bad news, Dark Souls and action RPG fans: Elden Ring will be delayed from its January release date to 25th February, 2022.
The good news? The game will have closed network test sessions for anyone interested. The sessions will start this 13th November GMT+8 until 15th November and will offer players a hands-on with the opening hours of the game. This in turn will help assist the development team in testing the game’s online servers ahead of its release date.

We’re guessing this is one of the chief reasons the game is getting a month-long delay.Â That’s fine by us: take as much time as you need to create your dark fantasy opus, From Software. Here’s the schedule and links if you want to sign up for this initiative:
Registration Links
North America, Europe: https://www.eldenring.com/cnt
Japan: https://www2.fromsoftware.jp/p/eldenring/networktest/
North America

November 12 from 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. PT
November 12 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. PT
November 13 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. PT
November 14 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT
November 14 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. PT

Europe

November 12 from 12:00 to 15:00 CET
November 13 from 4:00 to 7:00 CET
November 13 from 20:00 to 23:00 CET
November 14 from 12:00 to 15:00 CET
November 15 from 4:00 to 7:00 CET

Japan

November 12 from 20:00 to 23:00 JST
November 13 from 12:00 to 15:00 JST
November 13 from 4:00 to 7:00 JST
November 14 from 20:00 to 23:00 JST
November 15 from 12:00 to 15:00 JST

There are no Asia or Oceanic server announcements as of yet; we’ll keep you updated if they are. For more on Elden Ring, check out this feature.


More Southeast Asian Gamers Are Gravitating Towards Esports Lately

A large majority of close than two-thirds of the gaming population in Greater Southeast Asia are hugely interested in esports.
According to a new study by Niko Partners, 60% of gamers here are strongly drawn to esports, while 42% of players from the region prefer competitive arena titles and spend the most on games.
The study breaks down the segmentation of gamers in the area. According to the report, the areas are defined as Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan.

Niko found seven distinct categories of gamers. The categories are;

Competitive arena gamer
Fantasy arena gamer
Arena gamer
Strategist
Skill master
Casual challenger
Story socialiser

The first three of the categories, the arena gamers, are all strongly drawn to esports and represents 60% of the overall market; the one we mentioned earlier in the story.
We’ll break it down further for you:

Competitive arena gamers alone represent 42% of the Greater Southeast Asian market. Aged between 12 and 23, this demographic is driven by the key motivators of competition and completion.
It’s also revealed that this group is the biggest spender amongst them all, spending an average of $15.80 (RM64.74) per month on PC games and $10.10 (RM41) per month on mobile.
Female players contribute the highest numbers towards the fantasy arena gamer segment and have the lowest numbers in the arena gamer segment. The female gamers are motivated by a mix of competition and community.
Casual challengers were the second biggest segment overall, and are most likely to be aged 36 or older. This was the only group that shared the same motivators as competitive arena gamers.
Skill masters are discovered to be 24 years or older while story socialisers are the players most likely to play on multiple platforms, and strategists are most likely to play on PC.

Niko Partners managing director, Lisa Cosmas Hanson said that “Gamers in Greater Southeast Asia are primarily motivated by competition, completion, community and challenge, according to our findings in this report.”

“A surprising outcome of this study is how different the GSEA gamers are from western gamers. However, they have much in common with Chinese gamers, per a similar segmentation analysis we did in China,”Â  she added.

This is an interesting study and proves that esports has a huge potential in this region. It’s small wonder why Razer has capitalised this opportunity and is opening up its HQ in Bangsar. I hope more major stakeholders in Malaysia, such as the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), can put their say in it.


FLAMETOYS Unveil New Gipsy Danger Prototype For Pacific Rim Line

FLAMETOYS have unveiled their latest prototype in their Pacific Rim line at WonderFest that showcases their upcoming modifiable Gipsy Danger figurine.
The figurine is still in the prototype phase and is still yet to be coloured but you can see below what the base, unmodified figurine will look like.

The attachments that you will be able to add to the figurine will include the AKM Chest Launcher from Australia’s jaeger Striker Eureka, mortar canons from Japan’s Coyote Tango, a Tesla fist as a right hand attachment from Russia’s Cherno Alpha and a Twin Fist Saw Claw from China’s Crimson Typhoon.


Capcom To Re-Release Sengoku Basara 4 This July

Capcom just released a new trailer for its upcoming release of feudal Japan-centric action game Sengoku Basara 4: Sumeragi Anniversary Edition. Think Dynasty Warriors but Japan and even more silly hyper-action combat; that’s Sengoku Basara in a nutshell.
It’s essentially a beefed-up version of the 2015-released Sengoku Basara 4 since it is the series’ 15th anniversary. The re-release features the base game, 56 pieces of DLC on a disc, a code to redeem 10 more DLC, a special booklet, and a special packaging with exclusive artwork.

Your eyes aren’t deceiving you: you can have one of your characters cosplay as Chun-Li to wreak havoc during this century of revised history. The game will be out on 21st July for PS4 in Japan. No English version has been announced as of yet.


These Are The Most Anticipated Games This Fall According To Analysts

A lot of major games are coming out in the remainder of 2020, including some of the biggest titles of the year. Based on a survey of more than six thousand gamers done by analytics firm Nielsen (via Venturebeat), we now know which games that gamers are most looking forward to.
According to the report, the most anticipated games of the year are Marvelâ€™s Avengers, Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

Other games which received notable interest from gamers include Cyberpunk 2077, Assassinâ€™s Creed: Valhalla, FIFA 21, NBA 2K21, Crash Bandicoot 4: Itâ€™s About Time, Star Wars: Squadrons, and Planet Coaster: Console Edition.
Amongst PC gamers, however, the titles are notably different. The PC master race were particularly hyped for World of Warcraft: Shadowland, Crusader Kings III, Baldurâ€™s Gate III, and Serious Sam 4, all of which are PC exclusives.
As for PS4 and PS5 gamers specifically, many gravitated towards Gran Turismo 7, Demonâ€™s Souls, and 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.
Despite what the statistics show, they’re not a guarantee that all of these games will automatically sell well or receive critical acclaim. The report only gauges how strong the overall anticipation levels are for the respective titles, which means that some of these games may still not be as successful as their hype make them out to be.


Sonic Prime Second Season Debuts This July

Sonic Prime is getting a next season, and it’s coming pretty soon.
Sonic Prime season 2 will be out on 13 July, alongside the Netflix game version of Sonic Dash which will add in Sonic Prime exclusives like Nine and Cyborg Amy.
Sonic Prime’s second season will feature Shadow the Hedgehog teaming up with Sonic to fix the many timelines and alternate dimensions the latter ruined in the first place. We’ll also get to see more Pirate Knuckles, Cyborg Amy Rose, and the debut of a new Metal Sonic.
Check out our coverage of Sonic Prime’s first season here.


Netflix’s Black Mirror Season 6 Reveals Details For All Five Episodes

Netflix has provided the details for the five episodes in the upcoming Black Mirror Season 6.
Joan Is Awful
An average woman is stunned to discover a global streaming platform has launched a prestige TV drama adaptation of her life — in which she is portrayed by Hollywood A-lister Salma Hayek.
Directed by: Ally Pankiw
Written by: Charlie Brooker
Starring: Annie Murphy, Salma Hayek Pinault, Michael Cera, Himesh Patel, Rob Delaney, Ben Barnes
Loch Henry
A young couple travel to a sleepy Scottish town to start work on a genteel nature documentary – but find themselves drawn to a juicy local story involving shocking events of the past.
Directed by: Sam Miller
Written by: Charlie Brooker
Starring: Samuel Blenkin, Myha’la Herrold, Daniel Portman, John Hannah, Monica Dolan
Beyond The Sea
In an alternative 1969, two men on a perilous high-tech mission wrestle with the consequences of an unimaginable tragedy.
Directed by: John Crowley
Written by: Charlie Brooker
Starring: Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara, Auden Thornton, Rory Culkin
Mazey Day
A troubled starlet is dogged by invasive paparazzi while dealing with the consequences of a hit-and-run incident.
Directed by: Uta Briesewitz
Written by: Charlie Brooker
Starring: Zazie Beetz, Clara Rugaard, Danny Ramirez
Demon 79
Northern England, 1979. A meek sales assistant is told she must commit terrible acts to prevent disaster.
Directed by: Toby Haynes
Written by: Charlie Brooker and Bisha K. Ali
Starring: Anjana Vasan, Paapa Essiedu, Katherine Rose Morley, David Shields
Black Mirror Season 6 is slated to premiere on Netflix sometime in June 2023.
Check out the teaser below:


SoulCalibur World Invitational 2019 Announced

The top seven SoulCalibur VI players will be gathering for the biggest SoulCalibur tournament this year. Or ever, for that matter.
Bandai Namco announced the SoulCalibur VI World Invitational 2019, which will take place at the HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada this 2nd November.

The seven players will be competing for a US$25,000 grand prize. In addition, the final eighth slot will be reserved for the winner of an upcoming 128-player SCVI Last Chance Qualifier, which will be held earlier in the day of 2nd November.
In the last major SoulCalibur VI event, Yuttoto defeated Bluegod for 1st place at EVO 2019. If you want to experience the best of SoulCalibur VI live and in Las Vegas, get your tickets here.


Epic Announces Free Fortnite Cup As Farewell Event For iOS Users

Last week, Epic Games announced that Apple is terminating Epic Games developer accounts and cutting Epic Games off from its Mac and iOS development tools starting from 28 August 2020, effecting rendering Fortnite unplayable on iOS platforms.
In their latest shot against Apple, Epic Games is hosting a new Free Fortnite Cup to celebrate the quest for one more Victory Royale with friends across all platforms. It will take place on 23 August 2020, and will be the last time all platforms will be able to play together.
This is because, until 28 August 2020, Fortnite users who already have the game installed on their iOS devices are currently able to continue playing the game. However, they won’t be able to do that anymore when Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 4 launches next week.
To participate, players need to navigate to the in-game Compete tab to see when the event starts for their respective region and during the scheduled time, they can drop into the tournament by selecting the Free Fortnite Cup Playlist.
For four hours, eligible players have the opportunity to win prizes in the Free Fortnite Cup. Compete as a Solo player in up to 12 matches. Scoring is as follows:
Active Time – 1 point for every 3 minutes on the BR island.Eliminations – 1 point per ElimVictory Royale – 10 points for each Victory Royale
As part of the Free Fortnite Cup, Epic Games is also offering an impressive variety of prizes ranging from in-game skins and a physical Free Fortnite hat to even hardware such as Alienware laptops, Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 tablets, OnePlus 8 phones, as well as PS4 Pro, Xbox One X and Nintendo Switch consoles.
Fortnite Tart Tycoon Outfit
Free Fortnite Hat
Last but not least, Epic Games is also sharing tips for iOS users worried about being unable to continue playing Fortnite, recommending that they make sure their game data is stored in their Epic accounts and investigate alternative Fortnite-compatible devices where they can simply pick up where they left off.
For Android users, Epic notes that users can still install it through other means such as Samsung’s Galaxy Store or sideloading, despite the game having also been pulled from the Google Play store.
Here are the steps:
Login to epicgames.com and make sure your account details are up to date in case you need to migrate platforms. All your game data, purchased items, and friends are stored in your Epic account and can be accessed from any device that can play Fortnite.iOS players should check this list of alternative Fortnite-compatible devices, you may already have access to another way to play Fortnite. If so, simply install the game and login with your Epic account to get up and running. Android players, you can still play Fortnite on your device! Please visit this link on your Android phone to learn how. Itâ€™s easy and only takes a few minutes.Frustrated because you’re blocked on iOS? Make your voice heard by messaging @AppStore on social with #FreeFortnite.


Microsoft Allies With Epic Games In War Against Apple

The war between Epic Games and Apple is heating up, as allies join the fray.
Microsoft has filed a statement “in support of Epic’s request to keep access to the Apple SDK for its Unreal Engine”, according to a tweet by Xbox head Phil Spencer. Microsoft believes that Epic Games having access to the latest Apple technology is “the right thing for gamer developers & gamers”.
SpencerÂ shared the officialÂ filing on Twitter,Â which was a declaration by Microsoft gaming developer general manager Kevin Gammill, which describes how harmful Apple’s actions would potentially not only for Microsoft, but the gaming industry as a whole.

Today we filed a statement in support of Epic's request to keep access to the Apple SDK for its Unreal Engine. Ensuring that Epic has access to the latest Apple technology is the right thing for gamer developers & gamers https://t.co/72bLdDkvUx— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) August 23, 2020

Gammill states that Epic Games’ Unreal Engine is a “critical technology for numerous game creators including Microsoft.” While there are several companies or developers who have their own unique game engines (like EA’s Frostbite Engine or Guerrilla Games’ Decima Engine), Unreal Engine is one of the most widely-used development engines in the world.
In Microsoft’s view, there are very few other options for game engines that offer “as many functionalities as Unreal Engine across multiple platforms, including iOS”.
In addition, Microsoft has an “enterprise-wide, multi-year Unreal Engine license agreement and has invested significant resources and engineer time working with and customizing Unreal Engine for its own games on PC, Xbox consoles, and mobile devices (including iOS devices)”.
If Apple goes forward with their move to block Epic Games from the iOS platform, it would “place Unreal Engine and those game creators that have built, are building, and may build games on it at a substantial disadvantage.”
This would force game developers who previously relied on Unreal Engine to suddenly have to “(a) start development all over with a new game engine, (b) abandon the iOS and macOS platforms, or cease development entirely.”
Last week, Epic Games announced the Free Fortnite Cup as a farewell for iOS players and its latest shot against Apple. Now that Microsoft has joined forces with Epic Games, Apple will have to think twice to fight against another of the top and leading tech giants.


Black Panther Wakanda Forever Trailer Reveals Who Takes On The New Mantle

Marvel has released a brand new trailer for Black Panther Wakanda Forever.
We actually see Namor flying using his winged feet.

We also catch a glimpse of Ironheart’s armour. Ironheart is the superhero name for Riri Williams, who will be played by Dominique Thorne and will be a legacy character successor to Tony Stark’s Iron Man.

While it’s not explicitly mentioned that this new Black Panther is Shuri, her appearance in the trailer immediately follows Ramonda’s words of “Show them who we are.” Ramonda is the mother of T’Challa and Shuri.

Check out the trailer below:


The Demon Slayer Movie Is Coming To Malaysian Cinemas [Update]

Originally published on 15 May 2020:
(Updated on 30 December 2020):
The fan screening for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Train is slated to premiere on 9 and 10 January 2021 in selected GSC Cinemas locations in Malaysia.
Tickets will be available to purchase from 31 December 2020 at 3pm GMT+8 onwards.

Screening Locations:– GSC Alamanda Putrajaya– GSC Gurney Plaza– GSC Aman Central– GSC Ipoh Parade– GSC East Coast Mall– GSC AEON Bandaraya MelakaTickets will be available tomorrow (31 Dec, 3PM) onwards! Plan your fan screening date now!— GSC x Mat Kilau ?? (@GSCinemas) December 30, 2020

If you’re not willing to spend a whopping RM150 on a single ticket (and these fan screenings do get sold out pretty fast), GSC Cinemas has promised that they will be announcing the general screening dates for the movie in the near future.

(Updated on 16 October 2020):
According to the latest trailer by GSC Cinemas, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Train is slated to premiere in Malaysian cinemas on the following dates:
Fan Screening: 5 December 2020 and 23 January 2021General Screening Release Date: 4 February 2021

YES. The release dates are finally here!! Here are the dates for fan’s screening and general release scheduled to be release for #DemonSlayer Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train!These dates are subject to change. So stay tuned for more! pic.twitter.com/zSj8yXSTBQ— GSC x Mat Kilau ?? (@GSCinemas) October 16, 2020

In the meantime, check out the trailer below:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ckqEMHDxL5A

The popular anime by Ufotable is getting a movie later this year, which is great for fans who canâ€™t wait for Season 2 to arrive. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train will be releasing in Japanese cinemas on 16 October 2020.
In what should be exciting news for fans of the anime, GSC Cinemas has confirmed that the Demon Slayer movie is officially coming to Malaysia. However, due to the Movement Control Order amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, no release date has been announced.
The earliest possible release date for the Demon Slayer movie is probably sometime in October 2020 as well, but anime movies usually only screen in Malaysia several months after its initial Japanese premiere.
Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train is coming exclusively to GSC! ðŸ’–#DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba #GSCinemas pic.twitter.com/UNqpDmyGfNâ€” GSC | #STAYHOME (@GSCinemas) May 14, 2020
The film will pick up where Season 1 of the anime left viewers and adapt the Demon Train arc from the manga. The characters of Demon Slayer find themselves on a train that is said to have reported demon activity causing passengers to mysteriously disappear.

In the trailer, we get brief glimpses of Enmu, Tanjiro, and Inosuke, along with a few flame-fueled frames of Kyojuro Rengoku, who the gang hopes to find onboard the Infinity Train.
Meanwhile, there are also two Demon Slayer games currently in development. Chifuu Kengeki Royal is heading to Android and iOS mobile devices, while Hinokami Kepputan is coming to the PS4 sometime in 2021.
In the meantime, check out the Demon Slayer movie trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzkpTfQpsnA&w=560&h=315]


Pacific Rim The Black Shows Potential For Colossal Fun

It’s been three years since Pacific Rim The Black was originally announced back in 2018, but the day has finally arrived for the 3D CGI anime spinoff of the fan-favourite Pacific Rim franchise (which consists of 2013’s Pacific Rim by Guillermo Del Toro and 2018’s Pacific Rim Uprising by Steven D. Knight). You’ll probably remember the first one the most since the second movie was divisive and not as well-received at launch along with a poorer box office reception.
I was one of the few people who actually liked both Pacific Rim movies equally, but I digress. The question now is; should the franchise even be getting an animated adaptation after all these years? Perhaps the animation format would suit the franchise better, considering that the first movie was inspired by iconic mecha anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion in the first place.
I’m here to tell you that yes, Pacific Rim The Black is definitely worth checking out for fans of the franchise.
Atlas Destroyer

In the first episode, we’re introduced to the main pair of the series; the siblings Hayley Travis (voiced by Gideon Adlon) and Taylor Travis (Calum Worthy). The sister (Hayley) is clearly the one who’ll probably turn out to be not only the face of the series but also the eventual fan-favourite protagonist. She’s cute, likeable and enthusiastic, while her brother is quite the opposite. Sure, they’re forced to survive for years without their parents, and Taylor turns out to be the stereotypical cynic who blames almost everyone or everything else for every problem.
I wish I had gotten more of Erica Lindbeck as the voice of AI named Loa embedded in the siblings’ Jaeger; Atlas Destroyer. The rest of the English cast perform well enough that you don’t have to resort to changing the audio to Japanese. The story is grim (it’s still a post-apocalyptic setting), but it’s not nearly as dark or edgy as other mecha anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion or some of the more mature Gundam series.
As of now, it’s unclear where exactly Pacific Rim The Black takes place in the franchise timeline, but perhaps that question will be answered in future episodes. It’s still difficult to say if Pacific Rim The Black looks and feels more like it in common with Pacific Rim Uprising or the original Pacific Rim.

Jaeger-Kaiju fights take place during the daytime (instead of in the dark or at night), but the tone is sometimes dramatic and closer to the first movie than the second movie’s lighter atmosphere.

Pacific Rim The Black is produced by Polygon Pictures, the same animation studio behind several episodes/seasons of Star Wars The Clone Wars, both seasons of Star Wars Resistance and Netflix’s Godzilla movie trilogy. Because of their experience, their 3D CGI animation is pretty good despite still suffering from the style’s annoyingly-low framerate (at times), but their biggest problem in the past has always been the narrative more than anything. The facial expressions and character movements are expressive enough that they don’t look awkward or stilted, which many other 3D CGI animes often suffer from.

The scenes with the Jaegers and Kaiju feel awesome to behold, and they’re epic. Pacific Rim The Black definitely delivers on that front. What helps is that the sound effects of the Jaegers and Kaiju sound like they were ripped straight from the original live-action movies, which make the scenes even more immersive.
Still, the animation isn’t perfect. The limitation of the 3D CGI animation style means that some scenes still look awkward, especially one particular shootout involving human characters.

Thankfully, there was only one of those in the three episodes I watched, and the epic Jaeger-Kaiju scenes still make up for that.

However, keep in mind that episodes are pretty short, ranging from as low as 20 minutes long to only about 28 minutes in length. That’s not much time to show much of anything, so the aforementioned Jaeger-Kaiju scenes were sparsed and few in between. As a result, the pacing also feels a bit too rushed, and you won’t have time to get the bearings of what’s happening before the next thing happens.
For Mecha & Kaiju Fans

Unfortunately, Netflix Malaysia only gave us access to the first three episodes of Pacific Rim The Black Season 1 (out of seven in total for the first season). They’re not enough to provide us with a full picture yet but these were decent appetizers and they certainly made me excited to catch the rest of the first season when they eventually premiere on 4 March 2021.
FINAL SCORE: 70/100
We received an early access screener of the first three episodes of Pacific Rim The Black Season 1 courtesy of Netflix Malaysia. It is slated to premiere exclusively on Netflix on 4 March 2021.


The Artful Escape Is A Pretty If Hollow Journey Of Finding Your Inner Rock

Platform(s): Xbox Series (version played), Xbox One, PC
Genre: 2D platformer featuring music and cosmic escapades
One minute you’re worried about how your folk song debut in your hometown will turn out as you try to step out of your famous country music-singing uncle’s shadow. The next, you end up whisked away by some interstellar rock group led by an ageing black man, touring the far reaches of the cosmos while you play sick guitar solos and riffs with your space guitar and newfound space-powered abilities. And you’re wearing a Tron-inspired suit doing all of this.
That’s the weird-yet-unique premise of The Artful Escape, a 2D platform game with some short music rhythm segments made by Beethoven & Dinosaur and published by Annapurna Interactive. Is it just nothing more than music-laden fanservice for an artsy gaming crowd? Well, that’s not really a bad thing, if I’m being frank.
For Those About To Rock

For the most parts, the story takes a fantastical turn as the main character Francis Vendetti wants to reinvent his identity from folk song crooner to rocker, along with all the space stuff I just mentioned. Going into more detail is basically spoiler territory, but I’ll say that it’s colourful, charming, quite a sight to behold from start to finish, and has lovely characters to keep you invested.
Gameplay-wise, however, The Artful Escape requires you to just jump across large chasms while holding the appropriate buttons to rock out and make things pop up, double jump your way through the landscape, and also play some Simon Says as you hit the corresponding five buttons when prompted to jam with. You do this for the majority of the game, and it’s not exactly the most taxing gameplay experience, unfortunately.
You can express yourself through the Simon Says bits in your own pace and tempo, so there’s that bout of freedom. But don’t expect much of a platforming challenge here; just a fun if straightforward ride with a lovely story about coming to terms with your inner artistry. And the voices of Lena Headey, Jason Schwartzman, and Carl Weathers to add some start-studded acting to the mix.
Magical Mystery Tour
I love the messaging and narrative of The Artful Escape. But as a game, it’s just a few steps above being a vapid walking simulator. Still, you shouldn’t miss out on this gem of a tale featuring space trips and sick riffs. Every sight and sound here will be seared into your brain for months on end; you won’t be forgetting this light fantastic trip anytime soon.
Final Score: 70/100


Elder Scrolls Online’s New Chapter High Isles: What You Need To Know

The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle DLC is now live on PC/Mac, Steam, and Stadia.
You can purchase the upgrade for US$39.99 / RM119.99 or if you’re looking to get into ESO and still haven’t purchased it then you can buy the base game along with the upgrade for US$59.99 / RM179.99
This new Chapter allows you to explore a never-before-seen part of Tamriel, the island home of the Breton elite, and uncover an ascending threat from within a noble chivalric society.
If you’re a console player, don’t worry, ESO: High Isle will be available 21 June for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 consoles. But what exactly does this new chapter entail in terms of content? Here’s what you’re getting:

In this new expansion you can either continue or begin your Legacy of the Bretons adventure by journeying to the faraway Systres Archipelago. As part of the year-long saga, High Isle progresses the story that began with the Ascending Tide DLC in February and will continue throughout the rest of 2022.
This Chapter also provides a new zone to explore, new ways to play, and a bounty of unique rewards and Achievements to earn.
High Isle Zone
Described as an idyllic paradise, Bethesda wants the High Isle zone to be a home away from home for the Breton elite, the Systres Archipelago has long enjoyed a kind of neutrality from the ongoing Three Banners War.
Frequented by the Breton court and its noble houses, the Chapter also features a second location to explore called Amenos, an inhospitable penal island for political prisoners, criminals, and malcontents. As you journey throughout the Systres, you have an opportunity to venture into each island and discover the true nature of this ancient-but-mysterious land, including both its indisputable wonders and hidden dangers.

An Ascending Threat
In the High Isle Chapter, you dive headfirst into a tale of political intrigue and strife, as the nobles of the Systres find themselves threatened by the mysterious Ascendant Order. This covert organization has infiltrated nearly every level of Breton society and has, behind the scenes, begun to push High Isle towards the brink of disaster.

What you uncover in your investigations within this troubled land will have consequences for both the Bretons of High Isle and the mainland, and while High Isle provides a standalone story experience, the events of this new Chapter will continue and set up the story for the Legacy of the Bretons saga to come.
Tales of Tribute

A new way to play, Tales of Tribute is a unique game system you can enjoy with your fellow players and NPCs in almost any tavern in Tamriel. A deck-building card game that challenges you to gain Prestige points while also garnering the favor of the patrons, Tales of Tribute is a fast-paced, strategic experience that anybody who owns High Isle can pick up and play.

With its own leaderboards, questline, and rewards (including unique collectibles and Achievements), whether you’re a competitive or casual player, there’s plenty of reasons to play a hand of Tribute.
New Companions
As you venture into the High Isle Chapter, you also have an opportunity to recruit two new Companions to your cause: Ember the Khajiit and Isobel Veloise the Breton Knight. Once enlisted, these very-different allies accompany you on your journeys throughout the Systres and beyond, and they even have their own unique questlines and stories that you can unlock as you adventure with them.
New Challenges & Rewards
As you might expect, High Isle is home to no shortage of dangers, but you can also find ample rewards for your troubles in this new land, too. New world events, called Volcanic Vents, have begun to erupt across both High Isle and Amenos, requiring a team to shut them down before they permanently scar the idyllic isles. The Dreadsail Reef 12-player Trial is a new challenge for large groups that pits your team against the fearsome Dreadsail pirates. Finally, this new zone also features a host of new delves, public dungeons, and world bosses to challenge your skills and teamwork.
Be sure to check out the magnificent cinematic that Bethesda has launched alongside the High Isle chapter down below.


Leaked EA Documents Calls Out FIFA Loot Box Shenanigans, Surprising Absolutely No One

In a recent document leak that anyone can see a mile away, EA has plans to “funnel” FIFA players into the game’s Ultimate Team online mode, meaning they’ll be spending more money through the purchase of loot boxes.

A page of the leaked document showcases a “Run Up To FIFA 21” internal presentation from last year, stating that the game’s teasers and marketing messaging will “drive excitement and funnel players toward FUT from other modes.
“Players will be actively messaged + incentivized to convert throughout the summer. FUT is the cornerstone and we are doing everything we can to drive players there.

Furthermore, loot boxes have been extremely lucrative for EA: its recent financial reports stated that the number of FUT matches has grown by 177 percent year-over-year, with FIFA live services have seen a yearly growth rate of nearly 50 percent over the past ten fiscal years. And they’re going to expand upon it for future FIFA games.
“We delivered another strong quarter, driven by live services outperformance in Ultimate Team and Apex Legends. We are raising our net bookings outlook for the full year on the strength we continue to see in our business.
As the scale of our EA Sports FIFA player audience expands, including a growing Gen Z population, we will offer more great content on more platforms with our long-standing partners across all the top leagues and teams in the sport. We are bringing FIFA Online to new territories, including Russia, Poland and Turkey, with a combined audience of 80 million players.
We are also accelerating our focus on mobile with 6 new soccer mobile experiences in development today for different regions and genres.”
Loot boxes in any game have always been a lightning rod of controversy since Blizzard shooter Overwatch made them popular. And, you know, since the inception of gachas in F2P mobile gaming. It’s gone so far off to the point where governments are imposing restrictions on them, as well as game devs and publishers finding many ways to make the idea viable without diluting their value.


Razer’s Upcoming Peripheral Is A…. Toaster?

Today’s news and stories are full of twists. One story is that the classic Earthworm Jim is coming, but to a console I’ve never heard of, and now this.
The Razer Toaster will finally be designed and made. Congratulations, you mad lads of the internet, especially this Facebook page ‘Give us the Razer Toaster‘. You’ve done it.

What began five years ago as a running gag is now coming to fruition. It all started in an interview when a person asked Razer CEO, Min-Liang Tan if they could create a toaster. With the internet’s persistence, Min-Liang Tan agreed.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK_jeVRXSwA]
When the Facebook group proposed the outrageous idea of a toaster, Tan said they would agree only and if only the group reaches 1 million likes on Facebook. Tan also said that the toaster will receive the same quality and effort as the other Razer peripherals to make it the ‘ultimate toaster’.
Itâ€™s been several years since then and the page is stagnant at 45,000 likes, but the group made another deal with Tan. The deal is to count a fan tattoo of a Razer Toaster equal to 100,000 likes. They managed to get 12 fans with Razer Toaster tattoos to surpass the goal of 1 million.
Of course, they had to do that, and Min-Liang Tan had to say something about it;

Alright – I didn’t think these guys were going to make it – but they did. It was to hit 1M likes and with each Razer Toaster tattoo being equivalent to 100K likes each….and they now have 12 Razer Toaster tattoos.
Well….what can I say. I’ve just officially liked their page – and I’m going to put together my team of designers and engineers. It will take a few years – but I’ll be sure to share the progress – and make it a community affair.
A Razer Toaster – For Razer Toaster Lovers. By Razer Toaster Lovers.

Well, we’ve done it, ladies and gentleman. We’ve gotten Razer to finally produce the Razer toaster. Will it include RGB lighting? Will it cost an absurd amount of money? Will it break down after 7 months of usage? Will Razer come up with more electrical appliances. Who knows. Tell us what you think below.
Wait, what? What is that I see on the horizon? Oh no. Not again.


Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown Tekken 7 Collaboration Announced

Sega is teaming up with Bandai Namco’s Tekken 7 for a collaboration with Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown on the PS4.
I’m not a fighting gam expert, but it looks like Akira Yuki is wearing the costume of Kazuya Mishima, while Lau Chan is clearly emulating Heihachi Mishima. So, it seems that Tekken 7 costumes are coming to Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown.
However, no other details have been revealed at the time of writing. More specifics will be announced at a later date, so stay tuned for updates in the near future.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Chess Grandmaster & Streamer Hikaru Nakamura Moves From Twitch To Kick

So, big news in the streaming world! Kick.com, the streaming service owned by Steak.com, just announced that they’ve signed on Chess Grandmaster and Twitch streamer, Hikaru Nakamura. Apparently, Hikaru will be going live on Wednesday, 29 March at 11:00 AM (EST). This news has been spreading like wildfire on social media platforms like Reddit and Twitter, with fans reacting left and right.

Welcome to the Kick family @GMHikaru ?
Live Wednesday 11AM EST https://t.co/GjKXKBhVHM ? pic.twitter.com/LWZD8lw88Y
— Kick.com (@KickStreaming) March 29, 2023

But that’s not all. Kick has been making headlines lately with their recent signings. Tyler “Trainwreck” Niknam and Adin Ross have teased that they’ve signed on six popular content creators. On 26 March, esports journalist Jake Lucky tweeted about Adin Ross’ claim that Kick had signed a “mega super-star” streamer. Trainwreck also chimed in, saying that Twitch and its “puppet f**k faces” will be shaking once the new signings are revealed.
Fast forward three days later, and Kick officially announced that they’ve added Hikaru to their platform. Content creator Bobby Solez expressed excitement about the news, saying “This [is] a fire pickup, I’m tapping into the streams, so I can finally learn how to play Chess.”

This a fire pickup, I’m tappin in to the streams so I can finally learn how to play chess…
— Bobby (@BobbySolez) March 29, 2023

But wait, there’s more! Kick has also signed a contract with YouTuber and indefinitely banned Twitch streamer, Steven “Destiny” Bonnell  Currently on a three-month ban on Twitch, Destiny will be hosting eight Kick-exclusive livestreams per month. Looks like Kick is making moves and shaking things up in the world of streaming.


If You’ve Never Played The Last Of Us, Here’s Your Chance To Get It Free

With the release date of The Last of Us Part 2 finally announced, PlayStation has decided to cash in on the hype by including The Last of Us Remastered in the PlayStation Plus October 2019 free games lineup.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3y2q2CJ21c&w=560&h=315]
Seeing as how the sequel takes place years after the first game and will no doubt be full of pleasant references for fans, it’s a great chance for newcomers to find out why so many people are excited for Part 2.
Even if you’re not interested in the sequel, The Last of Us is still one of the most beloved PS3 games of all time. The Remastered edition comes with a few quality of life improvements and runs at 1080p 60fps. Yeah, the textures look a bit dated but it’s still easy on the eyes, especially when you’re not busy wiping your tears.
Also on the PS+ October 2019 free games lineup is MLB The Show 19 which is a treat for all you baseball game fans out there. PS+ subscribers can get these games for free beginning from 1 October 2019.


Malaysia’s Youth & Sports Minister Will Introduce Esports Curriculums In Schools

Turns out that Malaysia Youth & Sports Minister YB Hannah Yeoh will be following up on her plans from the recent exclusive interview she had with us.
YB Hannah Yeoh’s Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) will be collaborating with the Education Ministry to discuss the introduction of esports in schools (via Malay Mail). An official written reply on the subject matter has been issued:
“KBS through the Electronic Sports Development Strategic Plan 2020-2025 has plans to create a special space for the development of Esports in schools, list Esports as part of co-curricular activities and establish Esports clubs in schools.
These discussions will take place through the sports highest level committee meeting, which involves representatives from KBS, the Education Ministry, and the Ministry of Higher Education and will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi this month.”
YB has stated that in recognition of the growing significance of esports, KBS has listed it as a recognised sport under the Sports Development Act which will provide various benefits including from the aspect of acceptance. KBS is also in the final stages of launching the National Esports Development Guideline to educate people about the subsection of gaming.
“These guidelines are also part of efforts to increase the general public’s awareness of the esports ecosystem and best practices in Esports management. For this purpose, the ministry is planning to hold engagements to obtain feedback on the aspects of monitoring and protection of children, a code of conduct and ethics, as well as a career path framework in the sport.”
Whether these extra curriculums for video games will extend to game design remains to be seen, but this is a good first step for competitive gaming, at least for the region.


The 30 Best Games Of 2021: #5

Every day this week, we’ll be revealing our top 30 games of 2021. Here’s number 5.Â
#5. Inscryption

Platform: PC
The hype surrounding this surprise indie game is warranted: Inscryption is a really great meta-game about the nature of video & analog games. Far from us spoiling the actual premise of the title; it’s best you go digging on your own without guides and other references.
Inscryption starts out as a roguelike deck-building game like Slay The Spire, but it does escalate and expand beyond its setup later on. Unsurprising, considering the developer Daniel Mullins is renowned for his “games with twists” like Pony Island. Here, however, the “rug pulled beneath your feet” moments happen in unexpected ways and you realize that the game is way more narrative-focused than you would think.
Inscryption will completely catch you off guard, but you’ll love it for doing that and then peeling off its layers bit by bit. The surreal artwork and narrative twists are what makes this indie title a worthwhile venture. Like we said in our review, go in blind; you won’t regret it.


Diablo 4 To Get Class Buffs, Dungeon Layout Updates, & UI Upgrade At Launch

Thanks to the numerous feedback from the Diablo 4 beta, Blizzard will be implementing a heckaton of changes in the final game.
The launch version of Diablo 4 will be tweaking a lot of the multiple dungeons in terms of layout and event encounters (a.k.a The Butcher surprise visits). Dungeons like Caldera Gate and Forbidden City with the tendrils will feature less backtracking.
In addition, classes like the Barbarian and Druid will get a buff; Whirlwind hits harder but costs more for the former, and Companion Skills getting damage upgrades for the latter. Meanwhile, the Necromancer’s skeletons will be more vulnerable, requiring players to use Corpse skills more. The user interface is also getting text updates and changes.
Check out the full updates below. Diablo 4 will be out on 6th June for PC and consoles, but if you bought the game early, you can access it on 2nd June GMT+8.
Diablo 4 Launch Updates, Buffs, & Nerfs

DUNGEONS
Dungeon Layouts
One of the most common pieces of feedback we received is that players felt they were doing a lot of backtracking within certain dungeons. We have optimized multiple dungeons across all zones to minimize the need for backtracking. Here is a list of dungeons specifically in the Fractured Peaks zone which received layout updates:

Caldera Gate
Defiled Catacombs
Derelict Lodge
Forbidden City
Hoarfrost Demise
Immortal Emanation
Kor Dragan Barracks
Maulwood
Rimescar Caverns

Dungeon Events

The chance for an Event to spawn inside of a dungeon has increased from 10% to 60%.

Dungeon Gameplay

To reduce the need to backtrack, small numbers of straggling monsters will seek out the player to help complete the Kill All Monsters objective.
When Animus is gathered, the player and nearby allies will:

Gain 10 Resource.
Reduce all active Cooldowns by 1 second.

Depositing Animus channel time was reduced from 3 to 0 seconds.
The time to Rescue was reduced from 3 to 1.5 seconds.
All Rescue objectives now drop a Health Potion upon completion.
While carrying the Ancient’s Statue, Bloodstone, Mechanical Box, or Stone Carving, you will receive a Momentum bonus granting a 25% move speed increase to you and nearby allies.
Pedestals have had their channel time reduced from 2 to 0 seconds.
Returning a Portable Object to its Pedestal now fully restores Health, Resource, Potions, and resets cooldowns for all nearby players.
All doors will now generate a minimap ping when they are opened.
All Structure Objectives in dungeons now have additional combat mechanics players must overcome.

CLASSES
General

Effects like Stun and Freeze can be applied to Elite Monsters twice as long before they become Unstoppable.
Reviewed class skills to confirm that all classes have access to sufficient skills that remove control impairing effects.
Many Legendary Powers have had updates to their effectiveness.

Barbarian

A flat 10% passive damage reduction has been added for the Barbarian Class. Some Skill Tree passives had their damage reduction effects reduced to compensate.
The Whirlwind Skill now deals more damage and consumes more Fury.
The Double Swing Skill Enhancement refunds its full Fury cost when used on Stunned or Knocked Down enemies.

Druid

Companion Skills will now deal heavily increased damage.
All Ultimate Skills have had their cooldowns reduced.
Usability improvements have been made to Maul and Pulverize.
Using a non-Shapeshifting Skill will transform a Druid back into their human form.

Necromancer

Summoned Minions will die more often, requiring players to utilize Corpses more often.
Many bonuses in the Book of the Dead have had their stats increased.
The damage dealt by the Corpse Explosion skill has been reduced.
The brightness of the Skeletal Warriors and Mages has been reduced.

Rogue

Upgrades for Subterfuge Skills have had their bonuses increased.
Multiple passive Skills have had their bonuses increased.
All Imbuement Skills have had their cooldowns increased.

Sorcerer

Charged Bolt’s damage was increased and the Mana cost to cast has decreased.
Decreased the damage of Chain Lightning and reduced its effectiveness against Bosses.
Decreased the cooldown for the Incinerate Skill’s Enchantment bonus.
Firewalls will now spawn underneath enemies more frequently when using its Enchantment bonus.
Increased the Lucky Hit chance for the Meteor Skill’s Enchantment bonus.

UI

Fixed an issue where the built-in Screen Reader was not reading key prompts, game options details, and other UI text.
Fixed an issue where actions could not be bound to the mouse wheel.
Fixed an issue where Evade couldn’t be bound to the right Analog Stick on controller.
Chat will now display on the left side of the screen when using the centered action bar configuration.
A character’s stats will be displayed by default when players click the Materials & Stats button within their Inventory.
The Move and Interact inputs can now be mapped to one button while the Primary Attack input is mapped to a secondary button.
The sans serif font used in-game has been replaced with a new serif font.

ENCOUNTERS

Fixed multiple issues that allowed bosses, like the Butcher, to become unresponsive.
The Butcher has been re-evaluated for difficulty and will present a greater challenge in World Tiers III and IV.
Bosses such as T’chort, Malnok, Vhenard, and others were reevaluated for melee character difficulty, resulting in changes to attacks and fight mechanics.
Fixed an issue where Vampire Brutes using the Shadow Enchant affix would chain-cast Impale.

CELLARS

Increased the chance for a dungeon Event to occur in Cellars.
Cellars will now consistently reward a chest upon completion.
Fixed an issue where Cellars would prematurely be marked as complete.
Fixed an issue where the guaranteed elite monster would be absent from a Cellar.

GENERAL QUALITY OF LIFE

Fixed an issue where players could increase attack speed by move-cancelling attacks early.
Fixed an issue where characters weren’t immune and untargetable after loading into an area.
The Reset Dungeon button has been disabled.
Fixed an issue that caused Gale Valley and Serac Rapture to have less monsters than intended until the campaign quests in those territories were completed.


Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Features Raiden’s Brother And Robocop?!?

Last year’s Mortal Kombat 11 was a fun 2D fighting game with tons of potential when it comes to expanding itself. The game did just that with its past roster additions including DC’s Joker and Todd McFarlane’s Spawn.
Not content with just DLC, NetherRealm Studios is upping the ante with the Aftermath Edition of the game. This expansion will feature:

Mortal KombatÂ kharacters Sheeva and Fujin joining the roster as playable characters.
A new Story mode that kontinues right after the ending of Mortal Kombat 11, where Fire God Liu Kang is being stopped by Shang Tsung from changing the time line.
The return of past stage enders like Friendships and Stage Fatalities. These kome free for every MK11 player alongside new stages. That’s good, because these new Friendships are utterly hilarious and comes equipped with better music than the entire game.

A new guest kharacter: Robocop. No, I’m not s***ting you.

Personally, I’d like to test out Fujin’s new moves and sword-fighting style. But really, we’re all here to see if Robocop’s fatality will involve ED-209. If you’re looking to kome back to the series, now’s a good time as any. Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath will roll out on 26th May. You can either buy it as an expansion (US$39.99) or get the kollection for regular triple-A game price (US$59.99).


Book A Trip On The Midnight Fight Express; It’s A Legit Beat-Em-Up

Platform(s): PC (version played), Xbox One, Xbox Series
Genre: Isometric 3D beat-em-up with grain filter & hardcore synth soundtrack
If there’s one noticeable flaw in Midnight Fight Express, the new 3D isometric beat-em-up action title from one Jacob Dzwinel, it’s the story. It’s essentially focused on an amnesiac named Babyface who is given instructions by a flying drone by his side to deal with the gang problem in the lawless city he’s stuck in. The story beats are the kind of cliches you expect, complete with the in media res style of recounting how you got to where you are now -a police station with possibly corrupt cops. The story also comes with some lame pop culture jokes here and there, added just because the plot needed an excuse to justify throwing pirates, the undead, Russian goons with guns, S.W.A.T teams, exaggerated gamers with hard pillows(?), and robots your way to wipe the floor with.
Thankfully, that’s the only quirk I can find, because Midnight Fight Express is a joy to play from start to finish.

Under Siege

Why is it fun? Because your protagonist Babyface fights like a beast with his hard-hitting punches, finishers, weapon attacks, throws, parries and counters, and his far-to-reach rope which is essentially Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion’s infamous “Get Over Here!’ move. As you progress through the game, you’ll start unlocking the aforementioned moves via a skill tree, with points allocated to whatever you want. You’ll eventually unlock all of them, and therein lies the fun of Midnight Fight Express: getting the highest score possible and keeping the beat-em-up chain combo going until the end of the stage, evading and dodging mortal danger as you pummel some poor fool with a chokeslam.
Within hours, I can already wail on one goon with a standard one-two punch-kick combo, then counter another goon’s weapon slash and then disarm him, and then slash up a nearby fat thug and whittle down his high defences, followed up with a nutshot, and then proceed to finish off the nearby near-dead goon with a crane kick ala Karate Kid/Cobra Kai. The best part? The stages are short but sweet -packed with their own set of challenges- and you can also create a GIF of your best moments in-game post-combat. You know, for the social media platforms to show off how elite your last moves are. It’s a lovely addition that’s sure to see some future games cribbing off from.

True, it does take a while until your full move set is unlocked, and it does get challenging early on with your limited moves, but the toil and progress-charting are worth it. You’ll remember some creative beat-em-up/action setpieces here like a fight on a narrow top part of a moving train, a fight on top of a lorry with other cars and lorries with gunmen in pursuit, as well as a vehicle segment or two to shake things up. Those pirates and robots I mentioned? I was serious: the pirates have one-hit kill weaponry that you have to evade from, and the robots require specific weapons in the arena if you plan on even making a dent.
In fact, I do wish there were more opportunities to deal with Midnight Fight Express’ more esoteric company. However, I do understand that this is all coming from mostly one human developer. Hopefully, a future paid update with tons of arenas and challenges can satiate that digital bloodthirst.

Death Train(ed)
Despite Sifu already ruling the 3D beat-em-up roost in terms of challenge, quality, and roguelike structure, I personally feel you should also give Midnight Fight Express a chance. It’s fun to play, replayable as all heck, and sounds so darn good and feels cathartic just beating up thugs left and right using everything as a weapon. You can even dress up your main character however you see fit with the money you earned after fights (see pic below), as well as a training room (called the playground) to test out your moves on programmable dummies.

Sure, it doesn’t solve the genre’s repetition, but every stage’s short runtime makes up for that. If you’re a fan of the genre or at least have an inkling of interest in just being a real-time John Wick archetype, give this one-man army-developed game a shot. Or a few punches in the throat; whatever move suits your fancy.
Pros

Intense and fun combat and stages.
Lots of simple-but-brutal moves and skills to use to your advantage.
Lovely music and animation.

Cons

By-the-numbers narrative with tryhard dialogue.
Needs a lot of unlocking to get the fun started.

Final Score: 80/100


Far Cry 5 Is Free To Play This Weekend

Far Cry 5 will kick off a free weekend on Uplay PC from 9pm GMT+8 on 29 May 2020 to 12am GMT+8 on 1 June 2020. All players will have full access to the base gameâ€™s content for the duration of the free weekend and be able to play in co-op with any Far Cry 5 owner.
Players can already start pre-loading the game since 1am GMT+8 on 28 May 2020 on Uplay PC. In conjunction with this free weekend, there will also be discounts up to 80 percent on all Far Cry gamesâ€™ PC Standard and Gold Editions until 2 June 2020 on the Ubisoft Store.
Additionally, players who purchase the game during the free weekend will see all their progress carry over. You can visit the official website here to register and start pre-loading the game now.
Set in America, Far Cry 5 is set in fictional Hope County, Montana, where players will go up against a fanatical doomsday cult, the Project at Eden’s Gate, who are led by the bizarre Seed family. It’s a pretty great open-world game, though still not as good as 2012’s Far Cry 3. Check out my full review of the game here.


For The King II Has A New Trailer & It Looks Pretty Good

For The King II, the highly-anticipated cooperative RPG which is set to release in 2023, has just released a new trailer titled Resistance.
The game features new inventions, such as land boats that can carry the party and magical pets that will fight alongside you, and hired mercenaries. The trailer also hints at a new plot: characters being forced to fight against the queen, possibly even the same one from the first game.
The game allows you to take control of an adventuring party and explore a turn-based world with RPG combat, either by yourself or with friends. The new combat system is a huge improvement from the first game.
It features a tactical detail, where each party of combatants stands in front and back ranks on a grid. This should make the game more customizable, and hopefully, the game will be less difficult than the first one.
The Resistance trailer also teases the return of The Hangman, the annoying character from the first game, who could add a bonus ghost to every single combat. Thankfully, the game can be played with up to four players. However, it would have been cool if they called it “Four the King” instead of For the King 2.
You can check out For The King II on Steam.


Is Xbox VR In The Works? Microsoft Answers

Is Xbox VR in the works? The rumours started circulating yesterday as IGN ItalyÂ reported that while testing the newÂ Xbox Wireless Headset, a prompt appeared on their Xbox Series X console stating their “VR Headset” requires an update. This popup indicates that the Xbox Series X/S is going to feature some kind of VR support soon.

However, that has since been debunked by Microsoft themselves. In a statement with IGN, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that VR is not coming to the Xbox Series X/S. That means no Xbox VR, folks, sorry.
The Microsoft PR representative said:
“The copy in this error message is inaccurate due to a localization bug.
VR for console is not a focus for us at this time.”
Previously, Microsoft has been asked in the past if there will ever be an Xbox VR, but even before the official announcement of the Xbox Series X back in 2019, Xbox head Phil Spencer said that VR is not part of its plans because “nobody’s asking for it”.
In comparison, Sony has been a staunch supporter of VR with the PlayStation VR on the PS4 and the recently-announced upcoming new next-gen PS VR for the PS5. The new PlayStation VR will connect to PS5 with a single cord to simplify setup and improve ease-of-use while enabling a high-fidelity visual experience.Â However, Sony confirmed that the new PlayStation VR for PS5 wonâ€™t be launching in 2021.
For now, it seems like Microsoft is satisfied with keeping VR exclusively on PC. That might change in the future, but apparently not anytime soon.


2K’s New Studio Is Developing A New BioShock Game

2K has announced the founding of a brand new studio that is actively working on a new BioShock game; Cloud Chamber. The new studio will be operating with two teams at two different locations: one in 2Kâ€™s San Francisco Bay Area HQ in Novato, California, and another in MontrÃ©al, QuÃ©bec, which marks the first-ever Canadian office for a 2K studio.
In the official press release, 2K President David Ismailer said:

â€œAs we continue growing our product portfolio, we remain inspired by opportunities to invest further in our valuable IP, great people and their collective, long-term potential.
BioShock is one of the most beloved, critically praised and highest-rated franchises of the last console generation.
We canâ€™t wait to see where its powerful narrative and iconic, first-person shooter gameplay head in the future with our new studio team at Cloud Chamber leading the charge.â€

Kelly Gilmore, a games industry veteran with 22 years worth of experience under her belt, will serve as Cloud Chamber’s Global Studio Head. She will also be the first woman in history to lead a 2K development studio. Meanwhile, Ken Schachter will act as Cloud Chamberâ€™s Studio Manager at the MontrÃ©al branch. He will also be an ambassador for both the new studio and 2K in establishing a significant presence in MontrÃ©al, Canada.
Cloud Chamber officially joins 2K’s extensive family of wholly-owned game development studios, including the likes of XCOM dev Firaxis Games, Mafia 3 dev Hangar 13, and more.
Cloud Chamber official logo.
This official announcement by 2K corroborates the previously-unconfirmed rumours and reports of a BioShock sequel being in development, which we reported on just last month. The most recent game in the franchise was 2013’s BioShock Infinite, which received a mixed reception due to its unfocused multiple-ending narratives and less-than-satisfying gunplay compared to its predecessors.
Perhaps Cloud Chamber’s new BioShock game will make a glorious return to the franchise’s immersive sim roots and tighter gameplay mechanics, especially with the wealth of experience that Gilmore has from her time working on franchises like Sid Meierâ€™s Civilization and XCOM for the past two decades.
However, it will remain in development “for the next several years”, which means that it will likely only release for next-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Scarlett. It’s high time for another good BioShock game.


Kate Trailer Showcases A Badass Mary Elizabeth Winstead In Tokyo

It’s like John Wick but with Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the leading role. What more do you want?
She plays the role of Kate in Netflix’s Kate, a ruthless assassin who’s been irreversibly poisoned with less than 24 hours to live and goes on a manhunt through the streets of Tokyo to exact revenge on her enemies and forms an unexpected bond with the daughter of one of her previous targets.
Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Kate alongside Woody Harrelson, Tadanobu Asano, Miyavi, Jun Kunimura, Michiel Huisman, and introducing Miku Martineau, Kate premieres on 10 September 2021.

The synopsis reads:

Meticulous and preternaturally skilled, Kate is the perfect specimen of a finely tuned assassin at the height of her game.
But when she uncharacteristically blows an assignment targeting a member of the yakuza in Tokyo, she quickly discovers sheâ€™s been poisoned, a brutally slow execution that gives her less than 24 hours to exact revenge on her killers.
As her body swiftly deteriorates, Kate forms an unlikely bond with the teenage daughter of one of her past victims.
Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Woody Harrelson, and directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Kate follows a burned assassinâ€™s furious pursuit of one last self-appointed job.

In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Moon Knight Episode 1 Breakdown & Easter Eggs

The first episode of Moon Knight is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. In this feature, I’ll be discussing heavy spoilers so if you haven’t seen it or want to avoid spoilers, now’s your chance to stop reading.
Moon Knight follows Steven Grant, a mild-mannered gift-shop employee, who becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life. Steven discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector. As Steven/Marc’s enemies converge upon them, they must navigate their complex identities while thrust into a deadly mystery among the powerful gods of Egypt.
You can check out my previous breakdowns of Hawkeye Episodes 1 and 2 here, Episode 3 here, Episode 4 here and Episode 5. and Episode 6 here.
In addition, you can check out my previous breakdowns of Marvel’s What If? Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 and Episode 9 here.
If you haven’t, you can check out my previous breakdowns and easter egg articles for WandaVision Episode 1 and 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 and Episode 9.
For The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, you can check out my previous breakdowns for Episode 1, Episode 2 and Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6.
For previous breakdowns of Loki episodes, check out Episode 1 here, Episode 2 here, Episode 3 here, Episode 4 here, Episode 5 here and Episode 6 here.

The Voice of khonshu

The first mention of another persona or “alter” of this character. Marc Spector is one, Steven Grant is another, and there are a few others. Khonshu tells him to surrender the body to Marc. Khonshu is voiced by F. Murray Abraham, who you may recognise as CC from the Mythic Quest series on Apple TV+.
Khonshu is the ancient Egyptian god of the Moon and night travellers. In the comics, he was the one who saved Marc Spector from dying and gave him his powers. Moon Knight is the avatar of Khonshu and is also known as “The Fist of Khonshu”. Moon Knight’s strength, endurance, and reflexes are enhanced.

Ethan Hawke As Arthur harrow

We meets Ethan Hawke’s Arthur Harrow for the first time without any introduction. Due to the nature of the time skip, at this point, we have no idea what’s happening yet. He’s already the leader of a cult, and he speaks of serving a “goddess”. He later mentions the goddess’ name as Ammit. Ammit is a demoness and goddess in ancient Egyptian religion with the forequarters of a lion, the hindquarters of a hippopotamus, and the head of a crocodile. Her titles included “Devourer of the Dead”, “Eater of Hearts”, and “Great of Death”, as she would eat the hearts of the unpure or evil in the afterlife.
It looks like Arthur uses his powers to “judge” people, whether they are “good” or “bad” via the tattoo of a literal scale on his arm. He even kills an old woman for being judged as not good according to the scales of Ammit.

Arthur Harrow Calls Steven A “Mercenary”

Arthur Harrow calls Steven a “mercenary”. Why? Because his other personality/alter, Marc Spector, really is a mercenary, not someone who works at a museum gift shop. In the comics, it was on a mercenary job that Marc was shot by Raoul Bushman before getting saved by Khonshu.
Layla

We still have no idea who this Layla is, other than that she’s connected to and cared about Marc Spector. She’s played by May Calamawy. Accrding to some sources, she plays a character named Layla El-Faouly, so she’s probably not related to Layla Miller in the comics, who is a mutant who can resurrect the dead.
Perhaps this character replaces Marc’s wife from the comics, Marlene Alraune. We’ll have to wait and see.

Duchamp

It’s interesting to point out Duchamp’s name. That’s not a coincidence.
In the comics, Jean-Paul DuChamp, typically referred to as Frenchie, is a pilot and sidekick to Moon Knight. However, we still don’t know which actor will be playing him, or even if he’ll be showing up.

Marc Takes Over And Becomes Moon Knight

Marc Spector reveals himself to Steven and asks to take control. He turns into the Moon Knight and beats down what I assume is an Egyptian jackal that’s closely related to Anubis, the Egyptian god of death. Ammit is the daughter of Anubis in Egyptian myhology.
The episode ends there and this is perhaps one of the best Disney+ MCU pilot so far. Until next, true believers, excelsior!


Gran Turismo 7 For PC Isn’t In Development, But…

Polyphony Digital president Kazunori Yamauchi said there is no PC version of Gran Turismo in development right now.
Yamauchi, the man who came up to Sony and said “I want to make a game where I drive fancy fast cars as realistically as possible” and made 7 games out of that maudlin concept, hasn’t ruled out a PC port of the famed racing title. At least, when asked by Dengeki Online.
“Regarding a PC version, I replied ‘[as a developer] it’s not that I haven’t considered all the possibilities’. That means that the possibility is not zero, simply if you ask me ‘are you doing anything concrete?’ I am not doing anything. There is nothing to talk about.”
On a related note, the game is celebrating its 25th anniversary, with Gran Turismo game sales topping 90 million units as of 16th November 2022.
“Behind that 90 million figure, there are all the people of the media who conveyed the allure of Gran Turismo to their readers. There are the people of PlayStation who sold GT for us around the world with passion, and there is the incredible amount of support from the retailers who interfaced with our users.
My heartfelt thanks goes out to all of them for their support. And above all else, I can’t ever thank enough the GT users and people of the GT community who have played our new titles, which at times could be said to have been very experimental.”


Wanted: Dead Is Bloody, Charismatic, Janky, & Needlessly Tough

Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), PS4, PS5
Genre: Hack-and-slash third-person shooter hybrid
Hannah Stone is not your average cop. In fact, even with the getup she has, you can sense something is off with Wanted: Dead’s protagonist. See, she’s part of the game’s police force Zombie Division, a group that handles cases in the most extreme ways. Usually in blood and death.
Stone’s method of solving crime cases involves shooting first, slashing first, and probably asking questions later or never at all. Right from the game’s aesthetics and its promise of a pulp-like no-frills guilty pleasure kind of adventure, Wanted: Dead feels like a purposefully-made 2000s-era game throwback that emulates Ninja Gaiden (the reboot) and Devil May Cry in terms of challenge and setpieces. Upon closer inspection, that’s a half-truth. What developer Soleil has tried to achieve is not without jank, but not without value either.
Keystone

Wanted: Dead’s linear level design mixes character action with third-person shooting in an attempt to be unique. Like Devil’s Third back in the day, but actually working. At the very least, they got the better half right: the sword fighting. The slashing and fighting with Stone’s katana may take some time to get used to with its initial attacks, but she has a super-quick attack in the form of a handgun shot. You can mix up your combos with hard slashes with handgun fire in-between, quickly damaging enemies and dismembering them for quicker executions.
When you get hit, you have a chance to recover parts of your health provided you keep attacking and don’t get hit; it’s kind of similar to Bloodborne’s “health reward via aggression” mechanic. It works well in this context and design, if I’m being honest. Slicing and dicing enemies, and cutting their limbs off get satisfying especially when you figure out the correct attack strings to use. The art of dodging and parrying will also mean life and death in this game where Stone dies pretty fast for a hack-and-slash protagonist.
The shooting, however, only hits the bare minimum function-wise. It kinda sucks. While it has its uses in getting some headshots with the right mods, and the velcro auto cover system mostly works, I rather kill enemies with sword slashes and melee combos, dismembering them artfully and methodically instead. All the guns in the game feel unwieldy and off, whether it’s Stone’s assault rifle or the shotgun. The shooting mechanics are secondary at best, and even then some of my melee attacks can miss at times when it’s crucial. I can personally tell you that I was at a barrier in the first hour when I couldn’t figure out how to deal with the game’s high-HP ninja. After some parrying practice and patience, I was fine. Wanted: Dead really wants you to play by its defensive rules.
You have partners to help you. They’re pretty dumb most of the time, but at least they do their job adequately if enemies are within the vicinity. From my playthrough, they do a good job distracting enemy fire while I just flank them behind cover, sword-slicing my way through victory. At the very least, your partners’ backstories are fleshed out bit by bit with the game’s many, many cutscenes. Some are in animated form, while others are CGI. You even get some R&R and off-time in the form of minigames, be it a ramen-eating contest to karaoke. Heck, there’s even a 2D shmup that’s equally challenging for you to futz around with. Even after finishing the game within 10 hours or so on regular difficulty, you can still access the minigames on the menu, so that’s convenient.
Police Story

While Wanted: Dead has some charm and some interesting gameplay and minigames to break up the pace, the terrible shooting mechanics, and lack of checkpoints in crucial parts of the game mean you have to really take up the game with its own broken-as-heck terms. At the very least, it’s a 10-hour-or-less thrill ride so it’s not a complete slog and it has its heart in the right place design-wise. It will toughen you up, if you give it a chance.
It’s not completely unfair especially when you unlock all of Stone’s moves through sheer diligence. However, the game will test your patience, especially in the harder difficulty levels where it might as well be called Hannah Must Die mode. I’m sure other action game fans can find something to praise and like inside, but I frankly don’t see anything here beyond a tough-on-purpose hack-and-slash trying so hard to be like a Ninja Gaiden-style clone but only getting some of its core bits right. Perhaps with a bit more polish, Wanted: Dead might be going places beyond taking the throwback lane.
Pros

Stone’s moves and actions are fun to control once everything’s unlocked.
Fun melee combat, especially the parrying.
Has some charm and colour amidst the violence.

Cons

Pretty janky at times, especially the shooting.
Can be unfair at times.

Final Score: 60/100
Review copy provided by publisher’s PR company.