The Mega Man X Legacy Collections Are Mega-Rad, But Come With Some Caveats

After playing through a few hours of both Mega Man X Legacy Collection volumes, it’s safe to say that this is the Mega Man X collection you need whether you’re a fan or you’re just curious about the series.
Here are our tips on what you should do and what you need to know before jumping head-first into this collection
Mega Man X Games Are Still Tough AF
My reflexes aren’t what they used to be. While I still remember the recommended order of boss takedowns from part 1 to part 6, I have to remember that these games came out during a time when 2D platforming and run-&-gun games were at their prime. This means that the levels in this collection (at least from parts 1 to 5) are tough but fair. When you reach the penultimate stages, you’re expected to know how to use each animal boss’ acquired weapon and be on-point with your dashes, air dashes (horizontal AND vertical), and wall-climbing.
This is where the collection excels at: reminding gamers that this Mega Man spin-off is damn good at delivering quality action and shooting mixed with semi-open-ended level structure and design.
Mega Man Fans Are Going To Love The Museum
You have artworks on display along with some info on the heroes and antagonists. You have a music player featuring all of the game’s tracks. You even have a list of toys and ads of the X franchise straight out of Japan (where he’s called Rock Man). They’re all laid-out well and available from the get-go; no need for you to replay the game over and over to unlock them.

Mega Man X1-4 Are Still God-Like
If you had to pick between Mega Man X Legacy Collection volume 1 and 2, just go for 1 because it contains 3 of the best games in the series. As a bonus, you can change between the Japanese versions which means you can enjoy the Mega Man X4 cutscenes and dialogue in its native Japanese language.
Mega Man X6 And X7 Are Still Bad
No amount of remixes and remasterings can cement the fact that Mega Man X6 and X7 are poorly conceived and designed from the get-go. Although X6 gets the advantage due to its 2D nature, it’s just like choosing between a turd and a slightly less-smelly turd.
The X-Challenge Is A Decent Diversion
Both Legacy Collection volumes feature a new mode called X-Challenge, where you control Mega Man X and fight two bosses from the series at the same time. You’ll find extravagant combos such as Frost Walrus and Chill Penguin, as well as Crescent Grizzly and Slash Beast.
Fighting each of them on their own can be challenging, but imagine having two of them use their same distinct patterns on the same battlefield. It’s going to be a chaotic playing field in which you have to defeat the both of them within a time limit. Fortunately, you’re allowed to pick up to three weapons so of course, you’re going to use the weapons they’re weak against. Since this mode has its own leaderboard, you’ll have fun trying to get the best times and compare them with other Mega Man X fans.
The Switch & PC Version Needs To Be Fixed
You might be thinking: why not get the Nintendo Switch version since there’s portability to be had when playing these awesome games? Simple: because the Switch’s hardware isn’t up-to-par with Capcom’s choice of emulation. The first 3 Mega Man X games pushed the SNES to its limits, which means that there are bits of slowdown in key areas.
However, the Switch version seems to show off more slowdown than usual. Whether they’re during quiet moments or frenetic wall-climbing bits, these Switch foibles are inconsistent.
What’s weird is that these slowdowns don’t happen in the second volume’s X7 and X8. Neither PS2Â MMXÂ game has ever appeared in an anthology before, and that means their emulation was likely written from scratch. So I’m guessing that Capcom’s emulator for the first volume is outdated and not compatible with Switch hardware.
Meanwhile, on the PC version, we get quirks like unoptimized resolutions (the game is locked to four), which means possible chances of misaligned pixels in available resolution if you’re running the game on a 4K TV. The game also cuts down its frame rate if you set either volume to run in pure fullscreen mode instead of borderless fullscreen.
Let’s hope Capcom fixes these bugs and add in new resolution features in the coming few weeks.
The Best Version Of The Collection Is Still On Consoles
The Xbox One and PS4 versions so far are working with no hitches or glitches whatsoever. So yeah, buy those versions if you need the best version of the collections.
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1495086970595713/


Sons Of The Forest PC System Requirements

The sequel to The Forest is coming soon, so you’ll need a pretty decent PC to run it.
How decent, you may ask? Well, the requirements for Sons of the Forest aren’t that gruelling, provided you have the RAM for it. If your PC is a few years old but still runs games on High settings just fine at 60fps, you should be OK to play Sons of the Forest on PC.
You may need a decent PC rig to meet the game’s system requirements. May we suggest some gaming laptops for you?
Sons Of The Forest Minimum PC Requirements
OS: Windows 10
CPU: Intel Core i5 8400, AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
RAM: 12GB
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, AMD Radeon RX 570
Storage: 20GB
Sons Of The Forest Recommended PC Settings Requirements
OS: Windows 10
CPU: Intel Core i7 8700K, AMD Ryzen 3 3600X
RAM: 16GB
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080Ti, AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT
Storage: 20GB
If you want better fidelity and frame rate, just aim for the recommended PC settings. Graphic cards like the GeForce GTX 1080Ti and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT would be ideal to run it according to developer Endnight Games’ vision. For more on Sons of the Forest, head here.


New Ejen Ali Campaign Launched To Celebrate Malaysia Day

In celebration of the upcoming Malaysia Day on 16 September 2020, Primeworks Studios and WAU Animation have announced the Ejen Ali #KitaJagaKita campaign as a call-to-action to support the nationâ€™s heroic efforts in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ejen Ali is one of the most popular animated series to be produced by a Malaysian studio (WAU Animation), featuring protagonist Ejen Ali; a secret agent of the clandestine organization M.A.T.A. The animated series already boasts two seasons (both of which are currently available on Netflix) and a feature-length movie.
It is praiseworthy for featuring some of Malaysia’s best 3D CG action sequences yet. In addition, its unique techno-futuristic setting is perfect for the series’ excellent world-building and characters.
Primeworks Studios CEO Datuk Ahmad Izham Omar said:
“We are truly proud that the whole nation has been using the phrase #KitaJagaKita. Initially conceived by Altimet and Malik Abdullah as an anthem to rally up the fighting spirit in EJEN ALI The Movie, weâ€™re happy to hear the words #KitaJagaKita echoed by Malaysians. Now that the nation is moving towards the recovery stage of the pandemic, we hope the #KitaJagaKita spirit will continue to encourage our beloved Malaysians to send their love and support towards our homegrown products in an effort to improve the nationâ€™s economic situation.â€
To commemorate the occasion, special Ejen Ali merchandise are available for sale.
EJEN ALI Misi: Bootcamp by Syarikat Permainan Malaysia (SPM) consists of three board games; â€˜Squad Raceâ€™, â€˜Ejen Vs Droidsâ€™, and â€˜Gadget Assemblyâ€™.
A special promotional launch price is available for EJEN ALI Misi: Bootcamp, retailing at RM29.90 on the e-commerce platforms by Syarikat Permainan Malaysia, at spmgames.com.my, Lazada, Shopee and EJEN ALI official merchandise website at gear.wau.my for all EJEN ALI Gears Online Shopping.
The special promotional price is limited from 9 to 20 September 2020, returning to its full retail price of RM39.90 after this period.

A set of collectible trading cards have also hit the shelves; EJEN ALI Misi: Alliance, where collectors can build their personalised decks and battle each other.
EJEN ALI Misi: Alliance is available at RM3.80 for a pack of six cards on the e-commerce platforms Lazada, Shopee and EJEN ALI Gears Online Store. The collectible cards will be made available in 7-Eleven and MyNews.com soon.

Also available is the latest limited edition comic book, EJEN ALI: Side Mission, that chronicles Ejen Ali and his fellow agentsâ€™ adventures beyond the TV series and movie. The new merchandise line is available across major e-commerce platforms online, book stores and convenience stores.
The latest comic book EJEN ALI: Side Mission is available on e-commerce platforms – Lazada, Shopee, EJEN ALI Gears Online Store and major bookstores such as MPH, Popular and Syarikat Muda Osman, at the price of RM17.90.
On top of the new merchandise line release, the official music video of the theme song #KitaJagaKita featuring Altimet, Cuurley and Malik Abdullah, is now available on EJEN ALIâ€™s official YouTube channel.
The music video features Altimetâ€™s persona in animated form, represented by the character Andik, whom he also voiced in EJEN ALI The Movie.


Ghostbusters: Afterlife Takes A Dip Into The Past For A New Age Of Bustin’

What happens when you exchange your Manhattan setting with the countryside for your ghostbusting movie? And drop some tidbits and cryptic clues concerning the fate of previous Ghostbusters while focusing on a family who has surprising connections with the past?
You get a new film in the series called Ghostbusters: Afterlife, directed by Jason Reitman and produced by Ivan Reitman. It’s looking a little more spooky than the previous two films, but it’s a welcome change.

The film’s focus is on single mom Callie (Carrie Coon) and her kids Phoebe and Travis (Mckenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard respectively) who move into her late father’s mansion. The twist? Her dad is none other than Dr. Egon Spengler, played by the late Harold Ramis in the original and sequel Ghostbuster films.
So yeah, why is Egon a deadbeat dad in the film’s canon? What’s with the equipment in the trailer? Was Callie’s existence kept a secret from the original crew this whole time? We’ll find out from Egon’s pals as they’re making a comeback too according to the IMDB.com credits. Yep, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson are coming back as Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Raymond Stantz, and Dr. Winston Zeddmore. Oh, and Paul Rudd plays a scientist in Phoebe and Travis’ school who happens to know a lot about the Ghostbusters and the Manhattan Incident.
Sounds promising! The film will be out in Summer 2020.


XEL Is Too Broken & Flawed To Be A Good Zelda-Like

Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Genre: Action-Adventure, Zelda-Like, RPG, Exploration
Developer Tiny Roar clearly wanted to make their own The Legend Of Zelda-like game but they fell short from achieving their goals. Indie games can be fun, but some titles really do need more time behind the workbench. XEL is one of those games; too broken to be entertaining.
In XEL, players assume the role of Reid. Her situation is similar to that of the coventional protagonist trope, waking up in an unknown place with no past memories. Thankfully, she’s not alone, as she is joined by Chap, a silent but still-expressive floating robot companion who doesn’t actually contribute to the gameplay.
XEL-da

Speaking of the gameplay, XEL is pretty simple. It borrows a lot from The Legend of Zelda games. Basically, you explore the world, solve puzzles along the way and fight enemies. However, Reid can be too overly snarky and cynical that she might rub players the wrong way. There’s a silver lining to making a sassy protagonist likeable and not annoying. During gameplay, the player’s main objective is always usually the same: find a way to open a door to the next area and solve puzzles using mechanics like pushing boxes around and a bunch of nifty gadgets, including an electric mine thingy and a webshooter that shoots goo to traverse gaps. These gadgets can also be used in combat, especially against certain bosses.
The game’s main unique gameplay mechanic is the Time Core ability, which allows Reid to go back in time in a specific or particular area to traverse environments or solve puzzles. It’s something that we’ve seen before in other games, but the issue is that the time core ability can cause bugs sometimes when Reid gets stuck in environments or falling through the floor after travelling to the future or past. When that happens, I’m sometimes forced to reload the game and checkpoints are pretty far apart in this game. It’s also unbelievable that a game released in 2022 doesn’t feature any sort of autosaves or the ability to manually save anytime you want.

Just like Link in The Legend Of Zelda, Reid’s main weapons are a sword and a shield. She can also perform dodge rolls but these deplete stamina. The combat can feel snappy, but also extremely janky and clunky. I had to repeat the second boss battle multiple times because of how wonky the hitboxes are in this game. The framerate would stutter whenever an attack connects, for some reason. Apparently, it’s because game’s VSync is forced on and you can’t turn it off (there are no advanced graphical options for the PC version of XEL).
XEL also features a cooking mechanic that the game doesn’t tell you about (I only discovered it by interacting with what seems to be a campsite of some sort) and a simple crafting mechanic to upgrade weapons and gadgets. These are optional and players don’t really need to engage with them. However, the game should at least still inform players about their existence.

Needs More Time In The Oven
Now you see her, now you don’t.
The biggest problem with XEL as a whole is the lack of polish and broken state of the game. Your vision can be blocked by the environment due to the fixed and static camera angles, which makes it frustrating. That’s not even mentioning how far the camera is, and you can’t zoom in. This disconnects you from the action, but coupled with the obstructing environments, makes it harder to actually explore or even see items.
As for the puzzles, the game doesn’t really tell you about certain mechanics. Some players on Steam complained about the lack of a tutorial, but that’s totally normal for a Zelda-like or Metroidvania game not to have one. Unfortunately, XEL lets players figure things out on their own. For example, I had to push a box to cover a drain hole to make the water overflow. However, the game didn’t tell me that I could make water overflow in this game, but luckily, I still managed to figure it out myself.

For some weird reason, there’s no dedicated jump button in this game. You’ll autonatically jump when Reid comes across a ledge or chasm. This resulted in some issues, especially when Reid sometimes jumps or fall when I don’t want her to. The game’s visuals look awful during cinematics, with broken animations and the lip synching being out of synch. I can forgive broken animations and visual glitches (considering that this is an indie game made by a small team of indie developers) but not bugs that impede gameplay or make things harder.
Ultimately, Tiny Roar was too ambitious while making XEL. The scale of the game should have been smaller, so that the team could make a more polished products. Instead, they’re in over their heads. Maybe with time and further updates or patches, it’ll be closer in terms of quality to the game franchise it aspires to be but right now it doesn’t hold a candle to The Legend Of Zelda or even to other recent Zelda-like games like Death’s Door or Hob.
PROS

A vibrant world to explore.
Puzzles and time travelling mechanics can be fun.

CONS

Technical issues like stuttering framerate and game-breaking bugs.
Visuals look awful in cinematics (dialogue audio not synched).
Lack of quality-of-life features and accessibility options, like auto-saves or a rotatable camera.

FINAL SCORE: 40/100
Review copy provided by Assemble Entertainment. Played on PC. XEL is now available on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. It’s coming to the PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S later this year.


PlayStation 4 Is Now The Fastest Console To Ship 100 Million Units

Sony’s PlayStation 4 home console has broken many records but now it’s starting to cement itself as one of history’s best-selling consoles. As of 30 June 2019, the PS4 has shipped more than 100 million units worldwide, and that includes a total of 3.2 million between April and June alone.
This breaks the record previously held by the PS2 and Nintendo Wii. It took the PS4 only five years and two months to reach the 100 million shipments milestone. In comparison, the PS2 took five years and seven months to achieve the same amount.
However, it remains to be seen if the PS4 will ultimately ship or sell enough units to overtake the PS2’s total lifetime sales of a whopping 155 million units. With the PS5 rumored to launch sometime in holiday 2020, the PS4 will have just a little bit over a year to do that.

NEW MILESTONE:
Sony has shipped 100 million PlayStation 4’s as of June 30th 2019.
A total of 3.2 million consoles were shipped during the April to June quarter. pic.twitter.com/wmUUETps85
â€” Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) July 30, 2019
Another fun fact provided by games industry analyst Daniel Ahmad reveals that digital game downloads (or sales) have exceeded 50 percent. What this means is that 53 percent of all PS4 games sold in the second quarter of 2019 were digital copies.
This is incredible news for advocates of digital gaming. It also means that more and more gamers are opting for digital games rather than physical, which is an ongoing trend that’s likely to continue increasing in the near future thanks to increasingly better Internet speeds and infrastructure.

A look at network sales for Sony’s PlayStation division.
Total network sales were flat YoY with growth in PS+ subs offset by lower ASP on catalog titles + lower digital first party software sales. pic.twitter.com/Ucg8bItm1E
â€” Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) July 30, 2019

In the meantime, head on over here to find out why we think that gamers should think twice before buying the PS5 when it eventually releases (as well as more details about the next-gen console being revealed).


Pixar’s Elemental Is A Fiery Mess Of Familiar But Fine Emotions

Leave it to Pixar to get one of its non-white directors (Peter Sohn of “The Good Dinosaur” fame) to craft a story about fulfilling someone’s dreams in a foreign land, thus being a clear allegory to immigration and the tough fight it is to get there, spliced in with a romance story. Said romance revolves around a girl named Ember (voiced by Leah Lewis) and a guy named Wade (Mamoudou Athie); the trailers are enough to frame what kind of tone it’s setting.
The one major thing that sets this apart from the rest? Ember is a fire elemental while Wade is a water elemental. Both of them have their strengths and weaknesses related to their properties; Ember can get parts of her put out by water splashes & waterfalls, but she works best in the heat and burns things easily. She also has quite a temper, which is a plot point that gets smoothed out accordingly. Wade is chill and insightful, but gets too emotional like his other water kin; he also boils up when close to heat but is fine with anything water-related.

Go With The Flow

In fact, the whole setting is in a metropolis called Element City where all four types of races -Water, Air (puffy cotton candy-like folks), Land (literal humanoid dirtballs), and Fire- all live together in harmony. Almost; people still treat Fire people like crap most of the time. But the discrimination and racial prejudice take a backseat (the complete opposite tone of animated wunderkind Zootopia) in favour of whether a fire person or water person can make love bloom while also dealing with aspirations from the former’s fire father, Bernie (Ronnie Del Carmen), who built his business from scratch.
The creative elemental interactions do take centrestage and are mixed up with the pretty-familiar plot about a woman having to choose between her newfound aspirations and keeping her dad’s dream alive. And honest to god? It’s a hoot to watch while also spotting visual puns and seeing how all four elements work with each other. It can get overwhelming though, especially for the young ones.
It’s clear as day that Sohn draws from his second-generation immigrant status to frame the Fire people’s status and their place in the big city, and it’s a refreshing outlook for many viewers, especially for folks from Asia who moved to a big city like the US or UK. From a PG-rated perspective, it’s not on the same deeper and more insightful level as Zootopia, but it’s serviceable since the focus is on Ember, Wade, and Bernie.

Quite A Sizzle

With a solid voice cast and lovely world-building and visual effects showcasing all sorts of elements interacting with each other, it’s only natural that the show’s plot has to be grounded in some sense.  Granted, “grounded” is just a codeword for “predictable” and “trope-filled”. Still, it’s the kind that emanates a warm fuzzy feeling as a romantic comedy-kind movie with immigration and American Dream metaphors worked into it and flowing just as smoothly as water.

Final Score: 70/100


Company Of Heroes 3 Is Coming In 2022

Publisher Sega and developer Relic Entertainment haveÂ announcedÂ Company Of Heroes 3Â for PC (Steam). It will launch sometime in late 2022. Users can sign-up toÂ CoH-Development to gain exclusive access to the Company Of Heroes 3Â pre-alpha preview, design documents, discussions with the developers, art drops, and more.
The legendary strategy franchise is back. Company of Heroes 3Â is the ultimate package of action, tactics and strategy. Take charge in the heat of real-time battle, then command as a General guiding the overall campaign where every decision matters. â€‹
Overwhelm your opponents with new and familiar factions, units, and international Battlegroups. Command ground, air and naval forces and build supply lines to crush enemy advances on the new Dynamic Campaign Map; no two playthroughs are ever alike. Play at your own pace across campaign and skirmish modes before diving into the blistering multiplayer action. Discover the untold stories of a stunning Mediterranean theatre, featuring next-generation destructible environments, all powered by Relicâ€™s proprietary Essence Engine. â€‹
Company Of Heroes 3 delivers the next generation of acclaimed tactical gameplay. Beloved combat mechanics collide with authentic new gameplay features, making for the deepest tactical experience to date. â€‹Make use of daring flanking moves to expose enemy side armour, experience all-new infantry breaching mechanics allowing you to flush enemy units from their garrisons, and master elevation to enhance your line of sight and gain the upper hand.

Welcome to the Mediterranean; a breathtaking new theatre filled with untold stories of war. Engage ferocious enemy forces across Italian mountain passes, breathtaking coastal vistas and the sweeping deserts of North Africa. Stunning visuals deliver authentic and highly diverse environments designed to keep you on your toes. â€‹
Mountainous maps will require uniquely different strategies from coastal towns, with verticality now greatly affecting unitsâ€™ line of sight (True Sight). Desert plains will call for careful reconnaissance and daring armoured manoeuvres. On this new frontline, intelligence trumps speed and clever use of local terrain will let you bewilder your opponents and rout them from the field.
Experience the biggest single-player campaign in franchise history. The new Dynamic Campaign Map delivers full â€œsandbox-styleâ€ gameplay, allowing players to command the overall war effort and experience an unprecedented level of strategic choice. â€‹
Establish vital supply lines before deploying rear guard defences to secure your advance. Launch air and naval strikes to weaken and scatter enemy forces or liberate a nearby town to develop a Partisan spy network. Choose your forces and upgrade your veteran companies to match your playstyle. Meanwhile, the optional Full Tactical Pause feature allows players total control over the pacing of single-player action. Plan your attacks, then effortlessly queue up lethal precision plays that will give you the edge in battle.

Company Of Heroes 3 promises to delight even the most ardent WW2 enthusiasts thanks to the largest number of launch factions in the series to date. â€‹
New army customization mechanics will allow you to call in the help of a varied cast of specialist units. Take up the fight with new elite squads including the American-Canadian Special Service Forces, the revered Gurkhas from the Commonwealth and many more. â€‹
From devastating tank destroyers to clandestine recon vehicles,Â Company of Heroes 3 features the largest roster in the series to date. The super-light Weasel, the armour sniping Nashorn, and the Chaffee Light Tank are just a few of the units making their debut. Also, letâ€™s not forget revamped classics like the M3 Recovery Vehicle Halftrack, which can now be used to repair and steal abandoned enemy vehicles!

Feel the blistering impact of every mortar shell and naval bombardment with Relicâ€™s state-of-the-art Essence Engine. In Company Of Heroes 3, every location becomes a fully destructible sandbox, opening up limitless tactical gameplay options for you or your enemy to exploit. â€‹
Bring fortified buildings crashing down onto enemy squads, then witness enhanced destruction mechanics at play as soldiers exploit fresh ruins as dynamic cover. Stunning new rendering and particle FX technology depict fire, sand and smoke like never before. Brilliant new soldier animations combine with enhanced A.I, delivering realistic squad reactions to the battlefield. Optimized for DirectX 12 and multi-core CPUs, Relicâ€™s new engine technology will deliver cinematic action to rival any Hollywood blockbuster.
Relic Entertainment general manager Justin Dowdeswell said:
â€œWeâ€™re really excited for players to experienceÂ Company of Heroes 3 right from the pre-alpha stage and to receive their valuable feedback.
Weâ€™ve been co-developing the game with our fantastic community members for years now, and they have been instrumental in providing consistent and meaningful feedback at every step of the development process.
Weâ€¯areâ€¯ready to expand thatâ€¯programâ€¯in a massive wayâ€¯withâ€¯our fans around the world via our CoH-Developmentâ€¯Program,â€¯which has been made possible by Amplitude Studiosâ€™ fantastic Games2Gether platform.â€
In the meantime, check out the trailers below:


The XCOM 2 Collection Invades Android Devices Next Month

Feral Interactive hasÂ announcedÂ that it will releaseÂ XCOM 2 Collection for Android mobile devices via the App Store on 13 July 2021.
You can pre-register for the game on the Google Play Store here. Keep in mind that the XCOM 2 Collection requires Android 9 or later. You will need 8.5GB of free space to install the game and all of its content, and we recommend having at least 17GB of free space to avoid installation issues.
Supported devices include:
â€¢ ASUS ROG Phone II
â€¢ Google Pixel 3 / 3XL / 4 / 4XL
â€¢ HTC U12+
â€¢ OnePlus 6T / 7 / 8 / 8T
â€¢ Samsung Galaxy S9 / S10 / S10+ / S10e / S20 / S21
â€¢ Samsung Galaxy Note9 / Note10 / Note10+ / Note20 5G
â€¢ Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 / S7
â€¢ Sony Xperia 1 / XZ2 Compact
â€¢ Vivo NEX S
â€¢ Xiaomi Mi 9
â€¢ Xiaomi Pocophone F1
XCOM 2 CollectionÂ includes the base game, the brilliant War of the Chosen expansion, and four DLC add-on packs. You can check outÂ my brief review (revisit) ofÂ XCOM 2Â here.
Supported iPhones include iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus, and any iPhone released since the iPhone X. Supported iPads include all iPad Pros released since 2017 and all other iPads released since 2019.
Not only isÂ XCOM 2 a genre-defining game that sparked its own sub-genre of sorts, but this version of the game is also the complete package. Do yourselves a favour and experience this incredible turn-based tactical strategy game. XCOM 2 Collection is currently available for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS mobile devices and PC.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Genshin Impact Characters Tier List 2022 Edition

It’s been almost a year since the hit online RPG Genshin Impact has been out. The game is now on its 1.6 update and features a ton of colourful characters to gacha for with Primogems.
From Pyros to Cryos, here is the updated tier list featuring all the latest heroes. Just keep in mind: tier lists are subjective; your base characters can still get you through a lot of the game’s content, though not as quick and as efficient.
Genshin Impact Character Tier List
SS Tier

Ayaka, Kazuha, Zhongli, Ganyu, Hu Tao, Raiden Shogun, Yelan, Bennett, Xiangling, Nahida
Ayaka – The Cryo Sword user may not have the best damage output, but she has everything else skills and Element Burst-wise.
Kazuha – If you like damage, the Anemo Sword user ronin is your guy. Put him in a team that focuses on Element Reactions, and watch the numbers skyrocket.
Zhongli – His past update in 1.3 still stays; he’s the best defense-heavy Geo user right now. His damage is just as great as most S-tier and A-tier characters in the list, but his Jade Shield is the standout skill for him.
Ganyu – This Cryo archer is not only one of the best DPS characters for that element, but also one of the best damage dealers in the game, period.

She provides consistent Cryo AoE damage with Trail of the Qilin and Celestial Shower, as well as increased crit rate from her passive, Undivided Heart. Just watch the video above for visual proof of her skills.
Hu Tao – Wansheng’s polearm-wielding Funeral Director Hu Tao hits like a truck on fire. Literally. Not only does she deal massive Pyro damage with her Elemental Skill and passive, but her burst, Spirit Soother, inflicts AoE Pyro damage and heals her when it hits.
Raiden Shogun – She may deal less damage, but her support Electro abilities let her build a ton of energy for her other DPS pals to use.
Yelan – Essentially a five-star version of Xingqiu, but with more hit points and has better DPS overall.
Bennett – A great four-star support character who is better at his job than his backstory lets him out to be. He can use his Elemental Burst for healing, has a decent attack buff, and acquires Pyro infusion after unlocking Constellation 6. He goes well with Pyro DPS characters like Diluc or Klee due to that 25% attack boost from Elemental Resonance.
Xiangling – One of the better Pyro 4-star characters due to her auto-targeting fire-breathing teddy bear and useful Elemental Burst.
Nahida – This brand-new 3.2 character synergizes with everyone in the roster. She can’t do much on her own, but her abilities can power up every other person in your party.

S Tier

Xiao, Albedo, Klee, Tartaglia, Venti, Mona, Keqing, Kokomi, Itto, Ayato, Eula
Xiao – Yet another Anemo character with crazy DPS abilities.
Albedo – This alchemist’s key ability Solar Isotoma provides a consistent source of AoE Geo damage, a fast cooldown, and produces elemental particles to fuel other abilities. It also creates a raised platform that your characters can use for plunge attacks, or to rain destruction from above, wonder Klee likes him so much.
Klee – This little girl can bring in the boom. Klee is one of the best Pyro DPS characters due to the high AoE damage her attacks inflict. Her Elemental Burst, Sparks ‘n’ Splash, is similar to Xingqiu’s except inflicting Pyro damage, so much so that if you pair them you can keep triggering Vapourize on foes.
Childe/Tartaglia – The hybrid polearm-and-bow user is versatile. oul Legacy: Raging Tide allows him to switch weapons and his Elemental Burst, Havoc: Obliteration, is a strong Hydro AoE that changes depending on weapon stance. His only real drawback is the lengthy cooldown for switching between stances.
Venti – A veteran from the first iteration of the game, the tone-deaf bard is still a powerful Anemo character even with the tweaks and buffs the rest of the cast received up to 1.6. He can use his Elemental Burst to summon an AoE damage hurricane that sucks in enemies and absorbs other elements to trigger Swirl. This makes Venti play a versatile support role for most damage-dealing characters.
Mona – This astrologist is a great source of Hydro damage who comes with kiting kits and traps that can bring in the damage. She can also become water while dashing; that’s a nice touch.
Keqing – She’s the best Electro damage dealer out there despite going down a tier. Her fast attack pattern and Stellar Restoration skill allow her to move quickly between opponents, but also infuse her blade with Electro for Elemental Reactions.
Kokomi – The addition of Dendro makes this healer more relevant and useful than before, especially when dealing with bleed effects.
Itto Arataki – Probably the only Geo character with high defense and damage. His party may need more support abilities to complement his playstyle though.
Ayato – Not as good as her sister, but still a great primary DPS character.
Eula – She deals great damage and is the fastest Claymore user in the Genshin Impact roster, as well as deal AoE damage better than most. Vengeance is strong with this one.

A Tier

Razer, Jean, Rosaria, Yanfei, Fischl, Barbara, Yoimiya, Thoma, Yae Miko, Diluc, Tighnari, Cyno
Razer – You don’t need a 5-star DPS character if you have this guy around, at least in the early parts of the game or if your gacha luck is bad.
Jean – Since Jean’s healing is based on her attack stat, she’s a strong support and DPS rolled into one. Dandelion Field provides a powerful AoE healing burst, while her passive, Wind Companion, keeps your party topped off, as every time Jean attacks there’s a 50% chance everyone gets a heal.
Rosaria – She’s versatile enough to be in any party, given her 4-star status.
Yanfei – She’s discount Klee. But she can offer a consistent source of ranged Pyro to pop off those Elemental Reactions. Pair her with Xingqiu’s burst to Vaporize anything.
Barbara – The songstress deacon is still pretty top-tier if you gacha’ed her into your group. It’s just that other folks have been getting buffed up. All in all, a great healer who lacks damage and utility bits like Jean and Bennett.
Fischl – Still the OG Electro damage dealer even at 4-star status. If her constellation is built up to max, her damage output can do wonders.
Yoimiya – Not the best DPS character, but her damage and AoE abilities are still noteworthy.
Thoma – He’s best as a shield support character than anything.
Yae Miko – She got better thanks to Dendro elemental; her Electro support abilities work well with a DPS party.
Diluc – Still one of the better DPS and damage dealers out there, despite others already at the top seat.
Tighnari – His Dendro abilities open up possibilities for better Elemental Reaction builds.
Cyno – A good Electro damage dealer.
B Tier

Xinyan, Sucrose, Diona, Xingqiu, Sayu, Kujou Sara, Gorou, Yun Jin, Shenhe, Heizou, Candace, Nilou
Xinyan – Discount Diluc. ’nuff said. She’s pretty decent if you need a Pyro DPS.
Xinqiu – A lovely support character. He can summon damage-reducing swords that heal, and his Elemental Burst follows up attacks with rain swords that inflict Hydro damage.
C Tier

Noelle, Lisa, Kaeya, Traveler, Nigguang, Beidou, Qiqi, Aloy, Kuki Shinobu, Collei, Dori, Layla, Amber
Noelle – Best go-to Geo tank if you don’t have Zhongli. Her recent buffs and game mechanic changes means her self-made barrier is more useful than ever.


Bethesda  Drops Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus PC Specs

As we head closer to its release, developers of the game Bethesda today revealed the required PC specs to run their upcoming Nazi-killing shooter, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. So what does it take to step intoÂ B.J. Blazkowicz’s boots on the PC? Well look no further:
PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Minimum

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770/AMD FX-8350 or better
GPU: NVIDIA GTX 770 4GB/AMD Radeon R9 290 4GB or better
RAM: 8 GB
OS: Win7, 8.1, or 10 (64-Bit versions)
Storage: 55GB
Additional Requirements: Steam account and broadband internet connection for activation and installation
AMD GPU drivers no longer support Windows 8.1

Recommended

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770/AMD FX-9370 or better
GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB/AMD Radeon RX 470 4GB or better
RAM: 16 GB
OS: Win7, 8.1, or 10 64-Bit
Storage: 55GB
Additional Requirements: Steam account and broadband internet connection for activation and installation
AMD GPU drivers no longer support Windows 8.1

Additional Requirements:
Both Steam and a broadband internet account are also required to play the game and AMD GPU drivers apparently no longer support Windows 8.1. Commenting on the new info,Â executive producer Jerk Gustafsson said “Many on the team here are dedicated PC players and thereâ€™s been a lot of engagement in making sure we accounted for and went above and beyond to add lots of additional settings for PC players,”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmy4WW8TqL8&w=560&h=315]
“Everything from unlocked framerates, field of view slider, to lots of advanced visual settings like lights, shadows, reflections, the list goes on!” he added.
He wasn’t exaggerating as advanced visual settings include:

Lights
Shadows
Directional Occlusion
Reflections
Decals
Motion Blur
Image Streaming
Volumetric Quality
Decal Filtering
Deferred Rendering
Chromatic Aberration
Depth of Field
Resolution Scaling

Gamers dealing with color vision deficiency will be glad to know that Wolfenstein 2 will offers modes for protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia.
“Weâ€™re also taking full advantage ofÂ Vulkan, allowing us to push improved performance across the board in ways that simply werenâ€™t possible before,” Gustafsson added. “The minimum hardware requirements are set to ensure a high-quality experience, and with Vulkan players should see solid performance on a variety of system configurations. However, if youâ€™re aiming for 1080p with high framerate and settings, you would need to bump towards our recommended specs.”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI1TVhecBQ4&w=560&h=315]
Regarding mods, Gustafsson commented MachineGames would ‘love to support them’, and “hopefully we will find an opportunity to do so in the future.” He also added that technical issuesÂ that caused texture pop-in and framerate-related issues seen in Wolfenstein: The New Order at launch have been addressed as well.
“The New Colossus version of the id Tech engine is no longer mega-texture based, which means we have a lot more control over when and what textures are being streamed in,” he assured. “With that said, there will always be texture streaming, but in a way that will cause a lot less risk of noticeable issues.”
First unveiled at E3 this year,Â Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is developed by Machine Games comes out October 27th 2017 on PC, PS4, Xbox One and the Switch.


Relive Naofumi’s Journey In The Rising of Shield Hero RPG

Yesterday, fans of The Rising of Shield Hero rejoiced as they receive news that the anime will be getting two more seasons. Unfortunately, there’s still no confirmation on when the new seasons will debut so in the meantime, we can indulge ourselves in a Shield Hero video game that’s coming out soon.
The Rising of The Shield Hero: Relive The Animation is currently being developed by Kadokawa and will be release for iOS, Android, and PC (Steam). However, don’t expect anything outrageously gorgeous or technically impressive as the game is developed using RPG Maker XV which is available for purchase on Steam.

Still, it’s pretty awesome that we’ll be getting a Shield Hero game. One of the most interesting things about the fantasy world of Melromarc is its magic system and I’m interested in seeing how the game translates it into an RPG-friendly structure.
Launching in September 2019, Kadokawa will first be releasing a Japanese version but international fans can breathe a sigh of relief because an English version will be released in the future.

For more information, you can check out the game’s website here and also its Steam page.


Does The MCU Multiverse Exist? Kevin Feige Answers

Prior to its release last week, trailers for Spider-Man Far From Home showed Quentin Beck AKA Mysterio claiming that he was from an alternate Earth and seemingly confirming the existence of the MCU Multiverse.
Did that turn out to be true? Before we go any further, keep in mind that we’ll be discussing spoilers from the movie below, so it’s not too late to turn back.

Still here? Great. Spider-Man Far From Home revealed that Mysterio has been lying the entire time and that he is actually a disgruntled former employee of Stark Industries from the very same Earth as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and everyone else.
Does this mean that the MCU Multiverse doesn’t exist after all? According to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, that’s not the case.
In an interview with Fandango, Feige was asked if Beck’s whole fake Multiverse story was meant to indicate that the MCU Multiverse does not (and will never) exist. His answer was:

“No, it just means he (Quentin Beck/Mysterio) was full of shit.”

Feige continued by clarifying that the MCU Multiverse has already been established in 2016’s Doctor Strange.
Remember that trippy scene when the Ancient One sends Stephen Strange’s astral form to different dimensions?Â During that sequence, she literally mentions the term “Multiverse” after saying that the MCU Earth is “only one of an infinite number”.
Feige continued:

“I mean, inÂ Doctor Strange, we hear the Ancient One talk about the multiverse, so we’ve already established it as a thing.”

What’s interesting is that I have actually pointed out the exact same thing as Feige did in an older article, several months before Spider-Man Far From Home was even released. In that article, I wrote:

“The Multiverse has actually been explicitly mentioned in the MCU once before by the Ancient One in 2016â€™sÂ Doctor Strange.
During Stephen Strangeâ€™s iconic acid trip scene in the movie, she said, â€œWho are you in this vast Multiverse, Mr. Strange?â€, confirming even back then that the Multiverse exists.”

Catch the entire sequence again in the video below, and you’ll see that it’s all true.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayhTVShJCt0&w=560&h=315]
However, we still have no idea how Marvel Studios will be employing the Multiverse in the MCU in the future. Maybe we’ll learn more about their Phase Four plans at the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con 2019 later this month.
In the meantime, check out my review of Spider-Man Far From Home here, or head on over here if you’re interested in learning more about Quentin Beck AKA Mysterio after watching the movie.


MapleStory 2 Closed Beta Hands-On: Animal Crossing X Diablo, Add Sugar

I’m not known to delve into the wonderful and time-consuming world of MMOs, let alone the MapleStory franchise. The first game has been around since 2005 and even until now it’s seeing some updates and buzz. Goes to show that 2D graphics and simple casual gameplay can take you very far if you play & market your cards right, eh?
So it’s only logical for the series to make the 3D leap; that’s what Nexon is doing with MapleStory 2. But does it survive the transition? Does the recent closed beta session reaffirm many suspicions that this is an ill-conceived sequel?
Hardly, but given the breadth of its source material, it’ll take a while for this sequel to match it content-wise.

Adjusting Your Viewpoint
The MapleStory games are successful due to their casual and saccharine nature. There aren’t that many 2D-styled platformer sprite-based games out there that survived since the late 2000s. “But wait, if the sequel is 3D and in an isometric view ala Diablo, won’t that graphical charm get lost in translation?” you may ask. Well, after playing oodles of hours in the recent Closed Beta 2 session, I can safely say that it’s just as charming. Probably even to the point of sugar overdose since you get to see different kinds of idle and emote animations from players and enemies alike.
Deformed dogs wag their tails as they maul you. Your heroes put on their best anime emotion face (literal Xs as eyes, sweat beads, the works) and jiggle as if their life depends on it. If anything, MapleStory 2’s aesthetics are anything but muted.
There’s a lot more to do here. Next to the usual “save the world from looming evil forces using one of the 8 classes” spiel complete with main quest killings/looting and sidequests galore, you get to furnish and build up your own house. You can decorate it with pets, furnish it with cupboards and other decorations, and even pay the maintenance fee. You can even own maids to craft special items for your abode, which sounds eerily like how one manages a Southeast Asian domicile.

You can also participate in mini-quizzes where players have to answer Yes or No questions by standing on the appropriate O and X icons. The last heroes standing will get a prize after 10 questions ranging from trivia to in-game lore.
In all honesty, this all feels like fluff added in to add busywork to your Maple existence, much like how Animal Crossing keeps you in the employment and rent-paying loop in a place full of saccharine and anthropomorphic beings. But here’s the thing: MapleStory 2 is free (with some free-to-play elements). And for a free game, the fluff doesn’t seem to be in the way since the actual busywork of killing and looting is solid on its own merit.
Fight Bright
Controlling your Maple hero is a matter of clicking where they’re going and figuring out which attacks are effective. When I was using the Berserker, I had two go-to moves: a Dash Slash which ends with a multi-hitting swing combo, and a spinning sword attack similar to the Diablo III Barbarian’s move that breaks games. I had no issues walking around and fighting any adversary that moves. Whether you’re on a keyboard + mouse combo or on a joypad, getting into the swing of things is a breeze.
What’s also really nice is that the actual instances and dungeons are presented in short bursts. You’re given ample opportunities to pick either the brute force route or just take a scenic elevated route to avoid the bad guys.
Case in point the sewer level early on in the beta where I had to rescue a soldier; I can either waylay the area’s crooks and thieves with my giant sword, or just jump on the sewer pipes and proceed to the level’s boss. If you’re really in a hurry, most areas will teleport you straight to the end where the boss resides if you’ve completed the dungeon once.

Sweet Syrup?
MMOs aren’t my cup of tea, but I can see what MapleStory 2 is going for. It’s a good clean casual fantasy-laced fun synonymous with classic free-to-play MMOs like Ragnarok Online and Runescape. Don’t expect anything too deep like your Guild Wars 2 or World of Warcrafts though; this one’s purely for MMO fans who don’t need huge timesinks and commitments in their lives. At least from a closed beta perspective, MapleStory 2 is proof that there’s always room for well-made fluffy experiences.
The one big question remains: will MapleStory 2 make it to Southeast Asia? Who will be its license-holders: Asiasoft or Garena? How big will the open beta gap be between the eventual North American date and SEA date? Will it be large and long enough for users in Asia to just say “f*** it” and play it via VPN?
These questions, hopefully, will be answered later this year.


Marvel’s Secret Invasion Featurette Reveals What Will Kick Off The Events Of The Series

Marvel Studios and Disney+ have unveiled a new behind-the-scenes featurette for the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series, Secret Invasion.
While the official synopsis previously confirmed that the series will take place in present-day MCU, we didn’t know what would kick off the events of Secret Invasion. Thanks to the featurette, now we do.
According to Cobie Smulders, Marvel’s Secret Invasion will start with Nick Fury returning after having been off-planet all this time while Maria Hill has been holding the fort on Earth.
Meanwhile, a character named Agent Prescott tells Martin Freeman’s Everett K. Ross that there have been five global terrorist strikes in the span of a year and each has been claimed by different groups. However, Agent Prescott warns Agent Ross that “that’s precisely what they want you to think”, which means that he suspects that the same group is behind all the attacks.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the culprit is probably the Skrulls, but why are they committing public attacks if it is them? They’re supposed to be clandestinely infiltrating humanity, not blowing up places. I guess that’s part of the conspiracy?
With only about a month or so until release, we’ll probably be learning more and more about Secret Invasion in the coming weeks.
The synopsis reads:
“In Marvel Studios’ new series ‘Secret Invasion,’ set in the present day MCU, Nick Fury learns of a clandestine invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls. Fury joins his allies, including Everett Ross, Maria Hill and the Skrull Talos, who has made a life for himself on Earth. Together they race against time to thwart an imminent Skrull invasion and save humanity.”
Marvel’s Secret Invasion premieres on Disney+ Hotstar on 21 June 2023.
Check out the featurette below:


Is China’s Steam Going To Help Chinese Developers?

While a Chinese version of Steam exclusive to the country may sound neat and may help bolster the local games market, it may be a threat. This is partially due to the fact that this version of Steam is region-locked. It also doesn’t help that China’s government regulations as of now make it impossible for small developers to survive in the Chinese gaming industry.
Before all this, at least in 2015, 30 million Chinese gamers were able to access Steam. Keep in mind: China’s government censors websites like Google, Facebook, and Twitch, to the point where most tourists need to use paid VPNs to access these luxuries. With Steam, Chinese gamers are able to play the latest games like PUBG and Grand Theft Auto V without these restrictions. At least until the Chinese version of Steam becomes official and might possibly close this beneficial loophole.
The Big Issue

Steam China promises a “better experience” to mainland Chinese gamers and will sell games approved by China’s rigorous licensing and censorship process. Steam Global has 30,000 games while Steam China will only have 40 games or less during launch.
The question remains: will mainland Chinese gamers be able to access the global version of Steam? All signs seem to be pointing at “no”. While Valve business developer DJ Powers said that “nothing’ll change”in regards to Steam’s availability in China, other folks who have worked in China are not so sure.
Here are some choice quotes from some anonymous developers on a PC Gamer interview:
“Steam China is terrifying. It’s horrible. I’m not sure what it will be, but I hope players can still access international Steam.”
“If Steam wasn’t available, we wouldn’t be doing this. I think that’s probably the case for most developers in China.”
“I would say 100 percent of China’s indie scene is alive because of Steam.”
A Bleak Future For China’s Indie Scene?

Steam China may end up being an inconvenience for gamers in the country. However, it may spell doom for Chinese game developers because their titles may not even make it out of the country due to the aforementioned region-lock.
Still, this is speculation on everybody’s part until the platform comes out. We know fully that all this stems from a big business decision because Valve still wants to work with China without upsetting its government.


Godzilla Minus One Is Toho’s Next Godzilla Movie

Last year in September 2022, Toho announced a new Japanese Godzilla movie. Now it has a title and it’s Godzilla Minus One, which will premiere in Japan on 3 November 2023 and in the US on 1 December 2023.
In a statement via Gormaru, Koji Ueda, President of Toho International, said:
“Set in a post-war Japan, Godzilla Minus One will once again show us a Godzilla that is a terrifying and overwhelming force, which you already get a sense of from the teaser trailer and poster.
The concept is that Japan, which had already been devastated by the war, faces a new threat with Godzilla, bringing the country into the ‘minus.’”

Takashi Yamazaki (Lupin III: The First) is directing the new movie, which will be the 30th live-action film in Toho’s long-running kaiju franchise after 2016’s Shin Godzilla.
Godzilla Minus One is said to share continuity with Shin Godzilla, but it’s currently unclear how.


Battlefield Gets Ex-Call Of Duty Exec To Help Strengthen Series

Is Battlefield in need of an evac or support? As far as recent news is concerned, it’s definitely the latter.
Not out of the count yet due to Battlefield 5’s not-so-hot sales & reception, EA will be getting help in the form of ex-Call of Duty and Destiny general manager guy Byron Beede. He will be helping out the corporation and DICE to help grow the Battlefield series, starting with part 6. This will “signal a strategic, long-term commitment to the growth of the franchise”. He will report directly to Respawn founder Vince Zampella, who now runs DICE LA.
With EA launching a new Battlefield game this year and releasing a mobile spin-off later, it looks like the series is making a resurgence as well as countering the recent success of Activision’s Call of Duty series which now has its own battle royale F2P mode, a mobile game, and an annual mainline series. We’ll be sure to hear more about Battlefield’s vision as a series from Beede in the near future.
For more Battlefield 6 news, head here.Â


One Finger Death Punch 2 Is One Of 2019’s Best Time-Wasters

Want to play an action game but can coordinate attacks beyond two buttons or more? Then you’ll love Silver Dollar’s One Finger Death Punch 2.
Just like the first game, all you do is attack enemies coming from the left and right by clicking on the left or right mouse button. Enemies who move into your zone of attack can be defeated with one punch, as well as make you move forward.
The catch? Enemies will come at you super-fast, and you cannot mash buttons because you’ll be left wide open if you miss an attack. Victory favours the most patient and precise.

The game mixes up the challenge with past mechanics -enemies with 2 to 3 lifebars, enemies who dodge your first hit, and brawlers you put you in a minigame where you have to press left or right according to oncoming bars from the top. New mechanics also enter the fight; these include patience-testing minigames where you can’t press buttons until prompted in an instance.
While the game looks simple with its pop-up comic-book art and “stick figure” animations, that’s part of this indie game’s charm. The audio work when you’re beating the crap out of enemies is stellar and keeps you in a zen-like state of violence. Yeah, that sentence is an oxymoron, but when you’re in a trance just clicking your mouse buttons in sync with dismembering polearm-wielding degenerates with your fists while dodging bullets and tossing knives back at your far-away assailants, you’ll be at bliss.
To say this game gets wild is an understatement. Even with the aforementioned aesthetics, you’ll be knee-deep in a blitz of brawler combat while also riding on horses going all Dynasty Warriors (on a 2D plane) on your enemies. Oh, they will come at you in droves; you’ll even have to kill 250 of them in a stage. At least you’ll get a lightsaber fight out of it.
If this is the first time hearing about this two-button beat-em-up with over-the-top yet simple theatrics, do yourself a favour and get it for RM19.50 now on Steam.Â I’ve only completed 15 stages and went through a bit of the Survival Mode so far, but I’m completely sold if all it takes to get my jollies is to tap masterfully at incoming Once Upon A Time In China bad guys. And then proceed to rip their hearts out in one second-stopping instant.
Pros
-Simple to play, hard to master.
-Ample arcade-like challenge.
-Great audio feedback.
Cons
-Graphics are a mish-mash of simple & amateurish.
-Can get old fast if played in long spurts.
FINAL SCORE: 80/100


Balan Wonderworld Gives Off A Fun & Classic Platformer Vibe

Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, PC
Genre: Platformer, Puzzle
Right out of the gate, the biggest appeal of Balan Wonderworld is that it is being directed by Sonic The Hedgehog and Nights Into Dreams co-creators Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima. Published by Square Enix, it is the first title by the new studio, Balan Company, and Arzest. It’s clear that the game has high ambitions from the get-go; to hearken back to the days of classic platformers.
We don’t see many big-budget traditional platformers these days. Only recently have games like Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Crash Bandicoot 4 It’s About Time brought back interest to the genre in the AAA realm, but the torch has mainly been carried by indie developers over the years. Balan Wonderworld is here to show that AAA platformers can still stand toe-to-toe in a next-gen world of 4K and HDR AAA titles.
The objective of the main game is to conquer all the Acts (stages) in the twelve different chapters (worlds) of the story, collecting the Balan statues in each stage to unlock new chapters. In the demo, I experienced Chapter 1 (Acts 1 and 2, plus the Boss Battle), Chapter 4 (Act 1 only) and Chapter 6 (Act 1 only), as well as the Isle of Tims area.

Fun But Too Easy

It was fun to be able to use various costume’s abilities to complete puzzles and defeat enemies. That’s the meat of the core gameplay. For example, the Jumping Jack costume that allowed me to jump farther and the Dainty Dragon costume enables me to shoot fireballs. Meanwhile, the Soaring Sheep costume could make me float, and the Aero Acrobat costume can basically make me unleash Kamen Rider like flying kicks. On the other hand, the Gear Prince costume helps me to spin switches and operate machinery, while I can shoot rocket punches with the Pumpkin Puncherand defeat enemies from a distance.
There will be a whopping 80 costumes in the full game, so I really just had a taste of what the game has to offer. While all the different costumes were fun, you can only store up to three at any one time. Getting damaged will mean losing the costume that you’re wearing and I had to backtrack to where I obtained the costume to get it back (and you’ll need a key to do it).
You’ll be using the costumes mainly to solve puzzles. Half the fun is trying to collect the Balan statues, which is important since you’ll need those to progress through the game and unlock more Chapters to explore. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t have much combat, since it really is more like a classic puzzle platformer. There’s still plenty of action but the enemies are a pushover and simply there to slow you down.
There was only one boss fight in the Balan Wonderworld but that was disappointing as well. He didn’t even feel like much of a boss, considering how laughably easy it was to defeat him. Half of the challenge is supposed to be figuring out which costumes are effective against the boss, but since the demo has little variety to choose from, it’s clear that you’ll have to make do with what you already have at that point. I wasn’t expecting much of a challenge from the first boss of the game, but this was too easy. Platformers are sometimes notorious for their difficult bosses, but if the rest of the game is like the first boss, there won’t be much to challenge more veteran gamers out there.
Musical Magic

Other aspects I enjoyed in Balan Wonderword are the charming visuals and great music. There’s a bit of jazz in there, and I liked listening to the composition while playing. The music actually helped a lot in making the gameplay more enjoyable, especially since there’s not much to the combat. It is a puzzle-platformer first and foremost, so players probably shouldn’t expect much combative gameplay.
It’s worth pointing out that although progress from the Balan Wonderworld demo doesn’t carry over to the main game, players can obtain special bonus costumes at the beginning of the game if there is demo save data present on the system. The Balan Wonderworld demo will launch on all available platforms on 28 January 2021.
An early preview of the Balan Wonderworld demo was provided by Square Enix (PS5 version).


Here’s Your First Look At Trigun Stampede, Slated For 2023

Toho and Studio Orange are teaming up to create a new anime based on Trigun. Both companies just showed off a new trailer at Anime Expo 2022, featuring a slightly new look for Vash the Stampede from the anime/manga more than a decade ago. Oh, and it’s CGI in anime form.

The trailer seems to focus more on how cool and skilled Vash is, rather than display his comedic side like in the 90s series. The makers are probably saving that for a later reveal, I presume.

Based on the cast members below, the show is focused on the origins of Vash the Stampede and how he arrived on the planet of Gunsmoke with his deranged psychopathic brother Knives Millions.

Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Vash the Stampede
Junya Ikeda as Knives Millions
Tomoyo Kurosawa as Young Vash
Yumiri Hanamori as Young Knives
Maaya Sakamoto as Rem Saverem

The show will be directed by Kenji Mutou and its concept designer/character concept will be from Kouji Tajima. The series will premiere in 2023, with streaming service Crunchyroll simulcasting the anime in more than 200 countries and territories around the world on its release date.


Dying Light 2 Features Zombie-Killing, Parkour, Paragliding, & Rosario Dawson

Open-world zombie games were a thing of the past: see the Dead Rising series. But Techland is bringing it back with Dying Light 2, which adds parkour and paragliding into the mix. Oh, and also a day/night cycle, stamina bar-based climbing puzzles, and moral choices that affect the game’s story.
Here’s a video we did featuring some lovely gameplay from the upcoming action game. Dying Light 2 is coming out 4th February for Xbox Series, Xbox One, PC, PS4, and PS5.


Persona 2 Main Characters Get Lovely Coloured Nendoroid Figures; Pre-Orders Start Now

The recent Wonderful Hobby For You 35 toy exhibition showcased a couple of Nendoroid figures from various video game franchises, chief of them being Persona 2 main characters Tatsuya and Maya.
Good Smile company has showcased the coloured versions of the Nendoroids. Tatsuya looks cool while Maya looks cheerful and unlike her Persona 2: Eternal Punishment self. Good Smile definitely has captured their essence faithfully in these chibi toys.
Tatsuya has a sword, a lighter, and a microphone, while Maya has dual handguns, her mic and tape recorder kit for her journalist gig, and the butterfly that’s iconic to Persona 2. No Personas attached to them, sadly. Pre-orders for the toy have started now; one for Tatsuya and one for Maya.

Tatsuya

Maya


The Mandalorian S2 Will Cast Rosario Dawson As A Fan-Favourite

Star Wars Clone Wars/Rebels fans, your link between those shows and The Mandalorian is getting tighter by the month.
As if that season finale reveal wasn’t enough, we just learned that actress Rosaria Dawson will play this fan-favourite Jedi in the upcoming second season.

That’s right: she will be playing the live-action version of Ahsoka Tano, renowned for being Anakin Skywalker’s Jedi padawan apprentice from the Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels show. We’re not sure how she will tie into The Mandalorian, but odds are she will provide insight to the season one cliffhanger item Moff Gideon was wielding around.
In any case, there’s a new hope a-brewing with this show if they keep doing A-lister casting like this. After all, she did want to play as this particular character in the Star Wars canon a while back.


Holocure Update 0.4 Launches Today

Holocure update 0.4 launches today. You can download it from the official website.
It looks like the new update adds new stages, as well as new enemy types that are based on the fan mascots of the Hololive Gen 0 and Hololive Gamers talent. However, the main highlight of the update is the introduction of the new playable characters for both Hololive Gen 0 and Hololive Gamers.
The Hololive Gen 0 talents include Tokino Sora, Robocosan, AZKi, Sakura Miko and Hoshimachi Suisei. Meanwhile, the Hololive Gamers talent will include Shirakami Fubuki, Ookami Mio, Nekomata Okayu and Inugami Korone. The new clip (see below) also teases new weapons and items, as well as a new mechanic which allows players to choose and change the Talent’s outfits.
These are all in addition to controller support and a new Gambler’s Tears feature to allow for the instant purchase of desired talents.

Are you ready?
9/99?9? pic.twitter.com/uBZbeRCTsO
— HoloCure (@HoloCureGame) August 21, 2022


Cyberpunk 2077 Sales Surpass 13 Million Units

Developer CD Projekt Red has announced that Cyberpunk 2077 has sold more than a whopping 13 million units across all platforms as of 20 December 2020.
According to the Polish developer’s official report, the 13 million units sold already factors in “returns submitted by retail clients in brick-and-mortar as well as digital storefronts.” What that means is that they have likely subtracted all request refunds which have been submitted to date.
Why did CD Projekt Red announce this now of all times? It’s clearly a PR move in light of the news that their investors are considering legal action against them due to all the problems since launch.
CD Projekt Red even pretty much states it outright in the same report, admitting that they’re disclosing the sales numbers to appease investors and shareholders.
The report states:
“The Management Board has decided to disclose the above information in the form of a current report due to its potential impact on investment-related decisions.”
Previously, it was revealed that the pre-orders for Cyberpunk 2077 alone were more than eight million at launch, which means that the game sold at least an additional five million after launch.
Though this is an incredible feat, it remains to be seen how many of those 13 million will remain after more refund requests start coming in from disgruntled players on the PS4 and Xbox One.
You can check out a handy recap of all the problems plaguingÂ Cyberpunk 2077Â since launch byÂ heading over here, or check out our review of the game here.


Rogue Spirit November Update Adds Two New Characters & More

The new Rogue Spirit November update has expanded the playable charactersâ€™ roster, improved the combat system and includes other quality of life improvements.
Players can now play as the Slicer, a master of Japanese war fans. Strike your enemies quickly with melee combos. Or if they prefer to keep their distance then play as Deadeye, a long-range sniper who fights using a bow. Rain down arrows from above and pick off tough enemies.

The November update also includes an improved fighting experience that aims to make each run feel more intense, without being too difficult.Â Enemy AIâ€™s have been updated and will fight smarter by using varied attack combos and unblockable charged attacks.Â  Players will need to learn when to parry and when to dash.Â
For a full list of changes, you can check out the patch notes for the November update. Rogue Spirit is currently available on Steam Early Access and will launch fully in 2022. From today and for a limited time, the game is on sale for the price of RM30 after a 40 percent off discount on the standard price.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


All The Google Stadia News From Its Pre-E3 2019 Press Conference

This story will be updated accordingly.Â
We’ve created a one-stop spot for all the Google Stadia info for you Malaysian and Southeast Asian readers. The StreamÂ will start today at midnight; you can tune into it below.Â is done; watch the replay below.

Here’s the news we have so far. Keep in mind that this will be updated with the latest information.

Larian Studios will be developing Baldur’s Gate III for Google Stadia and PC.
Confirmed game titles so far for Google Stadia: Baldur’s Gate III, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, horror game Gylt, Get Packed, The Division 2, Destiny 2 with Shadowkeep expansion (out Fall 2019),Â Doom,Â Assassinâ€™s Creed Odyssey, Rage 2, the new Tomb Raider trilogy,Â

Stadia Pro subscription is US$9.99 per month. You’ll get the best of Stadia from this package.
A more expensive Stadia Founderâ€™s Edition will be for sale this fall. It comes with a Chromecast Ultra, a limited edition Night Blue Stadia controller, a three-month Pro subscription and a buddy pass, and an additional controller for US$69 dollars.
Stadia will be available in the following countries: USA, UK, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Finland, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland. Nope, no Southeast Asia countries yet, but that may happen in 2020.

Stadia Base lets you use Stadia for free, but you need to buy the games individually.
Here’s what you need to play Stadia: a Google account, a Stadia account (Pro, Base, or Buddy Pass), a Stadia Controller, the Stadia app, and a 10Mbps internet connection.

Minimum internet speed requirement is a 10mbps download/1mbps upload to stream games in 720p, 60fps with stereo sound. This should be fine for most households all over Southeast Asia, but it does beg the question of how overseas transfer will work.


Among Us Serves As An Inspiration For Aspiring Indie Devs

2020 has been a difficult year for many of us, to say the least. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in most of us confining and quarantining ourselves to our homes. This provided more opportunities and time for people to play more games.
What’s been the most popular game of 2020? It’s arguably not Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout and definitely not Cyberpunk 2077 or The Last Of Us Part 2.
Instead, it was a game that wasn’t even released this year.
I’m referring to Among Us, of course. Developer Innersloth launched Among Us on mobile and PC back in 2018. It went pretty much unnoticed in general until earlier this year when streamers started streaming the game and it exploded in popularity, similar to how Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout became a hit.
What Is Among Us?

The game takes place in a space-themed setting, in which players each take on one of two roles, most being Crewmates, and a predetermined number being Impostors.
The goal of the Crewmates is to identify the Impostors and eliminate them while completing tasks around the map. Meanwhile, the Impostors’ goal is to covertly sabotage and kill the Crewmates before they complete all of their tasks.
What makes Among Us a fun game is that players suspected to be Impostors can be eliminated via a majority vote. Any player can initiate this vote by calling an emergency meeting or reporting a dead body.
Crewmates win a match if all Impostors are eliminated or when all tasks have been completed. Impostors win a match if there is an equal number of Impostors and Crewmates, or if any sabotage of the ship goes unresolved. It’s essentially a modified version of the classic analog game Werewolf.

As a result, Among Us is an endlessly replayable and entertaining game. Trying to figure out who the Imposter is never fails to be a tense affair, and successfully getting away with being an Imposter is even more thrilling.
In the current climate, Among Us is the perfect game for people to play and connect with their friends and family. You don’t really need competitive or Soulsborne level of gaming skills to play this game, so that means everyone can experience Among Us without losing out.
However, Among Us had several advantages that contributed to its massive rise in popularity. The biggest factor is that Among Us is free-to-play on Android and iOS, which gives it an even bigger player base.
Even casual players who aren’t hardcore gamers could download and play Among Us on their phones. Case in point; I’ve seen my sister, who doesn’t normally play games, playing Among Us with her friends.
Among Us Proves That Games Can Be Late Bloomers

Among Us has gone mainstream in a way that most games can only dream of. Heck, even New York U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez streamed Among Us just weeks before the U.S. election took place in an effort to encourage younger people to go out and vote.

In that spirit, Among Us should serve as an inspiration for aspiring indie developers worldwide. Innersloth’s title proves that a game can still be a financial success one, two or even several years after it’s initial launch.
For now, Among Us remains a rare example rather than the norm, but it’s still proof that developers shouldn’t have to give up on their game if it doesn’t become an immediate success.

This is especially true for struggling indie developers. It’s not realistic to think that every game can reach the heights of Among Us’ success, but it’s not impossible for any game to bounce back from relative obscurity.
All of this ultimately spells good news for the gaming industry as a whole. The definition of success for a game doesn’t have to be restricted to just selling millions at launch. That’s no longer the only achievement a developer has to strive for, as there’s always hope for their game to turn out like Among Us.
As we speak, Among Us is still growing in terms of content, thanks to its surge in popularity. It recently released for the Nintendo Switch on 15 December 2020, and it will launch for the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles sometime in 2021.
There’s even new Among Us content (a new map, skins, and more) coming next year. Kudos to Innersloth, and let’s hope other deserving indie developers get their time in the sun as well.


The PS5 Is Now The Fastest-Selling Console In US History

The PS5 is certainly doing well, especially in the United States Of America. In its first five months on the market, the PlayStation 5 is now the fastest-selling console in U.S. history in terms of both unit and dollar sales.
That’s impressive, considering that the Xbox’s hold in the U.S. is pretty strong compared to other countries in the world. According to statistics provided by the NPD Group’s Mat Piscatella, this breaks the record held by any other video game console before it (unit and dollar sales within the first five months).

Mar 2021 US NPD THREAD – March 2021 consumer spending across video game hardware, content, and accessories reached a March record $5.6 billion, 18% higher when compared to a year ago. First quarter consumer spending totaled $14.9 billion, 30% higher than 2020's first quarter. pic.twitter.com/DyTVVqq38O
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) April 16, 2021

The launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S has also resulted in increasing video game hardware sales. Compared to last year, March 2021 saw US$680 million, which is 47 percent higher than the same month in 2020. Interestingly, while the PS5 broke records left and right, the Nintendo Switch remained the best-selling hardware platform in March 2021.
This is all good news for Sony in the current console war, as it means that they can keep building on the momentum achieved by the PS4 in its lifetime with the PS5. It doesn’t look like the PS5 will repeat the mistakes of the PS3, but it’s still too early in this generation to safely say for sure.
In the meantime, you can check outÂ my in-depth and no-holds-barred thoughts on the PS5Â after having it for more than a month. However, if youâ€™re looking for a more straightforward review, you shouldÂ head on over here instead.
Check out the top 20 best-selling games in March 2021 below:

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Monster Hunter Rise
Outriders
Super Mario 3D World
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Minecraft
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Pokemon Sword & Shield
Mortal Kombat 11
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Madden NFL 21
NBA 2K21
Super Mario Party
FIFA 21


Here’s How Many Players Punched The Annoying Reporter In Mass Effect Legendary Edition

It’s been a while since the game launched and Bioware has released an interesting infographic for Mass Effect Legendary Edition which reveals popular choices that players have made across the trilogy.
These include:

68 percent of players chose Male Shepard.
60 percent of players chose Ashley over Kaidan in Mass Effect 1.
Garrus is the most likely squadmate to survive the Suicide Mission in Mass Effect 2.
68 percent of players chose to punch the annoying reporter.

You can check out the full demographic below:

Mass Effect Legendary Edition is now available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC. For more details on the list of improvements,Ã‚Â head on over here.


The 30 Best Games Of 2021: #7

From December to mid-January 2022, we’ll be unveiling our favourite games of 2021. Here’s number 7.Â
#7: Guilty Gear Strive

Platforms: PS4, PS5, PC
It’s lonely at the top for Arc System Works, at least for 2D fighting games.
It does help that this year’s fighting game offerings are pretty slim, with no doubt a more-organized company like Arc System Works taking the win with its latest Guilty Gear title. Rather than keeping it like Guilty Gear Xrd, Guilty Gear Strive opt for the more streamlined route with multiple changes to its 2D fighting formula. Guilty Gear Strive is clearly the most accessible entry in the franchise yet, though it has its fair share of complex mechanics like multiple meters, numerous cancelling options that either does its job or even slow down time for a bit, a plethora of offensive and defensive options, and certain characters with unique traits and playstyles like Jack-O and Happy Chaos.
And that right there is what makes Guilty Gear Strive this year’s best competitive title. This is especially apparent since Arc System Works has been diligent in improving the game, its netcode that should be a standard for all major fighting games, and its varied roster, so much so that we had to update our review to accommodate these ever-growing changes. The fact that the game is a helluva looker and comes with an epic soundtrack also helps its case immensely.


There’s An Initial D CafÃ© Open In The Philippines

Fans of racing anime, you may want to check out this place in the Philippines that basically pays homage to the popular manga Initial D.
Speed Star cafe announced the first-ever Initial D concept cafÃ© in Cebu (via Ungeek.ph), featuring a Toyota 86 and what seems to be emulating a Japanese-style American diner. The cafÃ© is open in Cebu at the Panagdait Mabolo; search for it inside League Sports Bar.
https://www.facebook.com/speedstarcebu/posts/115113336754427:0

The place is now in its soft opening phase, so there’s not much news about it yet. All we know so far is that it opens from 10am to 10pm from Sundays to Thursdays, and from 10am to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.
The cafÃ© will host its grand opening on 25th March from 3pm to 11:59pm. So if you’re into fast Japanese cars and pasta, you may want to give this a shot if you’re in the area!


We’re Getting A Tintin Adventure Game From A French Game Publisher

Herge’s boy reporter-slash-adventurer Tintin is getting his own brand-new adventure game after 9 years since that Steven Spielberg adaptation.
French publisher Microids, who published the adventure game adaptation of the renowned French comic Blacksad (ie the one with the panther detective), has announced that they will be releasing a new Tintin “action-adventure” Tintin game. The title will feature characters from the comics like Captain Haddock, Professor Calculus, detectives Thomson and Thompson, and Snow the dog. What kind of a Tintin game would not include the smart-as-heck white doge?
Here are some obligatory press words from company CEO StÃ©phane Longeard:

“This really is a dream come true for us. The adventures of Tintin transported millions of readers worldwide and this opportunity will allow us to put our talents at the service of one of the biggest creators of the 20th century and its inked hero: Our team members are fans of the famous reporter and will do their best to pay this franchise a vibrant homage. We canâ€™t wait to kick-off this project!”

Want to see how Tintin games were back in the day? Check out the 1987 Commodore title Tintin On The Moon…

…and the Steven Spielberg adaptation we mentioned.

Oh, Ubisoft….


SDCC 2019: Avengers Endgame Writers Reveal Excluded Ideas For Dr. Strange, Thanos, And More

Avengers: Endgame was a long movie. Some fans said they didn’t feel the three hours and some said they wouldn’t even mind if it was four or five hours long. According to io9’s report of Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely‘s panel at San Diego Comic Con 2019, the movie could’ve actually been four or five hours long.
In case those names are unfamiliar to you, the two men are were the writers of all three Captain America movies, Infinity War, and Endgame. Their panel at SDCC was mostly focused on discussing how they wrote Endgame and what it was like working on probably the most ambitious comic book movie of all time (so far).
The panel began with them talking about Dr. Strange‘s fight with Thanos in Infinity War. You probably remember it as the battle where “Starlord messed up”. Yes, that battle. The lost scene was supposed to portray an attempt by Dr. Strange to guilt trip or at least scare Thanos by putting him in a hallucination where he’d be faced with all his past crimes and then be judged guilty by the Living Tribunal.
Dr. Strange and the Living Tribunal.
I would’ve loved to see Thanos become awestruck at one of those trippy world-bending scenes from the Dr. Strange movie but the true loss here is that we could’ve seen the Living Tribunal in an MCU movie! The Living Tribunal is a cosmic entity that pretty much acts as a judge for all the realities and universes within the Marvel comics.
The writers also shared a photo of how they planned Endgame’s time heist. It’s really nice to know that they actually talked to physicists to research about time travel. From that research, they concluded that a single timeline theory wouldn’t have worked and that’s why Captain America had to go back and “cut off the branches”.

Check out how the team behind Endgame and Infinity War worked out the time heist. pic.twitter.com/hlk7xaTC44
â€” Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) July 19, 2019

In his return to the Endgame timeline, pre-Infinity War Thanos reappeared with his daugthers, the Black Order, and his entire army. There were versions of this scene where he came back with something more: Captain America’s head. The writers explained that this was one of the ways they planned for Thanos to come back. It would’ve been a really good callback to Thanos’ decapitation at Endgame’s first act. “An eye for an eye” and all that.
There’s a lot more that the writers discussed at the panel and I implore you to give io9’s report a read. You can even listen to the entire panel discussion yourself through Jeff Goldsmith’s (the moderator) podcast here.


A Game That Lets You Manage A National News Channel Is Now In Early Access

Imagine Papers, Please but instead of deciding who passes the immigration checkpoint, you decide what to show on national television.
The folks overs at NotGames have finally released the early access version of Not for Broadcast. It’s their new game that puts you in the role of managing and editing the National Nightly News. As labeled on the box, it’s basically a propaganda sim.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjoZ9gYlw1Q&w=560&h=315]
Unlike Papers, Please, Not for Broadcast takes a more satirical route in its tone and atmosphere. It takes place in the 1980s and you’ll see a lot of outrageous but sometimes comically honest portrayals of politics, social developments, and more.
This is an actual job you’re doing so you’ll be paid if you do it well. It gets a bit more complicated when you face dilemmas such as having to promote faulty toys made by companies willing to pay you a huge sum of cash.

During the news segments, you control which camera feed is broadcasted onto people’s TVs and also censor any inappropriate words. More importantly, your editing skills decide how you frame a certain piece of news. Run the story on a politician’s scandals or highlight his charity events?
You can get the early access version on Steam for RM32. As of writing this, there will be a 10% discount on the game until 7 February 2020, which brings the price down to RM28.80. On average, reviews of the early access version are very positive.


Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Producer Teases Potential Release Date Coming Soon

It’s been a while since we’ve received an update on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but producer Yoshinori Kitase has finally given an official one for the project.
According to Kitase (via Twitter), development on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is “progressing smoothly and according to plan” and they “are currently working on nailing down a release date for the game”.

Final Fantasy VII RebirthDeveloper comment number 1 pic.twitter.com/O4KdGlh4gy
— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) June 2, 2023

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth AKA Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 2 is coming exclusively to PS5 sometime in winter 2023.
This will be the second game of a planned trilogy. It was originally announced back in June 2022.
In the meantime, rewatch the initial trailer below:


Wild Rift Rushes Out Of The Brush With Its First Competitive Season

Wild Rift players will be rushing out from their Nexus as the game begins its foray into the competitive esports scene. Riot Games has officially released their first competitive season with the launch of Southeast Asiaâ€™s regional league, the Wild Rift Champions SEA (WCS).
Opening its registration until 15 January 2022, the regional leagues will consist of six competitive sub-regions including Hong Kong & Taiwan, Malaysia & Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The opening qualifiers will use a Swiss Bracket format with each team playing seven rounds of best-of-3 matches.
The top eight teams will proceed to the knockout stage, competing in a double-elimination bracket for a spot in the regular season. Other parts of the world will be running their own respective regional leagues parallel to SEA.
The regular season begins on 15 February 2022, which will run for five weeks until 27 March 2022. It will utilize a double round-robin format, which will include teams that have advanced through the open qualifiers along with those who have been directly invited. The eight teams will compete against every other team twice in best-of-3 matches, with the top six proceeding to the WCS Playoffs that run from 1 April to 1 April 2022.
In other news, the start of this competitive season also brings along the announcement of the official global tournament, the Wild Rift Icons Global Championship. It will set the stage for the best players in the world to duke it out at the highest level of competitive play to crown the first-ever Wild Rift world champion. The global tournament will take place in Europe this summer, so players will have plenty of time to tune their skills and figure out their team comps in the meantime.

24 teams will make up the roster with eight qualifying straight from regional competitions, and 16 battling through the play-in stage. The main event will consist of the main stage and a knockout stage for the big final to crown the best Wild Rift team in the world for this year.
Already thinking of joining in? Players who are interested will have to meet the following requirements:

A team must consist minimum of six (6) players.
A team must consist of at least three (3) sub-region resident players and no more than two (2) import players, meaning cross-region teams are allowed.
Every player must be 17 years of age or older at the time of registration.

With the upcoming events, expect the Wild Rift scene to get a whole lot more lively so get your wards ready and remember to ban Teemo.


Classic JRPG Live A Live May Be Getting An English Version Soon

It looks like Square Enix has filed a trademark for the 1994 Super Famicom game Live A Live on 2 July 2020. For those unfamiliar, Live A Live is a time-travelling JRPG that was directed by Takashi Tokita, the man who would go on to direct the ultimately more iconic and popular also time-travelling JRPG, Chrono Trigger.
You could say that Live A Live paved the way for Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross. It was also notable for featuring a unique (at the time) gameplay mechanic; where a group of heroes individually fight through their own chapters of a video game and only have them come together for a final quest at the end. Other games have since done the same thing, including the recent 2018 JRPG Octopath Traveler by Acquire and Square Enix (see the pattern here?).
However, Live A Live twisted that notion; having its heroes hailing from different timelines instead of just different places in the same world. Besides that, the game’s music was great as well, composed by Yoko Shimomura, who would later go on to compose music for acclaimed franchises like Super Mario RPG and Kingdom Hearts.
The company filed the trademark for the Australian region code (via Gematsu) but it’s worth pointing out that the listed language for the game is English, especially considering that the original never did receive an official English version despite having been re-released several times over the past three decades or so, including on the Wii U in 2015 and the 3DS in 2016.
Thanks to the new trademark, it has sparked hope of Square Enix actually developing an English localization for Live A Live. As of now, there haven’t been any official announcements of a Live A Live remaster or port.
In the meantime, you can check out some of the gameplay in the video below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGVQQZL_qOQ&w=560&h=315]


The Very First Atelier Game Is Getting A 2023 Remake

The Atelier series of games from developer Gust may have morphed into something a little “juicy” but they wouldn’t have started were it not for the first few games starring alchemist Marie. Gust and publisher Koei Tecmo will be going back to the proverbial alchemy cauldron for their next game.
Atelier Marie will be getting a spiffy new remake dubbed Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist of Salburg. New additions for the alchemy and crafting JRPG include a chibi artstyle, visual novel-style talking bits with lovely artwork, and a revamped soundtrack.
The Atelier Marie remake will be launching this Summer worldwide for PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5. More information will be revealed on a future Japanese livestream on 20 February at 7pm GMT+8.

Check out the remake’s short trailer below.


Marvel Has Found Its Kamala Khan

Disney has cast actress Iman Vellani to take the role of Kamala Khan AKA the Magnificient Ms. Marvel in the upcoming Disney Plus TV series Ms. Marvel.
According to Deadline, Ms. Marvel will be Vellaniâ€™s first major role in a movie or TV series, though she was previously part of a group of students chosen to curate the Toronto Film Festivalâ€™s Next Wave festival in 2019.
Vellani will also be the first Muslim superhero to lead her own Marvel movie or TV series as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Kamala Khan debuted in 2013; created by editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, as well as writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Adrian Alphona. She received her polymorphic abilities when her Inhuman genes activated, allowing her to stretch and distort her body (or embiggen, as said in the comics).
She’s interesting not only because of her powers, but the also because she’s a normal American-Pakistani Muslim kid from New Jersey struggling to find her own identity between the pressures of school, family, culture, and religion.

Ms. Marvel doesn’t have release date yet, but we already know that Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life) will be directing episodes while Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Meera Menon (Farah Goes Bang) will act as showrunners and directors as well. Screenwriter and comedian Bisha K. Ali is the head writer.
Ms. Marvel also recently starred in Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics’ Marvel’s Avengers. Unfortunately, the game squanders its potential and just isn’t very good (check out our full review here).

https://twitter.com/kumailn/status/1311383916117258240