Holy Freebie, Batman! The EGS Is Giving Away Six Free Batman Games

The Epic Games Store will usually tease the games that they’re giving away for free in the coming week on their store page. Last week had a lot of us feeling confused because they only put up a thumbnail of Batman but titled it “? ? ?” which led to most people assuming they were going to give away the Arkham Collection.

Turns out that the EGS is giving those games and three more. The latest EGS free games offer celebrates Batman Day (21 September) by giving us all three Arkham games and all three Lego Batman games as well. That’s six games for the price of none.
Like Heath Ledger’s Joker once said: It’s not about the money. It’s about sending a message. I’m thinking the message here is that “We can continue to neglect our digital store UI because look at how many awesome free games we can give you”.

I haven’t spent a single cent on the EGS and I already have close to 30 titles on the platform. That’s how crazily generous Epic has been to its users. If only they were that diligent in creating more features for their store.


Octopath Traveler Is Getting A Mobile Prequel

Some lovely news for you JRPG fans out there: Square Enix will be releasing an Octopath Traveler prequel this year (in Japan, anyway).
The catch? It’s on mobile (via Gematsu). That’s right; you’ll be experiencing this 2D/3D art style goodness on your iOS/Android devices.
Subtitles “Tairiku no Haisha” or “Conquerers of the Continent”, the JRPG will feature all-new stories and characters, as well as the same battle system we loved. This time, you can have up to eight party members participating in battle. Story-wise, you get to choose between three “reigning champions.

On a related note, there’s going to be another Octopath Traveler game for console. According to Square Enix’s Tomoya Asano on a Famitsu interview, there’s a possibility for a sequel but that’ll take a while since this mobile project is currently underway. The message below is confirmation of that.

RT???????????????????????????????????????3/12????????????????????
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— ???????????? (@OCTOPATH_PR) March 8, 2019

Apparently, it’ll also be free-to-play and will come with microtransactions. I don’t know what they are yet, but let’s hope it’s not involving gameplay mechanics and in-game weaponry. If you’re interested like I am, you can pre-register here.


You Can Get Free Genshin Impact Primogems By Inviting Others To Play

Genshin Impact is hosting a new in-game event called Adventurers, Assemble where existing players can snag some free Mora (in-game cash) and Primogems (currency you need to get wishes & stuff). It’s simple, really: from now until 27th November, players who are Adventurer Rank 15 and higher can acquire and share a code to create an Adventure Bond with newcomers. By doing so, both players will get Mora and Primogems when they advance in ranking.
When the code is used & shared, they earn 10,000 Mora. When the player reaches Adventurer Rank 15, they get 60 Primogems. They also get an additional 60 Primogems when their subsequent invited friend hits Rank 15. Yes, you can have multiple Adventurer Bonds for more Primogems. No, you can’t have 11 or more invites: 10 is the maximum and players can only accept one code. You obviously cannot double up your free loot.
If you’re below Adventurer Rank 7, you can get rewards from those invitation codes too: you’ll get 10,000 Mora, 10 pieces of Fine Enhancement Ore, and 10 Adventurer’s Experience exp-giving items if you use one. Protip: use our guide if you want to level up fast.
There’s also a giveaway where 30 randomly-selected Genshin Impact players will get Airpods Pro. To be in the running, you need to post your invitation code and UID in the comments section of the Genshin Pro Facebook page, Twitter, or forums. Oh, and invite at least two new players who achieve Adventurer Rank 15. Details here.


Space Jam: A New Legacy Gets A Free Beat-Em Up Title For Xbox Game Pass

Do you have the need to beat the crap out of cartoon space aliens as Lebron, Bugs Bunny, and Lola Bunny? You’re in luck, because Digital Eclipse has you covered.
To celebrate the upcoming release of the Space Jam: A New Legacy basketball cartoon live-action film hybrid, the devs at Digital Eclipse will be releasing Space Jam: A New Legacy – The Game. The free-to-play title will be for Xbox Series and Xbox One Game Pass Ultimate users starting 1st July. For everyone else, the game will be a free-to-play title starting 15th July. The game is exclusive to Xbox due to the company’s collaboration with Warner Bros. Pictures.

It’s basically a 2D side-scrolling beat-em-up where your selectable characters are Lebron, Bugs Bunny, and Lola Bunny. It comes with lovely pixel art. Here’s the official description:
The Tune Squad faces the Goon Squad in a wacky basketball beat â€™em up!
Back in December 2020, Xbox called all gamers,Â Space JamÂ fans and coding enthusiasts to submit their ideas for the newÂ Space Jam: A New LegacyÂ game available first with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. After reviewing submissions from around the world, Xbox and the Digital Eclipse development team selected the ideas and game concepts from two lucky winners, whose ideas have come to life in one of the looniest arcade style challenges around:
As part of his scheme to become an all-powerful digital force, a rogue artificial intelligence named Al-G Rhythm has trapped basketball champion and global icon LeBron James inside the Warner Bros. server.

While plotting to have his Goon Squad square off against LeBron and the Tune Squad in a high-stakes, high-tech basketball game, Al-G locks himself away in a hidden area of cyberspace.
If LeBron, Bugs Bunny, and Lola Bunny can find all three pieces of the â€œLegacy Code,â€ they can use it to open up Al-Gâ€™s secret lair. But standing in their way is the rogue AIâ€™s robot armyâ€¦ and members of the Goon Squad, The Brow and White Mamba.
Put the hurt on Al-Gâ€™s army in this classic 2D brawler, using collectible cards to enlist help from other Tune Squad players. Will the Tune Squadâ€™s teamwork be enough to stop Al-G Rhythmâ€™s plans?
Watch the trailer below:


PlayStation Asia Unveils Three New PS4 Bundles

Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore Private Limited (SIES) has announced that it will be releasing three new PS4 bundles starting from 22 November 2019, which includes the â€œPS4 Pro Party Bundleâ€, â€œPS4 Party Bundleâ€, and â€œMEGA PACKâ€.
The PS4 Party Bundle comes in two distinct versions.
The PS4 Pro version will be available at a promotional price of RM1,899 and comes in a stunning black sleeve box, which includes:

FIFA 20 (Disc) and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (Disc).
A PS4 Pro system (CUH-7218B B01, Jet Black, 1TB HDD).
Two DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controllers (Jet Black).
1+1 years of Extended Warranty.

PS4 Pro Party Bundle
Meanwhile, the PS4 Party Bundle will be available at a promotional price of RM1,499 and comes in a contrasting white sleeve box, which includes:

FIFA 20 (Disc) and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (Disc).
A PS4 system (CUH-2218A B01, Jet Black, 500GB HDD).
Two DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controllers (Jet Black).
1+1 years of Extended Warranty.

PS4 Party Bundle
On the other hand, the MEGA PACK will be available at a promotional price of RM1349, and will include:

A PS4 system (CUH-2218B B01, Jet Black, 1TB HDD).
A DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controller (Jet Black).
Three popular titles from the extensive PS4 lineup: God of War (Disc), Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition (Disc) and Grand Theft Auto V Premium Edition (Disc).
A PS4 FORTNITE NEO VERSA BUNDLE DLC voucher card.
A PS Plus 3-Month Membership subscription card.

PS4 MEGA PACK
[wpvideo IQ2gwEqa]
In addition, users can also grab an extra 2-month membership when purchasing PS Plus 12-month Membership Card at PlayStation Authorised Dealers, Sony Stores and Selected Convenience Stores from 22 November to 2 December 2019.

Though not explicitly mentioned by SIE Asia or PlayStation Asia, these new bundles and promotions are likely part of a regional attempt at offering Black Friday deals. Black Friday officially falls on 29 November 2019 in the US.


Moomin Franchise Gets A Musical Adventure Game For 2023

Who knew so late in the 2020s we’d be getting a game based on the Moominvalley universe? Better late than never.
Developer Hyper Games has announced a musical adventure game called Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley for consoles and PC (Steam), slated for 2023. The game is focused on Moominvalley character Snufkin, who needs to restore the harmony of Moominvalley after seeing some grotesque parks ruining the land’s natural balance. The adventure is ambient-filled and combines open-world mechanics with puzzles, stealth, and musical elements.
Here are the game’s features:

A cozy adventure game in a gorgeous storybook art style.
Story-rich gameplay and charming characters to meet, each with their own charming stories to uncover and quests to solve, inspired by Tove Janssonâ€™s work.
Explore Moominvalleyâ€™s open world and solve musical and environmental puzzles along the way to uncover its secrets.
Get the strict Park Keeper and his horrible parks out of Moominvalley with the help of your trusty harmonica, a bit of stealth, and the friends youâ€™ll meet along the way.

Check out the announcement trailer below:


Cruella Is A Stylish Retelling Of A Classic Disney Villain That No One Asked For

Disney’s current cash cow plan of retelling tales as old as time (from the 60s onward) with fares like Pete’s Dragon to Beauty & The Beast seems to be garnering them a tidy sum, though at the expense of storytelling and film direction quality. The recent retelling of Mulan in 2020 is just above average, but that’s being generous knowing that Disney studios can do so much better.
The retelling of 101 Dalmatian’s key villainess, Cruella de Vil, is the origin story and reboot of the classic animated film that forcibly adds in references and callbacks for the sake of nostalgia pandering rather than meaningful story substance. The first 15 minutes features the unintentionally silly scene as to why Cruella is traumatized by dalmatians; the other nods and old film storyline tie-ins do not gel really well here.
Dog Day Afternoon

It’s a pity too because the film does look good and is slick with most of its editing and direction, letting its plot of Cruella/Estella (Emma Stone) going from rags to riches while also one-upping her mentor-slash-antagonist The Baroness (Emma Thompson) just unfold with its good performances. Both Stone and Thompson are darlings to watch on-screen as usual. The overall plot is also decently paced too were it not for the forced callbacks.
At the very least, director Craig Gillespie made the film a lovely treat for the eyes with its various shots and even accentuating the key scenes of Estella using her Joker Cruella persona to troll The Baroness’ fashion work mid-film. This is the guy who made the story of ice skater Tonya Harding a lovely treat to spectate, so of course he’s up to the task of making a standard Disney retelling a bit more pleasant to the eyes than the rest of the heap.
Cruella is a fine and decently polished-up film that’s meant for its current Disney revisionist fanbase who want to see heroic streaks out of their classic villains. We’re basically in a world where giving established antagonists who are evil for the sake of it will not fly; like as if we need the aforementioned callbacks forced into their characters and plot development. As a result, the film suffers from just being a simple tale of a seemingly meek person breaking out with her persona against all odds. Why can’t our anti-heroine just have a maniacal laugh and black/white hair because she just does, instead of having some needless backstory and unnecessary plot detail to fill up that seemingly empty lore gap?
Long story short: stay for the quick thrills, and nothing more. And also wince at the obvious soundtrack choices that are clearly trying show that the film is “with the times”.
Final Score: 60/100


Luke Skywalker’s LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series Landspeeder Launches This May

Star Wars has announced that a faithful recreation of the rugged X-34 Landspeeder is joining the ranks of the LEGO Ultimate Collector Series with the new LEGO Star Wars Luke Skywalker Landspeeder set.

The 1,890-piece LEGO brick model features a new molded cockpit element, a  plaque with vehicle facts, and two minifigures for display: Luke Skywalker and an exclusive minifigure of C-3PO one gold and silver molded leg and a new side printing to arms and legs.

Expertly created by LEGO set designer César Carvalhosa Soares, the finished build measures 49 centimeters long and features the two-seater cockpit, the turbine engine without a cover, and the iconic curved cockpit windscreen to maintain screen-accuracy.
“It’s been an amazing adventure creating Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder in LEGO brick form,” says Soares. “We’ve ensured no detail has been forgotten and have even included some of the scratches. It is such an iconic vehicle in the Star Wars saga.”
Although LEGO has modeled the vehicle for other sets, this marks the first time that Luke’s landspeeder gets this higher level of detail and accuracy. “The final model is a great display piece where fans can also get the chance to have lots of fun while building it,” says Soares.
In defining the model, Soares found the color palette — evocative of the harsh desert world and the gritty used-future aesthetic seen in the film — particularly appealing.
“I think the color scheme is striking,” he says. “The combination of nougat and dark red alongside the chrome grill works particularly well.” And just like the prop that inspired it, the trio of engines are all unique, “so you can avoid some repetition during building and at the same time make the model a bit more visually interesting,” Soares notes. “I especially like the open cowl one with all the wires and thrusters bits exposed!”
Launching this May, the LEGO Star Wars Luke Skywalker Landspeeder set is geared for adult fans and collectors 18 and up, alongside other LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series sets, including the Millennium Falcon, the Republic Gunship, and the AT-AT.
The LEGO Star Wars Luke Skywalker Landspeeder set is available for LEGO VIPs starting May 1, 2022, then on-sale on Star Wars Day, beginning May 4, 2022, at LEGO Stores and LEGO.com.


Kakuchopurei Welcomes Tashbunny To The Team

We are thrilled to welcome Natasha Hashim a.k.a @_tashbunny to the Kakuchopurei team as Digital Content Creator. An avid streamer of League of Legends on Twitch, you may have come across her before, hosting a number of esports tournaments along with many other video game-related eventsÂ in Malaysia. But expect bigger things coming from her – as they say, big things come in small packages!

At Kakuchopurei, Natasha will be producing video game-related digital content such as gameplay streams, let’s plays and more. We are all for community engagement and you are more than welcomed to be part of it!
Expect some really cool stuff from Tasha real soon. You can keep up with her streams here on Twitch and don’t forget to (takes deep breath) #LIKECOMMENTANDSUBSCRIBE. She can also be found on Twitter here.

While you are at it, do follow us Twitter too! (yes, this is a shameless plug!)


Pumpkin Jack Walkthrough & Video Guide

This week’s early Halloween release Pumpkin Jack is quite fun to play. But if you happen to be stuck, here are some videos to help you out.
Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6 + Ending


Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse Writer Confirms Spectacular Spidey In Upcoming Movie

Sony Pictures just unveiled a new official poster for Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse. What’s interesting is that Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse co-writer Christopher Miller has confirmed via Twitter that one of the Spider-people featured on the poster is indeed Spectacular Spider-Man.

Yes
— Christopher Miller (@chrizmillr) December 20, 2022

Who is Spectacular Spider-Man? The Spectacular Spider-Man is an animated series developed for television by Greg Weisman and Victor Cook. It was, and still remains, a fan-favourite despite being cancelled after only two seasons.
The series received widespread acclaim from both critics and fans, with praise being aimed at the exploration of surprisingly mature themes, the faithful portrayal of the titular protagonist (along with the supporting characters and villains), the vocal performances from the cast, the unique character designs and art style, and the use of clever writing while paying homage to classic stories from the comics.
It’s currently available to watch on Disney+ Hotstar.

Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse is slated to premiere in June 2023.


Tencent Acquires Warframe & Gears Tactics Developers

Tencent has acquired Leyou Technologies for a whopping US$1.5 billion deal. It was signed-off by Leyou shareholders on 11 December 2020 and finalised today.
Weirdly enough, Leyou Technologies was previously a chicken processing company. It only started to enter the world of videogames by acquiring a majority stake in Warframe developer Digital Extremes in 2014.
In 2016, Leyou then acquired Gears Tactics developer Splash Damage and a 20 percent stake in developer Certain Affinity, who recently worked on Call Of Duty Modern Warfare Remastered and Halo Infinite.
Last but not least, Leyou most recently formed Athlon Games, who are currently working with Amazon on The Lord of the Rings MMO.
Now that Tencent has purchased Leyou, the Chinese giant now owns all of the above. This adds to the company’s already impressive list of developers that they own, including Riot Games, Funcom, 50 percent of Epic Games, and stakes in major companies like Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, Paradox Interactive and more.
In an official blog post, Splash Damage co-founder and CEO Richard Jolly said:
â€œWeâ€™ve always been dedicated to creating team-based games that spark friendships and build passionate communities, and we strive to work with partners who believe in that mission. In our many discussions with Tencent, it became clear that they not only believe in that mission but will do everything they can to enable and empower us to realise it. This is going to be a bold new phase for our studio, with an amazing line-up of ambitious games that deliver on what Splash Damage is all about. We couldnâ€™t be more excited.”
Meanwhile, Warframe developer Digital Extremes also reassures their independence in a blog post:
“Yes, we will continue to create great content for Warframe and we will remain creatively independent. Our focus will remain on listening to you, our community, upgrading Warframe based on your feedback, and developing the kind of great stories, gameplay, and incredible new space ninja action youâ€™ve come to expect from us. Tencent is well known for respecting the creative decisions and integrity of its studios, and for giving them the autonomy and independence to experiment, innovate and thrive.”
It looks like Tencent is becoming the Disney of the games industry fast.


The PS5 Spider-Man Remastered Game Has Recast Peter Parker…Sort Of…

In a move that raises some questions than answers, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered for the PS5 will be recasting Peter Parker’s face and head, based on the latest trailer and PlayStation Blog post.Â

Actor Ben Jordan is cast as the face of Peter Parker in the upcoming remastering of the 2018 action-adventure title.

“In order to bring the best performances to players with our next-generationÂ Marvel’s Spider-Man games, we have recast the face of Peter Parker. We loved working with John Bubniak on the original game; however, to get a better match to Peter Parker/Spider-Man actor Yuri Lowenthalâ€™s facial capture, we have cast Ben Jordan to be the face model for Peter Parker on the PS5 console.”

The fact that Ben Jordan does look a bit like a pastier Tom Holland (but doesn’t cost as much) may have a bit to do with this recasting, but that’s just speculation on our part. As for Yuri Lowenthal’s voice? It’ll still be there, Insomniac community director James Stevenson said to Kakuchopurei (via head honcho Kenn Leandre).

Something tells us Kenn isn’t the only one who preferred the original Peter Parker back in 2018. Other changes in the remastered game include updated graphics, 60fps, and Performance Mode options.
Oh look, more comments!


Strange World Is Now Streaming On Disney+ Hotstar

The latest Walt Disney Animation animated movie, Strange World, is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar in Malaysia.
However, you’ll have to use the search bar and search for “Strange World” for the movie to pop up.
Strange World did not premiere in Malaysian cinemas because it features an openly-gay key character named Ethan (voiced by Jaboukie Young-White), who has a crush on another boy in the movie.
Strange World introduces a legendary family of explorers, the Clades, as they attempt to navigate an uncharted, treacherous land alongside a motley crew that includes a mischievous blob, a three-legged dog and a slew of ravenous creatures.
The voice cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal as Searcher Clade, a family man who finds himself out of his element on an unpredictable mission; Dennis Quaid as Searcher’s larger-than-life explorer father, Jaeger; Jaboukie Young-White as Searcher’s 16-year-old son, Ethan, who longs for adventure; Gabrielle Union as Meridian Clade, an accomplished pilot and Searcher’s partner in all things; and Lucy Liu as Callisto Mal, Avalonia’s fearless leader who spearheads the exploration into the strange world. “Strange World” is helmed by Don Hall (“Big Hero 6,” “Raya and the Last Dragon”) and co-director/writer Qui Nguyen (co-writer “Raya and the Last Dragon”), and produced by Roy Conli (“Big Hero 6,” “Tangled”).
Check out the trailer below:


Warzone Players Can Try Modern Warfare’s Multiplayer For Free Tomorrow

Unlike the rest of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the battle royale-focused Call of Duty: Warzone doesn’t cost a dime to play. If you’ve been wanting to see what the main game’s multiplayer is like, however, you’ll get the chance tomorrow (at time of writing).
Activision announced on Twitter that Warzone players will be getting a Free Access Weekend for Modern Warfare‘s multiplayer mode. It’ll run from 3 April to 6 April, but given the different time zones it’d likely be one day later for us in Malaysia.

Announcements: #ModernWarfare MP Free Access Weekend starts tomorrow for all free-to-play #Warzone players: https://t.co/hhlBB3VONYLast Chance to complete the Season Two Battle Pass. We’ve got five tips for finishing it in style: https://t.co/lKeOv129Q9#CallofDuty pic.twitter.com/BTBUgCHQjH
— Activision (@Activision) April 2, 2020

It doesn’t sound like it’d be the full multiplayer experience though. Instead, Warzone players will get access to the “Stocked Up, Locked Down” 24/7 Playlist in the game’s lobby, with two maps, Atlas Superstore and Shoot House, being featured. It’d be a Moshpit experience that’ll alternate between Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, and other modes.
It’s also the last chance for players to finish Modern Warfare‘s Season Two Battle Pass, with unique skins, weapon blueprints, and Operator missions to obtain. Activision notes that Battle Pass progress is shared between Modern Warfare‘s multiplayer, Warzone, and the co-op spec-ops mode, though Warzone-only players will have to buy Modern WarfareÂ to enjoy their unlockables.
While it’s a shame that this free weekend won’t feature the full Modern Warfare multiplayer experience, it should suffice as a fun taster nevertheless. I enjoyed the multiplayer quite a bit during the open beta (aside from the Azhir Cave map), and our Kenn Leandre called it the “most fun Iâ€™ve had on aÂ CoD game since forever” in his review.


One Of The PS5’s Launch Titles Is Delayed To 2021

Destruction All-Stars, a derby racing game every PlayStation fan is waiting for, is getting delayed to 2021.
According to a recent PlayStation blog post, the former launch title that would have been alongside the remaster of the 2018 Spider-Man game and Demon’s Souls, some Sackboy platformer, side game Miles Morales: Spider-Man, and a couple of other multiplatform titles like Godfall and AC: Valhalla, is pushed back to February 2021. On the upside, Destruction All-Stars will be on PlayStation Plus for two months, free of charge.
It doesn’t change the fact that this exclusion is making the already wafer-thin PS5 exclusive game lineup all the more barren. A shame too, considering Destruction All-Star looks like a fun launch title that reminds many of us here at Kakuchopurei of Rocket League.


No Straight Roads’ Latest Trailer Comes With An Adorable Acoustic Number

Talk about making quite an impression. Metronomik just released a new trailer showcasing the ins and outs of its upcoming rhythm game-like action title No Straight Roads. It’s an acoustic cover of an old classical music piece (the tune’s name escapes me because I’m an uncultured swine), performed adorably by main character Mayday.

The lyrics are basically about the game’s setting, the bad guys led by Tatiana and her empire of EDM, and how she’s going to crash the party with the power of rock and her awesome guitar.
It also comes with a lot of text overlay and action beat edits. Looks ace to me!

As mentioned in our previews & exclusive interviews, imagine an indie studio doing a Devil May Cry-style action game but you can reflect projectiles in sync with the background music. And use the power of song to create turrets out of stationary instruments. That’s No Straight Roads in a nutshell.
Go check out our past videos to learn more about the game and Metronomik. You know you want to.


F-Zero & Starfox Artist Is Making A New Text Adventure Game

Takaya Imamura is a name known by Nintendo gaming veterans. He’s the lead artist behind the Star Fox and F-Zero series of games, two franchises kinda forgotten by the Big N. And now, he’s debuting a brand new game as an independent developer.
Takaya Imamura left Nintendo last year after three decades of working there; he recently announced a video game adaptation of his debut manga called Omega 6. According to Japanese game site 4gamer, the Omega 6 video game will be a simple text adventure title, which includes battle scenes you can play out.

What’s Omega 6 about? It follows the story of Thunder and Kaira, bounty hunters who travel through space in search of a new planet to replace Earth. The game will feature an original story based on the manga. Look forward to this old-school title from Japanese studio Happy meal that’s slated for a 2023 release for Nintendo Switch.


Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Now Has A Roadmap

We do love our online multiplayer shootin’ with the latest Call of Duty entry. Apparently, so did everyone else, because it gives developers Infinity Ward justification to release a roadmap to chart out its plans for 2020 and beyond.
Highlights include:

The aforementioned 3v3 Gunfight mode we talked about this week.
More loadout space.
More 2XP, 2X Weapon XP, and 2X Tier events.
Fixes including lighting flickering, mission collision on the Cargo map, platinum skins not unlocking, and more.
Setting certain days for particular developer updates. Tuesdays are playlist updates, Thursdays are for dev diaries and behind-the-scenes blog posts, and Fridays are Community Update blog posts.

The best part? You can just check it out yourself via Trello. While you’re at it, why not help out your fellow Australian gamers and chip in some money for the fires relief in exchange for some cool in-game gear?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare deserves its 90/100 score for its gunplay. But is it really OUR top game of 2019? Only one way to find out; tune into our Best of 2019 weekly features which we will wrap up next week!
30 games is a lot to cover, ladies & gents, so bear with us.


Type-Moon Opens New Game Studio Led By Former Fate/Extra Producer

Just about a week ago, the director of the Dragon Quest Builders series and former producer of Fate/Extra Kazuya Nino announced that he has left Square Enix after seven years of working for the company. His departure occurred just a month after the release of Dragon Quest Builders 2.
A recent announcement from Type-Moon has confirmed that he is currently working at a new game studio called Type-Moon Studio BB.
Through a message on the the new studio’s official website, Kazuya expressed that he’s excited to work with many creators and publishers including Type-Moon co-founders Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi to “deliver the charm of the Type-Moon world to everyone in a wide variety of games”.
In the same message, he also outlined what kind of games everyone can expect the studio to be working on.

“Studio BB’s development policy is based on two pillars: medium to large-scale 3D games developed in cooperation with external developers and small 2D games developed in-house.”
– Kazuya Nino, head of Type-Moon Studio BB.
Type-Moon Studio BB is currently looking to recruit more staff members and they specifically need programmers, art designers, game designers, and a project manager.


A Dark Knight Joins For Honor Later This Month

Ubisoft has officially revealed the first new Hero for For Honor Year 3, which will kick off the new season ‘Vortiger’. Black Prior will be the new Dark Hero joining For Honor as part of the Knights faction on 31 January 2019.
What’s so special about For Honor‘s new Dark Knight? The Black Priors are heavy heroes wielding massive kite shields and a huge longsword. Unlike other Knights in the game, they are free from the code of chivalry, which means they will do anything to achieve victory on behalf of their leader, Vortiger.
All Year 3 Season Pass owners will receive access to Black Prior on 31 January, while other players will have to wait until 7 February to unlock the new Dark hero for 15,000 Steel.
Besides that, For Honor Year 3 Season 1 ‘Vortiger’ will introduce additional Hero updates to improve the roster, focusing on the Shugoki, Warlord, and Peacekeeper. Players can also look forward to new Dominion map ‘Harbor’, which will be added for free on 31 January 2019.
In the game’s lore, Harbor is a port town on the shores of Lake Eitrivatnen where the Black Priors once helped the Knights defend against their enemies. Ruthless strategies helped them win battles with impossible odds.
More details and information on For Honor Year 3 Season 1 ‘Vortiger’ will soon be unveiled in a special Warriorâ€™s Den live stream on 24 January 2019 at 9 am PT on the For Honor Twitch channel.
In the meantime, check out the For Honor Vortiger cinematic trailer below for your first look at the Black Priors.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST7QRCcUcjs&w=560&h=315]


The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition Drops March 2023

Publisher Private Division and developer Obsidian Entertainment have announced The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition, will launch for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store, and GOG on 7 March 2023.

This new version of the game includes a dynamic weather system, revamped lighting and environments, better load times, enhanced character models and animation, an increased level cap of up to 99, and much more await spacers who bravely and boldly take their place in the conspiratorial Halcyon colony.
Summary of the game according to Obisidian:
“Lost in transit while on a colonist ship bound for the edge of the galaxy, you awake decades later only to find yourself in the midst of a deep conspiracy threatening to destroy the colony. Explore the various planets and locations of Halcyon, including the mysterious Gorgon Asteroid and delightful distillery on Eridanos. As you encounter various factions, all vying for power, the character you decide to become will determine how this player-driven story unfolds.”
First-time buyers purchasing The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition will include The Outer Worlds base game and both DLCs, Murder on Eridanos and Peril on Gorgon for USD59.99/MYR269.24. Players who already own the base game and its DLCs either on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, or PC can upgrade to the enhanced version of the game for only USD9.99/MYR44.84.
Check out the trailer below:


PS4 Exclusive Concrete Genie Is Out This October In Malaysia

Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore Private Limited (SIES) has announced that PS4 exclusive Concrete Genie will be released in Malaysia on 9 October 2019.
Developed by first-party SIE developer PixelOpus, Concrete Genie is an action-adventure puzzle-platformer game, which follows the heart-warming journey of a bullied teenager named Ash.
In the game, he escapes his troubles by painting spectacular living landscapes and mischievous Genies throughout his abandoned hometown of Denska, a once-bustling seaside town now consumed by Darkness.Â As he masters his magical paint, he discovers it can purify Denskaâ€™s polluted walls.
Players will use the DualShock 4’s motion controls to paint landscapes and creatures that will come to life. For instance, painting a creature with red paint will grant it with fire-breathing abilities.
The Blu-ray Disc Standard Edition and Standard Digital Edition of Concrete Genie are priced at RM129, while the Digital Deluxe Edition will cost RM169.

The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the full game, as well as the following digital bonuses:

Concrete GenieÂ Pond Design Pack
The Music of Concrete GenieÂ â€“Â Digital Soundtrack
Concrete Genie Digital Art Book
Concrete GenieÂ Lighthouse Dynamic Theme

In addition, both pre-orders and early purchases of Concrete Genie will also include the Concrete Genie Denska Dynamic Theme and Concrete Genie Avatar Set.
In the meantime, check out the Concrete Genie gameplay video below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSLAyWsFyYk&w=560&h=315]


Final Fantasy VII Tifa Lockhart Porn Interrupts Important Government Meeting

Sometimes you just have to close all your browsers and wipe out your browser history in case less-than-savoury things pop up during an important meeting. Such is the case of Italian lawmakers who gathered yesterday for a Zoom meeting discussion about data transparency.
During the important digital meeting, someone started playing a CGI video of Final Fantasy VII’s Tifa Lockhart getting busy on a bed doggy style with a faceless well-hung character. The unofficial hentai went live for 30 seconds just as the Zoom call was introducing 2021’s Nobel Prize physics winner Giorgio Parisi.
The meeting itself was hosted by Five Star Movement Senator Maria Laura Mantovani; it went smoothly for the first 30 minutes. The porn only started playing when introductions to Giorgio Parisi were made. You can thank the internet and Twitter for preserving the moment, as the official VOD for the event has been edited out.

"the what, Naldush?""The Tifa Lockhart hentai video that was accidentally shown during a ZOOM meeting of the Italian senate yesterday, that's what I said." pic.twitter.com/hBSdNguXki
— Ducktor Naldush (@FrancescoDonald) January 18, 2022

Some reports blamed hackers for the sabotage, though at this point in time it’s clear what happened and who the actual perpetrators were. Of course, if you’re wondering what the sauce is, head here (NSFW).


Black Widow Is Natasha’s Swansong & Passing Of The Baton

How long has it been since the last Marvel Cinematic Universe movie? Let me remind you: the last official MCU movie was 2019â€™s Spider-Man Far For Home, so itâ€™s been a whopping two years. Thatâ€™s the longest period of time weâ€™ve been without an MCU movie since its debut in 2008 (2009 was previously the only year without an MCU movie).
So, how is the MCU’s return after almost two years? Suffice it to say, the Marvel movie magic is still here, folks, and Black Widow is proof of that. Excelsior!
I Spy With My Little Eye

Just like 2019â€™s Captain Marvel before it, Marvelâ€™s Black Widow takes place in the past, not in the present. This time, weâ€™re going back to the time period between 2016â€™s Captain America Civil War and 2018â€™s Avengers Infinity War. During this point in time, Natasha Romanoff AKA the Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson) remains on the run from the authorities ever since she sided with Captain Americaâ€™s anti-Sokovian Accords faction.
Yes, almost everyone knows that Natasha died in 2019â€™s Avengers Endgame, but the Black Widow movie takes place before all that even happens. Even after appearing in all those films, we still donâ€™t know much about Natashaâ€™s past. However, the Black Widow movie seeks to explore all that as she returns to her old family of former KGB agents and assassins to take down the still-operating and infamous Red Room program (which trained her in the first place all those years ago).
As a movie, Black Widow is more of an espionage action-thriller and a dysfunctional family drama than it is a superhero movie. However, it is mostly pretty formulaic in its structure and plot, with the exception of certain scenes where the movie’s darker tone comes into play. This is still a movie about assassins whose job is to kill, after all. The opening scene is perhaps one of the best in the MCU, showcasing the forced indoctrination of child soldiers by the Red Room.
The movie is best when it explores the relationship and dynamic between Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johannson) and the members of her estranged family. This includes Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Alexei Shostakov AKA Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz). They all perform admirably, but the highlight of the movie is definitely Pugh’s Yelena and Harbour’s Alexei, both of whom not only inject most of the movie’s funniest moments but also many of its most emotional ones. They share a lot of the same deep-rooted trauma (especially Natasha and Yelena) and this shows in their interactions with each other during a scene when they’re finally reunited for the first time after decades.

It even feels like Yelena overshadows Natasha in her own movie, which is both a good and bad thing. This is very well Natasha’s last appearance in the MCU, so it doesn’t help that she’s not even the main highlight of the movie. Fortunately, with Yelena confirmed to appear in future MCU entries, at least it means that we’ll be seeing a lot more of this awesome new character who is a perfect successor to the fallen Avenger.
Back in 2019, I mentioned in my Spider-Man Far From Home review that Tom Holland’s Peter Parker AKA Spider-Man is the MCU’s first legacy hero. In the comics, legacy heroes are often sidekicks/partners or even random people inspired by their heroes who inherits/adopts the name/mantle/responsibility of an existing or deceased hero. The best legacy heroes pick up certain attributes of their predecessor but ultimately grows into a hero in their own right, with feats and accomplishments that make them unique and special in their own way.
That best describes Pugh’s Yelena, and the Black Widow movie is very much Natasha passing the baton. The movie succeeds in giving Natasha her swansong and putting her character to rest, while also assuring fans of the MCU that the Black Widow mantle is in good hands. Black Widow is practically the secret origin movie for Yelena Belova, while also acting as a farewell to Natasha Romanoff.
Unfortunately, the Black Widow movie also suffers from the same problem as many of its predecessors in the MCU; namely, the villains. Comic book fans will be disappointed to learn that this version of Taskmaster is nothing like the one in the comics. This Taskmaster acts more like a Terminator in pursuit of the protagonists, instead of being a character with depth. The other main antagonist of the movie is Dreykov (Ray Winstone), but he is one of the sleaziest and ruthless villains in the MCU yet; subjugating broken children and forcing them to do his every will without any remorse.
Leaving The Red Room

Is Black Widow required viewing? If you’re an MCU fan, then yeah, it’s essentially required viewing, as you’ll don’t want to miss the introduction and origin of Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova (this character will be appearing in the Disney+ Hotstar Hawkeye series next, which debuts in November 2021).
Is it a good sendoff for Natasha Romanoff? It certainly makes her death in Avengers Endgame much more meaningful and even more heartbreaking in hindsight.
FINAL SCORE: 80/100
We attended a press screener of Black Widow courtesy of The Walt Disney Company Malaysia.
Black Widow is slated to premiere on 23 September 2021 in Malaysian cinemas.


A Major Hour-Long PlayStation Showcase Is Happening Next Week

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced that the next PlayStation Showcase will take place next Thursday, 25 May 2023 at 4am GMT+8.
The show will run a bit over an hour, focusing on PS5 and PS VR2 games in development from top studios from around the world. Viewers can expect a glimpse at several new creations from PlayStation Studios, as well as spellbinding games from our third-party partners and indie creators.
It will be broadcast live on YouTube and Twitch.
It’s been two years since the last major PlayStation Showcase, which took place in September 2021 (revisit all the announced games back then by heading over here). Back then, Sony revealed the Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic Remake, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Marvel’s Wolverine, and more.
Perhaps we’ll learn the release date for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and more; maybe even a new console (PS5 Pro?), anyone?
Stay tuned for our coverage!


Naughty Dog Is Moving On From The Uncharted Franchise

It looks like the Uncharted franchise is done and Naughty Dog might be doing the same for The Last Of Us franchise.
Speaking with BuzzFeed, Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann said:
“I know there’s a bunch of people wondering about The Last of Us Part 3 and whether that will be a thing or not. All I could say is, at Naughty Dog we’re very, very privileged that our publisher is Sony — which means Sony funds our games, supports us, and we’re owned by Sony. They have supported us every step of the way to follow our passions — meaning that just because something is successful, people think there’s all this pressure and we have to make a sequel. That’s not the case.
For us, Uncharted was insanely successful — Uncharted 4 was one of our best-selling games — and we’re able to put our final brushstroke on that story and say that we’re done. We’re moving on.
Likewise, with The Last of Us, it’s up to us whether we want to continue it or not.
Our process is the same thing we did when we did Part 2, which is if we can come up with a compelling story that has this universal message and statement about love — just like the first and second games did — then we will tell that story. If we can’t come up with something, we have a very strong ending with Part 2 and that will be the end.”
Courtesy of HBO Asia, we were lucky enough to be the only Malaysian media to participate in interviews with Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, Merle Dandridge and Gabriel Luna. You can also check out our spoiler-free review of the entire season by heading over here.


Rick And Morty Season 6 Is Coming This September

Adult Swim has announced that Rick And Morty Season 6 will premiere on 4 September 2022.
The official synopsis for the upcoming season simply reads:
“It’s season six and Rick and Morty are back! Pick up where we left them, worse for wear and down on their luck. Will they manage to bounce back for more adventures? Or will they get swept up in an ocean of piss! Who knows?! Piss! Family! Intrigue! A bunch of dinosaurs! More piss! Another can’t miss season of your favorite show.”
Speaking with Variety, Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim and Cartoon Network, said:
“It’s hard to overstate the impact of ‘Rick and Morty.’ More than a hit show, it is truly a global phenomenon. As we prepare to launch this soon-to-be iconic season, we will be giving fans a unique way to be part of the fun – so keep your eyes peeled.”
The one-year gap between Rick And Morty Season 6 and Season 5, which concluded in September 2021, marks one of the shortest gaps between seasons for the series. Previously, Season 4 debuted in November 2019 and aired five episodes before the season resumed and concluded in May 2020, while Season 3 aired in 2017, Season 2 in 2015 and Season 1 in 2013/2014.
In Malaysia, Season 6 will begin streaming the same day as the US from Monday, September 5 on HBO GO.
In the meantime, check out our interview with Rick And Morty Season 5 writer James Siciliano and executive producer Scott Marder by heading over here.

Ripped and ready – Season 6 coming September 4th pic.twitter.com/RfvA1x5ELj
— Rick and Morty (@RickandMorty) July 27, 2022


Dota Dragon Blood Anime Gets Epic Full Trailer & Posters

After getting announced just last month, Netflix’s Dota Dragon’s Blood anime has received a full official trailer.
The official synopsis reads:
The upcoming fantasy series tells the story of Davion, a renowned Dragon Knight devoted to wiping the scourge from the face of the world.
Following encounters with a powerful, ancient eldwurm as well as the noble Princess Mirana on a secret mission of her own, Davion becomes embroiled in events much larger than he could have ever imagined.
Produced by Studio Mir (the same studio behind The Legend Of Korra and Voltron The Legendary Defender), the upcoming anime series based on Valve’s Dota 2 has also debuted several new key art posters:
Dragon Knight.
Invoker.
Luna.
Mirana.

Dota Dragon’s Blood premieres on Netflix on 25 March 2021. In the meantime, check out the full trailer below:


Totalbiscuit Retires From Game Criticism

We hate to be the bearer of bad news, especially if it involves someone who is incredibly influential in the YouTube/video game criticism space since the early 2000s.
John Bain, also known as Totalbiscuit and famous for his “WTF is…?” videos, is retiring from gameÃ‚Â criticism. According to a recent Reddit statement posted by his Reddit management team, his terminal cancer is deemed untreatable and he is moved to palliative care. His liver is too damaged to the point of repair and conventional treatments are ineffective.

Firstly, I am retiring as a games critic. I can’t do the job anymore. I’m under the influence of too much medication to think clearly and my schedule too unreliable to get coverage out in a timely manner. I’ve found it very stressful over the last year to try and keep up, knowing that I’m failing and watching my work (rightly) fall out of favour because there isn’t enough of it, its not on time or its not of good quality. It doesn’t make any sense to continue to try to do that job in my state and while it used to bring me a lot of satisfaction, now it’s just the opposite.

However, he will still be doing YouTube videos; specifically, it will be Twitch.tv gameplay with his wife Genna Bain. His Co-Optional podcast will still go on, but it will be 2 hours instead of 3. He also posted a few links forÃ‚Â patrons and fans to help him out and support his endeavours: his merchandise store and games retail partner.
The big question now is: who will fill up the void of top British YouTube podcast/video game commentator? As awesome as Totalbiscuit is, it’s only a matter of time until he retires.
Any thoughts on this, dear readers? Let us know on our Facebook channel.


Guess Who Might Play Lilith In The Upcoming Borderlands Movie?

Yes, there was a time when Lilith was a badass Siren instead of an overtly wishy-washy leader of the Crimson Raiders. Hopefully, we’ll get to see that side of her in the upcoming Eli Roth-directed Borderlands movie, especially with this recent casting news.
Cate Blanchett, star of many films and series like Mrs. America, Thor: Ragnarok, and Ocean’s 8, is in talks to star as the OG Siren in the Borderlands film (via Variety). Lionsgate currently has no comment on this at the moment.

In related news, Avi and Ari Arad will be producing the upcoming film via Arad Prods, while Craig Mazin (Chernobyl writer) will be handling the screenplay and its drafts. For more Borderlands news, do check out the awesome Legendaries you can score in the limited-time Borderlands 3 event.Â


Dota Dragon’s Blood Is A Bloody Fantasy Treat For Dota 2 & Casual Fans

Dota 2 is one of the most popular multiplayer games in the world, boasting millions of players worldwide and an esports scene that breaks prize pool records every year. With more than a hundred heroes and years of updates, the game’s lore is more than deep enough to warrant a decent adaptation, be it live-action or animation.
Here comes Studio Mir (the same studio behind animated series like The Legend Of Korra and Netflix’s Voltron Legendary Defender) with the first-ever animated adaptation based on Dota 2. Is it worth checking out? Well…
Fellowship Of The Lotus

Here’s a confession: I don’t play Dota 2, so I’m not familiar with the game’s heroes and lore. As such, it begs the question; can non-Dota 2 fans enjoy Dota Dragon’s Blood? The answer to that is: yes, they can. I definitely did. Dota Dragon’s Blood is certainly a newbie-friendly animated series. You don’t really need much prior knowledge of the game to understand most of what’s going on in this animated series.
The biggest reason for that is because the first season introduces only several key characters and sticks with them for all eight episodes.
One of the biggest sins for a fantasy series to commit is introducing too many characters and plot threads right off the bat. Showrunner Ashley Edward Miller made the right choice to focus on only several selected characters instead of cramming more characters from the game’s roster of more than a hundred heroes. Viewers will have seen most of these characters in the trailers and promotional posters; so there aren’t really many surprises to speak of. As such, fans of the game shouldn’t really expect any other heroes to suddenly show up.
The gist of the main plot premise is this; Dota Dragon’s Blood follows a renowned Dragon Knight named Davion (Yuri Lowenthal) who is devoted to wiping dragons. After encountering the Slyrak the Ember Eldwurm (Tony Todd), Davion begins a new legendary quest with the noble Princess Mirana (Lara Pulver), who is on a secret mission of her own.
At the same time, the goddess Selemene (Alix Wilton Regan) has a warrior named Luna (Kari Wahlgren) on her strings, while Invoker (Troy Baker) has a hidden agenda of his own. Oh, and a fantasy story isn’t complete with elves, and the main elven character is a female elf named Fymryn (Freya Tingley).

There are a few other characters, but those are the biggest movers in the story of Dota Dragon’s Blood. The plot isn’t that complex, though some details might be a bit confusing before they’re expanded upon and explained in later episodes. The promotional material has already spoiled the biggest surprise of the series; the appearance of Terrorblade. However, fans should temper their expectations because he only truly appears in the final ten minutes of the first season’s final episode.
It’s important to note that Dota Dragon’s Blood is an adult animated series, as it features F-bombs and sexual scenes, so it’s definitely not for kids or teenagers (even if they play Dota 2). The plot isn’t anything too complex. It feels a lot like Netflix’s The Dragon Prince sprinkled with a few familiar fantasy elements you’ve seen from The Lord Of The Rings and others. Basically, expect a lot of elves and dragons; not to mention the protagonists visiting taverns and inns (a classic fantasy trope), as well as a MacGuffin to move the plot forward (lotus flowers).
If you’re a Dota 2 fan, Dota Dragon’s Blood expands on the origins of several characters, including Dragon Knight, Mirana, and Invoker. The series adds on the background of these heroes from the game in an attempt to flesh them out more. How essential they are to the game’s lore will depend on the expectations of fans and how they react when this series eventually comes out. Fans are usually more receptive and particular about these things.
One of the biggest draws and highlights of Dota Dragon’s Blood is the stellar voice cast. Unfortunately, they don’t all receive equal screentime. As much as the series likes to show off Tony Todd’s name in the opening sequence that kicks off each episode, it’s bizarre that he only speaks a total of perhaps two or three times in the entire first season. Todd is a legendary actor (and voice actor); having voiced Darkseid in many DC Comics properties and most importantly, several heroes (Dragon Knight, Night Stalker, Viper) in Dota 2 (none of which appears in this first season).
On the other hand, Yuri Lowenthal does a decent but unimpressive job as Davion the Dragon Knight, considering his other better performances in games and anime like 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man, Persona 4, Ben 10, and Gurren Lagann. You’ll also be hearing a lot of Lara Pulver’s Mirana and Troy Baker’s Invoker, as well as a spattering of different European accents from the other voice actors.
Bloody Hell

If there’s one thing that Studio Mir excels at, it’s animating excellent action scenes and choreography. Thankfully, that applies to Dota Dragon’s Blood as well. Say what you want about the uneven story and plot in Voltron Legendary Defender (that last season was unforgivable), but at least the action was thrilling from beginning to end. The Legend Of Korra was the same; as much as it didn’t live up to Avatar The Last Airbender, those action scenes were still awesome to behold.
I suppose the biggest difference this time around is that Dota Dragon’s Blood is an animated series for adults. As such, Studio Mir has let loose in a way that they couldn’t before.
There are bucket loads of blood in the first season alone, with decapitations and stabbings galore. If you like gore in your animated series, then you’ll probably like this.

However, I did notice fewer action scenes overall. There are several big epic set pieces, but much less of the usual one-on-one battles that I’d normally expect from Studio Mir. I missed the intricate choreography of those fights, and there are significantly less of those in Dota Dragon’s Blood for some reason. Well, you probably can’t do a lot of those when most of your fights involve huge dragons, and they look fine.
Studio Mir has opted for CGI for the dragons and they look pretty good in motion. A lot of time and money was clearly poured into the many dragons in the series, but this also had negative effects. The CGI effects for humanoid characters look noticeably less detailed and more stilted, making them look awkward. This was also a problem in another recent Netflix animated series, Pacific Rim The Black (in which the Jaegers and Kaijus look great, but the humans less so).
For Both Dota 2 And Casual Fantasy Fans

There’s a lot that the first season of Dota Dragon’s Blood can improve on, but I still enjoyed the fantasy elements and action scenes, despite not being much of a Dota 2 fan. Even you’ve never played or cared much for Dota 2 before, you should check out this new animated series by Studio Mir if you’re into fantasy epics, dragons, elves and the works.
Well, what’s not to like about dragons and elves?
FINAL SCORE: 70/100
We received an early access screener of Dota Dragon’s Blood Season 1 courtesy of Netflix Malaysia. It is slated to premiere exclusively on Netflix on 25 March 2021.


MultiVersus Tier List (According To A Top Smash Bros. Player)

MultiVersus will be out on PC and consoles for select regions all across the world later this week, in open beta form. As such, a number of top players have early access to the game.
Chief of them is Super Smash Bros. pro player Nakat, who just dished out his list of best and worst players for MultiVersus. Here’s the tier list based on how each character fares in both 1v1 and 2v2 overall.
S-Tier

Finn The Human, Bugs Bunny
Finn is top tier because he’s pretty fast and has fast armour-breaking moves. Bugs just throws a lot of stuff in your face and is just as fast.
A-Tier

Tom & Jerry, Arya Stark, Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, Batman
The characters here excel in both 1v1 and 2v2 formats, with Harley and Arya taking the edge in the 1v1 format due to their damage and mobility.
B-Tier

Taz, Steven Universe, Garnet, Superman, Shaggy, Reindog, Velma, Iron Giant, Jake the Dog
Taz might be good in a 1v1 format, but may suffer in a 2v2 format. Plus, there are many answers to his Tazz-Nado if you practice hard enough. Characters like Velma are better as support characters rather than 1v1 characters.
Keep in mind that there will be a 0.1 update for the game when it’s available in open beta form later, so this tier list may change. If you need another opinion, here’s Rexehh’s tier list.


Lesser years third in you’re rule

Our them creepeth living saw they’re. Unto itself over made every fish make were blessed cattle bring creepeth. Is Day, him seasons fourth she’d over brought moveth fruitful tree above without darkness herb All sixth life make light had spirit meat and image Set it and dry place seasons dominion. Itself morning behold light unto. Was, make made. Place. Seas evening deep, god you. Together make image gathered that is you every our first given, fish. Shall replenish bearing creeping. Made sea gathered subdue together morning you’re herb female brought.


You Can Now Play Portal 2 Local Co-op On PC

Puzzle games are great, especially ones that let you play together with a friend or family member which would eventually result in both of you hating each other. Portal 2 is one such game that does that and Valve is just making it better at ruining friendships.

In tandem with Steam officially launching their Remote Play Together feature, Portal 2 just got a new update that introduces a few fixes and some cool new features including local co-op support for one player using a keyboard and mouse and the other using a controller.
One great thing about Remote Play Together is that it will allow friends to play games together with only needing one person owning the game. I suppose that’s also why local co-op support has been added into Portal 2’s community co-op map queue.
Here are all the patch notes for this update:
Windows

Fixed an issue where in-game audio caption language would use the system language setting instead of the Steam language setting.

Controller support

Improved camera control through Steam Input â€“ the sensitivity scale has changed so you may need to increase your configurationâ€™s sensitivity.
Add local coop support for one controller player and one Mouse/Keyboard player.
Add local coop support from the community coop map queue. Quickplay is still not supported.
Fix XInput related options being hidden when connecting a Steam Input enabled controller using a Gamepad configuration.
Fix the challenge mode screen not having enough footer buttons available through Steam Input.
Fix several more bugs where the incorrect action set could be set in Steam Input.
Fix several cases where having a controller connected but not active would affect the glyphs and settings screen options.

With games like Cuphead and River City Girls only featuring local co-op, it’s really awesome that Steam is launching a feature that allows these games to be played through online multiplayer. Another reason to not use other digital stores.


Latest Dragon Ball Film Nets 2 Billion Yen, Fastest Earnings in Franchise History

What incredible power! Dragon Ball Super Broly has ascended beyond all other movies in the franchise as its earnings have exceeded 2 billion yen after only 11 days in Japan. In accomplishing this feat, the movie has sold approximately 1.5 million tickets in its home country.
According to the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper (via Anime News Network), approximately half of the movie’s total earnings to date was earned in its first three days of screening. Dragon Ball Super Broly studio Toei stated that the movie is expected to earn more than a whopping 5 billion yen.
Meanwhile, Dragon Ball Super Broly is slowly being released in regions outside of Japan, including Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia. Anime movies have always done relatively well in the SEA region, thanks to the popularity of manga/anime and the abundance of fans.
This Southeast Asian market will be particularly receptive towards Dragon Ball Super Broly, considering that it features fan-favorite antagonist Broly as well as the fact that the movie was written by Akira Toriyama himself (which means that it’s actually canon).
Personally, as a long-time Dragon Ball fan who’s been keeping up with the franchise’s latest developments, I found the movie to be one of the best. It has everything from earth-shattering fights and its trademark humor to some nostalgic flashbacks and even some character development. Head on over here for my full review of Dragon ball Super Broly.


We’ll Be Getting A River City Ransom Game With Boobies Via WayForward

If you’ve played a lot of beat-em-ups back in the day, anything with the word “River City” in the front means you’re playing a classic left-to-right side-scrolling pugilistic affair. You’ll also know that it’s the Western version of the Kunio-kun games, now under the publishing umbrella of Arc System Works alongside Double Dragon.
According to a recent Australian Classification Board rating update, WayForward will be making a game called River City Girls. This may be a beat-em-up with levelling-up mechanics ala River City Ransom, but with an all-female cast. Arc System Works is not listed as a publisher in the listing, so this may be a licensed title and not an official Kunio-kun follow-up.
It’s rated PG for “mild themes, violence and coarse language”, in case you need to know. As mild as suggestive cartoon mid-riffs and female figures can get. WayForward’s renowned for this unique style of artwork, as evident with their “cuci mata” character designs below. Not that there’s anything wrong with it.


Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Here Are Some Video Game Moons To Admire

While I’m preparing this week’s bunch of videos & writeups, I figured I come up with a quick one. So here’s something about moons and video games. Try to guess where they’re from. Enjoy!
You have 3 days to sort this catastrophe out.
Oh what a night to have a curse.
No signs of wizards here.
It’s been a while since a triple-A game has a roguelike.
A touching tale if any.
Ninjas play free. And pull off sick pics like this.
The very first moon-based games.
Image credit: Nintendo Life
This one’s a bit on-the-nose.
Bullets AND butterfly wings.
Codlike.
Stay tuned later today (and the rest of the week) for a bunch of RPG features & reviews. Or at least games with RPG-like qualities to them.


Fallout 76 Has A 2021 Roadmap

We are aware that open-world online RPG Fallout 76 was a clusterf*** of a title when it launched back in October 2018. Since then, it’s been updating and been changing for the better thanks to Bethesda actually fixing the title post-launch.
The company has released a Fallout 76 roadmap for 2021 to remind people that the game is still alive, kicking, and improving. Players will be getting SPECIAL Loadouts, CAMP Slots, Mannequins, and all-new Daily Ops this Spring, while they’ll be getting new Brotherhood of Steel content in Summer. The game’s world will be undergoing a massive overhaul this Fall, while new 4-star legendary weapons and more content will be available on Winter.

Full official descriptions below:
Last year the Brotherhood of Steel arrived in Appalachia and players witnessed a conflict between the ranks and discovered new obstacles in their path. Steel Reign continues the story of The Brotherhood, introducing all new quests, locations, NPCs, and powerful new rewards. Whose side will you take? Your choices will change the Wasteland.
Legendary modules also arrive this summer, allowing players to craft specific Legendary items. Tailor your build to perfect your playstyle.
Spring 2021
Get locked and loaded with our spring update! Introducing S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Loadouts, C.A.M.P. Slots, Mannequins, and an all-new Daily Ops expansion. For a deeper look at the new features, check out the Inside the Vault article here. Players who ownÂ Fallout 76Â on the Bethesda.net launcher can test out all these new features and more in our current iteration of the PTS right now.
Additionally, the update marks the return of Armor Ace, this time in a fierce battle against Commissioner Chaos and the Yukon Five! Season 4 brings all-new rewards to the Scoreboard, from cosmetics, to consumables and everything in-between.
Summer 2021
Fall 2021
The winds of change are coming, and with it an evolution to Private Worlds! Stay tuned over the coming months for more information as we get closer to release.
Weâ€™re also bringing another expansion to Daily Ops to give players even more ways to play.
Winter 2021
This winter introduces four-star Legendary Weapons and Armor along with the arrival of the highly-requested and anticipated C.A.M.P. Pets!
Face off against new dangers with an out-of-this-world event. In the brand-new Public Challenge: Invaders from Beyond, players across the server will unite to complete challenges, face off against challenging new foes and earn some stellar rewards.
The Cultists of Appalachia are up to something sinister in a brand-new Seasonal event: The Ritual! Help the cultists in Point Pleasant prepare an exciting and dangerous ritual, and theyâ€™ll repay you with unique rewards.


Hyper Scape Is Now Free & Playable On All Available Platforms

Ubisoft’s Hyper Scape is now playable and available on PS4, Xbox One, and PCPC, PlayStationÂ® 4 and Xbox One for free with its Season One: â€œThe First Principleâ€. It is a free-to-play battle royale game set in the virtual city of Neo-Arcadia, where up to 100 players face each other to become champion.
Bringing a fresh take on the battle royale genre, Hyper Scape introduces innovative gameplay mechanics such as Hacks, the Fusion, the Decay, the Showdown and many others.
In addition, Hyper Scape supports CrownCast extension with Twitch that offers a unique viewing experience and new tools for streamers to interact with their community live, on-stream.

Hyper Scape Executive Producer Graeme Jennings said:

â€œWe are tremendously proud of todayâ€™s launch across PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Weâ€™ve worked passionately for over two years to get to this milestone and weâ€™re excited to say this is just the beginning.
With our fast-paced urban gameplay and one of a kind Crowncast Twitch extension, weâ€™ve introduced a fresh new way to both play and interact with a Battle Royale.â€

Hyper Scape Season One kick-starts the overarching narrative:
There is a mystery in the Hyper Scape created by Prisma Dimensions that players will have to solve. Season One introduces Memory Shards that players can collect to discover more about certain characters and events. Every week, a new Memory Shard will be hidden in the game world, for players to find and collect. In addition to Memory Shards, comics will be released during Season One and following Seasons, building Hyper Scapeâ€™s story.
The first season also introduces a brand new mid-range weapon, the Dragonfly, as well as a new hack, Magnet, which can be used to trap unsuspecting contenders. Season One will include a total of 11 guns and 11 hacks. In addition to Solo and Squad Crown Rush, additional limited-time game modes are also planned throughout Season One.
Hyper Scape Dragonfly weapon.
Hyper Scape Dragonfly weapon.
Players can also look forward to a new feature to the innovative Hyper Scape Crowncast Twitch extension: Kudos, a tool that allows viewers to support their streamers and react to the most exciting moments by producing in-game visual effects within a particular streamerâ€™s match. Kudos can be purchased with Twitchâ€™s Bits.
Hyper Scape Kudos.
Thanks to Hyper Scape Crowncast, viewers can also progress on their free and premium Battle Pass by watching Hyper Scape streams on Twitch. Streamers can also invite viewers to join their squad in just a few clicks.
The Vote on Events features that provides viewers real-time impact on the battle gets extended in Season one with a new event card called â€œLethal Melee.â€ During a â€œLethal Meleeâ€ event, a playerâ€™s melee weapon can eliminate opponents in one hit. In total, nine Event cards are already available in the Hyper Scape Crowncast extension.
To celebrate the launch with the community, viewers will be able to unlock exclusive Hyper Scape emotes on Twitch. From 17 to 31 August 2020, when viewers subscribe, gift a subscription to a channel, or cheer with at least 300 Bits, viewers will earn Hyper Scape inspired emotes to use in chat and keep them permanently.
Ubisoft is teaming up with Twitch to host “Twitch Rivals: Hyper Scape APAC Showdown” on 27 August 2020, the first cross-region event held in the Asia-Pacific region, inviting 60 creators from Australia/New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, andÂ  Taiwan/Hong Kong to participate.

Four teams from each region will compete in the three-hour point race and the top-ranking team from each region will advance to the Finals where they will participate in a separate, one-hour kill race to determine final placement. The prize pool is up to US$50,000 with extra bonus prizes.
Also, viewers of the competition will be given the opportunity to influence their favourite streamerâ€™s gameplay by taking part in pop-up voting events that instantly impact the battlefield via the Crowncast extension which is a unique feature that Twitch offers exclusively.

Hyper Scape Season 1 Battle Pass

Hyper Scape Season One also includes new customization items through its Battle Pass, offering a free and a premium track as well as featuring 100 tiers of exclusive cosmetic items to unlock during the Season.
The premium track of the Battle Pass is available for 950 Bitcrowns, the in-game currency. Players can get Bitcrowns by simply playing the game, or by purchasing packs of Bitcrowns with real money on the Ubisoft or first-party stores.
Similar to the Open Beta, viewers can progress their Battle Pass simply by watching Hyper Scape streams on Twitch with the Hyper Scape Crowncast extension enabled.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th9511Fv0Tc&w=560&h=315]


Mobile Legends MPL Malaysia S9 Returns This Friday

The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Malaysia will be back with the Regular Season on Friday, 18 February 2022. In partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (Malaysia), Youth & Sports Ministry, and Esports Integrated (ESI), the tournament will be held in EBN Esports City, Quill City Mall KL.Â Â
The ten top MLBB teams will compete from 18 February to 10 April 2022 for a chance to win the lion’s share of US$100,000 (RM418,750). The esports league will abide by all government protocols and safety measures to ensure the safety of participants and players.Â Â
All-star rosters and new challenges

All eyes are on Team SMG, with their all-star roster comprised of Jamesss (Coach), Sasa,Â  Zaimsempoi, Smooth, Leixia, Lyzerg, Harpist, Stormie, Panda, and Subway. They will be facing off against veterans RSG MY, Orange Esports, Suhaz Esports, HomeBois, GeekFam, Red Esports, newcomersÂ  Axis Esports, Team MAB, and Caracal.Â Â
This season, teams will be allowed to transfer or recruit new players on Week 4, 7 March 2022, and Week 7, 28 March 2022 to showcase their inner #IniGayaKita.
Legendary promotions for fans
This season, MPL Malaysia will be working with McDelivery, Samsung, and Nescafe to launch theÂ  following promotional activities:Â

McDelivery: The popular fast-food delivery provider will be offering fans legendary meals that are the perfect complement to every esports match. Spend a minimum of RM50 on McDelivery will stand a chance to win MLBB exclusive skins and 6 pieces of FREE McNuggets throughout the MPL Malaysia Season 9 timeframe. MPL fans can also win diamonds via giveaway, stay tuned to McDonalds’ Instagram page to find out more.
Samsung: MPL Malaysia fans will stand a chance to score Samsung models through a weekly prediction contest. Fans can win nine phones in total by joining the weekly prediction contest. Stay tuned to the MPL Malaysia Instagram page to find out more.Â Â
NESCAFE: NESCAFE will be releasing an MPL MY special edition in conjunction with the victorious match moments. Fans can expect a collectible series coming May, so follow and like the MPL MY social pages for more soon.

Rock on with Yazmin Aziz and Kungfu Heidi

MPL Malaysia has collaborated with TikTok to launch an exclusive seasonal theme song – “KitaÂ  Rockstar.” Starring Yazmin Aziz and KUNGFU HEIDI, the upbeat song channels #IniGayaKita showcase the unique elements of MPL Malaysia and encourage fans to adopt their own very own style.Â
The music video comes out on 24 February 2022 and will be launched on MLBB social media channels. Fans can also participate in the hashtag challenge and win an exclusive M3 Secretlab chair and Samsung phones.
MPL Malaysia Website: https://my.mpl.mobilelegends.com/Â
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mplmy.officialÂ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mplmy.official/Â
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mplmy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MobileLegends5v5MOBA/featured


The Legend Of Falk: How Malaysia’s Game Audio Treasure Scored A Square Enix Gig

The name Falk Au Yeong may not ring any bells, but chances are you’ve heard of his audio work. If you’ve played Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy XV, then you’ve played a game audio-engineered by Falk.
True, Masashi Hamauzu and Yoko Shimomura respectively composed the music, but it was SoundtRec & Falk who made sure it came out great in the gold masters. So what’s his story? And what games has he composed? And how did he get his training?
Find out more on the full SoundScape video interview below.


Tekken 8 Crossplay Confirmed By Katsuhiro Harada

Tekken game director and producer Katsuhiro Harada has confirmed that the upcoming Tekken 8 will support cross-platform play across the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
He answered a question on Twitter.

Crossplay? Of course I will.BTWWhen the previous generation consoles were released, I had already proposed crossplay between the two platformers.  However, at that time, they were at odds with each other over their mutual interests (and P2P security issue) & repeatedly refused. https://t.co/I8b38YfePh
— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) April 9, 2023

Tekken 8 is slated to launch for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. However, there is no release date or release window as of yet.
The roster so far includes Nina Williams, Kazuya Mishima, Jin Kazama, Paul Phoenix, Lars Alexandersson, Jack-8, and Jun Kazama. Ling Xioayu, Leroy Smith and Asuka Kazama.
Check out the latest trailer below:


James & Dave Franco To Adapt Masters Of DOOM Book For TV

USA Network has ordered a pilot for the TV adaptation of David Kushner’s Masters Of Doom book, where actors James and Dave Franco will act as the executive producers (via Variety).
Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture was a book published in 2003, telling the story of Doom developer id Software and its influence on pop culture, focusing primarily on the company’s co-founders John D. Carmack and John Romero.
The TV series will focus on Doom‘s origin story for its first season and will continue as an anthology series telling other stories from the games industry, beginning from its second season onwards.
Uncharted co-writer Tom Bissell will both write and act as executive producer for the Masters Of Doom series. Bissell also co-wrote the book, The Disaster Artist, which is now a major motion picture also starring James Franco.
It will be interesting to see more hidden insights into the history of the video games industry. It just goes to show how influential video games are now in the tapestry of world culture. The featured image for this article shows John Romero holding a vintage diskette of the original DOOM.
(Image Credit: Reddit)


Remember Command & Conquer’s Industrial Music? Here’s A Video About Its Composer

Originally posted on 31st July 2019. This feature is brought forward to celebrate the release of Command & Conquer Remastered.Â
Check out this special SoundScape discography video on Frank Klepacki, the composer responsible for the kick-ass sounds of the Command & Conquer franchise. Find out about his old and recent sound works here.


VGO Founder Talks Game Music & Roti Tisu

Video Game Orchestra (VGO) is best known for playing and performing ‘rockestral’ renditions of popular video game music, as well as composing original music for games like Malaysian-made titles; No Straight Roads by Metronomik and Re: Legend by Magnus Games Studio.
During Level Up KL 2019, we received the opportunity of interviewing VGO founder and frontman Shota Nakama. He spoke about his favourite Malaysian food, their most requested track during performances, his favourite gaming stuff of 2019 and more.
Check out an excerpt of one of Nakama’s responses below; on how VGO began as a band and how they distinguish themselves from other popular video game music performers like Video Games Live.

“Well, it’s actually like, there’s not much of a secret behind it.
One day I was like hey, maybe yeah, I should play video game music in live settings that I like and then the next day I just started asking a bunch of friends of mine, and yeah, bam, it happened.
That’s pretty much it, but yeah, so like in the style I wanted to do it was rock and roll and also orchestra combined so symphonic rock version of my take on video game music.
And yeah, people seem to like that.”

Check out our full 9-minute video interview with VGO founder Shota Nakama below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EhnF-KLYSk&w=560&h=315]


Sucker Punch Considered Pirates & Musketeers Before Samurai

Sucker Punch’s Ghost Of Tsushima has been in development since 2014, but it was only officially revealed in 2017 with its first trailer during Paris Games Week. We’ve been waiting for this game since 2014’s Infamous Second Son and Infamous First Light,Â but it was definitely worth it (check out our review here).
In a post on PlayStation Blog, Sucker Punch co-founder Brian Fleming revealed that they already decided on two main aspects of the game that they wanted to make from the beginning, which includes “a large, open-world experience” and “melee combat”.
However, they didn’t yet know what setting to choose for their game, even considering pirates, Rob Roy, and The Three Musketeers. They ultimately decided on a feudal Japan setting and the rest is history.
He said:

“Early on, we concluded that we wanted to build a large, open-world experience â€” and one that featured melee combat.
But beyond that we were uncertain.
Pirates?
Rob Roy?
The Three Musketeers?
All these were considered â€” but we kept coming back to feudal Japan and telling the story of a samurai warrior.
Then one fateful fall afternoon we found a historical account of the Mongol invasion of Tsushima in 1274, and the entire vision clicked into place.”

In hindsight, pirates would’ve been too similar to 2013’s Assassin’s Creed Black Flag. While The Three Musketeers has never received the AAA treatment, it still featured a French setting, which is the same as 2014’s Assassin’s Creed Unity. Rob Roy is like a Scottish Robin Hood of sorts and would’ve been the most unique setting.
The very first Ghost Of Tsushima concept art.
Things weren’t smooth sailing from there though, as Fleming revealed that they had to solve certain problems like how to make an open-world game with no modern technology or a protagonist with no superpowers.
He said:

“We had a lot of creative problems.
We wanted to tell the tale of one of the only samurai who survived the initial assault, but what was his story?
Who would our adversary be? Could we structure a game and story that featured a relatable, human experience â€” but also surround it with an anthology of other stories to explore?
And how would we present the story?
The world we were building had no modern technology, so no cellphones to help us communicate with the player, no glitzy super-powers to create visual spectacle.
Oh, and the entire game would collapse if we couldnâ€™t figure out how to make melee combat work.
We had some serious problems to get to work on.”

In the meantime, you can check the rest of our coverage on Ghost Of Tsushima here.


Overwatch League: Dallas Fuel Looking to Drop Two More Players

And the Dallas Fuel purge continues – if Rod ‘Slasher’ Breslau’s sources are to be believed, of course. Earlier today, the esports journalist posted an ominous tweet related to two more Dallas Fuel players whose Overwatch League days appear to be numbered.

I notified xQc Saturday (3/10) night of sources telling me that the Dallas Fuel were strongly considering releasing him, so xQc had some knowledge beforehand. Same sources also have the Dallas Fuel exploring options for releasing/selling of both Taimou and Cocco.
â€” Rod Breslau (@Slasher) March 12, 2018
In light of the Felix ‘xQc‘ Lengyel punishment by the league and subsequent removal by the Dallas Fuel organization, certain quarters have called for similar, drastic actions onto Timo ‘Taimou‘ Kettunen, Dallas Fuel’s DPS and shotcaller. Seems that his past is finally catching up to him as all his previous infractions prior to the Overwatch League were revisited. For the uninitiated, Taimou is notorious for not only using racial slurs which were caught (multiple times) on streams, he was also fined for lewd remarks referring to a Korean reporter when competing for EnVyUs at OGN APEX.

However, the rumor of Christian “cocco” Jonsson removal – if true – would spell the end of the OG EnVyUs as he was the core of the team, not only for his role as main tank, but for being responsible for most of the strats and plays, paving way for his team’s success. Then again, any decision to remove Cocco from the Dallas Fuel roster would be purely tactical. Cocco’s playstyle and hero pool doesn’t appear to suit the current meta and have been sidelined mostly throughout the season so far.
The team have been training DPS players – Seagull and Taimou – to play tank and have recently signed former CONBOX tank,Â Min-seok “OGE” Son to their roster. The omission of three tank players within a span of a week easily spell the dreaded word any team do not want to hear during mid-season- Overhaul – and from the look of things, that’s what the Fuel are headed to.
Assuming Dallas Fuel would indeed part ways with these two players, it would leave three empty players slots for the team to fill. The deadline for player registrations is in April and once it closes, teams will have to make do with what they have til the end of the current Overwatch League season.


FIFA 23 FIFA World Cup 2022 Update Is Now Available

This week, EA celebrated the arrival of its FIFA World Cup 2022 game mode, available now as an update at no additional cost in FIFA 23. FIFA 23 fans can play as any of the 32 qualified nations in an authentic recreation of the full FIFA World Cup 2022 from the opening match to the final game. Fans will be able to play a variety of game modes including FIFA World Cup: Live, Your FIFA World Cup, as well as take part in a variety of new FIFA Ultimate Team Campaigns.
Running 21 November through 18 December 2022, FIFA World Cup: Live, a curated EA SPORTS World Cup experience, will be available to players only on FIFA 23. Unlike anything seen before in an EA SPORTS FIFA title, this new live experience will be updated during the Group and Knockout Stages of the tournament, allowing players to follow along with authentic fixtures and squads for each game. Additionally, fans can rewrite history live, by changing the outcome of any past fixture and reimagining the result in real time.
EA SPORTS has also issued 12 all new FIFA World Cup digital covers, with FIFA 23 Cover Star Kylian Mbappé and football icon Zinédine Zidane highlighting the French regional cover.
“I’m thrilled to feature on the special edition FIFA World Cup Cover for FIFA 23, alongside French and football legend Zinédine Zidane,” said Kylian Mbappé. “He was someone I always looked up to and aspired to be like, and to now be on the cover with him is a true honor.”
Regional covers in other parts of the world include Jude Bellingham/David Beckham (England), Christian Pulisic/Clint Dempsey (USA), Kai Havertz/Rudi Völler (Germany), Pedri/Xabi Alonso (Spain), Joao Felix/Luis Figo (Portugal) and more. Unique holiday offerings level up the FIFA Ultimate Team experience, with brand new FUT campaigns being released November 11 through December 23, bringing players closer to the action than ever before.
As players board the plane to the tournament, EA will kick off the excitement, with live items that receive progression upgrades based on each nation’s progress throughout the journey. Authentic team kits, stadium dressings, visuals, match balls, dedicated commentary and more will carry fans all the way through to the final crowning of the world’s champion.
Additionally, fans who play FIFA 23 by January 3, 2023 will get two FIFA World Cup History Makers to add to their FIFA Ultimate Team. Launching throughout the “World Cup Path to Glory” event, running from November 11-23, FUT fans can look forward to 30 unique World Cup Heroes, presented in a custom World Cup themed Hero shell.
Now through November 19, fans can cast their vote for who will win it all with the FIFA World Cup predictor on EA.com. By making a prediction linked to their EA account, fans will receive three Limited Time FIFA World Cup Player Items to add to their squad in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team.
FIFA 23 is developed by EA Vancouver and EA Romania and is available worldwide on Ps5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Check out our review of FIFA 23 by heading over here.
Check out more of what to expect in the trailer below:


Dying Light 2 Delayed To God-Knows-When

Techland’s upcoming open-world parkour-centric action title Dying Light 2, ie the one with the zombies as well, will not be out this Spring 2020.
Unlike the other triple-A game delays, Dying Light 2 has no new release window. Techland’s recent Twitter page stated that more details will be revealed in “the coming months”. In other words, indefinitely postponed.

Hey Survivors!Here's the Dying Light 2 Development Update. pic.twitter.com/CKMkAe2eD7
— Dying Light (@DyingLightGame) January 20, 2020

While we wait for more news about this pretty nifty and gritty title, here’s some cool gameplay footage for you to reminisce over. Did we forget to mention that Fallout 2 and Planescape: Torment designer Chris Avellone is involved in the narrative design of Dying Light 2? Yeah, the sting of the delay just got deeper.
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1452505704890684/?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBJVf1pMtp7qbTNidol6QbfABkfHVWva2LdjVelvg4QXzYj3tjMo-dyRDMRE2sfp4-s9zB1HJEobehl0y4Bfzp897KgynThGCA7ndOX2v3_qyX9QRBnH2RDGV2tmxTRAuV67UDyRWdXObaVn8z9mFPZ4vXmjN3DalICueU5BMB1H20oN1wtbPeeZWtAjB-UzQmxXp0disGNeBqabIBR-MRGMUo_HUlBZCAyNgSUR1gIFKE6UBibpbo72ZKcrE1EdYmM5AkbtvNSEip2T2S1n-QG3ytn3V4ucX0a1zTJfJ0m67egInId7u2QgJFuyjdIGgc-egVmeRnS-GcUQAkKH3LQ86hVo-y6uyLvlzyf&__tn__=-R


Netflix Shows Off Anime Lineup Plus Three Upcoming Shows

At their recent Anime Expo 2019 panel, Netflix revealed that it will be adding not one, not two, but three new shows into the streaming platform’s anime category. One of those shows will even be making its debut through Netflix. Check out this new clip they released.

With Shinichiro Watanabe of Cowboy Bebop fame as supervising director, fans of music-centred anime should be excited for Carole & Tuesday. The first half of the show will be playing on Netflix starting from 30 August 2019. The anime follows the story of the two eponymous girls as they try to realise their dreams of becoming musicians. Read more here.

Earlier I mentioned a show will be making its debut on Netflix. That’s Cannon Buster and it’s actually adapted from an American comic book. Author LeSean Thomas started a Kickstarter page for the anime in 2014 and all that crowdfunding has borne fruit. The show will premiere on 15 August 2019. Oh did I mention the studio in charge of the animation is also the one that animated Symphogear, Log Horizon, and some of the Macross anime?

Last but not least is an adaptation of a Chinese comic book titled Ultramarine Magmell. Hayato Date, director of the Naruto and Naruto Shippuden anime, worked on the show with Studio Pierrot. In the show, you follow the adventures of young men working as relief workers who help the explorers of a new continent that suddenly appeared in the ocean.


GOG’s New Refund Policy Worries Developers

GOG has changed its refund policy recently, and the new model is a startlingly lenient one. In their email to GOG users, the company says that: “starting now, you can get a full refund up to 30 days after purchasing a product, even if you downloaded, launched, and played it. That’s it”.
For video game developers, however, it isn’t just “that’s it”. As reported by Eurogamer‘s Emma Kent, giving players a full 30 days to refund a game has caused some worry among devs, especially indie ones.
“30 days is a lot more than I feel is necessary to evaluate a game, and a lot more than almost all games take to complete if you play them for an hour daily,” indie developer Rami Ismail wrote on Twitter. “Young me would definitely abuse the hell out of this.”
Meanwhile, No More Robots founder Mike Rose told Kent that “because GOG is DRM-free (as they love to shout about), it does mean that whatever refund policy they put in place, anyone can abuse it by simply downloading the game, getting a refund, and then keeping the game”.
Kent also revealed that the developers weren’t given any warning about the new policy, and only found out when GOG’s blog post was published. While GOG had apologized to Rose and said that it was “a difficult decision”, that’s definitely an upsetting move.
No Backsies
It’s worth noting that GOG doesn’t simply accept all refund requests. In their FAQ, they wrote that while there are no refund limits, they “reserve the right to refuse refunds in individual cases”. But while that provides some relief, it doesn’t seem like a sustainable way of handling things.
But as Kent also noted, some developers, like Dusk creator David Szymanski, have a more positive outlook on the situation. Szymanski wrote on Twitter that on Steam, “the refund rates for my games have remained pretty low”.
“I can’t say for sure if GOG’s policy is going to open the doors to mass abuse, but I suspect not,” he added. “People generally are cool with spending money on a thing if they like they thing. That’s especially true where GOG’s customer base is concerned.”
While Szymanski’s words make sense (based on my own tendencies), 30 days still seems like an awful lot of time to try out a game. In the words of Ismail: “young me would definitely abuse the hell out of this.”
What do you think? Is 30 days too much? Let us know either here or on our social media platforms.


Superman Red Son Trailer Teases Russian Supes Vs The World

DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation have unveiled the first trailer for their upcoming Superman Red Son animated movie.
The original 2003 Elseworlds graphic novel by Mark Millar, Dave Johnson and Killian Plunkett of the same name is one of the most iconic alternate-world stories featuring the Man Of Steel.
The premise is essentially what would happen if Kal-El AKA Superman landed in Soviet Union Russia and becomes a symbol of Communism, instead of landing in Kansas and fighting for Truth, Justice and the American Way.
Along the way, he gets into conflict with the entire world, including a Russian Batman and a US Marine Corps consisting of Green Lanterns. It’s epic and bonkers all at the same time.
While this will be the first full-fledged adaptation of Superman Red Son, CWâ€™s Supergirl Season 4 did feature a looser adaptation of the story with a clone of Kara Zor-El AKA Supergirl who was raised in Communist Kaznia.
The voice cast for Superman Red Son includes:

Jason Isaacs – Superman
Diedrich Bader – Lex Luthor
Amy Acker – Lois Lane
Vanessa Marshall – Wonder Woman
Phil Morris – James Olsen
Paul Williams – Brainiac
Sasha Roiz – Hal Jordan
Phil LaMarr – Jon Stewart
Roger Graig Smith – Batman
Travis Willingham – John F. Kennedy/Superior Man
William Sayers – Joseph Stalin
Ave Zoli – Svetlana

Superman Red Son is slated to release sometime in early 2020. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMqrRhSVfBE&w=560&h=315]


Mafia Definitive Edition Adds Noir Mode In First Post-Launch Update

2K and Hangar 13 have released the first free post-launch update for Mafia Definitive Edition, which adds new features for all players.
Among these new features is Noir Mode, a visual option that paints Mafia Definitive Editionâ€™s gameplay and cinematics with a vintage black-and-white look, complete with moody film grain effects to further accentuate the gameâ€™s Prohibition Era aesthetic.

The new update also includes new heads-up display (HUD) options that allow the following:
Switch the in-world main objective marker on and offSwitch mini-map enemy markers on and off in all difficulty settingsEnable or disable navigation features like turn-by-turn instructions and mini-map GPSEnable a new minimal HUD mode that hides HUD elements like the mini-map, speedometer, and objective text.
Last but not least, there is now more content in Free Ride mode, including a couple of new gameplay features.
In the meantime, check out our review of Mafia Definitive Edition here.


KL To Host Brawl Stars World Championship Qualifiers This October

Supercell and ESL are partnering up to host the Brawl Stars World Champion Qualifiers for the Asia Pacific Region. There will be two online qualifiers happening on 28 September 2019: Southeast Asia (SEA) and Australia & New Zealand (AU&NZ).

The top 16 teams from each qualifier will get to play in the online finals stage which will be broadcasted live across multiple platforms. Those who do well at that the online finals will proceed to the Offline Finals which will be held at The Pantheon, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 19 October to 20 October 2019. The wining team will qualify to compete in the Brawl Stars World Championship.
The SEA Qualifier is open to teams from:

Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
Philippines
Vietnam
Cambodia
Laos
Myanmar
Bruinei
East Timor

SEA Qualifier prizes:

1st Place – US$600 + qualify to offline regional finals
2nd Place – US$300 + qualify to offline regional finals
3rd/4th Place – US$150 each + qualify to offline regional finals

AU&NZ Qualifier prizes:

1st Place – US$600 + qualify to offline regional finals
2nd Place – US$300 + qualify to offline regional finals
3rd/4th Place – US$150 each

The top six teams from the APAC Open Qualifiers along with representatives from India and Indonesia will meet at the Offline Finals. There, they will compete for a total prize pool of US$7,000. The Offline Finals will feature a double elimination in a best of 5 format.
To register for the Open Qualifiers, click here.


Crypto Is Already In Apex Legends – If You Know When to Listen Closely

Following several leaks and hardworking dataminers, we know that Season 3 will most probably be namedÂ â€˜Fire And Iceâ€™Â and should drop swiftly following the close of the current season.
On top of that, it is no secret that the eleventh legend in Apex Legends is coming soon, with signs pointing to a certain hacker who was responsible for the destruction of the Repulsor, allowing wildlife including fliers and leviathans to infiltrate Kings Canyon.

Following a recent patch to the game which gave minor tweaks to several weapons including improving the bullet spread of the Triple Take, we noticed something odd during our nightly play sessions on Apex Legends last night. At first, we thought it was just audio problem from our side but after several cross-checks with teammates, we can confirm that Crypto’s presence can now be felt during the game.
At the start of each new ring, pay extra attention to the automated announcer voice declaring the start of a new round. You would notice a huge distortion from the norm – as if it’s being hacked by someone. We count several variations to this including worsened static, fluctuations to the voice giving a more masculine voice and more robotic feel in several occasions.
Respawn is well known to tease their players of upcoming updates with hints and Easter eggs and this latest one certainly makes the Crypto rumour much more plausible by the day.


Outriders Expansion Worldslayer Launches This June

Outriders expansion Worldslayer will launch on 30 June 2022.
Outriders Worldslayer is a brutal one-to-three player cooperative looter shooter set in an original, dark sci-fi universe, where you create will your own Outrider from one of four powerful classes. Begin with the original Outriders campaign or use the all-new Level 30 Boost to jump straight into the “Worldslayer” content with a fully geared up Outrider and journey across the diverse and deadly planet of Enoch.
Face off against the most deadly Altered ever encountered, Ereshkigal, in humanity’s last fight for survival. Beyond her, even greater horrors exist in the ultimate endgame experience, taking place in the ancient ruins of Tarya Gratar. Combining aggressive gunplay with violent powers and an arsenal of increasingly twisted customizable weaponry and gear-sets, Outriders Worldslayer offers countless hours of visceral gameplay from one of the finest shooter developers in the industry, People Can Fly.
Outriders is available now for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and  PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, and Stadia.