WandaVision Episode 9 Breakdown & Easter Eggs Explained

InÂ WandaVision Episode 9 (which is also the WandaVision season finale), the story finally reaches its conclusion following the shocking Episode 8.
Iâ€™ll be discussing heavy spoilers fromÂ WandaVision Episode 9 so if you havenâ€™t seen them or want to avoid spoilers, nowâ€™s your chance to stop reading. If you havenâ€™t, you can check out my previous articles on the first two episodes,Â Episode 3,Â Episode 4,Â Episode 5,Â Episode 6Â and Episode 7.

There’s An Entire Chapter Devoted To Wanda In The Darkhold; Wanda Is Stronger Than Doctor Strange

Remember the Darkhold? It was last seen in WandaVision Episode 7 in the basement of Wanda’s house. In WandaVision Episode 9, Agatha reveals that there’s an entire chapter devoted to Wanda (or the Scarlet Witch) in the Darkhold, which means that she’s a magical force to be reckoned with.
Darkhold as seen in WandaVision Episode 7.
Agatha also confirms that the Scarlet Witch (Wanda) is more powerful than the Sorcerer Supreme AKA Doctor Strange.

We also see her wielding the Darkhold, with a page depicting the Scarlet Witch.

Dottie Is Just Sarah, Not Mephisto

Remember all the theories about who Dottie really is? Is she Mephisto? Is she Enchantress? Actually, she’s just Sarah.
Fake Pietro Is Really Ralph Bohner

Fake Pietro (Evan Peters) is really just a normal human named Ralph Bohner in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He apparently just happens to look like Fox’s X-Men universe Quicksilver; a doppelganger of sorts.
Wanda Releases The Citizens Of Westview From Her Hex

Wanda finally lets go of her Hex hold on everyone in Westview, opening the borders.
Monica Uses Her Powers To Defend Billy And Tommy From Hayward’s Shot

Monica uses her electromagnetic spectrum powers to absorb the kinetic energy of the bullets shot by Hayward.
Fake Vision Restores The Memories Of White Vision

In case you forgot, White Vision is actually made from the original Vision’s body. Fake Vision (the one we’ve been seeing in WandaVision) has been a Hex construct.
The fake Vision restores the memories of the White Vision, which essentially makes him a reborn Vision; on other words, the true Vision revived.
Wanda’s New Scarlet Witch Costume

After defeating Agatha by re-absorbing her powers from the evil witch, she obtains a new Scarlet Witch costume that’s most comics-accurate yet.

See below for comparison:

Wanda Traps Agatha In Her “Nosy Neighbour” Role

Wanda finally traps Agatha in her nosy neighbour role as Agnes in Westview, but she remains alive.
Wanda Finally Lets Go Of The Hex And Confirms That Fake Vision Is Made From A Piece Of The Mind Stone

Wanda confirms that she created the fake Vision in Westview from a piece of the Mind Stone that “lives in me” (which probably means the original Mind Stone piece that sparked her powers) and mostly, “her love”. It’s heartbreaking as this happens just before the Westview Hex completely dissipates.

There Are Two Post-Credits Scenes In WandaVision Episode 9

In the first post-credits scene, SWORD Director Hayward gets apprehended by the FBI, and Nick Fury (the Skrull impersonating Nick Fury in 2019’s Spider-Man Far From Home was Talos) sends a female Skrull to tell Monica that he wants to meet her. When Monica asks “Where?”, she simply points up, indicating that we might finally get to the real SWORD headquarters; an orbital space station known as the Peak.
This might lead into the events of Captain Marvel 2 or even the upcoming Disney Plus series Secret Invasion. At this point, it could be either or whichever comes first.
The second post-credits scene is even more fascinating. We see Wanda somewhere in a remote location near the mountains (Wundagore Mountain?). We see her sitting on a porch sipping a drink before we meet an astral projection of the real Wanda (the same ability that Doctor Strange can perform). Wanda is reading the Darkhold, and she then hears the sounds of her children screaming for her help.
The last thing we see is Wanda’s eyes and a flash of red, which might lead directly into the events of the upcoming Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.

Conclusion

There you have it, folks. WandaVision is officially over and we have two post-credits scenes that will likely lead into two different movies. The first, with the female Skrull and Monica, is probably for Captain Marvel 2, while the second, showing an increasingly-more powerful or unstable Wanda learning magic from the Darkhold, is likely for Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.
Both movies are slated to release in 2022, with Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness in March 2022 and Captain Marvel 2 in November 2022. It seems unlikely (for now) that we’ll see much of the effects of WandaVision in the upcoming Spider-Man No Way Home and The Eternals, though who knows?
Thanks for following me throughout all of WandaVision. Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for more on comics, games, movies and pop culture!


Twitch Partners With Universal Music Group; What Does This Mean For Livestream Gaming?

Twitch.tv just announced that it has entered an agreement with Universal Music Group (UMG) so that music fans on the streaming platform can gain access to some of the world’s most popular music and artists’ work.
Now before you start blasting your favourite Billie Eilish track while you’re farming on Diablo 3 or some other action RPG or online MMO, just keep in mind that the new process recognizes that not all unauthorized uses of music merits the same treatment and focuses on specific use-cases that are the most flagrant. The system will now be more flexible and forgiving to creators who accidentally include the right holders’ music in their stream. Creators will receive a warning before the first penalty is hit.
“This new process does not change how music can be used on Twitch. Itâ€™s never okay to include music in your channel unless you have the necessary rights or authority to do so. Including unauthorized music in your channel violates the rights of music creators and runs counter to Twitchâ€™s mission of supporting all creators.”
Long story short: if your game has licensed music inadvertently playing that happens to belong under the UMG group (Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and its OST for example), Twitch won’t penalize you straight up. If you purposefully stream that same Billie Eilish track in your livestreams, you will get penalized and rightfully so.


WIRA Is An Action-Packed By-The-Numbers Film That Seminally Entertains

PASKAL, a military gung-ho film by Adrian Teh, was an admirable Malaysian-made film that failed to decide whether to be a serious military drama or an 80s action flick. Thankfully, he learned from his mistakes there and proceeded to create a pretty solid action flick called WIRA.
She Ain’t Heavy, She’s My Sister

The story revolves around Hassan (Hairul Azreen), an ex-lieutenant of the Malaysian army who returns home to his village to find it under the oppressive thumb of a corporation calledÂ  Rajamerah, run by Raja (Dain Iskandar Said).
And with renowned martial artist Yayan Ruhian as Raja’s number one bodyguard Ifrit, you can expect a ton of ass-kicking to come with this package. Even with its emotional heart-to-hearts between Hassan and his estranged sister-slash-ass-kicker Zain (Fify Azmi) and father Munas (Dato Hilal Azman), every problem in this flick can be resolved with fists, kicks, makeshift weapons, and a parang which ends up being the film’s symbol.
If the plot sounds like it was copy pasta’ed from Walking Tall, it kinda is. I even spotted a dash of Sega’s Yakuza when it comes to the show’s theatrics and drama between the siblings and Raja’s; at one point, his daughter Vee (Ismi Melinda) demands a rematch with Zain in a seemingly illegal boxing ring MMA-style fight. Hell, there’s even a cop (Henley Hii) who would turn a blind eye at Hassan’s vigilantism just to deliver justice, and a side character who eventually has a small arc where he fights against the people he’s working for.
Fortunately, Adrian Teh and his crew backed it up with lovely action scenes, a solid visual style and cinematography, and a charming brother-sister duo who we can root for from start to finish. It’s not exactly challenging your mind when it comes to the grey area of crime and punishment, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a gloriously fun and silly time just seeing Hassan beat up fools with his equally-skilled Zain.

If you like your fights taking place behind a condom factory, in a speeding minibus, and in the aforementioned boxing ring followed up with pretty spiffy foley for the impacts, you’ll pay attention to WIRA.

Comeback Kid

Don’t expect WIRA to change your mind about action films; it’s pretty standard stuff coupled with a lot of theatrics that needs a right frame of mind to watch. Even if that bit is handled adequately, the film really needed a bit more context to highlight why Hassan’s hamlet really needed saving.
I do wish that there’s a lot more time and extra scenes showcasing the town’s past, as well as explore how Hassan and Zain got into fighting in the first place. A few scenes showcasing the matriarch before she’s written out for the show’s present timeline would help make us feel a bit more for the duo and even the dad.

And the less said about the shared Malaysian cinematic universe being shoehorned at the end in a very last-minute fashion, the better.

Barring that, WIRA hits it where it counts and kicks away the indecisiveness of its predecessor film while relishing in its simple yet effective “violent justice against a company that corrupts a small town” schtick. With a bit more extra filling and meat, this knuckle sandwich would have KO’ed its peers and inspirations instead of sidelining for them.
FINAL SCORE: 70/100


Watch Us Try Our Luck With Genshin Impact’s Eula Banner

Another month, another new character in Genshin Impact & a new banner.
Here’s a video of us using whatever Primogems we accumulated for the new Born of Ocean Swell banner, which kinda sounds like some exotic infection when you say it out loud. How many rolls does it take to score this new 5-star claymore-using Cryo warrior? Find out below!

We also have Eula’s story quest below; do check out how Genshin Impact’s Traveler meet up with the Spindrift Knight. We heard she’s pretty fixated with vengeance for some reason.

Primogems provided by Mihoyo.


Granblue Fantasy News Fiesta

Last weekend, publisher and developer Cygames announced a number of big news during its online expo Granblue Fantasy Fes 2020. Let’s break it down:
Granblue Fantasy Relink
The upcoming action RPG will be out for PS4 and PS5 on 2022. The new demo features protagonists Gran and Djeeta, equipment, abilities, party formation, and a couple of stages capped off with a sweet boss fight. Check it out at 6:16:57 onward.

The game was originally going to have a new protagonist named Blue, but because of Gran and Djeeta’s unique personalities being developed over time, Blue was shelved. Instead, Blue’s outfit will be repurposed for Granblue Fantasy Relink at some point in the game’s story.

Granblue Fantasy Versus
This fighting game’s second season will be filled with more new characters.

First up is Yuel, who was revealed early on. She will be out on 14th December; yep, that’s today. She is a speedy rushdown character with a unique Third Dance stance that counters incoming attacks and mixups, but at the cost of her mobility.
Next is Anre, a long-ranged keepaway character who will be out late January 2021. In addition, there will be new character balances and updates this December.

There’s also some other nice bits from the Granblue Fantasy livestream like a concert, so go check that out if you’re into the game’s music. We can’t publish the concert and gameplay vids right now since my current rig is in the shop, so you’ll have to make do with timestamped videos.


It’s Official: Robert Pattinson Is Your New Batman

We talked about the positive prospects of Good Time/High Life actor Robert Pattinson donning the cowl of the Caped Crusader. And it seems that the stars are aligned in our favour, because he’s officially signed on to the new Batman project.
Or “projects”, it seems.Â According to Warner Bros. Pictures, he will be the next Bruce Wayne/Batman in a new trilogy of Batman films, starting with The Batman. The movie will hit theatres on 25 June, 2021 and will be helmed by director Matt Reeves. The latter is known for his work on War for the Planet of the Apes.
Here’s what Reeves has to say about Pattinson’s newfound Dark Knight role:

“I have loved the Batman story since I was a child. He is such an iconic and compelling character, and one that resonates with me deeply. I am incredibly honoured and excited to be working with Warner Bros. to bring an epic and emotional new take on the Caped Crusader to the big screen.”

The trilogy will be rebooting the property after Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Nicholas Hoult was in the running, but Warner Bros. decided to side with Robert Pattinson on this.
As we’ve mentioned before, Robert Pattinson got a lot of hate for this role because of his association with the Twilight series, which was a pretty bad vampire drama series at best. You should give him a chance; his last few films like High Life and Good Time were stellar watches because of his respective characters.


Tom Holland Looks The Part As Uncharted’s Nathan Drake

Tom Holland has shared our first look at his younger version of Uncharted‘s Nathan Drake. Surprisingly, he looks a lot more like Nathan Drake than any of us expected, especially since he’s wearing Nathan’s iconic tan-coloured shirt and cargo pants.

The official Naughty Dog Twitter account also shared a couple of more pictures from the set of the Uncharted movie, including one where Nolan North (the voice of Nathan Drake in the games) can be seen interacting with Tom Holland.

Find someone who looks at you like Nate looks at Nate.@unchartedmovie pic.twitter.com/x189yx783o— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) October 22, 2020

Like looking into a mirror! Proud to have @TomHolland1996 continuing the Drake legacy!  Absolutely smashing it!Thanks for the set visit!!@unchartedmovie pic.twitter.com/sfiFYUJVyH— Nolan North (@nolan_north) October 22, 2020

According to Sony Pictures, the Uncharted movie will premiere on 16 July 2021. It will star Tom Holland as Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg as Sully.


(Breaking News) Esports Returns, Now A Medal Sport At 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou

To the joy of many, esports will be a medal sport at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. As announced by the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) on their website, medals won in the esports category will be counted into the overall tally in the medal standings.
In the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta, esports made its debut at the Asian Games. However, back then, it was part of the ‘Demonstration Games’ where whilst medals were given away, they did not contribute to the winning country’s official medal count.
AESF has been very active in pushing for esports’ inclusion in major sporting events, starting with the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. It was then followed by esportsâ€™ first foray at the Asian Games in 2018.
In 2019, the Manila SEA Games made history as for the first time ever, esports was included as an official sport in a regional multi-sports event. Next year, esports will again be part of the festivities at the 2021 SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam , and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Chonburi, Thailand.
This announcement came swiftly following the 39th OCA General Assembly. Conducted online due to the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the main talking points focused on the growing trend and influence of esports. The AESF was represented by their President, Mr Kenneth Fok, and Director General, Mr Sebastian Lau.
‘This achievement is the result of several years of collective effort involving not only the AESF but also the unyielding support from the Olympic Council of Asia, AESF member associates, local organizing committees and other collaborative partners. For that, we are forever grateful.’ said AESF on their website.
Also welcoming the news was Mr. Haider A H E Farman, OCA Director of Sport who said â€œIt would be a great honor for everybody to have (the esports community) participate in the games as players and technical officials. I hope that esports would add value – and I am sure it will for the Asian Games 2022 and beyond thatâ€
This is great news for esports-strong countries as it provides another avenue to rack up medals as based on past events, there could be as many as six different new events added.


Overwatch League: Team Boston Announces Name

Team Boston became the fifth team to announce their official name for the Overwatch League when they revealed their that they will be calledÂ Boston Uprising. Based out of Boston, Massachusetts, the team is owned byÂ Robert Kraft, Chairman and CEO of theÂ Kraft Group. The Kraft Group are also owners of the current Superbowl champions, theÂ New England Patriots and MLS team, New England Revolution.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8O9SPIWEEw&w=560&h=315]
And just like the Patriots,Â  the team will use blue as their primary color, as shown by Soldier 76 here. While it would be cool to have Soldier 76 as the team’s official mascot, we have a feeling that he is just showing off the team’s colors – just like in other sports teams. We expect to see the same colorway kitted on other heroes as to easier differentiate teams from one another once the league kicks off. So yes; you will get your Hanzo in blue with yellow trim.

â€œBoston has long had a reputation for challenging the status quo, especially during the 18th century, when it gave rise to people and ideas that sparked the American Revolution. Itâ€™s in this spirit that we are proud to announce the Boston Uprising, a name which evokes resilience and determinationâ€”qualities which we expect will be on prominent display by the team during the Overwatch Leagueâ€™s inaugural season. The team colors of blue and yellow reference the Boston flag, which has a blue and yellow city seal on a background of sky blue.â€ said Kraft, commenting on the reveal.
We also got additional information that the official roster reveal for the franchise will come tomorrow.
Boston Uprising is the fifth team to officially reveal their Overwatch League name, following earlier announcements of Shanghai Dragons, Dallas Fuel, San Francisco Shock and Los Angeles Valiant.

				Shanghai Dragons

				Dallas Fuel (EnVyUs)

				San Francisco Shock (NRG)

				Los Angeles Valiant (Immortals)

				Boston Uprising

The preseason for the Overwatch League starts on Wednesday, December 6th at the Blizzard Arena in Los Angeles, California, with the first season starting on Wednesday, January 10th. Registration for the players closes on October 30th.


The Mandalorian & Grogu Strike Back With New Hot Toys

We’re still far away from The Mandalorian Season 3 of any kind, but at least we have Hot Toys releasing yet another new figure of Din Djarin and Grogu to tide us over until then.
Today, Hot Toy has announced a special Deluxe Version 1/6th scale The Mandalorian and Grogu collectible set. This new Hot Toys is meticulously crafted based on his latest appearance in the live-action series, the Mandalorian 1/6th scale figure features a newly developed head sculpt with an astonishing likeness, chrome-plated Beskar helmet and armour pieces, finely tailored outfit, an attachable jetpack, Mandoâ€™s iconic rifle and blaster, a selection of weapon firing effects, a dark saber, a Beskar spear, and a display base.
Furthermore, this collectible set specially features a standing Grogu and a pouch for the Mandalorian to carry the foundling.
For this Deluxe Version, it exclusively includes the Boba Fett helmet, jetpack, and baggage that the Mandalorian had retrieved and had to carry with the broken Swoop Bike part after the vehicle was sabotaged.
In the meantime, you can check out the old Hot Toys of Mando and Grogu here.


Journey To The Savage Planet Makes Attempted Colonizing Fun

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC via Epic
Genre: A proper and fun No Man’s Sky, with actual co-op at launch!
Despite its backlash post-launch and its eventual “fix-er-upping”, the sci-fi exploration game No Man’s Sky had promise. It had players explore to the edges of the universe for new planets and places; it’s the excitement of discovering new creatures and locations that had players wanting for more.Â

Where No Man’s Sky got it wrong the first time, Journey To The Savage Earth developer Typhoon Studios nails it right out of the box with its debut title. The team streamlines its focus on a single planet and pack in a lot of fun, danger, and humour that stimulates both your mind & funny bone.
Terms and Conditions Apply
The quirky Pufferbirds are your friends!
Some context first: what if one day, you were allowed to travel into space and land on foreign planets? One of the game’s sci-fi corporations Kindred Aerospace is willing to give you the opportunity, fully-paid trip and all.
So you sign up for the all-paid expense travel plan and now you’re on you’re way to an uncharted planet dubbed AR-Y 26 for the greatest and latest discoveries for mankind. Your task is to explore it to see if it’s viable as the next Planet Earth to be inhabited by earthlings.
Turns out that the titular Savage Planet is, surprise, filled with hostile aliens of shape and sizes, and a possible alien civilization to uncover. You’ll not only need to explore and scan the area to see if it’s viable for humans, but also survive and find suitable forms of fuel to fly back to Earth.
Congratulations, new employee!
You won’t be feeling homesick because the Javelin is knee-deep with some vids of the company CEO, and a bunch of email and ads that remind you that the game’s Earth needs help. I suggest watching these whenever they pop up because they are totally hilarious and help set the quirky tone of your Savage journey.
Ads…lots of ’em.
You’re also not completely alone. You have your trust E.K.O companion who serves as a helper of sorts who narrates your surroundings and chastises you at inopportune moments. She sounds eerily similar to Failsafe in Destiny 2 in terms of sarcasm and mannerism and also gives off a whiff of GLaDOS from Portal.
That’s a good thing because you’ll be served dish after dish of slapstick humour which never gets boring, unlike the cringe-inducing dialogues your Ghost mutters in Destiny 2.
This ad seems well-timed.

Journey To The Savage Planet’s narrative can get a bit on-the-nose, but it’s still written and told in numerous “show, don’t tell” methods that make it palatable while you explore.

Humour is everywhere. You only need to find it.
The Outer Wilds In Space
This game is the perfect match for those who find joy in exploration as discovery. You have quite a world to explore, puzzles to solve, and things to scan for database-building.
Once you step into the alien world, you’ll be amazed by the variety of docile and hostile flora and fauna that are abundant on the planet. You have the option to scan the local flora and fauna for some elucidation, more than often the said elucidation is more than enough to get you bawling.
Ouch.
Players will also need to collect resources used for crafting tools and upgrades. Killing the native creatures gives you either Carbon, Silicon, or Aluminum. Don’t feel bad for killing some innocent creatures as it’s the bread and butter of colonisation. Before you can use your resources, you must visit your base, the Javelin, to bank in everything.
Traversing the treacherous terrain highly requires ingenuity and tools provided by the world’s 4th planet discovery company, but mostly the former as you will be spending hours trying to figure out how to get to one point across ravines and gaps and such.
The Proton Tether Tool. Useful for swinging, and pulling Pufferbirds into kicking distance.
For example, the game allows you to grapple onto certain points in the world, or you can also create your own grapple points when a suitable surface presents itself. A higher ledge requires players to jump higher and this needs another type of tool that increases your jump and bounce height and is obtained from the local flora.
For jumping newer heights.
There are numerous moments where you have to think and traverse on the fly, and those moments definitely made traversing more than just walking and jumping. The movement system in the game is liberating, a huge fresh breath that lets you go where ever you want, as long as you have the right tools and imagination to boot.
Speaking of which, Kindred Aerospace has also provided explorers with a 3D printer for you to craft upgrades and spelunking new equipment to traverse the wilderness. You’ll need to collect samples and resources on the planet, as well as rank up your explorer level, to print weapons and traversal equipment.
Need a double-jump to get out of high spots? Create a jump jet. Need to swing from one place to another through conveniently-placed grapples? Then print a grappling hook!
Your personal 3d Printer.
You can also bring another player into your adventures through the Co-Op mode, for double the exploration equalling to double the fun.
You’ll need to get to making tools because puzzles and blocked areas are in abundance. Following a “Metroidvania in 3D system” where you need the right item(s) to get past an obstacle, you start to see the game’s progression and level design unfold in a genius manner. You’ll have a blast navigating and doing a ton of 3D platforming, with a bunch of failsafe methods of getting off the ground, landing perfectly onto whatever you’re aiming at, and grappling.
Figuring out these secrets are treats in itself. Sometimes you have to figure out how to get to certain areas containing secrets. Other times, you have to work that noggin to figure out how to crack open a loot box (in the form of a plant). You’ll even have to make use of the native planet’s many seeds; some explode and spew out corrosive acid, while others create grappling hook points on certain plant pods.
Defeating bosses are also puzzles in itself, either in the form of jumping, traversing, or figuring out where to shoot.

Later in the game, you will unlock more specialised tools that you can use to overcome obstacles and puzzles that hold you back from discovering certain secrets earlier on in the game.

As with all Metroidvania-esque titles, Journey to the Savage Planet requires you to backtrack a lot. Like, A LOT! But trust me when I say that the game rewards the curious, not to mention the fact that the entire game is pretty compact and contained. Be diligent enough, and you’ll uncover an extra fuel depot or another orange goo blob that increases your health and stamina. There’s a lot to uncover, but it’s not overwhelming to the point of repetition.
Yes, there’s a lot of orange goo in this game. There are even trees that shoot out orange goo.Â  You’ll need these to keep yourself alive since you have no other way of regenerating health. Death can get you at any moment, be it a stray projectile from a spinning flying “octopus” thing or a mistimed jump on a bunch of floating platforms. You’ll have to be a bit resourceful and careful not to let the seemingly easy-going scenery go native on you.
Splatfest
While we’re on that, death in Journey to the Savage Planet is plentiful, but at least it’s handled with drizzles of humour. Basically, Kindred Aerospace “reprints” your body with 98% of your memories intact.
No need to stress out as you’ll only drop your gathered resources, which appears as a sidequest to fetch your dropped goodies. You can even find your corpse and bury it for extra resources, provided you find it within the vicinity.
Yep, that’s me after miscalculating my jump trajectory.
I should also point out that the game doesn’t have a map of any kind. While that deters my pace of exploration slightly, I totally understand the developer’s choice here as it forces me to explore the area and charting out paths. I do play an explorer on a strange uncharted world, so I need to find my own way to remember pathways and such, as well as make use of landmarks in each of the game’s four main regions.

There are quite a number of them that you don’t really need a map in the first place. The landing spot has a cliff with some conveniently laid-out grapple points near the first teleporter you find.

Elsewhere, one section in the Itching Fields has a bunch of floating platforms arranged in a specific manner that tells you “oh, THAT teleporter and grapple spot is nearby”. You know, THAT spot with the flying space goldfish that poops on occasion.
Also, I accidentally discover a huge stash of goodies while taking the offbeat path. That’s always nice. Simply put, the game nails this part while not mollycoddling players. Just discovering new mechanics and areas by yourself is satisfying in its own right.
Houston…
It’s not all sunshines and fresh air in this journey. Where exploration and traversal in Journey to the Savage Planet is the main meat that lingers on in the best way possible, the combat portions can sometimes leave a bitter aftertaste.
The hostile creatures feature troves of shooty moments and to be honest it’s a great break of pace from walking around the map. The boss fights are a treat in which you have to take some time to figure out how the combat works. It is nothing too complex and defeating a boss fight is very much satisfying on its own accord.

However, most of the combat scenarios require the utmost precision from the user. For some, it might not be a huge issue, but to those who aren’t sharpshooters might face issues hitting the ever-so-small-and-moving-weak-spots and hitboxes.

The use of some tools might help you out here, and there’s an auto-aim option if you’re keen on using a controller instead of the keyboard & mouse. Still, it’s quite a challenge to hit enemy weak spots in intense situations. I wished the auto-aim acquisition worked better.
This guy zips around a lot, and you have to shoot those glowy balls on the tail to defeat it.
To add on further, the game is slightly marred by the presence of bugs in the game. Some audio bugs are totally forgivable as it doesn’t break the game, for example, you can hear your footsteps when you slide after sprinting.
Another bug that has been irking me during my playtime was that every time you log out of the game, it counts as death and I had to pick up my loot every time. Fortunately, this can be circumvented by logging out when you are at your base.
If it was not a bug and a feature, I wish they had explained it somewhere. Either way, it’s pretty annoying.
A New Frontier?
I was never quite a gamer who enjoys exploration in games. I just go from Point A to Point Z without stopping by Point B, C, D and sodding E.

With that said, Journey To The Savage Planet changed my viewpoint and made me appreciate the thrill of discovery. Walking off the beaten path often treats you with something. Just finding new pathways and using your new tools is a boon in itself.Â

Even if the whole experience takes about 8 hours or less to finish – aÂ few more if you want to go 100% – there’s a lot to discover, uncover, and thrill.Â Co-op mode is something to look forward to as it certainly has its huge fun potential. I only played a bit of it, but if the solo experience is already this fun, I’m confident that having two people trying to work together to uncover the planet will be quite a fun riot.
Who knew that 2020 would start off with quite a charming sci-fi endeavour from a small studio like Typhoon? I certainly didn’t, and I don’t regret it one bit.
Pros:

Tons to discover & explore, before & after the game.
Quirky graphics and music.
Amusing narrative.
Cleverly hidden secrets that require skill & patience to uncover.

Cons:

Some gameplay mechanics need explaining.
A few annoying bugs.
Jittery aiming during combat.

FINAL SCORE: 80/100


Persona 5 The Phantom X Mobile Game Announced

Perfect World Games and Black Wings Game Studio have announced Persona 5 The Phantom X mobile game for iOS and Android. However, there is no release date for now. It will be a free-to-play title with item-based in-app purchases.
Persona 5 The Phantom X is based on the world of Persona 5 and set in Tokyo, and follows an original story with a new group of Phantom Thieves. Apparently, the game retains the style and basic gameplay of the original game, but the user experience and presentation have been optimized for smartphone users. The game’s theme is “desires”.
Check out the trailers below:


Overwatch League Viewers Pick First Regular Season’s Top 10 Plays

The votes are finally tallied and the Overwatch League viewers had their say on the top ten plays from the inaugural regular season. Widowmaker and a bunch of Korean players dominated the list which showcased the most clutch plays throughout a very memorable first season. While there were some questionable inclusions in the final list, we agree with most of the choices – especially the Sayaplayer and Carpe ones. Check them out:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79Xottw_X6c&w=560&h=315]
Which one was your favorite and do you have a particular play you think deserve to be in the list? Sound of in the comments section below.


Chinese Final Fantasy XIV Players Are Stuffing Themselves With KFC For Chocobo Codes

Fast food franchise and game tie-ins aren’t especially new, but this Final Fantasy XIV promo takes the cake. Or massive buckets of chicken in this instance.
China’s KFC outlet is holding a promo that offers Final Fantasy XIV a sweet Fat Black Chocobo mount code for use in-game. Here’s the catch:

You have to buy a KFC family deal for four. That’s 1 Double Chicken Burger, 1 Vegan Mushroom Burger, 1 5-piece Chicken Nuggets, 2 Original Recipe Chicken, 1 2-piece New Orland Chicken Wings, 1 Old Beijing Spicy Duck Roll, 2 large Pepsis, and 2 large Peach Oolong Tea (translated via Reddit’s Cozywolf).
You can’t dabao this; you have to eat the whole thing at the venue. Once you finish it, the KFC staff will hand you the code.
To recap, one family deal which contains that gargantuous amount of food will net you one code. If you want your pals to have the same matching bird mount in-game, you’ll have to attempt a real-life raid with really, REALLY hungry friends.

Here’s a sneak peek at what it really looks like:

And the crazy part? Some FF14 players have already succeeded. Solo. Come check out the results, complete with appropriate captions via that same Reddit thread.

If you’d rather not get your stomach pumped after this chicken-laced ordeal, why not just get on-board the new Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers expansion for PC and PS4? We’ve got a pretty awesome guide to sort out your endgame plans.Â


Among Us Devs Explain Why Updates Are Taking So Long

Among Us was one of the biggest breakout gaming success stories of 2020, and it was massively popular around the world. Even the likes of New York U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez streamed Among UsÂ just weeks before the U.S. election took placeÂ in an effort to encourage younger people to go out and vote.
So why hasn’t the game been updated much? Developer Innersloth even cancelled a planned Among Us sequel to focus on the existing game and release new content. So, what’s taking so long? Well, it’s complicated.
Basically, they were taken by surprise of the game’s sudden popularity and needed time to adjust to the growing player base. There are only four people at Innersloth, which is a very small indie team.
In a blog post, the devs said:
“Among Us gained incredible traction pretty late into 2020 that we werenâ€™t expecting, and that meant A LOT of change for us.
Not to dive into too much organizational stuff, but not only did we need to switch back to working on Among Us after thinking it was done, but we also needed to set ourselves up more sustainably to work on the game.
We had to spend 2 months just restructuring, figuring out new processes, and getting external partners to help us manage on board.
Originally it was just 3 friends working together (and now I’m here to make 4, hi), but if we wanted this to work long term and hire up, we needed to streamline things. Itâ€™s all behind the scenes work, and while it meant time away from the game, itâ€™ll make it easier for current and future us to develop the game better.
Not to mention additional platforms (like Nintendo Switch and Xbox) means more support, certifications to go through, and whatnot.
We have help from our porting partners for that, but it still means we need to make sure future things we do are supported on those platforms.
Thereâ€™s a ton of other things out of our control (legal issues, meetings, planning), so sometimes these things take longer as well.
Thank you SO much for the patience as you wait for the next big update!
We want to do more for you to show you how grateful we are, but without sacrificing on the quality and values we had before this blew up.”
There you have it, folks. At least players can still look forward to a brand new map in early 2021. In the meantime, check out the trailer below, or head on over here for our piece on why Among Us should inspire indie developers out there.


Mysterio Reveals Which Earth He’s From, Calls MCU Earth-616

Marvel Studios unleashed the second spoilerific trailer for Spider-Man Far From Home two days ago filled with several bombshells, one of which seems to be Mysterio confirming the existence of the Multiverse in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
A new video has surfaced, featuring an extended clip of the scene between Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Quentin Beck/Mysterio.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VktWPESnmTQ&w=560&h=315]
Here’s what Mysterio says to Peter in the special clip:

“There are multiple realities, Peter. This is Earth dimension 616, I’m from Earth 833.
We share identical physical constants level four symmetry.”

Earth-616
In the comics, the â€˜primeâ€™ Marvel universe is based in the reality of Earth-616 while the MCU has always been unofficially designated Earth-199999. For that reason, this is extremely confusing for comic book fans. However, it could also be an indication that proves another theory; that Mysterio is actually lying about all this.
It could also be that Marvel Studios is trying to separate the lines between the MCU and the comics even further, by establishing that the MCU has access to its own Multiverse and by extension its own Earth-616.
Earth-833
Meanwhile, let’s discuss the implications of what Mysterio being from Earth 833 would bring. In the comics, that reality is already home to its own version of Spider-Man named William “Billy” Braddock. Calling himself Spider-UK, he is actually a member of the Captain Britain Corps, an organization that protects the Multiverse.
Spider-UK.
Braddock is his reality’s version of both Spider-Man and Captain Britain in one, though he only has abilities of the former (Spider-Sense, super strength, etc) and none of the latter (mystical source of power).Â  However, his reality was destroyed in the comics, and he also died recently.
In the trailer, Mysterio words to Spider-Man; “I could someone like you on my world.” could now have two implications. One, that he is lying about there being no Spider-Man on his Earth, thereby making him a villain with a hidden agenda, or two, the Spider-Man on his Earth did exist but is now dead maybe due to the Elementals or some other threat.
Maybe this could all even turn out to be a way for Marvel Studios to introduce the Inheritors into the MCU, interdimensional immortal vampires who suck the life force of Spider Totems from different universes, destroying them in the process. Perhaps Mysterio’s world was ravaged by the Inheritors? It’s possible.
The family of Inheritors.
I’m still skeptical of Mysterio’s claims, but if it all does turn out to be true, could mean infinite possibilities for future stories. Marvel Studios could potentially use the Multiverse concept as a backdoor excuse to introduce mutants or the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four into the MCU, as well as new villains like Galactus, Kang the Conqueror, or Annihilus.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is slated to arrive in cinemas on 4 July 2019.


Sonic Frontiers Will Be Out This November

Sega may have been premature with its release date reveal of its upcoming 3D platformer Sonic Frontiers.
The next Sonic game will be out on 8th November for PC and Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo consoles. This is from a TV spot of the game that recently went private. The short TV spot shows off the vast environments of the game, Sonic running, the robotic enemies he’s fighting, and a snippet of the game’s main theme sung by some band trying to mimic Jane’s Addiction but poorly.

Here is the back up 🙂 pic.twitter.com/wuh2mnx3wJ
— Shaikh Sehran (@ShaikhSehran) August 23, 2022

Sonic Frontiers will be out for Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam). The game’s release date is coinciding with the release of Ubisoft’s Skull & Bones and God of War: Ragnarok.


Overwatch Contenders: We Interviewed THE Widowmaker God

Love him or hate him, you gotta admit that Brian “Kephrii” St. Pierre is one heck of a Widowmaker main. Known to be a very outspoken and polarizing figure in the scene, Kephrii never shied away from voicing out his opinions and allowing his actions (and sick, sick flick shots) back him up.
Having recently relocated to Seoul, South Korea where he joined Global Esports Pantheon KR to contest in Overwatch Contenders 2018 Season 3: Pacific, we finally got an opportunity to ask him several questions about his career, the OWL and the Overwatch scene in general.

Q: You pretty much walked the talk when you decided to go through the Contenders scene in a bid to hit the big stage, the OWL. What and when was the tipping point for this?
I figured if this is what everyone really wanted to see then I figured I should do it! I wanted to compete anyway and at least this way I get to find out if I really am good enough.
Q: Whatâ€™s the biggest change and challenge when it comes to competing with (your GE) teammates whose first language isnâ€™t the same as yours? How do you get by?
The biggest challenge is flat out not being able to communicate. I speak in very little broken Korean and they speak in very little broken English. Thankfully in scrims, we figure out what words we need to learn to be effective.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOOPxelovYM&w=560&h=315]
Q: What do you have to say about Seagullâ€™s recent comments regarding the state of Overwatch? How would you fix it? (if any)
Oh gosh, haha, I mean I can agree that there is definitely a problem but I don’t think I am qualified to analyze and suggest any solutions haha. I do see a lot of patches coming out and they’re coming out fast. I am optimistic that Jeff has figured something out.
Q: We saw your match vs Giant Esports the other day and you pretty much forced them out of their game by locking down some sections with your Widowmaker play â€“ would you agree that effective Widow play is the best counter vs GOATs?
Unfortunately effective Widowmaker play alone isn’t the best counter vs GOATs. This strategy only works with a Pharah in the sky and on maps with lots of high ground. Maps such as Kings Row will still find GOATs to be superior in patch 1.29.
Q: Have you ever considered being part of pro Overwatch outside the realms of being a player? If yes, what role?
I have considered doing coaching or analysis but I’m just too busy streaming haha. I would love to be on a Blizzard sponsored pro team though. What I mean by that is, some gaming companies will have their own pro team for internal play-testing/development. I wish Blizzard had one and I wish I could be on that team to help create healthier patches/meta’s!
Q: Whatâ€™s your prediction of the upcoming Overwatch League? Which new team excites you the most, and which teams should we be looking out for?
I am excited for D.C. because it is my local team! However, I don’t have any predictions. 🙁
Q: Care to share some quick thoughts and tips on Ashe?
My initial thought is that Ashe’s AoE damage will be quickly healed and cause enemy supports to gain ult charge really quickly. I almost think Ashe may become a reverse Road Hog in terms of feeding ultimates.
Quickfire section: In your opinion, name the best player for each Overwatch hero:
– Zenyatta: Jjonak
– Winston: Fissure
– D.Va: Space
– Tracer: Saebyeolbe
– Reinhardt: Fissure
– Zarya: Spree

Kephrii’s team in Contenders Pacific, GE Pantheon KR are currently flying high in their group, having won three out of their four matches and securing a spot in the playoff stage. Their next match is against New Paradigm before the teams prepare themselves for the playoff rounds.
In the meantime, you can watch his stream on Twitch or keep up to date with what he’s up to via Twitter.


Remember Dogecoin? It’s Worth Over 500% In The Last 24 Hours!

Following the recent GameStop/Reddit share fiasco, and the fact that Reddit users were excluded to trade meme stocks after brokerage Robinhood shut down their ability to buy, a windfall seem to have occurred in the cryptocurrency space. Specifically, the “joke” crypto Dogecoin.
The Doge-faced cryptocurrency, originally worth fractions of a cent for most of its existence since 2016, has suddenly risen from US$0.007681 on 27th January to US$0.049 after 28th January in the evening (via Forbes). The reason? It’s the latest target of Redditors and folks from the WallStreetBets subreddit who are responsible for surging stocks in GameStop and AMC, in a move to frustrate hedge fund managers looking to profit of the short-selling of GameStop’s stocks (the ones expecting a decline).
It also had a lot to do with Tesla’s Elon Musk tweeting this Doge-themed meme during that period of time.

pic.twitter.com/a6kmk0PEgM
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2021

For more on the GameStop/WallStreetBets subreddit story, head here.


Streets of Rage 4 Guide: How To Get S Rank For Each Stage

Streets of Rage 4 is an awesome throwback beat-em-up that’s made for 2020; it also pays huge respect to the past 90s series. By now during the weekend you should have at least cleared the game a couple of times. If you notice, there are rankings you can get for each level from the easiest to the hardest difficulty. It’s not easy to get the highest ranking for each stage, try as you might.
This guide is solely for getting an S-Ranking for all difficulties and getting the “Maniac” achievement. While the enemy count and speed are higher and faster, the principles are the same. Let’s break them down:
Know The Criteria

Your high score to get an S ranking is determined by the final score of the stage plus these conditions:

Time Bonus: How fast you complete the level. The lower the time, the better your score.
Health Bonus: Basically how many lives you’ve accumulated, though if you at least lose one, it won’t be a huge demerit. Worst-case scenario, you’ll lose one life in the end-of-stage boss fight. You can still get an S as long as the other two conditions are available.
Star Bonus: The number of stars you collected. The more you have, the higher the score.

To sum it up, you can get an S (or A) ranking if you’re fast, take as little hits as possible (no hits = best),Ã‚Â  and if you hoard your stars. Doing this should at least get your score to 20,000 and beyond, which is also a prerequisite for getting S ranks.
Obviously, it’ll be harder to get S Ranking at higher difficulties because of a higher score requirement. Plus, enemies can move pretty fast and strike you first even though you swore you hit the attack button first. There are also other factors to take into account that tie into the aforementioned conditions.
Which bring us to:
Beating The System & Enemies
As with all beat-em-ups, the odds are usually against you in horde numbers and damage. Fortunately, you have a TON of tools at your side to clear the wave and stages as fast as possible with little casualties to yourself.

Use “love taps” with your jabs; these are a staple move in a beat-em-up. Press the attack button to see if you can “tap” your foes. Wait a second (turn back quick, then turn facing the enemy again), then tap it again. Note that enemies will fall down after the fifth “love tap”. Plus, you recover quicker from a jab, meaning you can cancel to your special moves.
Keep note of your invincibility frames. They are useful in making sure you don’t get hit while doing a combo against the mob. Defensive special moves and throws are examples of moves that give you invincibility frames.
Neutral jump + attack. This can save your life more often than usual, especially against grab-happy opponents like the Signal brothers and the green cops.
Keep tabs on anti-air mobs. Enemies like the Donovans (the bald sunglasses dudes) and the Dylans (the dudes with hands in their baggy pants) can anti-air you. Keep that in mind so that you don’t carelessly anti-air enemies just to do fancy combos.
If you can find safe spots, exploit them. When you fight certain bosses, you need to do this to minimize the damage you’re taking. It’s also helpful if the enemy is super-aggressive and loves chasing and spacing you like Ms. Y.

Keep Your Health Full (When You Can)
To get a good score and S-Rank, don’t get hit. Easier said than done, right?
This is to ensure you get bonus points when collecting food at high health, as well as get a life score bonus when you finish a stage. It’s tough, but once you play through a level at a certain difficulty long enough, the enemy deployment patterns will always be the same.
With this info, you can do preemptive attacks and kill off enemies before they add to the already-hectic mob. Good luck doing this in Mania mode though; the enemies move at ludicrous speed and can take quick potshots at you to break your combo.
Keep The Combo Chains Going

Getting a combo chain going -continuously beating up enemies and keeping the combo count active- is a surefire way to get a high score for that S ranking. If you get hit during this, you get a “Break” signal and lose all of those sweet, sweet points. Ensure that your finger is always ready to pull off an invincibility frame-granting move to avoid these stray hits.
If you have to “sacrifice life” to cancel to a special move for combo chaining, do it. Your aim here is not to get hit as much as possible, so it’s good practice to chain moves for bigger rewards. You have to take a bit of a gamble to aim for an S ranking. So practice chaining moves.
If your combos keep getting “broken” by random Galsias and Donovans, you may want to practice keeping your combos to a medium length. When your combo counter is coloured purple, you might want to stop and cash it out lest you lose it all. Go for broke, but don’t get too greedy.
Low-Hitting Back Attacks Can Hit Opponents On The Ground
There are OTG moves in Streets of Rage 4. You just have to find out what they are to get the most out of your combos and optimal damage. Blaze’s back attack is one great example.
Never, EVER Use Star Moves
This one goes without saying. DO NOT use Star Moves to save yourself if you’re going for an S Ranking. At this point in time, you should be less reliant on super crowd control tools.
Pick The Best Characters For Your Score Run
[wpvideo GMRb0oa9]
Generally, you want to pick characters who have decent range with their hits and has good combo potential/corner carries. Examples include Blaze, Adam, and Floyd. Based on our playthroughs on all difficulties, they seem to have the best tools for safe poking, footsies, and first hits, which is essential for keeping their life at the max.

Blaze has good combos and juggles. Her charge attack has good range. Her “forward, forward attack” Blitz move can make enemies bounce, making them ripe for juggling/air juggling to keep the combo count going.
Adam Hunter also has good combos and juggles; you can end combos (and enemies) with his Uzi Punch Blitz move. When you jump kick, make sure to do the “down attack” then chain it with his air special. Also, he can do step dashes, covering good distance while avoiding most attacks deftly.
Floyd is super-slow, but deals the most damage. Hence, he can clear the screen of enemies super-quick. He’s not good with combos, but his Blitz move reach makes up for it. Plus, his “coconut cracker” grab (grab one enemy, then move close to another enemy for a smashing good time) is a great mini AoE move.

Unless you’re super confident with getting the first hit on enemies, go for Axel and Cherry. These two have arguably better combo properties and toolsets at the cost of crappy range.
Use The Best Weapons For The Right Character

The weapons on the ground can be useful, depending on the character using them.

Blaze is best with knives and short stabby weapons. She can do two-hit attacks in quick succession using these. These can juggle enemies in the air.
Adam’s best weapons are pipes and police batons. He has long reach for the former and multi-hit properties that don’t cause knockdown state for the latter. Both deal good damage and can juggle enemies in the air.
Floyd is best with pipes and long bats. He has the best reach with them and can follow hits up with his special grab, provided they’re in reach.

Keep Track Of Each Stage’s Minimum Score Requirement
Here are the scores you need to aim & surpass to get an S Rank (via Jerome Nivart). Keep in mind that Hardest and Mania difficulty’s base score is multiplied by 1.3 and 1.4 respectively.

Stage 1: 26,000
Stage 2: 26,000
Stage 3: 20,000
Stage 4: 26,000
Stage 5: 28,000
Stage 6: 32,000
Stage 7: 15,000
Stage 8: 24,000
Stage 9: 23,000
Stage 10: 23,000
Stage 11: 26,000
Stage 12: 35,000

Should You Tackle Retro Levels?
Since time is a huge factor here, you should skip retro levels and focus on combo-racking. They do give you one extra star to add to your collection, but “speedrunning” a stage while getting more combos while staying alive yields a better overall score.
While time is a huge factor to your score, you only need a few minutes to take care of a Retro Level’s boss. Regardless of whether you win or lose, you’ll get out of the stage with full health, meaning you can collect nearby health items for extra points. In other words, do actively seek them out.

Should I use characters from SoR1, SoR2, and SoR3?
It depends. If you want your score uploaded on the online leaderboards, you can only use Streets of Rage 4 characters.
Otherwise, go nuts. Our top picks for S Rank-dom on higher difficulty levels include:

SoR1 Axel – He’s fast and got “one frame jabs”, which is perfect for damage and breaking invincibility for certain bosses. He has no reliable wakeup and defensive options though.
SoR3 Shiva – He hits fast, has little to no recovery for his Blitz moves and Special moves, and can dash his way to victory and speedruns.
SoR2 Blaze – Good footsies and range, damaging regular attacks, and has good invincibility and recovery for her Specials. Unlike her SoR4 counterpart, her Blitz move is useless here and should only be used for style purposes.

NEXT: Stage Walkthrough


Indonesia Esports Federation Responds To SEA Games 2023 Valorant Controversy

Yesterday, the Valorant Grand Finals at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia sparked controversy when Singapore claimed its first SEA Games esports gold medal after Indonesia forfeited the match.
According to reports, the Indonesian team accused the Singaporean team of using a bug in Valorant to gain an unfair advantage. The Indonesian team then lodged a protest with the officials but they later forfeited the match after being unsatisfied with the officials’ response to the matter.
Allegedly, the Singaporean team used a Cypher Cam bug. This bug would have allowed the Singapore team to see where the Indonesian team were spawning into the match by exploiting the character Cypher’s Cam ability in a certain bugged location. This would have given them a massive advantage in the match.
However, according to pro Valorant coach Fayde, the Singaporean team’s camera couldn’t see into the barrier, so it couldn’t have been the bug. Apparently, the Singaporean team placed the Cypher Cam close to the bugged location, but not exactly where it should have been to properly exploit the bug.

Cam 1 = "bug cam" that can see into spawn like this video : https://t.co/1ey0F1Cj1k
Cam 2 = Normal Camera that sees into A main/front barrier
Cam 2 can't even tilt the camera and look into spawn, and that's the one Team SG used (https://t.co/8DKgXHWNMO)
Resume the match… pic.twitter.com/J4HrnUdgaE
— Fayde (@FaydeVLR) May 10, 2023

The bug would have been something like this:

Ultimately, the officials decided to award a joint gold medal to both Singapore and Indonesia.
The Esports Federation of Indonesia (PB ESI) official statement reads:
Sportsmanship and fairness are key values that we and the entire ecosystem should aspire to at all times. Violation of these values, as well as of integrity, are intolerable in the grand scheme of the sport. Tonight, at the Grand Finals of the Valorant Event, part of the Esports Events at the 32nd SEA Games Cambodia 2023, we found irrefutable evidence of a breach of rules committed by the Singaporean National Team for Valorant.
During the match, the Singaporean National Team was discovered exploiting a certain bug in the game, called a camera agent cypher, which provided unfair advantage by exposing the movements of the Indonesian National Team among others. This bug was used three times at the Split Map, going against both the Technical Handbook and the rules agreed upon at the technical meeting.
We have lodged an official protest to the organizers and we encourage everyone to respect and uphold the values that form the foundation of our sport: integrity, fairness, and sportsmanship. We reject and denounce – with unwavering resolve – actions and behavior that tarnish the ethical principles of esports, sports in general, and those of the SEA Games itself.
We at PB ESI, the Esports Federation of Indonesia, consider this act of cheating equivalent to doping and should be defined as digital doping. We must remember that esports still needs to gain world recognition. The values of sportsmanship, fairness, and integrity are important factors that must be agreed upon and implemented by esports players around the world. Therefore, our stance is firm: we oppose all actions against sportsmanship, fairness, and integrity, and we believe those who have violated these values should be given the harshest sanctions.


WandaVision Pietro Quicksilver Funko Hints At Different Identity

It’s no secret that Evan Peters is back as Pietro Maximoff since WandaVision Episode 5, but many fans have been speculating that he is not who he says he actually is. So far, there’s been many hints that indicated this, but a new Funko figure might have nudged a lot in lending further credibility to that rumour.
Check out the WandaVision Pietro Maximoff Funko Pop figure below:

What’s interesting is that Pietro’s name on the box has quotation marks around it when the others (Wanda and Vision) don’t. His Funko figure also doesn’t have a “Halloween” in front of the name, for some reason.

It’s possible that the reason why the WandaVision Pietro Maximoff Funko is so different can be attributed to the rumour that he might not even be Quicksilver after all. I pointed out in theÂ WandaVision Episode 6 breakdown and easter egg article that Pietro somehow already knows that Westview is fake and that Wanda is causing the Hex effect.
How does he know all that? Is he even Pietro, or some kind of entity? He might turn out to be something else (my predictions are still Mephisto, Chthon or Enchantress). We’ll have to wait and see in the upcoming Episode 7 this Friday, so stay tuned on Kakuchopurei!


Phantom Hellcat Is A Theatrical Hack-And-Slash Action Adventure RPG

Publisher All in! Games and developer Ironbird Creations just announced a stylish-looking action RPG title called Phantom Hellcat.
There’s no release date, but it’s coming out for PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS4, and PS5. You play Jolene who has to rescue her mother from demons who kidnapped her. You fight said demons in a stage play-inspired setting that blurs fantasy and reality, though you have a ton of hack-and-slash acrobatic moves at your disposal.
Here are the game’s key features:

Engage in Visceral Combat with Laser-Sharp Controls – Ensemble powerful combos to take down enemies in epic boss fights, and use your surroundings as a weapon.
Disguise Yourself with Upgradeable Masks – Their power will give you new abilities.
Experience Platforming from Different Angles – 3D and 2D perspectives mix on every level.
Traverse Different Demonic Stages of Theater – Theater is based on pop-culture like Transylvanian castle and many more.
Discover the Secrets of the Theater – Replay levels to find collectibles and hidden treasures.
Grow in Power – Use a skill tree and choose your strategy.


Hades Sold More Than 1 Million Copies

Supergiant Games’ latest roguelike and Greek odyssey Hades has made it big.
The company announced it sold 1 million copies of the game. 700,000 of these were during the game’s Early Access period since 6th December 2018 on Epic Games Store.

Hades has now sold more than 1,000,000 copies.
700,000 of these were during our Early Access development. To all our Early Access players: Thank you so much. We designed Hades for Early Access, believing you could help us make a better game. That's just what you did. #HadesGame pic.twitter.com/ueuG4lDMz8
— Supergiant Games (@SupergiantGames) September 20, 2020

Congratulations to the studio for a job well done! If you haven’t bought Hades either for PC or for Nintendo Switch, you should. It’s one of those rare occasions where we gave a title a full score. We praised it for its well-designed gameplay, its story and charismatic cast, and its aesthetics.


Thor Love And Thunder Trailer 2 Breakdown: Gorr The God Butcher

Marvel Studios has unveiled the second trailer for the upcoming Thor Love And Thunder, which is slated to premiere in cinemas on 8 July 2022.
The official synopsis of the movie reads:
The film finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.
Jane Foster As The Mighty Thor

The previous trailer showed us a glimpse of Jane Foster as the Mighty Thor but this is the first that this is acknowledged by Thor Odinson and the others. Natalie Portman is reprising her role for the first time since 2013’s Thor The Dark World. It’s a long story about how or why Jane Foster is now Thor, but if you want to know all that from the comics, head on over here for my article explaining all that for your convenience.
Our First Look At Gorr The God Butcher

Christian Bale is set to play the main antagonist of the movie, Gorr The God Butcher, who was originally introduced in Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic’s Thor God Of Thunder run from 2013.
In the comics, Gorr wanted to kill all the gods because none of them helped his family and people, who died on their planet. His main weapon is All-Black The Necrosword (which is actually a weapon originally from Knull, God Of The Symbiotes And The Void). He uses that to kill gods and wants to set off the Godbomb to wipe out all gods in the universe.
We can actually see that weapon in the trailer.

Overall, Gorr looks decent, but different from his comics counterpart.

The Guardians Of The Galaxy
Let’s not forget, the Guardians Of The Galaxy are also in this movie. Here’s a look at Nebula and Drax shooting at… something.
Zeus

Other divine pantheons also exist in the Marvel universe, and that includes the Egyptian pantheon in Moon Knight, as well as the Greek pantheon. Here we get our first look at Zeus, who will be played by Russell Crowe.
With the introduction of Zeus, it might not be long until we meet Hercules, who was once part of the Avengers in the comics:

In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


You Can Earn Credits In Halo Infinite’s Season 2 Battle Pass

The lifeblood of Halo Infinite’s multiplayer mode is definitely looking healthy in 2022.
343 Industries Head of Design and Xbox Live Founding Veteran Jerry Hook said that due to continuous feedback, Halo Infinite players can earn Credits in Season 2’s Battle Pass. This means that players can earn Credits as part of the game’s online progression. More information will be shared closer to Season 2’s launch. That’s great news for those who want to keep playing for free to buy some of those lovely cosmetics.
In related news, there will be some updates to Halo Infinite starting next week 24 January. For one, prices in the marketplace will be reduced.
“Using data and community feedback, weâ€™ve begun rolling out changes to how we package and price items in the Shop this week.
Our focus with these changes is on reducing pricing across the board, providing stronger values in our bundles, starting to put individual items outside of bundles, and more.
This week we focused on reducing the prices of our weekly bundles,Â while next week will have individual items starting to appear on their own.
We will be trying new things throughout the rest of the season so that we can continue to learn and improve for the future.”
Also, Challenges that require Big Team Battle will be removed as the team is fixing issues with Big Team Battle matchmaking. For more on Halo Infinite, check out our features.


The Best Thing About Monster Run? A Living Piece Of Paper

After watching the trailer for the movie and looking at all the promotional material, I initially expected that Monster Run would be like a Chinese version of Ghostbusters or Men In Black. I was wrong, however, when the result was anything but that.
Instead, Monster Run ultimately feels closer in tone and structure to that of the young adult movie adaptations and movie franchises which were popular back in the 2000s/2010s, such as Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and the like.
Busting Monsters

Monster Run follows Ji Mo (Jessie Li), a young woman who spent the past few years in a psychiatric hospital to treat her supposed paranoid personality disorder. She’s like the Haley Joel Osmont from The Sixth Sense, However, instead of ghosts or “dead people”, she can see fantasy creatures and monsters.
After finally getting discharged, her mother is nowhere to be found and she is then forced to eke out a living by working at a convenience store. Just when sheâ€™s trying to live a normal life, a monster hunter named Meng (Shawn Yue) barges into the store one night with his partner, Paper (a literal living piece of paper voiced by Qiao Shan), and hunts down a monster right in front of her.
From then on, Ji Mo’s life gets more intertwined with Meng’s, but it turns out that a mysterious lady named Lotus (Kara Hui); who is the antagonist of Monster Run, has nefarious plans for Ji Mo.
If that all sounds like the plot of a conventional young adult novel, then you’re correct. Monster Run is actually adapted from Monster (2009); a young adult novel from American author A. Lee Martinez. There is also another adaptation of one of his books (2016’s The Last Adventure of Constance Verity) currently in the works.

That also explains why the movie feels formulaic and follows typical young adult tropes, even when it’s a Chinese movie with a Chinese director and a fully-Chinese cast. Monster Run does feature one thing that feels like it could be an original element; the use of charms.
In the movie, the characters use charms (incantations and magic symbols written or painted on pieces of paper) to send the monsters back to their dimension or even bend the laws of time and space. When it’s the latter, the movie does feature some unique visuals, including one that takes place in a sort of time loop and another taking place in the aforementioned monster dimension.
The special effects and CGI in Monster Run are pretty decent. What’s a bit disappointing is that I had hoped to have seen more variety in monster designs. They seem a bit uninspired, perhaps due to the limitations of the source material.
For a movie that leans into fantasy elements (and a Chinese one at that), I expected more fantastical and unique monsters, not just a Yeti and some little lizard creatures.
Paper To The Rescue

The most redeeming and memorable highlight of Monster Run probably has to be the aforementioned literal living piece of paper simply named Paper, who acts as the cute and snarky companion of monster hunter Meng. He’s charmingly amusing and cracks jokes, but (thankfully) is not grating or annoying.
It’s fun to see the various shapes and forms Paper would assume throughout the movie. As a testament to how good Paper is, he’s also one of director Henri Wong’s favourite character in Monster Run. According to him, whatever shape that Paper takes was folded out of a real piece of paper based on the art of origami. Wong even invited an origami artist named Qin Kun to help with bringing Paper to life in the movie.
That’s certainly an amount of dedication that I think is definitely worth their time and resources, considering how Paper turned out to be the best thing about the movie. Just look at him.
If the director and studio knows what’s good, the little guy deserves a spinoff movie of his own in the future.

However, it doesn’t exactly bode well for the human characters in the movie when the highlight is a living piece of paper. The best performance has to be Shawn Yue’s monster hunter Meng, whose aspirations of trying to live up to his brother’s reputation gives the character more emotional depth. Unfortunately, Jessie Li’s Ji Mo is nothing more than a doe-eyed protagonist who keeps making googly eyes at Meng.
Meanwhile, Kara Hui hams it up as antagonist Lotus with a corny performance. There are several other monster hunters as well, but they’re most bland, and I don’t think they even had proper names. Oh, well, it’s all up to good old Paper to carry this entire movie on his sheet-thin body, I guess.
Monster Hunter

Monster Run is a decent Chinese fantasy film that follows the conventional tropes of Hollywood young adult fare like Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson. That’s not a bad thing, but in the end, nothing much distinguishes this movie from those others, with the sole exception of Paper.
In the current movie climate, maybe Monster Run is a good enough movie to bring the family and kids around for a watch. However, fantasy and sci-fi enthusiasts should tone their expectations down. Ghostbusters or Men In Black, this is not. If only Paper alone is enough for me to recommend this movie.
Final Score: 60/100
Monster Run is slated to premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 17 September 2020.


Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Gets DX Version For Consoles This June

Firefighting games are rare these days, so it’s great to have this new title from Thunderful Games and developer Dejima that focuses on fires and fighting them.
Firegirl: Hack ‘n Spalsh Rescue DX is the updated version of the PC game which is slated for release later on 22nd June for Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. The existing PC version will receive a free DX upgrade on that same date.
Here’s the official description of the game:
“Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX is an overhauled and rebalanced version of the game that hit PC late last year. It offers new enemies, reworked environments, a rebalanced difficulty curve, a streamlined upgrade tree, improved level design, and much more. Thanks to these tweaks, a play style focused on extinguishing enemies is now more viable, with players now receiving more additional time for extinguishing fiery foes. Players will find that exits are now easier to discover, water refills will be more readily available when they are running low, and the income system has been rebuilt from the ground up.”
For more on Firegirl, head to our preview.


Here’s A Closer Look At Marvel’s Avengers’ Kamala Khan Costume

One of the biggest surprises from New York Comic Con 2019 so far is the confirmation of Kamala Khan AKA Ms. Marvel as a playable character in the upcoming Marvel’s Avengers game by Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal (under Square Enix).
While she has previously appeared in animated form in both Marvel’s Avengers Assemble and Marvel’s Spider-Man (aside from her comic book appearances), she has yer to be adapted into live-action or more realistic versions. Her confirmed presence in Marvel’s Avengers will mark the first time.
Many people, including the character’s co-creator G. Willow Wilson, have pointed out that Kamala Khan’s stretchy and embiggening powers won’t translate well to live-action, despite the fact that even Mr Fantastic himself (who has similar powers) have already made it to the big screen in two movies without any problems of him looking too cartoonish.
In Marvel’s Avengers, it looks like Kamala Khan won’t be donning the spandex of her comic book counterpart, but will instead be wearing something more sensible and practical. Her costume in the game looks South Asian in origin, which fits her culture and traditions. She also visibly wears a bangle on her left arm, as well as a red scarf on her neck.
As a comic book fan, I like that it pays homage to both her comic book costume and culture. Check out the costume below (that was showcased at NYCC 2019), courtesy of the Marvel’s Avengers official Twitter account.

Check out the impressive details on our official Ms. Marvel costume, revealed during the Kamala Khan character spotlight! It has joined the other costumes at the @getFANDOM Marvelâ€™s Avengers booth! https://t.co/2LSxRgSVWR pic.twitter.com/MemJLYlicC
â€” Marvel’s Avengers (@PlayAvengers) October 6, 2019
Marvelâ€™s AvengersÂ is slated to launch for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC on 15 May 2020. In the meantime,Â head on over hereÂ to read my first impressions of the game or check out 5 things you need to know about the gameÂ here.


Acceptance Of NFTs & The Metaverse Will Continue To Increase In 2022

It seems like almost every company in the video games industry is currently evaluating going into NFTs or the Metaverse. However, the backlash against NFTs and the Metaverse has made their sales and adoption slower than expected. According to statistics provided by a recent report from Newzoo, this will change soon.
While many companies have expressed an interest in NFTs and the Metaverse, some companies like Valve has banned crypto and NFT-based games on its Steam storefront. Countries like South Korea have also banned them on mobile storefronts like the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Plus, many gamers are against them.
However, statistics from Newzoo show that many non-vocal gamers remain neutral and unbothered by NFTs and the Metaverse. The report also predicts that publishers in the games industry will continue to use blockchain technology in games, with shareholders and investors of these companies seeing NFTs and the Metaverse as “the next big thing”. These publishers might soon delve into NFTs and Metaverse by using less controversial names that are more marketable.
In addition, the report also cites Facebook’s rebrand to Meta and other factors that will act as huge contributors towards increasing investment in NFTs and the Metaverse, as well as driving more virtual reality (VR) sales, including the upcoming Sony PS VR 2.
According to the same report, many in the esports industry are also looking towards NFTs and the Metaverse as additional revenue sources. For instance, esports organizations are pushing the innovation for loyalty and reward programs by putting them on the blockchain, allowing esports fans to trade digital goods and therefore engaging with the esports brand.
Future blockchain games are predicted to feature deeper gameplay and better graphics, such as Axie Infinity (see trailer below). Statistics also show that Metaverse players are younger than the average gamer in general, which means that the audience will only continue to grow, especially as more companies invest in NFTs and the Metaverse.


Final Fantasy XIV’s Next Expansion Sends Players To The Moon

This story is still under development…
Square Enix has announced the “final” expansion in the long-spanning Final Fantasy XIV online series.
The expansion is called Endwalker (update 6.0) and it will conclude the Zodiark & Hydaelyn storyline. On the moon. No, really.
Despite the finality being highlighted in the Final Fantasy XIV presentation, the game won’t be shut down and end so soon. Beginning with patch 6.1, FFXIV will start a new adventure post-Zodiark/Hydaelyn storyline, with more DLC and expansions planned. Producer Naoki Yoshida will still continue helming FFXIV post-Endwalker.
The expansion will introduce two new classes. The first one is the Sage, a barrier healer type class who supports the party in a stylish fashion.

The second class will only be revealed later in 2021 in the digital Final Fantasy XIV fan festival (on 15th May), but it looks like it’ll be a melee DPS type.
The version 6.0 update will include the following features:

A level cap increase to Level 90.
New areas: Radz-At-Han, Thavnair, Garlemald.
A new tribe called the Matanga (a race of Arkasodaras).
A new enemy called the Anima, whom you may recognize in Final Fantasy X (Seymour’s summon).
A major update where you can visit friends on different data centers, meaning that you can play with your pals regardless of what server they are on, even if they are in a different region.
A new residential district called Ishgard.
An Island Sanctuary where you can cultivate the lonely island, raising your own animals, and farm your own harvests. Naoki Yoshida said this is FFXIV’s slow living activity.
A new 8-person mount: the Lunar Whale. Yes, you get to ride a space whale.

The expansion will be out on Fall 2021, with update 5.5 coming 13th April. On a related note, Final Fantasy XIV will be available on the PlayStation 5. The open beta starts on 13th April.


Total War Three Kingdoms The Furious Wild Is Now Live

Creative Assembly’s new DLC The Furious Wild expansion for Total War Three Kingdoms is now live on Steam.
Besides expanding the map, The Furious Wild includes:
Four new playable factions, each with their own unique mechanics, and 19 new factions overall populating southern China.Over 25 new units including exciting and formidable animal units.Ferocious new character artwork.A new Nanman-specific tech tree with keystone technologies that require missions to be completed.A completely new character progression style that uses feats to unlock traits.Unique missions and narrative events designed specifically for the Nanman cultureOne goal: to unite the tribes â€“ but how will you achieve it? Through diplomacy or conquest?Playable in both 190 CE and 194 CE start dates.
There are four new playable warlords from the Nanman culture:
Meng HuoLady ZhurongKing MuluKing Shamoke
All Total War Three Kingdoms players will also enjoy a free content update, which includes a new faction leader called Shi Xie, who will be playable in both the 190 CE and 194 CE start dates.
Total War Three Kingdoms The Furious Wild is now available on Steam at the price of RM70.


Saints Row 2022 Gets New DLC; Available Right Now

Even if the game flopped hard last year, Volition and Deep Silver are still making right with the Saints Row reboot. The first DLC that’s planned? It’s already sorted.
Saints Row’s first expansion DLC The Heist & The Hazardous is out right now alongside a free content update called the Sunshine Springs update. The story DLC pits you and your crew on a revenge heist against movie star Chris Hardy. Hey, if there’s anyone that deserves vengeance, it’s douchebag movie stars with money they never deserved in the first place.
The free Sunshine Springs update features the following:

All-new playable district of Sunshine Springs.
Improved combat feel, gameplay flow, and balancing.
Selfie mode.
12 new emotes and emote selection wheel.
New camera angle for vehicles.
And a huge number of additional fixes and tweaks.

If you rather have a meatier Saints Row experience this year -robbing cars, punching bystanders, wingsuit glide like mad- the DLC is available for RM17 on Epic Game Store. It’s also available for Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4.


Henry Cavill Is More Of A Gamer Than We Thought; Here’s Why

He was Superman in the DCEU, Napoleon Solo from The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015), and he will be Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s The Witcher, but what about Henry Cavill in real life? It looks like he does more than just acting, lifting weights and looking effortlessly good all the time, as it turns out that he’s also a bonafide gamer.
In an interview with Spanish publication Hobby Consolas (as translated by Redanian Intelligence), Henry Cavill was asked what his favourite games are. We already know that the actor has played through multiple playthroughs of CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, but we didn’t find out if there were any other games that he likes (that is, if he even plays anything else).
Cavill revealed that his favourite game franchise (besides The Witcher) is Creative Assembly’s real-time strategy series Total War. He loves the RTS battles and says that it’s a fresh experience every time he plays the games even if he doesn’t get to play for months at a time (due to the nature of his job).
However, he doesn’t exactly specify which Total War title he plays. Since we already know that he’s a massive fan of World Of Warcraft, it’s likely one of the two Total War: Warhammer titles.
It’s rare enough to find an actor who is an avid gamer, but it’s even more miraculous of a find to discover one that plays Total War, which not even many ‘casual’ gamers would want to play. Cavill is one of us, and it will be fascinating to see how his Geralt will differ from Doug Cockleâ€™s iconic voice acting for the character.
While Netflix has yet to officially reveal the release date for The Witcher, a leak suggests that it will premiere on 17 December 2019. In the meantime, rewatch Netflix’s The Witcher trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSqi-8kAMmM&w=560&h=315]


Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers Teaser Trailer Shows Off The Crew 30 Years Later & Some Crazy Cameos

Disney just released a new teaser of its Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers follow-up to its 90s action-comedy caper, and it’s got a whole lot of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? vibe in terms of mixing two different mediums.
That’s right: the 2022 show is a 2D animation & live-action show combo movie (with some 3D in the mix!) and is about the former Disney Afternoon stars in modern-day Los Angeles 30 years later, trying to reconnect.
Voice stars include John Mulaney (â€œSaturday Night Liveâ€) as Chip, Andy Samberg (â€œPalm Springsâ€) as Dale and KiKi Layne (â€œIf Beale Street Could Talkâ€), Will Arnett (â€œArrested Developmentâ€), Eric Bana (â€œDirty Johnâ€), Flula Borg (â€œPitch Perfect 2â€), Dennis Haysbert (â€œ24â€), Keegan-Michael Key (â€œSchmigadoon!â€), Tress MacNeille (â€œThe Simpsonsâ€), Tim Robinson (â€œI Think You Should Leaveâ€), Seth Rogen (â€œPam and Tommyâ€), J.K. Simmons (â€œBeing the Ricardosâ€), Chris Parnell (â€œSaturday Night Liveâ€).
Here’s the synopsis:
Chip and Dale are living amongst cartoons and humans in modern-day Los Angeles, but their lives are quite different now. It has been decades since their successful television series was canceled, and Chip (voice of Mulaney) has succumbed to a life of suburban domesticity as an insurance salesman. Dale (voice of Sandberg), meanwhile, has had CGI surgery and works the nostalgia convention circuit, desperate to relive his glory days.
When a former cast mate mysteriously disappears, Chip and Dale must repair their broken friendship and take on their Rescue Rangers detective personas once again to save their friendâ€™s life.
And when I said cameos, there’s a ton of them, most notably anything that belongs to Disney right now, including Roger Rabbit!

I was seriously not expecting MC Skat Kat at the start of the video.

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers will be out on 20 May exclusively on Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar.


Japan’s Fighting Game Publishers To Host Roundtable Live Stream This Weekend

There may be no EVO 2020, but at least we’ll have the best fighting game makers in the business converge and talk industry stuff this weekend.
Arc System Works, Arika, Bandai Namco, Capcom, Koei Tecmo, and SNK will be hosting the Japan Fighting Game Publisher Roundtable this 1st August at 8am GMT+8. The companies’ respective directors and producers will be talking about fighting game topics chosen by users, esports, and the development process (Season passes, balancing, character additions, hotfixes, and so forth).
Here are the list of participants:
Arc System Works

Daisuke Ishiwatari (Guilty Gear series general director)
Kazuto Sekine (general battle director)

Arika

Akira Nishitani (Fighting EX Layer producer)

Bandai Namco

Katsuhiro Harada (Tekken series chief producer)
Motohiro Okubo (Soulcalibur VI producer)

Capcom

Shuuhei Matsumoto (Street Fighter V producer)
Takayuki Nakayama (Street Fighter V director)

Koei Tecmo

Yuhei Shinbori (Dead or Alive 6 producer)

SNK

Yasuyuki Oda (SNK producer)
Nobuyuki Kuroki (SNK director)

You can tune to the show via YouTube:

Arc System Works
Bandai Namco
Capcom
Koei Tecmo


Star Wars Series Ahsoka Gets A Definitive August 2023 Release Date

Disney+ and Lucasfilm have announced a proper release date for the upcoming Star Wars series, Ahsoka, which will now premiere on 23 August 2023.
Set after the fall of the Empire, “Star Wars: Ahsoka” follows the former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.
In addition to Rosario Dawson in the title role, “Ahsoka” stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll, Ivanna Sakhno as Shin Hati, Diana Lee Inosanto as Morgan Elsbeth, David Tennant as Huyang, Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn and Eman Esfandi appearing as Ezra Bridger.
The series is written by Dave Filoni, who executive produces alongside Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Carrie Beck. Karen Gilchrist is co-executive producer.
Check out the teaser below:


Here Are Capcom’s Top 10 Platinum Games As Of 2019

Capcom is one of those brands you need no introduction of. It’s been etched in the minds of the young and old from the early days of gaming from the arcade days to current cutting edge consoles.
So it’s no surprise when Capcom lists out their top ten titles that have sold more than one million units. As a matter of fact, the gaming giant has more than a hundred titles sold over a million units, and it is the only company to have done so.
The recently released Devil May Cry 5 sold about 2.1 million units, whereas Street Fighter V sold a million more, at 3.1 million units worldwide.
Here are the top 10 best selling Capcom games since its inception up to March 2019, starting from number 10.
#10 – Resident Evil 2 (2019)

Released in January 2019, Resident Evil 2 managed to sell up to 4.2 million units worldwide over multiple consoles. The game offered a fresh breath in a stale zombie genre.
#9 – Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

The game managed to sell 4.2 million units despite being exclusively on Nintendo’s handheld console, the 3DS.
#8 – Monster Hunter X
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j216ZiKX20U]
Thanks to the success of its predecessor, Monster Hunter X was able to share its platinum success, selling over 4.3 million units on the 3DS alone.
#7 – Monster Hunter Freedom 3
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho-bD84a_TQ]
One of the best Monster Hunter titles on the PSP, this title also served as my starting point as a Monster Hunter fan. Exclusive for the PSP, the game managed to land 4.9 million sales.
#6 – Resident Evil 2 (1998)

The original Resident Evil 2 was an iconic title in the survival horror genre. Earning its platinum title with 4.96 million sales, the game well deserves the publicity thanks to its the remake.
#5 – Street Fighter II

Another iconic title from Capcom. This game sold 6.3 million units on the SNES back in 1992 during a time when gaming was a luxury. This goes to show how strong Capcom’s lineup is. This game is also coming to the Capcom Home Arcade console.
#4 – RESIDENT EVIL 7 biohazard

Another RE title on the list, this game was one of the titles that managed to revive the survival horror genre on the current generation consoles. Selling up to 6.4 million units, this game gave the seemingly irrelevant genre a sorely-needed kick in the pants.
#3 – Resident Evil 6

Yet another Resident Evil title on the list. This game achieved a total sale of 7.3 million units on the PS3 and the Xbox 360. We’re still wondering how this non-survival horror game net itself a ton of sales.
#2 – Resident Evil 5

By this point, you should be expecting another Resident Evil title on the list. Selling 7.5 million units worldwide, this game was one of the best REs on the PS3.
#1 – Monster Hunter: World
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro6r15wzp2o]
Gracing the number one spot thanks to its recent penetration of the Western audiences, Monster Hunter: World managed to sell a whopping 12.4 million units across the PS4, Xbox One and PC. Also the best looking and best playing Monster Hunter title of all time. This title gets a massive recommendation from me.
Also, the title’s first major expansion, Iceborne,Â is coming to players this September.
Conclusion
It’s safe to say that Capcom’s feather in the cap at the moment is both their Resident Evil titles as well as Monster Hunter. Tanking their sales as much as billions from the two series, it’s no wonder the two series alone are iconic in the gaming industry.
Capcom is one of the industry’s standards, and it’s expected that Capcom will continue to grow stronger, according to Newzoo.


The Book Of Boba Fett Featurette Looks Back At His Legacy

Disney+ Hotstar has released an exciting, exclusive featurette to herald the return of Boba Fett, the mysterious titular character of their new original series, The Book Of Boba Fett.
You can watch â€œReturn of a â€œLegendâ€ on YouTube (see below) as filmmakers Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau and Robert Rodriguez, and stars Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen, give an overview of the show and celebrate Boba Fettâ€™s impending arrival.
The Book Of Boba FettÂ finds legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett and mercenary Fennec Shand navigating the galaxyâ€™s underworld when they return to the sands of Tatooine to stake their claim on the territory once ruled by Jabba the Hutt and his crime syndicate.
It stars Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen. Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Robert Rodriguez, Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson are the executive producers. Karen Gilchrist and Carrie Beck serve as co-executive producers, with John Bartnicki producing and John Hampian as co-producer.
The Book Of Boba Fett will premiere exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar on 29 December 2021, with new weekly episodes every Wednesday. There will be seven episodes.


The Mandalorian Season 2 Episode 4’s Ending Reveals The Big Bad’s Dark Plan

This week’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian episode for Season 2 ends with a cliffhanger. After a reunion with Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), Cara Dune (Gina Carano), and the Mythrol on the first episode (Horatio Sanz), we get an Imperial sabotage mission, where a lot happened. Plus, The Child (Baby Yoda) steals cookies from a kid.
Spoilers ahead, so here’s your warning.

Turns out the sabotage mission wasn’t about destroying a military base, but it was a laboratory. The Imperials actually need the Child to complete its experiment. But what kind of experiment? Cue the last few shots of the cliffhanger, where the current Imperial lead Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) is overseeing an ominous project to help restore Imperial order to the galaxy.

And here’s the money shot of the episode: a row of what could be this series’ Dark Troopers.

What’s that sound I hear from a distance? Yes, that’s a huge number of Lucasarts Star Wars game fans creaming their pants.
For those who didn’t game hard in the early 90s, the Star Wars license has seen a crazy windfall with its plethora of titles like Rebel Assault and Yoda’s Desktop Adventures. That last one is a lie, but one of the more renowned Star Wars titles apart from the X-Wing and TIE Fighter PC games were the Dark Forces first-person shooter titles. It’s essentially Lucasarts doing id Software’s Doom, but it stood out because of its story, presentation, and unique level design.
Also, it introduced a group of formidable foes that made their debut: the Dark Troopers.

The Dark Troopers come in three phases, with the last one (pictured above) being walking flying arsenals of doom. Imagine a Storm Trooper that can aim, hits really hard, can take a beating, and flies. Quite a nightmare, eh? There’s even a final boss in Dark Forces that is a revved-up version of the Dark Trooper, so the possibility of Moff Gideon being in Dark Trooper getup is a huge possibility.
Another theory? These troopers could be Shadow Troopers from the Star Wars: Force Unleashed and Star Wars Battlefront series. They don’t look as intimidating though.

Honestly, that last scene in The Mandalorian episode is a tad dark, but it’s clear as day that Moff Gideon wants to make a super-powered army to bring order to the galaxy. He needs The Child’s blood sample and other bits to perfect his experiments. And while the Dark Troopers in Dark Forces are droids, the idea is still the same: a secret fan favourite super-powered army that is now canon in the live-action Star Wars universe.
Long story short: I don’t think The Mandalorian’s Beskar armour is going to cut it for this coming storm. Let’s hope he gets help from Bo-Katan from the last episode and Ahsoka Tahno for possibly the next one in the ensuing Dark Trooper showdown.


Forza Motorsport Reboot To Be The Most Realistic Racing Game To Date

Xbox Developer_Direct’s second presentation saw Turn 10 Studios step onto the stage as they showcased their latest instalment to the Forza franchise, the rebooting of Forza Motorsport.
Unfortunately, there has been no word on a release date other than it is anticipated to release sometime this year in 2023 and will be available on PC and the Xbox Series X | S. This is to be their most ambitious project yet with the key goal of creating the most realistic racing game there is, in every aspect possible.

The Realest
At launch, there will be over 100 new cars to the franchise to add to the total of over 500 cars for players to collect, race and customise with more than 800 unique upgrades.
This rendition of Forza Motorsport will also have the most advanced physics model to date. Everything you do from accelerating, corning and braking, even when you crash, it’ll be like you’re watching, hearing and feeling the real thing.
This is all thanks to every aspect of the game being built from the ground up with the utmost quality. Even the lighting and shaders are something to behold. But it doesn’t stop there as the team over at Turn 10 have also taken damage and dirt into consideration with both aspects being contextually localised through simulating paint thickness, chipping and directionality. Meaning if you scratch your car, you will definitely see it.

Even the audio system has been built from scratch to help create an authentic audible experience for players. To add to this, the team also showcased their use of hardware-accelerated convolution reverb—big words I know. Essentially what this does is that it accurately reproduces how sounds interact in an acoustic space, dynamically adapting, and creating the most realistic sounds possible. With this kind of tech, smaller details like tire and suspension audio are amplified to the immersive max.
Environments
The game will also launch with 20 different environments and tracks with the return of some fan favourites that have been remastered from scratch. In the presentation, we got a glimpse into one of the five new tracks in the Forza franchise, Kyalami.

With all the aforementioned upgrades to the visual aesthetics of the cars, the same treatment was given to the environment and tracks. The most notable environmental upgrade is the fully dynamic time of day with the weather. So as you race and time goes by, a bright and sunny day can become and dreadful rainstorm. Furthermore, the weather will also dictate how the cars will interact with the track’s temperature, whether the track is wet or not, or if you rubber in. This ensures that with every lap, you won’t be driving in the same race.
The game renders in 4K 60 FPS and with the assistance of real-time ray tracing, the reflections off of smooth mirror and flat glass surfaces are uncanny to real life.
To close out the presentation, Creative Director, Chris Esaki ensured that there would be a brand new online multiplayer racing mode alongside a single-player career that focuses on car building.
You can check out the whole breakdown below (via GameSpot).