Here’s What We Know About River City Girls 2 So Far

One of E3 2021/June Summer of Gaming livestream surprises is the announcement of a River City Girls sequel. We adored that 2D beat-em-up, though we wished there was online play and some alleviation from its repetitious nature.
The game’s sequel will be expanded, reassuring many beat-em-up and Kunio-kun/Double Dragon fans. According to a Siliconera interview with Wayforward director Bannon Rudis and head of bizdev and publishing Adam Tierney, the sequel will have refined gameplay. It’ll feature new characters, new locations, and more nonlinearity and freedom. The game’s story will take place right after the first River City Girls and deals with the repercussions after Kyoko and Misako’s rampage.
The game’s plot and narrative will be more dynamic to who you’re actually playing as, not just as Misako and Kyoko. Online play will definitely be in the sequel as stated multiple times in the interview.
The duo also confirmed that Marion and Provie will be in the game, albeit without mentioning their names.
“As you can see, the character on the left has really been working on her core strength, and she brings some boxing and wrestling moves to the fight. She wonâ€™t go down with just a cheap shot to the stomach from some street thugs.
The character on the right, on the other hand, you might call an underground fighter. She has some really flashy moves and can chain her attacks into long combos while looking super stylish. And while we do have two new characters to play as, we also wanted to make sure the original characters felt refined as well, so we went back and tweaked them with some new moves and attacks.”
Read the full interview here.


Total War Three Kingdoms Delayed Yet Again

Sega and Creative Assembly have delayed Total War Three Kingdoms yet again. Its initial release date of 7 March 2019 has been pushed back several months later to 23 May 2019. The reason for this delay was explained in a new developer blog post yesterday.
Total War Three Kingdoms is basically being delayed because it’s more “complex” than past entries in the franchise, owing to its new “revolutionary features”. The developer admits that while fans will surely be disappointed by this latest delay, it is ultimately for the best for the game (and the players).
The additional few months will be used to fix bugs, “getting the localization right”, and to polish the game even further. Creative Assembly confirms that pre-orders won’t be affected, besides the fact that the game will be arriving much later than intended.
As a massive history buff and Total War fan myself, I’ve been looking forward to the franchise’s next major historical title since 2015’s Total War Attila. However, this delay will mean a more optimized and polished game at launch, thus avoiding the same buggy mess situation that 2013’s Total War Rome 2 was when it originally launched years ago.
In the meantime, check out everything we know so far about Total War Three Kingdoms here, including those aforementioned “revolutionary features” and playable factions. Here’s the latest epic trailer for the upcoming game, revealing the 12th and final faction led by the tyrant Dong Zhuo.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj_VMvsG7G0&w=560&h=315]


This Week In PC Gaming: 30th September, Plus A New Push To Talk Episode

The week of 30th September was full of surprises. Some good, some bad, but mostly a lot of PC-related stuff. We have the Blizzard Overwatch 2 fiasco, some new indie games, and a new EA Original title that is basically Monster Hunter by Koei Tecmo. Oh, and Google Stadia too.
We just published a couple of videos to recap the week. One’s on PC gaming, the other video is on the Overwatch 2 stuff. Check them out below; do like and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more awesomeness like this.
This Week In PC Gaming

Push To Talk


Sony Unveils Official PS VR2 Teardown Videos

Sony Interactive Entertainment has released a new video showcasing a teardown of the upcoming PlayStation VR2 or PS VR2 headset and Sense controller. In the video, Sony PlayStation Mechanical Design team’s Takamasa Araki and Peripheral Design team’s Takeshi Igarashi break down the hardware and explain their technology.
They explain how he and his team achieved the well-balanced and symmetrical internal structure, enhanced cooling system for comfortable gameplay, optics for amazing graphic fidelity, and ergonomic headband designed to maximize comfort. He also highlights how the headset is developed to be light and compact while maintaining its high-functioning, sturdy structure.
Meanwhile, the second video focuses on the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller. Takeshi Igarashi from the Peripheral Design team dives into the controller’s tracking technology that amplifies the feeling of immersion, with finger-touch detection that enables players to make more natural hand gestures during gameplay, as well as the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that build upon the innovation of the DualSense wireless controller.
PlayStation VR2 is slated to release on 22 February 2023. Check out our unboxing of it here.


Marvel Movie News: Deadpool 3 Is Still A Thing, Black Panther 2 To Start Production Next Summer

We’ve got a two-fer from Marvel Studios and Disney. First: Deadpool 3.Â

After the Fox buyout, the Merc with a Mouth will be making its way to Disney’s Marvel Studios. Maybe. According to a Deadline report, Marvel has hired Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin (of Bob’s Burgers and The Great North fame) to pen a third Deadpool movie. Ryan Reynolds will still reprise his role.
The Molyneux sisters were picked for the project after a ton of writing meetings and pitches helmed by Ryan. While it’s still pretty early, there are rumours floating around that the upcoming sequel will get an R-rating. Also, this is a first we’ve heard of Deadpool 3 since the Fox buyout.
Now, onto Black Panther 2…

Apparently, the sequel to the successful Black Panther superhero film by Disney and Marvel Studios will begin shooting in July 2021 (via Hollywood Reporter). This is despite the fact that its then-lead Chadwick Boseman passed away; originally the film was going to start production on March 2021.
Production will take place in Atlanta and actor Tenoch Huerta (Narcos: Mexico) will join the cast as a villain. The biggest Wakanda elephant in the room is how the film will handle Boseman’s loss. We can confirm that there wouldn’t be any CGI replacement (ala Carrie Fisher and Star Wars), and Letitia Wright’s role (as Shuri) may be expanded.
Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, and Angela Basset will be reprising their roles as Nakia, M’Baku/Man-Ape, and Ramonda. Director Ryan Coogler will be returning to direct the sequel. We’re not sure if the film will make its 6th May 2022 release schedule, but even if it may not, there is no shortage of Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and shows to watch next year onward.
Here’s a quick list:

Black Widow – 7th May 2021
Shang-Chi – 9th July 2021
Eternals – 11th November 2021

Black Panther 2 will join Spider-Man 3, Doctor Strange 2, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in the “MCU films in production for 2021” list.


The Knight Witch Cheat Codes, Walkthroughs, & Boss Guide

The Knight Witch is out right now for PC (Steam) and Nintendo Switch. If you love 2D shmups and search action game hybrids, you’ll find a lot to love about this new title from developer Super Awesome Hyper Dimensional Mega Team.
What you won’t like is the game’s difficulty; it’s pretty tough and requires your diligence in memorizing bullet hell patterns and dodging enemy attacks. Fortunately, we’re here to help.

The Knight Witch Cheat Codes
All cheat codes in the game can be entered in the Cheat menu in-game on the options.

You have to enter a combination of four codes to activate a cheat; they’re represented by a colour and a number of dots. Here’s a reference as to what’s what:
Blue: 0
Green: 1
Yellow: 2
Purple: 3

Here is the list of cheats:

Invulnerability: 2,0,1,3
Unlimited Mana: 0,3,3,0
Enemies drop health sometimes: 3,3,3,3
Double shard drops: 1,1,2,2
Glass Rayne (she can only take one hit): 0,1,2,3
Unlimited weapon durability: 2,0,2,2
Slower enemy bullets: 1,3,1,3
Show damage numbers: 3,2,1,0

The Knight Witch Video Guides
Hall Of Giants

Giga Tree

Mirror Lake

Forge Fields

Factory/Surface

Catacombs/Final Stage

Boss Fight Guide


WayForward’s RWBY 2D Game Gets November Release Date

To celebrate the fictional birthday of one Ruby Rose in the Western-made anime series RWBY, WayForward has announced the release date of its video game adaptation of the series.
RWBY: Arrowfell will be out on 15 November for PC, Xbox Series, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. The game features four playable characters from the show: Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long, whom you can switch on the fly in melee and ranged combat.
Canonically, the game takes place after RWBY Volume 7. The game offers a bunch of locations in the continent of Solitas, with puzzles and search action upgrades galore. WayForward is no stranger to the genre with its hit Shantae series, so they shouldn’t have issues making this RWBY game fun.
Key features and video below:

Play as all four members of Team RWBY — Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang — each with their own weapons and abilities! Switch between them at any time!
Use each character’s Semblances to get an edge in combat and solve puzzles!
Featuring an original theme song by Jeff Williams with vocals by Casey Lee Williams!
An all-new canonical story set during RWBY Volume 7 from RWBY writers Kerry Shawcross, Miles Luna, and Eddy Rivas!
Explore a variety of nonlinear environments in Atlas, Mantle, and the surrounding areas!
Interact with familiar characters such as Penny, Winter, General Ironwood, and the Ace Operatives, as well as new faces such as Team BRIR!
Collect Skill Points to power up Team RWBY’s stats!


Overwatch League: Spitfire’s Closer Switches to Fuel

Reigning Overwatch League Champions London Spitfire earlier today confirmed the transfer of their Support Main,Â Won-sik “Closer” Jung to the Dallas Fuel.

Today we bid farewell to one of the most hard-working players, and one of the best teammates that one could ask for. @Closer was a key part of our success in winning the #OWL2018 title and we wish him the best of luck in the future.
Read: https://t.co/y9fhHxRZIr pic.twitter.com/5XKMNlaUyU
â€” London Spitfire (@Spitfire) October 15, 2018
This is the second time a player from the London Spitfire switches teams to the Fuel, following Rascal’s transfer last season. The move leaves the Spitfire with no subs and no backup support player, having released most of their squad last June.

ðŸ“£Please welcome @Closer to the team as he joins us from the @Spitfire!ðŸ“£
Weâ€™re excited to have him join the Fuel and help â€œcloseâ€ out more games during the 2019 season. ðŸ˜‰ #BurnBlue pic.twitter.com/1J6r3OpJiz
â€” Dallas Fuel (@DallasFuel) October 15, 2018
Closer is now the third Korean player in the Fuel lineup, joining Effect and OGE as the team sought to improve their fortunes in the second season. He’s also the third support player for the team, aiming to dislodge either Unkoe or Harryhook from the support role – an area which the team has struggled since allowing Custa to move to the Los Angeles Valiant.


Infinity Ward Plans To Fix These Call Of Duty Modern Warfare Bugs

The Call Of Duty Modern Warfare beta took place last weekend from 21 to 23 September 2019 and was open to anyone who has pre-ordered any edition of the game on any available platform.
It gave players on all platforms their first opportunity to test the cross-play feature and Ground War mode, a massive team-based multiplayer mode that can support up to 100 players.
Now that the beta is officially over, Infinity Ward has gone onto Reddit for a thank you post, as well as listing down some (not all) of the problems and bugs encountered throughout the weekend, as reported by players.
Here are the problems that the developer will look into ahead of the game’s release:

Blurriness while ADSing or on the matchmaking screen on PC
Crashes on Xbox One and PC (please check existing threads on here if youâ€™re experiencing one of these crashes)
Players are unable to chat with console platforms while on PC
Players were able to change their input device midmatch. We deployed a fix for this during the beta.
Recon Drone UI staying on screen after using
Juggernaut Suit not spawning out of the crate and the mask staying on screen after the player has died in the suit and respawned back in to match
Ground War: In some cases, players would spawn or be â€˜pushedâ€™ under the map, allowing them to kill enemy players while being hidden. Friendlies are also able to spawn on under the map as well. Weâ€™re looking into how you spawn on your teammates as well as spawning in on vehicles in general, too.
Players are unable to shoot through open rails/towers
Screen tearing on character and weapon models on Xbox
VTOL Jet firing through the roof of various buildings in Quarry
Suppressed M13 still uses normal audio sounds
Settings not saving on PC
FOV Slider setting reverting to default after loading into the map. This has been fixed.
Doors not opening or closing as intended. In some cases, players are able to see through closed doors.
Cyber Attack: Unable to defuse the bomb. Unable to pick up a weapon after being revived
Various audio bugs where the only audio being played is of vehicles, no audio, or only weapons
Xbox users: We know of a bug with invites and joining up from the Xbox Dashboard. While this is being investigated, you can still send invites and join up with friends within the game.
Staying as a Party after a match: After completing a match as a party, some players are unable to find a new match and are stuck in the matchmaking lobby. We’re still looking into this issue, but in the meantime, disbanding your party and joining back up is a temporary solution while we work on a fix.
Spawning and Visuals: Spawning is currently inconsistent on some maps, so thank you for sharing your videos with us and sharing your feedback. Weâ€™ll continue to monitor the spawn system and weâ€™ll update you if we deploy any changes. We will also be looking into lighting and exposure on various areas of the map, such as how you view dark rooms from the outside of a building and vice versa, for example.
Voice chat: Voice chat is inconsistent when joining up with players on other platforms. This is being investigated.

Infinity Ward acknowledges that there are more issues not listed in the blog post, but will try to address them all the same. Call Of Duty Modern WarfareÂ is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC on 25 October 2019. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH1lHCirCGI&w=560&h=315]


Genshin Impact: Shadows Amidst Snowstorms Dragonspine Guide – How To Build A Snowman

This guide is still in development.
Genshin Impact’s version 2.3 update is up and about, featuring a new bunch of quests that take place in everybody’s favourite frozen hellhole: Dragonspine. Not only does it have some new story and lore, but it also features some pretty fun activities including snowman-building!
Before that, do check out our previous guides below:
Genshin Impact Starter Characters + Top Characters Guide
Genshin Impact Beginner Guide
Genshin Impact Endgame Guide: What’s Next?
Genshin Impact Fellflower Boss Fight Guide
Here’s a quick guide on how to complete it and get access to the good stuff.
How To Initiate The Quest
Go to the Adventurer’s Camp in Dragonspine. You’ll meet Amber and Eula in the cutscenes. Then head over to Albedo’s camp. You’ll need to follow the footsteps in the snow nearby to continue the questline.

After a cutscene, you’ll see Bennett trapped in a cage. Search the two camp spots, then you’ll trigger a fight with some Fatui soldiers. Kill them to get the key to free Bennett.

After a cutscene, you’ll head to Albedo’s cave. Help him clean up his place and a cutscene about Albedo’s origins will take place. Congrats: you can now access the Snowman and Adventurer Training minigames in Dragonspine! All from a potential existential crisis storyline.

How To Build A Snowman In Genshin Impact
All you need are components to build a snowman, which you can only get from the limited time Agility Training, Tracker Training, and Combat Training. Once you complete the available missions for the day, you’ll have enough materials to build a full-fledged snowman.

Once you’ve completed the events, locate the snowman via the Events menu, then interact with it to see the top screen. You can build it with different parts from its head to nose. Your reward? A sweet sword weapon tailor-made for Albedo called the Cinnabar Spindle!

We’ll detail the quests below.
How To Complete The Agility Training In Dragonspine

The Agility Training requires you to run from point A to B through an obstacle course made out of snow and ice, with some gliding mixed in for good measure. There will be ice pillars blocking your way, but you can use powerups to either jump across them or destroy them! In fact, some coins are hidden in ice blocks, so you will need to break some of them to boost your high score.
The following powerups will be on the course to help you out:

Galespring Blessing (green) â€“ Increases your jump height.
Ironskin Blessing (brown) â€“ Allows you to shatter ice pillars.

You can retry and replay the course as many times you like to get the max available score. Here’s what you’ll get if you get the highest:

10,000 points â€“ 30x Primogems, 30,000x Mora, and 120x Snowstrider Emblems.
20,000 points â€“ 30,000x Mora and 120x Snowstrider Emblems.
30,000 points â€“ 30,000x Mora and 6x Mystic Enhancement Ores.

Use the Event page to find the courses; they’re usually close to a fast travel spot.
How To Complete The Tracker Training In Dragonspine
In Tracker Training, you need to head to a designated location on Dragonspine and melt all ice crystal piles within the area. There’s no time limit, so take all the time you need tracking them and also killing enemies in the way. There will be eight ice crystal piles within the yellow circle area; once you melt all of them, you’ve won the challenge.
To melt them, it’s best to use a Pyro archer like Amber and Yoimiya. If your luck was pretty bad during the Inazuma gacha banners however, you’ll have to use Amber by default.

Once you’ve cleared the first two Tracker Training missions, you’ll get the following rewards from the events panel:

30x Primogems
120x Snowstrider Emblems
Snowman Head: Catsclamation (first location) and Snowman Head: Rhythm of Laughter (second location).

How To Complete Combat Training In Dragonspine
Combat Training requires you to collect Scarlet Quartzes within the quest area (represented by a sword emblem on the map), then use it on the small devices pictured below. There are three of them surrounding the main device.

We suggest you turn on all three devices before starting the challenge, as it can get hectic with all the enemies, the Dragonspine cold effect, and the enemy buffs present. Speaking of which, use Pyro characters to deal with them since they’re protected by Cryo.
Here are the rewards you can get from completing Combat Training:

30x Primogems
120x Snowstrider Emblems
Snowman Head: Happiness in General (first location) and Snowman Head: Huff-and-Puff (second location).

All Event Rewards
Not only do you get parts for snowman-building from the events, but also a bunch of rewards. You’ll earn Snowstrider Emblems from competing and winning the training sessions above. Here are the rewards you can get for this limited-time event.

Item
Snowstrider Emblem Cost
Purchase Limit

Alkahest â€“ Used as a refinement material for the Cinnabar Spindle
400
2

Blue/3-star weapon ascension materials (Dandelion Gladiator, Boreal Wolf, and Decabrian)
15
12

Purple/4-star weapon ascension materials (Dandelion Gladiator, Boreal Wolf, and Decabrian)
45
4

Heroâ€™s Wit
10
50

Mystic Enhancement Ore
5
100


Disney Dreamlight Valley The Lion King Update Now Available

Developer and publisher Gameloft has unveiled a free major content update “Pride of the Valley” for Early Access players, features The Lion King realm, additional story quests, Disney park attractions, and more.

Players can now explore a brand-new realm adventure and meet two iconic Disney characters – Nala and Simba – through a magical new door in the Dream Castle. As players progress beyond the new realm, they must help Simba and Nala settle into Valley life and embark on new adventures. Besides exploring The Lion King Realm, players can now embark on brand new missions, such as investigating a possible extraterrestrial visitor invasion with Buzz, assisting Minnie with a magical challenge, and looking into Ursula and Mother Gothel’s mysterious encounters.

In addition to all-new quests, this update’s Star Path season adds the magic of Disney Parks to the Valley. Players have the opportunity to complete Dreamlight Duties to unlock special Disney Park iconic attractions such as the Mad Tea Party and Pixar Pal-A-Round, as well as stylish clothing and souvenirs for a more magical experience. More in-game rewards are offered through Disney Dreamlight Valley’s social pages which will host a unique Park-building milestone challenge so you can decorate your park with colourful balloons, rides, topiaries, and so much more.
In light of the coming spring, players can take part in a special Eggstravaganza mini-event starting from 8 April to 29 April 2023. Unlock special cosmetics and rewards in this mini-event such as completing daily missions with WALL·E, gathering a variety of eggs, and many more. So much to unlock and play with iconic Disney characters in this latest update.
Disney Dreamlight Valley is now available in paid Early Access on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, and Epic Games Store.


Warcraft 3: Reforged Is Facing Some Graphics & Custom Game Ownership Ire [Update]

Update: As expected, users are review-bombing the game. Warcraft 3: Reforged now has the lowest Metacritic score of 0.5. Let’s hope that this becomes a wake-up call for Blizzard to fix its game.

Original story
The long-awaited remaster to the 2002 strategy classic that created games like Dota is now out on Blizzard’s Battle.net. And already the game is facing some flak about its graphical “downgrades” and custom game issues.
Let’s break down Warcraft 3: Reforged’s recent news:
Graphical Changes
According to some folks at Resetera and Blizzard’s official forums, the game has seen some graphical downgrades since the demo a few years back. Some UI changes, old classic graphics arguably looking better and “fresher” than the 2020 remaster, and some comparisons between 2018 and 2002’s in-game cutscenes.

There are also complaints on Reddit touching on the bugs and foibles of this remaster, like Ultrawide-but-windowed-fullscreen support only, unpleasant-looking unit animations and fonts, and more. There are even some posts that teach players how to get a refund for it.
About Custom Games
So remember the whole custom game and mod system that Warcraft 3 was famous for? It’s back on the remastered edition, but with a pretty obvious caveat. Blizzard updated its acceptable use policy for Warcraft 3: Reforged. Basically:

Any custom game that uses copyright material from third parties are banned.
All ownership of custom games in Warcraft 3: Reforged belongs to Blizzard and not the creators.
Any custom game made in Warcraft 3: Reforged cannot be replicated anywhere else.

While stipulation #1 isn’t uncommon, it’s #2 and #3 that will rub people and would-be modders the wrong way. This gives Activision-Blizzard all the power to claim your custom game as its own AND shut down any standalone version of said custom game that originated in Reforged.
Our Takeaway
First off, demos and betas aren’t indicative of the final product at all. Having said that, if this is all thoughts from past Warcraft and RTS fans who want nothing more than a faithful remaster, this is not looking good for Blizzard and Activision. After all, this is following their previous attempts at an apology in the last BlizzCon due to banning a Hearthstone player for free speech and the whole Diablo Immortal debacle.

Oh, and if you think for one second that Malaysian company Lemon Sky Studio “had done effed up” since they’re in charge of the remastered assets, then you have no idea how the games industry work. If we had to speculate, this could be the common-but-unfortunate case of a parent company and IP holder (Activision-Blizzard, with more of the “A”) slashing the game’s budget to a piffle and Lemon Sky working with what they got against all odds.
But again, this is all hearsay.
Concerning the custom games bit, I can see where Blizzard is coming from. They don’t want another Dota/Dota 2/League of Legends-like game running away from their hands and being its own thing. Valve and Riot Games are making their wealth with mods from the original Warcraft 3Â if I’m being blunt here.
I’ll close this off with a (possibly ironic) quote from Warcraft 3: Reforged lead designer Matt Morris (via PC Gamer).

“[We opened up custom games to empower creators]. Anything we could do to give more power to the user who wants to make these maps and continue to push that custom mode forward.”


World Of Tanks Blitz APAC Cup Kicks Off Tomorrow

Throughout November, the Blitz Cup will be held in every region in World Of Tanks Blitzâ€™s very own online championship. The first of these; the Blitz APAC Cup, will take place on 4 and 5 November 2021. The four best teams from the region will compete for the championship title and a chunk of US$200,000 cash global prize pool.
[videopress vakriCDc]
They are:

[FEAST] FEAST

[FEAST] FEAST â€”Â Â while this team was formed six years ago, they first appeared in the e-sports arena in 2018, and quickly found success – soon they were winning prize after prize in numerous World of Tanks Blitz tournaments.

[E7] Uprising

[E7]Â UprisingÂ formed shortly after the Blitz Twister Cup 2018 and since then has performed excellently at many World Tanks Blitz tournaments. Among others, they took prizes in the Spring and Summer season 2021 championships

[-RN-] Rote Nova

[-RN-] Rote Nova â€” this team was founded in Japan in 2016. Although they disbanded after a few years, last year the team was reformed and they join the fight for the Blitz APAC Cup champion title with a renewed roster.

[-ID-] TEAM ID

[-ID-]Â TEAM IDÂ â€” this team from Korea has been battling since 2014, and successfully competed in many World of Tanks Blitz tournaments and championships.
Natalia Pershyts, Publishing Product Director, World Of Tanks Blitz, said:

“This is now the second year running that we have held the Blitz Cup championship online. We aimed at making it not just a tournament, but a dazzling spectacle with something to offer both competitive eSports players and casual viewers alike.
The former will get a chance to show off their skills and win a title and a cash prize, while the latter will see the show of a lifetime and get a chance to win in-game prizes such as useful resources, camouflage, and premium tanks!â€

The winners of the Blitz APAC Cup will receive the following prizes:

1st place: US$25,000, 10,000,000 credits, 24,000 gold, 200,000 Free XP, and a unique clan logo.
2nd place: US$15,000, 8,000,000 credits, 18,000 gold, 170,000 Free XP, and a unique clan logo.
3rd place: US$7,000, 7,000,000 credits, 14,000 gold, 130,000 Free XP, and a unique clan logo.
4th place: US$3,000, 6,000,000 credits, 12,000 gold, 100,000 Free XP.

Spectators can also expect to win prizes for participating in the event by watching the Blitz Cup 2021 battle streams, cheering on your favourite teams and getting rewards for your views. These include warpaints, avatars, premium accounts, and other cool items.
Most importantly, watching the championship broadcast can win you the powerful Action X, Centurion Mk. 5/1 or Progetto 46. All the details, as well as the Blitz APAC Cup schedule and the schedules for the following regional championships, can be found on the official game portal.
Stay tuned for more regional tournaments in the Blitz Cup series in November:

Blitz CIS Cup: 11 to 12 November 2021
Blitz North America Cup: 18 to 19 November 2021
Blitz Europe Cup: 25 to 26 November 2021

To watch the streams, you can head on over to the gameâ€™s official website.
[videopress hK26AYsc]


Vampires The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Delayed To Later In 2020

Publisher Paradox Interactive and developer Hardsuit Labs have delayed Vampire: The Masquerade â€“ Bloodlines 2 from its previously-planned Q1 2020 release window to sometime later in 2020.
The Vampire: The Masquerade â€“ Bloodlines 2 delay was detailed in a blog post on the official website earlier today with Hardsuit Labsâ€™ CEO Andy Kipling and Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines franchise writer Brian Mitsoda.
The reason for this delay is that they wanted to avoid making the same mistakes of the first game, which originally launched in 2004 with bugs and issues, and to prioritise quality for the best Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 that they can make.
The developer needs more time to achieve all the promised content and features, which includes aÂ deep and branching storyline; fascinating and amazingly acted characters; and the rich universe of the World of Darkness.
While they didn’t specify the new release window of the upcoming game, they did promise to share more details during the PDXCON Announcement stream on 19 October 2019 and a Reddit AMA thread the next day on 20 October 2019.
Vampire: The Masquerade â€“ Bloodlines 2 is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC sometime later in 2020. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc6urcYt0fU&w=560&h=315]


Overwatch League: Dallas Fuel Signs Up With Official Team Jersey Sponsor

Gimme fuel. Gimme fast food!Â  Revealed earlier today, fast food chain Jack in the Box is now official sponsor of Team Envy and itsÂ OverwatchÂ League team, Dallas Fuel. Part of the sponsorship will seeÂ Dallas Fuel players wear jerseys branded by Jack in the Box, with the fast food company serving as the team’s sole jersey sponsorship partner.

Part of the deal also sees team Envy’s Call of Duty team have the Jack in the Box logo appear on their jerseys as well. Renders of the team jersey with the new sponsor’s logo has also been released.
Co-owned by Team EnVyUs and by nV investor Hersh Interactive, the team recently added supportÂ ScottÂ “Custa”Â Kennedy and tank mainÂ FÃ©lixÂ “xQc”Â Lengyel to their roster and are one of the early season favorites of the inaugural Overwatch League. Pre-season starts December while the regular season kicks off in January 2018.


Redemption Reapers Physical Release Delayed To July

Redemption Reapers’ physical release has been pushed back from late April to early July, but don’t worry, there’s good reason for it. The publisher, Binary Haze Interactive, and developer, Adglobe, want to make sure the game is top-notch, so they’re taking the extra time to make some quality improvements and add in some new features via updates.
Speaking of updates, we’ve got the inside scoop on what you can expect from upcoming versions 1.30 and 1.4.0. Version 1.30 will bring usability improvements, game balance adjustments, and some changes to the user interface.
Version 1.4.0, on the other hand, will include an Easy Mode for all you casual gamers out there, a New Game+ feature for those who want to play through the game again, and the release of a PS5 version. And here’s the best part: if you already own the PS4 version, the PS5 upgrade will be totally free!
For those of you who just can’t wait to get your hands on Redemption Reapers, you can snag a digital copy right now for PS4, Switch, and PC via Steam.


Dontnod’s New Adventure Game Twin Mirror Will Be Out This December

Who loved adventure games like Tell Me Why and Life is Strange? I haven’t touched them yet, but I heard they’re good stuff if you’re a fan of these kinds of adventure games.
You can now add devs Dontnod’s upcoming adventure game Twin Mirror to that eclectic list, as it’s coming out this 1st December. The premise sounds cool enough: you play a former journalist who has to uncover mysteries using his super-powered analytical skills that comes attached with his cool mind palace. Said palace and skills are all represented in mirror shards, crystals(?), and constructs made out of those materials, making for awe-inspiring things like these:

In other words, a much more intriguing detective game than L.A. Noire. Twin Mirror will be out 1st December on the PC via Epic Games Store, PS4, and Xbox One.


Genshin Impact: Perilous Trail Walkthrough & Yelan Guide

Genshin Impact’s 2.7 update is now live and features a new Archon Quest called the Perilous Trail, which is being released in segments.
The update also introduces new 5-star Hydro bow user Yelan, who hails from Liyue and is a keeper of the country’s top secrets. She’s a great combo of badass and sexy according to the fanbase. There’s a lot of content to get through with this update, and this guide will tell you more about them, from the Perilous Trail’s solutions to Yelan’s best setups and kit.
Disclaimer: Update 2.7 is still being rolled out, so this guide will be periodically updated. Also, the Perilous Trail quest will be running from 31st May to 20th June.

Genshin Impact Perilous Trail Walkthrough
To unlock this quest, you need to complete the following and meet these criteria:

Adventure Rank 28
Archon Quest Chapter 1: Act 3 – A New Star Approaches
World Quest – Wherefore Did the Spiritstone Descend (a.k.a the whole Chasm questline; all six of them!)

Part 1

The questline for this part is pretty simple: just head to the marked location in The Chasm and you’ll start talking to all the characters involved from Yanfei to Arataki Itto.
Eventually you’ll head to the Chamber of Twistd Cranes Domain. Here, you’ll fight Slimes and Hilichurls (big ones too) to unlock switches. Activating switches will cause the landscape connected to it to rotate. Head to 26:22 on the video above for the solution.
Part 2

Here, you’ll be talking to the same group of folks. This time, you’ll be heading to a new Domain where you need to solve a puzzle.
There are four different symbols pointing to a connecting room. When you enter the symbol’s corresponding room, you need to search for that symbol and activate it by stepping on it. If you step on the wrong symbol, you take damage.
After you activate 4 of the symbols in the room, you have to fight a group of enemies. After killing them, you then need to tinker with two laser pointer devices so that they hit the symbols at the top. See 7:19 on the video above for the full solution.
Once that’s done for all four rooms, you then head to another room with a giant hole in the middle. Head there to continue on with the story.
Part 3 (Coming soon)

Perilous Trail Event Shop
During the quest and in the special Realms of Guile and War Challenges, you can win currency called Moonlit Cragstone. Here is a list of what you can win:

Reward
Moonlit Cragstone Cost
Purchase Limit

Crown of Insight
500
1

Glowing Gem – Fading Twilight refinement material
800
2

Liyue weapon ascension materials (rare/blue)
15
12

Liyue weapon ascension materials (epic/purple)
45
4

Liyue talent leveling materials (rare/blue)
20
9

Liyue talent leveling materials (rare/blue)
60
3

Hero’s Wit
10
60

Mystic Enhancement Ore
5
60

10,000 Mora
10
60

Yelan Guide: The Best Artifacts, Weapons, And Talents

Yelan is a Hydro bow user, so attacking enemies and keeping away from them is her game. Her regular shots are ranged, while her charged shots deal Hydro damage. Here are her skills:
Normal Passive: Breakthrough – If not in combat for five seconds, Yelan’s next charged shot has an 80% decreased charge time. You can then fire it to create a Breakthrough Barb which does AoE Hydro damage based on Yelan’s max HP.
Elemental Skill: Lingering Lifeline – Moves through enemies and marks them. After this action, the marked opponents are hit with Lifeline explosion for Hydro damage based on Yelan’s max HP.

Breakthrough – Enemies hit by the Lifeline explosion grant a 34% chance to reset Yelan’s Breakthrough state.

Elemental Burst: Depth – Clarion Dice – Deals AoE Hydro damage then spawns an Exquisite Throw.

Exquisite Throw – Follows your character around and will deal Hydro damage based on Yelan’s max HP. The damage instance can occur whenever your active character uses a normal attack and when Yelan’s Lifeline hits enemies.

Passive Talents

Necessary Calculation – +25% more rewards when dispatched on a Liyue Expedition for 20 hours.
Turn Control – Yelan’s max HP is increased by 6%/12%/18%/30% if the party has 1/2/3/4 elemental types.
Adapt With Ease – As long as Exquisite Throw is active, your character will deal +1% damage up to 3.5% damage every second. The maximum damage increase is 50%, reset only if Yelan’s elemental burst is over or recast.

Constellations

C1: Enter the Plotters – Elemental skill gains +1 charge.
C2: Taking All Comers – When Exquisite Throw does a coordinated attack, it will shoot an additional projectile that deals 14% of Yelan’s max HP as Hydro damage.
C3: Beware the Tricksters Dice – +3 levels for your elemental burst; maximum level is 15.
C4: Bait and Switch – All party members’ HP is increased by 10% for 25 seconds for every enemy marked by Lifeline when it explodes; maximum increase of 40% HP.
C5: Dealer’s Sleight – +3 levels for your elemental skill; maximum level is 15.
C6: Winner Takes All – After using her burst, Yelan enters the Mastermind state where all her normal attacks will be akin to her charged attacks (i.e., Breakthrough Barbs). These deal 156% of a normal Breakthrough Barb’s damage. The Mastermind state lasts for 20 seconds or until Yelan shoots five arrows.

Best Weapons For Yelan
Aqua Simulacra – Great critical damage, but hard to gacha since it’s a 5-star bow.
Polar Star – Great critical rate, and has decent stats for a 5-star bow.
Elegy for the End – Great for energy recharge. 5-star bow.
Fading Twilight, Favonius Warbow – Free-to-play bows of choice, and comes with decent stats and energy recharge ability.
Best Artifacts For Yelan
Emblem of Severed Fate (4-piece): this combo always gives Yelan burst options, and also buffs her burst damage.

2-piece bonus – +20% energy recharge.
4-piece bonus – Increases elemental burst damage by 25% of energy recharge; max of 75%.

Noblesse Oblige (4-piece): This combo gives Yelan good elemental burst damage and a party ATK buff.

2-piece bonus – +20% elemental burst damage.
4-piece bonus – Party members gain +20% ATK for 12 seconds after using an elemental burst.

Yelan Ascension Materials & Where To Find Them
These are the materials you need to ascend Yelan.

Fatui Insignia – Dropped by Fatui Skirmishers/Agents/Mages.
Varunada Lazurite – Dropped by the Oceanid and Hydro Hypostasis. Purchased from Souvenir Shop. Higher-tier versions can be crafted by an alchemist NPC.
Runic Fang – Dropped by the Ruin Serpent in The Chasm.
Starconch – These are found along the beaches of Yaoguang Shoal and Guyun Stone Forest.


Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Sold 2 Million Copies In Less Than 2 Weeks

Who would’ve guessed that From Software’s shinobi game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice would reach on top of the charts? I did. It is a fantastic game that pulls me in and calls to me despite the rage and frustrations it doles out generously.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice achieved an average rating of 90 on Metacritic, only passed by Red Dead Redemption 2 on the PS4 scale. The game also achieved a ‘Must-Play’ status on Metacritic, which only 1% of from all the games would receive such recommendation annually.
The game sold more than 2 million copies worldwide across PlayStation, Xbox and PC in less than 10 days. This marks it as the fastest selling From Software game ever.
Michelle Fonseca, Vice President of Product Management and Marketing at Activision, has something to say about it;

â€œSekiro: Shadows Die TwiceÂ has brought something very special and unique to Activisionâ€™s portfolio of games. Itâ€™s been an honor to work with FromSoftware to help introduce a brand-new franchise to gamers around the world,â€
â€œThe fans have madeÂ Sekiro: Shadows Die TwiceÂ one of the most incredible game launches of 2019 thus far. The game has performed well on all platforms including PC and weâ€™re excited by the continued support from gamers and critics alike. It has been gratifying to see the enjoyment from fans when they overcome each challenge.â€

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was the number 1 viewed game on Twitch on its launch day. It had close to 1.1 billion minutes watched on Twitch within the first week.
The success of the game is starting to encroach to Apex LegendsÂ territory, and that’s a good thing considering how successful a single player game is. It goes to show that developing a single player game canÂ be successful, even without microtransactions.


Six Stack: Six Potential Brigitte Combo-Wombos

Addendum: The earlier version alluded to the speed boost from Rally which affects Brigette’s teammates. It does not. It only affects her, while also granting extra armor to her team.Â
This amended version will henceforth reflect that.Â

The latest Overwatch hero, the support-tank hybrid Brigitte (Brig-et-uh) Lindholm was unveiled earlier today so we decided to analyze her kit and come up with potential combos utilizing her abilities. The daughter of Torbjorn who grew up to be Reinhardt’s squire, Brigette is a very unique character whose kit affects everyone around her, and creates a new dynamic in the tank – support relationship. Does she negate the selection of any main tanks or primary healers? Only time will tell.Â Before we head any further, here’s a quick recap of her kit courtesy of Gamepedia.comÂ to get you up to speed.

With that out of the way, let’s head to the meat of this analysis – how can her Ult move, ‘Rally’ be utilized with other heroes’ ults. All aboard? Ok cool. Let’s get straight to it.
1. Rally + Nano Boost (Ana) + Death Blossom (Reaper)Â
Time for Beyblade 2.0! While this is still a way off from the original Beyblade Ult combo where Reaper also gained a momentary speed boost thanks to Ana’s ult, the addition of extra 45 armor per second adds survivability to an Ult-ing Reaper.Â  This move is probably useful to clear the space off enemies, especially on control maps. Messes up the ult economy but man – imagine the fireworks.
2. Rally +Â Coalescence (Moira)Â
The combination with the ranged, burst healing and damage output from Moira allows a very potent penetrating force, especially to get past a chokepoint, or breaking down entrenched defenders. When timed properly, allows an extended push up to 15 seconds that could be the choice move during the final pushes in tight spaces such as Route 66 and Dorado.
3. Rally + Dragon Blade (Genji)Â
Genji’s ultimate, while one of the deadliest moves in the game, is akin to a glass cannon. With Brigette’s ult, he’s now more durable and is less likely to be shot down during cast. A tankier Genji is harder to kill, allowing him to be less conservative in picking out his targets. The AOE effect from Brigette’s Rally also adds survivability to her teammates making this combination potentially the new sure-win move.
4. Rally + Primal Rage (Winston)Â
While Primal Rage is one of the most devastating ults in the game, Winston usually ends up isolated due to his added mobility. Rally adds mobility allowing Brigette to catch up and aid Winston while the rest of the squad scurry make ground. In the commotion, Brigette’s Whip Shot comes with a knock-back effect that displaces enemies, delivering similar effect to Winston’s juggling act as well.
5. Rally + Whole Hog (Roadhog)Â
Roadhog’s Whole Hog not only turns him into a death machine, it also converts him into a bullet magnet as everyone on the enemy team tend to focus on him during this short period. Very rarely we see Roadhog survive a full Whole Hog move and utilizing Lucio’s Sound Barrier just to keep him alive is too costly in the grand scheme of things. The armor gained from Rally makes this a better option to win smaller team fights, while conserving Transcendence and the aforementioned Sound Barrier for bigger, more important ones.
6. Rally + Barrage (Pharah)Â
Just like Genji, Pharah’s ult turns her into a glass cannon who is usually shut down immediately or midway through her ult. Added armor means that an ulting Pharah have a higher chance of emptying her rockets as intended instead of dying mid-cast.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_m8fcJb5tE&w=560&h=315]
Bonus:Â
Rally + Shield GeneratorÂ
With a maximum of additional 150 armor to any team member with full health, popping up the Shield Generator (+75 armor) grants a total of 225 armor on top of health so imagine how even the squishiest of characters are suddenly bullet sponges. We would not want to face a Pharah with 425 total health. We really don’t.

These are of course, only in theory and how they actually translate to the battlefield is another matter. Think you have a better combination? As usual, the comments section is right below.


Kenn’s Top 10 Gaming/Pop Culture Highlights & Lowlights of 2019

2019 was a mixed bag when it comes to video games and pop culture, at least for me. The year went by with a mixed bag of ups and downs – surprise hits and big disappointments.
So without further ado, here are my top happenings of 2019 – the good and the bad, in no particular order.
#1. Ace Combat ‘s glorious return

What a joyous way to start the year with the release of Ace Combat 7, a brilliant game which lived up to the expectations befitting of a much-loved franchise.
While frustrating at times, Ace Combat 7 was a proper Ace Combat game for present-gen consoles – filled with high octane dogfights, brilliant graphics and terrible voice lines – which was expected.
#2. Apex Legends

Apex Legends is proof that if given all the freedom to develop a game -sans interference from publishers and its recurring itch to infuse microtransaction into all of its games- developers under the EA umbrella are able to produce genuine gems.
Jumping into the battle royale scene when Fortnite seemingly ran the show, Apex Legends managed to reinterpret what battle royale games ought to be like. It also excelled where games like Paladins failed – a successful amalgamation of hero shooters with battle royale.
#3. Overwatch League got boring

While it still managed to produce some epic storylines such as Shanghai Dragons emerging as Stage 3 champions and the San Francisco Shock winning the big prize through the loser’s bracket, Blizzard now faces a make-or-break season with the upcoming Season 3 which starts this February. Because frankly, last year’s Overwatch League was middling at best and dull at worst.
I’m not saying Blizzard made some major missteps throughout Season 2. But professional Overwatch in 2019 was a bore to watch. Blame it on fatigue or the GOATs meta; the second season of the Overwatch League was a letdown from a viewer’s standpoint.
#4. Overwatch World Cup turned out to be a bummer for Malaysia

Still on Overwatch, FYI.
What started as good news for Overwatch fans in Malaysia turned into a major bummer when the team had to withdraw from participating in the World Cup due to failure to secure enough funds in time.
Long story short, while the Malaysian Overwatch World Cup team – MY OWWC -Â  managed to secure some financial aid to participate in Anaheim, the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports failed to release the funds in time.
The silver lining in all of this? Perhaps this brings to light on how esports is still severely undervalued, underappreciated and in need of proper support in Malaysia, which in turn ensures such issues does not repeat in the future.
#5. We helped clear the murky air surrounding Malaysia Esports
After months of talk, the “national esports blueprint” was finally released by Malaysia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports to mixed reactions of many. Needless to say, it brought more questions than answers.

We at Kakuchopurei.com are proud to be not only the first, but the ONLY video game publication to secure an exclusive interview with the Minister of Youth and Sports, Yang Berhormat Tuan Syed Saddiq Abd Rahman (video above). He shared his thoughts on esports in Malaysia, its future in 2020 and beyond, and also the Team Overwatch kerfuffle.
#6. Call of Duty is Back, Baby

I suppose I am not overstating it by saying that it’s been a brilliant year for shooter fans. Borderlands 3 was released. Escape from Tarkov gave PUBG fans an even more hardcore version of their beloved game. Apex Legends gave Fortnite a run for its money.
But the best news of all is that Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare made military shooters fun again. A fan of the more ‘modern, grounded’ Call of Duty games, I’ve waited long enough for its developers to get their act together. Thankfully they did, and I hope they continue on with their metaphorical kill streak in making COD great again.
#7. Death Stranding divides the gaming community

Hideo Kojima is like the Quentin Tarantino of game producers. He’s a larger than life personality, eccentric in his own way and has garnered an equal amount of fans and detractors alike.
This pretty much stemmed from his heyday at Konami where he made his name with the Metal Gear Solid franchise which came to an abrupt end following an unceremonious departure not long after the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
Having since formed his own studio, backed by the money of PlayStation, Kojima’s first post-Konami game is none other than the incredibly divisive Death Stranding.

The”Fed-Ex Simulator” as many would call it somehow managed to gain some lovers.

For the life of me, I fail to understand their endearment for something that wouldn’t have flown if it was produced by other game makers who isn’t Hideo Kojima. Yet I still find this all the more fascinating as a last year milestone for gaming.
#8. Star Wars Third Trilogy Ends with A Whimper…

After the disaster which was the Rian Johnson-directed The Last Jedi, hopes were high for JJ Abrams to correct the course and send off Star Wars on a high note in The Rise of Skywalker.
Boy, were we so wrong.
The Rise of Skywalker was the lowest ebb of the third trilogy. It came packaged with a pointlessly convoluted plot-line, which was a result of Abrams’ course-correcting move in the first third of the movie followed by a needless resurrection of Emperor Palpatine.
Yes, it’s worse than The Last Jedi which at least, had a plot and actual attempt of trying something new.
#9. …Yet the Force is Strong in Other Mediums

In a year where the tentpole movie disappointed us, other mediums – video games and tv picked up the slack and ensured Star Wars ended the year on a positive note.
Respawn, still fresh from their success early in the year which was Apex Legends delivered yet again with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, easily the best Star Wars video game released in the past ten years. Slick Jedi lightsaber action paired with Titanfall-esque mechanics solidified Respawn’s place as one of the most promising studios heading into 2020.
#10. Witcher’s En Vogue, Baby

When it was first announced that Netflix were working on a live-action adaptation based on CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher game, I had major doubts. Here’s why:

Live-action video game adaptations almost never turn out good.
We were living in a post-Game of Thrones fatigue, which is a tall hill to get over.
HENRY CAVILL AS GERALT OF RIVIA.

“This can’t possibly turn out well”, I thought. Thankfully I was wrong.
Not only did Cavill captured the essence of the White Wolf, but he also turned non-fans or players of the franchise into one. Less than a week after the show was released, The Witcher 3 saw a spike in playtime on Steam and, undoubtedly, drove the sales of the game on Nintendo’s Switch (a.k.a The Switcher).
Guess it goes to show that given the room to develop their own story sans the scrutiny and high expectations from a crazy fandom, filmmakers, or in this instance,Â  fantasy series showrunners are able to deliver top-notch, highly acclaimed gems.
Toss my coin to The Witcher I did.


PS Plus Subs Can Grab Call Of Duty Warzone Combat Pack For Free

Players don’t need PlayStation Plus to actually play the new free-to-play Call Of Duty Warzone battle royale game, but there’s still special additional content for those who do. PS Plus subscribers can grab the Call of Duty Warzone Combat Pack, which will be available as a free timed exclusive until 1 October 2020.
The Combat Pack will give Call of Duty Warzone players the following in-game items and cosmetics:

1 Operator Skin
1 Weapon Blueprint
1 Double XP Token
1 Calling Card
1 Weapon Charm
1 In-Game Watch

For more information on the difference between Call Of Duty Modern Warfare and Call Of Duty Warzone, head on over here. Call Of Duty Warzone is now playable for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.


Larian Studio’s Swen Vincke On Malaysia, Baldur’s Gate 3 & Chasing Your Dreams

During Level KL 2019, Divinity franchise developer Larian Studios announced that they were opening a new studio in Malaysia, their first in the entire Asian region. To that end, we received the opportunity to interview Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke himself during the event last week.
Vincke spoke about why he chose Malaysia as the location for their next studio, their vision on Baldur’s Gate 3, and more.
Check out an excerpt of one of Vincke’s responses below; on how and why the developer decided to take on the Baldur’s Gate franchise and make the highly-anticipated sequel to 2000’s Baldur’s Gate 2.

“So we’ve been talking to Wizards Of The Coast for a long time, and after we finished the first Original Sin, I actually went to them and said let me make Baldur’s Gate 3.
And so it took quite some time to convince them but we kept on talking to each other and they asked why would that have to be you.
I said it’s because of what I’m making is actually literally the translation of pen and paper tabletop role-playing into a computer game that you can play with your friends but you can also play on your own.
It’s basically as our games are trying to have the equivalent of a game master inside of the way we put them together and so working on Baldur’s Gate 3, because a lot of people in the studio are also huge fans, of Baldur’s Gate and Dungeons And Dragons specifically in particular.
So the chance to do that and to bring basically what is our RPG identity to Baldur’s Gate as a franchise was an opportunity too good to resist.
And so what it will do for us, we think it will do for us is that it’s going to show a larger segment of the people because I think Baldur’s Gate 3 will reach more people than Divinity will have done.
It will show a larger segment of the population what our RPGs feel like and hopefully bring them to play our other games also.”

Check out our full 13-minute video interview with Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGnGOnzlC4s&w=560&h=315]


Lost Ark Endgame Will Get Some Endgame Nerfs This March

Lost Ark will be getting a handful of updates this March, though the next one will be coming sooner than you think.
The next weekly update will be out later this week, and will rebalance some tier 1 and tier 2 endgame activities. The game’s Abyssal Dungeons and Guardian Raids will be nerfed. In the original Korean version, the game’s tier 1 and tier 2 endgame Raids are ramped up slowly as new players will be in the first two tiers for a considerable duration. In the Western English version (the one we’re playing now this year), all three tiers are out and accessible. This nerf is meant to be a gentle ramp-up.
Here’s the official rationale for the balance patch:
“With the different purpose of Tier 1 and Tier 2 in our regions, there were some overly difficult Guardians and Abyssal Dungeon encounters left behind.
This balance update isn’t about simply adjusting the difficulty as [a] whole. Rather, the focus is to improve some of the difficult patterns to better prepare players as they progress through each Tier and work their way toward Tier 3 endgame content.”
Here’s the breakdown:
ABYSSAL DUNGEONS
ANCIENT ELVERIA

Necromancer’s Origin
Improved player forgiveness during the orb phase when trying to defeat Sigmund during Stage 2 of Necromancer’s Origin.
Improved the visual effect of Sigmund’s color wave to make it more clear to players.

PHANTOM PALACE

Hall of the Twisted Warlord
Made a change to the Phantom Legion King attack pattern and Phantom Cut debuff stack that is applied to the character.
Updated the Phantom Legion King Illusion Sword summon attack pattern.
As the swords follow the players, if a player receives two stacks they will incur damage and upon reaching three stacks, they will die.
Hildebrandt Palace
Decreased the amount of damage required for the Stagger phase when Ephernia appears in Stage 3 of Hildebrandt Palace.
Increased the Phantom Energy effect range from the Meteormechanicduring Stage 3.
Changed the attack shape of the second Meteormechanicfrom a circle to a front attack during Stage 3.

GATE OF PARADISE

Sea of Indolence
Increased the warning time for the omen attack in Stage 2 of Sea of Indolence.
Changed Indolence Sentinel Akam’s attack from a wipe mechanic to a high damage attack in Stage 2 of Sea of Indolence.

GUARDIAN RAIDS
Vertus

Removed the stun debuff that was applied when players were hit by the tail swing attack.
Decreased the damage dealt by several attacks:

Jumping out of the ice.
Grabbing a player and breathing ice fire.

Nacrasena

Decreased the damage dealt by several attacks:

Tail attack after thumping the ground with tail.
Jumping out of the ground.
Lightning projectiles.

Flame Fox Yoho

Reduced the duration of Flame Fox Yoho’s Flame Ground attack.
Decreased Flame Fox Yoho’s HP.
Reduced the effect of the Burning Soul ability.
Decreased the damage dealt by several attacks:

Throwing Fox fires.
Jump forward and claw attacks.
Jump upward and claw attacks.

Tytalos

Decreased the duration of Tytalos’ Circle of Spalling rock attack.
Changed Tytalosâ€™ attack that collects sand energy and explodes from a wipe mechanic to a high-damage attack.
Decreased the damage dealt by Tytalosâ€™ earth explosion attacks.

Achates

Modified Guardian Achates summon statue pattern to always summon four Guardian Statues.
Decreased the damage required to apply Weak Point to Achates.
To keep Achates challenging in Trial Guardian Raids, that encounter will not have these changes â€“ but more on that in a future update!

Lava Chromanium

Â Decreased the damage dealt by the lava eruption attack used by Lava Chromanium when becoming Berserk.

Levanos

Decreased the damage required to apply Weak Point* to Levanos.

*Weak Point is a mechanic which requires players to break a part of the enemy (such as shields, shells, wings etc.) or target a specific area with abilities and battle items marked with the ‘Destruction’ keyword.

Alberhastic

Reduced Alberhastic’s beneficial effect that was granted when obtaining the Heat Orb.
Changed the wipe mechanic to a high-damage attack.

The update will go live today. For more on Lost Ark and how to play it in Southeast Asia, head here.


The Next Hideo Kojima Game Will Feature Elle Fanning

A new teaser website has confirmed that actress Elle Fanning will be in Hideo Kojima’s next game. It was discovered by a person named Lance McDonald at PAX in Australia on a poster that states “WHERE AM I?”.
When the QR code on the poster is scanned, it leads to a teaser website with Elle Fanning’s picture and texts that read “WHO AM I?” and “A HIDEO KOJIMA GAME.” This is interesting because Kojima Productions originally began teasing their next game last month with an image of a woman’s head and a darkened face with some text that read “WHO AM I?”
If the past is any indication, Hideo Kojima will likely reveal more about Elle Fanning’s involvement in his next game at the upcoming The Game Awards 2022 on 9/10 December 2022. Will this be the Xbox game that he initially revealed during the Xbox showcase earlier this year? As of now, anything can happen.
Check out the teaser poster with Elle Fanning below:


Forspoken Delayed Yet Again, This Time To January 2023

Publisher Square Enix and developer Luminous Productions have announced that open-world action RPG Forspoken has been delayed yet again from its previously-planned 11 October 2022 release date (which itself was already a delay) to 24 January 2023. It will be available for PS5 and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store.
Here is a message from Luminous Productions on the delay:
As a result of ongoing discussions with key partners, we have made the strategic decision to move the launch date of Forspoken to January 24, 2023. All game elements are now complete, and development is in its final polishing phase.
We would like to thank you for your continued support and patience on this journey. Your excitement for the game inspires us every day and we cannot wait to share more about Forspoken with you later this summer!

An update on #Forspoken. pic.twitter.com/sRLvXX2kjS
— Forspoken (@Forspoken) July 6, 2022

In the meantime, check out the latest trailer below:


Naughty Dog QA Tester LinkedIn Profile Teases Unannounced Remake & Multiplayer Project

Naughy Dog could be working on a mysterious remake project. A Naughty Dog quality assurance tester has listed unannounced remake and multiplayer projects on his LinkedIn profile. Corey Hong has worked at Naughty Dog since 2019, doing QA work on The Last Of Us Part 2, Uncharted Legacy Of Thieves Collection, and two unannounced projects; a remake and a multiplayer game.
Naughty Dog is currently working on a multiplayer-focused game, which is already confirmed, and an unknown remake title, which is still unconfirmed as of now. The multiplayer game could be a The Last Of Us Part 2 Factions title, while the remake is rumoured to be a The Last Of Us remake. However, nothing official has been announced by Naughty Dog yet.
The Last Of Us Part 2 is out now for the PS4 and PS5. In the meantime, check out my full spoiler-free review of the game here, or head on over here for a guide and tips for the game. If you’ve already played the game, then I suggest checking out my 4000-word spoilerific article on why I believe the hate for the game isn’t justified.


Kingdom Hearts Dark Road Details Revealed, To Be Included In Union Ï‡

A new Kingdom Hearts mobile game, Dark Road, will allow players to discover the past of series villain Xehanort.
Unfortunately, that’s pretty much the only thing that’s been revealed about the story so far. You do, however, get to see a rather dashing, chibi version of Xehanort in the released screenshots.

The gameplay details aren’t fleshed out much either, but they paint a clearer picture of what to expect at least. “Exhilarating, high-speed battles that depend on reflexes!” are what Dark Road boasts.
Dark Road will be combined with the other Kingdom Hearts mobile game, Union Ï‡ [Cross], to form Kingdom Hearts UÏ‡ Dark Road. What this means is that you’ll be launching Dark Road from the Union Ï‡ title screen. Otherwise, it’s a standalone game that doesn’t require you to play Union Ï‡.

Also announced is a Dark Road and UÏ‡ Link Campaign, where you can earn points by completing your UÏ‡ Medal Album and trade them for cards that can be used during battles.
However, you’ll need to have played UÏ‡ before Dark Road‘s release, because after Dark Road‘s release, further album progress won’t translate to points in Dark Road. The campaign is also a one-off thing made for Dark Road‘s release.
It’s cool to see Xehonort’s past being explored, but the reaction to Dark Road on Twitter has been largely negative so far. What do you think about Dark Road‘s reveal?


Xbox To Get Keyboard & Mouse Support Thanks To Razer

Microsoft’s Xbox and PC crossplay plans are getting a power-up courtesy of current top dog gaming peripheral brand Razer. The peripheral brand will enable its Chroma RGB lighting support in Xbox games, which also means that its colourful keyboards and mice might be an Xbox staple soon enough.
According to sources close to the Verge, Razer is planning to have game developers tap into its API to bring Chroma lighting effects into games. This support will be in effect later this year when Microsoft’s fall Xbox update hits, assuming that there aren’t any stumbling blocks for said developers and Razer.

So what mice can be used? Microsoft stated that the update will allow a variety of them, including the ones with wireless dongles. Mice with Bluetooth wireless and custom mouse drivers, however, won’t be supported for now.
With this bold new system in play, would this place controller-savvy Xbox players in an unfair advantage against keyboard and mouse players? At the very least, Microsoft is allowing its developers to detect in-game whether a keyboard and mouse setup is present on an Xbox One or not; they’re basically handing them the tools to make things fair. In the end, it’s the responsibility of the game developers to add in that feature for balance’s sake.


Just Dance 2019 Free Demo Featuring One Kiss by Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa Available Now

Ubisoft has released a free demo for Just Dance 2019, featuring the hit song ‘One Kiss’ by Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa. It is available for download starting today on the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Wii U demo will release later in November 2018.
The new Just Dance 2019 demo gives us our first look at the game’s new UI and features, along with the opportunity to try out the game. Players can now play the game on consoles without requiring additional camera accessories, thanks to the Just Dance Controller App which is now available on Android and iOS platforms.
Just Dance 2019 was initially released on October 23, 2018. The latest in the dance rhythm game franchise is now available for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and the Nintendo Wii U.
Other popular songs on the Just Dance 2019 soundtrack include Blackpink’s “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du,” Coco’s Un Poco Loco, Camila Cabello’s Havana, and many more.
Have a sneak peek at the Just Dance 2019 free demo below, and head on over to the official website here to download it now!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebpCzfxFWeI&w=560&h=315]


Marcos Gaming Qualify For Pokémon UNITE Asia Champions League 2023

Marcos Gaming are headed to Malaysia for the Pokémon UNITE Asia Champions League 2023 which will take place on 18 to 19 March.
This incredible team just made history by becoming the first Indian organization to qualify for the tournament, and they’re ready to take on the best of the East Asia and Southeast Asia Leagues.
The Pokémon UNITE Asia Champions League 2023 – India is already underway having started on 7 January and is ongoing until 25 February. The top five teams of India are battling it out for two spots in the main event in Malaysia, and Marcos Gaming just secured one of them.
In Stage 1 of the India League, the five teams competed in a single round-robin format. Marcos Gaming stepped up to the plate and dominated the competition, beating all of their opponents with ease and even taking down the reigning Indian champions, Gods Reign. Their first-place finish earned them a direct slot in the Grand Finals of Stage 2 of the India League.
Now, Marcos Gaming is headed to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to compete against the best in the region. This pan-regional LAN tournament is filled with high-stakes action, and the winner will walk away with the coveted title of the Pokémon UNITE Asia Champions League champion and a grand prize of US$30,000.

The Team

Marcos Gaming has an incredibly talented roster, including players Snowyy, Volc, Meruem, VoxZ, and Kyurem. They’re gearing up for the India League Finals on 19 February, where they aim to end on a high note before heading to the international competition.
Volc, a player on Marcos Gaming, expressed his excitement about the qualification, saying:
“We’re thrilled to represent India at the Asia Champions League in Malaysia. Our org, Marcos Gaming, has been incredibly supportive throughout this journey, and we’re grateful to The Pokémon Company and Skyesports for giving us this opportunity. We’re working hard and looking forward to competing amongst the top teams in Asia.”
The other slot for the India League will go to either Revenant Esports or S8UL, so we’ll have to wait and see who will join Marcos Gaming in Malaysia. But one thing is for sure, this is going to be a tournament to remember! Get ready for some serious Pokémon action as the best teams in the region face off for the ultimate prize.


Tomb Raider Definitive Survivor Trilogy Leaked By Microsoft

A Tomb Raider Definitive Survivor Trilogy recently appeared on the Microsoft Store but was quickly removed after going viral. According to ResetEra, it’s a collection of the three games by Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix, including Tomb Raider, Rise Of The Tomb Raider, and Shadow Of The Tomb Raider.
The Microsoft Store page listed a release date of 18 March 2021 for the Tomb Raider Definitive Survivor Trilogy.

The now-deleted description from the Microsoft Store reads:
“Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy is the complete edition of the award-winning Tomb Raider origin games.
This collection contains all the definitive edition content from each critically acclaimed prequel title – Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition.
Follow Lara on her formative journey across the world, starting in Tomb Raider trapped on the shrouded island of Yamatai off the coast of Japan, to the harsh Siberian tundra hiding an immortal secret in Rise of the Tomb Raider, and finally to the mountainous landscape of Peru to uncover a cataclysmic power in Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
With all the definitive edition content from each game, this Trilogy promises dozens of hours of breathtaking exploration, challenging puzzle-solving, and survival combat with Lara as she becomes the Tomb Raider she was destined to become.”
However, this Tomb Raider Definitive Survivor Trilogy has yet to be officially announced, though we probably won’t have to wait long. 2021 marks the Tomb Raider franchise’s 25th anniversary and that’s a big milestone for the iconic game franchise, which has also spawned several live-action movies.
In other related news, there’s also an animated Tomb Raider series coming from Netflix and Legendary in the works.


Esports Organizations Are Expanding Beyond Sponsorships For Revenue

Currently, esports organizations still rely on sponsorship as the primary source of revenue, with sponsorship accounting for US$837.3 million by the end of 2022. That accounts for nearly 60 percent of global esports revenues. According to a report by Newzoo, esports organizations are diversifying their revenue streams by delving into other things.
These include direct-to-fan business models such as merchandising (physical or digital), loyalty programs, and educational programs are helping organizations diversify. Merchandise has big potential as esports brands are becoming lifestyle brands. For example, Brazilian esports team LOUD invested in unique products in collaboration with a Brazilian streetwear brand, focusing on everyday clothing beyond jerseys. Popular North American esports organization 100 Thieves has built its image around streetwear apparel. PUMA has partnered with Gen.G Esports, Natus Vincere (Navi), EVOS Esports, and Cloud9 to sell PUMA branded apparel.
Besides that, loyalty programs will allow fans to receive unique content for a subscription fee and these programs incentivize members to engage with the organization’s content, bringing more revenue opportunities and diversification. They bring direct boosts to revenues and increase fan engagement with organizations, making companies more likely to appeal to potential sponsors and investors. Popular teams like Natus Vincere (Navi) have embraced blockchain technology for such programs, rewarding fans with NFTs for watching Navi players and partnered creators.
It looks like there’s a bright future for esports as we at Kakuchopurei continue covering it.


Willow Is Essentially Disney’s The Lord Of The Rings

It’s been 34 years since the release of the original fantasy movie, Willow, in 1988. After more than three decades, it’s finally getting a follow-up and sequel in the form of a new series with the same name on Disney+. Was it worth the effort to revive this relatively obscure Lucasfilm IP, especially when compared to the likes of their more popular IP such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones? Read on to find out.
Willow: The Magic Awakens

I’m probably one of many people who have never heard of Willow prior to the announcement of Disney+’s new Willow series at D23 2021. It wasn’t until recently that I watched the original 1988 movie for the purpose of preparing for the Disney+ Willow series. It’s a fun fantasy movie, albeit one that was a product of its time, similar to movies like The Princess Bride and The NeverEnding Story. However, it’s arguably best known for featuring special effects that still look decent today, which is a result of Industrial Light & Magic’s then-breakthrough digital technology. 1988’s Willow is currently available on Disney+ Hotstar, but the question is; should you watch the movie before checking out the new Willow series? In my opinion, it’s better that you watch the Willow movie beforehand, but the first episode of the Willow series does feature a brief recap of what happens in the movie and the narrative of the 1988 movie was never that complex to begin with, so you should be fine with the recap if you really prefer not to watch an old movie (though you’re definitely missing out).
We were provided with the first three episodes of the Disney+ Willow series (out of the first season’s planned eight episodes), and so far, it’s a solid epic fantasy series. Overall, the tone of the series feels closer to darker fantasy fare now compared to the lighter 1988’s Willow. It definitely feels like they’re going for a more ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ vibe in the Willow series, or perhaps even a more ‘Harry Potter’-like tone. I can see why they did this; in order to appeal to more younger viewers who, just like myself, have never seen or even heard of the 1988 movie. While some actors from the 1988 movie do return to reprise their roles, including Warwick Davis’ Willow and Joanne Whalley’s Sorsha, the focus this time around is more on the new cast of young characters.

There are a lot of details I can’t reveal since even the first three episodes contain several twists and turns, but the main premise of the series is similar to how The Lord Of The Rings begins. A fellowship of different people go on a quest, but instead of going with the aim of destroying a ring, they’re out to save somebody from the evil forces. I’m not being simplistic by comparing the Willow series with The Lord Of The Rings.

In a meta moment, one of the characters even makes a reference to that by actually referring to their group as a “fellowship”. It’s really not that subtle, but it works.

The Willow series even features similar wide cinematic landscape shots made popular by The Lord Of The Rings movies. Yeah, I was surprised by the high production values and cinematography of the Willow series. The series was shot in Wales, and as a result, it makes the environmental shots look mesmerizing. The high production value doesn’t just stop there, as the monsters and evil forces in the Willow series look much better than in the original Willow movie. They look rightfully fiendish and some of the designs look unique; not just your run-of-the-mill orc or troll. It does look like they used classic practical effects whenever they could, so that’s impressive as well.

The Willow series also features more diversity, with Tony Revolori (best known as Flash Thompson from the MCU Spider-Man movies) as a character named Graydon who mainly acts as comic relief and as a relatable character, as well as LGBTQ representation from several of the characters. For fans of the 1988 movie, it’s a bit sad that Val Kilmer didn’t return to reprise his role of Madmartigan, but at least we have Amar Chadha-Patel’s Thraxus Boorman filling in the role of the Han Solo-like rogue thief/swordsman character with swagger.

There’s a reason why I can’t talk much about some of the lead characters played by Ruby Cruz, Dempsey Bryk, and Ellie Bamber since their roles are integral to the narrative. However, I can say that they’re interesting leads so far and I do want to see more of them.

Meanwhile, Warwick Davis’ Willow isn’t really the true main character this time around, but there’s still a lot of him; the series is still named after him after all. He’s more of a Master Yoda-like character this time around, acting as a wise mentor to the younger characters, especially after years of his experience being a sorcerer. Also, it’s impossible to avoid the Star Wars comparisons, considering that the Willow universe was originally conceived by Star Wars creator George Lucas as well, so there are bound to be many similarities, including in the way that the magic in the Willow universe is described, which is similar to how the Force is described by Master Yoda.
Willow: The Great And Powerful

If Amazon’s The Lord Of The Rings The Rings Of Power and HBO’s House Of The Dragon series are both geared towards adults, Disney+’s Willow is the perfect series for a different untapped demographic; namely younger audiences, especially teenagers and perhaps even children. However, that’s not to say that the Willow series is only for kids; because it’s definitely not. It’s for any fantasy fan to enjoy, including adults, due to its darker The Lord Of The Rings-like tone. As a fantasy fan myself, the Willow series is worth the watch so far, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of the story unfold in future episodes.
FINAL SCORE: 80/100
We received an early screener of the first three episodes of Willow courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. Willow is slated to premiere on 30 November 2022 on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia, with subsequent episodes following every Wednesday.


Genshin Impact Version 2.6 Update Brings In Ayaka’s Ice-Powered Brother & New Undercity Content

Mihoyo has announced new details about Genshin Impact’s version 2.6 update.
The new 2.6 update will be out on 30th March, or at least during that week. The highlights include a new Inazuma event, the addition of Ayato Kamisato, and a new World Event.
Ayato Kamisato is a 5-Star Hydro sword user with some pretty good illusion-based fighting and quick hits using Hydro clones and AoE Elemental Bursts. He’s also a fan of bubble tea and has abilities where he can regenerate energy passively.

Version 2.6 will also give players a new area to explore called The Chasm. It’s a giant hole with a bunch of enemies and an upside-down floating city with a ton of mystery. There’s also an Archon story quest for players to uncover too, including a visit from longtime character Dainsleif. It’s sure to be quite a cliffhanger storyline.
Vibro-Crystal Research is a new side event that players can participate in The Chasm. Players will be helping a Fontaine researcher with studying harmonic motions of gems called Vibro-Crystals. Connect Transmitter and Receiver Crystals to produce various effects to buff your character/defeat your foes during enemy wave attacks as fast as humanly possible in designated research areas.
Hues of the Violet Garden lets you take pictures for Primogem and other sorts of rewards. Just hang around Inazuma and take specific photos based on the colours you’re assigned. Theater Mechanicus also returns; it’s essentially the tower defense minigame where you place elemental turrets to deal with onslaughts of enemies walking a set path. There will be new levels of Theater Mechanicus for you to try out and get rewards from.
Clash of Lone Blades is a new sidequest in Inazuma where your main character duels other ronin and samurai. You also get access to a new Parry move that lets you counter without taking damage if you time the move right.

Spices From The West will be a side event where you help a woman from Sumeru with her food-related research. Use a pot to cook food and seasoning via a slider and needle minigame; you’ll get Primogem rewards if you succeed and cook with as little mistakes as possible.
What About Free Codes?
Oh yeah, those. We have Genshin Impact redemption codes aplenty that’s available for one day only.

AB7CKBVQULE5
3TPUKSV8C5X9
UT7C2TD8C5ZD

Watch the full trailer below.


Here’s Your First Look At Shin Megami Tensei 3’s Demifiend In Figma Form

Last year, figure manufacturer Max Factory announced that it will be creating a figma figure of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster‘s main character, the Demifiend. He does look badass, so we figured a figma version will be just as cool to place on your desk.
Lo and behold, here’s our sneak peek at the upcoming figma via One Hobby 34’s toy and figure exhibits in Japan (via Twitter).

? #????34 ???
?????????????????????? NOCTURNE HD REMASTER??????????figma????????? ????????? #maxfactory #figma #?????? #???? pic.twitter.com/3F0tKugmJH
— ?????????? ?? (@MXF_official) October 2, 2021

Granted, it’s still in a prototype stage, but it looks promising already. No release date or pre-order dates have been announced as of yet; I’m very sure a huge number of Shin Megami Tensei fans are looking forward to buying this long-awaited physical recreation of its badass protagonist.


How Does Sagat & Newcomer G Fare In Street Fighter V?

Earlier this week, Capcom released two new fighters in Street Fighter V: the Tiger-spamming Sagat and the presidential figure G. After using these guys for a few days and checking out a TON of pro players using them online -to obviously hand my ass on a platter since it’s been months since I touched SFV- here’s what we thought.
Sagat: Tiger Shot All Day
The most recognizable digital Muay Thai fighter is back, and he plays just as he does in SFIV, only in the SFV engine.
So far, he lacks some cross-up potential. He can only mix it up with a jumping LK followed by Light or Heavy to Mid. However, he makes it up with his range game and his footsies. Poke and kick your way out of harm’s way and keep your opponent at a good mid-distance.

950 stun buff to Cammy? No problem. Works from about 3/4ths of the screen. @smugdabeast @jav1ts @katitagaribon pic.twitter.com/4yNAHE1vQw
— Vagabond (@Vagabond_FGC) August 7, 2018

If he or she is far away, just Tiger Shot them and bait them to come to you. Use the golden rule of projectile-spamming: DO NOT fire if your opponent is a jump distance away. Fire even if you’re up-close; Sagat has combos that end with a Tiger Shot. The trick with Sagat is to be patient; let them come to your Tiger-laced feet instead of you going to them. Be like an actual tiger and pounce when the time is right.

He has his HK to Tiger Uppercut kara back, which is very, VERY useful for punishing sweeps among other applications.

Don't sweep back other sweeps. Do fastest possible fHK Kara TU insteadhttps://t.co/0YjCsk8BBd pic.twitter.com/1ECOCFLipy
— DaFeetLee (@DaFeetLee) August 7, 2018

If we had to pick which V-Trigger is best, it really depends. V-Trigger I is good for launching multi-hitting projectiles or just doing wall combos topped while V-Trigger II is best against turtles and defensive opponents. You’d be surprised a lot of people are willing to just crouch and block while you charge your V-Trigger II kick; it’s a matter of conditioning them with your Tiger Knee and Tiger Shot barrages.
Bottom Line:Â As far as I know, he doesn’t feel or control out-of-place unlike Blanka in Season 3. He’s as real and damaging as he gets in this version of Street Fighter. Longtime SFIV fans who missed Sagat will get a kick out of using this guy.
Sorry.
G: One Of SFV’s More Unique Individuals
This top hat-wearing gold-laced jacked-up Abe Lincoln cosplayer is interesting, kinda like Falke is but more fun to use. While Falke controls differently, G has the traditional motion inputs and “Down, Down + button” style motions.
To start off, his V-Skill lets you deal with opponent’s anti-airing you with DPs and uppercuts. While it won’t save you from the quicker normal anti-airs like Birdie since they recover quick, at least you can keep them on their toes.

More G stuff. Let's look at VT1! Here's a setup you can do that is on average +9 and at best like, +10, and leaves you in command grab range in the corner! jLK > VT1 Vskill very strong! @jav1ts @MrSpab #SFVAE pic.twitter.com/CVP4xOYPpR
— ?TTTTTsd? (@TTTTTsd_) August 7, 2018

He has mid-ranged and close-ranged options that hit high and low, and his attacks have different properties depending on your Presidentiality level. You charge it up -see the globe next to his Super Meter- by pressing Down, Down + 2 Punch Buttons. The longer you hold it, the more levels you get. When you get hit, you’ll revert down one level. It’ll leave you vulnerable, so do it when you’re far away.
Check out his basic bread-and-butter combos below to get a hang of how he jives and fights.

You can also do a quick Presidential charge once you pull off a G-Style move (the dash punches, his V-Skill) by pressing 2 Punch Buttons at the end of these moves. This is pretty important because there will be a lot of times when your opponents will be closing in on you and you can’t get a Presidentiality level up manually.
Maintaining his Presidentiality levels is important in maximizing G’s combo and damage potential. He has 2-hit lows and high dash punches and he has a pretty damn good powered-up projectile that forces enemies to jump to you.
His cross-up jumping attack (Down+MP) is useful to start some mixups. Oh, and if you think he doesn’t have any anti-air conversions, think again. Back + HP is the way to start things off if your opponent is jump-savvy.

Anti-Air conversions as G. #SFVAE #GLab https://t.co/zxpDsUpgCZ pic.twitter.com/WIAC1eWq2G
— Alexander Rodionov (@SunMate_SFV) August 6, 2018

V-Trigger-wise, we’d stick with V-Trigger I for now. While his V-Trigger II has interesting combo potential and a one-hit armour grapple, having high Presidentiality levels out of nothing is a damn good power-up.
Bottom Line: This character might be the catalyst to make SFV great again. Among all the new characters on tap so far, G seems to be the most fun to play at the moment thanks to his levelling-up mechanic, his damage potential, and his getup.
Oh, and his theme song is kinda smooth.


Our Favourite Muslim Characters In Games

Article first published on 19 July, 2021.
It’s that time of the year again, as more than 1.5 billion Muslims around the world celebrate Eid Al-Fitr, or commonly known as Hari Raya in Malaysia/Indonesia. It marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan when Muslims fast for a period of one month.
To commemorate this occasion of blessings and happiness, let’s celebrate the representations of various Muslim characters in video games. While many Muslim characters in games tend to accentuate certain negative stereotypes, these are several that buck the trend and show that Muslims can be portrayed in a positive (or neutral) light.

Sanaa “Nomad” El-Maktoub – Rainbow Six Siege (PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Nomad, also known as Sanaa El Maktoub, is a skilled operator in Rainbow Six Siege who represents one of the best Muslim characters in video games. She comes from a wealthy Moroccan family and has travelled extensively, both for pleasure and in service of her country. Having enlisted in the military at a young age and trained with the legendary Fortress, she went on to serve with the Mountain Infantry Battalion and become an expert in environmental operations.
What sets Nomad apart is her ability to thrive in harsh and remote regions, something that she pursues on her own time through solo expeditions. She has trekked through rainforests, crossed the Sahara, climbed the Alps, and marched along the Arctic Circle, all while remaining in operational shape. Nomad is a perceptive and resourceful expert survivalist who even sketches out her trips in a notebook. She represents an excellent example of a Muslim character in video games who embodies strength, resilience, and resourcefulness.

Zara Ghufran – Battlefield 1 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Battlefield 1 was unique amongst most FPS titles in that it featured World War 1 as its primary setting, as well as a campaign that focused on different protagonists from various fronts of the war. One of those War Stories starred a female Muslim protagonist of Arab Bedouin ethnicity named Zara Ghufran, who participated in the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire.
The story was ground-breaking, portraying a strong female Muslim in a leading role. She works alongside T.E. Lawrence AKA Lawrence of Arabia (you know, from that classic 1962 movie). In the game, she’s instrumental in destroying the Armored Train Canavar and weakening the Ottoman’s foothold in Saudi Arabia.

Altair Ibn Al-Lahad – Assassin’s Creed (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

There have already been 11 mainline (and many spinoffs) Assassin’s Creed titles in the franchise so far. However, the star of the original 2007 game remains a fan-favourite, arguably second only to the more popular Ezio Auditore da Firenze.
Although Altair never explicitly professed to be Muslim in any of the games throughout the series, he was born to a Syrian-Muslim father and a Christian mother. It is highly likely that he would follow his father’s faith as is the usual custom during that time in history.
Altair was an Assassin who accomplished many feats, helping lead the Assassins Order to greater heights as Mentor and his Codex being extremely helpful to Ezio many years later in locating the Apple of Eden artifact.

Arbaaz Mir – Assassin’s Creed Chronicles India (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles India is one of three spinoff games in the franchise so far, each focusing on a unique time and place not explored in the mainline titles. In this case, we get a glimpse of what an assassin’s life is in India.
Arbaaz Mir is a Kashmiri Master Assassin of the Indian Brotherhood of Assassins in Amritsar, India. His family was one of many who were murdered by the invading Sikh Empire. He was responsible for bringing the Koh-i-Noor artifact into the possession of the Assassins.
He was also notable for being the only known Assassin who could wield a Hidden Blade capable of dividing itself into three separate blades.

Shaheen – Tekken 7 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Shaheen is a new fighter in the iconic fighting game franchise, having only been recently introduced in 2017’s Tekken 7. He hails from Saudi Arabia, wears the traditional Arab headwear keffiyeh and subscribes to the Military Fighting Style, a highly acrobatic technique that includes somersaults, slides, and kicks.
His name ‘Shaheen’ means ‘royal white Falcon or Hawk’. Before even featuring the character in the game, Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada asked Muslim players for feedback if they deemed Shaheen to be offensive in any way. He was received favourably but some called out the character for being too flashy and similar to Altair from the Assassin’s Creed franchise (see above).
Of course, that didn’t stop the Tekken community from labeling him as one of the game’s top tier characters, with good buttons and strings to keep the offensive pressure on a high. Just ask pros like Korea’s Lowhigh and The Philippines’ AK.

Rashid – Street Fighter V (PS4, PC)

Capcom also has its own Muslim fighting game character in Rashid, who (just like Tekken 7‘s Shaheen) is a relatively new character first appearing in 2016’s Street Fighter V. It is unknown from which Middle Eastern country he originates from, but he is very likely of Arab descent.
Rashid utilizes his own unique fighting style derived from parkour and his ability to control winds, combining acrobatic kicks with searing tornadoes. He also wears a traditional Arab keffiyeh, as well as a modern high-tech eyepiece on his left eye (due to his affinity for the latest technology).

He also has his own theme song that chants his name, and that is all kinds of awesome. We figured this is a fitting way to highlight one of Street Fighter V’s most over-powered characters used by pros like OilKing and Gachikun.

Saladin – Civilization Franchise (PC)

Saladin is one of the most celebrated figures in Islamic history, best known for his incredible chivalry and sense of honour displayed during the Crusades. He has been a mainstay faction character in the iconic strategy game franchise, appearing in 1996’s Civilization 2, 2005’s Civilization 4 and most recently, 2016’s Civilization 6.
In Civilization 6, Saladin leads the Arabian faction, with his leader bonus “Righteousness of the Faith” providing bonuses for Faith, Science, and Culture. He even speaks Arabic in the game.
Faris Jawad – Unearthed: Trail Of Ibn Battuta (PS3, PC, Android, iOS)
Hey, it’s Nathan Dra- oh.
This might be the weirdest and least-known game in this list. For all intents and purposes, Unearthed: Trail Of Ibn Battuta is essentially an unabashedly shameless clone of Naughty Dog’s infinitely better Uncharted franchise.
Developed by Saudia Arabian developer Semaphore, the first and only episode of the game to be released follows Arab fortune hunter Faris Jawad and his archaeologist sister Dania on the trail of the famous explorer Ibn Battuta.
Despite being almost universally panned by critics (including a 3/10 rating by IGN Middle East), the developer has since announced a sequel titled Al Rekaz, which will reportedly be developed with Unreal Engine 4.
The game is only RM12.50 on Steam, so grab it if you want a clunkily hilarious ripoff of Uncharted with broken mechanics and ridiculous story. It’s only worth it for the LOLs, though. Check out Dunkey’s ‘review’ of it below, if you don’t believe me.

Farah – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare [2019] (PC, Consoles)

“For Urzikstan!”
A sausagefest-filled game like Call of Duty really needed more of a diverse cast of badass soldiers that isn’t distinguishable by the length of their sideburns and mustaches. So it’s good to know that the rebooted Call of Duty: Modern Warfare game in 2019 has an ass-kicker in the form of Farah Ahmed Karim.
She had a rough war-torn childhood and had bad waterboarding experiences as a freedom fighter, but that didn’t stop her from being a dominant part of the new Modern Warfare’s action-charged storyline. Without her, Modern Warfare’s Captain Price and his team would have a helluva tough time with the game’s intense “black operation”.
Layla Hassan – Assassin’s Creed Origins/Odyssey/Valhalla (PC, Consoles)

Layla Hassan is a half-Egyptian woman who is good with computers and is a key person in running the AC Animus machine. You know, the major tech item needed to play the main characters in all the recent action-RPG AC games. She’s reluctant to being the game’s hero, but she takes up the mantle and cements her place as being important in the Brotherhood, taking control of her own cell within a year.
Without her, we won’t be able to see through the adventures of Bayek, Kassandra, and Eivor from start to finish. It’s also cool that she uses her Animus knowledge and skills, putting them to good news when she’s not jacked in.

Ana – Overwatch (PC, Consoles)

One of our favourite moms in video games also happens to be Muslim. Who knew?
Ana Amari, the mother of rocket queen Pharah, is a really awesome and versatile character in Overwatch’s roster, being able to heal and also give major support to her comrades by way of a Nano Boost ultimate to using “sleep darts” on her enemies. She’s quite the mother hen of the group she’s with, based on the dialogue that crops up before the start of the match.

Abia Nawazi – Huniepop 2 (PC)

Abia hails from a faraway country and escapes to Huniepop 2’s resort island to work in airport security because of the perks of the job. She’s a friendly and accommodating hijab-wearing character whom the main character can befriend.
She also has a very thorough hobby (which unfortunately becomes an addiction she’s attempting to curb) that gives her a lot of exercise, and is appreciative of the new friends she meets on the island. Despite the context of the game, Abia has the qualities of a good friend and wholesome woman.
There you have it, folks. These are just several of the Muslim characters that I know of. If we’ve missed any noteworthy characters, do comment below and tell us about your favourite Muslim characters in video games.
In the meantime, Selamat Hari Raya and Eid Mubarak to all our Muslim readers!