Road to Avengers Infinity War: Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 1 Recap

Avengers Infinity War will be releasing in Malaysian cinemas on 26th April 2018, which is a mere five weeks away. I will be recapping the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) from the very first movie until the most recent one.
In Part 1, I will focus on what was Marvel Studios’ Phase 1 of the MCU. Phase 1 started with Iron Man in 2008 and ended with the first Avengers movie in 2012, comprising a total of six movies.
1) Iron Man (2008)

Let’s begin with the one that started it all, the birth of the MCU. This was Marvel Studios’ debut movie and no one knew what to expect. When Iron Man released in 2008, it set the world on fire. I can go on and on about all this but let’s get straight to the recap.
Genius billionaire playboy and philanthropist Tony Stark created his Iron Man suit and returned to the US after being imprisoned by the Ten Rings terrorist organization. He then swears to stop manufacturing weapons but his father’s old partner and Stark Industries second-in-command Obadiah Stane advise Tony not to do so. It turns out that Stane has been supplying weapons to Ten Rings all along and now wants to claim Tony’s arc reactor. They fought and Stane died in the end. The movie ends with Tony confessing to the public that he’s Iron Man.
This movie is notable for being the first MCU movie to feature and later popularize the post-credits scene. Iron Man’s post-credits scene has SHIELD Director Nick Fury visit Stark, telling him that he’s not the only superhero out there. He also wants to discuss the Avengers Initiative. And thus the MCU officially begins!
2) The Incredible Hulk (2008)

The second movie in the MCU was The Incredible Hulk, which was also released in 2008. The events of thisÂ movie have now proven to be less significant to the MCU as a whole, due to Bruce Banner’s role recasting from Edward Norton in this movie to Mark Ruffalo in The Avengers movie, which functioned as a soft reboot for the character.
Nevertheless, I will still recap this movie’s events. It features Bruce Banner on the run from General Thunderbolt Ross, who is also the father of his girlfriend Betty. Five years later, Banner is discovered in Brazil, where General Ross sends special ops Emil Blonsky to hunt him down. However, Blonsky became injured in the fight against Hulk and later drank a serum which turns him into the Abomination. Hulk fights and beats him on the streets of Harlem.The Hulk / Bruce Banner then flees from New York and goes on the run again.
In The Incredible Hulk’s post-credits scene, it turns out that Bruce went to Canada and found a way to transform into the Hulk in a controlled manner. This is important for what will happen in The Avengers. In another scene, Tony Stark approaches General Ross at a bar and tells him that a team (The Avengers) is being assembled.
3) Iron Man 2 (2010)

The third movie in the MCU was Iron Man 2. This was the first movie in the MCU to truly feature other comic book characters and hint at what’s to come in the near future.
The villain in this movie, Ivan Vanko, wants revenge against Tony Stark for what Tony’s father Howard did to his father Anton Vanko. He builts an arc reactor similar to Iron Man’s and attacks him. He lost and wounds up in prison, where he is saved by Stark’s rival Justin Hammer, who wants Ivan to build suits of armor for him. Nick Fury reappears in this movie and reveals that Stark’s personal assistant is actually Natasha Romanoff AKA the Black Widow, an agent of SHIELD. Fury gives Stark something Howard left for him, which is actually an unfinished recipe for a new chemical element. This new element helps Tony overcome his blood poisoning problem. In the end, Tony defeats Ivan Vanko with the help of his friend Colonel James Rhodes who now possesses a heavily modified version of Stark’s Mark II armor.
In Iron Man 2’s post-credits scene, agent of SHIELD Phil Coulson discovers a hammer in a crater in New Mexico, which is actually Thor’s hammer Mjolnir.
4) Thor (2011)

The fourth movie in the MCU was Thor. It was significant since it introduced the mythology of the Asgardians and established that there was intelligent life beyond humanity. It was Marvel Studios’ biggest risk back then since non-comic book readers had no idea who Thor was unless they also had knowledge about Norse mythology.
The movie starts with Asgard preparing for Thor’s ascension to the throne after Odin steps down. However, the Frost Giants from Jotunheim crashed the coronation to steal the Casket of Ancient Winters in the Asgardian Vault. Thor stopped them and wanted revenge, so he gathered the Warriors Three and Loki to attack Jotunheim. Odin found out and punished Thor by banishing him to Earth and stripping him of his hammer Mjolnir. On Earth, Thor meets Jane Foster, Dr. Erik Selvig, and Phil Coulson. We’re even introduced to Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye in this movie. After Odin went into his hibernation (Odinsleep), it turns out that Loki was the one behind everything. He sent the Destroyer to Earth to kill Thor but Thor manages to prove himself worthy again and uses Mjolnir to destroy the Destroyer. He returns to Asgard to stop Loki’s plans but the Bifrost bridge connecting the Nine Realms are destroyed during the battle. The movie ends with Loki falling into the abyss between realms and Thor deciding he’s not ready to be king of Asgard yet.
In Thor’s post-credits scene, Dr. Erik Selvig is taken to a SHIELD facility where meets Nick Fury who asks him to study a cube-shaped object, which is actually the Tesseract, one of the Infinity Stones. It turns out that Loki somehow survived and is controlling Dr. Erik Selvig, prompting Selvig to agree to the task.
5) Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

The fifth movie in the MCU was Captain America The First Avenger. It introduced a superhero who is arguably Marvel’s second most iconic character of all time. (Sorry, folks. Spider-Man is still number one to me.) This movie is unique so far as it actually takes place before all the events of the previous movies, in the 1940s during World War 2.
The movie starts with Johann Schmidt AKA the Red Skull discovering the Tesseract. In 1942, Steve Rogers is a weak and frail young man who wants to serve his country and prove himself. He fails to qualify for the military but his friend James Buchanan ‘Bucky’ Barnes does. Dr. Abraham Erskine allows him to enter the military if he participates in the Super-Soldier program. After receiving the Super Soldier serum, Dr. Erskine was killed in an assassination attempt. It turns out that the Red Skull and Dr. Arnim Zola, in charge of a Nazi division named Hydra, is trying to harness the energies of the Tesseract. Steve Rogers receives his iconic shield Howard Stark, Tony’s father. Rogers and Bucky manage to capture Zola but Bucky dies when he fell off the train. In the final battle, Captain America tries to stop the Red Skull from unleashing a weapon of mass destruction against major cities and is presumed to be dead when the aircraft he commandeered fell into frozen waters. The Tesseract is recovered from the ocean.Â Steve Rogers wakes up in a 1940s-style hospital room but deduces that something is wrong due to the radio broadcast being from a different year than his. He breaks out of the room and finds himself in Times Square, New York in present time. Nick Fury tells him that he’s been frozen in ice for the past 70 years.
In Captain America The First Avenger’s post-credits scene, Nick Fury approaches Rogers training in the gym and asks him to join a mission that will save the world.
6) The Avengers (2012)

The sixth and final movie in Phase 1 of the MCU was the culmination of everything that came before. Back in 2012, this was the first time that anyone has ever witnessed anything like this. It was revolutionary and was arguably the biggest comic book movie of all time when it released.
The Avengers begins when Loki meets The Other, who gives Loki an army of Chitauri in exchange for locating the Tesseract. Loki interrupts the evacuation of the Tesseract at a secluded SHIELD facility where Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Phil Coulson, Dr. Erik Selvig and Hawkeye are. Loki takes the Tesseract and takes control of the minds of a bunch of people including Hawkeye. In response, Nick Fury reactivates the Avengers Initiative and sents the Balck Widow and Agent Coulson to recruit Bruce Banner AKA the Hulk and Iron Man. ick Fury himself recruits Captain America. When the Avengers capture Loki in Germany, Thor arrives from Asgard and confronts both Captain America and Iron Man. Thor then agrees to accompany them back to the helicarrier with Loki, where it turns out that it was Loki’s plan all along to get captured. Hawkeye, still under Loki’s control, attacks the helicarrier while Loki causes the Hulk to emerge enraged. Chaos ensues and Phil Coulson dies during the battle. The Avengers vow to avenge him and gets the chance to do so when Loki opens a wormhole in New York City to begin the invasion by the Chitauri army. They manage to beat Loki when Iron Man redirects the nuclear missile launched by the World Security Council into the wormhole, thereby destroying the mother ship and causing the army to shut down. The movie ends with Thor taking both Loki and the Tesseract back to Asgard while Fury says that the Avengers will always be here when the world needs them.
In The Avenger’s mid-credits scene, the Other tells his master about what happened on Earth with the Loki, the Tesseract, and the Avengers. His master is Thanos, the main villain in Avengers Infinity War. In the post-credits scene, the Avengers eat shawarma at a restaurant.
All right, folks, That’s all for Phase 1 of the MCU. We’ll return soon with the recap for Phase 2 of the MCU. We’re going to make sure everyone’s up to snuff before Avengers Infinity War arrives next month. If you want to know more about where the Infinity Stones are right now, read my article here.


Google To Launch First Stadia Games Studio In Canada

Google has announced that it will be opening its first Google Stadia exclusive first-party games studio/developer in Montreal, Canada. This was revealed via a blog post from Google Stadia Games & Entertainment VP and Head Jade Raymond.
What exactly will this Google Stadia game studio be responsible for?
According to Raymond, the first Stadia games studio will “produce exclusive, original content across a diverse portfolio of games in all your favourite genres”, which translates to the development of first-party exclusive games for the platform. However, this is just the beginning of their aggressive expansion.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Raymond said that the Stadia games studio in Montreal will only be the first of many. While boasting about how Google Stadia’s cloud gaming is superior to conventional gaming, she clarified that “it may be several years” before we’re going to see “a huge new IP that’s going to fully leverage the cloud”.
She also said that they already have “quite a few exclusive games in the works that will demonstrate some of the exciting things about the platform all along the path”. Despite all the promises and hope, how long are gamers actually willing to wait for these exclusive Stadia games to release?
By the time these oh-so-incredible Stadia exclusives releases in a few years, everyone will have already moved on to the next generation of gaming and forgotten about Google Stadia, just like what eventually happened to motion control gaming (PS Move, Xbox Kinect) and VR gaming (PS VR, etc.).
Google Stadia is slated to launch on 19 November 2019. For the list of games that you’re getting with Google Stadia at launch, head on over here.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwb6d2wK3Qw&w=560&h=315]


Apple Wins Legal Battle Against Epic Games

Apple Inc. has won an appeal court ruling which upholds the App Store’s policies in an antitrust challenge brought by Epic Games Inc.
The ruling was passed on Monday by the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals which affirmed a lower-court judge’s 2021 decision largely rejecting claims by Epic. Epic Games Inc is known to be the maker of Fortnite. Epic claimed that Apple’s online marketplace policies violated federal law because they ban third-party app marketplaces on its operating system. The appeals panel upheld the judge’s ruling in Epic’s favor on California state law claims.
Apple Inc. has been making changes to the way its App Store operates to address developers concerns since Epig sued the company in 2020. The dispute originally began after Apple expelled the Fortnite game from the App Store because Epic created a workaround to paying a 30% fee on customers’ in-app purchases.
“There is a lively and important debate about the role played in our economy and democracy by online transaction platforms with market power. Our job as a federal court of appeals, however, is not to resolve that debate — nor could we even attempt to do so. Instead, in this decision, we faithfully applied existing precedent to the facts.” – the three-judge panel said.
Apple hailed the outcome as a “resounding victory,” as nine out of 10 claims were actually decided in its favor.
“The App Store continues to promote competition, drive innovation, and expand opportunity, and we’re proud of its profound contributions to both users and developers around the world. We respectfully disagree with the court’s ruling on the one remaining claim under state law and are considering further review. Fortunately, the court’s positive decision rejecting Apple’s anti-steering provisions frees iOS developers to send consumers to the web to do business with them directly there. We’re working on next steps.”  – Epic Chief Executive Officer Tim Sweeney
In September 2021, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers concluded that Apple’s policies were to prevent consumers from getting cheaper prices, but rejected Epic’s claims that the App Store is run like a monopoly in violation of federal antitrust law. This was then followed by a three-week trial in Oakland, California. Rogers had ordered the technology giant to allow developers of mobile applications steer consumers to outside payment methods, granting an injunction sought by Epic. The judge, however, did not see any need for third-party app stores or to push Apple to revamp policies over app developer fees.
The appeals court said the lower court had “erred” in defining the appropriate antitrust market but concluded that was “harmless” and Epic failed to “show its proposed market definition and the existence of any substantially less restrictive alternative means for Apple to accomplish the procompetitive justifications supporting iOS’s walled garden ecosystem.”
One appeals court judge dissented from that part of the ruling, saying the case should go back to Rogers to re-analyze it using the relevant market.
“Unless the correct relevant market is identified, one cannot properly assess anticompetitive effects, procompetitive justifications, and the satisfaction of procompetitive justifications through less anticompetitive means.”  – US Circuit Judge Sidney Thomas.
The appeals court gave a strong nod to Apple’s argument that it needs to closely police the applications that run on its ubiquitous phones to protect users against fraudsters, hackers, malware and spyware.
“Apple makes clear that by improving security and privacy features, it is tapping into consumer demand and differentiating its products from those of its competitors — goals that are plainly procompetitive rationales.” –  the panel.
The panel said it agreed with the finding by Rogers that Epic was “injured” under California’s competition laws due to Apple’s previous policy that stopped app developers from steering users to outside payment methods. It directed Rogers to revisit her ruling that Epic didn’t owe Apple fees it paid attorneys.
Before Rogers even made his ruling, Apple was already making changes to how the App Store operates to mitigate developer concerns.
One was to allow developers to “steer” consumers — in some scenarios — to make payments for subscription apps outside of Apple’s own payment system. This means that so-called ”Reader apps,” which encompass apps and services for digital newspapers and magazines, books, audio streaming and video watching, can point users to the web with a button to complete their sign-up.
That basically addressed a core issue within Epic’s lawsuit against Apple, however the current Apple policy doesn’t apply to gaming apps. Epic’s software, including its hit game Fortnite, still remains off of the App Store and Apple devices, but Sweeney has hinted at a return to the platform in 2023.
US and European authorities have taken steps to rein in Apple’s stronghold over the mobile market. In response to the Digital Markets Act — a new series of laws in the European Union — Apple is planning to allow outside apps as early as next year as part of an update to the upcoming iOS 17 software update, Bloomberg News has reported.
All throughout the changing legal landscape, Apple also plans to let users more easily change default settings, allow alternative web browsing engines, and open up more of its in-house features, such as Camera or Find My apps, to third-party developers.
Epic has made similar allegations about anticompetitive conduct in a lawsuit against Google over its Google Play store. The Alphabet Inc. unit has denied wrongdoing.
The case is Epic Games Inc. v. Apple Inc., 21-16695, US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (San Francisco).


Call Of Duty Mobile World Championship 2021 Garena Region Qualifier Kicks Off This Week

Call Of Duty Mobileâ€™s most exciting esports tournament this year – Call Of Duty Mobile World Championship 2021 Presented by Sony – Garena Region Qualifier commences this week.
To compete for a chance to win a share of the more than US$2,000,000 total prize pool and the world champion title, teams from qualifiers all over the world are now in full swing. The Garena Region Qualifier will start next week and upon registering, players will receive the Epic in-game reward â€œ2021 Competitor Frameâ€.
By participating in different stages, from the Solo/Team stage to the Local Qualifier, players will stand a chance to win more Epic Operators, Blueprints, Charm, and the cash prize pool. Prepare for the global stage and let your story begin.
Sonyâ€™s newest flagship smartphone, Xperia 1 III, will be the official mobile device of the World Championship and Garena Region Qualifier. Players can compete on the highest level with a 120FPS gaming experience provided by Xperia 1 III.
For more information about Sonyâ€™s Xperia 1 III, visit the official website here.
Becoming A Garena Region Representative
To stand a chance to represent your region, players can sign up in the Call Of Duty Mobile – Garena app. Open the app and look for the World Championship 2021 banner in the lobby. Sign up there from next Monday (5 July 2021) for a chance for you and your teammates to become the representative team.
Stage 1 – SOLO PLAY (8 July, Thur – 24 July, Sat)
Players that score 60 points in their 10 qualifying ranked matches during Stage 1 from 8 July 8 to 24 July will earn their spot in Stage 2. The 60 points can be earned during any of the eligible weekends to advance to Stage 2: Team Play.
Stage 2 – TEAM PLAY (29 July, Thur – 8 August, Sunday)
All eligible players who have earned 60 points during one of the eligible weekends of Stage 1 will qualify for Stage 2. It is up to each eligible player to create or join a team of 5 or 6 players who have qualified for Stage 2. Please note that this will be your team for the entire of Stage 2, so choose carefully!
Your team will then play up to 30 Ranked matches, and each win will yield points based on your team’s average player rank. As a team, place in the top 8 to advance to Stage 3.
Stage 3 – SINGAPORE CHAMPIONSHIP (August)
The top 8 teams from Stage 2 will be eligible to join the local qualifier. All qualified teams will compete in a Double Elimination Best-of-5 format. The champion and first runner-up will represent Singapore in the Garena Region Playoffs. The Singapore Championship will take place from 13 – 15 August 2021.
Stage 4 – GARENA REGION PLAYOFFS (September – October)
The top 2 teams from each of the 6 local qualifiers (Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan region, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) will join the Garena Region Playoffs to compete for the spot to become the only representative of Garena Region in the World Championship 2021. More information about Garena Region Playoffs will be announced later.
In addition to the cash prize pool, players can earn an Epic blueprint each week during Stage 1: Solo Play and Stage 2: Team Play. You can also earn Epic Operators designed in collaboration with global influencers Hawksnest, iFerg and Bobby Plays when you sign up and play 10 ranked matches during all weekends in Stage 1 and 30 ranked matches in Stage 2 with your team.
Rewards –

Stage 1 – SOLO PLAY

Frame – 2021 Competitor

M4LMG – Playmaker

QXR – Playmaker

M16 – Playmaker

RUS-79U – Playmaker

Manta Ray – 2021 MVP

Stage 2 – TEAM PLAY

Locus – Playmaker

AS VAL – Playmaker

Merc 5 – 2021 Champ

1000CP

You can visit their social media platforms below:

Facebook
Instagram
Youtube


The Last Dance Is A Swansong Story Of Legends For Basketball Fans

Basketball has never been as big in Malaysia or Southeast Asia (with the probable exception of the Philippines) compared to the US or other regions. People here are all about football, football, and football, as well as perhaps a bit of badminton. At least, that’s what I think as someone who’s not exactly into professional sports.
Despite all that, I was still a 90s/00s kid, so I knew about the basketball legend and superstar that is Michael Jordan. He was the equivalent of football’s David Beckham, recognisable even by anyone who doesn’t follow a lick of sports.

The point is, I went into The Last Dance, a sports documentary Netflix/ESPN co-production miniseries about Michael Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls in 1997/1998, knowing almost nothing else about the legendary sportsman other than what I learnt watching 1996’s Space Jam movie.

Living Legend

What makes The Last Dance unique is that it features never-before-seen footage captured by a crew that had an all-access pass to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls during the 1997/1998 National Basketball Association (NBA) season. It stayed hidden for almost two decades, before being compiled by director Jason Hehir into a docu-series.
The appeal of every sports documentary or movie is the drama and inspirations behind the sport, as well as the thrill of the ups and downs experienced by these larger-than-life athletes. They’re a look into the human spirit and psyche, to break the limit of what any human being can accomplish.
It’s decidedly exciting and adrenaline-pumping content, even for non-sports fans like me. The best of these sports documentaries or movies can still do all that and be entertaining, even if you know nothing about the sport that’s at the heart of the story.

The question now is whether The Last Dance is capable of that? Yes and no, I’d say, judging from the four out of ten episodes that I’ve been provided by Netflix.
The Last Dance likely won’t convert new basketball fans, but it still manages to be occasionally and provide an introspective into the world of pro basketball in the late 90s.

Even A Legend Needs A Team

While The Last Dance mostly focuses on Michael Jordan himself, it is actually meant to provide insight on other fellow teammates from the 1997/1998 Chicago Bulls and even several of the coaches/managers. These include the likes of general manager Jerry Krause, coach Phil Jackson, as well as players Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.
In The Last Dance, we get to see the uneasy relationship between general manager Jerry Krause with some of the players, especially when some of the stuff he says or does offends the very athletes that he’s supposed to be managing.

We learn what motivated Scottie Pippen’s unsatisfaction with his below-market salary, despite being one of the best basketball players at the time and second only to Michael Jordan.
There’s also Dennis Rodman, the resident bad boy who invites conflict and drama just from being eccentric and flaunting his uncaring attitude.

To be frank, I didn’t even know any of these people prior to watching The Last Dance, but thanks to this docu-series, now I do. I’m not saying that a form of entertainment has to always be educating in nature, but documentaries often are, just like this one.
I felt really invested when the series explored the motivations and origins of each player, like Michael Jordan’s competitive childhood to get approval from his own dad, or Dennis Rodman’s struggle with the public perception’s of his eccentricity. These athletes were the stars and right so, with their own unique stories and personalities.

I also loved learning the fact that the Chicago Bull’s rival team, the Detroit Pistons, had a specific strategy as a countermeasure against Michael Jordan.
It was even named the Jordan Rule after the very player it was made to overcome.
That alone tells me how badass and legendary Michael Jordan was, and still is.

What I don’t love is all the stuff with the general managers and coaches, which dragged on and on. It was more akin to reports you could read in newspapers, and I didn’t care enough about these people (who aren’t the basketball players or athletes) to keep my attention on their stories. These sections were boring and uninteresting, unless you were already a basketball fan to begin with.
Shooting Hoops

I truly have no idea if there’s enough material to sustain and justify ten episodes of The Last Dance, but the signs are there that the docu-series is padding itself for additional content. Two episodes of The Last Dance will drop every Monday starting from 20 April 2020 on Netflix, but I don’t see much reason to personally continue watching.
The Last Dance is not the most compelling documentary, nor is it the most entertaining in any way (visually or in terms of content), but true basketball fans will probably be able to appreciate it more than I do.
I’ll leave you with the most memorable quote from the documentary, from Boston Celtic player Larry Bird (against whom Michael Jordan achieved his historic and record-breaking 63 points in a playoff match). Bird described Jordan as:

â€œItâ€™s just God disguised as Michael Jordanâ€.

Final Score: 50/100


Atlus To Host 13 Sentinels & Vanillaware Games Orchestra Concert

During the 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim 3rd anniversary livestream, Vanillaware and Atlus have announced an upcoming music event featuring the game’s music.
The 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim orchestra concert will be held on 7th January 2023 in the Katsushika Symphony Hills, Mozart Hall. The concert will feature over 20 songs from the game, as well as tracks from other Vanillaware games like Odin Sphere and Dragon Crown.
The event details are below:

Date: January 7, 2023
Time:

Daytime Performance: Doors open at 14:00 JST / Starts at 15:00 JST
Evening Performance: Doors open at 18:00 JST / Starts at 19:00 JST

Location: Katsushika Symphony Hills, Mozart Hall
Concert:

Part 1: Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
Part 2: Dragon’s Crown Pro
Part 3: 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

Performers:

Conductor: Kenichi Shimura
Performance: Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra
Host: Tomomi Isomura

More information, along with ticket sales and lottery info, can be found here.


Ubisoft Connect Will Combine Uplay & Ubisoft Club Rewards

Ubisoft has announced Ubisoft Connect, a new player service that combines their two existing digital services: Uplay and Ubisoft Club. Players will be able to track their progress in any Ubisoft game while earning exclusive rewards through its loyalty program.
Ubisoft Connect is described as a new â€œuniversal interfaceâ€ and ecosystem of services that will be available on all platforms.
It will work with all Ubisoft games starting with the upcoming Watch Dogs: Legion, which launches on 29 October 2020, the same day as the launch of Ubisoft Connect.
All subsequent Ubisoft live games and new releases will support Ubisoft Connect services and loyalty program. This includes cross-platform features like full cross-progression, cross-platform friends list, and stats, and leaderboards.
Players will be able to track their activity, see which friends are online, and check in on a gameâ€™s community. Ubisoft Connect will also provide Smart Intel, which is a feature that delivers gameplay tips and videos based on a playerâ€™s game activities.
In addition, there will also be a points-based rewards service where players can tackle time-limited and community challenges to earn rewards, and then exchange the earned points for exclusive digital goods. These include digital cosmetics like skins or weapons.
At launch, Ubisoft Connect will unlock 1,000 legacy Ubisoft Club rewards for free to all players. Ubisoft Connect will be available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S. PS4, PS5, and the Nintendo Switch on 29 October 2020.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


id Software Has Parted Ways With Doom Eternal Composer Mick Gordon

After many weeks of silence, id Software has addressed the controversy surrounding the dubious quality of the official soundtrack release of Doom Eternal. What’s damning is that the original composer Mick Gordon made some comments about it himself, saying that the mixing is subpar.

Here's a comparison between the original BFG Division from  Doom 2016's official soundtrack (left) vs. the BFG 2020 remix on Eternal's soundtrack from today (right).
Notice how the wavelengths in BFG 2020 form a nearly perfectly straight bar vs. the original with more definition pic.twitter.com/TCJRdOe1Yf
— Doominal Crossing Got a Direct, But At What Cost? (@DoominalCross) April 19, 2020

I didn't mix those and wouldn't have done that.  You'll be able to spot the small handful of tracks I mixed (Meathook, Command and Control, etc…)
— Mick Gordon (@Mick_Gordon) April 19, 2020

 I commented about it yesterday. I turned I’d break the news here. This is a dark day for our beloved franchise from      Doom

Sadly, the worst has happened: Mick Gordon will not be returning to work on the music for Doom Eternal’s DLC. Though to be fair, Doom Eternal executive producer Marty Stratton addressed this issue in a Doom subreddit via an open letter:

“Some have suggested that we’ve been careless with or disrespectful of the game music. Others have speculated that [Gordon] wasn’t given the time or creative freedom to deliver something different or better. The fact is – none of that is true.
What has become unacceptable to me are the direct and personal attacks on our lead audio designer – particularly considering his outstanding contributions to the game – as well as the damage this mischaracterisation is doing to the many talented people who have contributed to the game and continue to support it.”

He went on stating that the two parties -Gordon and id’s lead audio designer Chad Mossholder- have struggled to connect on some production-related realities of development. “Communication around those issues have eroded trust. For id, this has created an unsustainable pattern of project uncertainty and risk.”
The Plot Thickens
This is followed up with a detailed breakdown of events leading up to the OST’s release and the original agreement with Gordon, alongside an additional six-week extension to the deadline at the composer’s request. Even with that, Stratton said that he became “increasingly concerned about [Gordon] delivering the OST on time”. He asked id’s lead audio designer to mix tracks as a back-up plan.
Keep in mind that the internal mix was created using music fragments pre-compressed by Gordon for use in-game and not the original source material.Â When Stratton received the nine mixes, he was unhappy that the majority of the tracks were “ambient in nature” and only one featured “heavy-combat” elements. This, in turn, wouldn’t “meet the expectations” of fans. Due to this, both parties had to combine Gordon’s tracks with the lead audio designer’s internal efforts.
Stratton also added that following criticism of the released OST and Gordon’s subsequent comments, id Software reached out to the composer” to understand what prompted his online posts”. Gordon outlined a lot of concerns like edits to certain tracks, the nature of the music fragments used by id, and issues of being connected to a co-composer credit.
“I’m as disappointed as anyone that we’re at this point,” said Stratton. “[B]ut as we have many times before, we will adapt to changing circumstances and pursue the most unique and talented artists in the industry with whom to collaborate.

“Our team has enjoyed this creative collaboration a great deal and we know Mick will continue to delight fans for many years ahead.”

As someone who is privy to a LOT of stories of creatives “stringing” publishers along for delays, this is pretty bad. No matter how big you are, deadlines are deadlines. Especially when they’re outlined clear as day on your contract. Let’s hope this isn’t a recurring case because Mick Gordon is an awesome music maker & composer.


The Menu Is Dark & Funny On-The-Nose Foodie Satire

Sometimes, you wonder how rich folks enjoy a dining experience like Diner en Blanc or going to a top-notch sushi place with a half-a-year waiting list. Or wonder how certain food critics can get away with churning out too many synonyms for “delicious” and “tasty” without having their faces so far up their asses. Sometimes you even think how people could really fork out a US$1,000 per head for a regular dinner that isn’t going to fill you up properly; a style over substance thing.
The Menu, a new film from director Mark Mylod, is the perfect meal for those looking for a bit of sting in their black comedy and horror hybrid viewing, especially about the things I brought up earlier. The film is about a young couple who travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant with a unique menu. Of course, what they end up experiencing are a bunch of surprises they and the other patrons will never forget.

Apart from said couple -Anya Taylor-Joy as Margot and Nicholas Hoult as Tyler the foodie fanboy- we have Janet McTeer as food critic Lillian, John Leguizamo as a movie star and Aimee Carrero as his date Felicity, a trio of venture capitalist bros led by Rob Yang’s Bryce, and a loyal dining couple played by Judith Light and Reed Birney. The eccentric Chef Slowik is played by none other than Ralph Fiennes, and he basically steals the show with his mannerisms, his food presentations, and the whole dining experience and theatrics that goes from pretentious to panic-inducing. And you won’t feel bad at the misdeeds being inflicted on most of the patrons, as they represent the worst of high society.
Going up against Slowik is Margot, perhaps the only level-headed person in the restaurant, calling the place the “basecamp of mount bullshit”, though her presence does irritate the chef, leading to the two of them at verbal blows all the way to the end of the film’s messed-up finale. Having said that, the rest of the cast is just there as dressing and side orders to justify the machinations laid onto them in the multiple-course meal, from John Leguizamo’s to the dudebro trio.
Sure, you can see some of the show’s plotting a mile away, but how it’s delivered and presented matters. Mark Mylod does a great job at unravelling, even if some of the late-show revelations happen without much explanation or build-up. The Menu is not quite a Michelin, but it’s pretty close all things considered.
Final Score: 80/100


Star Wars Visions Volume 2 Voice Cast For The English Dub

It’s been a long time coming, but Star Wars has finally gone anime. It took more than four decades but considering that the roots of Star Wars owe themselves essentially a lot of Japanese and other Asian elements. This time a total of seven different has been given the reins to bring their unique talent and perspective to the first season of Star Wars Visions, an anthology animated series.
The shorts included in Star Wars Visions Volume 2 were created by the following international animation studios: El Guiri (Spain), Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Punkrobot (Chile), Aardman (United Kingdom), Studio Mir (South Korea) Studio La Cachette (France), 88 Pictures (India), D’art Shtajio (Japan), and Triggerfish (South Africa). D’Art Shtajio’s short was created in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd. (United States).
Check out our review here.
TITLE: “SITH”

Studio: El Guiri
Writer-director: Rodrigo Blaas
Rodrigo Blaas is an Emmy Award®-winning director who has spent more than 20 years in animation. After co-founding Stromboli Animation in 1997, Blaas joined Blue Sky Studios in 2000, working on the feature film Ice Age, before transitioning to Pixar Animation Studios. There, he worked on such projects as Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), and Wall-E (2008) and on the Oscar®-nominated short film La Luna (2011). More recently, Blaas partnered with Guillermo del Toro to develop the award-winning series Trollhunters, served as creative director for Mikros Animation Paris and, in 2021, created El Guiri Studios in Madrid with his partner, Cecile Hokes. He also wrote and directed 2009’s award-winning short film Alma.
A former Sith apprentice, leading a peaceful, but isolated life, is confronted by the past when her old master tracks her down.
ÚRSULA CORBERÓ as Lola
LUIS TOSAR as Sith Master

TITLE: “SCREECHER’S REACH”

Studio: Cartoon Saloon
Director: Paul Young
Paul Young is a co-founder of Cartoon Saloon, an IFTA winner and Oscar®, Emmy® and BAFTA nominee. He produced the animated features My Father’s Dragon, WolfWalkers, The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, and The Breadwinner as well as award-winning TV series including Puffin Rock, Dorg Van Dango, and Viking Skool.
A young girl, seeking reprieve from her days in a rural workhouse, discovers a legendary haunted cave with her friends. The cave’s dark pull will change the trajectory of her life forever.
EVA WHITTAKER as Daal
ALEX CONNOLLY as Baython
NOAH RAFFERTY as Quinn
MOLLY MCCANN as Keena
ANJELICA HUSTON as Sith Mother
NIAMH MOYLES as Ghost

TITLE: “IN THE STARS”

Studio: Punkrobot
Writer-director: Gabriel Osorio
Gabriel Osorio majored in Fine Arts at Universidad de Chile, later specializing in 3D animation. After working in commercials, movies and television series, he founded Punkrobot Studio. Since 2008, he has directed projects for children’s television including Flipos, Muelin y Perlita, Soccer Girls, and television spots. In 2016, his short film Bear Story became the first Latin American project to win an Oscar® in the animated short category.
Two sisters, the last of their kind who live in hiding on their ravaged land, squabble about how to survive with the Empire encroaching. On a water run, the sisters must fight back when they are discovered.
VALENTINA MUHR as Koten
JULIA OVIEDO as Tichina
KATE DICKIE as Officer
AMPARO NOGUERA as Officer

TITLE: “I AM YOUR MOTHER”

Studio: Aardman
Director: Magdalena Osinska
Magdalena Osinska is an award-winning director who has been with Aardman for eight years. She has directed stop-motion, CGI, 2D and live-action commercials including Wallace & Gromit’s “The Great Sofa Caper” and “Share the Orange.” Osinska directed development of the children’s series Joyets and has also directed films including Spirits of the Piano and Zbigniev’s Cupboard. A graduate of the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, UK, as well as the Polish Film School in Lodz and Art College in Warsaw, Osinska is currently developing the feature film Jasia, based on her grandmother’s memories of WWII Poland.
Young pilot Anni, who is embarrassed by her sweet, but clingy mum, must team with her for a madcap family race at the academy. Along the way, their relationship is tested by the elements, their old ship, other racers…and each other!
MAXINE PEAKE as Kalina Kalfus
CHARITHRA CHANDRAN as Annisoukaline Kalfus
DAISY HAGGARD as Dorota Van Reeple
BEBE CAVE as Julan Van Reeple
DENIS LAWSON as Wedge Antilles

TITLE: “JOURNEY TO THE DARK HEAD”

Studio: Studio Mir
Director: Hyeong Geun Park
Rising star Hyeong Geun Park had already made a name for himself when he entered the Korean animation industry in 2017, thanks to his strong drawing and animation sensibilities. He has directed animation for dozens of cinematic game trailers and has since expanded into animated series, working on projects including Dota: Dragon’s Blood: Book 3 (2022) and Lookism (2022). Journey to the Dark Head is the first title he has executive produced from start to finish.
A hopeful mechanic and disillusioned young Jedi team up for a risky and unlikely quest to turn the tide of the galactic war, but dark forces tail them.
ASHLEY PARK as Ara / Young Ara
EUGENE LEE YANG as Toul
DANIEL DAE KIM as Bichan
ALBERT KONG as Interpreter / Jedi Master A
GREG CHUN as Shopkeeper / Master Leesagum / Training Partner / Padawan
JONELLA LANDRY as Master Duta
JUDY ALICE LEE as Master Moru / Another Jedi

TITLE: “THE SPY DANCER”

Studio: Studio La Cachette
Writer-director: Julien Chheng
Julien Chheng is CEO of Studio La Cachette, an Emmy Award®-winning French animation studio he co-founded in 2014 with fellow Gobelins school’s alumni Oussama Bouacheria and Ulysse Malassagne. Chheng was trained in visual development at Disney and has worked as a character animator on acclaimed 2D animated features The Rabbi’s Cat, Mune, and the Academy Award®-nominated Ernest and Celestine. In 2021, he won an Emmy Award® as animation executive producer of Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal, for which he also served as animation supervisor. In 2022, Chheng directed with Jean-Christophe Roger the Cesar-nominated feature Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia.
The premier dancer at a famous, Imperial-frequented cabaret uses her unique skill-set to spy for the Rebellion, but the presence of a mysterious officer threatens to derail her mission.
CAMILLE COTTIN as Loi’e
LAMBERT WILSON as Jon
KAYCIE CHASE as Hétis
RUDI-JAMES JEPHCOTT as The Officer
BARBARA WEBER-SCAFF as Mee’ma & Additional Voices
BRUCE SHERFIELD as Additional Voices
TAYLOR GASMAN as Additional Voices

TITLE: “THE BANDITS OF GOLAK”

Studio: 88 Pictures
Director: Ishan Shukla
Ishan Shukla started his career as a CG artist in Singapore. For more than a decade, he spearheaded projects ranging from TV commercials to series and music videos. His 2016 animated short, “Schirkoa,” was long listed for the Academy Awards® after receiving dozens of awards and playing at 120 international festivals, including SIGGRAPH Asia where it was named Best in Show. He then set up his own animation studio to work on adult-oriented animated feature films including a feature-length version of Schirkoa, set to hit festivals in summer 2023.
Fleeing from their village by train and pursued by ferocious Imperial forces, a boy and his force-sensitive younger sister seek refuge in a vibrant and dangerous dhaba.
SURAJ SHARMA as Charuk
SONAL KAUSHAL as Rani
NEERAJ KABI as Inquisitor
LILLETE DUBEY as Rugal
SAHIL VAID as Maghadi and Scavenger RICHARD JOEL as Scavenger SUMANTO RAY as Conductor, Jangori Leader and Dhoona
RAJEEV RAJ as Helper
AVIRAL KUMAR as Stormtrooper
ISH THAKKAR as Stormtrooper and Alien AADITYA SHARMA as Stormtrooper and Alien
SHIVANI DARBARI as Crowd

TITLE: “THE PIT”

Studios: D’art Shtajio and Lucasfilm Ltd.
Writer-director-executive producer: LeAndre Thomas
Co-director: Justin Ridge
LeAndre Thomas is an award-winning writer and director from Oakland, Calif., whose most recent film won Best Director at the Pasadena International Film Festival. In addition to his independent films, Thomas is a part of the franchise studio team at Lucasfilm Ltd. where he has worked for more than 11 years being credited on recent titles such as Light & Magic, The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, and many more.
Justin Ridge executive produced the Emmy®-nominated series Star Wars Resistance. His credits also include Star Wars Rebels, Storks, The Cleveland Show, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Avatar: The Last Airbender.
A fearless young prisoner, forced to dig for kyber by the Empire, plans a risky escape for he and his people.
DAVEED DIGGS as Crux
ANIKA NONI ROSE as Eureka / Mother
JORDYN CURET as Livy
CEDRIC YARBROUGH as Old Prisoner
STEVE BLUM as Commander
MATTHEW WOOD as Stormtroopers

TITLE: “AAU’S SONG”

Studio: Triggerfish
Writer-directors: Nadia Darries and Daniel Clarke
Nadia Darries is a director, animator and co-founder of Goon Valley Animation, with an avocation for songwriting. Born in the Cape Flats in South Africa, Darries has worked on high-end animated film and motion design as an animator, project manager, creative director and director since 2015. Her experience includes animating at Triggerfish Animation Studios on the award-winning BBC films Stick Man, Revolting Rhymes, and Highway Rat.
Daniel Clarke is a Cape Town-based director and artist working in animation, film and illustration. He started his career in animation in 2008 at Triggerfish Animation Studios, where he has served as production designer, art director and director on projects such as the feature film Khumba, BBC’s Stick Man, and The Snail and the Whale. In 2018, along with James Clarke and Daniel Snaddon, he completed the graphic novel Kariba.
In Season 1, seven different has been given the reins to bring their unique talent and perspective to the anthology series. These included Kamikaze Douga, Geno Studio (Twin Engine), Studio Colorido (Twin Engine), TRIGGER, Kinema Citrus, Science Saru, and Production I.G.
An alien child who longs to sing is raised by her loving, but stern father to stay quiet because of the calamitous effect her voice has on the crystals in the nearby mines.
MPILO JANTJIE as Aau (dialogue)
DINEO DU TOIT as Aau (singing)
TUMISHO MASHA as Abat
CYNTHIA ERIVO as Kratu
FAITH BALOYI as Attu

Check out the trailer below:


Immortal: And The Death That Follows Is An Upcoming Roguelike Beat-Em-Up Made From Fallen Parts

A while back, we covered a game called Aeon Must Die, an awesome-looking RPG beat-em-up hybrid that was cancelled due to bad management. The designers and programmers from that former studio formed a new company called Mishura Games and recently announced a brand-new title.
The new game is called Immortal: And The Death That Follows, a slick-looking side-scrolling beat-em-up with roguelike elements. You play as Fudo, the ex-King of Wisdom who wishes to redeem himself by reuniting the Asuras and escape the Titan Realm. To do this, he needs to beat up a ton of corrupted souls standing in your way.
Fudo himself looks similar to the anti-hero in the Aeon Must Die trailer, though the game’s aesthetics are now a fusion between Buddhist aesthetics and steampunk. The game’s features are as such:

Battle on top of outrageous vehicles as they speed down a highway in gameplay that is equal partsÂ MarioÂ andÂ Mortal Kombat.
Stave off hordes of enemies in free-flow combat or engage in intense duels.
Choose what happens to your enemies as they evolve and level up with you.
Create a new move set and playstyle every time you play.
Engage in an esoteric tug of war with your inner demon while carving your way through the social ladder of an interdimensional prison for demigods.
All supported by unique eye-popping visuals, over-the-top animation and a rocking instrumental soundtrack.

Immortal: And The Death That Follows will be out for PC, Xbox Series, PS5, and Nintendo Switch in 2025, with Early Access for PC coming in 2023. A demo is planned for 2022.


The Boys Season 3 Assembles This June

Amazon Prime has announced that The Boys Season 3 will premiere with its first three episodes on 3 June 2022. Subsequent episodes will release on a weekly schedule for a total of eight episodes, with the season 3 finale slated for 8 July 2022.
They also unveiled the first footage from the upcoming third season, with aÂ  brief teaser that shows Homelander (Antony Starr) and Starlight (Erin Moriarty) posing for Vought exec Ashley (Colby Minifie) and the press, as the camera pans in on Homelander while his smile becomes increasingly maniacal before the premiere date appears on the screen.
The Boys Season 3 stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capon, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit and series newcomer Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy.
The Boys Season 2 debuted on 4 September 2020 and ended its eight-episode run on 9 October 2020. ItÂ was another great season for the series, especially with its character-driven approach and shining the spotlight on supporting characters like Karen Fukuharaâ€™s Kimiko (you can check out my full review here).
You can also head on over here to read about what to expect for The Boys Season 3 based on my knowledge of the comics and source material.
Check out The Boys Season 3 teaser below:


Here’s When The Halo Infinite Winter Contingency Event Starts

It’s time to kick some ice in Halo Infinite later this week.
343 Industries is starting a new multiplayer event called the Winter Contingency, which features holiday-themed rewards up for grabs. According to rumours, the weekly reset will happen on 22nd December at 12am GMT+8, with the event lasting until 5 January 2022.
The rewards include holiday-themed rewards, as listed below (subject to change):

Peppermint armour and weapon coating
Snowflake Spartan backdrop
Festive Spartan helmet armour, weapon and Spartan emblem
North Star armour, weapon and Spartan emblem
Rudolph helmet accessory
Santa hat

To get these rewards, you’ll have to participate in a special playlist and complete many of its challenges, similar to the recent Tenrai event. We’ll be sure to update this post with official information when it’s out.


Elden Ring Starter Guide: How To Conquer From Software’s Latest

This article will be updated periodically.
Elden Ring is out this week, and it’s the best version of a From Software action RPG you will get for a very long while.
It’s also batshit hard with many, MANY challenges ready to curb stomp you nine ways to Sunday. The game’s enemies and bosses do not let up, so don’t go in expecting a breeze of a game; you’ll have to work hard for your victories here.
We’re here to help. Here’s a rundown on how to start off with the least amount of turbulence.
New To A Soulsborne/Soulslike Game? Pick The Vagabond

Pick the class with the highest HP and Strength if you’re new to these kinds of games. The Vagabond has the best starter stat and equipment that’s tailored for melee combatants with the highest starting life. As you level up and get more points for your attribute, do spend some on Dexterity to open up more options for weaponry like polearms and crossbows.
Here’s a lowdown of Elden Ring’s starting classes and stats:

Origin
Level
Vigor
Mind
Endurance
Strength
Dexterity
Intelligence
Faith
Arcane

Vagabond
9
15
10
11
14
13
9
9
7

Warrior
8
11
12
11
10
16
10
8
9

Hero
7
14
9
12
16
9
7
8
11

Bandit
5
10
11
10
9
13
9
8
14

Astrologer
6
9
15
9
8
12
16
7
9

Prophet
7
10
14
8
11
10
7
16
10

Samurai
9
12
11
13
12
15
9
8
8

Prisoner
6
11
12
11
8
14
14
6
9

Confessor
10
10
13
10
12
12
9
14
9

Wretch
1
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10

Made A Mistake In Customization? No Problem!
Elden Ring has a hub world called the Roundtable Hold (at the bottom left of the map; it’s unlocked very early in the game). Not only can you buy spells there and also upgrade your weapons beyond +3, you can also customize and alter your looks again at the mirror in one of the rooms. Midway in the game, you can reset and respec your stats in the Academy of Raya Lucaria’s main area where the main boss is, but you’ll need a special item called the Lunar Embryo to do so.
Bring A Notebook To Jot Stuff Down

A physical one, not one in-game. Or at least have a laptop or computer next to you with Notepad, Google Docs, or some word processor up and running. See, Elden Ring’s approach to open world and quest hunting is as traditional as it gets: you have a map that opens up when you find other map pieces on The Lands Between, a transparent compass indicator on the top of the screen, and you can put markers on it.
There is no quest tracker, no quest pings, no icons popping up telling you where to go, and all that nonsense you see in other open-world games like Grand Theft Auto 5, Horizon Forbidden West, and Far Cry 6. So you’ll need a notebook (physical or digital) to write stuff down and where they are.
Whether it’s a new location a special merchant is hanging out, or a quest giver just before Castle Mourne, you need to manually keep track of all of these things, because Elden Ring is sure as heck isn’t going to do it for you. At the very least, Sites of Grace will appear permanently on your map when discovered, so you can use that as references too.
Use Guard Counter

Just like in Dark Souls and other action RPGs, you need to mix up your offense and defense by attacking and blocking with your shield. Parrying is also cool too and gives you good damage rewards if you’re on point. However, Elden Ring gives you a pretty useful Guard Counter move. As soon as you get hit while blocking, press the Heavy Attack button (RT/R2) to do a heavy counterattack. While this is useful, keep in mind that you can still get interrupted if enemies have ample follow up to their current attack strings.
When You Can, Fight Enemies While On Torrent

Your magic steed Torrent is fast and manoeuvrable, as well as a high jumper. As such, you should use Torrent in combat whenever it’s available. Just keep in mind that your character’s attack range varies; polearms and halberds have better reach as magic steed attacks compared to daggers and regular swords.
Cash Out Your Runes Every Opportunity You Get
Do not hoard your runes. If you have thousands saved up, spend it on levelling up or on items, or even buffing up your Ashes of War. If you die once, your death spot will have all your dropped runes. Die again, and those runes are lost forever.
As tempting as it is to run around the game with thousands of pocket change, Elden Ring is filled with a ton of “gotcha” moments that can kill you in seconds be it traps or those f***king stone imps that dropped on you from the ceiling in an enclosed dungeon. Don’t be a hero and cash out your runes until they’re near zero. This is especially important before you go into a boss fight, or enter a room that looks like a boss domain. Trust your hunches; just cash out.
There Is No Shame In Running Away
Elden Ring features a good number of scenarios where it’s better to flee than to fight and possibly die a horrible death. If you see a giant boss and an exit ahead, just take the exit. There’s most likely a Site of Grace waiting for you there to use and rejuvenate.
If you find yourself in a mob situation that only escalates, and there’s an escape route in sight, just run the hell away. Better to be the coward who still has his legs & runes than the brave fool who died miserably because he could take on two Leonine Misbegottens at the same time.
Patches Is In The Game; You’ll Need Some Of His Gear

If you need unique items, you will need to find Patches in the game. He’s a Dark Souls mainstay who somehow made his way into Elden Ring.
To get him, head to the southeast part of West Limgrave (starting area) to the swampy area down below (where the giant dragon is chilling) and find the Murkwater Cave close to the river that leads northward. You’ll need to fight a Tarnished enemy called Bloody Finger Nerijus first; just take shots at him before another good Tarnished ally comes in to help you out.
Then head to the cave. This dungeon is easy; it features a bunch of low-level bandits, and then head to the boss chamber nearby. Open the chest, then fight Patches. When he begs for his life, just stand still and do nothing. The fight is then over; Patches will sell you goods you can’t find elsewhere. He sells a pretty useful item that can help you in the fight against Margit; it costs 5,000 runes and it’ll also be useful later on.


TSM Reclaim Their Crown As The ALGS Split 1 Champions

The first event of the 2023 Apex Legends esports season has just wrapped up and TSM are back on top and a few fan favourites fell out of the tournament earlier than expected.

Check out the results of the entire tournament here
After an eight-game finale at the Copper Box Arena in London, the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) has come to a thrilling conclusion. TSM has emerged as the Split 1 winner, reclaiming the championship title from DarkZero Esports, who dominated LAN tournaments in 2022.
TSM is widely recognized as a prominent team in the Apex Legends scene, known for their dominance in the North American region. During the competition, they maintained their consistency, advancing from the Group Stage to the Winner’s Bracket and consistently placing in the top 10 to avoid elimination. Their toughest competition came from NRG, their North American rival, and the EMEA team Acend.

The ALGS LAN Playoffs consisted of three parts, starting with the Group Stage where 40 qualifying teams were divided into groups A-D and played from 2 to 3 February. On 4 February, the Bracket Stage took place. JLINGZ Esports, a UK esports organisation and rising EMEA team, impressed the London crowd but narrowly missed out on qualifying for the finals.
The Bracket Stage also saw one of the North American fan favourites, 100 Thieves and APAC North’s NORTHEPTION from Japan fail to make it to the Finals stage. NORTHEPTION put on quite the showing during the Group Stage but failed to continue that momentum going into the bracket as they placed bottom of the Winners’ table.
The eventual winners, TSM dominated the competition, finishing first in the Group Stage and remaining in the top 10 in the Bracket Stage to secure their place in the final. Their rivals NRG followed close behind, ending the Group Stage just a few spots behind TSM and outperforming them in the Brackets on Day 3.
The ALGS LAN finals were played in Match Point format, where teams had to earn at least 50 points (the match point) to have a chance at winning. Once they reached this point, they needed to win a game outright to claim the championship title.
In Round 8, with four teams at match point, TSM executed a well-timed late-game Valkyrie sky-dive, giving them the advantage to eliminate the remaining teams and secure the trophy.
As the ALGS Split 1 winner, TSM have set the bar high for the Apex Legends competitive scene. Split 2 begins in only a few weeks, and the team will start the long journey to defending their position as LAN champions.
This win is a major statement for TSM as for the longest time, they dominated the Apex Legends scene. Last year saw them begin to slump from that glory due to an ever-changing meta and also their long-time third, Eric “Snip3down” Wrona leaving to return to compete in Halo Infinite at the end of 2021.
The boys in black and white recruited Evan “Verhulst” Verhulst, an incredibly talented controller player to replace Snip3down’s likeness.
In August of last year, the team decided to pick up a coach/analyst in the form of “raven” who played a crucial role in this tournament win. After winning the LAN trophy, he stated that their plan is to “just keep winning.”
Despite their achievement, raven showed appreciation for their North American rivals NRG, acknowledging their impressive performance in the tournament. He stated, “I will obviously shout out NRG too – they played a phenomenal tournament. I’d like to think that in Match Point, sometimes there are two winners.”


Kakuchopurei’s Best of 2019: The Auto Battler Genre

TeamFight Tactics. Auto Chess. Dota Underlords. You may have played either one of them and they have their own variations, tilesets, and rules. However, they all go under the same class of competitive games that dominated mobile games and PCs earlier in 2019.

The premise is easy: buy “chess” pieces, put them on the board, let them fight it out between 8 teams, and ensure you’re the last team standing. To win, you need to manage your resources, your pieces’ synergy, and pay attention to what compositions your enemies are using.
You’ll also get some respite via mobs to gain extra gold for better pieces, but at the end of the day, it’s still a pure PvP experience through and through.

Each auto chess session is about 20 minutes or more. It seems long, but they’re incredibly engrossing and addictive in the long run.

Part puzzler, part turn-based strategy, all fun; don’t act too shocked if you started an 8pm session with your pals and stop to realize you’ve been playing until 3am.

This year definitely goes to this bold new genre of gaming. As such, it deserves an exclusive slot on our Best of 2019 picks just because of its significance and appeal to both the casual and hardcore crowd.
And all it took were a bunch of Dota 2 assets and a brilliant mind or two. That’s the power of limited resources but unbridled creativity, eh?


The First Major Fighting Game Tournament Goes Offline Without A Hitch

It’s been eons since fighting game fans had an offline community-filled event to celebrate and have high-level matches in, thanks to COVID-19 making offline events pretty unsafe. With the pandemic on the backburner and people getting their vaccines, offline events are making a comeback worldwide. CEO 2021 is no exception, featuring 2 days worth of fighting game goodness in the US of A.
The tournament certainly didn’t prevent high-level players from around the world from participating. Both Arslan Ash and Book from Pakistan and Thailand respectively travelled to the US for the Tekken 7 tournament, and won big. Arslan Ash won the whole tournament with his Zafina while Book secured a respectable third place with Jin.
Puerto Rican player Mono dominated the Street Fighter 5 tournament using the game’s arguably low-tier character F.A.N.G, who probably had some buffs throughout the fifth season.
Sure, there was a fire alarm prank that happened on the first day of the event, but that didn’t deter the event at all. All in all, CEO 2021 and possibly other offline esports tournaments this month (like the Mobile Legends M3 tournament) are good indicators that offline events will be coming back in stride worldwide. Hopefully in Southeast Asia as well.
Here are the results for each game (via Eventhubs):
Guilty Gear Strive
1. CGL|K7 Showoff (Leo)
2. Remi Celeste (Axl)
3. PG|KizzieKay (Ky, Sol)
4. PG|Punk (Sol)
5. TempestNYC (May, Leo)
5. Aidan|Shine (Potemkin)
7. Splash|Idiosyncrasy (Nagoriyuki)
7. Diaphone (I-No)
Street Fighter 5
1. RR|Mono (F.A.N.G)
2. PG|Punk (Karin, Vega, Cammy)
3. PG|Nephew (Kolin)
4. FM|ChrisT (Ken)
5. Joe Umerogan (Akuma)
5. Hilife|NYChrisG (Akira)
7. HB|Docta Afrikan E.X. (M. Bison, Vega)
7. Dethrone|Nigel E.X. (M. Bison, Balrog)
Tekken 7
1. RB|Arslan Ash (Zafina)
2. RB|Anakin (JACK-7)
3. Talon|Book (Jin)
4. FATE|Khan (Geese)
5. Kaizur (Lucky Chloe)
5. Genghis D0n (Katarina, Fahkumram)
7. FATE|Farzeen (Akuma)
7. Shadow20z (Claudio, Zafina)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
1. Moist|Kola (Roy, Cloud)
2. Solary|Glutonny (Wario)
3. MuteAce (Peach)
4. FURIA|Fatality (Captain Falcon)
5. 16B|Zomba (R.O.B.)
5. TG|MVD (Snake)
7. Bermuda|Myran (Olimar)


Returnal Guide & Tips: How To Survive Atropos

Developed by Housemarque Studios exclusively for the PS5, Returnal is a next-gen roguelike third-person action bullet hell game. In my full review of the game, I emphasized that it’s hard as hell and extremely punishing in difficulty. I don’t want to resort to cliches but it does sort of feel like the Dark Souls of Roguelikes.
I don’t claim to be an expert Returnal player, but I can share several tips that helped me on my own journey through the perilous alien planet of Atropos:

Whatever You Do, Keep Moving And Keep Dashing

The first piece of advice that I have for Returnal players is to always keep moving and never to stand still. That may sound obvious, but it’s an easy mistake to make especially if you’re used to playing third-person cover shooters. There are a lot of covers in Returnal, but most of them can break (like pillars) so it’s always a good idea to keep moving.
The folks at Housemarque have done a great job in ensuring that Selene has great mobility. Take advantage of traversal items like the Icarian Grapnel grappling hook to increase your mobility. Plus, dashing is probably the most important single action in the entire game (next to the trigger buttons, of course).
Oh, and that actually relates to my next point:
You’re Invincible When Dashing

The dash in Returnal has an incredible amount of I-frames. I-frames (or Invincibility Frames) are the period of time (measured in frames) during which a character cannot be damaged. In some games, this happens directly after respawning, allowing for a brief ‘safe’ moment. In other games, this happens when dodging or rolling, which usually applies to action-heavy games like Dark Souls and yes, Returnal.
It took me a while to realise this but after playing for hours, I was finally able to fully exploit the dashing mechanic in Returnal. This is extremely important to keep note of and essential to survive. My first instinct in Returnal was to keep dashing and thereby dodge every enemy projectile hurtling towards me.
That’s not exactly the best approach. Why? In a lot of cases, it’s simply better to dash into the enemy projectile instead. This is also much easier to pull off than trying to dodge every single projectile. This is especially true when the enemy projectile is more laser-like and not the usual orbs.

It’s not just during combat either. The I-Frames applies when trying to complete platforming puzzles and challenges in Returnal too, as most of these involve moving or static lasers. The only way to avoid taking damage sometimes is to dodge into the lasers. Don’t worry, time your dashes right and you won’t take any damage whatsoever.
One last important thing to note is that while you can pretty much dash through almost any enemy projectile or laser, there are a few exceptions. You should always dodge the blue-coloured lasers, not dash through it. You’ll still take damage if you dash through the blue lasers.
There’s Only One Way To Dispatch Enemies With Red Shields: Up-Close Melee

I don’t remember if the game told me to do this or if I learnt this myself. Whatever it is, you can’t kill enemies with red shields without using the Atropian Blade melee attack. It’s annoying, sure, but you need to get up close and personal for enemies with red shields. Melee attacks can be performed with the Square button.
Of course, you’ll need the Atropian Blade first, but you’ll obtain this quite early in the game.
The Only Item You Keep After Death Are Ethers

Returnal features several obtainable items, resources and materials. Quite a lot of them, actually. They include:

Weapons
Obolites: (in-game currency used to purchase Artifacts and items, or as the game calls it, to ‘fabricate’ them)
Atropian Keys: (used to open locked doors and chests).
Ethers: (used to open chests)
Artifacts: (one-off items that offer special bonuses and benefits).
Parasites: (can be equipped, each parasite offers a single buff and debuff or a positive and negative effect at the same time).

Of all these, only the Ethers will carry on after death. If you die in Returnal, the only thing that you keep are Ethers (but there’s a cap limit of 30, so you can’t exactly hoard them too much). Technically, there are a few other Artifacts that carry over after death, but these are just traversal items like the Icarian grapnel grappling hook that you obtain through the narrative.
The Most Important Artifact To Get In Every Cycle? The Astronaut Figurine (And The Watch Too)

Every time you complete a cinematic House sequence in Returnal, you’ll obtain a special memento Artifact. These aren’t actually permanent (they’re gone after the Cycle during which you first obtain them, just like any other Artifact). However, there’s an Artifact that has saved my bacon so many times and allowed me to defeat impossible boss battles.
That Artifact is the Astronaut Figurine, which is unlocked after the first House sequence. If you die with this Artifact in your inventory, youâ€™ll immediately be brought to life in the exact area you died. It’s essentially an extra life, which is a godsend in a game like this.
However, it’s important to point out that the Astronaut Figurine has to be purchased or fabricated in each Cycle. It costs 300 Obolites, which is quite a big sum to accumulate. If you’re lucky, you might even find one in a chest somewhere. I’ve tried to find out if I can stack more than one Astronaut Figurine, but so far it hasn’t been possible to do so.
In another of the House sequences, you’ll unlock another Artifact (a watch) that has the same function as the Astronaut Figurine. Still, it’s the same case. It either has to be fabricated or found in a chest. Still, my point is that the Astronaut Figurine is perhaps the most valuable and sought-after Artifact in the game. I always feel much better with one in my inventory.
Trust me, with how hard the game is, you’ll definitely need the Astronaut Figurine/extra lives.
Stop By The Shop (Fabricator) Hub

Unlike other roguelikes like perhaps Hades, there’s no central hub where you can upgrade your character in between runs or Cycles. Fortunately, there is a safe room with a shop hub of sorts in the game. It’s always located in the first biome of each Act in Returnal. In Act 1, that’s the Overgrown Ruins. The shop hub won’t pop up at all in other biomes like the Crimson Wastes.
This shop hub will always have four fabricators with randomized Artifacts. The Artifacts are randomized for each Cycle so don’t expect to see your favourite Artifact there in every Cycle. Remember the Astronaut Figurine I mentioned in the tip above? The shop hub is where you are able to fabricate it. However, since the selection is randomized, it won’t always be available in every Cycle, so it’s up to luck and the RNG gods.
Besides the four randomized Artifacts available to fabricate, there’s also always on fabricator that’s available to immediately increase 25 percent of your max Integrity (max health). This also costs a lot of Obolites too, by the way.
Silphium And Resin

There are two green-coloured resources in Returnal, indicated via the health cross on the minimap. They look the same, but they have different effects.
Silphium restores Integrity (health) while Resin increases Selene’s max Integrity (max health). Just make sure to pick these up whenever you find them.
Do Not Jump Into The Water, Unless…

Even in the very first biome in Returnal, there are sometimes small bodies or pools of water in certain rooms. I learnt firsthand that you should NOT jump into them, even if you can see Artifacts or items waiting for you in the water.
Returnal has Metroidvania elements, which means that certain areas can only be explored later after you’ve obtained the necessary item to reach it. One of these is the Icarian grapnel grappling hook, but the one required for underwater exploration will only be available in the sixth biome in Act 2 of Returnal, which is quite far and late into the game.
Keep Using Weapons To Unlock More Traits, Don’t Just Switch Weapons

You’ll be switching between weapons a lot in Returnal, due to how the Weapon Proficiency system works. However, sometimes it’s better to keep using the same weapon for a while, even if you’ve increased your Weapon Proficiency and discovered weapons with better stats. As important as weapon stats are, Weapon Traits (ie: those unique modifiers like adding extra lasers, exploding shells or life-leeching shells) can be extremely helpful against powerful enemies.
To unlock Weapon Traits, you need to use the same weapon until those Weapon Traits are unlocked. Look out for more interesting and powerful Weapon Traits that fits your playstyle. If you need to find out what exactly a Weapon Trait can do before putting in the time and energy to unlock it, just head into the menu (by pressing the touchpad) and head to the Equipment tab.
Just scroll down to check out what each Weapon Trait can do. Some of them can have vague names that don’t really tell you what they can actually do.
Need more help with Returnal? We have a boss walkthrough guide on our YouTube channel; go check that out! We also have a walkthrough on how to get to Act 3 and its secret ending.


Loopmancer Is Groundhog Day Meets 3D/2D Action Platforming

We’ve had our fair share of 2D action games with rewind mechanics like 2019’s Katana Zero. How about one set in a cyberpunk world, has 3D graphics, and has a time loop narrative element?
Enter Loopmancer, a 3D horizontal roguelite action game for consoles and PC from publisher Yooreka Studio and Beijing-based devs eBrain Studio. The game features awesome cyberpunk Eastern-influenced aesthetics and structures all in 3D (via Unreal Engine 4), fast-paced battle action featuring 100 weapons and a plethora of abilities, and a roguelite loop mechanic where your player character starts the action again after each death, but obviously a bit wiser and more powered-up.
Here’s the plot synopsis:
“Year 2046, Dragon City.
Neuro-comp interfaces, bionic prosthetics and nano-biotechnology have all become commonplace. Society is highly developed, but the gap between the haves and the have nots has only grown larger.
Xiang Zixu, a brilliant private eye, is killed while investigating the disappearance of a famous female journalist. Immediately after his death, he wakes up with a start in his apartment bedroom. Before he can process what happened, his phone rings and his colleague at the agency tells him of a new case: the disappearance of a famous female journalist.”
So yeah, it’s Groundhog Day cyberpunk 2D action game edition made by Chinese people. Loopmancer has no release date as of now.


Four Xbox Game Pass Day One Games To Be Announced At The Game Awards

The Game Awards 2021 will take place tomorrow at 9am GMT+8 on 10 December 2021. Just like in previous years, we should probably expect a bunch of announcements, including at least four new Day One launch titles for Xbox Game Pass in the near future.
The only detail we have right now is from the official Xbox Game Pass PC Twitter account. The image reveals a list of games we already know is coming to Xbox Game Pass on Day One, including Total War Warhammer 3. However, below the list are four redacted titles, the reveal of which we’ll have to wait until tomorrow.

Thank you, Melissa pic.twitter.com/shmfYt5tCo
— PC Game Pass (@XboxGamePassPC) December 6, 2021

They might be brand new games, or they might also be previously-announced games. Who knows? Stay tuned for our coverage of The Game Awards 2021 tomorrow.


Replaying Borderlands 2? Here Are Some SHiFT Codes That Work In 2019

With Borderlands 3 coming out this September, many of us are itching to replay Borderlands 1 and Borderlands 2 just for hype’s sake as well as remember why they loved the series. But mostly Borderlands 2, because no one’s going to care about the other games; let’s not kid ourselves.
Which is why you should use these SHiFT codes below to get Golden Keys and special skins. The keys can be used on a special crate in Sanctuary which gives you weapons and items based on your current level; usually in a purple/high rarity.
How to register & use SHiFT codes:

Register in-game. There’s an option in the main menu that lets you fill up your particulars. Then enter the bottom codes once you’re registered.
Register online at Gearbox’s Shift portal. You have to link up your Steam/console account.

Enough talk; lemme at them codes!
C35TB-WS6ST-TXBRK-TTTJT-JJH6H Â (Salvador’s Community Day Skin, 5 Golden Keys)
53KBB-KXXRC-RZ66Z-WFJBB-WSRZ3 (Zer0’s Community Day Skin, 5 Golden Keys)
5BKB3-ZF5ZJ-66BRW-33J33-TS3CF Â (5 Golden Keys, good through 15 April)
5B3BJ-XZWFW-T3KRZ-JBJTB-6WST9 (5 Golden Keys, Maya Skin, code on Borderlands 3 cover art)
WT5JB-T9KZB-XFT6W-TTTTB-W5WJB (5 Golden Keys, good through 15 April, for PC/Mac)
5T5BT-SXRRC-ZZRRZ-56BBT-9BB3C (5 Golden Keys, good through 15 April, for Xbox)
CJC33-KHBHZ-HBC9W-H3KTB-F93KH (5 Golden Keys, good through 15 April, for PS4/PS Vita/PSVR/PS3)
The following codes are only for the PC version of Borderlands 2.Â
KTK3J-FR3JS-ZX55B-B3BJ3-HSRB6 (Axtonâ€™s Natural Twenty skin)
535BB-3R3BZ-HF5K3-JJB33-3BF3J (Gaigeâ€™s Summoner Sickness Skin)
CTKJ3-9CBJS-9R5WT-JBJ3T-WKXKF (Zer0â€™s The Pandora Chainmail Massacre skin)
CBCJ3-W5TT9-S65K3-BJJ3B-XHWWC (Mayaâ€™s Her Violent Nature skin)
CBKJ3-5FT39-ZRCCT-JTJB3-RFJ5B (Kriegâ€™s My Fantasies Involve Blood skin)
5J5TT-RCJBS-ZXWCJ-TJ3BJ-TK3FB (Salvadorâ€™s Bear Naked skin)
KJKJT-WHBKX-HC9BT-TJBJ3-XJFSJ (Axton’s Warrior of Light head)
CBKBJ-6ZJW6-HKH3T-B3T33-F5ZRS (Gaige’s Wayfarer Wizard head)
CT5BB-XTW5X-9CSBT-3BTTJ-FT5X5 (Zer0’s G0ry Gh0ul head)
KTC3T-WTW5F-ZCHB3-BT3B3-XJ9WR (Maya’s Elven Eliminator head)
CBKBB-ZHJC6-SWHJT-JJ3BB-3CXHS (Krieg’s My Ears Are Ringing head)
WBCJJ-33KWR-S5Z33-BJTTB-65WJJ (Salvador’s The Beast Within head)
5T53B-6K9KT-Z5B65-BTJJ3-655CZ (Loverpalooza skins & gun)
WTCBJ-FTCXF-5TXCT-3TJ33-TZXW6 (Krieg’s Loverpalooza skin)
5JWT3-3H5FB-SCBX5-TJ3JB-H5R6X (Luck of the Zafords skins & Chulainn SMG)
5JKBJ-K9WHW-WBZTJ-T3TTB-TW9HR (Axton Class Mod)
W3C3B-5JRZC-WJH33-JBJJB-9S6CJ (Gaige Class Mod)
CBWJ3-S5CJ3-WTTCF-WX333-9STBF (Zer0 Class Mod)
WJWJ3-FXC33-KT3CR-KR33J-J9B35 (Maya Class Mod)
WTCJT-J653B-C3TKF-5X333-F6JRH (Krieg Class Mod)
WJKBB-KXC3J-5BBCR-5X33J-XZ6RZ (Salvador Class Mod)
CJKBJ-3XWTF-HCJ6K-JJB3T-SB35X (Axton as Athena skin)
CTWTB-RXKTR-SKJXW-3TBTJ-KXKKH (Salvador as Wilhelm skin)
KBWT3-WF5TR-SC3XW-T333B-TSCTS (Maya as Nisha skin)
W3C33-H653X-9CTR5-3TBJ3-HZ99S (Zer0 as Claptrap skin)
53WT3-59KJX-95B65-3J333-S9JW9 (Gaige as Moon Moxxi skin)
CTKTJ-JSWJF-SCJXK-3TJJ3-RWTKX (Krieg as a Scav Â skin)
WBK3T-BKW6T-TXTRK-JTTBT-C6BS5 (25 Golden Keys)
W3KJB-H9CBW-XRBRW-JTBTJ-9JRXK (25 Golden Keys)
5BW3B-F96CT-KXJFK-TB3B3-39BWZ (20 Golden Keys)


Hero Dice Is A New Gacha Game From Bethesda’s Parent Company & Tango Gameworks

Tango Gameworks isn’t just busy with the cool first-person supernatural action game Ghostwire: Tokyo. It’s also working on a gacha game presumably to make more ends meet.
Its upcoming game is called Hero Dice and it’s published by ZeniMax Asia, the eastern division of Bethesda’s parent company. Hero Dice is the first mobile game from the folks who gave us The Evil Within; it’s a stark contrast if we’re being honest.
Gameplay looks simple: you roll a dice, move your heroes around, and somehow deal damage depending on where you’re positioned. It’s the perfect combination of simple gameplay, luck-savvy outcomes, and collectible cards/heroes to amplify your playstyle.

The game’s key features include:

Simple Rules and Controls Made for EveryoneÂ â€“ Roll the dice to move your hero, and battle atop the space they stop. Passing an ally hero will activate a support link attack. The more allies you pass, the greater the amount of attacks. Wipe out every enemy on the board!
When the Going Gets Tough, Cards are Your Key to VictoryÂ â€“ When you find yourself in a pinch, utilize your cards. By playing cards with various effects, you can unleash consecutive attacks and recover from a near-death situation. Set your own card combos and turn the tides on the enemy.
Skills Show What a Hero is Made OfÂ â€“ You can use skills when a turn passes in battle. Skills vary from hero to hero. Utilize your skills to come back from the brink of death in a single blow.
Upgrade Your Heroes and CardsÂ â€“ Both cards and heroes can be upgraded. Develop the heroes you acquire through summons and battles. And develop your cards as well to gain an even greater advantage in battle.
Battle Alongside Your FriendsÂ â€“ Up to four players can play together at once.Â Multiplayer offers merits that solo play does not, such as support cards. Even difficult enemies can be defeated with a bit of cooperation. Multiplayer also allows you to take on quests with the stamina of one player.

Hero Dice will be out for iOS and Android this Spring in Japan.


Honkai Star Rail Luocha Guide – The Best Build for the Coffin Hugging Prettyboy

Honkai Star Rail’s Luocha is now available in the game’s new gacha banner, meaning he’s up for grabs if you have Stellar Jades to spare.
If you do: congratulations! Here’s a guide to maximizing Luocha potential in your party.
LUOCHA IN A NUTSHELL

Yes, we know. Luocha bears a striking resemblance to Honkai Impact’s Otto but Luocha is a man of his own. With a coffin by his side, this man is out to heal everyone.
Now Luocha is a fantastic support. He offers great heals that scale off his attack, while also having the potential to deal some impactful imaginary and true damage, and his ability to strip enemies of buffs with his ultimate can be extremely handy. Like most support units in the game, you will want to play Luocha as an SP generator for the party. Players will want to use his skill only once to generate one Abyss Flower. And then use his Ultimate for another Abyss Flower to trigger his Talent.
Players will not be able to generate any Abyss Flowers while his Talent (Cycle of Life) is active, so avoid using his Skill needlessly. If your teammates are on the brink of death or if you need to clear debuffs on your allies then this does not apply.
TALENT BREAKDOWN
Basic ATK : Thorns of the Abyss: Deals Imaginary DMG equal to 50% of Luocha’s ATK to a single enemy.
Skill : Prayer of Abyss Flower: After using his Skill, immediately restore the target ally’s HP equal to 40% of Luocha’s ATK plus 200. Meanwhile, Luocha gains 1 stack of Abyss Flower. When any ally’s HP percentage becomes equal to or less than 50%, an effect equivalent to Luocha’s Skill will immediately be triggered by Luocha and applied to this ally for one time (without consuming Skill Points). This effect can be triggered again after 2 turn(s).
Ultimate : Death Wish: Removes 1 buff from all enemies, deals Imaginary DMG equal to 120% of Luocha’s ATK to all enemies. Luocha gains 1 stack of Abyss Flower.
Talent : Cycle of Life: When the Abyss Flower reaches 2 stacks, Luocha consumes all stacks of Abyss Flower to deploy a Field against the enemy. When any enemy in the Field is attacked by an ally, the attacking ally’s HP is immediately restored by an amount equal to 12% of Luocha’s ATK plus 60. The Field’s effect lasts for 2 turns. When Luocha is knocked down, the field will be dispelled.
Technique : Mercy of a Fool: After the Technique is used, the Talent will be immediately triggered at the start of the next battle.
Stat Bonus:
1. ATK +4.0%
2. ATK +8.0%
Traces:
Cleansing Revival: When the Skill’s effect is triggered, removes 1 debuff(s) from a target ally.
Stat Bonus:
1. Max HP +4.0%
2. ATK +4.0%
3. DEF +5.0%
Sanctified: When any enemy in the Field is attacked by an ally, all allies (except the attacker) restore HP equal to 7% of Luocha’s ATK plus 93.
Stat Bonus:
1. ATK +6.0%
2. Max HP +6.0%
3. ATK +6.0%
Through the Valley: The chance to resist Crowd Control debuffs increases by 70%.
Stat Bonus:
1. DEF +7.5%
2. Max HP +8.0%
EIDOLONS, IN CASE YOU LUCKED OUT GETTING MULTIPLE LUOCHA COPIES
E1 : Ablution of the Quick: While the Field is active, ATK of all allies increases by 20%
E2: Bestowal From the Pure: When his Skill is triggered, if the target ally’s HP is lower than 50%, Luocha’s Outgoing Healing increases by 30%. If the target ally’s HP is at 50% or higher, the ally receives a Shield that can absorb DMG equal to 18% of Luocha’s ATK plus 240, lasting for 2 turns.
E3: Surveyal by the Fool: Ultimate Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Basic ATK Lv. +1, up to a maximum of Lv. 10.
E4: Heavy Lies the Crown: When Luocha’s Field is active, enemies become Weakened and deal 12% less DMG.
E5: Cicatrix ‘Neath the Pain: Ultimate Lv. +2, up to a maximum of Lv. 15. Basic ATK Lv. +1, up to a maximum of Lv. 10.
E6: Reunion With the Dust: When Ultimate is used, there is a 100% fixed chance to reduce all enemies’ All-Type RES by 20% for 2 turn(s).
LUOCHA’S ASCENSION AND TRACE MATERIALS
ASCENSION MATERIALS

15 Artifex’s Modules
15 Artifex’s Cogwheel
15  Artifex’s Gyreheart
65 Golden Crown of the Past Shadow
308,000 Credits.

TRACE MATERIALS

18 Seed of Abundance
69 Sprout of Life
139 Flower of Eternity
42 Artifex’s Module
56 Artifex’s Cogwheel
58 Artifex’s Gyreheart
12 Guardian’s Lament
11 Tracks of Destiny
3,000,000 Credits

THE BEST LIGHT CONE FOR LUOCHA

Echoes of the Coffin: Increases the wearer’s ATK by 24%. After the wearer uses an attack, for each different enemy target the wearer hits, regenerates 3.0 Energy. Each attack can regenerate Energy up to 3 times this way. After the wearer uses their Ultimate, all allies gain 12 SPD for 1 turn.
Echoes of the Coffin is Luocha’s signature five-star light cone, and yes you can try your luck on getting it if you have a little extra. The light cone boosts his attack to increase his healing output while also offering other buffs for the team.
If your luck is just… not the best, don’t worry we’ve got four-star options for the poor and unlucky!
Perfect Timing: Increases the wearer’s Effect RES by 16% and increases Outgoing Healing by an amount that is equal to 33% of Effect RES. Outgoing Healing can be increased this way by up to 15%.
Shared Feeling: Increases the wearer’s Outgoing Healing by 10%. When using Skill, regenerates 2 Energy for all allies.
Post-Op Conversation is a definite no-no for him, as this light cone boosts outgoing healing when the wearer uses their ultimate. And as we all kn0w, Luocha’s Ultimate does not heal.
THE BEST RELICS FOR LUOCHA
Now the best thing about Luocha is you could use him as either a main healer or as a hybrid DPS healer.
I’m currently rocking a hybrid DPS Luocha build since this will boost both his outgoing healing and imaginary damage.
Passerby of Wandering Cloud: 2-PC: Increases Outgoing Healing by 10%.
Musketeer of Wild Wheat: 2-PC: ATK increases by 12%.
For his ornaments,
I’m going with two pieces of Space Sealing Station at the moment. This is to get the outgoing healing boost skill, and also that extra 12% attack damage on top.
Another good option is the Fleet of the Ageless. This is purely to boost Luocha’s HP for more survivability for him.
LUOCHA COMPANION QUEST


Genshin Impact 3.2 Update Brings In Nahida Gameplay & Scaramouche Mecha Boss Fight

HoYoverse has something for Genshin Impact fans in the upcoming 3.2 update, be it fans of Dendro lolis or boss fights.
New Characters & Boss Battle

The next 3.2 update, which is scheduled for this 2nd November, will bring in Nahida as a new gacha character; she’s a prominent character in the game’s Sumeru story arc. The Dendro Elemental character is a child who casts a lot of wicked yet adorable spells. Her Elemental Burst releases a special veil that will buff up other character’s elemental skills and bursts. So she’s pretty much a great support character who’ll make the Dendro element worth maining.
The other character is Layla, a sleepy astrologist. She is a Cryo sword user who is more powerful when sleepwalking and can summon stars while shielding herself with a makeshift barrier.
Nahida will be the first gacha characters in the 2nd November banner, while Layla will be in the next gacha banner at a later date.
The 3.2 update will also bring in a new Archon Quest, featuring Scaramouche as a boss dubbed the Balladeer. He basically turns into a giant multi-armed robot with sweeping arm attacks with Elemental properties and laser fire. He’ll definitely be a challenge for Travellers everywhere.

New Events
Genshin Impact 3.2 will introduce the Fabulous Fungus Frenzy sidequest, where you hunt down and capture fungi all across Sumeru and use them as pets, pitting them in cockfight-like contests and mixing them to make better versions of the ones you captured. Gotta find ’em all!
There’s also a Outside The Canvas, Inside The Lens sidequest where you use the Sumeru Kamera to capture more pictures of the landscape for points and rewards. Last but not lease is the Hypostatic Symphony: Dissonant Verse where you use the powers of Dissonance within these new Domains to fight a slew of amped-up Hypostases.

Redemption Code
What would a Genshin Impact 3.2 livestream be without a slew of redemption codes? Here they are:

6SP942Z3XVWH
KS6QL3YJFCWM
GS6RLKGKWUER


This Free Game Lets You Have Fun With Doors & Physics

We’ve kicked doors down, chainsawed them, and even open them in a gentle manner in video games. But what about taking an actual door, manipulate it with gravity powers, and then fling/kick them around against people’s faces? No?
Well, let Door Knocker introduce you to its ridiculous premise. In this free first-person game, you use a door as a weapon as well as a means of escaping the room(s) you’re trapped in. It’s pretty surreal and fun, to be frank.

It’s “knockabout physics fun”, provided you’re into that sort of thing. What do you have to lose? It’s a free game (or you could donate to said page; it’s up to you). Let these GIFs entice you on how novel this simple premise can get.


Oh Dear, Someone Thought Doing A Postal 4 Was A Good Idea

Huh, I never thought I would be hearing about a new Postal game in the works. Did the subpar moments of the 2000s somehow come back to haunt us this generation?
Moving on, Postal 4 has been announced and released today in Early Access form. Check out the trailer below for different acts of conflagration and urination. Oh, and breaking bird boxes to unleash a flock of angry pigeons.

A class act, really. For those who were fortunate enough to not know about the series, the Postal series is known for being an open-ended game where you wreak havoc and cause lots of violence and over-the-top nonsense. This new iteration of the game is pretty much the same thing, but with a new town and slightly updated graphics.
The Early Access version of Postal 4 features the Monday list of errands to complete, with the first day serving as the game’s tutorial on how to cause havoc and misdeeds to your fellow neighbours. And just like every other game in the market, developer Running With Scissors released a pub(l)ic roadmap via Trello.
If this is your jam, go ahead and buy the Early Access version here. We won’t judge. Much.


Destiny 2 Shadowkeep Trailer Teases Impending Vex Army

Bungie has revealed a new trailer for the upcoming Destiny 2 Shadowkeep expansion, the Season Of The Undying. It teases an impending war with the robotic Vex army from Mars. In the trailer, we can hear the narration of Warlock Vanguard Ikora:

“We say that the Black Garden is the birthplace of the Vex, but it was not the beginning.
It was the reason. The life in the Garden called out a question.
The Vex are the answer.
They will do anything to protect the Garden.
In these things, there is symmetry. The gateways have opened. The Vex are coming.”

The Black Garden is a location featured in Destiny 1, but it was never fully explored, which is what the upcoming Shadowkeep expansion will do. The idea of ancient robotic machines rising from slumber has always been a fascinating concept for me, and the trailer looks epic in that regard.
Destiny 2 Shadowkeep is slated to launch on 1 October 2019 for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8mC5GaDoyQ&w=560&h=315]


The Nier Automata Anime Adaptation Is Off To A Good Start

In 2017, the world was blessed with the Square Enix and PlatinumGames collab action RPG Nier Automata, which is about a female and male android -2B and 9S respectively- fighting on behalf of humanity on a barren Earth while learning what it means to be human. It’s also filled with depression and nihilism, though with a tinge of hope in its ever-spanning storyline of the violence cycle. On the flip side, loads of people love cosplaying as the titular character 2B due to her dress sense and badassness. All in all, it’s a helluva game that does deserve a retelling of sorts in a different medium if under the right hands.
Fast forward to early 2023, and after a lot of goodwill and fanfare for both Nier Automata and its predecessor later, fans now get to watch the anime adaptation’s first-ever episode, and it’s all being overseen by game director Yoko Taro. Is it any good? Should you give it a chance after more than just one episode? Let’s break down what worked and what didn’t.
The Production Values
From the Aimer-sung OP to the fight scenes involving 2B and robots, I’m loving all the work done by Aniplex. Even the CGI bits which feel like could have been blended in better with the 2D work are serviceable, and don’t really detract from the main meat of the intro episode: seeing android killing robots big and small for their mission.

They Kept To The Source Material

The anime uses a lot of the same music from Keichi Okabe’s original score, though with a few tweaks to make it flow along with the new scenes that explain the setting our heroes are in. The show also combines both 2B and 9S’s scenarios that all detail the first hour of the original title to a tee. Fans will love what’s on display, while newbies will get to follow what’s going on. Heck, most of the events in the game’s factory location in the prologue are beat-by-beat recreated in the anime.

End-Of-Episode Pod Segment

At the end of the first episode, we’re treated to an “omake” segment involving 2B’s Pod 042 companion where he will showcase the multiple endings of the 2017 game in every episode. For this bit, we have a puppet show involving 2B and 9S talking more about themselves while talking about the Black Box self-destruct device they possess, before 2B inadvertedly taps hers with 9S’ and blows up the entire stage.
The actual endings will most likely be in the next episode or two, but the off-kilter presentation does show promise.

As the multiple endings are one of the most heavily-requested additions to the adaptation (at least based on comments and podcasts talking about anime and game adaptations), I’d say the Aniplex folks nailed the tone of this addition with flying colours. Ditto with the rest of the show; while it doesn’t really go beyond what’s in the source material for now, we do have a good number of episodes to go (probably 24 to recap the whole game) before we can judge the series as a whole.
So for now, keep this adaptation under the “to watch” list; it looks great, is respectful to the source material, and seems well-paced for now. Though we do hope the CGI bits can be polished a bit more down the road, the impending emotional rollercoaster ride from future episodes will hopefully make up for that. I’m just curious to see what crazy surprises are in store from Yoko Taro and the Aniplex production and direction crew.


You Can Now Play 2,500 Old MS-DOS PC Games Here

The Internet Archives is not just useful to see your old blogposts, but also to play old-as-heck games back in the 90s. Apparently, Archive.org recently added 2,500 new MS-DOS PC games into its catalogue.
You don’t need to go through the hassle of installing these games; just head here, click on a game, and it plays via browser Dosbox magic. We don’t have time to list through all 2,500 games, so I’ll just pick the noteworthy ones.

Alone in the Dark
the PC port of PS1 classic WipeOut
Night Trap, the other game that started the ESRB
the original Microsoft Flight Simulator
Cannon Fodder
Ultima Underworld & Ultima Underworld 2: The Stygian Abyss
Wing Nuts, some FMV game I keep seeing in the Malaysian CompAsia bargain bin. Yes, CompAsia was a thing way back then.
Ultimate Body Blows, the Amiga contender to Street Fighter that was also ported onto PCs.


Avengers Endgame Will Release In Malaysia Two Days Earlier Than In US

After yesterday’s new trailer of Avengers: Endgame, I’m sure that everyone’s hype levels are currently through the roof. The only thing that will increase the hype even further is if we somehow get to watch it even earlier. Guess what? That’s exactly what just happened!
GSC Cinemas has just confirmed Malaysians will actually be able to watch the upcoming blockbuster movie on 24 April 2019, which is two days earlier than US release date of 26 April 2019.

CONFIRMED: #AvengersEndGame will release in Malaysia on 24 April 2019 – 2 days earlier than the US! pic.twitter.com/I7So2SrrC4
â€” GSC Cinemas (@GSCinemas) March 15, 2019
Unfortunately, Avengers Endgame tickets are currently not on sale (at the time of writing), and none of the cinema chains have announced when they will be opening early advanced bookings for the upcoming movie yet.
In the meantime, check out my breakdown of the latest Avengers Endgame trailer here to tide you over until the movie eventually releases next month.


Here’s When You Can Check Out The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase

It’s inevitable: Xbox and Bethesda are teaming up to deliver one big giant-as-heck online games showcase for everyone all across the world this June.
The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase will be streamed on Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube on 14th June 1am GMT+8. It’ll last about 90 minutes.
What can we expect from the show? Here are our obvious guesses and predictions:

Halo Infinite’s new release date and new gameplay. Everything about this game.
Some news and gameplay for Fable and Everwild, two Xbox exclusive titles that were teased last year or so.
Another Forza racing game; hopefully a new Forza Horizon entry set in Japan or the whole of Asia.
Starfield, the long-awaited sci-fi RPG from Bethesda.
Elder Scrolls VI, the long-awaited fantasy RPG from Bethesda.
A new shooter from id Software, or just an ultimate version of Doom Eternal with all the DLC. For Xbox Game Pass.
Some news on Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo, two PS5 exclusives that are coming soon in 2021.

In any case, colour all of us excited. You can tune in to the stream on the date and time right here.