Kabaret Monsters List: All The Southeast Asian Monsters In Kabaret

Kabaret is a dark fantasy folklore narrative game (visual novel, basically) based on Southeast Asian culture and myths. The protagonist, Jebat, is cursed and uprooted from his small town to a mystical and unforgiving monster realm. Kabaret’s mystery unfolds as Jebat interacts with other Southeast Asian monsters in Kabaret while uncovering the truth about himself.
The game features characters from Southeast Asian myths and legends, and an exploration of minigames based on traditional games like Congkak and Guli. The game’s soundtrack features Indonesian band Sambasunda, and Malaysian composer, Tay Cher Siang, with sound design by Hello Universe. Kabaret is funded by Wings and is a part of ID@Xbox.
Kabaret is now available for PC via Steam, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
Check out the full list of monsters in Kabaret below; however, there will be spoilers ahead in some of the monster details:

Jebat

The main protagonist is Jebat.
While he doesn’t know what kind of monster he is at the beginning of the game, he later finds out that he’s a Naga, a divine, or semi-divine, race of half-human, half-serpent beings from Hindu mythology.
Caretaker

The Caretaker is a were-tiger, or a “harimau jadian” from Malaysia’s Malay folklore. Instead of a wolf, it’s a man who turns into a tiger.
Ekek

In Philippine mythology, Ekek (or Ek Ek) are birdlike human creatures. They are winged-humans who search for victims at night.
Raden

Raden is a Japanese term for one of the decorative techniques used in traditional crafts and woodwork. In the game, Raden is a frog made of wood, so that’s probably why.
Pontianak

The Pontianak is often depicted as a long-haired woman dressed in white, and it represents local variations of a vampire in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.
It’s one of the most popular ghosts in the region.
Jinn

According to Islamic belief or Arab mythology, the Jinn are creatures capable of causing physical and mental harm to human beings.
Tikbalang

The Tikbalang is a creature of Philippine folklore said to lurk in the mountains and rainforests of the Philippines. It is a tall, bony humanoid creature with the head and hooves of a horse and disproportionately long limbs, to the point that its knees reach above its head when it squats down.
Kuman Thong

Kuman Thong is a household divinity of Thai folk religion in Thailan. It is believed to bring luck and fortune to the owner if properly revered. Kuman, or Kumara (Pali) means “Sanctified young boy” (female kumari); thong means golden.
Rosie

She’s just a zombie. We all know what zombies are from the movies.
Ghost Boy

Just a simple ghost boy, but interestingly, he died during the Japanese invasion of Malaya (the former name for Malaysia) in 1941, which was a real tragic event that actually happened in history.
Ghost Lady

She also died during the Japanese invasion, and is now a ghost.
Ghost Man

He also died during the Japanese invasion, and is now a ghost.
Sad

Ghosts of Japanese soldiers are prevalent in local Malaysian horror tales, and this is inspired by that. He’s one of many Japanese soldiers who died in Malaysia during the invasion/occupancy.
Patriot

Another Japanese ghost soldier.
Mayang

From Malaysia, the Ulek Mayang is said to have its origin in an ancient tale about a sea-princess who fell in love with a fisherman. The princess abducted the fisherman’s soul, leaving his body unconscious. His friends entreated a bomoh (shaman) to heal him. When the bomoh conducted the healing ritual to bring the fisherman’s soul back, the princess appeared and responded by calling on five of her sisters to her aid.
The battle between the bomoh and the six princesses continued until seventh and the eldest princess appeared and put an end to it. The grateful bomoh and the fisherman’s friends present the princess with coloured rice as an offering to the spirits of the sea. This practice, along with the Ulek Mayang dance, continued until the Islamization movement of recent decades.
Rangda

Rangda is the demon queen of the Leyaks in Bali, according to traditional Balinese mythology. You might also recognise it from the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona games.
Jerangkung

From Malaysia, the Jerangkung are spirits of the murdered, taking the form of skeleton corpses. It is believed that Jerangkung is summoned by bomohs (Malay shamans) for the purpose of protecting him or herself from harm, especially when being cursed upon by others. A Jerangkung can cause harm to whomever’s body they possess.
Nabau

From Malaysia, according to Iban Borneo legend, Nabau is a giant snake comparable to the circumference of a drum and is more than 100 feet in length. Among the Iban folk tales, Nabau is like a “petara” (god) which has supernatural powers.
Sweet & Dream

They look like they’re inspired by Yin and Yang, but not by any specific mythology.
Babi Ngepet

Babi ngepet is a boar demon in Indonesian mythology. Babi ngepet are commonly known in Java and Bali. According to local myth, the creature is believed to be the manifestation of a person practising black magic.
Garuda

Garuda is a Hindu demigod who is primarily depicted as the mount (vahana) of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda is a part of state insignia of India, Indonesia and Thailand.
Pelesit

Pelesit is a type of familiar spirit in Malay folklore from Malaysia. It is generally a cricket, or occasionally a grasshopper. The term literally means “buzzer” from the root word lesit meaning to buzz or whizz, as an insect does.
Wawak

The Wakwak is a vampiric, bird-like creature in Philippine mythology.
Kinnara

A kinnara is a creature from Hindu and Buddhist mythology. They are described as part human and part bird, and have a strong association with music and love.
Tengkorak

It’s just a demon skeleton. Tengkorak is literally skeleton in Malay.  However, it looks like he’s wearing the traditional garb of a tribe from Sabah or Sarawak in Malaysia.
Buto Ijo

From Indonesia, the Buto Ijo are a species of giants. Buto means giant in Javanese, while Ijo just means green.
Kuman Nee

It’s a female version of the Kuman Thong.
Badang

Badang was a legendary Southeast Asian strongman from the Malay world in Malaysia. The written record of the legend of Si Badang is found in the Malay Annals, an important collection of oral folklore from the Malay World.
Toyol

A toyol is an undead infant in Indonesian and Malay folklore from Malaysia. It also appears in the various other mythologies of Southeast Asia and is typically invoked as a helper by shamans (dukun, pawang, or bomoh) by means of black magic.
Penanggalan

The penanggal or penanggalan is a nocturnal vampiric entity from Malay ghost myths. Its name comes from the word tanggal meaning to remove or take off, because its form is that of a floating disembodied woman’s head with its trailing organs still attached. From afar, it twinkles like a ball of flame, providing an explanation for the will-o’-the-wisp phenomenon.
Gumum & Kemboja

Derived from the legend of the dragon in Lake Chini in Pahang, Malaysia. One of the legends involved a princess named Gumum falling in love with a prince named Kemboja.
Vashuki

Vasuki is the second king of the nagas in Hinduism. He is described as having a gem called Nagamani (serpent’s ornament) on his head.
Manasa & Kaliya

Manasa is a Hindu goddess of snakes and a sister to Vasuki. Meanwhile, Kaliya was a venomous N?ga living in the Yamun? river, in V?nd?vana in India.
Sheshya

Sheshya is a serpentine demigod (naga) and Nagaraja (King of all serpents), as well as a primordial being of creation in Hinduism.


Avengers Endgame Sinks The Titanic, On Its Way To Conquering Pandora

In less than two weeks (11 days), Avengers Endgame has grossed an unthinkable $2.188 billion, not only overtaking James Cameron’s Titanic ($2.187 billion) but also becoming the fastest movie in history to be inducted into the 2 billion club, joining the likes of Avengers: Infinity War, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Titanic, and Avatar.
Box office analysts were initially skeptical of Avengers Endgame‘s chances to overtake Avatar‘s $2.788 billion, but now it’s no longer a pipe dream, as Marvel Studios’ juggernaut only needs a little more than $600 million to take the crown and become the highest-grossing movie of all time.
If the current momentum continues in the next few weeks, it’s not stretch to believe that Avengers Endgame might even cross the mythical $3 billion line, of which no movie in history has ever been able to do. Think about that for a second.
However, it’s not going to be smooth sailing for Avengers Endgame in the coming weeks, with heavy competition from the likes of the highly-anticipated Detective Pikachu and John Wick 3Â dropping very soon, not to mention Disney’s Aladdin and Godzilla: King of The Monsters later this month.
Nevertheless, as a comic book fan, I’m proud of how far comic book adaptations have come in such a short span of time. This is just the tip of the iceberg, folks. More is surely yet to come, and the golden age is just beginning.
In the meantime, check out our spoiler-free review ofÂ Avengers: EndgameÂ here, our discussion for whatâ€™s next post-Avengers EndgameÂ here, or the upcoming movies you can look forward to in the MCU Phase Four (4) post-Avengers EndgameÂ here, or what the future holds for the MCU cast we all know and loveÂ here.


Here Are Your Resident Evil Village PC Specs

Capcom’s RE Engine is widely-known to be optimized and capable of rendering amazing graphics even on PCs and laptops with lower specifications. Resident Evil Village seems like it continues that trend, as Capcom reveals the official PC specs for the upcoming game via its Steam page.
Resident Evil Village PC Specs

MINIMUM:

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS:Â Windows 10 (64 bit)
Processor:Â Intel Core i5-7500 ï¼ AMD Ryzen 3 1200
Memory:Â 8 GB RAM
Graphics:Â NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB VRAM ï¼ AMD Radeon RX 560 with 4GB VRAM
DirectX:Â Version 12
Additional Notes:Â Estimated performance (when set to Prioritize Performance): 1080p/60fps. ãƒ»Framerate might drop in graphics-intensive scenes. ãƒ»NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT required to support ray tracing. System requirements subject to change during game development.

RECOMMENDED:

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS:Â Windows 10 (64 bit)
Processor:Â Intel Core i7 8700 ï¼ AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Memory:Â 16 GB RAM
Graphics:Â NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ï¼ AMD Radeon RX 5700
DirectX:Â Version 12
Additional Notes:Â Estimated performance: 1080p/60fps ãƒ»Framerate might drop in graphics-intensive scenes. ãƒ»NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT required to support ray tracing. System requirements subject to change during game development.

According to the official website, 4K / 45FPS and 4K / 60FPS gameplay is possible with the graphic ‘Ray Tracing’ setting. * The frame rate may decrease in heavy load situations. However, players will require NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT in order to activate Ray Tracing.
Resident Evil VillageÂ is slated to launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 7 May 2021.


Apex Legends Anime-Inspired Gaiden Event Starts Next Week

Now you can phase rush as your favourite anime character thanks to Apex Legends’ Gaiden Event.
What a time to be a weeb. With otaku culture becoming more mainstream over the past several years, Respawn Entertainment has decided to take advantage of this opportunity and introduce anime-inspired cosmetics in their Gaiden Event starting from 19 July 2022.

That’s right, in this limited-time event, running from 19 July to 2 August, you’ll be able to earn exclusive cosmetics, participate in weekly flash events and experience the return of Armed and Dangerous mode.
Armed & Dangerous
If you’re new to the Apex then you may not be aware of this game mode as it was first introduced with the Voidwalker event in 2019. Armed and Dangerous is a special game mode where only sniper rifles and shotguns can be equipped, and you’ll only find a few common-level body shields on the map. Loot is generally much scarcer in Armed and Dangerous, and for this event, the mode will be available on World’s Edge, Olympus, and Storm Point.
Flash Events

19 July – 26 JULY 2022

Rewards include:

Fuse’s Down Thunder Epic Skin
Bionic Buddy Gun Charm
Epic 3030 “Cloudburst” Skin

26 July – 2 August 2022

Rewards include:

OK Holospray
1 Gaiden Event Pack
1 Apex Pack

In all, there are some 40 event-limited cosmetics to earn, including new legendary skins for Revenant, Mirage, Octane, and Wattson, with complementary weapon skins for the Flatline, Wingman, EVA-8 and Charge Rifle.
If you manage to collect all 40, you’ll unlock the latest prestige skin, which is the Apex Commander skin for Bangalore. Like other prestige skins, this one has three tiers to unlock – the outfit gets more elaborate as you unlock more tiers. Once you earn the skin, though, you’ll be able to continue working on unlocking prestige tiers on it even after the Gaiden event concludes on 2 August 2022.


Borderlands 3’s December 2020 Hotfix Activates Co-Op Loot Drop; Buffs Some Low-Tier Weapons

Another month, another hotfix for Gearbox’s OG loot-and-shoot series.
Borderlands 3 just received a 17th December 2020 hotfix which activates the Co-op Loot Drop mini-event. This event will cause all Badass enemies to drop more loot while players are playing co-op in online multiplayer and local split-screen. Which is nice, because there’s already a bonus when playing co-op; this just encourages lots of group play. The event will end on 22nd January 1am GMT+8.
Apart from some bug fixes like patching up a hole in Vaulthalla and the Singularity grenade causing the Arms Race boss to fall through the map, the hotfix also buffs a number of mediocre and low-tier guns. These include the Lucky 7, AutoAimÃ¨, and the Creamer, finally getting some love after all these months of neglect.
Full list of gun buffs below:
Slow Hand

Increased weapon damage
Increased healing percentage of damage dealt

Cheap Tips

Increased the amount and drop chance of casino chips

Creamer

Increased weapon damage
Increased healing percentage of damage dealt

Embers Purge

Increased the damage dealt by the pool of lava it spawns

Heartbreaker

Increased weapon damage
Increased healing percentage of damage dealt

Boomer

Increased weapon damage

Lucky 7

Increased the chance to get bonus effects after reloading

Scoville

Reduced ammo consumption from 4 to 2

AutoAimÃ¨

Increased weapon damage

ION LASER

Increased weapon damage

Soulrender

Increased the amount of damage from spawned skulls

Flama Diddle

Increased weapon damage

Hydrafrost

Increased weapon damage
Increased shock or incendiary damage duration
Added fire projectiles to each buff

Insider

Increased weapon damage

Love Drill

Increased the chance for bonus shock damage

Little Yeeti

Increased weapon damage

Clairvoyance

Increase weapon damage


Marvel Adds Ms Marvel, She-Hulk & Moon Knight To Disney Plus Lineup

Marvel Studios has announced three more additions to its growing Disney Plus lineup during the D23 2019 expo. According to Kevin Feige, those shows will be She-Hulk, Moon Knight, and Ms Marvel.
No details or release dates have been revealed about all the three shows, which means that these additions may be included in Marvel’s Phase Five slate, instead of the recently-announced Phase Four plans.
Ms Marvel

Marvel is really pushing Kamala Khan AKA Ms Marvel since she was initially introduced in 2014. While she assumes the mantle from Carol Danvers in the comics, her powers are completely different from the woman now known to many as Captain Marvel.
Khan is an Inhuman, with the ability to shapeshift her body into many shapes and sizes, from big to small, sort of like a variant on Mister Fantastic’s stretchy powers. She is a Muslim Pakistani-American and her heritage/religion plays a major part in making her character unique.
She-Hulk

This is a surprising series for Marvel to announce, considering that there has ever only been one Hulk movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which was 2008’s The Incredible Hulk.
For those who aren’t unfamiliar, She-Hulk is Jennifer Walters who acquires the power of a Hulk after receiving an emergency blood transfusion from her cousin, Bruce Banner AKA the original Hulk.
However, she retains her intelligence and normal human personality when turning into She-Hulk (until recently in the comics, that is). She works as a lawyer as her day job (much like Daredevil’s Matt Murdock).
Moon Knight

Fans have been requesting for a Moon Knight live-action adaptation for a while now, and their wishes are finally coming true. He is set to be the first true vigilante superhero in the MCU, if we dismiss the Marvel Netflix franchise as hogwash and non-canon (which is what we should do).
In the comics, Moon Knight is Marc Spector is aÂ former boxer and U.S. Marine, who left the military to become an international mercenary. However, a mission goes sideways in Egypt when he gets mortally wounded. Khonshu, the Egyptian God of the Moon and nighter travellers, heals him and gives him superhuman strength/endurance.
The catch is that Spector suffers from PTSD and dissociative identity disorder, which means that he has multiple personalities and is certified mentally unstable. It’s what Batman would totally be like if he were to exist in real life.

In the meantime, check out the full Marvel Phase Four slate as revealed at SDCC 2019 here, including the five Disney Plus series: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Loki, Marvel’s What If…? and Hawkeye.


Ghost Of Tsushima Fans Help Raise Money To Repair Real-Life Temple

Ghost Of Tsushima fans have helped raise more than a whopping US$260,000 to rebuild a shrine on the real Japanese island. Yuichi Hirayama is a priest at the real-life Watatsumi Shrine on Tsushima Island and heÂ launched a crowdfunding page in November 2020 to help rebuild a Torii gate that recently collapsed during a typhoon.
The crowdfunding effort ended on 10 January 2021 with 27,103,882 Japanese Yen (or roughly US$260,000) raised and over 2000 people contributing to the project.
Watatsumi Shrine is located in central Tsushima, dedicated to the deities Hikohohodemino Mikoto and Toyotamabime. Although it doesn’t appear in the Ghost Of Tsushima game, players can visit many landmarks from the real island, as detailed by a tourism collaboration site.
Repair work is expected to begin in April 2021 and complete by August 2021. The Shrine intends to engrave the names of those who have supported more than 10,000 yen (US$94) on a nearby stone monument.
Sucker Punchâ€™sÂ Ghost Of TsushimaÂ is now one of the most successful PlayStation exclusives of all time, withÂ more than five million copies sold since its launch in July 2020. You can check outÂ our review of the game here.


Summer Game Fest 2023 Announces Tons Of Participating Partners

The Summer Game Fest 2023 eveent will take place on 8 June 8 2023. It will be streamed live on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, and more. Summer Game Fest organiser and host Geoff Keighley has confirmed that over 40 companies will be taking part in the event.
Potential big reveals could be coming from PlayStation, Activision, Bandai Namco, Capcom, CD Projekt Red (that’s Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty news and stuff), EA, SEGA, Square Enix (more Final Fantasy XVI?), and more.
With E3 2023 cancelled, this is set to be one of the biggest game events of the year.
Check out the full list of participating companies below:

Activision
Amazon Games
Annapurna Interactive
Bandai Namco Entertainment
Behaviour Interactive
Capcom
CD Projekt RED
Devolver Digital
Digital Extremes
Disney Interactive
Electronic Arts
Epic Games
Focus Entertainment
Gearbox Publishing
Grinding Gear Games
HoYoverse
Kabam
Larian Studios
Level Infinite
Magic: The Gathering
Microsoft (Xbox)
Neowiz
Netflix
Nexon
Niantic
North Beach Games
Paradox Interactive
Pearl Abyss
Phoenix Labs
PLAION
Pocket Pair
Razer
Samsung Gaming Hub
Second Dinner
SEGA
Smilegate Entertainment
Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation)
Square Enix
Techland
Tribeca Festival
Ubisoft
Valve (Steam)
Warner Bros. Games

In the meantime, check out all the games announced during Summer Game Fest 2022 by heading over here.


This Senator’s Anti-Loot Box Bill Interview Will Shake Up The Video Games Industry

A few hours ago, Kotaku writer Jason Schreier interviewed US Senator Josh Hawley about a new anti-loot box bill that will be introduced and put in motion to the US Senate in the near future. Whether Hawley is an advocate for video game players and their psychological state, or whether he’s an ambitious politician who sees a win-win situation in this fledging industry ruled mostly by gacha games remains to be seen.
You can judge his motives and his drive from the interview excerpts and answers below.
On Whether He Has A Personal Stake In This
“I have to be honest with you […], I am not myself a gamer, so it does not stem from my personal experience. It stems from being a parent of two little boys and talking to lots of parents, and also hearing, by the way, from lots of gamers who are concerned about what the C-suite is doing here, basically adding casinos to childrenâ€™s games.”
On The Focus On The Youth Playing Video Games
“Adults can for sure be exploited. I think that childrenâ€”there are a couple of things as we know in a variety of contexts, whether itâ€™s casinos proper or public health issues, we often look at kids and say theyâ€™re uniquely vulnerable.”

“They donâ€™t necessarily know the nature of these microtransactions, being on the lookout for them in the way that an adult might. And while I realize that these microtransactions, these particular kinds, compromise the integrity of the game no matter who is subject to them, thereâ€™s something I think thatâ€™s pretty unique to kids and the addiction angle I think is pretty unique to kids as well.”

“So this is an area too where I think we ought to be able to come together on a bipartisan basis and say, â€˜Look, when youâ€™re directing this sort of pro-addiction activity, pro-addiction behaviour toward children, or practices toward children, we oughta be able to say ‘no’ to that.”

On The Skepticism & Publicity Concerns Of The Upcoming Bill
“I think if they thought it was a publicity stunt they wouldnâ€™t be so concerned. I think the reaction of the corporate lobbyistsâ€¦ sort of strongly suggests that theyâ€™re very worried about this. I think it probably also suggests that they know this practice is not going to stand up to public scrutiny.
Once parents really understand whatâ€™s going on here, and once the general public understands how these games are being manipulated, how their integrity is being compromised, how basically these companies have found a way to make whole gobs of money without really being upfront about it, and of course the addictive nature of it, I think theyâ€™re pretty worried that itâ€™s going to result in public backlash, and it should.”
On Whether His Peers And Colleagues In Congress Will Get Behind The Bill
“I think everybody though cares about the health and safety of kids. And they also should care about this broader problem of what Iâ€™ve started calling the addiction economy, which is a great example.
We see this in other spheres by the wayâ€”we see it in social media, weâ€™re seeing it here in the gaming industry, where youâ€™ve got these corporations finding new ways to try to hook folks, extract personal information from them, in the case of social media. Extract money of them in the case of games.”

“Without regard to what that does to either in the case of gaming the game itself and then to peopleâ€™s general health and wellbeing. So I think thereâ€™s a lot of concern about that and we hope to drive a conversation in this space.”

On The Free Market & Microtransactions Being About Personal Accountability
“Well, similarly, as with casinos, we donâ€™t allow children to go into casinos. We very carefully control, regulate what our children are exposed to. This is well within that model.
This is something every parent should care about, and I actually donâ€™t think that exertingâ€”when people understand that whatâ€™s essentially happening here is online gambling being inserted into these games, I think is a concern aboutâ€” […]
Once again itâ€™s a microtransaction thatâ€™s not necessarily expected, especially from a child up front. And it is meant to induce obviously further playing, but also further spending of money. So it works in much the same way I think. The same arguments would apply.”

On Video Game Companies Who Worry About This Bill Possibly Causing A New Video Game Crash
“These are very resourceful people, and Iâ€™m sure they can design games that donâ€™t rely on gambling directed at children in the centre of the game.”
Read the full interview here.Â
Why Should This US Issue Concern Us?
Because the majority of games we play like Dota 2, League of Legends, and Overwatch are all made and published from a parent company that’s from the United States of America. While China is arguably the biggest country on the planet, USA is just right behind and is still considered a huge influence in how it shapes the world’s economy and its video game business.
If the bill passes through and it’s part of US law, no doubt other countries may see this as a progressive step in regulating video game business practices that in turn have affected its workforce and wavering ethics. Don’t forget: Fortnite got to where it is today thanks in part to its microtransaction tactics and its use of crunch to justify keeping the game alive and running to pay off its shareholders and CEOs.


April Fools’ Jokes From The Games Industry In 2022

It’s another April Fools day and you know what that means. More fake news and joke-y announcements from developers, publishers, and companies in the games industry.
We’ll keep updating this article with more April Fools jokes as the day goes by.
Let’s see what we have this year:
Razer HyperSense Suit

This is clearly a dig at both the Metaverse and the PS5 DualSense controller.
Suit up for the metaverse with the revolutionary Razer HyperSense Suit—a highly-advanced, full-body gaming suit powered by the next generation of Razer HyperSense haptic technology. Take sensations to next levels of realism in all your favorite games and feel it the way it was meant to be experienced.
Sega Sonic Frontiers Bath Set

Sega announces the “Sonic Furontia” (a play on words that integrates the Japanese word for bath, which is “furo”) bath set.

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????https://t.co/anhV4WbBub#???? #???????? #AprilFoolsDay pic.twitter.com/WBqz5NWYKt
— ????????????????? (@SonicOfficialJP) March 31, 2022

Square Enix Dragon Quest Metal Storage Vault

Square Enix announces the Dragon Quest metal storage vault; which is a metal slime in the shape of a metal vault.
Among Us Horse Mode

No, it’s not a “horde mode”. It’s a “horse mode”.
PlatinumGames Neo Classic Arcade Shocking 10 Press Conference

A press conference announcing more fake games. How fun! See if you can spot the one and only Hideki Kamiya in the video.
Lost Ark VR

The MMO gets VR version. Actually, a VR MMO does sound like a fun idea, if anyone can pull it off.
HyperX
Peripheral company introduces a line of “Touch Grass” keyboards. Here’s the snide tagline:
“We’ve all had at least one person in our lives telling us to turn off the games, go outside, and touch some grass for once, but it’s time to finally put them in their place.”

Arika
The makers behind Fighting EX Layer showed off a game called Prayer to Death, an April’s Fool joke game demo featuring 3D shooting ala Virtual ON.

Bang Dream! Girls Band Party

The Bushimo team made a visual novel browser game as an April’s Fool joke featuring some of the cast of hit music rhythm mobile game Bang Dream! Girls Band Party. Check it out here.
Cygames’ Princess Connect! Re: Dive

The Cygames team takes a step further and made a pretty nifty Autochess-style game called Princess Connect! Grand Masters, available now for iOS and Android for a limited time. Website’s here.
The team even made a Princess Connect! Re: Dive Baseball Board game, which you can buy for 6,600 yen for some reason.

New Blood Interactive
The makers behind the really fun Ultrakill, Dusk, and Amid Evil will be delaying game production until 2023 due to the launch and prolonged effect of hit RPG Elden Ring. We know the feeling, unfortunately.

The world we are living in is uncertain.The times we are living in are unprecedented.
So it is with a heavy load that we bring you this important news: pic.twitter.com/17XH1o8WbZ
— New Blood Interactive (@NewBlood) April 1, 2022


Baldur’s Gate 3 Will Be Out In Early Access This Year

A Hasbro investor event at New York Toy Fair this weekend confirmed that Baldur’s Gate 3 will be out in Early Access form via PC later this year.

Not only that, but the presentation also highlighted seven new Dungeons & Dragons games, including Dark Alliance. Hasbro plans to release one D&D game every year until 2025.
Also, they plan to expand the Magic: The Gathering Arena platform region-wise. You know, for you CCG fans out there.
On a related note, Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios has opened a KL branch. They might still be hiring still, so if you want to help make history with a third Baldur’s Gate game, check them out!


Outriders Drops On Xbox Game Pass Tomorrow

Square Enix and People Can Fly have announced that Outriders is launching for the Microsoft Store on Windows and with Game Pass for PC and Ultimate tomorrow on 19 October 2021.
If this is the first time youâ€™re hearing about our game, Outriders is a brutal RPG co-op shooter whose gameplay is focused on combat, which is equally balanced between gunplay and skill usage.

If youâ€™re already a veteran Outrider on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, youâ€™ll be happy to hear that you can transfer your progress between the console and the Windows version if you use the same account on both platforms. However, progress cannot be transferred to or from the Windows version from any other PC storefront (e.g. Steam) or non-Xbox consoles.

Outriders also supports Cross-Play, which allows you to experience the game with players on other supported platforms. That means if you play Outriders through the Windows version, youâ€™ll be able to engage in multiplayer sessions with players who are on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and other platforms. Cross-Play can be enabled or disabled according to your own preferences in the settings menu. OutridersÂ is a complete package, and everything you need to start playing is already in the game, just waiting for you to start your journey.
However, if you fancy a little extra, thereâ€™s aÂ Hellâ€™s Rangers content packÂ which you can purchase separately for up to 10% off with your Xbox Game Pass membership discount.Â The Hellâ€™s Rangers pack includes some exclusive weapons, armour, and designs for your in-game truck. Aside from looking awesome, this gear will give you a bit of an advantage during the early section of the campaign as it includes a few weapon mods that would normally only be unlocked later in the game.

In the meantime, you can check outÂ what we thought about theÂ OutridersÂ demo here, orÂ head on over hereÂ for our guide on how to get the best legendary weapons and armour in the game.


Guilty Gear Strive Peaks At 31,000 Players In A Few Days; Also Gets Day 1 Patch

The PC version of Guilty Gear Strive is looking pretty healthy.
According to SteamDB.info, the game has hit an all-time peak at 31,156 as of 12th June within 24 hours. The Steam version came out on 11th June.

For comparison, Mortal Kombat 11 reached an all-time player peak of 35,147 about 2 years ago. Street Fighter V’s all-time peak was 14,783 about 5 years ago, while Tekken 7 was 18,966.
While Arc System Works’ latest has pretty awesome numbers due to its marketing, lovely art style, and current need for a fresh new fighting game, keep in mind that this is for the PC version. It’ll be a while until we find out sales and player numbers for the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game.
In addition, the game also received a day one 1.03 patch which contains the following:

All Online Matches: Fixed an error in which the game would rarely crash due to an application error when a match finished.
Player Match: Fixed an error in which, under certain circumstances, the game would crash due to an application error when displaying the member information via input by the right analog stick.
Battle Stage: Decreased the processing load for the “L’oro Di Illyria” stage in order to improve the issue in which it would significantly slow down the game when used in online matches.
Fixes to the following: network issues, Story Mode crashes.

We liked the new Guilty Gear, but felt that it needed more overall content to justify its triple-A price tag. Our full review is here.


You Can Now Listen To Vergil’s New Theme From Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition

During Tokyo Game Show 2020, Capcom discussed the game’s new features and also revealed the title of Vergil’s new battle theme from the upcoming Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition, especially since he’ll become a playable character in that game.
The title of Vergil’s new battle theme is Bury The Light and it’s already available on several music streaming sites like iTunes and Spotify. In fact, you can listen to the full song right now:

Devil May Cry 5 Special EditionÂ will add playable Vergil, Turbo Mode, Legendary Dark Night Mode, and ray-tracing. For existing owners ofÂ Devil May Cry V on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, Vergil will be available as paid DLC at a later unspecified date.

Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition will be available on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on the launch day of each respective console; 12/19 November 2020 for the PS5 and 10 November 2020 for the Xbox Series X/S.


Zombie Game Days Gone Gets 25GB Patch Ahead Of PS5

The PS4 games in the PS Plus Collection will be getting a boost when they’re on the PS5. One of them, Days Gone, will feature improved frame rates and faster load times. Which is why Sony Bend is getting ready a 25GB patch on the PS4.
The patch for the zombie-killing action game features the following:

Added operational stability improvements
Addressed crashing issues
Fixed framerate drop and lag issues
Performance and stability performance

Take note that The Last of Us Remastered also received an update that reduced its load times. Coincidence? Or just first-party companies getting ready for the PS5? Probably the latter.
Check out our original review of Days Gone here. We thought it was OK.


Swordship Brings Fast-Paced Dodge‘Em Up Action This September

Thunderful and Digital Kingdom have announced that Swordship will be winging its way onto PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC this September. A new release window trailer for the thrilling action title offers players a look at Swordship’s innovative dodge-based gameplay hook.
Swordship asks the question: what would a shoot’em up look like if you removed the shooting? The answer is an intense dodging game where placement is everything. As you speed through a post-apocalyptic flooded Earth pursued by hostile forces, you must weave your way between enemies and their attacks, tricking them into taking each other out with slick and skillful movement.
Swordship is set in a world where the consequences of global warming have forced the vast majority of humanity to take refuge in three gigantic underwater cities. Those who are expelled from the cities barely survive on the burned lands. Meanwhile, the megacities exchange millions of containers loaded with goods every day. You play as one of the small number of inhabitants prepared to steal those precious containers and deliver vital supplies to the banished.
Having an ultra fast boat stripped of bulky and heavy weapons is an asset for a smuggler trying to get their stolen goods from one place to another as quickly as possible, but leaves you vulnerable to attack. That’s why only the most skilled pilots can survive. Using your movement speed, turning the attacks of enemies against them and mastering the different weather conditions offered by procedurally generated levels is the only way to survive.
Players have the option of selecting from a number of different Swordship variants that each come with their own unique active power, offering the opportunity to experiment with a variety of approaches to overcoming the game’s challenging levels. Players can further tweak their playstyle by spending some of their stolen spoils on passive upgrades that can be accumulated throughout a run to boost their ships abilities and give them a better chance of making it through in one piece.
Game Designer Sandro Dall’Aglio said:
“We’ve been thrilled by the positive response we’ve had to Swordship since we first unveiled it last year. People really seemed to have grasped the intriguing gameplay potentials our unique ‘dodge’em up’ hook offers right off the bat! I can’t wait for everyone to finally be able to play the game when it launches on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC this September.”
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


God Of War Ragnarok Goes Gold Ahead Of Launch

Sony Santa Monica has announced that God Of War Ragnarok has gone gold ahead of the game’s launch on 9 November 2022.
The news was revealed via Twitter:
We are thrilled to announce that #GodofWarRagnarok has gone gold!
On behalf of SMS and all of our partners, thank you to the fans for supporting us over the course of development. We’re almost to launch and can’t wait for you to play on November 9! ?

We are thrilled to announce that #GodofWarRagnarok has gone gold!
On behalf of SMS and all of our partners, thank you to the fans for supporting us over the course of development. We’re almost to launch and can’t wait for you to play on November 9! ? pic.twitter.com/vptHyKJ1JP
— Santa Monica Studio – God of War Ragnarök (@SonySantaMonica) October 7, 2022

When a game goes gold, it means that the game is complete and that it is ready to ship without delays.
God Of War Ragnarok is slated to release for the PS4 and PS5 on 9 November 2022.


Aliens: Dark Descent Chest-Bursts Its Way Through June

You ready for an extraterrestrial adventure? We finally get a first look at Aliens: Dark Descent, the new Aliens game from developer Tindalos Interactive and Focus Entertainment! With the first gameplay trailer now released, we’re getting our first glimpse of what promises to be an intense real-time tactical action game set in the iconic Alien universe. You’re tasked to lead a squad of colonial marines as you investigate a xenomorph outbreak on Planet Lethe. Here’s the thing, death is permanent, so choose your team wisely.
Aliens: Dark Descent is set to launch on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC on June 20, 2023.


PUBG Mobile Gets New Royale Pass Month 4 Theme & Flower Menace Mode; Playable Right Now

Good news, PUBG Mobile fans from all across Southeast Asia. You’re getting new Royale Pass goodies for a limited time!
PUBG Mobile has launched the new Temporal Warrior Royale Pass Month 4 as part of its version 1.6 update. This also includes the new gameplay mode Flower Menace and Cyber Ring, as well as a bunch of new suits, weapon skins, and emotes. If you reach level 50 in this Royale Pass, you’ll get the Mecha Bruiser Set; you’ll need to have the Elite Pass first to get this exclusive reward.
Here’s a recap of what you can win exclusively if you have the Elite Pass and Royale Pass. The Elite Pass costs 600UC (RM30 in real money).

Royale Pass

Item

Royale Pass

Item

RP 1
Chrono Cyborg Set dan Chrono Cyborg – AKM
RP 20
Mouse Trap UAZ

RP 5
Chrono Cyborg Cover
RP 30
Ivory Knight Ornament dan Mecha Bruiser

RP 10
Chrono Cyborg Helmet
RP 40
Footlong – Mini14

RP 15
RP Avatar (M4)
RP 50
Mecha Bruiser Set dan Mecha Bruiser Cover

Plus, a Challenge Point System is also being implemented to evaluate player actions, awarding bonuses for positive behaviour such as not quitting, not using friendly fire or going AFK. Play nice, play fair, right?

The update is live right now and will be available until 15th November for all devices able to play PUBG Mobile (iOS and Android).


Cowboy FPS Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger Is Coming To Nintendo Switch

Prior to Red Dead Redemption 2‘s release last year, gamers had to quench their thirst for cowboy western games with either 2010’s Red Dead Redemption or 2013’s Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger, the latter of which was unique for its first-person perspective and cel-shaded graphics.
Publisher Techland has announced that Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger will be releasing for the Nintendo Switch later this year on 10 December 2019 at the price of US$19.99 (or roughly RM83+). It will feature upgrades like Motion Control and HD rumble support.
Techland producer Wojciech KuÅ›nierz said:

â€œThis is our homage to Wild West tales, an epic and violent journey of a ruthless bounty hunter on the trail of the Westâ€™s most notorious outlaws.
Blurring the lines between man and myth, this adventure made of memorable encounters, unveils the untold truth behind some of the greatest legends of the Old West.
Our Call of Juarez: Gunslinger journey really took us places, and we all agree the game is perfect for the Nintendo Switch.
It actually feels like the Switch was made for Call of Juarez: Gunslinger.â€œ

For gamers who didn’t have a PS3 or Xbox 360, Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger was one of the only cowboy western-themed games they could play on the PC. Add that to the fact that it’s a pretty good game by itself, it’s no wonder that Techland is bringing it back for a new generation on the Nintendo Switch.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below,
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkeOZA0pCsM&w=560&h=315]


Call Of Duty League Championship 2022 – Day 2 Recap

With Day 2 all wrapped up, unfortunately, we didn’t get to see as many Game 5’s as we did yesterday but nevertheless, upsets occurred and the storylines are beginning to build up as we progress through the tournament.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR DAY 1 RECAP
NEW YORK SUBLINERS vs. LONDON ROYAL RAVENS

To start off Day 2 we have the first elimination match of the tournament, between NY Subliners and London Royal Ravens which did actually go to a Game 5. Gavutu Hardpoint would be played for Game 1 and Byron “Nastie” Plumridge pops off for the Royal Ravens as he drops 30 kills and 21 deaths, resulting in a 1.43 K/D and the map win 250–214.
London dominated Desert Siege S&D, 6–2 with Nastie showing up yet again with a 2.25 K/D. For the Subliners, in contrast to the day prior, Matthew “KiSMET” Tinsley stepped up this map but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as the rest of the team suffered with 0.33 K/D. The highlight of the match was the crowd staying respectful as London did a ‘ninja defuse’ on New York.

W Crowd staying quiet on the Ninja Defuse. pic.twitter.com/BI8ucXRlmE
— Breaking Point (@GGBreakingPoint) August 5, 2022

With London at match point, New York needed a reverse sweep for them to stay in this tournament but to do so their members would need to switch on and earn their right to stay. Gavutu Control saw NYSL’s Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez step up as the phenomenal submachine gun player he is, pushing his team to take the map 3–1.
The second Hardpoint was played on Berlin and all of New York stepped up this series. All players for the Subliners managed over a 1.2 K/D with HyDra leading the pack with 31 kills and 20 deaths. Because of New York’s dominance, they were able to take Game 4, 250–173. We also saw Marcus “Afro” Reid from London have one of his worst maps this tournament with a K/D of 0.53 but the stats don’t show the phenomenal play he did.

AFRO ARE YOU KIDDING ME pic.twitter.com/tR7rlH4kOa
— Breaking Point (@GGBreakingPoint) August 5, 2022

And here we are again, Game 5 S&D but this time on Berlin. New York eventually took the map 6–4 but the scoreline doesn’t show how poorly the majority of London played. London only managed to stay in this game thanks to Joey “Gismo” Owen putting his team on his back but it was a little too late as before we knew it, HyDra and company ended the Brits’ run in this tournament.
TORONTO ULTRA vs. BOSTON BREACH

Next up was Boston versus Toronto. Game 1 was Tuscan Hardpoint and Toronto came out swinging as they dominated the Boston Breach in kills. Toronto closed out the map 250–170.
Game 2 saw Boston Breach bounce back hard as they decided to snatch the momentum from Toronto’s hands. Boston’s Dylan “Nero” Koch carried his team as he put on a masterclass of S&D prowess, finishing the map 9/2, that’s a 4.5 K/D. Boston absolutely dismantled Toronto in a flawless 6–0. No one from Boston died more than three times the entire map.

Nero is in his bag on Desert Siege SnD right now. pic.twitter.com/8g4jEXgQv0
— Breaking Point (@GGBreakingPoint) August 5, 2022

Thinking that they had the momentum, Boston came into Game 3 as confident as ever but unfortunately, Nero couldn’t show the same skill he portrayed in the previous map. Although his captain, Anthony “Methodz” Zinni managed to pick up after him, it just wasn’t enough for the Breach. Managing to bring the Berlin Control to a Round 5, Toronto clutched up and took Game 3, 3–2.
The next Hardpoint was to be on Berlin again, and although the scoreline 250–218 may seem like it was a somewhat well-fought map between the two teams, the stats show just how dominant the Toronto Ultra are as a Hardpoint team. All members of the Ultra got a 1.0 K/D or over and with that, we had the first series not to go to a Game 5 this tournament, and Boston were sent home.
ATLANTA FAZE vs. SEATTLE SURGE

The third game of the day was between Atlanta FaZe and the Seattle Surge, two of the highest killing teams in the game. Straight off the bat, Game 1 Tuscan Hardpoint ended in a two-point game with the Surge clutching up in the ending moments. Amer “Pred” Zulbeari from the Surge shows why he’s deserving of the Rookie of the Year title as he topped the leaderboard with a 1.43 K/D. The stats don’t show how crucial of a role Seattle’s Makenzie “Mack” Kelley also contributed to Surge taking the map 250–248

PRED AND MACK!!
THIS WAS INSANE pic.twitter.com/7jsBkldTWC
— Breaking Point (@GGBreakingPoint) August 5, 2022

FaZe bounced back in Game 2 on Berlin S&D thanks to both Tyler “aBeZy” Pharris and Alec “Arcitys” Sanderson getting a 2.0 and 2.5 K/D each respectively. In contrast to the last map, Pred only managed 1 kill throughout the entire map and died 6 times. FaZe closed out the map 6–2.
The Control was on Tuscan and was pretty one-sided as FaZe took the map 3–1. Arcitys topped the leaderboard achieving a 1.69 K/D with 27 kills and 16 deaths.
Next up was Berlin Hardpoint, and we got another extremely close game. Once again, Seattle managed to clutch up in the final moments when they were at a 13-point deficit, managing to clean up the FaZe members and secure the remaining time they need to win. Seattle took the second Hardpoint 250–244, bringing the series to another Game 5 once again.

The Seattle Surge are so ICY in Hardpoint. pic.twitter.com/yHWbVadjqu
— Breaking Point (@GGBreakingPoint) August 5, 2022

Tuscan S&D would be the last map in the series and these two teams were refusing to give in to one another. While Pred stepped up for the West Coast boys, Chris “Simp” Lehr and McArthur “Cellium” Jovel did the same for FaZe. The game went to Round 11 with Atlanta coming out on top as they #FaZeUp into the next round as they secured Top 3. Meaning Seattle would need to make a lower bracket run if they wanted the title.

OPTIC TEXAS vs. LOS ANGELES THIEVES

To close out the day we had what was in many people’s eyes, a possible Grand Final matchup between OpTic Texas and LA Thieves. Gavutu Hardpoint would be map one and with expectations high, GreenWall fans would be left very disappointed with the scoreline. LA Thieves join the 200-point club as they shattered the GreenWall 250 to a pitiful 58 points.
OpTic were hoping to bounce back in the Berlin S&D and although they managed to put up a good fight, the Thieves’ Zack “Drazah” Jordan shut them down completely as he managed himself a solid 13 kills and 6 deaths, helping his team close out the map 6–4. Kenneth “Kenny” Williams also embarrasses OpTic in a crucial 1v2 play in Round 4.

Kenny. Is. Turnt. pic.twitter.com/HlRYqFDh8x
— Breaking Point (@GGBreakingPoint) August 6, 2022

Usually it’s when their backs are against the wall, OpTic show their true potential and OpTic fans were on the edge of their seats during this match. But OpTic’s Indervir “iLLeY” Dhaliwal failed to live up to expectations of being an effective piece to OpTic’s arsenal. Sam “Octane” Larew from LA on the other hand had OpTic in between his fingers as he almost went double-positive and dropped 39 kills with only 20 deaths. LAT would secure themselves Top 3 and for OpTic, like Seattle, they would need to pull off a lower bracket run if they wanted to be in the Grand Finals.


Hackers Have Stolen FIFA 21 & Frostbite Source Code From EA

Due to a massive data breach, EA has its games’ source code and tools stolen (via Motherboard).
The hackers responsible has stolen about 780GB worth of internal development tools and the full source code for FIFA 21. The hackers also took the source code for EA’s patented Frostbite Engine, which is the company’s most popular in-house game engine that’s going to power the next Battlefield game.
An EA spokesperson has confirmed that the company has suffered a data breach; the files accessed by hackers were affected. No player information was shared, as far as we know.
“We are investigating a recent incident of intrusion into our network where a limited amount of game source code and related tools were stolen. No player data was accessed, and we have no reason to believe there is any risk to player privacy.
Following the incident, weâ€™ve already made security improvements and do not expect an impact on our games or our business. We are actively working with law enforcement officials and other experts as part of this ongoing criminal investigation.”
This seems like a targeted effort if EA’s player info database was not compromised. Would one say that this is a form of karma, given the company’s method of taking money from players for “F2P” mechanics in its paid-for triple-A games? You be the judge.


Is The Diablo 4 Open Beta Dates Going To Be Announced Next Week?

There’s a lot of rumours going around that Blizzard will be announcing the open beta dates for Diablo 4 soon.
Diablo GM Rod Fergusson said that the company will be teasing more action RPG details at this year’s IGN Fan Fest. An open beta date may seem likely to come out during the event. He sent out the most recent reply about the open beta when asked on Twitter:

Soon!  If only we were presenting at some sort of gaming moment this month where one might announce such a thing…
— Rod Fergusson (@RodFergusson) February 2, 2023

Diablo 4 will be out on 6th June for PC and consoles. For more info, head on over to this link.


MapleStory 2 Out This October; No Word On SEA Version Still

We had fun with the MapleStory 2 closed beta session a few weeks back. But you know what this means: the game is pretty close to launching later this year.
Lo and behold, it is. Nexon announced that the game will be available for everyone on 10th October. When we mean “all”, we mean American clients. There’s still no word about a Southeast Asian release of MapleStory 2 yet.
As a bonus, Nexon also announced that players can reserve character names and participate in the Mushking Royale -the game’s Battle Royale mode- preseason starting 22 August (US time).
This version of the mode will have new features like the ability to play in 3-player squads. The top players will be awarded Founder’s Packs which contains exclusive items, cosmetics, and early access to the game. How early? Try 1st October.
While we wait with bated breath for the English version of South Korea’s MMO wonderland (amongst many others), why not check out our preview of the game?Â Be sure to also come back to Kakuchopurei since we’ll have a guide on this game in October. We’re nice like that.
Update: game’s out now. Here’s an ever-evolving guide to sort you out.


E3 2019: JRPG Indie Tribute Cris Tales Lets You Fudge Around With Time

Cris Tales is a new indie game revealed at E3 PC Gaming Show 2019 that is essentially a “love letter to JRPGs”. True, many games like CrossCode have said this, but this one, in particular, has a twist.
In order for your protagonist Crisbell and her party members to end the rule of a cruel Empress and prevent cataclysms, you must visit the past, the present, and the future to sort it out. You can even visit them simultaneously to solve particular puzzles or even fight enemies from different timelines in old-fashioned turn-based combat. Oh yes, the game will have loads of combat to challenge your sensibilities.
The game’s story will unfold across five distinct regions and will have branching endings. Most importantly, the graphics and art style are friggin’ eye-popping, and it’s not just the anime eyes.

If you like what you see, you can play the game’s demo from today until 24th June on Steam. Best you do it now; the full game won’t be out until 2020.


Halo Infinite: Here Are The Exact Times You Can Start To Finish The Fight

Publisher Microsoft and developer 343 Industries have announced that Halo Infinite has gone gold, which means that the game is complete and ready to be distributed both physically and digitally.
The free-to-play Halo Infinite Multiplayer already launched on 14 November 2021, but the paid Halo Infinite‘s singleplayer campaign is slated to release on 8 December 2021.

#HaloInfinite has officially gone gold!
We'll see you on December 8, Spartans.
?? https://t.co/WUyHTqp6yp pic.twitter.com/bIbmyCParc
— Halo (@Halo) November 19, 2021

Halo Infinite will see a global simultaneous launch worldwide, starting at 10am PT on 8 December 2021. For those in Malaysia and the rest of Southeast Asia/Asia Pacific, that translates to 2am GMT+8 on 9 December 2021.
Check out the world map below to find out what time you can start playing Halo Infinite in your region:


Why Are People Butthurt About The Upcoming Diablo Game On Mobile?

Blizzard just announced its new entry in the Diablo series: a mobile-and possibly F2P- action RPG title called Diablo Immortal which takes place between Diablo II and Diablo III.
As a Diablo fan myself who used to do Diablo III‘s seasons and grind for armour sets, Diablo Immortal sounds like an interesting approach to the series.Â I figured I should go share my fascination with this upcoming game and engage in a friendly discussion about it…

This doesn’t bode well.

My god, the savagery. The absolute savagery. #diabloimmortal #Diablo #diablo @LaymenGaming pic.twitter.com/Jvt4XzswzS
— Skill Up (@SkillUpYT) November 2, 2018

Look Blizzard, if you announce a mobile spin-off/sequel of a PC series in a convention dominated by hardcore PC fans, especially to cap off your grand show, you’re going to get these results and responses.
Let’s bring up a few points on why people are hating on the game:
It’s Co-Made By A Chinese Game Company Known For Mobile Games
Netease is known for making a ton of fun, polished, and money-sucking mobile games like Rules of Survival (a PUBG knockoff for mobile), Crusaders of Light (a Diablo knock-off; I’ll get to that), and the Onmyoji series (some pandering RPG/MOBA series featuring Japanese mythological spirits). It’s only natural for this Chinese game company to partner with Blizzard for an all-new project since they had a hand in handling distribution and networking for Blizzard’s games since 2009 for WoW.
Methinks that guilt by association is the main cause of major disgruntlement over Diablo Immortal. It’s not unreasonable for people to be skeptic, given that the majority of mobile games out there are F2P pay-to-win garbage.
It’s Allegedly A Re-Skin Of Crusaders of Light
I haven’t played Crusaders of Light, but I heard it’s a pretty decent action RPG tailored after the Diablo series.Â Itâ€™s a free-to-play game where microtransactions can improve character stats, and currency can be purchased and then used in an auction house.

Diablo: Immortalâ€™s monetization structure hasnâ€™t been confirmed though fans speculate that Diablo Immortal may be a re-skin of that old game. At least, judging from the game’s UI design.
It’s A Legacy Game That’s “Dumbed Down”
A lot of people are clamouring for a new Diablo title since Diablo III: Reaper of Souls. While part 3 and its expansion is great and all, many hardcore fans want a true successor in the works. When Diablo Immortal was announced, people were confused/angry/mostly-angry.
If it’s a mobile game, chances are its depth, controls, and mechanics will be incredibly simplified for the current generation of casual gamers.Â Questions like these on the Q&A panel for Diablo Immortal and how the devs react to it is proof that this game may be a decision made by none other than Blizzard’s partner…

It’s An Obvious Influence From Activision
Activision-Blizzard isn’t just a fancy name: it’s a conglomerate hell-bent on making as much money as humanly possible. While the quality of Diablo Immortal is debatable -it might be damn good for a mobile game for all you know- its intention isn’t up for questioning. This game is going to be Activision-Blizzard’s cash cow and that alone can skew Blizzard’s philosophy of “gameplay matters”.
When big-time publishers like EA brought classic games like Ultima and Dungeon Keeper into the mobile F2P realm, they done f***ed up. It’s no surprise that gamers and Diablo fans are up in arms about Diablo Immortal.
It may not matter if the core game will be good; having Activision hovering over the title and having the F2P stigma all over the game means that someway, somehow, greed may take over and ruin whatever’s left of this mobile product. The fear of that even happening, if there’s even 1% of that remotely coming true, may have triggered gamers and Diablo fans.

One would think, perhaps, that with Blizzard founder Michael Morhaime stepping down (announced last month), these sort of “game design-compromising experiments & schemes” can come to fruition at last. Think about it.
And Now: Blizzard’s Official Response Following The Backlash
Don’t fret: Diablo fans. There’s a light at the end of this crap-laden tunnel.Â According to a Polygon article,Â executive producer and Blizzard co-founder Allen Adham and production director Dan Eggren repeatedly stressed thatÂ ImmortalÂ is just one of the Diablo games currently in development at Blizzard.
The two hoped that fans will remain patient for future announcements. “We have said that we have multiple Diablo teams working on multiple Diablo projects and that remains true, even after releasing [Diablo 3Â for Nintendo] Switch and announcingÂ Diablo: Immortal.”

“WeÂ stillÂ have multiple Diablo teams working on multiple unannounced Diablo projects. Diablo is a tentpole franchise for us. And it always will be. We love it. We hope our fans understand what weâ€™re saying when we say that.”

Does this mean we are still going to get a Diablo IV? Definitely, since Blizzard has mentioned before that a separate team is handling the sequel. Does this mean that Diablo Immortal might be that game that holding part 4 ransom? Who knows.
All I can say is that right now, this may be our only new way of getting a Diablo fix for good or for ill. The developers are obviously doing their damnest to make a mobile Diablo work. Until it’s out and about in beta form, I’ll reserve judgment. You should too; try not to harass the folks behind the game. It’ll make you look sad.


F1’s Lando Norris Will Be Racing With A Master Chief Helmet On In Singapore

Update (30/9/2022): The Master Chief helmet is on sale. Details below.
Our neighbours down south, Singapore, are having a ball of a weekend with the F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2022 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. And one of the internationally-renowned racers will be wearing one of Halo’s most iconic gear.
According to media personality Jake Lucky, apparel company and esports group Quadrant has officially joined Halo’s Championship Series (HCS). F1 racer Lando Norris, who runs Quadrant himself and therefore brandishing the company name, will don Master Chief’s helmet for the upcoming F1 Singapore Grand Prix races.

The helmet itself is custom-made so that it follows F1 regulations; you can’t just create a random helmet and be off in the circuit as that’s a probable safety hazard. Check it out in all its glory below.

Tweets by JakeSucky
The gear itself looks pretty damn sweet; I know a number of people who would want this on their desks or trophy shelf. Quadrant did say that they will be selling a 1:2 sized version of the helmet to fans and customers; the price is not disclosed at this point in time.
The Halo Mini Helmet costs US$165 and ships to Malaysia. Go buy it here.


You Can’t Play Godfall Online, But It’s Not A Live-Service Game

Upcoming Gearbox-published action RPG “looter-slasher” Godfall will be playable in solo or co-op mode. However, you’ll have to be online no matter what. This is confirmed by the game’s official Twitter account.

Godfall is not a service game, but does require an internet connection to play.
— Godfall (@PlayGodfall) October 2, 2020

Which is pretty normal in this day and age where Diablo 3 and other earlier titles set the trend back in 2012. We’re guessing this is to prevent cheating ala Diablo 2. If folks are offline with an action RPG game, what’s to stop people from creating trainers and third-party mods to reward themselves with the best loot right out of the gate? Though to be fair, there’s no PvP in Godfall, as far as we know.
Godfall will be out this 12th November for PC (via Epic Games Store) and PS5. If you’re curious as to see how the game’s UI look, skip to 30:16 on the video below.

Super clean, intuitive, and does not get in the way of the heavy metal fantasy aesthetics. Just the way I like it.


Rick And Morty Season 5 Trailer Makes Fun Of Voltron

Rick And Morty Season 4 ended in May 2020, and we’ve been waiting for more of their intergalactic shenanigans ever since. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait long, as a new trailer for Rick And Morty Season 5 has revealed that it will premiere on 20 June 2021.
The kickoff for the upcoming new season will also mark the first-ever Rick And Morty Day, which promises â€œsneak peeks, behind the scenes footage and special surprises across TV, digital and social”, according to Polygon.
The trailer doesn’t reveal much of what to expect in terms of plot or the answer to any lingering questions from Season 4. What we do get are easter eggs and fun homages to Voltron, Blade and even Hellraiser.
Check out the new trailer below:


ASUS ROG Gaming Laptops With RTX 3060 Launches In Malaysia Next Month

ROG Malaysia has announced that they have launched new 2021 gaming laptops, powered by the latest GPU series from NVIDIA. The new ROG gaming laptops with RTX 3060 will launch sometime in April 2021.
TUF Dash F15

FX516P-MHN085T â€“ RM4699

“IntelÂ® Coreâ„¢ i5-11300H Processor 3.1 GHz, 4 coresÂ (8MÂ Cache,Â upÂ toÂ 4.4GHz)”
NVIDIAÂ® GeForce RTXâ„¢ 3060 6GB GDDR6
Total 8GB RAM
Slot 1: Empty
On-board: 8GB DDR4-3200
Slot 1: 512GB M.2 NVMeâ„¢ PCIeÂ® 3.0 SSD
Slot 2: Empty

FX516P-MHN074T â€“ RM5499

“IntelÂ® Coreâ„¢ i7-11370H Processor 3.3 GHz, 4 cores(12MÂ Cache,Â upÂ toÂ 4.8GHz)”
NVIDIAÂ® GeForce RTXâ„¢ 3060 6GB GDDR6
Total 16GB RAM
Slot 1: 8GB DDR4-3200
On-board: 8GB DDR4-3200
Slot 1: 512GB M.2 NVMeâ„¢ PCIeÂ® 3.0 SSD
Slot 2: Empty

Official product website:Â https://www.asus.com/my/Laptops/For-Gaming/TUF-Gaming/2021-ASUS-TUF-Dash-F15/

ROG STRIX G15/17

G513Q-MHN266Tâ€“ RM5999

AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 5900HX Processor 3.1 GHz (16M Cache, up to 4.5 GHz)
NVIDIAÂ® GeForce RTXâ„¢ 3060 6GB GDDR6
Total 16GB RAM
Slot 1: 8GB DDR4-3200
Slot 2: 8GB DDR4-3200
Slot 1: 512GB M.2 NVMeâ„¢ PCIeÂ® 3.0 SSD
Slot 2: Empty

G713Q-MHX132T â€“ RM6299

AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 5900HX Processor 3.1 GHz (16M Cache, up to 4.5 GHz)
NVIDIAÂ® GeForce RTXâ„¢ 3060 6GB GDDR6
Total 16GB RAM
Slot 1: 8GB DDR4-3200
Slot 2: 8GB DDR4-3200
Slot 1: 1TB M.2 NVMeâ„¢ PCIeÂ® 3.0 SSD
Slot 2: Empty

Official product website: https://rog.asus.com/my/laptops/rog-strix/2021-rog-strix-g15-series/ https://rog.asus.com/my/laptops/rog-strix/2021-rog-strix-g17-series/

ROG Zephyrus G14

ROG Zephyrus G14 Max TGP – RM7699

AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 5900HS Processor 3.1 GHz (16M Cache, up to 4.5 GHz)
NVIDIAÂ® GeForce RTXâ„¢ 3060 6GB GDDR6
Total 16GB RAM
Slot 1: 8GB DDR4-3200
On-board: 8GB DDR4-3200
Slot 1: 1TB M.2 NVMeâ„¢ PCIeÂ® 3.0 SSD

GA401Q-MK2237TSÂ â€“ Moonlight White
GA401Q-MK2164TS â€“ Eclipse Gray
Official product website:Â https://rog.asus.com/my/laptops/rog-zephyrus/2021-rog-zephyrus-g14-series/


The Genshin Impact Concert 2022 Is Happening This Weekend

Hoyoverse’s Genshin Impact Concert is returning this year on 2 October 2022 at 12am GMT+8. This will be the second iteration of the event. Last year, the Genshin Impact concert aired for the first time.
Genshin Impact and HOYO-MiX will collaborate with various musicians to write a new chapter in this wonderful musical journey together. Like last year, the resplendent melodies that resonate in the world of Teyvat will once again be heard.
Highlights of the show include:

Shiro SAGISU, world-renowned composer and producer for Neon Genesis Evangelion, appointed as music director.
A global broadcast to feature Genshin Impact music from Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, and Sumeru.
Reimagined soundtracks created by Shiro SAGISU with global bands and musicians.
Original music to be performed by the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra and conducted by Eímear Noone.

Genshin Impact players can even share the Concert Pass from the official website to earn Primogems and other rewards.
You can watch Genshin Concert 2022 Melodies of an Endless Journey on Genshin Impact’s official channels, including the official Genshin Impact YouTube channel.
In the meantime, check out the teaser below:


JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R Launches This September; Still 30 Frames Per Second

The 2D-esque fighting game based on the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure manga and anime will be coming out soon for current gen consoles and PC.
Bandai Namco announced that JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R will launch for Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on 2nd September in English. The game is made by developer CyberConnect2, who are known for their furry RPGs, Asura’s Wrath, and plethora of anime fighting games.
An “Early Access” demo of the game will be available soon for PS5 and PS4; this version features online player-versus-player and practice modes. In addition, the game will have a Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition. The latter costs US$69.99 and has a Season Pass that grants access to four new playable characters:

Speedwagon (from Book 1)
Mariah (from Book 3)
Petshop (from Book 3)
Diego Brando (from Steel Ball Run)

The first version of the game came out for PS3 back in 2013. It featured a ton of characters from Books 1 to 6, and also from Steel Ball Run. It was fun, but pretty broken and ran at 30 frames per second which is a death knell for a fighting game’s credibility. As a fan service game though? It’s a goldmine. Hopefully the new additions in version R can spiff the next-gen versions up.
Check out the new trailer below:


Werewolf The Apocalypse Earthblood Guide: How To Be The Best Warrior Of Gaia

Developed by Cyanide Studio, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is an action RPG where you play as a werewolf. It’s a pretty fun game if you’re looking to delve into your inner werewolf spirit and some bloody violence.
You will definitely need a lot more to go about it, so here’s a quick spoiler-free guide about the ways of the (were)wolf in digital form.
What Is Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood About?

While the game is based on White Wolf Publishing’s tabletop role-playing game Werewolf: The Apocalypse and part of the larger World Of Darkness franchise, you don’t need to have any prior knowledge the understand the story and plot in Werewolf: The Apocalypse- Earthblood.
The biggest appeal is simply letting loose as a werewolf. I’m actually genuinely surprised why there aren’t more games that you can play as a werewolf. Only The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim really comes to mind. Players assume the role of Cahal, an eco-terrorist werewolf who fights an evil and greedy megacorporation called Endron/Pentex.

Werewolf: Apocalypse – Earthblood is linear in nature, but there’s a lot of exploration you can do & sidequests you can tackle around the hub levels. The major collectibles in the game are spirits (more on that later).
Engaging in dialogue and conversation is another major gameplay mechanic, but it isn’t as thorough. The meat of the gameplay is still the combat. There are two major mechanics; combat and stealth. In the game, you’ll essentially go from room to room or area to area with groups of enemies and you can either go stealth or go full-on werewolf mode.
With that out of the way, here are some tips to make you get ahead as alpha wolf.
Play This Game On Hard

First and foremost, the game will ask you what difficulty to choose. Usually, most gamers (including me) would go for Normal difficulty. However, in this case, normal is quite frankly closer to easy. Werewolf The Apocalypse Earthblood’s default difficulty is meant for fresh action game players.
If you’re used to action games, we would suggest taking Hard difficulty if you’re looking for a challenge. You won’t die a lot (or at all) in Normal mode, even during any of the boss battles in the game, with the sole exception of the final boss. And even that was only the one time. If you follow our combat tips, you can definitely be the alpha werewolf there is.
You Can Cheese Through Anything In The Game By Following These Combat Tips

While there are three forms in the game, the only form you’ll engage in combat with is the Crinos form, which is the titular werewolf. Combat in Werewolf The Apocalypse Earthblood contains a bit of depth: you have two different stances and the ability to transform into a more powerful form, Frenzy.
Players can change stances simply by pressing a button at any time; R2 on the PS4/PS5. Normally, the Agile stance is faster but weaker, while the Heavy stance is stronger (both in attack and defence) but slower. As seen above, the game also claims that the Agile stance has faster Rage regeneration but that’s not the case, especially when you’ve upgraded and unlocked certain abilities in the skill tree.
First, let us explain what Rage is for. In combat, Rage is used to execute special moves like Healing, Leaping and others (all of which are executed by pressing the L2 button with another of the face buttons like Cross or Circle). The Rage meter can be increased by doing combos in combat, doing stealth takedowns, or drinking flasks. Players can accumulate up to a total of eight Rage slots (once you’ve upgraded it), one of which will deplete when using a special move.
There’s another important meter called Fury. When completely filled, Cahal will enter a Frenzy mode, which is the most powerful form in the game. It has the benefits of both Agile and Heavy stances and is basically a super god mode like Dante’s Devil Trigger in Devil May Cry.
Here’s the fastest way to gain Fury, which will allow players to spam Frenzy mode in a very short time:

First, unlock the Heavy stance special move Rush, which costs one Spirit Point. This special move/attack can be used by pressing L2+Circle, which uses up one Rage slot.

Then, unlock the Unstoppable Warrior node, which costs three Spirit Points. Unlocking this will enable players to accumulate Fury simply by using Rush. Trust us, this is the fastest way in the game to increase Fury and get access to Frenzy mode.

That’s it. In every battle, just accumulate Rage and spam the special move Rush. Executing Rush around three times will result in a full Fury meter. Then, simply unleash Frenzy mode and cut everything in front of you like a knife cuts through butter.

Check out our combat tips in action in the video below:

Upgrade Skills Related To Penumbra Vision And Finding Spirits First

There is one skill in the game’s skill tree that you absolutely must unlock before anything else; even the two skills I mentioned above in the combat tips section. Unlocking Spiritual Link for only one Spirit Point is important because it is vital to easily gain more Spirit Points to unlock more skills, but also to obtain the hardest trophy in the game.
The most important mechanic in Werewolf The Apocalypse Earthblood is the Penumbra Vision. It’s the game’s equivalent of Assassin’s Creed‘s Eagle Vision. It allows players to see through walls to see glowing enemies and objects such as vents, cameras and reinforcement doors to sabotage.
But the Penumbra Vision doesn’t just do that. It has another important non-combat/non-stealth use. Penumbra Vision is used to as a sort of third eyesight to find Spirits of Gaia throughout the game’s hub levels. Finding these Spirits and interacting with them requires Penumbra Vision, but they’re located randomly around the game. Even without Penumbra Vision, players can notice these hidden Spirits by finding plants or little statues that glints. There are 100 of them in the game, and after completing the game, I only managed to find half of them because I realised one thing too late; that this one skill can help me pinpoint their location easier.
Most importantly though, these Spirits will give you Spirit Points, which is required to unlock skills in the skills tree. The only other way to gain Spirit Points is by completing story missions and side quests, and there aren’t enough Spirit Points to accumulate just by doing those. Even after finding 51 of these Spirits, there were still several nodes I didn’t manage to unlock on the skill tree at the end of the game.
You can check out two different Spirits you can find via the Penumbra Vision below. Only the first type gives you Spirit Points, while the second type doesn’t. To distinguish them, only the second type will speak to the player.
[videopress 7sAupfE6]

[videopress ToJuKwyE]
With the Spiritual Link skill, you can see where the Spirits are located by using Penumbra Vision. They are at the white spots in your Penumbra Vision. If you don’t have the Spiritual Link skill, you’ll have to get really close before you can even see these Spirits.
See those white spots? Spiritual Link allows you to see where the Spirits are located.
The Best Werewolf The Apocalypse Earthblood Skills (Not Related To Spirites)
The skill tree in this game gets to the point when it comes to action games. It won’t be possible to unlock every skill by the end of one playthrough (unless you find every spirit in the game), so here are the best skills you should unlock first in no particular order.
Of course, these should come after unlocking the three upgrades we mentioned: Spiritual Link, Rush, and Unstoppable Warrior.
Electric Bolts

Unlocking this for only one Spirit Point is important because it lets you disable cameras, reinforcement entries (where enemy reinforcements come from), and most importantly, turrets. Turrets only come into play in the second half of the game, but they do insanely high amounts of damage with their rapid-fire silver bullets. And you know what silver bullets can do to a werewolf, right?
You can only disable turrets by shooting them with an Electric Bolt or by getting to a computer terminal, which requires stealth to reach.
Release The Wolf I And Release The Wolf II

If you want more Rage slots, you can unlock Release The Wolf I (costs one Spirit Point) and Release the Wolf II (costs two Spirit Points). It’s always nice to have more Rage slots, which means more chances to spam Rush or other Special Move.
Regenerative Metabolism

The only way to heal and restore health in this game is to use the special move Healing, which uses one Rage slot. Unlocking Regenerative Metabolism will ensure that your health will keep restoring when you do more combos.
Strength Of Will

If you’re following my combat tips above, then you’ll want to prioritize the Heavy stance and with Strength Of Will (which costs two Spirit Points), you will increase your defence and total health. This makes the Heavy stance even more of a tank.
Weaver Surge

Like we said before, the only way to heal is by using the special move Healing, but if you get into Frenzy mode quickly enough with my combat tips, Weaver Surge (costs only one Spirit Point) will trigger automatic healing in Frenzy mode, making it even more OP.
Taste For Flesh

After unlocking Weaver Surge, you should unlock Taste For Flesh (costs two Spirit Points). Every hit in Frenzy mode heals your Crinos, which essentially makes you almost unstoppable at this point, especially considering how fast and powerful Frenzy mode is.
Incorruptible Fury I And Incorruptible Fury II

Incorruptible Fury I (one Spirit Point) And Incorruptible Fury II (two Spirit Points) will make your Frenzy mode even stronger. The former will make it so that no enemy attack can interrupt any of your attacks, and the latter will prolong your Frenzy mode, as every hit will generate Fury. It’s theoretically possible, then, to make Frenzy mode last an entire combat encounter when this skill is unlocked.

You Can Re-Spec Your Skills And Gain All Spirit Points Back At Any Time Without Any Cost

There are two major hub levels in Werewolf The Apocalypse Earthblood . We’re pointing that out because, in both areas, there’s a way to completely re-spec your skill tree at any time without any cost.
In the first major hub level (the forested area), you can reset your skills by speaking with the Guardian Spirit named Yfen (the huge tree creature in the image above).
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In the second major hub level (the desert), you can reset your skills by speaking to the Red Talon leader Onawa (the scary lady in the image below):

There is also a smaller hub level in between two of these major hub levels, but we won’t spoil what it is. You’ll be spending only a short while there compared to the other two major hub levels; it’s worth pointing out.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood Stealth Tips

Here’s an important thing to understand about Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood. Yes, the game teaches you to be stealthy in the early tutorials like how to use the crossbow and execute takedowns. But by and large, stealth is almost always optional, and you can just go diving into beast mode without any real consequences.
The only negative consequence of getting discovered during stealth is that enemy reinforcements will arrive, though this just means more meat bags for you to cut down are a badass werewolf. Which is really the whole point of an action title like Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood.
There’s no morality system to worry about; thankfully. This game is more action than RPG, so go nuts and create havoc tooth and claw. Having said that, here are some tips if you want to be good at stealth:

Remember, the main purpose of stealth in this game is primarily to increase the Rage meter and whittle down enemy counts. Every Takedown and Crossbow kill will add to the Rage meter.
If you get caught during stealth, always remember to quickly press R1 (on PS4/PS5) and turn into a werewolf to take advantage of the element of surprise.
If there’s no way to sneak past a group of enemies, search for a hidden vent or room with a computer terminal.
A computer terminal can be used to deactivate cameras and turrets, as well as unlock locked doors.
It’s easier to sneak around unnoticed in the Lupus form so always go for that during stealth (instead of the human form).
Don’t forget to utilize Penumbra Vision at any time to find vents, cameras, and enemies. Wolf wallhack vision is fun!

The Game Doesn’t Teach You This, But You Can Bark In Lupus Form To Attract An Enemy’s Attention During Stealth

You can press the Down directional button on PS4/PS5 to bark in Lupus form in order to attract the attention of an enemy and get them to come to you. This makes stealth easier and less frustrating, in case you don’t play well with sneaking around as a good boy.
There Are Two Endings, But No New Game Plus Options

Werewolf The Apocalypse EarthbloodÂ has two different endings, based on the final choice that players make at the end of the game. However, there is no New Game+ to make you replay the game with all of your skills. So if you want to see the other ending, you may need to load a previous save file.
Disclaimer: this post is sponsored by Nacon.


Here’s How You Can Play The NBA 2K21 Demo

2K Games will be releasing a demo of its latest basketball annual title NBA 2K21 on 24th August.
Here’s what you can expect from this iteration of NBA 2K:

The overhauled “Pro Stick” where the right thumbstick commands shot-taking, juke, fake, and extra dribble techniques.
A new feature that lets players aim with the shot stick. This year’s version will let you take shots via a mini-targeting system. Instead of stopping the shot meter when you reach the perfect release window, you adjust the Pro Stick in real time to hit the ideal center aim point.

You can get the demo from either the PlayStation Network store, the Xbox Game Store, or the Nintendo Store for the respective PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions.Â NBA 2K21 will be out 4th September. Portland’s Damian Lillard is the cover star, with the late Hall-of-Famer Kobe Bryant being the frontman for the special edition. Because nothing spells “classy” like a game company pimping a former basketball legend who died by tragic reasons onto the latest annual basketball game roster update via the expensive edition.


QuakeCon 2022 Schedule: Our Picks & Highlights

It’s almost that time of year again, QuakeCon returns on 18 August to 20 August. QuakeCon 2022 brings the fun and community to your home with livestreams, giveaways, charity drives and more, plus a little something bonus for DOOM Eternal fans.
Stay tuned for our coverage in the coming days.
Check out the schedule below for the local Southeast Asian timings of selected panels and highlights we’ve picked. If you can’t find what you’re looking for then feel free to check out the official QuakeCon schedule.
THURSDAY – 18 AUGUST
6:30 PM (GMT+8): Quake World Championship 2022
Stream: Twitch

FRIDAY – 19 AUGUST
1:15 AM (GMT+8): Bringing Redfall to Life with Arkane Austin
Details: The team at Arkane Austin takes you inside their upcoming squad-based vampire shooter with new insights, gameplay details and more!
Stream: Twitch

1:45 AM (GMT+8): The Elder Scrolls Online – Talkin’ Tamriel
Stream: Twitch
4:30 AM (GMT+8): Fallout 76 | Expeditions: The Pitt and Beyond!
Details: Catch a closer look at the upcoming Expeditions feature, The Pitt, and more with members of the Fallout 76 development team.
Stream: Twitch
7:15 AM (GMT+8): Ghostwire: Tokyo | Pet the Dogs Speedrun
Details: Join Community Manager Andre Carlos and Parker Wilhelm as they try to pet every Shiba in Shibuya, and chat about real-life animal rescue success stories from Dallas Pets Alive! and FOUR PAWS. Plus, some ghostly giveaways!
Stream: Twitch
6:30 PM (GMT+8): Quake World Championship 2022
Stream: Twitch
9:10 PM (GMT+8): Let’s talk Quake and Quake Champions
Details: Pierpaolo interviews Marco “vengeurR” Ragusa about his experience as Quake Champions’ 2021 Worldwide Champion. Then the Multiplayer community will challenge him in a match.
Stream: Twitch
11:30 PM (GMT+8): Deathloop and Redfall: the two souls of Arkane
Details: Giordana will analyze the two most recent games by Arkane. Two titles, two different teams, but Arkane’s unmistakable style to lead them both.
Stream: Twitch

11:45 PM (GMT+8): The Pitt is back in Fallout 76
Details: The Eurogamer Spain team and The Taxidermist discuss the return of the Pitt to Fallout 76 and share their experiences in that area from Fallout 3.
Stream: Twitch
SATURDAY – 20 AUGUST
12:00 AM (GMT+8): A Deep-dive into ESO: High Isle
Details: Enjoy a deep dive into the world of High Isle with Abu Dahm, discussing what’s new in the world of ESO.
Stream: Abu Dahm

12:45 AM (GMT+8): The Legacy and Future of Arkane
Details: The Eurogamer team discusses the trajectory of Arkane, its games published by Bethesda and a recap of what we know about Redfall.
Stream: Twitch
1:00 AM (GMT+8): ESO Lorecast
Details: Elder Scrolls Online is full of Lore! With the help of Tom and Murph overseeing the Lorecast, a pre-recorded video (approximately 1 hour) is dedicated to going over some specific lore that will be covered.
Stream: Twitch
1:10 AM (GMT+8): ESO Memories
Details: Toqtir and ClumsyKitty talk about some of their fondest memories in ESO.
Stream: YouTube
2:00 AM (GMT+8): Returning to Tamriel
Details: Two members of the Eurogamer Spain team play TESO with subscribers and community members.
Stream: Twitch
2:30 AM (GMT+8): Bethesda Nostalgia Panel
Details: Multiplayer chats with PintiPanda and Beril Sergün about their favourite Bethesda game.
Stream: YouTube
3:00 AM (GMT+8): DOOM Lore
Details: Deep in heart of hell! TiptoeTheTank goes over the vast amount of lore in a pre-recorded video (approximately 1 hour) dedicated to going over some specific lore that will be covered.
Stream: Twitch

6:30 PM (GMT+8): Quake World Championship 2022
Stream: Twitch


Fortnite Is Getting A Ninja Skin

Epic Games has announced that it will be adding a Ninja skin into the battle royale game Fortnite. No, not one of those cool black-clad assassins from Japan, this is the famous streamer Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins himself we’re talking about.

Ninja himself revealed the news in a stream earlier today, screaming like a giddy schoolgirl:

â€œIt happened.
Itâ€™s official, we finally got a Ninja skin.
In the game.
In Fortnite.
We did it.â€

We’re bringing the artistic vision, personality and attitude of our top creators to Fortnite with the Icon series, starting with @Ninja!
This is just the beginning of gaming, music, film, and fashion colliding in Fortnite.
Read more here: https://t.co/iIV9SHq3zM
â€” Fortnite (@FortniteGame) January 15, 2020
The Fortnite Ninja skin will be available from 16 to 19 January 2020, consisting of the Ninja Outfit, Ninja’s Edge Back Bling, Ninja Style Emote and Dual Katanas Pickaxe. It has to be purchased, but no price has been revealed at the time of writing.
The developer also said that the Fortnite Ninja skin would only be the first of many collaborations bringing real-world personalities into the game. Loserfruit and TheGrefg will join in the future, with more creators from â€œgames, music and entertainmentâ€ planned as well as part of the new ‘Icon Series’.


Final Fantasy 16 State Of Play Trailer Showcases Tons Of New Combat Footage

During the PlayStation State Of Play live stream on 14 April 2023 earlier today, Square Enix unveiled more details of the upcoming Final Fantasy 16.
There will be an easier Story Mode difficulty in Final Fantasy 16.
Here’s a look at the game’s Title Screen and some of the pause menu screens for the World Map, Gears & Eikons, Abilities, etc.:

Players won’t be able to control party members during battle because they will be fully controlled by AI. This includes a doggo companion named Torgal, who players can command during battle.

Clive’s Hideout, which serves as his base camp throughout the game, was also revealed. The footage showcased Clive preparing for upcoming battles by crafting items with gathered materials or tackling training modes.
Players can also complete a variety of side quests as well as Mob Hunts, which allows you to take on stronger enemies. Mob Hunts can be accepted from the Hunt Board where you’ll spot a familiar face from the series – Moogle.

Loresman Harpocrates also appears in Clive’s Hideout. He studies the history and customs of Valisthea, researching the local climate, folklore, religion, and traditions.
Harpocrates is very curious about Clive’s stories he takes home from his adventures. As Clive shares his past experiences, Harpocrates gains new knowledge as a researcher. And the Thousand Tomes in which he keeps records of his knowledge, will become more and more complete.
You can read up on everything about Valisthea if you visit Harpocrates and unravel the Thousand Tomes for yourself. Don’t forget to talk to Harpocrates when you stop by the Hideout during your travels.

Apparently, there will also be quick time events during battle.

Eikon battles are fully playable in real-time and they will be varied in gameplay styles, from fighting game-like battles to bullet hell segments.

Final Fantasy 16 is slated to launch for the PS5 on 22 June 2023.
Check out the full presentation below:


Final Fantasy Brave Exvius & Brave Frontier Video Host Has Passed Away

It’s a sad day for many Final Fantasy Brave Exvius & Brave Frontier fans as they have lost one of their own.
According to a recent Twitter post, Reddit community post, and Facebook post, gumi Head Translator and beloved Brave Frontier/FFBE video host Yaishaly “Shaly” Nakamura has passed away due to pulmonary embolism. She was 35.

This is NOT how I imagined my first Spring Break Monday as a UIW student to look like. Not only did I lose my sister at the age of 35, but she lost her daughter in the process and my whole family is broken into pieces and so is her widow husband and everyone in Japan who looked a pic.twitter.com/SFE2iNdKGB
— Kevin Molina (@NofDestruction) March 8, 2022

gumi will be making an official announcement by this week. Shaly has been working for gumi and with the Brave Frontier and FFBE brands for 7 years plus. She garnered quite a reception from both games’ communities, as well as being the face for those games due to her presentation skills, energy, and charisma.
We would like to express our condolences to Shaly’s relatives & loved ones. Rest in peace, Shaly; you will be missed by the FFBE and Brave Frontier community.


Overwatch League: Season 2 Divisions & Match Structure Details Released

As we have anticipated in the Overwatch pro level scene, there will be some significant changes taking place for the second season of the Overwatch League. This is moreso now with the addition of eight new teams, alongside the fact that all teams will be based out of their home cities.
The league recently released a plethora of information which we will get you up to speed with.
Divisions
With eight new teams joining the league this season, they all have been divided between the leagueâ€™s two divisions (new teams in bold):

The Atlantic DivisionÂ Atlanta

 Paris

Toronto

Washington, D.C.

Boston Uprising

Florida Mayhem

Houston Outlaws

London Spitfire

New York Excelsior

Philadelphia Fusion

The Pacific DivisionChengdu

Guangzhou

Hangzhou

Vancouver

Dallas Fuel

Los Angeles Gladiators

Los Angeles Valiant

San Francisco Shock

Seoul Dynasty

Shanghai Dragons

Matches
The new matchmaking format will see all 20 teams play 28 matches over four five-week stages, for a total of seven matches per stage. Overwatch League added “To help players stay at the top of their game, as well as give teams more opportunities to visit their home cities during the season, a more flexible schedule will see teams playing zero, one, or two matches a week, creating more breaks for players.”
Now you must be wondering how do they fit the 28 matches when there are only 20 teams in the league?
For comparison’s sake, a 20-team English Premier League sees all teams play 38 matches a season – 19 games, home and away which tallies up to 38.
We expect this format to be adhered by the Overwatch League:
Same division matchups: Vs 9 teams x 2 (home and away) = 18 matches
Different division matchups: Vs 10 teams; 5×2 (home and away) = 10 matches
Total matches played: 18+10 : 28 matches spread over four stages (7 per stage)

Stage Finals
At the end of each stage, the top 8 teams will compete in a playoff style tournament.Â According to stage record, divisional winners will be seeded into the #1 and #2 slots, followed by the next six teams in the standings.
All-Star Break
Taking a leaf out of the NBA playbook, the All-Star break will take place between Stages 2 and 3 which will have a longer break between them. This step ensures that the players remain fresh and will still be in the competitive mood.
A Second Shot at Grand Final PlayoffsÂ Â
In Season 1, the top teams of each division makes it to the playoffs, followed by the next four teams regardless of division based on the overall league standings. The rest go home. But not in Season 2.
The league is introducing a new ‘Play-In’ format where teams that finish between seventh and twelfth will compete for two more spots in the Grand Finals playoffs. A second shot at glory, if you will.

Expect more news to come in the following months as all teams are now eligible to sign new players, alongside official team announcements for all eight new team additions to the Overwatch League.
For more Overwatch League news, keep your eyes and ears locked onto Kakuchopurei.com


KOF XV Will Add Omega Rugal This April For Genocide Cutting Goodness

KOF XV has one more surprise in store: the addition of SNK uberboss Omega Rugal as a playable character.
This DLC was announced during the Japan Fighting Game Publishers roundtable that happened an hour ago. Apart from him being a free DLC character, SNK will also release a special Boss Challenge version of him, where he’s more powerful and will deliver the classic SNK Boss Syndrome experience fans expect from an iconic boss character.
Check out the full gameplay reveal below. He still retains his Genocide Cutter, projectiles, wall grab, and an eye laser DM; he also gets a fancy remix of his KOF ’94 and ’95 boss themes. Omega Rugal will be available a free DLC this 14 April.


TGV Cinemas’ Royale RM100,000 Bonanza Offers Prizes Galore

Shortly after the announcement of families being permitted to bring kids to the cinema, as a welcome back to the cinema for families and moviegoers at large, TGV has launched a Royale RM100,000 Bonanza in partnership with Coca Cola, featuring attractive prizes such as Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3, iPhone 13, MacBook Air, AEON and TGV vouchers up for grabs.Â Â
This contest begins from today on 9Â December 2021 until 2Â February 2022 with prizes and winners to be announced on a weekly basis through TGVâ€™s social media pages. To stand a chance to win prizes worth up to RM100,000, guests must spend a minimum of RM25 online on cinematic snacks via TGVâ€™s website or app. Customers can purchase as many as they wantÂ over the promo period, and each online transaction will be counted as a new entry.Â Â
Mohit Bhargava, TGV General Manager Sales & Marketing said:
 â€œThe promotion is about welcoming guests back to the Cinema offering gifts with purchase as we approach the holidayÂ  season, and to recognize & reward the love for TGVâ€™s cinematic snacks, in particular our iconicÂ  Royale Popcorn, that has been voted Malaysiaâ€™s favourite cinema popcorn by moviegoersâ€™.”
Eric Tan, Commercial Lead from Coca-Cola Malaysia added:
â€œThrough our partnership withÂ  TGV, we are delighted to bring this refreshing experience together with TGVâ€™s #PopKing and our Coca-Cola brand of beverages. This is a great way to enjoy TGVâ€™s PopKing as well asÂ  other range of meal selection together with our great tasting Coca-Cola beverages and winÂ  some amazing prizes.â€Â
You can bring the family to watch family-friendly movies like Ghostbusters Afterlife (our review), Disney’s Encanto (our review) and of course, Spider-Man No Way Home, which premieres next week on 16 December 2021.