The Best BFFs In Video Game History

Stories and world-saving antics come and go, but friendships last forever. And video game culture has a ton of that going on; mostly the hetero-for-life kind.
To celebrate International Friendship Day this week, let’s bring up our favourite BFFs in gaming.
Marcus Fenix & Dom Santiago (Gears of War Series)

Bros until the end, at least in Gears of War 3. Marcus is the main protag with a temper, while Dom is the level-headed soldier. Together they rely on each other in the war against the Locust and Lambent Horde, spouting some one-liners, being best buds, and killing a heckaton of baddies along the way.
Sonic & Tails (Sonic Series)

Sonic can’t do jack without Tails’ tech know-howÂ and flight skills. Tails can’t do much without Sonic’s proactiveness and super-speed. Together, they forge a friendship like most other Saturday Morning Cartoon friendships, but this one is steeped in retro awesomeness.
Ryu & Ken (Street Fighter Series)

Rivals for life, but close friends as well, Ryu and Ken fight in the streets looking for challenges. While Ryu is in it for the fight, Ken is already a family man who occasionally fights to hone his skills. Regardless, they studied under the same teach -Gouken- and bond over the training and fights they’ve been in along the way. They have each other’s back in other words: Ryu for strength and Ken for the wealth.
Sol Badguy & Ky Kiske (Guilty Gear Series)

Rivals for life, to the point where both of them meet up in different points of the world’s age and era.
For a full breakdown of Guilty Gear’s insane plot and history, you should check out Woolie’s video series and see how Sol and Ky’s friendship and rivalry has evolved.
Simon & Catherine (Soma)

Soma is a nice adventure game that explores the philosophy behind consciousness and identity. Most importantly however is the friendship that sparked between Simon and Catherine.
Simon, the man lost in the future, is stuck in a world where everyone he has ever known is dead. Catherine, on the other hand, is a person who always had a hard time making friends, even when she wasn’t a robot.
The two of them start out as complete strangers but end up as pals despite the many, MANY difficult circumstances splitting them up.
Shantae & Sky (Shantae Series)

These lovely ladies are pals for life. One’s a half-genie who can shapeshift to different animals and saves the world from evil sexy pirate Risky Boots. The other’s a best pal who has a giant hawk that takes them places and can kick ass in her own accord.
Misako & Kyoko (River City Girls)

Bonding through violence in River City, scouring the town in search of their boyfriends: that’s the River City way, and Misako and Kyoko wouldn’t have it any other way.
Ellie & Riley (The Last of Us)

It was fun while it lasted, at least. Both Ellie and Riley shared a deep bond nd while messing around at an abandoned mall, they were attacked by a pack of infected. Both got bitten, so they decided to wait out what was left of their minds until they turned. Unfortunately, only Riley became infected since Ellie was immune. Ellie survived alone, the guilt at being the one who made it nearly consuming her.
To be fair, Riley got off easy since The Last of Us Part 2 happened.
The Boss & Johnny Gat (Saints Row Series)

If you want a crazy over-the-top friendship, look no better than your main character and Johnny Gat in the entire Saints Row series.
Both of them wreak havoc all across the board from Stillwater to the universe, and even Hell at one point. Both are amoral manchildren who have weapons and a devil-may-care attitudes that made them a force to be reckoned with. Except for part 3, since Johnny died pretty early in that game. But hey, he came back from the dead through part 4’s nonsensical plot development, because we know Saints Row isn’t the same without the homicidal Asian.
We’re very sure there are a ton of video game best buds we missed out on. Who are your favourites? Let us know on the comments and on our YouTube page.


God Eater 3 Is A Monster Hunter Anime Clone, And I’m Cool With That

It’s really, REALLY hard to talk about Bandai Namco’s long-running action-RPG big game-killing sci-fi series God Eater without mentioning the giant-sized reptile in the room: the Monster Hunter games.
God Eater is essentially the company’s anime-stylized dystopian future-esque response to Capcom’s sole money maker (it sure as heck isn’t Street Fighter anymore), but not without putting a super-powered spin on things to garner its own fanbase and dedicated following. I mean, there are worse clones and imitators out there.

Despite the comparisons, is the third mothership God Eater game worth bringing up in a post-Monster Hunter: World timeline? Yes, yes it is, because its nuances and pacing are different enough to put it in a league of its own.

Tooth & Claw

Just like your big game action titles, you and a few others hunt down small and big monsters called Aragami to complete your missions. You see them on the map and in plain sight, and you proceed to take them down until the game says “Mission Complete”.
The twist? Oh yes, there are numerous and noteworthy ones that make God Eater 3 stand out from the pack, if only for a brief moment.
First one: instead of picking one weapon type and rolling with it for the entire hunt, you have a weapon that has three forms: melee, gun, and shield. They’re self-explanatory: melee lets you do up-close attacks, gun lets you shoot enemies or even heal your party members using OP meter, and shields defend you from oncoming damage. The bigger the shield, the more defensive you can be (at the cost of loading the damn thing up; tower shields take pretty long). If you’re out of OP, you need to be up-close and slash enemies to refill that meter.
Weapons-wise, there’s a lot to choose from to accommodate your style. If you prefer far-reaching melee attacks, you can’t go wrong with the Lance or Scythe. Beginners can just get comfy with the Twin blades since they offer great combo potential and damage output. God Eater fans can test out the new Ring blade which opens up a lot of new attacks if you’re in a powered-up state (more on that later).
You also have a Stamina bar to keep into account; it’s generous but it keeps you from spamming evasive moves like your Steps, your Dodges, and the pretty-important Dive (X+R2) which lets you traverse a good distance and even home in on enemies shield-first. One good way to start an attack is to Dive into an enemy, and then do a Triangle attack to land onto the ground quick.
You also have the ability to go into Burst mode to supercharge your attacks. You do this by nibbling a bit of your enemy with a special Devour attack either by charging the Triangle melee button or quick-tapping R1 and Triangle. Go for the latter; it’s quicker.Â Devouring Aragami corpses is also encouraged because it’s the only safe way to get parts and ingredients. Plus, you can open up more special moves for your weapons in this mode, so get used to going God Eater Super Saiyan.
On your own, you’re pretty well-equipped and fast enough to fight off and give chase to Aragamis, but they’re no slouches either. Most of them take a while to defeat and can even gain new attacks if you break enough of their body parts or if they’re at low health. Still, the action can get frenetic since they too move pretty quick for lumbering beasts.

Think of God Eater 3 as Monster Hunter: World’s hyper-laced cousin: it’s simple to pick up after you learn the initial moves and techniques, and it blazes through its action in a crazy pace.

It’s also quite accommodating thank to your AI partners in the main story mode: God Eater 3 lets you team up with Hugo and Zeke who can help you out while you’re monster hunting. They’re pretty competent when it comes to taking down the smaller Aragamis and helping out with your mission objectives, simple they may be.
You can also go into Engage mode with one of your party members: this basically lets you share each other’s buffs and Burst mode bonuses temporarily so that the both of you can kick ass better. You do this by pressing L2 and R2 together when prompted. This is pretty useful if you happen to need a few buffs to deal more damage or even tough it out against the more drawn-out fights.
Future Wars
Of course, if you rather play with real people, God Eater 3 will let you do that. You have your usual 4-player co-op skirmishes and 8-player assault missions. The last one needs mentioning because the game throws a lot at you while you and 7 other people tag team with each other (for Engage purposes) and try to suss out where you are and what you’re doing amidst the chaos. Now I haven’t actually played this mode yet; I have enough trouble keeping up with the 4-player mode which is serviceable so far.
It does look like a messload of fun. Just check it out for yourself below: it’s got Aragamis that change up their AI and patterns as the fight progresses, and a time limit and challenges to escalate the 8-man sorties. I might do a write-up on the 8-player mode in the near future when everyone can start playing this beast.

If you think I’m not feeling the vibe of God Eater 3 after going through this laundry list, think again: it’s a pretty tight and solid hunting experience. The stages are short and sweet (given its PSP upbringing, it’s unsurprising), the weapon selection and playing styles are fun, and the fights with the Aragami can get hectic as you progress deeper within the game. The anime visuals too are gorgeous and fit with the whole anime apocalypse vibe the game is going for.
It also helps that Bandai Namco music wunderkind Go Shiina composed the game’s crazy epic score alongside other musicians. The guy responsible for the best Tales Of music tracks (honestly, Motoi Sakuraba’s just sleepwalking these OSTs) gets to shine with his orchestra and over-the-top battle anthems that channels the anime OSTs of late 80s and 90s Kohei Tanaka.

Standout tracks include “A World In Death Throes” and “Piercing Malice“. They do remind me of a dire version of Tales of Legendia‘s sweeping score.

A shame the story isn’t anything to write home about. You start off in a prison camp, then get an upgrade in a moving caravan doing missions for a commander with aÂ really, REALLY battle-torn low-cut top. It’s no Xenoblade Chronicles 2 levels of fashion absurdity, but it can be a mite tough to take God Eater 3‘s dire tale of survival seriously.

Monster Mash

There’s a bit of deja vu going on here with this game, especially if you came off fresh from the PC version of Monster Hunter: World. And the kicker here is it doesn’t matter: God Eater 3 is a fun action-packed title in its own right that makes logical fast-paced changes in the meat of the game -the beast-slaying- and simplify things so you can get to the action faster.
Granted, it doesn’t have the same “complex and immersive” appeal as Capcom’s game, but it’s not a huge detriment. Sometimes you just want to get into the business of just kicking giant monster asses using an anime character of your own creation with anime movesets and anime power-ups.

God Eater 3 satiates that giant-killing itch in an arcade-y manner, and that’s more than enough for an action hound like myself.

Pros
-Fast-paced and very action-savvy.
-Good mix of weapons and combat options.
-Well-implemented team-based mechanics offline and online.
-Lovely bombastic score & lush-looking “anime apocalypse”.
Cons
-By-the-numbers anime story about anime people.
-By-the-numbers gameplay.
-Not as methodical and “well-paced” as its inspiration.
FINAL RATING: 70/100


Formula 1 Is Going Online Due To COVID-19

Formula 1 has launched a new F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix series in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with several current F1 drivers featured.
“The virtual races will run in place of every postponed Grand Prix, starting this weekend with the Virtual Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday March 22,” says the announcement.

“Every subsequent race weekend will see the postponed real-world Formula 1 race replaced with a Virtual Grand Prix*, with the initiative currently scheduled to run until May**.”

The series will use Codemaster’s F1 2019 game and will be broadcast on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook channels. Formula 1 emphasized that this is “strictly for entertainment purposes”, so don’t worry if your favourite driver does poorly in the game.
Formula 1 also said that they will host online exhibition races, where fans can have the chance to compete against F1 drivers. So if you’ve ever dreamed of racing against actual F1 drivers, you now have a shot to do so, virtually.
Out of all the “going online because of COVID-19” news, this is probably the most interesting one yet. I wonder if we’ll see basketball and football matches go online too. Strictly for entertainment purposes, of course.


Keanu Reeves Faces Off Against Donnie Yen In John Wick 4 Trailer

At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, the first teaser trailer for John Wick 4 was unveiled, featuring Keanu Reeves in his iconic role and the latest addition in the form of the legendary Donnie Yen.
In addition to Donnie Yen, John Wick 4 will also add Hiroyuki Sanada, Bill Skarsgård, and martial arts actor stalwarts Scott Adkins and Marko Zaror.
In the trailer, we see a glimpse of Skarsgård’s character, as well as Sanada and of course, Yen. It’s John Wick against Ip Man in a sword fight, what’s not to like?
John Wick 4 is slated to premiere in March 2023.
Check out the trailer below:


Space Hulk: Tactics Is A Really Deep Board Game/Card Game Mash-Up

This review is courtesy of the awesome gaming website Frags of War. Check out their strategy game reviews & features atÂ fragsofwar.com
For those that remember the classic Space Hulk game from 1993, it has always been an unfulfilled wish to get a new modern Space Hulk PC game. Weâ€™ve had some recently that have been pretty sub-par. Space Hulk: Tactics is Cyanide Studioâ€™s attempt at recreating the classic Warhammer 40,000 board game for the PC.

Space Hulk: Tactics has more similarities with Games Workshopâ€™s Warhammer 40,000 board game than the 1993 PC classic by EA (yesâ€¦ Electronic Arts made some amazing games back in the day).
I want to say it is a faithful remake of the board game rules, but I canâ€™t because it adds some new mechanics into the game to refresh the tactical gameplay.
But it still feels very much like the board game, down to being insanely difficult and luck-driven at times with random dice rolls.
The Single Player Campaign
Space Hulk: Tactics has two campaigns. One following the exploits of the Blood Angels chapter of the Space marines and the other, a Genestealers campaign that takes place hundreds of years before the Space Marine campaign.
Having a Genestealers campaign is a brilliant addition. If playing the lumbering and slow Space Marines was wearing you down, you could hop into the Genestealers campaign for an almost opposite experience.

The campaign map is made up of nodes. Itâ€™s basically a maze of branching paths, resources to collect, story beats and missions. There is always one main story mission in a chapter.
Itâ€™s not the most engaging campaign map, but it serves its purpose as a narrative device for the tactical turn-based battles.
The Battles
Space Hulk: Tactics uses an action point system. Every action, movement and even turning your unit, uses AP. Each Terminator gets 4 APs while Genestealers (with the exception of special Genestealers) get 6 APs.
This means that the Space marines feel like lumbering and slow dudes that take forever to get to where you want them to go. It also leads to moments of agony as you just do not have enough APs to execute the plan the way you want it.
This is exacerbated by turn-limited missions. A majority of missions require you to fulfill some objective within a set amount of turns. Now, this is annoying and I hate this in most other games. But it is a necessity in Space Hulk: Tactics.

Without turn-limited missions, the Space Marines could hold out using the overwatch ability (auto fires at anything that moves within their range of fire) and keep the Genestealers at bay. Turn limits keep you on the edge of completely losing the mission by a thread as you rush towards your objective.
Battles are also based on dice rolls. For each attack, dice is rolled to calculate the success or failure of it. There is no calculation for damage as a successful attack means instant death. Space Hulk: Tactics trains you to be cautious in your tactical approach due to these factors.
Keeping your Space Marines safe while progressing towards the objective will be the modus operandi here. In Space Hulk: Tactics your Space marines are never really â€˜safeâ€™
Using the Space Marines, youâ€™ll need to make use of your entire squad, covering every angle as you progress forward. Long narrow corridors are you friend as these can be turned into Genestealer death traps when you use overwatch.
Things are a lot different for the Genestealers. Genestealers are primarily a melee-focused faction. Which means youâ€™ll have to get up close and personal to kill the Space Marines. Moving through narrow corridors and rooms fully covered by Space Marines is a no no.
Itâ€™s a guaranteed way of wasting your opportunities and decimating your Genestealers. Itâ€™s suicide basically. Instead, the Genestealers must use misdirection and cunning to trick the Space Marines.
Genestealers produces blips that then spawn Genestealers. These blips can have from 0 to 3 Genestealers in them. Using fake blips (with 0 Genestealers), you can use them to trick the Space Marines into thinking the attack is coming from one direction. But you can then use the path least defended to get to the Space Marines.
Genestealers can move longer distances and can spawn more units. Using misdirection, superior mobility and numbers, you can eventually wear down the Space Marines with constant attack and feints.

It has to be said that the Genestealers feel a lot easier to play. While the Space Marines have lesser units with lesser APs, the Genestealers numbers, mobility and straightforward objectives make playing them less complicated. Itâ€™s a lot more fun to overrun the Space marines with Genestealers.
While these dynamics of the two sides feel just right and challenging to the tactical strategist, Space Hulk: Tactics throws at your another interesting wrinkle in the Space Hulk formula, cards.
The Card Game
Space Hulk: Tactics includes a card mechanic that involves unlocking new cards to your deck and playing them to gain some minor buff or advantage during the tactical turn-based battles.
The cards arenâ€™t complete game-changers, often giving a small buff such a +1 to attack or guaranteed success for the next melee attack.

While I never felt the cards were overpowered and could completely tip the balance of a game, they were quite useful when I found a particular card perfect for the situation I was in. Getting a guaranteed melee card when I had a Terminator just a couple of tiles away from a group of Genestealers is a niceâ€¦ added insurance.
Even if you found none of the cards useful, there is always the option to convert cards, one per turn, to gain a little additional APs. Now, this can be the difference between life and death.
Having enough AP to turn on overwatch saved my terminators countless times. Itâ€™s moments like these that define Space Hulk: Tactics. When you survived just by a hair against the odds.
Conclusion
Space Hulk: Tactics may just be one of the better modern video game adaptation of the Space Hulk board game. Its edge of your seat tactical challenges that require intense consideration of all options is incredibly satisfying if you could pull it off successfully.
However, itâ€™s not a game thatâ€™s made for everyone. The randomness of the game or dice roll-based RNG might frustrate some gamers. If you do not like RNG mechanics, there are lots of times Space Hulk: Tactics will punish you even when the odds favoured you.
Things can come down purely on the luck of the dice roll despite your tactical mastery. If the dice rolls donâ€™t favour you, thereâ€™s really nothing much you could do.
It is undoubtedly something that the game inherits from its board game roots. If you recognise this and appreciate challenging games, then Space Hulk: Tactics becomes a lot more palatable.
Youâ€™re going to have to calculate every single tactical option and the opportunity costs of them to make the right tactical decisions. And you still may not succeed. It also doesnâ€™t help that save scumming (thatâ€™s the practice of saving a game in specific points, and reloading when things donâ€™t go your way), doesnâ€™t work. Iâ€™ve tested this out multiple times and the outcomes of attacks do not change past the first time you play them. Reloading repeats the same outcome.
If youâ€™re fine with luck and randomness playing a role in your tactical games, Space Hulk: Tactics is a pretty good and challenging game.


Microsoft Suspends Sales Of Products In Russia

Ukraine asked and pleaded, and it’s heard wide.
Microsoft president and vice chair Brad Smith announced that Microsoft will no longer do business in the nation while it continues to invade Ukraine.
“Like the rest of the world, we are horrified, angered and saddened by the images and news coming from the war in Ukraine and condemn this unjustified, unprovoked and unlawful invasion by Russia.
We are announcing today that we will suspend all new sales of Microsoft products and services in Russia.
In addition, we are coordinating closely and working in lockstep with the governments of the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom, and we are stopping many aspects of our business in Russia in compliance with governmental sanctions decisions.
We believe we are most effective in aiding Ukraine when we take concrete steps in coordination with the decisions being made by these governments and we will take additional steps as this situation continues to evolve.â€
Microsoft’s move is the latest in a series of tech and game-making companies taking a stand in the Russia vs Ukraine war.


Lycoris Recoil Renewed For A Second Season

The fans of the anime series Lycoris Recoil have received fantastic news as the show has been renewed for a second season. The unique blend of traditional Japanese culture and modern-day adventure has been a hit with audiences, and the renewal of the series is highly anticipated.

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— TV???????????????? (@lycoris_recoil) February 11, 2023

Set in downtown Tokyo, “LycoReco” is a café with a traditional Japanese twist. But this café is not just known for its delicious coffee and sweet treats; the staff also takes on all sorts of strange jobs, from delivering packages to battling zombies and giant monsters.
The show’s diverse cast of characters, including the ever-smiling poster girl, the cool and serious newcomer, a petite girl who never wants to work, and a young woman approaching thirty who wants to get married, all bring their own charm and humour to the show.
Unfortunately, the announcement of the renewal did not reveal any further details, leaving fans to speculate and wonder what the next season will bring. However, one thing is for sure, the staff at “LycoReco” is ready to take on any challenge, and the fans are ready to join them on their next adventure.


The System Shock Remake Goes Gold, Launches Later This Month

Prime Matter and Nightdive Studios have announced that the full-fledged remake of the original System Shock from 1994 has ‘gone gold’. Developer Nightdive Studio’s faithful recreation of the classic shooter/immersive sim will launch digitally for PC on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store on 30 May 2023, at 11pm GMT+8.
The System Shock remake combines the cult gameplay of the iconic original game with all-new HD visuals, updated controls, an overhauled interface, and all-new sounds and music. Never-before-seen enemies, quality-of-life gameplay tweaks, a revamped hacking system, and visceral new combat options featuring a brutal dismemberment system also await players new and old.
A legion of hostile and mutated creatures — created and controlled by the delightfully villainous SHODAN herself — await players as they make their way through Citadel Station’s all-new areas, flexing their puzzle-solving skills and hacking prowess to reach new sectors of the station.
Players will also encounter traps, puzzles and secrets in their pursuit of (hopefully) defeating SHODAN once and for all. A combination of stealth, cunning, and futuristic weaponry will be required to survive. When the System Shock remake arrives, players’ puzzle-solving and survival skills will be put to the test. Nightdive Studios worked closely with many of the members of the original System Shock team, including the voice of SHODAN, Terri Brosius.
The PC edition of System Shock is available to pre-order via Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store and includes a free copy of the upcoming System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition for all early buyers. Console editions of System Shock will release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S|X in due course; more details will be shared in the future.
The original System Shock was a 1994 first-person action-adventure video game developed by LookingGlass Technologies and published by Origin Systems. The game is set aboard a space station in a cyberpunk vision of the year 2072. Assuming the role of a nameless security hacker, the player attempts to hinder the plans of a malevolent artificial intelligence called SHODAN. It is legendary for having kicked off the immersive sim genre into popularity, which would later inspire games such as Deus Ex, BioShock and Dishonored.
In the meantime, check out the latest trailer below:


Rockstar Announces Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy The Definitive Edition

Rockstar Games has announced Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy The Definitive Edition, which includes Grand Theft Auto 3, Grand Theft Auto Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto San Andreas are being updated and re-released on modern platforms later this year. They will feature improved visuals and other enhancements.
The description reads â€œacross-the-board upgrades including graphical improvements and modern gameplay enhancementsâ€ for all three games, â€œwhile still maintaining the classic look and feel of the originals.â€ More details will be revealed in the near future, but they also confirmed that all existing versions of all three games on all platforms will be removed starting from next week.
Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy The Definitive Edition is slated to release on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Windows PC (via the Rockstar Games Launcher), Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S sometime later in 2021. The collection is also coming to Android and iOS devices sometime in 2022.

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— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) October 8, 2021


Soul Searching: A Peek Behind Indie Game Spirit Interlude

Spirit Interlude is a relaxed and cozy autobattler filled to the brim with spirits to discover, each with their own abilities. You can assemble and split your team into unique patterns that perform attack and defence, and the game allows for you to play in a casual way, or in a way that puts your tactical brain to work. It ultimately follows your pace, and is fun for multiple types of players.
The game currently has a demo out on Steam, and is slated for a full release later this year. You can stay up to date with their progress on their official Twitter and Discord!
The dev team took time out of working on the game to give us a quick interview – we had the opportunity to interview the Bali-based Boing Boing Games about their upcoming title.

1. What is your inspiration behind Spirit Interlude? Can you tell us more about it?
About the inspiration, we can separate it into two different aspects; the gameplay and theme.
About the gameplay, it’s directly inspired by Teamfight Tactics with the idea: “what if we made TFT but you split your team between attack and defence?” And then we iterated the design from there.
About the theme; it’s a bit complicated – but to make it more simple, my artstyle made my boyfriend think about the anime Mushishi where we can see many spirits in nature, mixed with some ghibli inspiration.
2. How long have you spent developing the game so far?
Development started in July 2022.
3. Can you tell us more about the dev team?
The dev team are Me (Mita) and Bastien. We’re a couple, but he’s French and I’m Indonesian. I’m handling all the 2D and animations, Bastien is handling the rest of the game project.
4. What are your future plans for Spirit Interlude after launch?
For now we’re focusing on what we’re doing, so we don’t really think about the future yet. We try our best to launch the game first.


Platinum Game’s Next Title May Be An Homage To Ultraman

Update: here’s the teaser trailer. Looks epic!

Original story
Platinum Games’ next project is a brand new IP called Project GG. It’d be directed by Hideki Kamiya, the director of Bayonetta and The Wonderful 101, and will be the studio’s first self-published title.
The news comes via an interview from Famitsu magazine, as seen on RyoKutya2089. As reported by Siliconera, Kamiya said in the interview that:

â€œIf Viewtiful Joe is like a Kamen Rider transformation, [and] if Wonderful 101 is a squadron, Project G.G. is like a huge hero”.

Twitter user Wario64 wrote that the game will be a “big hero” action game that’s likely to be inspired by Ultraman. Both Siliconera and Wario64 also said that Platinum Games will try to launch the game on all currently-available platforms.


Here’s How You Can Buy The 2019 Season Overwatch League Jerseys

What better way to show your allegiances and rep your team than wearing your team colours with pride, right? The same goes for esports teams and if you’ve been following the Overwatch League, you’d be pleased to know that new merchandise for the upcoming second season is finally available.
Following their newest partnership with US-based sports apparel online shop, Fanatics, team gear for all 20 Overwatch League teams including jerseys, t-shirts, hoodies and hats are now available via either a Fanatics’-powered website.

Just like traditional sports teams, some of the Overwatch League teams have updated their look for the second season, such as Philadelphia Fusion opting for a darker feel with their home jerseys, the LA Valiant going for a different shade of green and the London Spitfire putting a logo on their away shirts.
For now, the home and away shirts sell at US$59.99 for a plain one or US$84.99 for named and numbered jerseys. Sadly though, there is no option to customize these shirts as of yet. However, we are confident that these options should be made available at a later date.
You can purchase these jerseys and check all the updated team shirts as well as the new additions to the league here.


Here’s Our First Look At The System Shock 3 Teaser Trailer

A pleasant surprise. System Shock 3 just had a new teaser trailer, and it looks terrifying. Check it out!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j–cFOyeT7E]
Otherside Entertainment, the developers of Underworld Ascendant, just released the trailer. It features a chilling sci-fi vibe, thanks to the monsters, some contraptions, and SHODAN. Yeah, she’s back!
Warren Spector is one of the names working on this sequel. He was involved in creating the first System Shock.
Let’s see what we’ve got:

So, we have this weird alien looking dude. He was feasting on a human corpse before turning to that camera and attacking the poor camera guy. This guy reminds me of Dead Space‘s Necromorphs.

Then, we see an angry robot, trying to break the glass. I assume he’s trying to break the glass to hit the poor camera guy, just like the weird alien dude just now. He looks like the robot version of the Tormentor from Dead Space.

Now we see someone tied down to a chair, apparently being scanned for some reason. Maybe he’s the poor camera guy. This definitely reminds me of the eye machine in Dead Space 2.

And here we have SHODAN, the mastermind AI of the series.
Bottom Line
From the teaser trailer, and my endless comparisons to Dead Space, the game is coming to be one of the successful sci-fi horror games since Dead Space took that crown. It was announced four years back, however, no release window has been announced.
In other related news, there’s a remake of the original System Shock from 1994. The remake is being developed by Night Dive Studios.


Is The Last Of Us Part I Remake Beyond Skin Deep?

Platform(s): PS5, PC (no release date yet)
Genre: PS5 version of the iconic 2013 third-person survival horror action game of the same name
The Last Of Us. It’s still unbelievable how much of a pop-culture juggernaut it has become since it originally launched for the PS3 back in 2013. That’s nine years ago; almost a decade now, and we’re also two generations removed from the PS3 at this point. Does that justify a remake? To this day, Naughty Dog’s brilliant masterpiece is still widely-regarded not only as one of the best video games in history but also as one of the games that’s meant to be a testament to how the medium should be seen as an art form, just as much as movies and music.
Well, here’s what it’s like to be playing The Last Of Us Part I from the perspective of someone who’s played the original The Last Of Us and also its sequel, The Last Of Us Part II . To illustrate how good the game looks, all of the screenshots are my own and taken outside of Photo Mode (which means no filters or touch-ups).
Clicker Central

Ever since The Last Of Us Part 1 was announced earlier this year, everyone has debated whether a remake is truly justified. It ultimately depends on your preferences and whether you’ve played the original/remastered The Last Of Us or not.
First of all, The Last Of Us Part I is a beautiful game. You don’t need me to tell you that if you’ve seen any of the trailers or promotional material. However, the thing is; the original game was already one hell of a looker, especially The Last Of Us Remastered on the PS4 (which is also playable on the PS5). I have some qualms with this because somehow, The Last Of Us Part II still looks better than The Last Of Us Part I in my eyes, particularly the details, the animation, and the facial expressions. Sure, The Last Of Us Part I does have better facial expressions than The Last Of Us but it’s not on the same level as The Last Of Us Part II.

I’d say that the biggest visual difference coming into The Last Of Us Part I is that it has better lighting and textures than the original game (and the remastered version), but I still think that The Last Of Us Part I’s graphics are not quite on par with The Last Of Us Part II. That said, it does look like the developers looked to The Last Of Us Part II for the visual style in The Last Of Us Part I, so things look more consistent now if you’re planning to play the first game and the sequel back-to-back. This is especially more noticeable during cinematic scenes and the new models for the characters.
The weirdest part of all is how The Last Of Us Part I doesn’t feature the gameplay improvements and new mechanics of The Last Of Us Part II.
In The Last Of Us Part II, Ellie could go prone (lie face down on her belly to avoid detection and out of sight of enemies) and there’s a dodge mechanic, and oh, she can jump. You can’t do any of those things in The Last Of Us Part I, despite the game releasing after The Last Of Us Part II. The Last Of Us Part I pretty much feels just like I remember how The Last Of Us played, right down to how the melee combat feels. The one gameplay improvement that I believe The Last Of Us Part I does take from The Last Of Us Part II is improved enemy AI. Just like in The Last Of Us Part II, they will now flank players and use covers more effectively even at Moderate (normal) difficulty.

Another improvement they also added to The Last Of Us Part I from The Last Of Us Part II is the unique animations when upgrading weapons at workbenches. I loved this feature in The Last Of Us Part II so it was a joy to see this being implemented into The Last Of Us Part I as well. However, they’re less intricate than in The Last Of Us Part II; I noticed that the camera would often block what Joel is doing so you only see his back and not his hands working on the weapons.
This is the only screenshot I didn’t personally take.
Ultimately, there’s nothing wrong with The Last Of Us Part I, because the original was, and still is, a great game in its own right. Perhaps Naughty Dog followed the adage: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but the problem is that The Last Of Us Part II did improve on the original in a lot of ways, so it’s disappointing when most of those aren’t featured in The Last Of Us Parts I, besides visual improvements and new accessibility features (which are certainly welcome). Everything else, from the story and narrative beats to gameplay content, is pretty much identical to the original The Last Of Us. I even referred to an online guide for the original The Last of Us which was published almost a decade ago for a safe combination (because I wanted to test if they’re the same) and it still works, so that should say something as well.

In addition, I played the entire game mostly in Graphics Mode (4K and 30-40 FPS) with Unlocked Framerate enabled but there were noticeable framerate drops when the action got hectic and there were multiple infected enemies on screen. The game runs much better on Performance Mode, though you’ll have to sacrifice visual fidelity for higher framerates, so it’s up to you if you’d rather go for better graphics or better performance.
Still A Great Classic

My verdict is this; if you’ve ever played the original The Last Of Us and The Last Of Us Part II, there’s not much of a reason to immediately grab The Last Of Us Part I.
Naughty Dog should have put more effort and resources into updating the gameplay mechanics to be more similar to The Last Of Us Part II. Improved visuals alone don’t really justify the full price tag of RM299 if the rest of the experience is mostly the same. Feel free to cut our final score down to 50/100 or lower if that’s the case.
That being said, The Last Of Us Part I is definitely perfect for those who’s never played the original game. With The Last Of Us Part I slated for PC and HBO’s The Last Of Us TV series coming soon, it’s great that The Last Of Us Part I will give more people the opportunity to play this amazing game.
Simply put, whenever or if I ever get the craving to replay The Last Of Us, I would definitely go for the newer The Last Of Us Part I because it’s undeniably the definitive experience of The Last Of Us, and it’s the best way to play this iconic classic. Assuming you have a PS5 of course.

PROS

The definitive version of The Last Of Us, and the best way to play the game yet.
Looks beautiful.
Some new upgrades/updates, like better enemy AI and unique workbench weapon upgrade animations.
New accessibility features.

CONS

No brand new content, almost identical to the original The Last Of Us.
Unstable framerate in Graphics Mode (4K).

FINAL SCORE: 80/100
Review copy provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore (SIES) / PlayStation. Played on PS5. The Last Of Us Part I will launch on PS5 on 2 September 2022.


Blizzard Claims This Diablo 4 Beta Was Not A ‘Marketing Beta’

So, over the weekend we got to try out the Diablo 4 beta, and I got to say, it was pretty awesome. Blizzard seems to be back on track with this one after the fiasco that was Diablo Immortal. However, I do have to admit that there were some noticeable rough spots in the beta. But according to a recent interview with Eurogamer, Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson, that was kind of the point.
See, Blizzard wanted to have a real, actual beta test this time around, as opposed to just using it as a marketing tool like so many other game companies do. They wanted to stress-test their servers and see how the game held up with a lot of players online. And while there were some hiccups on Friday, they were able to fix a lot of those issues with some quick hot fixes. By Saturday, things were running a lot smoother.
One thing I really appreciated about this approach is that it felt like a return to the old days of beta testing. Back then, being in beta meant you were playing an unfinished game and your feedback was essential to helping the developers make it better. In recent years, though, betas have become more like demos of nearly finished products. It was refreshing to see Blizzard take a different approach and actually use the beta to test the game’s limits.
And it seems like they accomplished what they set out to do. Fergusson said they had goals for how many people would be playing in the beta, and they exceeded those expectations. They’re hoping to get even more players in the open beta this weekend. From my own experience, I had some issues on Friday but by Saturday things were running very smoothly. And I wasn’t alone – a lot of players seemed to be enjoying themselves over the weekend.
So, if you’re interested in checking out Diablo 4 for yourself, you’re in luck! There’s an open beta starting this weekend that anyone can jump into. You can even start preloading the game a couple of days early. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how the final product turns out after this promising beta.


We’re Getting A Minecraft Equivalent Of PokÃ©mon Go Called Minecraft Earth

Remember that holographic presentation Microsoft gave using Minecraft a number of E3s ago? Well, it’s turning into a reality; an augmented kind of reality, that is..
Microsoft today announced Minecraft Earth, a mobile game that lets people build all sorts of blocky creations as they’re walking down the streets and towns in real life. Developer Mojang said that you’ll be able to gather resources, build castles, and fight off creepers, but now through the magic of your phone and augmented reality.
It will be out later this year for iOS and Android, with a beta planned for the second quarter/summer.Â Check out the trailer below and see if it’s your cup of tea. I know a lot of my friend’s kids and nephews/nieces will want in on this action since Minecraft is still the biggest all-ages game on the planet.


World War 1 FPS Isonzo Deploys This September

The wait for the WW1 first-person shooter Isonzo will come to an end on 13 September 2022. Italian and Austro-Hungarian soldiers will use everything from sniper rifles and ice picks, to mountain guns and poison gas to wage war against each other on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, and PS5.
From the makers of Verdun and Tannenberg comes the latest game in the WW1 Game Series seeks to recreate the unforgiving battles of the Great War like never before with authentic warfare in the mountains of the Italian Front. This first-person shooter encompasses the southern front, where the Kingdom of Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire clashed at deadly heights.
Isonzo takes the series to the next level and immerses players like never before by offering a unique, historically accurate way to experience the high-altitude battles with the Offensive game mode. Players participate in key historical moments such as the ferocious battles for the Isonzo river, leading the charge or preparing their defenses across the Italian landscapes. On these dynamic battlefields, the situation can change at any moment – each challenge needing a different class and strategy.
The brand new class system in Isonzo introduces distinct roles and numerous loadout options to pick from. Accurately modeled weapons from pistols to sniper rifles, uniforms and sound effects will plunge players into WW1 battlefields among the scenic peaks, rugged valleys and idyllic towns of northern Italy. Highlighted in the trailer is the Dolomites map: this is the fourth map revealed of the six that will be in the game at release: it features the Italians conducting a daring mountain assault on the Sasso di Sesto. Will you conquer the mountain?
The trailer showcases another new feature in the series: the ability to customize your character. Soldier uniforms are based on class as well as elements chosen by players themselves. Players can now make their characters uniquely their own, all while maintaining the historical authenticity of the series. Cosmetic DLC packs will expand these visual choices without affecting gameplay in any way.
Players can choose from historically accurate helmets and hats, uniforms, and accessories from smoking pipes to bandages. Last but not least: Isonzo offers all kinds of facial hair based on famous individuals who took part in the war. Are you going to war with a tobacco pipe, or will you be wearing a pair of pince-nez spectacles instead?


Star Wars Day Digital Con Starts Today With Live Streams & Tweet Sessions

Today is 4 May 2020, and every Star Wars fan in the world knows what that means. It’s time to celebrate everything related to the franchise from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. This marks Star Wars’ 43rd-anniversary milestone, since the Episode I: A New Hope debuted in 1977.
To commemorate the occasion, New York Comic-Con and Star Wars Celebration organizers ReedPop is organizing an online event that takes place over two days from 4 to 5 May 2020.
The virtual convention will feature live-tweeting sessions of the Star Wars movies (though they won’t actually be streamed) and episodes of both Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels, as well as Q&A sessions and discussions with writers and voice actors associated with the franchise.

In addition, fans can also participate in trivia quizzes and prize giveaways throughout the event, with the usage of the hashtags #Maythe4th and #Revengeofthe5th encouraged for those who join.
These various events will actually take place across several social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook, including New York Comic-Con, C2E2, BookCon, Emerald City Comic Con and Florida SuperCon.
Check out the schedule (via the official website) below:
4 May 2020

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Live tweet withÂ @ny_comic_con
10am ET (10pm GMT+8 on 4 May 2020)

Q&A with Ashley Eckstein (Voice Of Ahsoka Tano)
1pm ET (1am GMT+8 on 5 May 2020) on facebook.com/newyorkcomiccon

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Finale
Live tweet withÂ @ny_comic_con
2pm ET (2am GMT+8 on 5 May 2020)

Q&A with Vanessa Marshall (Voice of Hera Syndulla)
3.30pm ET (3.30am GMT+8 on 5 May 2020) on facebook.com/newyorkcomiccon

Star Wars Rebels Episode Watch
Live tweet with @C2E2
4.15pm ET (4.15am GMT+8 on 5 May 2020)

Star Wars Day: The Authors
Interviews with the authors ofÂ Star Wars novels.
6pm ET (6am GMT+8 on 5 May 2020) on facebook.com/bookcon

501st Legion Childrenâ€™s Book Reading & Ask Me Anything
6pm ET (6am GMT+8 on 5 May 2020) on Facebook.com/bookcon

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Live tweet withÂ @C2E2
7pm ET (7am GMT+8 on 5 May 2020)

Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi
Live tweet withÂ @emeraldcitycon
10pm ET (10am GMT+8 on 5 May 2020)

5 May 2020

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Live tweet withÂ @floridasupercon
9am ET (9pm GMT+8 on 5 May 2020)

DICEBREAKER PLAYS THE CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY GAMEBOOK WITH THE AUDIENCE, LIVE!
11am ET (11pm GMT+8 on 5 May 2020) on Youtube.com/Dicebreaker

SAVING THE CRADLE OF STAR WARS â€“ LARS HOMESTEAD
Travel with Thomas Schuster through Tunisia to explore the legendary film locations, highlighting the renovation of Lars Homestead in April 2018 and provide information on the current condition of all Star Wars filming locations in Tunisia.
12am ET (12pm GMT+8 on 5 May 2020) on facebook.com/vieccviennacomiccon/
Speaker: Thomas Schuster / Moderator: Michelle Kreuzmann & Jenny Rassi

Comics Roundtable Live!
Featuring: Charles Soule, Greg Pak, Jody Houser & Kieron Gillen
1pm ET (1am GMT+8 on 6 May 2020) on all the Facebook channels

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Live tweet withÂ @ny_comic_con
2.30pm ET (2.30am GMT+8 on 6 May 2020)

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order Live Stream
7pm ET (7am GMT+8 on 6 May 2020) on facebook.com/floridasupercon

Solo: A Star Wars Story
Live tweet withÂ @emeraldcitycon
8pm ET (8am GMT+8 on 6 May 2020)

Brian Herring Q&A (The Puppeteer Behind BB-8 & Porgs)
5:30pm â€“ 6:30pm ET (5.30am – 6.30am GMT+8 on 6 May 2020) on facebook.com/newyorkcomiccon

In the meantime, check out our top ten Star Wars characters of all time, our spoiler discussion of Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker, or head on over here for all our Star Wars-related content.


UiTM Teams Secure Top Spots In University E-League FIFA 22 Grand Finals

Following the recent launch of its third season, the University e-League (UeL) kicked off its collegiate esports competition with its first out of four game titles – FIFA 22.
This round of competition saw 50 students representing their universities competing in a Qualifiers and Playoff round to earn the top spot in the Grand Finals set to be held next month. In the coming weeks, UEL is set to bring more excitement and entertainment with over 200 university teams going head-to-head in games such as Valorant, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and PUBG Mobile.

UeL’s FIFA 22 Playoffs last weekend saw the participation of teams including Multimedia University (MMU), the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), Swinburne University and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) amongst many others. Following three days of intense e-football competition, the Playoffs drew to a close with two players from UiTM securing the top spot in the Grand Final stage set to be held on 11th December 2022.
Zarif Ilman bin Norjafree from ‘Void Gaming Lab’, one of the FIFA 22 finalists representing UiTM Pahang said: “Competing in UeL and coming this far in the competition has been a tremendous experience for me. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to showcase my abilities amongst some of the best esports talents in the country. While I’m extremely proud to have made it to the Grand Finals, I’m more excited to share the stage with my fellow collegemates. No matter what, I’m sure we will make UiTM proud and we hope to have the support of our fellow students”

This week, the UeL progresses to the Qualifiers and Playoff rounds for Valorant, with similar legs for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and PUBG Mobile happening over the following two weeks. Over 200 university esports teams have registered to participate in tournaments and tons of esports action is expected to ensue between the teams. Students, esports enthusiasts and fans are welcome to tune in to support their universities in the competition. The broadcast of the UeL Playoffs will be live-streamed every Saturday and Sunday consecutively from now until 20 November, while the Grand Finals will take place on 10 and 11 December via the UeL Facebook page,
For further updates and information on University e-League, visit UeL’s Facebook or Instagram or its website at http://www.universityeleague.com/.


Frozen 2 Is Now The Highest-Grossing Animated Film Of All Time

The first Frozen wasn’t just an animated movie. It was a cultural phenomenon that inspired every little girl to dress up and shout “Let it go!” at the top of their lungs. It wasn’t hard to predict that a sequel would also be phenomenal.

According to a report by Variety, Frozen 2 is officially the highest-grossing animated movie of all time. It has generated more than US$1.3 billion at the global box office. It’s also currently the 14th highest-grossing film of all time.
The Lion King remake actually made more money (US$ 1.6 billion) than Frozen 2 but Disney considers it to be a “live-action reboot” rather than an animated film. In that case, the second highest-grossing animated movie is actually the first Frozen (US$1.2 billion).
2019 was a great year for Disney. They released massive titles like Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King, Toy Story 4, Frozen 2, and ended the year with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. It’s all very impressive but also a very scary view of what monopoly looks like.


Major Free Fire World Tournament Cancelled Due To COVID-19 Concerns

Sad news for mobile battle royale clones fans looking for high-level play.
The Free Fire World Series 2021, which was scheduled for November and planned to be in Mexico, has been cancelled due to COVID-19 issues in the country. According to Garena, the health and safety of everyone involved is the company’s top priority. The decision to cancel the event was made after considering all options to prioritize the Free Fire community’s safety above everything else, especially with South America’s current third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic that’s powered by the delta variant.
Here’s an official statement (via Dotesports):
“The World Series stands asÂ Free Fireâ€™sÂ largest and most exciting esports offline tournament. The growing safety concerns, however, have made it challenging to provide players and fans both an enjoyable yet safe offline esports experience.”
The last Free Fire World Series was held in Singapore and featured 18 teams from around the world competing in a mobile battle royale game not titled PUBG. Thai team Phoenix Force was the winner and took home the lion’s share of the US$2 million prize pool.


The Three Best Ghostbusters Games We’ve Played

To celebrate the release of Ghostbusters Afterlife this week in Malaysia and Southeast Asian cinemas, I’d like to bring up a good number of Ghostbusters licensed games that came out and were fun to play.
Okay, that was a lie: there weren’t that many. A good chunk of them ended up being complicated for their own good, while the ones that came out recently were terrible and overpriced. The less said about the twinstick shooter game from Activision, the better.
In fact, the ones we’re talking about aren’t exactly placed on the high bar of video game movie tie-ins like your Batman NES titles and the Batman Arkham series. As a fun diversion, however, they at least offer a good dose of fun and are a byproduct of the current gaming trend they’re stuck in. At the very least, you’ll at least remember these curios and their own renditions of the Ray Parker Jr.-made theme song.
Ghostbusters (1991) – Sega Megadrive

Let’s start with the Sega Megadrive game that really got me on-board the non-Nintendo camp in my youth. This 1990 game is basically a 2D side-scroller shoot-em-up with search action elements and supposedly takes place after the first movie. You play as either Peter Venkman, Egon Spengler, or Ray Stantz, exploring the assigned stages you’re in that is filled with cute ghosts, odd-looking spirits, and all sorts of video game-type enemies you have to blast down.
You have to explore the area, kill the minibosses and trap their ghosts, and then fight the main big boss that’s terrorizing the place they’re in. Luckily, you have a pretty decent default blaster, and you have your choice of buying better equipment that uses energy like a slow-but-powerful fire shot or a bubble spread shot gun that basically covers a lot of ground.
There’s also a simple plot involving stone tablets; collecting them all will lead you to a scary castle stage and an underground stage where you have to fight previous bosses again to gain access to the main big bad. Again, pretty standard stuff but it’s still fun thanks to its simple controls and aesthetics. Having said that, there are some frustrating bits involving certain stage layouts and hitboxes for your character. The house on fire stage comes to mind; you’re pretty screwed if you didn’t buy enough “torches” to light the path ahead.
Still, I hold this game close to my heart just because it’s adorable seeing big-headed and small-bodied versions of Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Dan Ackroyd in 16-bit form, blasting the heck out of demon snowmen, a headless tuxedo ghost with a hungry spook with a detachable head, and a giant Chinese dragon. And shooting a poltergeist cup blocking the way with more proton bullets than necessarily needed.
To this day, I still wonder why the developers at Sega and Compile didn’t add in Winston Zeddmore. Racist much?
New Ghostbusters 2 – NES

Made by HAL Laboratory -the same ones behind the Kirby and Super Smash Bros. series- this top-down shooter was made for the Japan NES market in 1990 and was released for PAL markets two years later. And if you’re expecting the same kind of ingenuity from HAL’s past marquee titles, you’d be wrong.
It’s not all bad though: New Ghostbusters 2 pits you and a partner Ghostbuster to get rid of ghosts in different office buildings, a courthouse, sewer stage, and a ghost train. You’ll eventually fight against big bad Vigo The Carpathian, but not before dealing with the multitude of chibi ghosts and random bosses that probably came out from a Wanpaku Konami title. You control one of the Ghostbusters who takes lead, while the other follows behind you. After you shoot ghosts down with your proton blaster, you then command your partner to shoot out the ghost trap to capture them; that’s the only way to eliminate them in-game.

It’s simple enough, and there are some good challenges here and there against the many bosses here. And that’s all you’re going to get, which is fine since that’s all HAL need to work on: a nice arcade-like fix on your home console.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game – Xbox 360, PC, PS3

If I’m being honest here, the Ghostbusters game in 2009 for the Xbox 360 and PS3 is the true sequel to Ghostbusters 2 the movie. After much planning, we actually get to hear the quips and banter of the four Ghostbusters played by their respective original actors. The fact that the game’s story and script were written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis is also proof that the lost movie that fans were clamouring for was in front of them the whole time on their last-gen consoles.
Is the game itself any good? It’s fine and it’s essentially the product of its time. Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a third-person shooter in the veins of other hot third-person shooters at the time like Gears of War. Only instead of chainsawing ghosts in half, you blast them with proton cannons and beam them down into traps just like in the films. However, you’re not going to remember much about the game and its eventual boss fights with iconic ghosts like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Though to be fair, the second half of the game features all-new areas and sections that probably would have cost a movie production house a serious ton of cash to pull off.
No, you’re here for the intellectual riffing between geniuses Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler, complemented with snark and reality-bringing shakeups from Peter Venkman and Winston Zeddmore. In-between all this is the player character, the fifth rookie Ghostbuster tagging along for the cinematic gaming ride and getting the feel of the camaraderie of the group. All of this holds up to this day, and you can still check out this canon Ghostbusters story via the remastered edition on current-gen consoles and PCs.


The Complete Final Fantasy 16 Soundtrack Goes On Sale Next Week

Square Enix has announced that the Final Fantasy 16 Soundtrack and Final Fantasy 16 Ultimate Soundtrack will go on sale starting on 19 July 2023. You can pre-order on the official website here.

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2023.7.19????FINAL FANTASY XVI Original Soundtrack Ultimate Edition???FINAL FANTASY XVI Original Soundtrack?
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— SQUARE ENIX MUSIC (@sem_sep) July 10, 2023

Final Fantasy 16 sales recently surpassed 3 million units worldwide and the latest patch added the ability to tweak motion blur settings.
In the meantime, check out our review of Final Fantasy 16 here or head on over here for the rest of our Final Fantasy 16 content.


WayForward Announces Clock Tower Remaster For Consoles & PC

Indie game studio WayForward, alongside publishing partners Sunsoft and Limited Run Games, have announced that an enhanced version of the original 16-bit horror game Clock Tower is headed to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC in early 2024. This marks the first time this terrifying initial adventure in the popular horror series will officially be translated and released in North America and Europe.
Originally released on Super Famicom in 1995 in Japan, Clock Tower traps players in the haunting confines of the Barrows family manor, where they’ll be pursued by Scissorman, a murderous, shears-wielding psychopath. As teenage orphan Jennifer Simpson, players will use a point-and-click interface to explore the mansion and search every disturbing corner to find items, reveal secrets, and discover ways to survive Scissorman’s assaults.
Without any offensive capabilities, Jennifer must rely on her wits and resourcefulness if she has any hope of escaping with her life and earning one of the game’s multiple endings. A tense atmosphere, chilling sound effects, detailed 2D animations, and randomized elements to maximize replayability demonstrate why Clock Tower is considered a groundbreaking pioneer in the survival-horror genre.

Harnessing the power of Limited Run Games’ Carbon Engine, this new edition of Clock Tower retains the authentic gameplay, graphics, and sound of the original version while also adding modern features and enhancements. These include a new vocal theme song performed by Mary McGlynn (Silent Hill series), a new animated opening, motion-comic cutscenes before and after the game, a bonus art gallery, border artwork, save states, multiple language options, and more.
Clock Tower will be published digitally in North America and Europe by WayForward, followed by a physical version that will be offered on select platforms by Limited Run Games.
Check out the trailer below:


World Of Tanks Collaborates With G.I. JOE For Action Figures’ 40th Anniversary

The legendary G.I. JOE: Real American Hero toy line marks its 40th anniversary and in commemoration is collaborating with World of Tanks to celebrate this major milestone.
In 1982, G. I. JOE  action figures arrived on toy shelves, delivering a new and adventurous play experience that has endured for decades. World of Tanks celebrates this milestone for the G.I. JOE franchise with new 3D styles, new female commanders, a G.I. JOE-themed web event, and retro-awesome decals, emblems, and inscriptions for each faction.
Coming to take control of the battlefield; Hasbro’s iconic G.I. JOE characters, Cover Girl and The Baroness (in Crimson Strike Force uniform) as World of Tanks commanders.
Both commanders are ready for any challenge the fight may bring. But what is an experienced commander without an equally formidable vehicle? Available to players will be two 3D styles inspired by G.I. JOE vehicles: Cover Girl’s WOLVERINE and COBRA C.A.T.

				Wolverine 07

				Cobra CAT

The G.I. JOE WOLVERINE WoT Edition is for the Strv S1 tank, and The Baroness’ C.A.T. (Crimson Attack Tank) WoT Edition is for the M54 Renegade tank.
More adventure awaits with a challenging G.I. JOE-themed web event where players may redeem codes to receive emblems dedicated to the G.I. JOE 40th anniversary, and coupons to purchase G.I. JOE branded styles with a discount.
New decals and emblems will be available to mark this special event. Headlining the customization elements is the commemorative, customized G.I. JOE 40th anniversary emblem. Tankers will also get unique decals featuring the legendary G.I. JOE WOLVERINE and the COBRA C.A.T. (Crimson Attack Tank), depicted in all the retro-glory of their original package art.  Emblems include the G.I. JOE Star and the COBRA insignia.
Knowing is half the battle, so head to the World of Tanks website for more information about G.I. JOE’s 40th anniversary in-game offerings on their official blog post.


Secret Invasion Episode 3 Breakdown & Easter Eggs

The third episode of Secret Invasion is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. I’ll be discussing heavy spoilers so if you haven’t seen it or want to avoid spoilers, now’s your chance to stop reading.
Check out my spoiler-free review of Secret Invasion here. The first season will consist of six episodes. Check out my breakdown of Secret Invasion Episode 1 and Episode 2 here.
The synopsis reads:
“In Marvel Studios’ new series ‘Secret Invasion,’ set in the present day MCU, Nick Fury learns of a clandestine invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls. Fury joins his allies, including Everett Ross, Maria Hill and the Skrull Talos, who has made a life for himself on Earth. Together they race against time to thwart an imminent Skrull invasion and save humanity.”
Check out my breakdown of She-Hulk Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 here, and Episode 9 here.
Check out my breakdown of Ms. Marvel Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6 here.
Also, check out my breakdowns of Moon Knight Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6 here.
You can check out my previous breakdowns of Hawkeye Episodes 1 and 2 here, Episode 3 here, Episode 4 here and Episode 5. and Episode 6 here.
In addition, you can check out my previous breakdowns of Marvel’s What If? Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 and Episode 9 here.
If you haven’t, you can check out my previous breakdowns and easter egg articles for WandaVision Episode 1 and 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 and Episode 9.
For The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, you can check out my previous breakdowns for Episode 1, Episode 2 and Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6.
For previous breakdowns of Loki episodes, check out Episode 1 here, Episode 2 here, Episode 3 here, Episode 4 here, Episode 5 here and Episode 6 here.

The Introduction Of Super Skrulls In The MCU

Gravik finally reveals that they’re making “Super Skrulls” in order to fight Earth’s heroes after they trigger World War 3.
In the comics, the first Super Skrull was a Skrull named K’lrt, who was experimented on by Skrull scientists and given the powers of the Fantastic Four. During the comic book version of Secret Invasion, there were many more Super Skrulls capable of replicating more diverse powers.

This is what was teased in Episode 2, when Gi’ah discovered the DNA of various sources being harvested, including from Groot from the Guardians Of The Galaxy, a Frost Beast from Jotunheim (one of the nine realms in Norse mythology and related to Thor), and from Cull Obsidian, one of the Black Order of Thanos who first appeared in 2018’s Avengers Infinity War (he’s the big guy who fought Spider-Man, Iron Man and Doctor Strange at the beginning of the movie). Extremis is also mentioned, the same nanotechnology featured in 2013’s Iron Man 3. It was used by AIM and Aldrich Killian to make super soldiers.
Nick Knows His Wife Is A Skrull

This scene, and a brief flashback from 1998, confirms that Nick Fury knows his wife, Varra/Priscilla Fury, is a Skrull (the previous episode made it ambiguous whether Nick knew that or not). However, he does suspect her to be helping Gravik, which she implies to be the case due to being angry at Nick Fury for abandoning her after he returned from the Blip.
Gravik Is Already A Super Skrull

We see Gravik using his Super Skrull powers for the first time after being stabbed in the hand by Talos.
In this case, he’s using the Extremis ability to instantly heal his hand’s wound. Aldrich Killian and his goons also used Extremis to regenerate their body parts and heal in 2013’s Iron Man 3.
Gravik Shoots And Apparently Kills Gi’ah

Gi’ah helps her father and Nick Fury foil Gravik’s planned strike but just as Gi’ah is about to escape, Gravik shows up and shoots Gi’ah.
Is Gi’ah truly dead? It’s strange that Marvel Studios would hire someone like Emilia Clarke for just three episodes of a series. Perhaps there’s more to this than meets the eye, or maybe it will turn out that she has Super Skrull powers too.
We’ll have to wait and see.
Priscilla Is Provided With A Gun, Mysterious Voice Sounds Like Rhodey, Is Rhodey A Skrull?

The episode ends on a weird but ominous note as Priscilla goes to a vault only for her to be given a gun and instructions to meet somewhere by a mysterious person, probably on orders of Gravik.
Maybe Gravik wants her to kill Nick Fury? But why use her when any Skrull can do the same?
However, what’s most suspicious of all is that the voice sounds a lot like Rhodey.
Does this mean Rhodey is a Skrull? It certainly seems like it for now, unless there’s some other reason that Rhodey is calling Priscilla on behalf of Gravik.

Until the next episode. Only three episodes left. Excelsior!


Amnesia Returns To Give Us A Horrific First-Person Experience This Fall

Did you like the first Amnesia game? Well, this might tickle your fancy: developer Frictional Games announced a follow-up called Amnesia: Rebirth aimed for PS4 and PC.Â
Players can expect a new protagonist and a new setting this time around, but with more twists to the story formula, refining of old features, and upping the ante on everything players have been through in the first game. In this case, it’s a dark desert setting with a lot of scary crawlspaces & mystic stuff to mess your head with.
Here’s the spiel from the devs:

“As you might expect from a Frictional game, weâ€™re not simply going for a carnival attraction of jumpscares.Â Amnesia: Rebirth is an emotionally harrowing journeyâ€”something different, something less predictable. It will test you in ways you havenâ€™t experienced before, and will make you think about the things that really scare you.”

Check out the spooky trailer below.


Borderlands 3 Celebrates Second Year Anniversary With 48-Hour Loot Monster Spawn Fiesta

Talk about a heckuva loot-filled bonanza!
Gearbox is celebrating 2 years of Borderlands 3 by bringing back the Loot Monster Mayhem limited event. This gives increased spawn rates for Loot variant enemies like Loot Tinks and Chubby Varkids in their respective spawn areas. To sweeten the deal, the Bekah Assault Rifle and the Earworm Assault Rifle will be in the random loot pool.
The catch? This event will last from now until 15th September 11:59pm GMT+8. The Bekah is a pretty limited rifle to get, so now’s a good a time as any to farm as many as possible. Also, the latest Maurice Black Market vending machine is on Neon Arterial (Promethea) and is selling the King’s Call and Queen’s Call; awesome guns that.
Furthermore, Gearbox is giving out SHIFT codes for limited edition Vault Hunter skins and ECHO Device skins, as well as a Diamond Key to open Diamond Chests with. Here are the codes:
KH5J3-9BSSS-K6WF9-RT3BB-FTBCJ
CHC3J-TCHSZ-5XCXH-FTTJJ-JZ55S
Input this in the main menu of the game under the SHIFT Social options. Have fun!


Monster Hunter World Is Getting A Milla Jovovich Movie Skin Next Week

Capcom hasÂ announcedÂ new limited-time Event Quests for Monster Hunter World IceborneÂ in collaboration with the upcoming Monster Hunter movie starring Milla Jovovich.
They will become available starting from 4 December 2020.
Monster HunterÂ Movie Limited-Time Event Quests

You can play as Artemis (voiced by Milla Jovovich herself) from the Monster HunterÂ movie in two special single-player event quests.
Artemis will speak English in any language setting, even though everyone else speaks theÂ Monster HunterÂ Language.
The ArtemisÂ Monster HunterÂ Movie Quest comes in two parts and will be available for a limited time only.
Artemis â€œMonster Hunterâ€ Movie Quest â€” Part 1

Availability:Starts:Â 8am GMT+8 on 4 December 2020Ends:Â 7.59am GMT+8 on 3 December 2021Event Quest:Â â€œThe New Worldâ€Conditions:Â Master Rank 1 or above; single-player onlyLocale:Â Wildspire WasteObjective:Â Slay a Black DiablosNew Equipment:Â Artemis Î±+ Armor Set
Artemis â€œMonster Hunterâ€ Movie Quest â€” Part 2

Availability:Starts:Â 8am GMT+8 on 4 December 2020Ends:Â 7.59am GMT+8 on 3 December 2021Event Quest:Â â€œTo Our Worldâ€Conditions:Â Master Rank 1 or above; single-player only; must have completed â€œThe New Worldâ€ (Part 1)Locale:Â Ancient ForestObjective:Â Slay a RathalosNew Equipment:Â Artemis Layered Armor Set
ArtemisÂ Monster HunterÂ Movie Quest Bonus Content

Players can complete the event quests to obtain a new guild card background, titles, and poses.
Guild Card Background: Cinematic WorldGuild Card Poses: Courageous Hunter, Skilled HunterGuild Card Titles: Artemis, Devilâ€™s Teeth, Sky Tower, Ranger, Chocolate, Movie
It’s worth pointing out that players will need the Monster Hunter Iceborne expansion to access the Artemis Monster Hunter Movie Quest content, and they must be Master Rank 1 or higher.
Monster Hunter World Iceborne is now available for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
The Monster Hunter movieÂ is slated to premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 28 January 2021.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Need For Speed Heat Is Driving The Series Towards The Right Direction

Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Genre: Legal street racing by day, illegal street racing by night.

The last time I played a Need For Speed game was more than a decade ago. Even then, I didn’t really finish it. Hell, I only played about 2 hours of ProStreet and then I put the disc away permanently. After ProStreet, it seemed that the series progressively got worse and so began my abandonment of the street racing game series I used to love so much.
When I was assigned to review Need For Speed: Heat, I actually sighed out loud, feeling as if a forgotten ghost had come back to haunt me. Needless to say, I approached the game with very low expectations.
I remember watching the trailers and even downloaded the phone app that allowed me to customise cars and import them into the game once it was in my hands so I wasn’t completely in the dark about the direction that developer Ghost Games was going for in this entry.
I’ll tell you right now that I actually enjoyed playing NFS Heat. I can’t tell you how much it has improved over the last few entries in the series, but it definitely reminded me of the fun I had in the original Most Wanted.
Race To The Top

The biggest mechanic to take note of in NFS Heat is switching between day and night. During the daytime, you’ll be spending time making money in legal street races which consist of the usual circuit, sprint, and drift events. At night, you engage in not-so-legal street racing which features the same events but instead of money, you race for reputation, stylised as REP in the game.

Before I continue, I would like to clarify that the drifting in this game is awesome. It’s easy enough to pull off but will take some time to master when you finally unlock the cars that can drift at 200km/h.
Coupled together with the challenging drift events that you can do throughout the game, it’s definitely one of the highlights of the game.

The setting this time is Palm City which is supposed to resemble the city of Miami. I wouldn’t know that because I’ve never been to Miami nor have I watched enough TV shows to give me a good idea of what Miami looks like. What matters is that it’s a pretty fun place to race in.

From the tight corners of the downtown area to the wide slopes of the mountains, the first 15 hours of the game kept on giving me new tracks to race on and almost all of them were memorable in a good way.
There are also off-road races that take place in dirt tracks; those were a lot of fun as well.

After making money during the day and spending it on your car, you better be prepared for night mode because that’s when the police become aggressive. Cop chases are back and this time, I wouldn’t say that they’re as exhilarating as the ones in the original Most Wanted but the police are smart and fast enough that they did make me sweat a few times. I even got busted once or twice!
Feeling The Heat

It wouldn’t be all that satisfying to get into cop chases if there weren’t any benefits from successfully escaping. That’s where the HEAT system comes in.
During night mode, you’ll have the ability to raise your HEAT level which dictates how mad the cops are at you. The higher your HEAT level, the higher your REP multiplier. You end the night by driving to any one of the fast-travel garages placed throughout the city. Get back in one piece and you can earn double, triple, or higher REP you got from races if you conclude the night on a specific HEAT level.
Keep in mind that high HEAT levels mean more aggressive cops with faster and stronger vehicles. Cop cars have a health bar but so do you. Once you reach HEAT level 3 and above, you should expect special units driving Corvettes and reinforced trucks to run you down.

The risk-and-reward balance of having high HEAT is really well done in this game and despite wanting to avoid cop chases, I always found myself nudging the HEAT meter up so that I could get more REP.

Progress in the game is directly tied to your REP level. The higher your REP level, the more story missions you can do and also the more cars and parts you unlock for purchase.
There were times I felt like I had to grind some familiar but profitable day races so that I could buy faster cars because upgrade parts weren’t unlocking as quickly as I thought they would. It’s weird how sometimes the game would introduce new races which would require faster cars but offer lower cash or REP rewards.

Fortunately, this was only apparent in the early-to-middle stages of the game. After reaching REP level 20 or so, the game returned to a very good pace of unlocking new stuff.

Spoiler Alert (It’s A Pun, Not A Spoiler Warning)

I don’t know who wrote the stories of the recent Fast & Furious movies but those who weren’t good enough to even make it to that level of artistry have found themselves in the business of writing stories of racing games instead. That’s how mediocre and clichÃ©d the story of NFS Heat felt to me.
The story has all the similar themes to those Fast & Furious movies: family, illegal street racing, and bad cops who sometimes turn good. They’re all just done in a way that’s a lot more cheesy and forgettable. To call the script and storyline decent would already be overgenerous on my part.

On the bright side, they’ve taken the Dark Souls route of storytelling. You don’t have to care about the story to enjoy the game. It’s just there to give you a reason -albeit a very weak one- to buy fast cars, trick them out, and piss off cops. The only thing that truly frustrates me is that the main campaign ends on a huge cliffhanger that’s obviously a set up for a sequel or future DLC.
It took me about 20 hours to beat the main campaign plus I spent a lot of time customising my cars. Truth to be told, I felt that the campaign was far too short. I might have not liked it but I wish there was more for me to discover.
Customisation Sensation

A Need For Speed game isn’t complete without a robust customisation feature that allows you to make your car look as good as it drives. I’m happy to report that the customisation options are not only great but they are also well-integrated into the core gameplay.
Let me touch on performance customisation first. The main car that I used for circuit and sprint races couldn’t rack up a lot of points in drift events and it was abysmal in off-road races. So I had to have two other cars that I would switch to for specific events. I had to fine-tune different cars for different events.

I really liked that the game wanted me to never be comfortable with only using one car at any given time and it forced me to experiment with other cars that I could buy and customise. The game even allows you to switch cars at the start of any daytime race.
Still, it is entirely possible to play the entire game while always only having one main car. Some parts will allow you to tune your car towards any of the four profiles: on-road, off-road, race, and drift. Just fast-travel to your garage, change some parts, and you would have a car fit for drifting on dirt instead of one made for downtown circuit races. All without changing the car itself.
When it comes to visual customisation, it’s really easy to lose an hour or two just playing around with all the options you have. Every type of paint, body parts, and most of the decals are unlocked from the get-go.

Unfortunately, auto-sculpting is not featured in NFS Heat, which is a shame because it’s one of the best features ever introduced in the series.

My favourite part of the external customisation is that you can type in custom text decals and also number plates. I had a lot of fun with that.

Catching The Drift
If there was anything I’d like to highlight as a criticism, it would be that the game feels as if it’s not tapping into its fullest potential.
The cop chases could be a lot more fun if I didn’t have to hold myself back due to my car being easily damaged after being bumped a few times. The story only took a short time to finish. Last but not least, some new races unlocked in higher REP levels are just races you’ve already won but now with faster opponents.

I honestly don’t know if Need For Speed: Heat is the return to form that many of the series’ fans are hoping for. For me, it’s a really good racing game that successfully nails what it sets out to do: putting players behind the wheel of a fast car and getting them into fun races and cop chases.

The cars look good, the races are fun, and pimping your ride is easy and satisfying. That’s more than enough to keep the series’ fire ablaze.

PROS

Races are fun and most tracks are memorable.
Cops are aggressive and smart in high HEAT levels.
In-depth performance and visual customisation.
Lots of cars and parts to unlock.
Visuals are great for cars and the environment.

CONS

Not much strategy involved in escaping cops.
Damage system spoils the fun of ramming into cops.
Soundtrack gets repetitive really quickly.

FINAL SCORE: 80/100

Our Need For Speed: Heat review was done on the PS4 version with a review code provided by the game’s publisher.


Capcom & Onitsuka Tiger Team Up Again For Street Fighter 6 Sneaker Collaboration

Capcom and sneaker company Onitsuka Tiger will be teaming up for another Street Fighter project once more.
The sneaker collaboration will be featuring two upcoming sneakers based on Street Fighter 6 characters Chun-Li and new Bushinryu practitioner Kimberly. Check out the concepts and artwork of the sneakers below:
Chun-Li (Mexico 66 Model)

Kimberly (Delecity Model)

The shoes will be available via Onitsuka Tiger outlets worldwide in the first half of 2023. If it’s anything like the Chun-Li shoes from 3 years ago, these upcoming footwear will be sold for US$180 at least.
And those artworks you see above? They’ll be on official collab t-shirts sold on Capcom stores in Tokyo and Osaka, as well as on the company’s E-Capcom online store.


Sony Ends PS3 Support In Japan

Sony PlayStation announced that it is ending repair support for its last PS3 model in Japan.
It will also end repair support for all PS3 peripherals. Ergo, PlayStation is stopping its PS3 support in the country due to the exhaustion of parts inventory relevant to the PS3 models. The end date is 30 April of this year.

?????????????????PlayStation®3?CECH-4300????????????PlayStation®3?????????????????????2022?4?30??????????????????????????????????????????????????????https://t.co/gIYzjfy0p6 pic.twitter.com/PZ6hKss5L9
— Ask PlayStation JP (@AskPS_JP) February 28, 2022

Here’s a more detailed post from Sony PlayStation in Japan.
“After-sales service will be discontinued on Saturday, April 30, 2022 for the PlayStationÂ®3 CECH-4300 series and all PS3 peripherals due to the exhaustion of parts inventory.
Customers who wish to have after-sales service for the relevant model should apply for after-sales service through the online repair reception service or PlayStation Customer Support by Saturday, April 30, 2022, and by Saturday, May 7, 2022.
Please send the product to arrive at the PlayStation Clinic. If you wish to send it directly to the PlayStation Clinic without prior application, please send it so that it arrives by Saturday, April 30, 2022.
We will not be able to accept applications or arrivals after the day following the above deadline, so if you are considering applying for after-sales service, please request as soon as possible.
Please note that repairs may not be possible before the end date due to the exhaustion of parts.
We sincerely apologize to customers who are using this product and thank you for your understanding.â€
We’ve had some pretty awesome memories of the PS3 back when it launched in late 2006. Well, it was mostly memes from that E3 press conference and also the lack of games, but the console turned itself around with exclusives like Twisted Metal, God of War 3, all three Uncharted games, and The Last of Us.
We’ll never forget “Riiiiiidge Racer!”, giant enemy crabs, and that starting price tag though. Woof.


Former League of Legends Female Pro Passed Away At 24

Former League of Legends pro and streamer Mari “Remilia” Creveling, has died at the age of 24. Dexerto reporter Richard Lewis clarified this on Twitter.

It is with great sadness that I inform you that my best friend Maria Creveling passed away peacefully in her sleep yesterday. Her absence will leave a void that can never be filled.
— Richard Lewis (@RLewisReports) December 28, 2019

She would not have wanted any lengthy statements or grand eulogies. Despite having fans all over the world she was never one who craved the spotlight. My only request is that anyone wanting to pay tribute reach out to ensure that it is done in a manner that respects her wishes.
— Richard Lewis (@RLewisReports) December 28, 2019

Remilia started her LoL career playing for Curse Academy in 2013 as a support. She was also renowned for the following:

Competing in the North American Challenger series.
Joining pro team Misfits in 2015, a team that rebranded into Renegades and won the NACS 2015 summer playoffs.
Being the first woman to compete in the LCS.
Regarded as one of the best Thresh players in North America.

The cause of her death is unknown at this point in time.


The Overwatch 2 Beta Hands-On: Here’s What We Thought

Don’t call it a full-fledged sequel to the 2016 hit multiplayer shooter just yet: Overwatch 2 right now feels like a transitional game than anything, as far as its beta form is concerned. With that in mind, I had a blast playing through hours of online matches. Keep in mind that this is just the second half of a promised sequel, since the beta only includes content from the PvP side of things.
New KidS On The Block

The most obvious new additions that’s available are the new hero Sojourn, the Push mode, and a new map called the Colloseo.
Sojourn herself is a Canadian cyborg who has a nifty new “beginner” mechanic: she has a rapid fire primary attack that builds up energy, then unleashes said charge in the form of a powerful railgun shot. The latter has great instant hitscan and can one-hit kill foes if the charge is 100%. She also has a nifty movement tool and escape skill in the form of her Power Slide. You press and hold Left Shift to slide fast and also be in a low profile, meaning you’re harder to hit. Pressing the spacebar while you’re sliding will make you jump higher than usual; you can get onto hard-to-reach vantage points from this. You can also run away from a heated situation and get some distance between you and enemies with the Power Slide/Jump combo.

In addition, she has a Disruptor Shot that hits a good AoE section that slows down and deal a bit of damage to enemies within the sphere. Her Ultimate lets her autocharge her Railgun automatically which means a barrage of Railgun shots for a short period of time. These shots also can pierce through enemies; perfect for downing a team’s Tank and hitting anyone behind that team member.
It goes without saying that you will need to have proper aim when using her Railgun. Shooter fans new to Overwatch who love to be rewarded for accuracy and offensive play will find her to be the perfect go-to Hero.
Characters and playstyles like hers can help bring in more people who love shooters and need more options for standard characters who cater that playstyle. That being said, I doubt I’ll be maining Sojourn anytime soon. I’m the kind of guy who likes his AoEs and explosions from his primary fires, so it’s Junkrat for me.
The new map Colloseo help round things up especially with the new mode Push. In this mode, you have to fight for control over a robot in the middle of the field. The robot will head to the enemy spawn location, pushing a barricade along the way. If the barricade goes all the way to the enemy team, your team wins and vice versa. It’s basically Overwatch 2’s version of tug-of-war, with some Control FPS mode thrown in.
Just like with all Overwatch modes, teamwork and co-op tactics play matters since you can’t do jack doing it solo. The mode itself is pretty fun and seems to be the only mode that garner me faster matchmaking results than any other mode in the beta. The fact that I can multitask between roles, with Support being the fastest for queue times, helps the process.
Something Old, Something New

Speaking of which, the new role dynamic and the 5v5 player count adjustment helps make matches feel a lot tighter and faster. Less people in the room means quicker ways to down a whole team.
To recap the class updates & changes, Tanks suffer less pushback than the rest of the classes. DPS roles move faster than the rest of the cast, and Support roles can regenerate their own health automatically. In a way, Support can retreat and regen their health, and can at times be tough nuts to crack. In fact, the only reason my team gets more wins than usual in unranked matches is because of my perseverance in staying back as a Support like Zenyatta while letting my more talented Tank and DPS teammates take lead. This makes Support more priority targets than usual in a team match, especially if it means dealing with a Support with better-than-usual mobility like Mercy.
Certain characters too get some role adjustment and major changes to their part 1 playstyles. The most noticeable ones include Doomfist being a Tank and Orisa having her kit revamped. The former still retains his DPS playstyle, but trades damage for defense with his new Power Guard move that replaces some of his more aggressive options. Orisa now has a few attacks involving her new Javelin and a new AoE Terra Surge attack, but her Protective Barrier, Halt!, and Supercharger Ultimate are gone. That’s great news for many of us who feel that Orisa is a tad underwhelming when compared to the rest of the more fun-to-play Tanks, myself included. Her new moves make her more involved in the fray rather than half-assing both defensive and offensive playstyles, excelling at neither.

Even Sombra herself gets a helluva rework for her kit. Her Hack now reveals enemies through walls so your teammates can prepare an ambush, and it also makes the hacked target take more damage from Sombra. Her Ultimate also deals 40% damage to enemies caught in the pulse’s radius in addition to disrupting barriers big and small. She’s just more of a pain to deal with than before, come to think of it. My keepaway Junkrat and Zenyatta tactics are usually disrupted because the enemy team’s Sombra knows how to use her new kit and buffs, forcing me to relocate to a new vantage point moreso than usual.
Point is, these shakeups and changes help keep the experience fresh. I have yet to play through the entire cast though, but everyone’s new gameplay changes seem to be leaning towards being better than disruptive for the sake of being so.
Cheers, Luv
It’s safe to say that with the many hours I’ve put into the beta, Overwatch 2’s PvP is looking solid.
The new interface and UI updates are better to look at and communicates info better; I dig having small icons to remind myself who is getting the blue and red orb when I’m Zenyatta, for instance.
While you can’t say that this is a full sequel yet, it does get the job done in showing significant improvements to a game that needed it during its 7-year run. Is this the jump-start the series needed? Perhaps, but it’s too soon to tell and we need to play the other majority of the game when it’s ready god-knows-when.
At the very least, the multiplayer update and character changes are warranted and worth a revisit if you haven’t played the game for eons. The Overwatch 2 PvP beta is available now; invites are sent out randomly, so you can try your luck here until mid-May.