Sony Confirms PlayStation Plus Essentials, With Extra and Premium Subscriptions For Southeast Asia

Southeast Asians and PlayStation fans, here’s your Spartacus in action!
Sony has officially announced its new three-tier subscription service, slated for mid-2022. They’re called the PlayStation Plus Essential, the PlayStation Plus Extra, and the PlayStation Plus Premium. The former has the basic subscription service and game model, while the latter Premium features up to 240 additional games from the PS3, PS2, PSP, and PS1 library.
Here’s the listing in various currencies:
PS Plus Essential

Price*: for PlayStation Plus Essential remains the same as the current price for PlayStation Plus.

United States

$9.99 monthly / $24.99 quarterly / $59.99 yearly

Europe

€8.99 monthly / €24.99 quarterly / €59.99 yearly

United Kingdom

£6.99 monthly / £19.99 quarterly / £49.99 yearly

Japan

¥850 monthly / ¥2,150 quarterly / ¥5,143 yearly

South Korea

KRW 7,500 monthly / KRW 18,800 quarterly / KRW 44,900 yearly

Hong Kong

HK$ 48 monthly / HK$ 128 quarterly / HK$ 308 yearly

Taiwan

NT$ 198 monthly / NT$ 488 quarterly / NT$ 1,188 yearly

Singapore

SGD 8.90 monthly / SGD 21.90 quarterly / SGD 53.90 yearly

Malaysia

RM 29 monthly / RM 69 quarterly / RM 159 yearly

NOTE: the rest of Asia countries pricing will follow

PlayStation Plus Extra

Benefits:

Provides all the benefits from the Essential tierTwo monthly downloadable games.

Adds a catalog of up to 400* of the most enjoyable PS4 and PS5 games – including blockbuster hits from our PlayStation Studios catalog and third-party partners. Games in the Extra tier are downloadable for play.

Price*:

United States

$14.99 monthly / $39.99 quarterly / $99.99 yearly

Europe

€13.99 monthly / €39.99 quarterly / €99.99 yearly

United Kingdom

£10.99 monthly / £31.99 quarterly / £83.99 yearly

Japan

¥1,300 monthly / ¥3,600 quarterly / ¥8,600 yearly

South Korea

KRW 11,300 monthly / KRW 31,000 quarterly / KRW 75,300 yearly

Hong Kong

HK$ 75 monthly / HK$ 215 quarterly / HK$ 515 yearly

Taiwan

NT$ 298 monthly / NT$ 808 quarterly / NT$ 1,988 yearly

Singapore

SGD 13.90 monthly / SGD 35.90 quarterly / SGD 89.90 yearly

Malaysia

RM 44 monthly / RM 114 quarterly / RM 269 yearly

NOTE: the rest of Asia countries pricing will follow

PlayStation Plus Premium

Benefits:

Provides all the benefits from Essential and Extra tiers
Adds up to 240* additional games, including:

PS3 games available via cloud streaming.
A catalog of beloved classic games available in both streaming and download options from the original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP generations.

Offers cloud streaming access for original PlayStation, PS2, PSP and PS4 games offered in the Extra and Premium tiers in markets** where PlayStation Now is currently available. Customers can stream games using PS4 and PS5 consoles, and PC.
Time-limited game trials will also be offered in this tier, so customers can try select games before they buy.

Price*:

United States

$17.99 monthly / $49.99 quarterly / $119.99 yearly

Europe

€16.99 monthly / €49.99 quarterly / €119.99 yearly

United Kingdom

£13.49 monthly / £39.99 quarterly / £99.99 yearly

Japan

¥1,550 – monthly / ¥4,300 – quarterly / ¥10,250 yearly

PlayStation Plus Deluxe (Select Markets) For markets without cloud streaming, PlayStation Plus Deluxe will be offered at a lower price compared to Premium, and includes a catalog of beloved classic games from the original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP generations to download and play, along with time-limited game trials. Benefits from Essential and Extra tiers are also included. Local pricing will vary by market.

Price*:

South Korea

KRW 12,900 monthly / KRW 35,000 quarterly / KRW 86,500 yearly

Hong Kong

HK$ 85 monthly / HK$ 239 quarterly / HK$ 599 yearly

Taiwan

NT$ 338 monthly / NT$ 928 quarterly / NT$ 2,288 yearly

Singapore

SGD 15.90 monthly / SGD 40.90 quarterly / SGD 103.90 yearly

Malaysia

RM 50 monthly / RM 130 quarterly / RM 309 yearly

NOTE: the rest of Asia countries pricing will follow

These are the games that will be out when the service launches in the first half of 2022:

Returnal
God of War
Marvel’s Spider-Man
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Mortal Kombat 11
Death Stranding

As of now, there are no set prices for the Indonesia, The Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand markets. We’ll be sure to update this list accordingly when they’re up.
To recap, if you want to play all the old PlayStation games from the PS1 days all the way to the PS5, you will need to pay RM50 monthly if you’re in Malaysia and S$15.90 if you’re in Singapore. Yearly pricing is RM309/S$103.90. We will need to look at the full PlayStation Plus archive and game library to see if it’s worth spending money on, but this does sound like a pretty good deal if you want the PlayStation equivalent of the Xbox and PC Game Pass.
Will You Be Able To Play NEW & Exclusive PlayStation Games At Launch ON PS PLUS?
No, according to Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan in a recent GamesIndustry.biz interview. The new PS Plus will not regularly be getting first-party Sony games on launch day, unlike the Xbox Game Pass where first-party Xbox titles will be out Day One on its own game subscription service.
“This is not a road that we’ve gone down in the past. And it’s not a road that we’re going to go down with this new service. We feel if we were to do that with the games that we make at PlayStation Studios, that virtuous cycle will be broken. The level of investment that we need to make in our studios would not be possible, and we think the knock-on effect on the quality of the games that we make would not be something that gamers want.
[We’ve had] great critical success and great commercial success, and everybody has made their peace with that happening and is completely at ease with it. I look back four years and think nobody would have seen that coming.
All I’m talking to today is the approach we’re taking in the short term. The way our publishing model works right now, it doesn’t make any sense. But things can change very quickly in this industry, as we all know.”


Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 4 Breakdown & Easter Eggs

The fourth episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. l’ll be discussing heavy spoilers so if you haven’t seen it or want to avoid spoilers, now’s your chance to stop reading.
The limited six-episode series follows the titular Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi in exile, set 10 years after the events of Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The Sith. It is executive-produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, Deborah Chow, McGregor and series writer Joby Harold. Deborah Chow is the showrunner and she directed all six episodes.
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia, we were given the opportunity to interview none other than the former Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and current Dark Lord Of The Sith Darth Vader; Hayden Christensen himself.
Check out my breakdown of Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 1 and 2. and Episode 3 here.
You can check out my previous breakdowns of The Book Of Boba Fett Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6 and Episode 7 here.
Check out my breakdown 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 Jedi Breathing Device Returns

In this episode, Obi-Wan Kenobi infiltrates Fortress Inquisitorius underwater and interestingly, he’s wearing the Jedi Breathing Device. We first saw him (and Qui-Gon Jinn) wearing the Jedi Breathing Device in Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace.
It is a small breather that fits snugly into a Jedi Knight’s utility belt, the A99 aquata breather is a compact mouthpiece designed to supply its wearer with a breathable gas. The A99 has advanced filters to allow it to function underwater, in a vacuum, and in certain poisonous environments. The A99 has a number of variants to accommodate a variety of alien physiologies. The A99’s miniature compressed air tanks can supply two hours of oxygen.

The Interrogation Chamber Was First Seen In Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order

The Interrogation Chamber was a location within Fortress Inquisitorius on the ocean moon of Nur in the Mustafar system. It was used by the Inquisitorius to interrogate and torture Jedi in order to turn them into Inquisitors, and had an interrogation chair in the center of the room.
In Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, during his mission to restore the Jedi Order, Jedi Knight Cal Kestis infiltrated the fortress in order to recover a holocron that was stolen by the Inquisitor Second Sister on the planet Bogano after a brief duel with one another. However, Kestis was tasked with reaching the Interrogation Chamber, where the holocron was being kept, but instead faced the Inquisitor in a duel once more, which resulted in her death at the hands of the Sith Lord Darth Vader, who tore the room apart while trying to kill Kestis.
However, keep in mind that Obi-Wan Kenobi takes place after the events of Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order. It makes sense that the Interrogation Chamber would look different, considering that it was destroyed at the end of the Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order.

Fortress Inquisitorius Is A Jedi Tomb

Obi-Wan discovers that the Inquisitors have been keeping the dead bodies of fallen Jedi inside Fort Inquisitorius.
Even younglings. Creepy…

The T-47 Airspeeder (Also Known As Snowspeeders) From Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back

The ships that rescued Obi-Wan looks familiar for a reason. They’re the same ones used by the Rebels on Hoth in Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.
When stationed on Hoth, the Rebel Alliance modified T-47 airspeeders to become snowspeeders, fast flying conveyances for patrol and defense of their hidden base. It took some doing to keep the crippling cold from permanently grounding their airforce, but Rebel ingenuity overcame the relentless Hoth elements. The T-47 airspeeder is a small, wedge-shaped craft with two forward-facing laser cannons. In its rear arc is a harpoon gun fitted with a heavy-duty tow cable. The snowspeeder is a two-man vessel, with a pilot and rear-facing tailgunner.

We only have two episodes left, fellow Star Wars fans. Until then, excelsior!


Michael Khoo’s Favourite Gaming Things Of 2018

For as long as I can remember, I’m always trying to fit together the best items to improve my gaming experience. This side-hobby has pushed me to look beyond gaming peripherals for the best experience.
Gaming peripherals simply don’t cut it and the recent RGB trend has put me off (here, here ~Editor). Here are my top 10 items currently on my desk and wishlist.
1. Rode NT USB

xThe common answer to microphones would typically be the Blue Yeti. However, I’ve come to learn that we don’t always need those bidirectional or omni-directional features.
The Rode NT USB is an alternative -a better one I would dare say- that will help you sound amazing when you’re screaming with your friends on Overwatch. Plug in secondary earphones into the available mic jack if you wish to separate voice comms from your main audio; I found this feature useful for World of Warcraft raids.
http://www.rode.com/microphones/nt-usbÂ
2. Sennheiser GSX 1000 Audio Amplifier

When searching for great surround sound, I learn that one needs to spend not just on multiple speakers, but also possess a great room environment for it. The recent appearance of surround headsets compromise on sound qualityaudi or make the headsets too heavy.
That’s understandable when you’re trying to cram so much into a pair of cans. So here’s a smart way to do it: the GSX 100 audio amplifier is a 7.1 sound virtualizer that does all the processing OUTSIDE of the headphones, so you’re free to use whatever headset you wish! It also allows for switching between a set of speakers and headsets – great for anyone with dual audio set ups.
https://en-us.sennheiser.com/audio-amplifier-gsx-1000
3. AudioTechnica AD900x

Audio Technica produced a number of great headphones in this series. They are lightweight, comfortable, and sound amazing. I picked that AD900X only because it had the largest soundstage amongst the other models. Pair this with the aforementioned Audio Amplifier and you’ll have an unbeatable 7.1 virtual surround setup. Fair warning, open ear cans do not isolate sound leakage.
https://www.audio-technica.com/cms/headphones/996daf096c12ea16/index.html
4. Happy Hacking Keyboard

Touted possibly the best mechanical keyboard to ever exist to date. The Happy Hacking Keyboard (HHKB) is a Topre-switch mechanical keyboard that feels amazing to any typist. Designed largely for programmers and mac-users.
Many PC gamers have begun picking this keyboard up because of how good it feels to type on it. Some drawbacks include the lack of LED backlighting, a different keyboard layout that requires adjustment and practice.
Personally, those drawbacks held me back for only 2 weeks before I got used to it and never looked back. Do note this is also one of the most expensive keyboards to exist.
https://hhkeyboard.us/
5. Hayate Artisan Mousepad

A no-frills mousepad crafted in Japan, the Hayate Artisan offers multiple surface types and hardness to suit various preferences. The one I have is a large sized, extra soft surface so it feels like running my mouse over a smooth pillow. Ideally, one should visit a store to try it, but they’re only available in Japan.
So for those of us who aren’t in the land of the rising sun, we’re shit out of luck, but I doubt that would stop anyone from purchasing one to try. I know it didn’t stop me at least.
https://www.artisan-jp.com/cs-hayate-eng.html
6. AudioEngine a5+

Personally, I’ve never been satisfied with the speakers many have designed for the desktop. Couple with the fact that we watch movies at our PC these days, sound is very important to the immersive experience.
You will not get that from a pair of gaming speakers at all. So here comes this large pair of a5+ speakers by AudioEngine.
The company has a smaller a2 version designed for the desktops, but honestly just gun for these. I guarantee no regrets, and if you feel wealthy, pair them with a subwoofer for punchy bass that will rattle your room.
https://audioengineusa.com/speakers/powered-speakers/
7. Xbox Wireless Adapter

The new and improved Xbox Wireless Adapter is sleeker, smaller and has a few new additional features like wireless stereo support, and connectivity of up to eight controllers at once. Great for those Overcooked sessions with friends.
Even if you would argue that there is never a case you would need to connect all 8 controllers, this new improved version is simply worth getting because it looks good.
https://www.xbox.com/en-SG/xbox-one/accessories/adapters/wireless-adapter-windows
8. Xbox Elite Controller

In my opinion, this is the best controller to get for the PC. I personally never liked the design layout of the PS4 controller, and the Steam controller, while it tried to do something cool, never really made sense to me.
The Xbox Elite controller puts the best of Xbox’s controller into your hands, and improves on it with adjustable buttons and many other bells and whistles. Also comes with a nice carrying case to protect your controller when you’re heading out for games. If you need a controller for the PC, this is the one to get.
https://www.xbox.com/en-SG/xbox-one/accessories/controllers/elite-wireless-controller
9. LG SK8Y Atmos Sound Bar

With the emergence of ATMOS, games have begun to adopt this “surgically accurate” surround technology. What this means is we get to enjoy better quality surround by switching up to speakers that have the same tech as well. LG’s SK8Y is by far the most accessible set that doesn’t compromise on its soundstage.
The sound bar comes with a woofer as well, and if you’re lucky some stores are known to throw in rear speakers as a bonus!
https://www.lg.com/sg/home-audio/lg-SK8Y
10. Acer Predator XB321HK 4k Monitor

As we push towards the 4k gaming era, the minimum size to enjoy all that higher resolution should really be a 32-inch screen, nothing less. Which is why this Acer monitor checks all the right boxes with its IPS screen, 32-inch display, 165Hz max refresh and G-sync technology.
What does it not do?! The only thing we wish they would cut back on are the 2 x 2w speakers which we wouldn’t really be using at all (*hint hint to Acer). Its price on Amazon has been fluctuating of late, going to as high as US$999 to as low as US$699.
https://www.acer.com/ac/en/GB/content/predator-model/UM.JX1EE.001
Look forward to more news about Alpha Beta Omega’s games on their Facebook page.Â


New Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl Trailer Showcases New Ramanas Park & Mythical Pokemon

The PokÃ©mon Company and developer ILCA and Game Freak have released new information about its upcoming remake of PokÃ©mon Diamond and PokÃ©mon Pearl.
Players will get a new feature called Ramanas Park, a place they can visit after entering the Hall of Fame. This park has pedestals that can summon Legendary Pokemon if you have the correct slate to match the pedestal’s slots. You’ll need to explore the Sinnoh region and do a bunch of quests to get these slates.
For the record, the Legendary Pokemon you encounter will be different depending on which version of the game you have. If you have PokÃ©mon Brilliant Diamond, you get to encounter Raikou, Entei, Suicune, and Ho-oh. If you have PokÃ©mon Shining Pearl, you can encounter Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Lugia.
The remakes will also reward you for your Pokemon game loyalty. If you have saves from Pokemon Sword,Â Pokemon Shield,Â Pokemon: Letâ€™s Go, Pikachu!, and/or Pokemon: Letâ€™s Go, Eevee! , you can add a Mythical Pokemon to your team. Here’s the list and steps:
Pokemon SwordÂ orÂ Pokemon Shield
Speak to a gentleman in the flower field located on the southwest end of Floaroma Town to get the Mythical Pokemon Jirachi as a companion.
Pokemon: Letâ€™s Go, Pikachu!Â orÂ Pokemon: Letâ€™s Go, Eevee!
Speak to a madame in the flower field located on the southwest end of Floaroma Town to get the Mythical Pokemon Mew as a companion.
Watch the new trailer below. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl are coming out for Nintendo Switch on 19th November.


Studio In Charge Of Ubisoft’s Beyond Good And Evil 2 At “Breaking Point”

The still-in-production Ubisoft adventure game Beyond Good and Evil 2 is still facing a ton of development and staff issues since its first trailer reveal in 2008.
Reports from Kotaku stated that Ubisoft Montpellier, the studio in charge of developing the game, is under investigation by the local government due to a huge amount of burnout and sick leave among staff. Also, the company lost its managing director Guillaume Carmona, along with a creative director and game director.
The news came from three anonymous sources who said the studio has faced an investigation from Inspection du Travail -the French Labour Inspection body- after a year when numerous staff and lead developers took extended absences from the company due to sickness and stress. A third-party has been given the task of interviewing Ubisoft Montpellier employees to assess their physical and mental health.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 is still in active development, as far as we know. For 15 years since that one trailer with main character Jade meditating on a hood of a car. It’s been in development for so long that it beat Duke Nukem Forever’s record for the longest development time.


DNF Duel Favours Style Over Substance So Far

Fighting game fans and casual Korean MMO players had a chance to try out the DNF Duel open beta for PS4 and PS5 this weekend. Brought to you by the combination that is Neople, Nexon, Arc System Works, and Eighting, this 2D fighting game combines anime fighting with one of Korea’s popular MMOs that’s basically a 2D brawler made online. And I must say: it’s a good first impression despite some launch kerfuffles.
Players get their choice of 10 playable characters, each with their own fighting style. From the Striker’s close-ranged rushdown game to the Ranger’s zoning and fancy footwork/combos like a Korean Dante, there’s a playstyle for every archetype out there and then some.

You’ll also notice from these screenshots and gameplay videos on this feature that DNF Duel is a beauty to look at. These fantasy characters which are clearly taken from other MMOs do look detailed and colourful, and are animated with a ton of love and care. This isn’t surprising, considering Arc System Works has shown their 2D-in-3D chops with their Guilty Gear titles, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Granblue Fantasy Versus.
Feel-wise, DNF Duel playslike a hybrid between BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle and Granblue Fantasy Versus.Â Much like the aforementioned Cygames title, DNF Duel opts for an accessible control scheme. Sure, you can do motion inputs for each character’s moves, but generally, everyone has two regular attack buttons, a special attack button, and an MP-powered move. Each character’s special moves and kit can be pulled off with a corresponding input and their respective buttons. The MP moves are powerful and can be cancelled from most special attacks, but they need MP to activate.
See, every character has a Health Bar (HP) and a resource bar (MP); you can’t pull off your fancy moves without MP, so you’ll need to manage that resource well. For instance, the Crusader’s powerful Hell Wheel takes up a lot of MP but it guarantees a lockdown if it connects. Conversely, the Striker’s many cancellable moves require some MP to chain effectively to deal the most damage possible up-close and personal. In fact, every character has moves that can cancel to one another, making for a flashy yet damaging experience if you are on the offensive.
Making Magic

Perhaps one of the more standout mechanics of DNF Duel is its conversion system. As you get hit when blocking, you can gain back “white life” that’s on your lifebar. You can opt to convert that white life into MP so that you have a lot more resources to do damaging moves with. Of course, you cannot gain back that lost life, so you have to make some careful decisions whether you’re at the offensive or not.
Throughout the weekend, my many matches live or die as to how players convert their life to MP at the right time, and then cancel their moves like no tomorrow while the proverbial iron is hot. Playing DNF Duel like a conventional footsie-heavy fighting game can only take you so far, given the game’s focus on fancy combos and anime fighting theatrics. I’ve learned this the hard way: I struggled more as a Vanguard just keeping a lot of players away, when all it takes for them to win is a ton of MP and combos.
The online beta seems to run just great, with no lags in fights and everything being smooth sailing. My only gripe here is that the beta needed a Training Mode to test out each character’s toolkit and moves. I had to enter the field blind just trying out what combos work with my Striker and what moves are safe to throw out with the Vanguard. Thanks to people exploiting the Crusader’s current broken kit, I learned all my character’s weaknesses through trial by fire. Literal holy fire.
Hopefully, the developers take ample feedback from the fighting game community about DNF Duel’s many, MANY broken shenanigans. Apart from the lack of training mode, and a pretty skewed roster favouring a big guy in a habit who has it all (fast mid-ranged moves, slow fireball, wall, armour), DNF Duel has the potential to be a standout fighting game hit of 2022. It clearly has a huge laundry list of much-needed options, balancing, and quality-of-life additions, but as a first-time open beta trying to get feedback, it ain’t half-bad.
DNF Duel will be out in Summer 2022.


Magic The Gathering: Lord of the Rings Tales of Middle Earth Preview – Mirkwood Spider & Hobbit’s Sting

Two of the biggest fantasy giants are coming together for one amazing collaboration on 23 June.
Lord of the Rings and Magic: The Gathering are dropping a new expansion, “Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth” and thanks to Wizards of the Coast, we have a couple of awesome cards to show off.
Before we get to them, here’s the lowdown on the new upcoming set: Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth is a 233-card expansion to the world’s most popular TCG (Trading Card Game), Magic: The Gathering. The expansion features characters, key story moments, and of course, the One Ring itself.
Whether you’ve read the books, watched the movies, or seen the TV series, you’ll find all your favourites within this set. The expansion also features a special mechanic that pays homage to the One Ring. Certain cards have the text “the Ring tempts you”. When this happens, you select a creature to be your ringbearer, which will then gain a series of buffs that develop as the ring tempts you further.

Boil ‘Em, Mash ‘Em, Put ‘Em In A Stew…

Of course, you couldn’t have a set filled with Hobbits without the mention of food.
Throughout the set, you’ll see many of them, especially on Hobbit-themed cards, that have the ability to create food tokens. These tokens are artifacts that you can cash in to fill you up and restore some lost life. Of course, it’s not just Hobbits that like food. Some would consider the Hobbits to be a delicacy.
Shelob, the giant spider, for example, makes an appearance with her own card, and has the ability to turn any fallen creature into a delicious snack.
And where you’ll find Shelob, you’ll no doubt find her brood. So watch out, or our first preview card will turn you into a snack. Check out: Mirkwood Spider.

Mirkwood Spider

Mirkwood Spider is a green, 1 mana, 1/1, but don’t let its small size trick you, this little bugger comes packing with Deathtouch. This means it doesn’t matter how big or how strong a creature is. If it takes a single point of damage from Mirkwood Spider, it will die.
In addition, when Mirkwood Spider attacks, it grants this awesome ability to another legendary creature until the end of turn. Perhaps even making some little Hobbits just as deadly.
Speaking of, let’s check out our second preview card, Hobbit’s Sting.

Hobbit’s Sting

Hobbit’s Sting is a white, 2 mana Instant card that deals damage to a creature equal to the number of creatures you control, plus the number of food tokens you control. The more creatures you have, the more damage it deals. White decks are often known for getting lots of creatures in play and most of the Hobbit cards previewed so far are also in white. As we mentioned, the Hobbit cards have strong food synergies.
I don’t think these cards make the cut for competitive play, but they’re definitely excellent cards you’ll see in drafts or your Pre-releases.
If you want to get an early hands-on with these new cards, you can head down to your LGS (Local Game Store) and see if they’re running a Pre-release event. You can find a list of locations here. Pre-releases will be running all through the weekend of 16th June. If you can’t make it to a Pre-release event, launch day is a week later, on the 23rd of June.


Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak Sales Surpass Two Million Units

Capcom has announced that the total worldwide shipments and digital sales for the Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak expansion have surpassed two million units since releasing on 30 June 2022 on Nintendo Switch and PC. Meanwhile, the Monster Hunter Rise base game has already sold more than 10 million units worldwide since its launch.
Sunbreak is a massive premium expansion for Monster Hunter Rise. In addition to new quest ranks, locales, monsters and never-before-experienced hunting actions, players can enjoy new story elements as well. In the meantime, check out our list of all the new features and monsters announced so far.


The Lord Of The Rings TV Series Finds Its Director

Amazon’s The Lord Of The Rings TV series now has a director attached to its first two episodes, as well as act as one of its executive producers. That person is Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom director Juan Antonio ‘J.A.’ Bayona, who will be joined by producer BelÃ©n Atienza.
The upcoming LOTR TV series will be set in Middle Earth during the Second Age, thousands of years before the events of Peter Jackson’s iconic The Lord Of The Rings trilogy of films. You won’t be seeing any of the recognizable faces like Frodo, Gandalf, or the others.
Speaking with IGN, Bayona said:

â€œJ.R.R. Tolkien created one of the most extraordinary and inspiring stories of all time, and as a lifelong fan it is an honor and a joy to join this amazing team.
I canâ€™t wait to take audiences around the world to Middle-earth and have them discover the wonders of the Second Age, with a never before seen story.â€

JD Payne and Patrick McKay will be the lead writers for the series. Nothing else has been revealed about the series as of yet, which means that it is likely in very early development stages.
Spinoff adaptations of the franchise tend to be lukewarm or mediocre at best, including The Hobbit trilogy of films and the Middle-Earth games by Warner Bros. It remains to be seen if Amazon’s efforts will be any different, but with Game Of Thrones recently ending its run, the LOTR TV series could fill the void for epic fantasy TV.


HyperX Brings In The Noise With New Headsets & RGB Goodness In Computex 2019

HyperX serves Computex 2019 with an array of impressive peripherals and hardware, slapped with RGB goodness for extra measure. This time they’re pulling the shroud off three of their high-end peripherals.
Here’s what they have in store.
Gaming Headsets
HyperX is well known for its superb headset quality in terms of its plush and robust build as well as the sharp and precise sound system.
Cloud Alpha S

The Alpha S is HyperX’s latest updated to the Alpha lineup, boasting dual-chamber technology which accentuatesÂ bass, mid and high notes, making it particularly good for games that require pinpoint positional awareness. It features an adjustable bass sliderÂ and aÂ custom-tuned audio control boxÂ withÂ HyperX 7.1 Surround Sound.
Cloud Orbit S
Image credit: Headphonesty
A collaboration between Kingston, Audeze and Waves Technology brought the Orbit S to life. The Cloud Orbit SÂ  is the first headset to featureÂ Audezeâ€™s 100mm Planar Magnetic Drivers. The headset features Waves Nx 3D Audio and Head Tracking, delivering immersive audio and cinematic experiences.
Gaming Keyboards
The Alloy lineup is HyperX’s entry in the mechanical and gaming keyboard market. Let’s see what’s the latest version of it.
Alloy Origins Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

The main attraction of the brand. Featuring the companyâ€™sÂ all-new HyperX Red Switch which sports a 45g actuation pointÂ and up to 80 million click lifetime.
HyperX says that the keyboard is specifically tailored for FPS games, so it’s perfect for those hit battle royales like Apex Legends.
Oh btw, it also has “pudding keycaps”.
Image credit: The Verge
Sweet; RGB rainbow!
Memory Modules
Fury DDR4/DDR4 RGB

The Fury DDR4 memory modules featureÂ Plug n Play support, which allows forÂ easy overclocking at DDR4 1.2V, as well as Intel-XMP ready profiles. The top of the sticks glows with an RGB LED bar, packed with their latest tech, HyperXâ€™s patented Infrared Sync, allowing it to stay synchronised without the use of a cable.

I’m truly excited to see more of Computex 2019, especially with sweet tech and gadgets like this. With that being said, do check out our other Computex pieces, featuring brands like Alienware and ASUS Republic of Gamers here.


Halfway Point: The Best Games of 2021 So Far [Video]

We are 6 months in for 2021, and already we have a slew of top tier GOTY candidates.
In the interest of everyone who needs game recommendations right now, we’ve done a slew of videos with content creators and media folks from all over Southeast Asia about their top gaming picks of 2021. We also added in our own picks, this being our site and all.
Here are the videos:


Arcane: League of Legends Is A Decently-Crafted Origin Story Of The Game’s Popular Cast

Update[13/11/2021]: the show’s six episodes are out now. The review will be updated to reflect this.
Ten years plus later, the League of Legends MOBA brand is still going strong, with one of the reasons being that it goes beyond the game. With oodles of one-shot story trailers and even a bunch of girl band-slash-K-Pop-esque music videos, Riot Games’ MOBA series still retains relevance among its gaming community and even bystanders who even show some inkling of interest with its colourful cast.
The next logical step would be to make up some overarching film series or limited TV series to tie it all together, fleshing out the DPS, Solo Mids, Support and Jungler champions fans are accustomed to playing as. At the same time, this also helps bring newbies and casual animation viewers in on the series’ colourful lore and history, since the in-game narrative is spotty and vague at best. And with that, we get Arcane: League of Legends, a 3D animated series that focuses on a bunch of key characters and how they became what they are in the game.
Do the six episodes so far work as a nice introduction to the League of Legends lore canon? It does, and it at least will make you curious about the game it’s based on.
Sister Act

The first few episodes of Arcane focuses on the relationship and origin story between Vi and Jinx, who goes by Powder in the first three episodes. They basically stick together in the undercity of Zaun, under the care of the undercity’s leader Vander. It all goes to hell halfway through after a robbery planned by Vi and Jinx go sour. Things escalate, with Piltover authorities stepping on the undercity’s toes.
Elsewhere in the utopia of Piltover, academic scientist Jayce is trying to prove that magic can be controlled while shady figure Silco is experimenting on making a superpowered army of monsters to up his security, possibly even more. All these three storylines are tying together to shape the narrative course of the show, possibly culminating in a massive game-changing event between the two contrasting cities during the six episodes (with three more coming out next week).

So far, the six episodes I’ve checked out help set the tone of the show: part action, part drama, part fantasy, all in one well-done adaptation package. The chief reason they captivate is because of its art style and animation; it’s gorgeous. Characters move and animate really well, the action scenes have a lot of weight and heft to them, and each main character’s facial expressions and body language are just crafted well to convey their actions on-screen.
There’s just enough talking and character moments spliced in-between the chase sequences and action scenes, along with a few spectacles of the world’s birth of a magic-slash-tech hybrid age.

The three episode’s spotlight is definitely on the young girl Powder, who would eventually become the mentally unstable gunslinger/explosives expert Jinx. Her relationship with her sister Vi is fleshed out just enough, just enough to make you feel bad for her when all she wants is to just do her best in an unforgiving part of the world.
That said, we hope to see a bit more amidst the massive worldbuilding going on here. Riot Games and production studios Fortiche Productions went all out and are taking their sweet time fleshing out everything in this introduction to the League of Legends regions of Piltover, Zaun, and everything in-between. Piltover has its high-class locales, while Zaun is a dank seedy place with bouts of neon lights in its nightlife.

In fact, I feel that most of the characters here and their arcs from Jayce to Silco have their separate stories paced out in each of the episodes. Each of their tales is introduced and told just adequately with a good mix of visual cues and right amount of dialogue, with the former having to deal with Piltover’s council and magic’s possible upside and downside in shaping the city’s future, while the latter deals with a past betrayal and sets the motions for his possible takeover of Zaun.
Some key characters do need more of their backstories revealed over time like with cop-in-training Caitlyn, but so far the brief taste from each 40-minute episode hits all the right notes for both fantasy show fans and LoL veterans.
A Hex On You

Until I get the full picture, it’s safe to say that Arcane: League of Legends can take its place as a lovely and interesting fantasy animated series based on a video game series; a successful adaptation in other words. It does its best in easing people into the world that most people wouldn’t give two s**** about, with its animation being the main draw. The origin story of Vi and Powder/Jinx definitely carry this show. Let’s hope they stick the landing in the remaining six episodes.
Arcane: League of Legends episodes 1 to 3 are out now. Episodes 4 to 6 will be out on 13th November 3pm GMT+8 while Act 7 to 9 are out on 20th November 3pm GMT+8.


Is The Remastered Kingdoms Of Amalur Worth The Re-Revisit?

Platform(s): PS4, PC, Xbox One
Genre: Action RPG from a now-defunct company, remastered
It’s rather sad that the 2012Â  action RPG Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is renowned for the Studio 38 versus Rhode Island drama rather than the game itself. While not exactly innovative and groundbreaking, it makes up for it by being a solid action game with RPG mechanics and looting, while offering a flexible system that lets you be whatever archetype you want without any penalties for being a jack-of-all-trades.
I’m pretty glad that THQ Nordic is bringing the series back with a graphical remastering of the 8-year old RPG, “masterfully” titled Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning. Granted, it’s not the most spectacular of remasters, but it does rework the insides of the game a tad while offering some slick visual adjustments.
Fate Stay Night

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning’s story is about a high fantasy world where faes, mythical creatures, and humanoids of colour and sizes are bound by a literal chain of fate. Everything in that world has preordained destinies and fates, going so far as to create special factions and “houses” to recreate ancient tales and fables just to keep their respective deities appeased and their societies from deteriorating. So along comes your character, who comes back from the dead and can’t have his/her fate and future read by the world’s fatespinners & weavers -hence your title “Fateless One”. It’s up to you to find out why on a series of action beats, loot hoarding, and combat, while also enjoying some open-world nuances here and there.
While not immediate from the get-go, the game’s story does bring up interesting plot points to ponder. From the many sidequests and tasks where folks are at it via racial tension, to backstabbing abound from factions, there’s a lot to uncover. The fact that RA Salvatore’s writing and Todd McFarlane’s aesthetics stand out from elevating Kingdoms of Amalur from being generic-looking and sounding, at least by a tad, makes the visuals stand out.
The Re-Reckoning remastering job here is well done for the most parts. Every area and its specific fauna, from the night forests with the glowey blue fungi and plant life popping up whenever you walk closeby to the desert wasteland, is quite a sight to take in. It also helps that you have camera elevation, camera distance, and field-of-view options so you don’t have your viewpoint up your character’s back and bum up-close and take in the sights from a perfect camera view.
It’s also a heckuva trek that doesn’t feel monotonous. Part of it is because there’s a lot of discoverables, from lorestones that give you bonus experience points while telling you more of the game’s many fables to the secret chests & loot caches that house random loot that doesn’t seem that random. More on that in a bit.
Roll For Initiative

Even if it’s been 8 years prior, the game still holds up most of the time. Like we mentioned above, the game’s flexible Destiny and “class” system lets you play different playstyles and change it up with little to no cost. Basically, you put a bunch of points in either of the three stat categories -Might, Finesse, Sorcery- and you get Destiny cards that give you bonuses that complement that playstyle.
Want to be a melee bruiser with groundpound AoE attacks? Go ahead and put all your points on Might and get Destiny cards that help you with health and damage-dealing. Want to balance between being a backstabbing rogue and a magic-user? Split up points between Finesse and Sorcery and not only do you get bonuses in elemental resistances and armour penetration, you can also do a sweet teleport dash that can poison anyone at the end of the dash. Want to be a jack-of-all trades? You can put points in all three and get a Destiny card that helps create homing projectiles if you kill a bad guy. Re-Reckoning’s “class”
flexibility, coupled with its action-heavy combat that relies on blocking, parrying, dodging, and mixing up melee and ranged attacks, helps make the entire gameplay package fun. Tight controls really help, and this game offers that in spades to the point that you don’t need manual targeting and lock-on.
The Re-Reckoning’s looting and difficulty changes also make sure it complements with the challenge and fun of exploring a dangerous-yet-ephemeral land. So far, my runthrough of the main campaign (which will take you 30 hours minimum) net my Finesse/Magic-focused dual-wielding knives warrior a bit too much gear in the set match and purple tier. At least it’s tailored after my setup, so it’s less frustrating than in the 2012 original, where items are pretty expensive and farming for gold requires you to respec to certain talents that up your gold acquisition bonuses. You don’t need to do that as much, though at times you may end up with way more loot than you need.
The challenge itself calculates and scales to your character level, though if you picked the new “Very Hard” difficulty, you’ll feel the sting from each wolf and annoying boggart f*** that loves to dodge all your attacks while able to soak up more than they should. Because of this new scaling, you can now go visit certain DLC campaigns (The Legend of Dead Kel, Teeth of Naros) straight away after you’ve reached level 10, which will take you about 10 hours or so if you’re doing the standard “main and side quest-taking” balancing act.
This is good news so that you aren’t being kept out of the min-max level gate for each area and quest, making for a more organic experience. You can still choose to farm, though you won’t feel too overpowered when dealing with challenging enemies like a swarm of Mountain trolls or those Niskari demon a**holes and the incredibly unpredictable & fast Scavs. Add it the many armour sets, OP weapons, and even houses to store your stuff & craft goods to uncover and unlock from the multitude of quests, and you’ve got a lovely hybrid of The Elder Scrolls and God of War that pulls it off then and now.
Chinks In The Armour

For all of its praises, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning still needs a bit more work with its user interface and quality of life tidbits. For one, entering different areas in a town and region still takes quite a bit of load time; it was mildly frustrating then, but on current-gen tech and hardware? This is pretty annoying given how games have loaded quicker than usual throughout 8 years.
The list goes on: you still need to scroll down the toilet paper roll inventory interface to either equip or sell items. There isn’t any way to filter loot so that you accidentally don’t pick up standard white items you don’t need. Sometimes the shop/repair/miscellaneous icon on the town’s shopkeeper does not appear unless I exit and reenter the conversation. Pathways that look jumpable and are just slight in height can’t be crossed over unless you find the “Jump Down” icon on the map. And what is up with the game’s audio-mixing? It wasn’t this bad & abhorrent before.
In short, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning has a silly subtitle, but everything about it isn’t. Short of a few nitpicks and loading issues, this is one action RPG that’s aged pretty well and somehow isn’t being replicated. A shame, truly. It may still hold some 2012 game design holdovers, but its main hook & fantasy trappings hold up just fine & dandy. You’d be hard-pressed to find a 30-to-60 hour RPG with a lot of meat & teeth in its gameplay & story for just US$40.
Pros

Fun action RPG combat and mechanics with flexible “class” system.
Loot & difficulty adjustments enhance overall dungeoneering experience.
Vast and interesting fantasy world to explore; made better-looking.
FOV adjustments & frame rate buffs are welcome.

Cons

UI & quality-of-life issues that aren’t fixed from 2012.
Loading is still just as long as the original game.

Final Score: 80/100


RWBY: Arrowfell Is A Metroidvania Based On Anime Fanfic

Rooster Teeth and WayForward are teaming up to develop a video game adaptation of the Western-made “anime” series RWBY.
The game is called RWBY: Arrowfell and will launch for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC in 2022. Published by Arc System Works, the title pits you as one of the four huntresses -Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang- as they team up in a side-scrolling 2D action-adventure in the veins of a Metroidvania title.
The trailer below shows promise: the game itself looks like a fun platformer with a multi-character switching mechanic, each with their own skills like Rubyâ€™s flying scythe tech. WayForward is known for churning out good quality 2D action games if titles likeÂ River City GirlsÂ andÂ The Mummy DemakeÂ are of any indication.

Full presser below:
Occurring during the events ofÂ RWBYÂ Volume 7,Â RWBY: ArrowfellÂ is an original interactive chapter straight fromÂ RWBYÂ writers Kerry Shawcross, Miles Luna, and Eddy Rivas. Players will take control of Team RWBYâ€”Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Longâ€”and switch between them on the fly in solo or multiplayer action (local or online) as they use their trademark weapons and semblances to stop a mysterious new threat in this side-scrolling, 2D adventure.
As players explore Atlas, Mantle, and numerous surrounding environments, they will face off against the Creatures of Grimm and other enemies straight from the show, as well as never-before-seen threats. The team also crosses paths with familiar faces including General Ironwood and the Ace Operatives, plus a fearless new group of Huntresses known as Team BRIR.
In addition to voiceovers from the original cast (including Lindsay Jones as Ruby, Kara Eberle as Weiss, Arryn Zech as Blake, and Barbara Dunkleman as Yang),Â RWBY: ArrowfellÂ features an original score by Dale North with vocal contributions by Casey Lee Williams. Furthermore, the game contains seven minutes of exclusively created broadcast-quality animated cutscenes, as well as a dynamic new hand-drawn art style for the in-game visuals that allows fans to experience the world ofÂ RWBY like never before.


How To Get Borderlands 3’s Latest R.Y.N.A.H. Rocket Launcher

The most recent Borderlands 3 hotfix of 2021 adds a new weapon in the Legendary loot pile: the R.Y.N.A.H. rocket launcher.
The R.Y.N.A.H., apart from being an obvious Ratchet & Clank reference, is a Radiation element rocket launcher that requires 8 ammo to launch its slow but damaging giant lob that damages and irradiates enemies under and around it. Furthermore, the lob links to all nearby enemies; when it explodes, it sends out a missile at all connected enemies.

Here’s how you can get it.
Know Where To Farm Them From
You need to know where you can farm R.Y.N.A.H.s from before you start farming. You can farm them from the following enemies:

Thieving Jabbers
Loot Tinks
Loot Psychos
Shiny Grog
Chubby Skags
Engorged Rakk

Keep in mind that they have less than 10% chance of dropping a R.Y.N.A.H. Unless your luck is godlike, you’re not going to get it the first time around. Or even your fifth.
Find A Spot That Has These Loot-Filled Enemies
Here’s a good example: the Trial of Instinct location, Wayward Tether, features a lot of Thieving Jabbers. These enemies pop up in the first area of this trial. All you have to do is go in, kill all Thieving Jabbers running around, and search within the spoils.
If they don’t drop any in your first attempt, just quit the game and continue. Start the trial again; you’ll eventually farm a R.Y.N.A.H. or two after a number of attempts and reloads. Have patience; you’ll score one in time.


Flame On With This Pint-Sized King of Fighters ’98 Kyo Kusanagi Statue

Burns, doesn’t it? After crafting so many Street Fighter Hong Kong vinyl-style figures and statues, BigBoysToys is branching out to Capcom’s rival. That’s right, SNK is getting the anime-esque SD-like treatment from the Hong Kong-based toymakers with its new King of Fighters line.
Their first character will be Kyo Kusanagi in his King of Fighters ’98 incarnation. It lights up with LED lighting and it’s a nice desk ornament to go along with your other statues and figurines.

Since it’s the first in a series, expect to see other KOFers like Iori, Mai, Terry, and many more to get the Hong Kong toy treatment. If you like what you’re seeing, the toy will be out late March/early April. Online pre-orders will start soon; head to BigBoysToys’ website for more information.

The famous Kyo Kusanagi from “The King of Fighters 98” is joining our T.N.C. Series as the T.N.C.-KOF01 !!! Release in late March/early April!!! Online pre-order will be started soon!!! Stay tuned for more info!!!!#snk #kof #kof98 #kyo #thekingoffighters pic.twitter.com/nTRzlwNGnr
— BigBoysToys (@BigBoysToys_HK) February 19, 2019


Play LawBreakers for Free this Weekend

The free weekend for Cliffy B’s LawBreakers is set to take place for PC players from September 28 until October 2. In addition to that, in an attempt to address its dwindling player base, the game is also on sale at a 25% discount – at MYR52.49 or 30% discount for the deluxe edition – MYR66.95.

Released to a flurry of excitement mostly due to Cliffy B’s involvement as well as considerable hype following its unveiling, the game suffered a massive dip in player base after its release, even frequently hitting the sub-50 mark this past week. A quick check as I wrote this shows a paltry count of 74 players playing it. Quite mind boggling really, considering the high-quality production and sharp presentation of the game as witnessed via gameplays and streams.

Many perceived the game, which is a mishmash of fast-paced, anti-gravity arena shooter action suffered in terms of sales and player count due to the strong presence of other similar games, most notably Overwatch. There is some weight to that argument as LawBreakers was released on the same day Overwatch’s 2017 Summer Games Event went live. But was it fair to even compare itself with a massively-played title released over a year prior, or was it just down to poor timing? Destiny 2 was released almost a full month after yet were able to be a successful launch despite the criticism it’s received.
Anyway, skeptics and doubters can use this free weekend event to try out LawBreakers before committing and hopefully, will help in bumping up the player count. We hate seeing well-made titles burn to the ground.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lF-2nFDlJ8&w=560&h=315]


This Serie A Team Joins Juventus In Absence From FIFA 21

EA Sports has announced that another Serie A football team won’t be featured in the upcoming FIFA 21. AS Roma will no longer be officially available in FIFA 21 but will be replaced by a generic team named Roma FC.
However, the developer claims (via press release) that player likenesses will still be authentic, and the team will still be playable and equipped with a custom badge and kit throughout Kick-Off, Career Mode, FIFA Ultimate Team and VOLTA FOOTBALL.
This makes them the second team after Juventus not to feature in the FIFA franchise. Current Serie A champions Juventus signed an exclusive deal with Konami’s PES franchise last year.
Previous games like FIFA 20 are not affected, which means AS Roma will remain in those games. FIFA 21 is slated to launch worldwide on 9 October 2020 for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuLAn9adQpI&w=560&h=315]


PlayStation Asia Unveils Four New Greatest Hits Titles – Available From 14th December

Sony Interactive Entertainment (Singapore) today unveiled four new titles joining their ‘Greatest Hits’ lineup starting 14th December 2017, just in time for Christmas. Consisting of titles deemed having gained ‘high reputation worldwide as masterpieces of PS4 software’ these new additions will be availableÂ at allÂ PlayStation authorised dealersÂ from 14thÂ December 2017 at MYR 109 for the physical version and only MYR99 on digital.
Three of the four titles – The Last Guardian, Gravity Rush Remastered & Gravity Rush 2 – were published by Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc with the fourth one – The Evil Within – is published by Bethesda.

Our pick of the lot is easily Gravity Rush Remastered, a highly-underrated game which was one of the earliest titles to hit the PS Vita before being brought to the PlayStation 4 via its remastered version. Trailers for each of the games can also be found below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMGaMOyr0GI&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkdgCs16WB0&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2qITQHud2I&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cDuKShhQOA&w=560&h=315]


Final Fantasy VII Remake Demo Footage & Size Leaked

With only a few months left until the release of the highly-anticipated Final Fantasy VII Remake, gamers must be lapping up every morsel of information about the upcoming game. It looks like the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo has officially leaked online, with footage and images circulating around.
Check out footage of the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo intro below, courtesy of Gematsu.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ivzat4BSJ8&w=560&h=315]
Several other videos also show snippets of more footage from the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo, which you can check out below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy9JQaJ7tZ8&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3LJ1kESjIM&w=560&h=315]
One of the leakers (via Reddit) has also shared an image of the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo they’ve downloaded, revealing its massive size of a whopping 22.54GB. That’s quite a big size for just a demo.

All of this comes after a listing for the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo was spotted on the PlayStation Store just a week ago, which might indicate that it won’t be long until we finally see the release of the demo soon.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is slated to release for the PS4 on 3 March 2020.


Taiwan Excellence Concept Store & Pantheon Esports Club Now Open

2020 is definitely looking up to be an exciting year for esports in Malaysia as the country prepares to execute more robust plans outlined in the Youth and Sports Ministry’s 2020-2025 Esports Blueprint. For the folks living in Nilai, they’ve received not one, but two awesome new additions in their backyard.

The first-ever Taiwan Excellence Concept Store and Pantheon Esports Club have just opened in MesaMall Nilai. A grand opening ceremony was held on 10 December 2019 complete with representatives from Taiwan Excellence, Pantheon Esports, BenQ, Thermaltake, Acer Predator, and other partners. The stores are located side-by-side on the first floor of MesaMall.
The choice of location will seem strange at first seeing as how most people would assume something of this scale should be set up somewhere within the Klang Valley area. However, opening up more esports centres and computer stores in other parts of Malaysia will ensure that access to esports isn’t just limited to central Malaysia.

When Hasnul Hadi Samsudin, vice president of Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) spoke at the recent WESG 2019-2020 Asia Final press conference at Sunway Lagoon, he mentions that getting esports to penetrate into rural and less urbanised areas is one of the goals he wants to achieve.
The Taiwan Excellence Concept Store is operated by Brightstar Computer Gaming and also offers custom computer building services on top of selling computer components. The store’s catalogue includes components and peripherals from brands such as MSI, Thermaltake, BenQ, ADATA, Acer, ASUS, and many others.
Take a look at what the store looks like inside:

What you Nilai folks should really be excited about is the Pantheon Esports Club. Aside from the usual cybercafe offerings, there are also dedicated streamer rooms with high-end microphones and webcams.
Couples who just want to have some fun playing games can also use a couple’s booth. In the mood for console gaming instead? No problem, they even have PS4 stations complete with bean bags.
If you’re looking for something different, check out the VR Zone and Racing Zone. The VR games are even hooked up to a second monitor so that your friends can watch you flounder around in another realm. Racing games enthusiasts will no doubt enjoy Pantheon’s dedicated racing setup.
Pictures from inside the Pantheon Esports Club:

As more of these esports centres and computer stores open up around Malaysia, it becomes more apparent that the esports fever in the country is just getting started. It’s also good to see outside investors showing confidence in the local market. Let’s just hope that the government and local esports community will continue to be supportive of the industry.
For more information, check out the Facebook pages of Brightstar Computer Gaming and The Pantheon.


Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires & Dynasty Warriors Mobile Announced

During Tokyo Game Show 2020, Koei Tecmo announced not one but two new Dynasty Warriors games.
The first is Dynasty Warriors 9 EmpiresÂ for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam). It will launch sometime in early 2021.
Here is an official overview of the game:
Combining the 1 vs. 1,000 action ofÂ Dynasty WarriorsÂ with the addition of strategic elements, including unit command,Â Dynasty Warriors 9 EmpiresÂ sets players on a quest to conquer ancient China by both sword and strategy.Powerful Siege Battles enable commanders to deploy units to capture strategic points on the map like castles.Experiencing high-stakes fights at every turn, players can now take control of these central points on the battlefield through the use of fire attacks or other stratagem, siege weapons, and, at times, simply by force as commanders execute their strategies and attack enemy troops by issuing vital commands to units throughout the skirmish.
According toÂ Dynasty WarriorsÂ producer Akihiro Suzuki (via Gematsu),Â Dynasty Warriors 9 EmpiresÂ will not feature an open-world like 2018’s Dynasty Warriors 9. However, it is described as a natural evolution of theÂ Dynasty Warriors EmpiresÂ series that will utilize the resources ofÂ 2018’s Dynasty Warriors 9Â to create battles with a sense of scale.
In the meantime, check out the Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires trailer below:

The second is Dynasty Warriors for mobile platforms Android and iOS.
A closed beta test will run in Japan from 8 October 2020 at 1pm GMT+8  to 12 October 2020 at 12.59pm GMT+8. Players can registerÂ hereÂ from 27 September 2020 at 2.30pm GMT+8 to 5 October 2020 at 9pm GMT+8.
However, no release date or window has been announced as of yet. In the meantime, check out some gameplay footage from the upcoming mobile game below:


Christmas Came Early To Call Of Duty Vanguard & Warzone

Festive Fervor is coming toÂ Call of Duty with plenty of holiday surprises. Festive Fervor will take over severalÂ Call of DutyÂ experiences, includingÂ Call of Duty: VanguardÂ andÂ Warzone Pacific, with limited-time modes, events, rewards, and features up to the New Year along with plenty of discounts on classic Bundle and new holiday-themed offerings.
Additionally, you can get free access to VanguardÂ Multiplayer this weekend.

Twelve Days of Deals on Classic Bundles.Â Starting on December 14,Â Call of DutyÂ®: Black Ops Cold WarÂ Bundles will be available at a holiday discount for use in bothÂ Black Ops Cold WarÂ andÂ Warzone Pacific.

Sleigh in Style with NewÂ VanguardÂ Bundles.Â Four festive Bundles highlight new Store offerings as we rotate to 2022. Use these in bothÂ VanguardÂ andÂ Warzone Pacific.

Santaâ€™s Slay Bundle, with Legendary Weapons that have Red-and-Green Tracers and a Finishing Move that makes use of a helpful Elf companion!

Krampus Unleashed Bundle, featuring Rolandâ€™s â€œVinderbloodâ€ Operator Skin, Legendary â€œKrampusnachtâ€ Marksman Rifle Blueprint, and â€œReindog Rampageâ€ Finishing Move

Secret Santa Bundle, features two Legendary Weapon Blueprints: one for a pump-action Shotgun and another that turns a Marksman Rifle into a fully automatic beast

Broken Resolutions Bundle, a nine-item Bundle with two Battle Pass Tier Skips on top of Legendary and Epic Operator, Armory, and Player Profile Pieces

Krampus Is Coming.Â For anyone who doesnâ€™t play the objective inÂ Vanguard, or whoever dares to find him on Caldera, prepare for his wrathâ€¦

Elf Team Six, Reporting for Duty.Â Find these mischievous holiday helpers acrossÂ VanguardÂ andÂ Warzone PacificÂ and earn rewards.

VanguardÂ Owners Get 10 Tier Skips, 10% Seasonal XP Boost, and More.Â Receive these gifts by purchasing and playingÂ VanguardÂ before December 31. All owners will get these items starting on December 16, 2021.

The Main Event: Complete Festive Fervor Challenges, Get Rewarded.Â Thirteen total items, including a Weapon Blueprint for completing all sixÂ VanguardÂ orÂ Warzone PacificÂ challenges.
VanguardÂ Free Access Weekend.Â From December 16 10 a.m. PST to December 21 10 a.m. PT, try out Vanguard with Maximum Double XP enabled and get rewarded with Tier Skips, an XP Boost and WarzoneTM-ready weapons when you upgrade to the full game.

Festive Fervor will officially start on December 16 acrossÂ VanguardÂ andÂ Warzone Pacific, following an update toÂ VanguardÂ on December 15 at 9 PM PT, and an update toÂ Warzone PacificÂ on December 16 at 9PM PT.
Call of DutyÂ will already be in the holiday spirit with 12 Festive Days of Deals starting on December 14 inÂ Black Ops Cold WarÂ andÂ Warzone Pacific.


Happy International Dog Day! Here Are 40 Of The Best Puppers In Games, Movies, And Comics

It’s 26 August again, my friends which means it’s International Dog Day!
Here at Kakuchopurei, we want to celebrate International Dog Day by sharing with you guys our favourite barkers and woofers from films and video games. Think of this as an expanded version of our previous Chinese New Year canine feature from a while back. Let’s get right into it!
1. Blade Wolf (Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance)

One of the first few bosses you encounter is Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is IF Prototype LQ-84i AKA Blade Wolf. Equipped with a high-frequency chainsaw on its tail, throwing knives, metallic claws, and a railgun, Blade Wolf is a formidable opponent who later becomes an ally.
2. Dog (Half-Life 2)

Half-Life 2 was a game that also acted as a tech demo to show off the Source engine and playing fetch with Alyx’s robotic pet-cum-bodyguard Dog was definitely one of the most “check out these physics!” moment.
3. The Mabari (Dragon Age: Origins)

Interactions between companions in Dragon Age: Origins contain some of the most heartwarming and funny moments in the game. Get Barkspawn (that’s the best name you can give him) in your party and watch as he whines for food from Alistair and get into a staring contest with Sten.
4. Trapped Dog (Resident Evil 4)

If you didn’t rescue him, you wouldn’t have gotten help during that El-Gigante boss fight. Not to mention, you also missed out on the bestest boy in the whole game. Shame.
5. Dogpool (Deadpool comics)

There’s an almost infinite number of Deadpools in the various universes within the Marvel comics and one of them is Dogpool. He gained his powers because he was used to test experimental make up on, namely Mascara X.
6. Chop (Grand Theft Auto V)

You can pet him, play fetch with him, train him to do tricks, and sometimes switch to his perspective in certain missions. Of course, Chop will also kill people who are dumb enough to threaten you. It’s GTA we’re talking about here.
7. D-Dog (Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain)

The literal Diamond Dog. Rescued by Venom Snake while he was still a pup, grown and train into a tactical canine capable of distracting, stunning, and killing enemies. It can even help you Fulton up unconscious characters.
8. Dinki Di (Mad Max)

One of your friends in the harsh world of the Mad Max video game is Dinki Di, a trained combat dog who will help you sniff out mines and spot other useful things such as ammo and upgrades.
9. Riley (Call of Duty: Ghosts)

Riley isn’t just like any other badass combat dog. He can do the usual stuff like sneaking, flanking, distracting, and biting but if there’s a helicopter close enough to go the ground, he can bring it down by jumping into it and taking out the pilot. Crazy awesome.
10. Great Grey Wolf Sif (Dark Souls)

Sif’s story is a heartbreaking one. We stumble upon him loyally guarding the grave of his former master Artorias and there’s no avoiding a fight as we need to defeat him to get an item needed to progress in the game. A boss fight that made players cry out of sadness, rather than out of difficulty.
NEXT


I Am Groot Trailer Teases Cuteness Overload

At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Marvel has unveiled the first trailer for I Am Groot.
I Am Groot is a collection of five Original shorts, which starts streaming on Disney+ Hotstar on 10 August 2022.


John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando Is A New Zombie Co-Op FPS Coming In 2024

During Summer Game Fest 2023, publisher Focus Entertainment and developer Saber Interactive have announced John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, coming in 2024 to PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC via the Epic Games Store.
Players tag team with up to four players in this intense first-person shooter and battle massive hordes of mutated monstrosities to eradicate a supernatural outbreak before it’s too late.
John Carpenter said:
“It’s exciting to be collaborating on a new video game with Focus and Saber. Look, I really like shooting zombies. They keep telling me that they’re called ’the infected.’ Please. They’re ghouls, dude. They blow up real good and there are a ton of them. People are going to love this game.”
John Carpenter is best known for being a master of horror movies such as Halloween and The Thing.
In the near future, an experimental attempt to harness the power of the Earth’s core ends in a terrifying disaster: the release of the Sludge God. This eldritch abomination begins terraforming the area, turning soil to scum and the living to undead monsters. Luckily, the genius behind the experiment has a plan to make things right. All he needs is a team of competent, highly trained mercenaries to get the job done. … Unfortunately, they were all too expensive. Which is why he’s hired… The Toxic Commandos.
Check out the trailer below:


Check Out All These New Indie Games The Nintendo Switch Is Getting

Nintendo recently displayed its “Indie World” stream recently. Here’s what we’re getting later this year and the next. Think of this as a catalogue that expands your gaming selections and preferences for the tail end of 2019, as well as save your wallet if you don’t want to spend RM100 or more on a single title.
Torchlight II

The Diablo III killer is finally coming out for Switch this 3rd September.
Risk of Rain 2

Yeah, we had fun in this 3D shooter roguelike on the PC. Nintendo Switch owners can suffer just like us when it’s out on September.
Creature In The Well

Pinball meets Legend of Zelda in this creative action RPG where you chuck balls onto bumpers for scoring and progress. Out 6th September for Switch, PC, and Xbox One.
Blasphemous

This incredibly gory side-scroller has a release date for Switch, PS4, and PC: 10th September. Three days before Borderlands 3.
Cat Quest 2

Cats! Dogs! Co-op action RPG gameplay made by Singapore’s Gentlebros Games. It’s out on PC this 24th September and Autumn 2019 for Switch, PS4, and Xbox One.
Ori and the Blind Forest

This Xbox exclusive is now making the jump on Switch this 27th September.
Touryst

The folks behind this game, Shin’en, are clearly fans of the NES adventure title Star Tropics. It’s got vacation aesthetics, pixelated characters in 3D, and creepy aliens living in ruins; what more do you want? Out this November for Switch.
Skellboy

A hack-and-slash game that lets you swap out body parts for bonuses and comedic effect? Sign us up! Out 3rd December.
Sparklite

Out this fall, this pretty-looking RPG is taking a few pages from The Legend of Zelda. Except with gadgets and guns you can handcraft yourself.
EarthNight

An auto-runner side-scrolling game where you ride on dragons and cows as power-ups. It reminds me of Braid’s Amiga-esque painted art style but with chiptunes shoved in its background. Out before 2019 finishes.
RÃ¶ki

A creepy fairy tale adventure game featuring friendly and menacing creatures. Out this winter, which is fitting given its snowy nature.
Eastward

A top-down action-adventure game where you team up with a mysterious young girl to save the futuristic town you live in from an ancient evil. Out next year.
Which games are your favourite of the bunch? Let us know on Facebook or here.


Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Live-Action Ad Pops Up In Australia

Earlier today, a new live-action Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 advertisement showed up online. Many fans have gone wild seeing that it teases a spring 2023 release window, even though Insomniac Games have previously confirmed a fall 2023 release window just last month.
To clear things up, firstly, the live-action Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 advertisement is real and it was shown on TV in Australia. However, spring in Australia is actually the equivalent of fall in the United States, which means that it still refers to the period between September to November/December in any given year.
As such, there haven’t been any changes to the release window for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. It’s still releasing sometime between September to November/December 2023, which is fall in the US and spring in Australia.
Much of the development team that brought us Marvel’s Spider-Man is returning to produce Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, including Bryan Intihar (creative director) and Ryan Smith (game director). Tony Todd (of Candyman fame) will be voicing the symbiote-fueled Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Yuri Lowenthal and Nadji Jeter will reprise their roles as Peter and Miles respectively.
Check out the Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Australian advertisement below:


Dragon Quest Treasures Shows Off Monster Recruitment Mechanic & More Gameplay Details

Square Enix and TOSE have revealed new details and information for Dragon Quest Treasures, including monster recruitment, Fortes, and more.
In Dragon Quest Treasures, you take control of siblings Erik and Mia, who are transported to Draconia, a mystical land full of hidden treasures, and populated by multitudes of monsters.

If you’re to have any hope of finding treasure, you’ll need to enlist the help of the locals!

Luckily for you, many monsters are more than willing to team up and let you put their unique abilities to good use.

Monsters roam the floating islands of Draconia, and they’re known to attack hopeful treasure hunters on the lookout for loot. Once defeated in battle by Erik and Mia, however, some monsters may take a shine to the siblings and ask to join the gang.
Not only can these monsters help you locate treasure, but they’ll also prove their worth on the battlefield as well. As your team grows in number, so too will your aptitude for adventure!
Here’s how you add new recruits to your gang:

A monster draws near! After you defeat it, you might just see a message informing you that the monster has been scouted.

Back at base, you can view a list of all the monsters you’ve managed to scout during your forays into Draconia.

They may want to join Erik and Mia’s gang, but these monsters won’t do so for nothing.

Once they’ve received the items they require, though, they’ll happily sign up as official members!

Each monster you recruit will be given a rating, indicated by the colour of the frame around its portrait. The frames can be bronze, silver, gold or rainbow-coloured. Monsters with a rainbow frame are the rarest—and also the most difficult to recruit.

Before you bring a monster into the gang, you can view its attributes, resistances, traits, favourite treasures, abilities and more to make sure it’s the right fit for you.

Some aspects, like resistances and treasure capacity, are the same for all monsters of a species, but each monster is also unique in certain ways.

Some monster species can carry more treasure than others, and each one has a different area of expertise. So if there’s a particular type of treasure you’re after, or a certain area you want to explore, try switching up your party to see what’s possible!

As word of Erik and Mia’s exploits spreads, some monsters will apply to join the gang of their own accord. As you collect more treasure and prove your skills, the monsters will surely start flocking to your base!
During the story, you’ll meet some monsters who want to join the gang out of sheer enthusiasm. These special friends are unique in appearance and name.

Oozabella, a cutie slime, is the first friend Mia makes after landing in Draconia. She’s never seen without her adorable yellow ribbon.
A wide variety of monsters call Draconia their home. Some will be familiar, but others are completely new to the Dragon Quest series. Let’s take a closer look at a few of them.
Marble Slime
A desert-dwelling slime. All the sand it swallows builds up inside its body to form a beautiful, stratified pattern.

Fiery Dragling
An adorable dragon that inhabits lava-filled caves. It may look cute, but it spits out jets of burning breath when angered.

Stormy Sabrecat
When this legendary beast appears it means a storm is not far behind. Its fur stands up straight due to the strong electrical current flowing through its body.

Valhalla Vulture
An airborne hunter that soars over snowfields. Its sharp, powerful claws can grip even the most hardened of icy cliff faces.

Dragon Quest Treasures Fortes
In Draconia, treasure can be found in every place imaginable, from the highest mountains to the deepest valleys, and even in the most unassuming of hiding spots.
Erik and Mia will struggle to find it all by themselves… but fortunately, they have a team of monsters to call on when the going gets tough!
Each monster has a special ability called a ‘Forte,’ which allows them to soar through the air or dive into the ground to bypass obstacles en route to the loot!
Here are all the Fortes you can use:
Forte 1: Launch

With the Launch Forte, monsters can propel Erik and Mia up into the air, allowing them to reach lofty ledges and platforms that are too high to climb to.
Forte 2: Glide

Monsters with the Glide Forte can use their wings or jet boosters to help Erik and Mia float softly down from high places or ride on air currents to reach distant areas.
Forte 3: Sprint

The Sprint Forte allows for rapid traversal of the terrain. Each monster moves at a different speed and has a different level of stamina for carrying Erik and Mia.
Forte 4: Stealth

With the Stealth Forte, the monster dives into the ground with Erik or Mia—perfect for passing through very low entrances and staying out of enemy sight.
Forte 5: Scan

When the Scan Forte is triggered, any nearby foraging points will be highlighted and the number of crafting materials available at each one will be shown.
Dragon Quest Treasures is slated to release for the Nintendo Switch on 9 December 2022.


NieR Theatrical Orchestra Cancels Tokyo Performances Due To Coronavirus

Square Enix has announced the cancellation of the NieR Theatrical Orchestra’s upcoming Tokyo performances due to the Covid-19 virus. They were originally meant to be held on March 28 and March 29.

?????3/28,29??????????????NieR:Theatrical Orchestra 12020????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????https://t.co/RRLf2RRiow pic.twitter.com/UppfzVxeNf
— SQUARE ENIX MUSIC (@sem_sep) February 28, 2020

Attached to the announcement was a notice containing ticket refund links. The tweet itself mentions the spread of the novel coronavirus and consideration for the audience’s health and safety as factors for the cancellation. More details can be found on the site, although they’re in Japanese.
Singer Emi Evans also apologized to NieR fans who were anticipating the concert.

I'm so sorry to all the NieR fans who were looking forward to this concert, ?????????????????????????? https://t.co/CPYGECg4hl
— Emi Evans (@emirevans) February 28, 2020

While understandably disappointing for fans, the cancellation makes sense given the Covid-19 situation in Japan. Recently, it was announced that Tokyo Disneyland and schools would close temporarily.


PS5 Games Won’t Support PS VR

Sorry, PlayStation VR fans. Sony has confirmed (via UploadVR) that the PS5 does not support PS VR. Instead, the device will only be backwards-compatible on the next-gen console.
The Sony representative also said that we’re at least a few years away for a true PS VR update on the PS5, and they have not announced any PS VR titles for the PS5 as of yet.
For instance, the PS5 versions of Hitman 3 and No Man’s Sky won’t support PS VR, even though the PS4 versions do.
However, current owners of PS VR will still be able to use PS VR on the PS5 via a free adaptor (but only to play PS4 games, mind you), which you can claim for Sony by heading to this website.
It’s bad news for PS VR fans, certainly, but VR was never the focus of next-gen gaming. Just like motion gaming before it, it remains a niche in the gaming community.


Days Gone Dev Bend Studio Reveals New Logo & Teases New Game

After 29 years in the industry, Days Gone developer Bend Studio has unveiled a brand new logo. According to PlayStation Blog, the studio revealed that they are currently working on a new IP that includes multiplayer and builds upon the open-world systems of Days Gone, but it will be a whole new world.
However, no other details were provided beyond that.

Besides Days Gone, Bend Studio is best known for Resistance Retribution, Uncharted Golden Abyss, and the Syphon Filter games.
2019’s Days Gone is probably the black sheep of all the PS4 first-party exclusives. It wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t great either (check out our review here). Since Sony Bend is now working on a brand new IP, it’s very unlikely that we’ll see a Days Gone sequel or spinoff in the near future. On the bright side, at least the game is now available for PC via Steam, and it’s a better game on that platform to boot.

We present to you… the new Bend Studio logo! ? pic.twitter.com/aXw3rWQjLy
— Bend Studio is Hiring! (@BendStudio) June 7, 2022


Final Fantasy VII Remake Producer Teases PC Gameplay Footage

Square Enix has released a new video message from Final Fantasy VII Remake producer Yoshinori Kitase in celebration of its worldwide launch for the PS4. In his message, Kitase essentially thanked fans and reassured them that it’s a game that “meets or goes beyond your expectations and is exciting to play”.
Overall, there’s nothing distinctive about Kitase’s video message, but interestingly, it features gameplay footage of Final Fantasy VII Remake that could be from a PC version of the game. A disclaimer appears at the bottom of the video in the beginning, stating: “Gameplay captured on PC”.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqKFZRmXJlg&w=560&h=315]
We already know that a PC version of Final Fantasy VII Remake may eventually or potentially be arriving sometime after the PS4 exclusivity ends in April 2021. However, this may the first time that a PC version has been officially teased in some way by Square Enix themselves.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is out now for PS4. Check out our review of the game here; it’s pretty good.


The X-Men & Fantastic Four Are Returning To The Marvel Cinematic Universe

NOW it’s official; Marvel’s social pariahs with superpowers & their first-ever fantastic family are coming back to Marvel Studios.
Previously we reported on the merger most likely to happen, with Comcast bowing out of the counter-deal after a rejection. Today (via Deadline), the majority of Disney and 21st Century Fox’s shareholders have officially agreed to the US$71.3 billion merger deal that will see the movie rights for both the X-Men and the Fantastic Four going to Marvel Studios.
Further reports stated that the decision was made within 10 minutes and 99 percent of the shareholders co-signed; only one person objected, the reason being that Disney was spending too much money. The fact that even one of them saying they love Fox’s Rupert Murdock probably sealed the deal further.
Sure, there’s going to be the usual regulatory clearances and the exchanging of money between wealthy hands, but what’s done is done. The X-Men and Fantastic Four will eventually make its way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Excited yet?


We Talk To Werewolf By Night Actress Laura Donnelly About Elsa Bloodstone & Swordfighting

Werewolf By Night is set to be the first-ever Marvel Studios Special Presentation film to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia on 7 October 2022.
The synopsis reads:
On a dark and somber night, a secret cabal of monster hunters emerge from the shadows and gather at the foreboding Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader. In a strange and macabre memorial to the leader’s life, the attendees are thrust into a mysterious and deadly competition for a powerful relic—a hunt that will ultimately bring them face to face with a dangerous monster.
Inspired by horror films of the 1930s and 1940s, the chilling special aims to evoke a sense of dread and the macabre, with plenty of suspense and scares along the way as we explore a new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar, we were given the opportunity to interview Werewolf By Night actress Laura Donnelly, who portrays the role of Elsa Bloodstone making her debut in the MCU. She is best known for starring in HBO series The Nevers.
This interview has been edited for clarity. Stay tuned for the video version of this interview and the review of the series.

How does it feel to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Laura Donnelly: Oh my goodness. I mean, you saying that sentence is just surreal. It feels incredibly exciting, I’ve always been a big fan of the MCU. I watched, you know, from Iron Man and beyond, I’ve watched every single thing that they’ve ever done and I never even considered that I might be part of it one day. And so the fact that I am feels very strange and very exciting.
Were you familiar with the character of Elsa Bloodstone before getting the role, and what attracted you to the role of Elsa Bloodstone?
Laura Donnelly: I wasn’t familiar with her at all, and so that was a whole new exploration for me. After I chatted with our director, Michael (Giacchino), and you know, found out who the character was that I would be playing, I looked up everything that I could on her. I read her NextWave comics and I read her one-shot novel and I just think that she felt like something brand new in this world, you know, and also part of something brand new, in that it’s a supernatural universe and that’s something that’s just beginning to be explored.
And so, it was just the mixture of knowing that I was going to get to do awesome stuntwork, which I really enjoy, and play somebody who’s really funny and kind of really badass but at the same time, particularly in our story, has real heart and warmth and her own struggles that she’s dealing with and felt very human in this world where, you know, not everybody is.
So, yeah, it was that, and add to that the fact that it’s a Halloween special and it was going to be part of this new kind of world in the universe that, yeah, the whole thing attracted me.
Were there any specific challenges of acting in a black and white movie compared to a normal coloured one?
Laura Donnelly: Not for me, because most of the stuff that I got to do with Gael, who is the most incredible actor, and we were both, in spite of the fact that this was very much a tribute to the genre, you know, the 30s and 40s monster movies, we kind of made our own decision, I guess, independently to make these characters very naturalistic and as real as possible.
And for us, it just felt like exploring any other character you would, you know, just dig in, find out about them, connect with each other and play those scenes in a way you would in anything else, and you know, the rest of it’s fun.
What was your favourite part of playing Elsa Bloodstone and of filming?
Laura Donnelly: One of my favourite elements is the stunts. I’ve done quite a lot of stuntwork and fight scenes in other work that I’ve done and I really, really enjoy it. And so that was a big draw for me and I really had so much fun learning and filming them and I got to learn swordfighting for the first time, which was really fun to kind of learn a new skill and getting to bring that in.
So that stuff was probably some of my favourites. Some of the other stuff would have been the smaller kind of dialogue-based character-based scenes that I had with Gael. He’s just such a good actor and we got along so well and I’ve been a fan of his for a long time and so, like in scenes when we were locked in the crypt together and we just get to dig into our characters a bit and we touched on their backgrounds and their insecurities and where they are as people at that point.
You know, I really love, for me, the best part of acting is whenever you get to really connect with another person like that.


Hide Your Wallets. Steam Autumn Sale Is Now On

Right on cue and it is here.
Happy Steam Autumn Sale everyone! In conjunction with Black Friday Sales, tons of games are now available at cut price through 2AM on the 29th November 2017 on Steam. Among the highlights we’ve spotted so far include a 60% cut on Dark Souls III (now MYR68), Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege down 50% (now only MYR17.49) and the Fallout 4’s G.O.T.Y getting a 50% discount, now only MYR118.49.

More recently-released games which received the discount treatment include Shadow of War, released last October now available for as low as MYR63 after getting a 40% discount and The Evil Within 2, now at MYR118.49 after having its price slashed by 50%. For more offers from the Steam Autumn Sale, open up your Steam app or visit their official website.


New Star Wars Jedi Survivor Gameplay Shows Off Dual-Wielding Lightsaber Action & Planet Koboh

EA’s Respawn Entertainment has unveiled new gameplay footage of Star Wars Jedi Survivor. The video shows off nine minutes, featuring Cal Kestis battling some droids and creatures on the planet Koboh. It’s awesome to see players finally able to dual-wield in this game.
Star Wars Jedi Survivor will now launch for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 28 April 2023.
Picking up five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi Survivor is a third-person, narrative-driven action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment, developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. No longer a Padawan, Cal has come into his own and grown into a powerful Jedi Knight. Carrying the memories and expectations of the Jedi Order with him, his crusade against the Empire has only become more perilous. The Dark Times is closing in – with enemies new and familiar surrounding him, Cal will need to decide how far he’s willing to go to save those closest to him.
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order is available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Check out our full review of Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order here to find out why we named it one of the best games of 2019.
Check out the gameplay footage below:


Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Is Reportedly Wonder Man In The MCU

Back in June 2022, it was revealed that Marvel Studios is developing a Wonder Man series for Disney+. According to a report from Deadline, actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will be playing the superhero, whose real name is Simon Williams.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is best known for portraying the villain Black Manta in 2018’s Aquaman and Doctor Manhattan in HBO’s Watchmen series by Damon Lindelof, as well as starring in movies like Jordan Peele’s Us, Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial Of The Chicago 7, 2021’s Candyman and as Morpheus in 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections.

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton is teaming up with Andrew Guest, a writer-producer on sitcoms like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Community, for the Wonder Man Disney+ series. Guest will be the head writer of the series, while Cretton will executive produce the series (and maybe direct one or more episodes).
Simon Williams AKA Wonder Man is a classic Marvel character, having been created by Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby in The Avengers #9 (October 1964). In the comics, he is notable for being one of the earliest Avengers (and West Coast Avengers) but he started out as a villain. Notably, his brain patterns was used as a template by Ultron to create Vision (yes, Ultron created Vision in the comics, and Hank Pym created Ultron, while Tony Stark was NOT involved at all). Wonder Man was also once romantically involved with Wanda Maximoff AKA the Scarlet Witch.
Wonder Man is extremely powerful. He’s basically made of ionic energy, which means that he’s virtually indestructible, super strong, can fly, and project energy. It’s somewhat similar to the powers of Monica Rambeau AKA Photon/Spectrum, but based on ionic energy instead of the electromagnetic spectrum.
The many costumes of Wonder Man over the years.


SD Gundam Battle Alliance Is Out Now

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia has announced that SD Gundam Battle Alliance is now available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
A special trailer has also been released today to commemorate the launch, featuring powerful, dramatic footage of many Mobile Suits featured in the game as well as various features of the game.
The game’s Demo Version is available for download now from the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store. Players will be able to play the game from the beginning through to the end of the DIRECTORY 1 mission “Tekkadan”. Save data from the Demo Version can also be carried across to the retail version.
The Demo Version of?SD GUNDAM BATTLE ALLIANCE?can be accessed via the following links:

PlayStation Store: https://store.playstation.com/en-sg/product/JP0700-CUSA31117_00-SDGUNBATTLEA00PR
Microsoft Store: https://www.xbox.com/en-sg/games/store/sd-gundam-battle-alliance-demo/9mtps70kmc9b

Check out the trailer below:


Here’s Our First Look At Snake Eyes From The G.I. Joe Origins Movie

Remember that G.I. Joe spinoff movie focusing on Snake Eyes and starring Henry Golding? Yeah, it’s still happening and we’ve finally received our first official look at what Snake Eyes and the other characters look like in the upcoming Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (or simply Snake Eyes), albeit in toy figurine form.
Hasbro has unveiled several new G.I. Joe Classified Series figures based on the upcoming new movie, offering a glimpse of Henry Golding’s Snake Eyes, Andrew Koji’s Storm Shadow, Samara Weaving’s Scarlett and Haruka Abe’s Akiko. These figures are priced at US$22.99 each and are slated to release in October 2021.
Malaysian superstar ofÂ Crazy Rich AsiansÂ Henry GoldingÂ will be starring as the titular protagonist Snake Eyes, alongside the following cast:

Andrew Koji as Storm Shadow
Iko Uwais as Hard Master
Ãšrsula CorberÃ³ as Baroness
Samara Weaving as Scarlett
Andrew Koji
Haruka Abe as Akiko
Takehiro Hira

ItÂ will be directed by Robert Schwentke, best known for directing movies like 2009â€™s The Time Travelerâ€™s WifeÂ and 2013â€™sÂ R.I.P.D.
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe OriginsÂ is slated to premiere on 23 July 2021.
Check them out below, along with a video of Henry Golding himself unboxing the Snake Eyes toy (which he also posted on Instagram):

[videopress Zi9LKVG6]


Ghostrunner Expansion Delayed To 3 March

Publisher 505 Game announced that the upcoming Ghostrunner expansion will be delayed.
Dubbed Project_Hel, the expansion that’s made by developers One More Level, 3D Realms, Slipgate Ironworks, and All in! Games will be pushed back from its 27 January date to 3 March. Here’s the official statement via Twitter.
“We appreciate your understanding and want all our fans to know that we will use this bonus time to make even more worthwhile improvements while ensuring the health and safety of our team and global partners.”
Ghostrunner: Project_Hel puts you in the shoes of Hel, one of the game’s original bosses, as she descends Dharma Tower for a personal quest. Hel is more combat-oriented unlike the original Ghostrunner; she can survive additional attacks and has more fighting options. The expansion will have six brand new levels and a powers/progression system unique to Hel.


This 8-Minute Animation Is A Short Film Malaysians Can Be Proud Of

Legend Of Ancient Borneo is an animated short film produced by All-For-One Productions, but what’s most notable about it is that it’s actually the first-ever animated film fully in Kadazan. The story is based on a comic created by two Malaysians; Robertson Sondoh Jr and Kwan Thung Seng. It was also the grand prize winner of the Intellectual Property Creators’ Challenge (IPCC) 2018 organized by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).

Running at just a little under nine minutes long, the Legend Of Ancient Borneo short film is straightforward and concise, but it’s extremely impressive how much the production team has managed to cram so much meaningful content in such a short timeframe.
Based on local folklore in Sabah, Legend Of Ancient Borneo is more complex than it looks like at first glance.

At first, Legend Of Ancient Borneo seems like it’s simply about a bunch of villagers with mystical powers trying to reclaim a holy relic called the Sacred Dragon Skull from a group of evil reptilian creatures who look like anthropomorphic crocodiles. There are four of them, consisting of a man with super strength, a girl who has super breath, a woman who can manipulate fire, and a man with super speed.
Together, they chase down the reptilian humanoids, which results in an extended action scene. It’s definitely praiseworthy and pretty exciting to watch, as we get to see more of the four villagers’ superhuman abilities in action and it even culminates in an epic boss battle of sorts against the largest crocodile creature. I personally liked witnessing the super speed dude whizzing around with his spear, which looked impressive.

Then, just when I thought it was all over and I had the ending all figured out, Legend Of Ancient Borneo surprised me with a plot twist and revelation that subverts the entire story, as well as the motivations of the heroes.
I won’t spoil what happens, but it’s a great ending that makes the short film more than just another good versus evil story by subverting popular stereotypes and tropes in tales of legends like these.

As for the animation quality of the short film, it’s totally unrealistic to expect something near the levels of Disney or Pixar. Still, Legend Of Ancient Borneo is still beautiful in motion, particularly its detailed environments and backgrounds, not to mention the action scenes, all of which are further accentuated and made even better thanks to the epic music and score.

The Legend Of Ancient Borneo short film is certainly a labour of love and a testament to the hard work from the folks at All-For-One Productions for attempting something as ambitious as this. According to animation producer Geoffrey Sinn (via The Star), they are currently working to develop Legend of Ancient Borneo into a TV series.

If the Legend Of Ancient Borneo short film is any indication, then, by all means, we should support their efforts.
Diverse and distinctive content like this not only bodes well for the animation industry, but it’s also essential to make us stand out in the eyes of the world.

Check out the Legend Of Ancient Borneo short film in its full glory below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4FAllrzwJA&w=560&h=315]


Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales Addresses Peter Parker’s Absence, Ganke’s Role & More

Insomniac Games has revealed why Peter Parker won’t be in Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales.
In an interview with Game Informer, Insomniac Games creative director Brian Horton said that shortly after the beginning of the game where both Spider-Men fight Rhino, Peter informs Miles that he’ll be leaving for a few weeks on a photographing job in Symkaria with Mary Jane.
However, he won’t be leaving Miles with nothing. Players can look forward to Training Challenges around the city which were left for Miles by Peter.
The interview also revealed that Miles’ best friend, Ganke Lee, will not only have a story impact but also play a role in gameplay as well. According to Horton, Ganke will create an app for Miles that’s integrated into his suit, allowing people around New York City to report crimes and problems for Miles to help with.
However, he also clarified that players will be playing as Miles Morales “100 percent of the time” in the game.
In addition, New York City’s Harlem will be more detailed, with multicultural elements and more murals for players to admire. There will also be sound-related collectibles scattered throughout the city, though it’s currently unclear what they will exactly be (discs or pieces of music?).
The premise of the story is that Roxxon will be invading Harlem with what they claim to be a clean new energy source called Newform. The Underground (which is like a new tech-based criminal organization) will be disrupting Roxxon’s operations, and Harlem will be caught in the middle of this conflict. Supervillain The Tinkerer will be the leader of the Underground.
Last but not least, there will be no loading screens in the PS5 version of the game, even for fast travel or after deaths.
Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is slated to release for the PS4 and PS5 on 12 November 2020. It is now open for pre-orders on the PS4 (check out all the details here).
You can check out the full 34-minute interview in the video below: