Wild Hearts: How Armour Modification Works

If you’re playing Wild Hearts, you might think it’s just another hunting game at first glance. But, there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye. There are tons of things to consider before going out into the wilderness to hunt Kemono, like what gear you’ll use. And, one of the most important aspects of your equipment is your armour.
Wild Hearts isn’t your run-of-the-mill hunting game. It takes some serious preparation to get your hunter ready for battle. You’ve got to be strategic when it comes to dealing with the Kemono in the game, and everything from your weapon choice to the type of Kemono you’re up against can impact your success. That’s why armour modification is so important in Wild Hearts.
Here’s what you need to know about Armour Modification in Wild Hearts.

Armour Modification

As soon as you’ve battled the Ragetail and saved Natsume, you’ll gain access to the Dragon Karakuri Forge, which lets you create new armour and weapons from the Kemono parts you’ve harvested. As you progress through the game, you’ll unlock more armour sets and modifications, which can be made at Natsume’s forge in Minatoa or a forge you create using Dragon Karakuri.
When it comes to armour modification, you’ll be faced with two choices: the Kemono-Path and the Human-Path. At first, it might not seem like a big deal which one you choose, but it can actually have a big impact on your abilities. Depending on which path you choose, you’ll gain access to different skills and abilities, so it’s important to choose wisely.
When it comes to the new monster-hunting game, Wild Hearts, players have a lot to consider if they want to be successful in their hunts. Armour modification is just one of the strategies players can use to give themselves an edge over the Kemono they encounter. But, it’s not just about the looks of the armour or the defensive points they offer. Players will have to choose between the Kemono-Path and the Human-Path, and each path comes with its own set of abilities that can make a big difference in battle.

Human-Path or Kemono-Path

The Kemono-Path armour tends to have a more wild and beastly look, with abilities that fit the same theme. However, not every armour can be modified this way, and not all abilities require the player to be aligned with the Kemono-Path. Still, some skills, like Resurrection and Lunar Protection, require players to align with the Kemono-Path, and players can check their alignment at the bottom of their screen.

On the other hand, the Human-Path armour has a softer look and abilities that tend to focus on health and building, although some can be useful for battle too. Nostrum Water, Strong Arm Remedy, and Verve are just a few of the abilities associated with the Human-Path. Again, players will need to have the armour equipped and be aligned with the Human-Path to use these abilities.

No Path
It’s worth noting that not all armour can be modified for a specified path, and not all skills require players to be aligned with one path or the other. Some armour pieces don’t require an alliance for their abilities, and some armour, like the Long Reed and Snowflake lines, can’t be modified at all. However, the Snowflake line does offer some benefits, like reduced healing time and reduced freeze effect.
Ultimately, players will need to choose the armour that best fits their needs for each hunt. Defensive armour might be best for some players, while others might want to focus on a particular skill to help with a difficult hunt. Hunters must keep in mind that simply wearing any armour won’t automatically align them with a path; they’ll need to select the right armour and abilities to get the benefits they need in battle.


Capcom Holiday Sale Offers Discounts On Resident Evil Village & More

Capcom has announced a special holiday sale, which will last from now until 5 January 2022 on Steam and 7 January 2022 on the PlayStation Store. Many Capcom titles are now offering discounts on both storefonts.
These include games like The Ace Attorney Turnabout Collection,Â which contains a total of five titles from The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles and Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Trilogy. There are also other major titles likeÂ Monster Hunter World Iceborne, Street Fighter V, Monster Hunter Stories 2 Wings Of Ruin and more.
The highlight, of course, is Resident Evil Village, which is being offered at only 50 percent off for RM124 on Steam and RM123.50 on the PlayStation Store.

Check out the Capcom Holiday Sale now on Steam by heading over here, or head on over to the PlayStation Store for more good deals.


Run Like A Ninja With These Adidas Naruto Sneakers

Pop culture sneakers are all the rage nowadays, with everything from Game Of Thrones to Strangers Things and now even iconic manga/anime properties like Naruto. Adidas is teasing a new lineup of Naruto-themed footwear for the most ardent fans of the long-running franchise.
Our first and only look at the Adidas Naruto lineup is a sneaker based on Sakura Haruno, which comes with a color scheme featuring pink that matches her hair and outfit. It doesn’t look like much on the exterior but a visual figure of Sakura from Naruto Shippuden can actually be seen on the insole of the shoe.
Overall, it looks pretty unimpressive, but we’ll have to wait for the rest of the Adidas Naruto lineup to check out if the others are equally bad or feature better designs. There’s no official release date yet but more details are expected in the coming weeks.

(Image Credit: Instagram / solebyjc)


Xenoblade Developer Pitched An Earthbound Sequel With Arts & Craft Aesthetics Back In 2003

Monolith Soft artist and developer Yasuyuki Honne, who was one of the many responsible for the first Xenoblade Chronicles, revealed on Twitter that he previously pitched an Earthbound sequel back in 2003 to late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata.
With that pitch came a craft-style concept art that fits with the game’s contemporary themes.

Looks cute, right? Because Honne was inspired by the recent news about a book collecting interviews with the late president, he posted on Twitter about the time he met Iwata and Earthbound director Shigesato Itoi in Namco (which owned Monolith Soft at the time due to the then-new Xenosaga titles). Honne was directing the GameCube exclusive Baten Kaitos at the time, which means that he was the go-to RPG guy. Coincidentally, Nintendo was toying around with the idea of an Earthbound sequel.
Honne said on Twitter that he created said craft-styled visuals and went to Aoyama, where the office was. He showed Iwata and Itoi the artwork, explaining that the simple graphics are meant to evoke a nostalgic and unique vibe befitting of the Earthbound games.
Of course, this all ended up being Iwata’s plan; he was playing matchmaker and set up this meeting without Itoi knowing he was going to get an Earthbound sequel pitch. After an awkward silence, the conversation regardless went on, though Itoi didn’t follow up with this plan. A pity an Earthbound game with this artstyle didn’t happen, but at least we did get a proper sequel on the Game Boy Advance.
Also, it took until 2010 for Nintendo to use this arts-and-craft artstyle for one of their games: Kirby’s Epic Yarn for the Wii. Game development is one big circle of coincidences and resurfaced ideas, eh?


Star Wars Now Has Six Official Eras

Star Wars has officially launched the new High Republic line, and with it, officially recognises six official eras for the franchise’s canon timeline.
These include the following:

The High Republic
Fall Of The Jedi (Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Episode II: Attack Of The Clones, The Clone Wars animated series, Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith)
Reign Of The Empire (The Bad Batch animated series, Solo: A Star Wars Story)
Age Of Rebellion (Rebels animated series, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi)
The New Republic (The Mandalorian)
Rise Of The First Order (Resistance animated series, Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker)

There you go, Star Wars fans, now we know when exactly each movie, TV series and animated series fall into place in the canon franchise timeline.
However, canon video games (those published by EA since 2013) aren’t listed in the official infographic provided by Luscasfilm. Therefore, I’ll have make educated guesses based on what we already know.
The story in 2017’s Star Wars Battlefront 2 and 2020’s Star Wars Squadrons would be set in The New Republic age, since both games take place after Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi.
Meanwhile, 2019’s Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order would fall in the Age Of Rebellion, since Darth Vader was still alive. It would also take place around the same timeframe as the Star Wars Rebels animated series.


Crime Epic Amsterdam Gets New Character Posters

Character posters from Amsterdam, the latest film from acclaimed writer/director David O. Russell, are now available. The 15 posters feature characters brought to life on screen by Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Chris Rock, Anya Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldaña, Mike Myers, Michael Shannon, Timothy Olyphant, Andrea Riseborough, Taylor Swift, Matthias Schoenaerts, Alessandro Nivola, with Rami Malek and Robert De Niro.
From 20th Century Studios, New Regency, and acclaimed filmmaker David O. Russell comes Amsterdam, an original crime epic about three close friends who find themselves at the center of one of the most shocking secret plots in American history. A fascinating and richly intricate tale that brilliantly weaves historical fact with fiction for a timely, cinematic experience, the film Written and directed by David O. Russell, “Amsterdam” is produced by Arnon Milchan, Matthew Budman, p.g.a., Anthony Katagas, p.g.a., David O. Russell, p.g.a., and Christian Bale, with Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Sam Hanson, Drake, and Adel “Future” Nur serving as executive producers.
Amsterdam opens exclusively in cinemas on 6 October 2022.
Check out the character posters and trailer below:


PlayStation Network Senior Vice President Fired After Appearing In Pedophile Sting Video

A senior member of Sony PlayStation has been terminated from his position after being caught in an amateur paedophilia sting video.
According to a Twitter feed from Tipster, Sony PlayStation Network senior vice president George Cacioppo was caught by a paedophile-hunting group called People v. Preds for allegedly trying to meet with a 15-year old boy for sex.
The Twitter post features a good number of evidence from chat logs featuring graphic text with dick pics (removed of course), to videos of Cacioppo in a PS5 shirt. Cacioppo allegedly spoke with aÂ  person who said they were 15 years old on Grindr, a social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people, referring to himself as “Jeff”.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by People v. Preds (@peoplevpreds)

Sony said the following in an email statement (via CNet):
“We are aware of the situation and the employee in question has been terminated from employment.”
According to his LinkedIn profile, Cacioppo has been in his position for the past eight years.


Guilty Gear Strive May Statue Will Be Out This June; More Figures Planned

Fans of dolphins and Jellyfish Pirates, your prayers have been answered!
Toy sculptor Broccoli Hobby will be hosting pre-orders for its Guilty Gear Strive May 1/7th size scale statue on 6th June. Here’s the statue in all its glory:

It certainly captures the young pirate’s features and jovial personality. If it’s anything like Broccoli’s other 1/7th scale waifus and statues, it’ll probably cost you US$250 or so.
This won’t be the only Guilty Gear Strive toys on tap: Prime 1 Studio will be making a 1/7th scale statue of Ramlethal Valentine and Hong Kong company Storm Collectibles will be making a 1/10th scale statue of Sol Badguy.

[Update 26/5/2022]: Union Creative will be working on a Guilty Gear Strive Baiken 1/6th scale statue. She’ll be a foot tall, assets included.

????????????????????????????????GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- ??????????????????#???????#GUILTYGEAR?#GGST pic.twitter.com/75NeLWDhHV
— ????????????? (@union_creative) May 25, 2022

In related news, Guilty Gear Strive will receive a major balance patch next month.


PGA Tour 2K21 Wants To Be Golf For Everyone, But Can’t Convert Newcomers

Update: PGA Tour 2K21 is developed solely by HB Studios. Previously we’ve stated that the game is also made by Maximum Studios. We regret the error and are updating the piece to reflect that.Â Platform:Â PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Google Stadia, PCGenre:Â Sports, Golf, Tiger Woods Simulator
I’ve never been much of a sports guy. Just like a lot of other non-sports people, I’m familiar with football/soccer and basketball, but other sports? Not so much. The only thing I know about golf is Tiger Woods, and that’s what I had coming into PGA Tour 2K21.
My only experience with golf video games in my life has been arcade-y golf games like the Everybody’s Golf franchise, which is fun and catered to everyone; you didn’t really need to know anything about Golf other than the fact that you hit the golf ball with a golf club.
It’s obviously different with PGA Tour 2K21, which strives to for realism and to be a golf simulator. It’s for golf fans who know the sport inside and out, with conditions and gameplay situations that mimic what the real sport would be like. PGA Tour 2K21 is also the first game by 2K Games after they acquired the license from EA.Point is: did this entry even make me remotely care about golf? Will this be one of those “for die-hard fans” cases? Stick around…
Everybody’s GolfHow is PGA Tour 2K21 for those (like me) with no knowledge of golf and how the sport works (its rules, etc.)? Well, it’s a good effort on the developers HB Studios parts that when booting up the game, it immediately begins with a tutorial crash course that’s simple enough to understand even for non-golf fans.
The tutorial teaches you the fundamentals basics of gameplay like how to hit the stick golf ball with your golf club and how to change golf clubs as well as even shot types and the angles for your shots.
However, the accessibility pretty much ends there for the most part, provided you choose any difficulty setting than the easiest. PGA Tour 2K21 has quite robust difficulty options to choose from, as they affect everything from whether wind conditions affect gameplay, how adept your computer opponents are, and more.
Therefore, I’m extremely thankful that at the easiest difficulty setting, almost everything is automated, including golf club choices and more. All I needed to worry about was the direction of where the golf ball went and how hard I wanted to hit the golf ball.It’s great for total golf amateurs like me, who just want a more arcade(y) experience.
Players can choose between using the left stick to aim and right stick to swing, or vice versa. It’s up to you and whichever is your dominant hand. It feels good to swing, and the sound of the club hitting the ball is satisfying, even though I’m not a football fan.

Kudos to the developers for making this a golf game for not only fans of the sport, but also rookies who just want a fun time without the simulator experience. You can play and tweak PGA Tour 2K21 however you want, according to your skill level. Ultimately though, it’s still a golf game, so it depends on how much you like the sport.
There is one big caveat though. PGA Tour 2K21 assumes that the player already knows the rules of golf. They don’t explain what bogeys, birdies, eagles and pars mean, as well as the how the scores or points accumulate.I mean, other sports video games don’t really explain these things as well, but I would have appreciated a simple tutorial explaining the rules of the sport itself, seeing as how golf is more niche than football/soccer or basketball.
In addition, PGA Tour 2K21 features a player creation mode, with hundreds of customization options including new licensed apparel and equipment from licensed brands such as Adidas, Polo Ralph Lauren, and more. Still, you’d have to purchase most of these using currency earned by playing through the game’s Career Mode.
The PGA TOUR Career Schedule displays the season’s list of events in the order they have and will occur. The schedule of events will change depending on if you are in Q School, Korn Ferry Tour, or a PGA TOUR season.
It’s a pretty standard career mode, for all intents and purposes. I just wish there were more drama and excitement though. On its own, it’s nothing special, with the exception of budding golf enthusiasts who want to be the next Tiger Woods or something.
Is This A Last-Gen Game?

Unfortunately, PGA Tour 2K21 doesn’t look very good. In fact, it looks downright ugly compared to other venerable game franchises like EA Sports’ FIFA, or even 2K Games’ very own NBA 2K21. The difference is night and day. The visuals in PGA Tour 2K21 looks flat and unimpressive, to the point that it could even be a last-gen game.
I know that they have different developers; HB Studios for PGA Tour 2K21, Visual Concepts for NBA 2K21. However, they’re both under 2K Games, and the visual disparity shouldn’t be that far apart.

For a golf game that doesn’t even feature half as many complex animations as a basketball game like NBA 2K21 has, it’s disappointing that they couldn’t make PGA Tour 2K21 look better, or at the very least, current-gen. There’s no reason why the PGA Tour 2K21 can’t look like NBA 2K21.
The models in PGA Tour 2K21 look like they could even belong to the PS2 era, if I’m being honest. The environments look decent, but they’re nothing to shout about either. This game won’t be attracting any players on looks alone, that’s for sure. It breaks the immersion, considering how this game is supposed to be realistic and authentic to real golf.
Did It Convert Me Into A Golf Fan?

After all is said and done, did PGA Tour 2K21 manage to win me over and convert me into a golf fan? The answer is a simple nope, it did not. If you’re not already a fan of golf, this game won’t be convincing you otherwise anytime soon and you’ll definitely be swamped with a bevvy of offerings it has here.However, if you eat, breath, and live everything golf, then you’ll probably enjoy this game a lot and can justify adding 20 more points to our final score, which is…
Pros
A gameplay tutorial that’s simple to understand.Caters to even beginners with no knowledge of golf with multiple difficulty options.Can still offer a somewhat arcade-y golf experience.
Cons
Last-gen graphics.Doesn’t explain the basic rules of the sport.More for existing golf enthusiasts than anything.
FINAL SCORE: 50/100


Jurassic World: Dominion Ends On A Satisfying Note For Fans; Here’s How

Jurassic World: Dominion is out now in Southeast Asian cinemas, and if you love dinosaurs and action, you’ll love the show. If you love organic plotlines and some level of cohesion, you may not be a fan of it, but the nostalgia rose-tinted glasses bits the producers shoved into the film will entice Jurassic Park fans to no end.
So let’s talk about them from start to finish. There will be major spoilers and revelations listed below, so back off now if you don’t want to spoil the sixth mothership Jurassic Park film for yourself.

So what’s the story about?

A company named Biosyn that’s preserving and protecting dinosaurs big and small is somehow engineering crops-killing giant locusts to deal with competitors so that consumers use Biosyn-branded crops and food-growing resources. Problem is, these locust swarms are pretty tough to deal with and will eventually grow out of control and destroy Earth’s limited resources. Terminator locust swarm, basically.
Wait, I thought this was about dinosaurs ruling the Earth and not one of the Plagues of Egypt?

Welp, there are dinosaur fights in the show. And there are dinosaurs roaming Earth and encroaching civilization.  And they are co-existing with humans in a way, sorta. But this being a Jurassic Park film that really likes to cram its human heroes into enclosed dinosaur-filled spaces, islands, and sanctuaries, the film’s script needed one last hurrah involving people infiltrating the main Biosyn HQ and have dinosaurs fight it out somehow.
Enter Owen Grady and Claire Dearing who now take care of Maisie Lockwood, the clone of some old guy’s daughter, who also happens to be the key to solving the Biosyn locust problem. That, and also the child of Jurassic World raptor Blue, who also has monitor lizard DNA spliced into its raptor system so that it can reproduce on its own.
Is that true?
Komodo Dragons can reproduce asexually. Monitor lizards? Not so sure, probably. Trust the writers to lump the giant-ass Komodo Dragons and monitor lizards together as the same type of lizard.
Who runs Biosyn?
A Jurassic Park side character named Dr. Lewis Dodgson, played by Campbell Scott. He’s the bad guy who wanted to do the locust plan in the first place to reap profits for his company. He is also introduced to us with his own version of Jeff Goldblum’s acting, but worse.
Wait, wasn’t he played by another actor named Cameron Thor in the first film? Why not bring him back?
Well, having an ex-rapist in your upcoming summer blockbuster may not bode well for Hollywood PR…
Anyway, is Dr. Lewis Dodgson’ plan foolproof?
Not quite. He did try to burn away the locust evidence, but his entire complex has a mole in the form of Ramsay Cole (Mamoudou Athie), a future inheritor of Biosyn under the mentorship of Dodgson. Ramsay is helping the CIA in uncovering shady stuff in Biosyn, and he was right.
Other CIA folks include barry Sembene (Omar Sy) who used to work in Jurassic World. He shares an action scene with Owen in Madrid where super raptors are involved.
Speaking of people, what happened to Justice Smith’s character and the lesbian doctor?
The both of them appeared at the start of the film helping Claire to shut down an illegal dinosaur poaching site. Justice Smith ends up working in the CIA and eventually help Claire and Owen with pinpointing moles infiltrating the underground dinosaur-smuggling ring.

Dr. Zia Rodriguez (Daniella Pineda) didn’t get much screen time because the director probably saw the live action Cowboy Bebop Netflix series.
Which dinosaurs get the spotlight this time around?
We still have the T-rex showing up at the second half of the film. Its rival? The Giganotosaurus, which is a bigger and sleeker looking T-Rex acting as the final threat to the third Jurassic World movie.

We have the Therizinosaurus, which is a giant beaked dinosaur with really sharp long claws that can stab things to death. So this dinosaur and the T-Rex teams up at the end of the film to deal the death blow against the Giganotosaurus.
The Giga had the upper hand in KOing the T-Rex, but it was playing dead so that its back is turned. The Therizinosaurus also had a pretty slasher-flick stalker moment when it was close to eating Claire.
We also have the super raptors Atrociraptors, who are bred by humans in the movie to attack anyone with a red pointer light tagged onto them. They’re only in that one action scene in Madrid.
Really, what is Jurassic World: Dominion truly about?
It’s the end of a movie series that’s meant to give you the feels and closure to a series that may have overstayed its welcome. But still, it’s closure nonetheless that will satiate fans of the six-movie series.
Chaos theorist Ian Malcolm gets to be Ian Malcolm thanks to actor Jeff Goldblum. Owen and Claire finally rescued human clone Maisie and Blue’s baby raptor Beta, and now live together in an undisclosed part of Western America.
And after so long, dinosaur experts Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) finally hooked up.

This was implied at the end of the 1993 Jurassic Park film, but was shut down in Jurassic Park 3 (made officially canon, by the by) when Ellie Sattler settled down and married some guy named Mark and had 2 kids.
At the start of Jurassic World: Dominion, when Grant and Sattler met for the first time in years after that nonsense in part 3, Sattler said that she ended her marriage with the guy she was with in that other film. Much to the joy of every fan of the series, we get to see Grant and Sattler reconnect, and eventually kiss on-screen at the end of all the chaos in the Biosyn dinosaur preservation site.
This is probably the highlight of a film about dinosaurs getting wild because of the nostalgia behind this shipping.
Any other nostalgia bits we should be wary about?
Ian Malcolm uses a makeshift torch to distract a Gigantanosaurus, the same way he used a flare to distract a T-Rex in the first Jurassic Park. Only he shoves the torch in the Giga’s mouth because he’s a chaos theorist.
Did That Rapscallion Dr. Henry Wu get eaten?

The guy who caused all this evolution and chaos among dinosaurs and gene-splicing in the Jurassic World films actually atones for his sins. He ends up playing the victim card, and wants to make up for it by providing a solution to the Biosyn locust problem. He lived and has his moment in the sun at the end of the show.
Who didn’t live?

Dr. Lewis Dodgson, because all bad guys and bellends in the franchise will get eaten by dinosaurs. His comeuppance is the re-enacment of Dennis Nedry’s death in Jurassic Park 1, but with three Dilophosauri.
A mercenary named Rainn Delacourt ends up getting both his arms chomped on by two different dinosaurs in an underground dino bazaar, before having his body and face mauled and eaten by a Carnotaurus.
The same Carnotaurus ran out of the streets of Madrid, chomping down on a guy riding a scooter down the road. He probably deserved it.
So, Should I Watch Jurassic World: Dominion?
Sure, if you love dinosaurs and dinosaur action. Moreso if you’re into the franchise and want to see some resolution with the Jurassic Park cast and characters. Otherwise, you’ll be one of the many who just want this series laid to rest since Jurassic Park 3.
In retrospect, putting in talking raptors might have been a not-so-bonkers idea given how over-the-top the series has been.


Overwatch League: Shanghai Boost Ranks As Paris Reveals Roster

In a bid to break their winless streak, the Shanghai Dragons who recently culled its entire roster welcomed six new players who they hope are to deliver that elusive win come Season 2 of the Overwatch League.

ðŸ²AnnouncementðŸ²
Please give your warmest welcome to the following for joining the @ShanghaiDragons !
Min-seong “diem” Bae,
Jin-hyeok “DDing” Yang,
Young-jin ” YOUNGJIN” Jin,
Seong-hyeon “Luffy” Yang,
Kyung-woo “CoMa” Son,
Jun-hwan “GuardiaN” Jo !https://t.co/XIXNNx1UB6 pic.twitter.com/wtUnfm1LBV
â€” Shanghai Dragons (@ShanghaiDragons) October 23, 2018
From fielding an all-Chinese team in Season 1, the new-look Shanghai Dragons will only have one remaining Chinese player within their ranks – Diya asÂ Yong-JinÂ “YOUNGJIN”Â Jin,Â Jin-hyeokÂ “DDing”Â Yang,Â Seong-hyeonÂ “Luffy”Â Yang andÂ SonÂ “CoMa”Â Kyung Woo all join from Overwatch Contenders Korea Season 2 losing finalists, KongDoo Panthera.Â Former Lucky Future DPS Min-seong “diem” Bae and former Toronto Esports flex player Joon-hwanÂ “GuardiaN”Â Cho complete the sextet of transfers.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA8pNQHRxGM&w=560&h=315]
Alongside WeidaÂ “Diya”Â Lu, onlyÂ Se-yeonÂ “Geguri”Â Kim andÂ Eui-SeokÂ “Fearless”Â Lee remain from the Shanghai Dragons of old.
Meanwhile, the Paris Overwatch team which are yet to reveal their official name has revealed their full roster for their debut season. Headlined by experienced DPS duo in TerenceÂ “SoOn”Â Tarlier & GeorgeÂ “ShaDowBurn”Â Gushcha, the team also features FinnbjÃ¶rnÂ “Finnsi”Â JÃ³nasson who didn’t find much playtime for LA Valiant in Season 1.

STAND WITH US ðŸ‡ªðŸ‡º Here come our players for the #OWL2019 :
âš”ï¸ @SoOn99
âš”ï¸ @SDBurnOW
âš”ï¸ @NiCOgdh
âš”ï¸ @danye_ow
ðŸ’‰ @HyP_ow
ðŸ’‰ @KruiseOW
ðŸ›¡ï¸ @BenBest_Ow
ðŸ›¡ï¸ @FinnsiOW
ðŸ›¡ï¸ @LhCloudy
ðŸ§  @baemoN
ðŸ’¼ @Its_MDW
EU is getting stronger ðŸ”¥ #HelloParis ðŸ‡«ðŸ‡· pic.twitter.com/zJ6M2zCoGw
â€” Paris OWL (@OverwatchParis) October 23, 2018

The Overwatch League Season 2 kicks off next February and teams are now in the thick of either restructuring or forming their lineups. Expect more news to come in the upcoming weeks.


World Of Warships Celebrates This Summer With New Content

World of Warships and World of Warships Legends, has this week launched content-packed updates for their two-leading naval MMOs. World of Warships on PC reintroduces an updated Convoy battle mode, alongside a new player-selected map of the Faroe Islands, as well as the third instalment of their brand collaboration with Hasbro’s TRANSFORMERS. On top of this, console players on World of Warships Legends can research Pan-European destroyers as they enter the tech tree and try their luck in a new five-week, 100-milestone Lucky Six campaign.
Pan-European and Premium American ships in World of Warships Legends

Kicking of Legends’ June update is the emergence of Pan-European destroyers from Early Access as they drop anchor into the tech tree, with the newly introduced Tier VII Östergötland. Now available for research, this line of ships sports swift torpedoes and impressive guns.
With the new five-week, 100 milestone Lucky Six campaign, players with active admiralty backing have the opportunity to obtain the Tier VII Fletcher-class destroyer Black with rapidly-reloading guns, or the Tier V aircraft carrier Independence with heavy-hitting dive and torpedo bombers.
Closing out World of Warships Legends June update is a new mission and limited-time Bureau project in celebration of Independence Day. The Windroses are back with the Tier IV to Legendary American ships to receive special bonuses as well as a mission to obtain the Tier III Premium battleship South Carolina. The Bureau project Broad Stripes and Bright Stars includes a number of permanent camouflages for select destroyers in the tech-tree before building up to Star-Spangled Freedom skins for Cleveland and Baltimore. The Oklahoma, amongst other rare ships will also make their return as part of the festivities!
New map, Mode and More in World of Warships

World of Warships kicks off its newest update with a return of Update 0.10.8’s Convoy battle mode. Fought in teams of 12 with Tier VIII–X ships, two randomly distributed teams will participate in an attack-and-defend battle for  Convoys of AI-controlled cargo ships across one of six different maps.
Following a selection by players in Autumn of last year, World of Warships sees a brand-new map of the Faroe Islands introduced in this update. Available for ships in the higher ranks, fights on this new map will be set against snow-peaked mountain ranges nestled in the Faroe Islands’ steep shores.
A number of U.S. destroyer models, present since the release of the game, have been dramatically upgraded. Mahan, Benson, Fletcher and Gearing will all be revamped, with the Update 0.11.6 will bring more of these updated U.S. ships, expanding to the models of Sampson, Wickes, Clemson, Nicholas, Farragut and Sims.
Alongside the improvements to these models, visual effects throughout the game have been overhauled since the beginning of the year. This includes major improvements with HD textures and local weather effects being refined on 8 maps, as well as new effects for guns firing, depth charges detonating under water and on islands, and aircraft explosions on the decks of destroyed carriers.
TRANSFORMERS

Lastly, defeat your enemies in style with Hasbro’s TRANSFORMERS franchise! To commemorate the third TRANSFORMERS collaboration, World of Warships will have special content from the critically acclaimed toy line. These special camouflages were originally released only on World of Warships Legends, but now are available for PC! Such as Iowa’s Freedom Fighter skin to represent the Autobots to Bismarck’s Messenger of Oblivion for the Decepticon, it’s time to deck your ship in style. This limited-time content will be available during the update. One shall stand, one shall fall! Which will you be?


Viva Forever Vita: PlayStation Axes Plans For Portables

The PlayStation Portable (PSP) and PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) both had good runs (well, the former more than the latter). However, it looks like PlayStation will no longer be dabbling in the handheld gaming business, now that it’s dominated by mobile games on smartphones and the Nintendo Switch.
In an interview with Game Informer, Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Jim Ryan said that although he looks back on the PS Vita fondly, the company is out of the handheld console war, probably for good.
He said:

â€œPlayStation Vita was brilliant in many ways, and the actual gaming experience was great, but clearly itâ€™s a business that weâ€™re no longer in now.”

This same sentiment has been echoed by other former PlayStation bigwigs in the past, including former Sony Computer Entertainment America CEO Jack Tretton and former SCE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida. Both of them cited the widespread dominance of gaming on non-dedicated mobile devices as the main reason for this.
However, all of this doesn’t necessarily mean that PlayStation won’t ever return to or start developing portable handhelds again in the future, though they will likely be focusing more on the PS5 for the foreseeable future.


Overwatch World Cup 2018 Confirmed

Blizzard earlier today confirmed that the 2018 Overwatch World Cup is set to take place (usually at BlizzCon) in November and will kick-off with the World Cup qualifying rounds starting this August. However, they have changed the format of the tournament this year – mostly to accommodate the schedule of the Overwatch League whose players will definitely make the bulk of the national teams competing in the OWWC.
Replicating last year’s format where four qualifying rounds in four different cities were carried out to pick two representatives from each region, Blizzard only changed the number of participating teams, trimming it down from 32 to 24. We foresee a single group, round-robin method during the group stages to pick two teams advancing to the final round.
As detailed from the official announcement post, teams competing in the OWWC will be determined as follows:
Via Overwatchleague.com: From today through the end of Competitive Season 9 (April 28), weâ€™ll be tracking the average skill rating (SR) of each countryâ€™s top 150 players. Each countryâ€™s progress can be tracked on theÂ Overwatch World Cup website.Â The top 20 countries at the end of this period will be invited to compete in the 2018 Overwatch World Cup.
This year, the four Group Stage host countries will be France, South Korea, Thailand, and the United States. These countries will automatically qualify into the tournament, resulting in a total of 24 teams. If a host country makes the top 20 through average SR, the 21st-ranked country will take their spotâ€”and so on.

As it stands, only China, Japan and Hong Kong (along with Thailand and South Korea’s automatic qualifications) will be making it to the final-24 teams list. Being picked as hosts definitely benefitted Thailand the most as their cumulative SR alone would not have placed them amongst the top-20 nations to compete even in the qualification stages. However, they are currently the highest-ranked SEA team so that alone should justify their position as hosts. Defending champions South Korea will definitely be aiming for a third claim to glory and this year’s squad should be their strongest yet, having established a solid foothold in the Overwatch League with star players such as Saebyeolbe, Pine, Profit and Ryujehong.
Just like in the past, we will be covering the Overwatch World Cup from top to bottom so make sure to keep it locked on to Kakuchopurei.com for everything related to the Overwatch World Cup (and yeah – of course, Overwatch in general!)


Yoshi’s Crafted World Tries To Pull Its Wool Over My Eyes

I remember how inventive and trippy Super Mario Bros World 2: Yoshi’s Island was back in 1995. The awesome art style, the inventive gameplay where Yoshi can morph into different things, the fact that only lose if you get Baby Mario kidnapped, leading to Yoshi himself being invincible except to pitfalls and spikes. Fun times.
How was that “blast to the past” relevant to now? Well, upon playing through every portion of Yoshi’s Crafted World, the latest Nintendo Switch 2D platformer inspired by that SNES relic, it seems that time stood still for our green enemy-eating hover-jumping saurian friend. He has little to no new tricks to offer in this competently-made Nintendo venture, which isn’t a bad thing if it’s your first time playing such a title.
Eating Paste
And let me tell you, it does feel a bit different for newcomers. Unlike Nintendo’s mascot plumber, Yoshi can eat enemies to create eggs, fire eggs at targets, and perform that cute hovering jump that extends his airtime for a second or so to reach platforms. But like most of Nintendo’s second-tier 2D games, the levels are designed by committee.

The only major difference? The game gets a graphical makeover in the form of arts and crafts. Cardboard, sequins, cotton, foldable paper, and paper mache are the order of the day as Yoshi travels from island to island, collecting Sunflowers to unlock new levels, find secrets hidden in the background and foreground, and participate in a destruction-focused minigame or two using a cardboard Yoshi mecha.
The only new trick this game has is letting Yoshi walk to the background and foreground to open up new sections of the map. Oh, and you can chuck your eggs at background targets now. It’s cool and dandy the first few levels, but as you go through more and more islands, it starts to become a slightly tedious treasure hunt for goods and hidden treasure which aren’t laid out well.
Stringing You Along
Heck, some levels have a creative hook but ultimately do not pay off much like your Donkey Kong Country games that test the heck out of your reflexes and reactions in a level’s third act.Â To say that the entire game lacks any form of challenge is like saying Sekiro is a mite difficult. The game’s regular mode isn’t even that tricky and devious like its Yoshi platforming predecessors.
I get that Yoshi’s Crafted World is an all-ages game that’s supposed to be on the accomodating side. But when you reach near the end of the game and you still face the same kind of challenge curve save for a few Sunflowers you missed or if you get killed by a boss by accident, you start feeling a little empty and unfulfilled inside.

Just like how this platformer is like a shapely-looking cotton candy display, the insides start to look and taste a little hollow (and familiar) after that initial sugar rush. You’re not satisfied in the long run.

No Glittered Star For You
Yoshi’s Crafted World is a pretty decent 2D platformer with some nice tricks and mechanics. And the Unreal Engine 4 makes the arts-and-crafts trash look endearing and charming. But underneath it all is a game we’ve seen time and again from the Yoshi platforming franchise, and frankly, it’s been done better since the SNES days.
If this is your very first Yoshi-steered experience, go nuts and have fun. You might even enjoy the co-op mode with your friends and family in the same room. But for everyone else expecting to be tested even a teensy bit: you can do better than this fluff.
Pros

Beautiful graphics & mellow soundtrack
Tight controls
Fun and creative at times with its levels…

Cons

…except when it leads to nowhere
Too repetitive and formulaic for 2D platforming veterans

Final Score: 60/100


Square Enix’s Shinji Hashimoto Retires From The JRPG-Making Company

One of Square Enix’s renowned producers and hypemen is taking a step back from the company.
After 27 years of being in Square Enix, longtime producer Shinji Hashimoto will be retiring from the company. The Twitter announcement he made mentions that he is grateful to Square Enix for letting him take on multiple roles from animator back in the mid-90s to producer in the last few generation of consoles.

????????????5?31??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/yIj89uvh8x
— shinji hashimoto (@shinjihashimot3) May 31, 2022

Shinji Hashimoto started off as an animator for the company, but went on to being the promotions producer for Final Fantasy VII. He also was one of the key folks who got the Kingdom Hearts franchise started, with him conversing with a Disney executive about the idea of the now-famous crossover. His producer credit is huge, ranging from titles such as the original Front Mission in 1995 to the recent Final Fantasy VII Remake and Neo: The World Ends With You. He would also be the face of the company, attending conventions like The Philippines ESGS and talking to the media while his team is hard at work.
Whether I’m covering Final Fantasy titles at Square Enix’s office in Japan or checking out the junket for Left Alive, he’s usually there and always happy to take a media photo or two. Like how Marvel needs a Stan Lee, Square Enix needs a Shinji Hashimoto. Thanks for your enthusiasm and hype-generating, good sir. We’re not sure who will take up that mantle now, though. Not every producer or director is as media-fluent as Naoki Yoshida, when you think about it.


NieR Automata Ver1.1a Anime Trailer Reveals Singers For Opening & Ending Songs

A new NieR Automata Ver1.1a anime “Promotion File 009” video and a live stream reveals the artists and singers for the opening and ending theme songs for the upcoming anime.
Aimer is performing the opening theme song “escalate”, while amazarashi is singing the ending theme song “Antinomy.”
The NieR Automata Ver1.1a anime will premiere on 7 January 2023 worldwide on Crunchyroll outside of Japan.
The anime’s cast includes:

2B: Yui Ishikawa
9S: Natsuki Hanae
A2: Ayaka Suwa
Pod 042: Hiroki Yasumoto
Pod 153: Kaoru Akiyama
Adam: Daisuke Namikawa
Eve: Tatsuhisa Suzuki
Pascal: Aoi Yuki
Commander: Chiaki Kano
Operator 6O: Keiko Isobe
Operator 21O: Mary Hatsumi
Lily: Atsumi Tanezaki

Staff:

Original Work: NieR:Automata (Square Enix)
Director: Ryoji Masuyama
Series Composition: YOKO TARO /Ryoji Masuyama
Character Design/Chief Animation Director: Jun Nakai
Action Director/Prop Design: Shun Tachibana
CG Action Director/Blender Supervisor: Masaki Inada
Blender Supervisor: Takahiro Kawakoshi
2D Works: Mie Hiraga
Military Advisor: Kenichi Kaneko
Art Superviser: Hiroshi Kato (totonyan)
Art Director: Hirofumi Sakagami (totonyan)
Art: totonyan
Art Setting: Takeshi Takahashi
Color Setting: Takahiro Mogi
CG Director: Yusuuke Noma
Sub CG Director: Takeshi Ookawa
Director of Photography: Toshiaki Aoshima
Editor: Akinori Mishima (Mishima Editing Room)
Music: MONACA
Sound Director:Yukio Nagasaki
Production: A-1 Pictures
Production Committee: Council of Humanity

The official synopsis reads:
The distant future, 5012.
The sudden aerial invasion of Earth by?Aliens? and their creations ?Machine Lifeforms? led mankind to the brink of extinction. The surviving number of humans who took refuge on the moon to organize a counterattack using ?android? soldiers to recapture Earth. However, the war reaches a stalemate as the ?Machine Lifeforms? continue to multiply infinitely. In turn, humanity deploys a new unit of android soldiers as an ultimate weapon: YoRHa.
Newly dispatched to Earth 2B joins 9S, the analyst currently stationed there, where amid their mission, they encounter a myriad of mysterious phenomena…
This is the story of these lifeless ?androids? and their endless fight for the sake of mankind.
The NieR Automata game was originally launched in 2017 for the PS4 and PC, followed by the Xbox One in 2018 and Nintendo Switch in 2022.
Check out the new trailer below:


The Paradox of Gaming Phones And How It’s Solving Problems In Our Hobby

The mobile phone market is a booming one, so there’s no surprise to see companies attempting to penetrate the various target markets to maximise their sales.
One of the most enigmatic sectors, in my opinion, is the gaming phone market. It’s one of the premium lined markets in the mobile phone market. Since most smartphones are heavily aimed towards teenagers, and teenagers are synonymous to playing video games, so it should be a no brainer.

However, keep in mind that a gaming phone costs almost the same as a full-spec gaming desktop, which I am certain that the average teenager would think more than thrice to spend their hard earned cash on. On the other hand, consumers with enough cash to spend on a gaming phone isn’t interested in mobile gaming. Maybe they’ll spend money onÂ Candy Crush in-app purchases, but that does not count as a full-blown game in the current context.
I mean, why spend multiple thousands when you can plop the same amount of cash to build a more-than-decent gaming rig, or a decent gaming laptop if you prefer portability. You’ll get more the performance as compared to a mobile phone.
For instance, the Asus ROG phone costs you RM4k as checked on Lazada, while at the same amount you can purchase an MSI GL63 with an 8th Gen i5 paired with an NVIDIA GTX 1050 which will let you play PUBG comfortably with smooth framerates.

Why play PUBG Mobile when you can duke it out on the full version of PUBG?

Look at that price difference!
Step Back To Reality
Let’s be frank, and look at reality. The mobile gamer crowd isn’t the most sophisticated gaming crowd, they don’t demand their hardware to be top-of-the-line, RGB-ridden, pumping out 200 frames per second at 40Â° degrees celsius kind of hardware.

According to App Annie, the top three games downloaded in Malaysia are Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Candy Crush Saga, and Clash of Clans, all of which aren’t demanding games. The two runner ups, Candy Crush Saga and Clash of Clans might even be perceived as hyper-casual games.
Speaking of which…

A majority of the top downloaded games are hyper-casual games, which, if extrapolated, means that most of the mobile games played out there aren’t heavy games. This, in fact, backs my earlier statement in which I said mobile gamers do not need all the bells and whistles when it comes to mobile gaming.

All mobile gamers want is enough power and comfort to decently play mobile games like some of the more popular mobile games right now, PUBG Mobile or Mobile Legends. Not to mention, we don’t want to break the bank just to game at a mamak with our friends every now and then.
A New Contender In The Market
That’s where Realme Malaysia comes into the picture. The company recently unveiled their new phone, the Realme 3 smartphone, which is aimed towards the younger crowd. Even the raison d’Ãªtre of the company is to create high-quality experiences for young people. So we can expect plenty of features at pocket-safe prices.
The Realme 3
What got me impressed is how realme marketed and engaged with the audience. With budget phones coming from all directions, especially from notable and established brands such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, they had to go against the grain.

Rather than putting out flashy posters, or catchy ads, the company decided to engage with its core audience. From the gatherings and so on, they receive valuable insight from the younger crowd, and with that data, they create and cater their products to the people.

A Budget Smartphone?
The Realme 3 has enough features to qualify itself as a powerful phone. It might not be a Samsung Note 9 killer, but it is a viable option for budget-oriented buyers.
The company has struck a good balance between performance and price, in my opinion. They have done this without sacrificing device quality, performance, and aesthetics.
Let’s look at the budget phone market. We have Oppo, Vivo, some budget models from Samsung, and such. These phones are good but there’s always a compromise somewhere.

With that said, budget phones are always viable for our hobby, depending on your personal needs and how much you are willing to spend.

Besides, all these budget phones can be used to game on perfectly fine. It’s not like the phone is going to run Crysis on it.
So What?
My point is, we don’t need a “gaming phone” to game. In my honest opinion, all these gaming phones advertised and being sold at premium prices is a way for companies to reach out to an almost non-existent niche. All you need is a phone powerful enough to run games smoothly without input lag and what not.
Mobile gamers do not need all the flashy RGB lighting, and those over-the-top features that surely adds a hefty amount of production cost to an already beefy price tag. As long as the device has enough power to run games, and is priced competitively, then we’re all set.
You don’t have to be a gaming brand to push out a gaming phone. You just have to know what mobile gamers want in their pockets.


Netflix Announces Stranger Things Season 3 Release Date

It’s been more than a year since the second season but Netflix has finally announced the release date for the highly-anticipated Stranger Things Season 3 of the 80s-based sci-fi horror series. It will premiere on July 4, 2019.
The previous seasons have always premiered in October with a distinctive Halloween theme. Instead, Stranger Things Season 3 will take place during the summer of 1985, which is why it will be released on Independence Day.
Stranger Things Season 3 will feature eight episodes and a new Starcourt Mall setting. Besides that, not much has been revealed about the plot for the upcoming new season. The official poster comes with the tagline; ‘One Summer Can Change Everything.’
Until we receive a proper trailer for Stranger Things Season 3, we’ll have to make do with the short teaser below. With many months to go before the new season’s premiere, we have ample time to rewatch and refresh ourselves on the first two seasons.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlpmMRrt-s8&w=560&h=315]


Persona 4 Golden Is Now The Most Played JRPG On Steam

Last weekend during the PC Gaming Show 2020, Atlus finally announced Persona 4 Golden for PC and released it on the same day on Steam. Barely two days later, the game has already broken the record for the most-played (non-MMO) JRPG on Steam, with the highest concurrent player peak of all-time at 29,984 (at the time of writing).
The previous record-holder was Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition, which achieved its highest concurrent player peak at 29,279 (according to SteamCharts).
There are many reasons why Persona 4 Golden has managed to become so successful so fast. The standard edition of the game is only RM79 on Steam, which is relatively a lot cheaper compared to other JRPGs. For instance, Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition is RM219 and Dragon Quest XI Echoes Of An Elusive Age is RM249. Granted, Persona 4 Golden is a port of a PlayStation Vita game from 2012, which in itself is an expanded version of a 2008 PS2 game.
At the time of writing, Persona 4 Golden stands at an “Overwhelming Positive” review score on Steam, which means that players are happy with the game. One of the tags for the game on its Steam page even includes the tag “Masterpiece”, which I personally agree is completely justified for Persona 4 Golden.
Do yourselves a favour and check out this brilliant game. In the meantime check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWO_Nlfgek0&w=560&h=315]


Tencent Has Reportedly Acquired KL-Based Streaming Service iflix

Local streaming service iflix, whose HQ is based in Kuala Lumpur, has been struggling to compete with the likes of other streaming giants like Netflix. It was reported last month that iflix was looking for potential buyers to avoid succumbing to debt. Now it looks like they finally have new owners in the form of Chinese mega-corporation Tencent.
Earlier today, Lowyat.net discovered that the listed parent companyâ€™s name for the Google Play and Apple App Store versions of the iflix app now is now Ren Feng Media Tech Inc. To those unfamiliar, it is apparently a mobile app company under Tencent Holdings.
In 2018, iflix reported a net loss of US$158.1 million (or roughly RM675 million), and a negative working capital of US$77.7 million (or roughly RM331 million) the following year in 2019. This move will likely be beneficial to Tencent, who now have their hooks in a streaming site to develop and expand worldwide.
Still, it remains to be seen how iflix will grow moving forward, considering that it was previously home to many local works and productions, granting it a unique local flavour. However, Netflix Malaysia has since been claiming that mantle, so iflix will have to try and keep up or change tactics.


Bloodstained Is Getting A Sequel

Earlier this month, it was revealed by 505 Games that its parent company Digital Bros will have a “second version” of Bloodstained “in development” on its quarterly financial report. This description is a bit vague and could allude to more updates of the 2019 Metroidvania title made by creator Koji Igarashi.
Welp, we just got confirmation that this “second version” is in fact a full-fledged sequel to Bloodstained (via Twitter).
“Regarding recent reports,Â @505_GamesÂ andÂ @ArtplayENÂ are in very early planning stages for aÂ #Bloodstained sequel. However, current development resources are focused on completing Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night’s upcoming content. We have a lot planned for you.”

Regarding recent reports, @505_Games and @ArtplayEN are in very early planning stages for a #Bloodstained sequel. However, current development resources are focused on completing Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night's upcoming content. We have a lot planned for you. pic.twitter.com/yPV0n31gBX
— Bloodstained: RotN (@SwordOrWhip) June 4, 2021

Currently at ArtPlay, we are in the stages of working on the plot centered around our previous title's Director Shutaro.Right now, we are focusing on the rest of the contents for Ritual of the Night so please look forward to the upcoming information.#Bloodstained https://t.co/a4MHMW6p2z
— IGA (@KojiIGA) June 4, 2021

Apart from that announcement, there’s no other information: no release date, no gameplay, no nothing. But yeah, a Bloodstained 2 is in the works. That should be enough to get Metroidvania fans like me excited. Check out our review of the first game to see what the fuss is about.


Pewdiepie Is Banned In China; Here’s Why

YouTube gaming guy Pewdiepie and his brand of content are now banned in China. That’s a pretty big deal considering the guy has over 101 million subscribers and is a worldwide phenomenon.
During his 19th October upload (a few hours on 20th October, give or take, so this is still pretty fresh), his content is banned because of how he reacted to a particular meme involving China’s president and his resemblance to Winnie The Pooh.

“Well boys, we did it. Iâ€™m banned from China. After I spoke about the Hong Kong protests, and mocked their leader as looking like Winnie the Pooh, I got banned from China.
Iâ€™m laughing, but yeah Iâ€™m sorry if you are in China, and try to watch my videos. That kind of sucks. Itâ€™s just kind of funny.
[…]Chinaâ€™s just like the one person on twitter that canâ€™t take any criticism and just blocks everyone”


Diablo 4: Let’s Talk About The Wolf In Act 1

Update (3/6/2023): More info added, since we finished the game last week.
The Diablo 4 Early Access/Open Beta session this March allowed players to experience parts of Act 1’s main campaign where you chase the demon Lilith all across the world of Sanctuary and stop her evil plans. Along the way, you come across an unexpected ally of sorts in the most mysterious shape possible: a wolf.
We’re going to talk a bit about this creature and its significance in Act 1’s plot. You come across this creature in the game’s intro cutscene where your character somehow survives the cold weather. However, the wolf pops up yet again in a later Act 1 quest. Minor spoilers for Act 1 below:

While you’re in the game’s story quest where you have to find Neyrelle in a forest and also look for the Horadric Vault, you’ll come across a red portal and a Bloodied Wolf; the same wolf from the intro cutscene. In his sinister-kinda voice, he leads you out of the magic forest you’re stuck in, take a shortcut through a horrific vision of Tristram, says a few cryptic lines, and leads you out and closer to Neyrelle.

The Bloodied Wolf wants to help you deal with Lilith and Inarius, but his reasons are unknown at this point in the story, which is why he’s willing to give you a shortcut via a red portal. And also it’s telling you not to side with the Horadrim as they’re a doomed has-been group. Of course, this will not be the last of the Bloodied Wolf.
Who Is The Bloodied Wolf? Our Theories
The wolf is Mephisto, who is disguised as such to help our hero deal with his Daughter of Hatred Lilith. She wants to stop the Sin Wars and deal with Hell by ruling Sanctuary and changing things; Mephisto doesn’t want that. Due to his brothers being AFK (they were killed time and again in past Diablo games), Mephisto attempts to use his “Hatred” influence to get our Wanderer hero and the Horadrim to deal with Lilith.
In the end, Mephisto ends up getting trapped in the blue Soulstone via Neyrelle’s last-minute plan, with the latter ending up wandering in Sanctuary to keep the blue Soulstone away from others. Check out the Mephisto and ending cutscenes below (53:30 for Mephisto’s reveal, 2:16:41 for the ending)

Original story
Based on the chatter on Reddit, a lot of people are speculating who the Bloodied Wolf really is. But first, let’s spell out the one elephant in the room: Why show Tristram in its hellish form? Well, it’s the Bloodied Wolf’s one way to show that the Horadrim are crappy at containing evil.
We do have our own theories on the Bloodied Wolf’s identity: it’s possible that this is another form of Diablo, the main antagonist of Diablo, Diablo 2, and Diablo 3. He’s not known to shapeshift, but perhaps in a desperate attempt to stay alive in Sanctuary, he had to possess the next living thing that isn’t human. His voice however does sound a bit like Diablo 3’s Zoltan Kulle, but that could be a mere coincidence.
Why would Diablo want to wreak her niece’s plans? Well, some story points have popped up that Lilith wants to preserve and rule over Sanctuary, and wants to eliminate Heaven and Hell to end the eternal conflict. After all, she created the humans and the Nephalem (and thus Sanctuary). Sanctuary has been a battleground for Heaven and Hell, with Diablo being one of Hell’s top leaders.
Other theories include the wolf being Trag-Oul, Rathma’s teacher in the ways of necromancy and balance. Like Rathma, he’s not a fan of Lilith and Inarius. Or heck, it could be Rathma who in a last-minute act of being killed by his father Inarius, he cast his soul into a woodland animal nearby -a wolf- and survived for a long time as a wolf.
At the very least, the Bloodied Wolf is someone from Hell. Guess we’ll have to wait until the full game comes out on 6th June to get the whole story and lore.


Diablo 4 Is Blizzard’s Best & Significant Gaming Entry Since 2016

Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One
Genre: Action RPG with loot, blood, and Skinner box-style rewards & game loop system.
11 years ago, Blizzard released its action RPG Diablo 3 to huge disappointment. Despite the setback, the company turned it around with its expansion Reaper of Souls and eventually won a lot of action RPG aficionados’ hearts with its revamped gameplay and creative Seasons. It is perplexing that the company couldn’t hit it out of the ballpark from the get-go, being that they were pioneers in the field.
Fast forward to now, and the fourth mothership entry (we don’t talk about Diablo Immortal) is upon us mouse-clickers and loot hoarders. However, it’s made by a completely different kind of Blizzard; the one who is attached to King and Activision and a far cry from the days of original Overwatch and arguably World of WarCraft: Cataclysm. Is this new Diablo entry just a money-grubbing US$70 package, or a game made with love and care while adhering to the good old days of Diablo 2? Is the latter even a good thing?
I’ll say this though: I may have to uninstall Diablo 3 when this rolls out for real this early June. Because Lord Almighty, Diablo 4 has a grasp on my action RPG-loving loot-hoarding soul.

Hell Divers

For those unfamiliar with the Diablo series, here’s the gist: it’s the grandfather of the action RPG genre. You select a character class, you brave the depths or overworld filled with enemies, elite foes, and giant bosses, then take whatever gold and loot they drop. Bigger and tougher monsters equal better loot, which means better gear and powerups for you to handle bigger threats and more lucrative dungeons.
The Skinner Box reward mentality and style of dishing out treasure for players are strong in action RPGs, with high-tier weapons and gear along with the sound design to entice players to keep clicking and pressing hotkeys and dedicated inputs until 3 in the morning, all for the promise of probable loot that may drop. The narrative usually takes a backseat in favour of in-depth and procedurally-generated dungeons, fun mazes, and escalating mobs to murder. The aesthetics -grim world, bloody trappings, gory feedback from colourful spells and impactful attacks- accentuate the drive for you to keep going from Level 1 onward.
What makes this Diablo entry different and better than the previous iterations, especially the 2011 launch version of Diablo 3? Easy: its new open-world approach and better storytelling. We’ll focus on the former point first: you can approach any mission you want how you want it as soon as you wrap up the tutorial leading up to the first hub town of Kyovashad. From there, you’re free to tackle any side quest or continue on with the main story quest in Act order. Or you can just complete the many random events with different objectives ranging from escort missions involving ghosts to filling up a blood temple by standing on a number of pedestals.
The entire five regions of Diablo 4 can be accessed from the get-go, barring some story barricades from your first playthrough.  There is is little to no loading for the open world area apart from the initial bit when you enter the game after the login screen. Yes, getting into side dungeons take a second or two, but that’s it: every area you come across in Diablo 4 is seamless, with the dark and grim world explorable to your whim, with many secrets and bonuses to uncover. And when you’re done with the story quest, you have the option to skip the campaign with your next character and just focus on questing and powerlevelling. It’s frankly very conveniently built and tailored for folks like me who plan on staying with the game in the long term.
And of course, an action RPG isn’t worth much without the classes that make up your playable ensemble. Each of the five main classes has their playstyles, their pros/cons, and look to doll them up with both mechanically and cosmetically. Like nature magic and shapeshifting into werewolves/werebears on the fly? Try out the Druid. Like to take damage and hits like a champ from start to finish? The Barbarian’s your guy/gal.
I personally went for the Rogue for damage-per-second shenanigans and quick kills from start to the story quest’s 6 Acts that lasted 20+ hours, and their playstyles and skills do not disappoint in the slightest. In fact, you’ll find a lot to love with part 4’s smattering of classes be it damage output with elements ala Sorcerer or the Druid’s Fortifying-slash-pulverizing werebear wombo combo. Endgame additions like Paragon Boards (extra passive powerups that go beyond class restrictions) and Unique/Ancestral gear, along with the game’s Aspect powerups that you can hunt down (via Side Dungeons all across the game world) and power up your gear with (via imprints/extractions), and you can see how customizable your characters can get and how open-ended building your own death-dealer character can become.
Given that this is the first Diablo title to go multiplatform from the start, the game also has controller support which works wonders if you rather go for face button/trigger tactile feedback. I still prefer the keyboard and mouse setup, but I’m glad to report that the alternative control scheme is smooth like a keen blade through a Fallen’s skull.

Burning Narrative?

It’s easy to assume that Diablo has no storyline save for the “kill big Prime demon boss(es) in gothic bloody world through dungeons and Hell, you sorta win” plot thread. In Diablo 4, there’s a ton of care in fleshing out the lore of Sanctuary, the Prime Evils’ stories, main baddie Lilith’s goal and why she’s doing what she’s doing, and whether the old magical order that’s prominent in Diablo lore is even needed. There are a few surprise appearances here and there, but to keep this spoiler-free, I’d recommend you stick around and see how it plays out especially if you’re into the lore since Diablo 1.
In between all this is the way the cinematics and narrative are handled to accentuate the bleakness of Sanctuary, to the point where it’s flat-out channelling 2001’s Diablo 2 from its tone to throwbacks. Heck, once you see a particular enemy type wandering around in Act 2, you know darn well who you will be fighting later in the game. All in all, the Story Quest is lengthy and meaty with its delivery, panache, and epic scale, right down to the challenging boss fights the game throws at you (since they’re scaled close to your level). Unless you over levelled yourself with Legendary gear and the right Aspects, in which case the game may be a cakewalk up until Tier 3.
That’s right: Diablo 4’s endgame is packed and stacked against you, but that’s the fun of it. Even after the 20+ hour main campaign, there is still the path to Level 90 and the Paragon system, where you can buff your character tenfold. Once you unlock Tier 3 and Tier 4 difficulty, the game really gets going with its additions. Helltide events will have you fighting inside a literal hell zone and kill things for treasure before time runs out. The Tree of Whispers quests will have you earning Grim Favours by doing odd jobs. Nightmare Dungeons are buffed-up Side Dungeons with new perks & modifiers, along with a limited retry count (usually 12).
These additional trials come better loot and bonuses like the aforementioned Unique/Ancestral gear and Paragon Board buffs; the latter is laid out like a board with tiles that you can unlock, with new boards you can open up and arrange as you see fit so that you can get a specific class-buffing perk or two earlier if you’re detailed enough. And it’s not like your choices are completely locked; you can always double back and change your build right from the start if you need to respec.
All in all, Diablo 4’s gameplay retains its classic 2000s core feel while making sure that it has 2023 design and sensibilities. It’s quite a tough balance to achieve, and one that Diablo 4 manages to pull off. It is a shame that there are some odd user interface choices and omissions that older games had, like the absence of wireframe minimaps and colour-coded loot-sorting and loot display filtering.

Bringing Hell To All

No good game will ever save a company’s slow fall from grace. And Activision Blizzard is anything but a closet that’s empty, with no skeletons to hide.
But I’m here to review what the company made today, to tell you if the game is worth buying or playing in the long run, and whether it succeeds over its predecessors or not. And Diablo 4 is! It looks and feels great to play, it’s full of content without being way too overburdened with systems and age-old mechanics, it’s accessible but also gets really hard and challenging for action RPG standards, and it’s really great with more people in your party, with a good amount of classes to play around with and tailor to your playstyle. A highly-polished loot-filled gateway drug for newbies and veterans alike; not terribly innovative but incredibly fun to get into.
I’d like to point out that my always-online experience was without hassle, lag spikes, and disconnects. However, I reviewed the game in a controlled server setting with other like-minded reviewers and content creators, so your experience may vary come 2nd June. We’ll be sure to post that update as that week approaches.
Assuming Activision Blizzard doesn’t mess up the game’s post-launch plans with microtransactions in its Shop and doesn’t have long-term network issues, Diablo 4 might just be the proverbial shining beacon of hope in the action RPG world. Ironic, considering its subject matter is about Hell, slaughtering demons, and seeing a bunch of people die gruesomely in cutscenes just to remind everyone that it’s an M-rated game.

Pros

Great action RPG loop.
Many different styles of play & customization.
Lots to do, especially in the endgame.
Distinct & appropriately grim aesthetics.
Well-presented story.

Cons

Some weird UI choices.

Final Score: 90/100
Review copy provided by Activision Blizzard.


Wreck-It Ralph 2’s Scott Kersavage on the Slaughter Race Scene

Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 is releasing in Malaysian cinemas this week on November 22, 2018. Before watching the movie later this week, check out our interview with Wreck-It Ralph 2‘s Visual Effects Supervisor Scott Kersavage.
He has worked various Disney movies in the past, including 2012’s Wreck-It Ralph and 2016’s Zootopia. In the interview, Kersavage discusses the Slaughter Race segment in Wreck-It Ralph 2, essentially the movie’s jab at the Grand Theft Auto series, and how much of a challenge it was to make the sequel.
Q: So what was the biggest challenge you and your team in transitioning from the first movie, which mainly focused on gaming, to Ralph Breaks The Internet, which expanded with the Internet and Disney properties like Marvel and Star Wars?
A: We wanted to make sure that a lot of the characters from the first movie were able to work in the second. It’s been six years since the last movie, so a lot of technology has changed. However, we had to build a lot of them from scratch. Ralph Breaks The Internet is just a much bigger movie than the first movie.
Q: So we know that you and your team were especially proud of the Slaughter Race segment in Ralph Breaks The Internet. Can you tell me what was the toughest thing you and your team had to do when animating the Slaughter Race segment?
A: The Slaughter Race sequence was very interesting for us because it didn’t have very strong story points but the directors wanted us to save the coolest and best shots for that sequence.

We also did a lot of research for the scene, including looking at car-racing games as well.

Q: What do you think makes Walt Disney’s 3D animation work stand out from Pixar’s?

A: What I will say is that Walt Disney Animation is focused on trying to make really interesting characters that viewers can respond to.

Q: Can we expect a Wreck-It Ralph 3 in the future?
A: It’s really interesting how we haven’t really thought about it. Since the past 3 years, we’ve been working on Wreck-It Ralph 2. If the directors come up with a great story, then it will certainly be possible.
For more on Ralph Breaks The Internet, check out my review of the movie here, in which I mention that the movie is not afraid to make fun of Disney tropes, resulting in a refreshing Disney animated movie.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BcYBFC6zfY&w=560&h=315]


Activision Is Locked To Make Three More Call Of Duty Games For PlayStation

As you know, Microsoft has bought Activision Blizzard. In spite of potentially making most of the latter’s IPs exclusive to Xbox consoles, Microsoft will be honouring previously-made agreements to release Call of Duty games for PlayStation consoles.
According to Bloomberg reports, these include the next three Call of Duty games. These three CoD games will be out for PlayStation and Xbox consoles. After that, the series’ multiplatform future is hazy at best.
The CoD games in question are the Modern Warfare 2 reboot/remake from Infinity Ward in 2022, a new Black Ops entry from Treyarch in 2023, and Warzone 2 in 2023. Sony added that it expects Activision Blizzard games to remain multiplatform due to “contractual agreements” made prior to the massive buyout.
On a related note, we also spoke about the Activision Blizzard merger on BFM radio and called it first: Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 will be exclusive to Xbox consoles and PC when they come out.


[Report] Studio Trigger & Arc System Works Teaming Up For A Kill la Kill Game

Update: Yes they are; it’s a game based on the Kill la Kill anime. Story bumped & edited to reflect the changes. This story was originally published on 14 June.
In case you couldn’t tell from the header image and the title of this news piece, it seems that Studio Trigger, the folks behind Kill la Kill, Little Witch Academia, and Darling In The Franxx, are working with Arc System Works.
There’s even a website for itÂ counting down until its reveal in about less than 2 days. But for what exactly? Who knows, but since it’s AWS, it’s most likely an anime fighting game.Â And now we know the whole story:

It’s an action game based on the Kill la Kill anime featuring 1 to 2 players.
It’ll be out in 2019
The game will be published by Arc System Works and developed by APLUS.
More info will be revealed on 5 July to 8 July at the Los Angeles Anime Expo 2019.

We have pictures and screenshots of the reveal. As long as this franchise and game design docs stay far away from the fuckwits who did the Little Witch Academia game, we’re all good.

If I had to take a guess, the red font and colour scheme is similar to Kill la Kill’s logo. Perhaps we might be getting that Kill la Kill video game we’ve been clamouring for since 2014.

Here’s the image courtesy of Twitter user zetsubouquet. As usual, stay tuned to this space for more updates.

YO WHAT IS THIS https://t.co/HfGvEPAh7f pic.twitter.com/EvYCPKtMJV
— zetsubouquet (@zetsubouquet) June 13, 2018

THE IMAGE IN QUESTION IS STILL ON THEIR SERVERS https://t.co/xazcDIcgwr
— zetsubouquet (@zetsubouquet) June 13, 2018


New Trailer For Layers Of Fears Revealed At Gamescom 2022

Developed by Bloober Team, Layers of Fears received a new trailer sharing an extended look into one of the new storylines for the game dubbed “The Final Note”.
Layers of Fears is slated to release in early 2023 for the PS5, Xbox Series X | S and PC via Steam.
“The Final Note” focuses on the Painter’s Wife, a devastated musician whose side of the story players have yet to hear. The end of the trailer also includes a brief tease of a new location that helps link together the stories of Layers of Fear and Layers of Fear 2, “diving deeper into how these seemingly separate events are in fact intertwined.”
KEY FEATURES

Horror Reimagined – A chronicle of the Layers of Fear franchise (Layers of Fear, Layers of Fear 2) enhanced with Unreal Engine 5’s improved technology. This version offers a more immersive horror experience with the addition of Ray Tracing, HDR, 4K resolution, and the Lumen system.
Story-Driven Exploration – Explore the environment to uncover the chilling tales of the Painter and the Actor and discover new, expanded plot lines that delve deeper into the fear.
Psychological Horror – Your world may change with the slightest of provocations, you must decide what is real.
Artistic Setting – The mansion and ocean liner are inspired by masterpiece paintings, architecture, cinema and décor from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Classical, Ominous Soundtrack and Art – Numerous pieces of original art and music flesh out the story and environment, including an original score composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski, conducted by George Strezov, and performed by the Sofia Session Orchestra.


Ace Angler Fishing Spirits Free Update Adds Collab With Original Manga

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia has announced a new update for the Nintendo Switch title, Ace Angler Fishing Spirits. The update is a collaboration between the game and the manga version of “Ace Angler”, published in the monthly CoroCoro Comic.
In addition, they have released new illustrations and manga by the author of the manga version of “Ace Angler”, Shintaro Mugiwara, to celebrate the collaboration. The new update includes the manga version of “Ace Angler”, which can be read in-game using medals, special missions in “Ace Angler+”, and other content related to the manga version of “Ace Angler”, currently serialised in CoroCoro Comic.
This special collaboration is designed to be enjoyed by both fans of the manga and those who have not yet had the chance to read it, so please take this opportunity to update your game and enjoy this new content.


Alleged Returnal PC Port To Be Playable On Steam Deck

While Sony hasn’t officially said that Returnal is coming to PC, it looks certain at this point in time.
An entry for a game codenamed Oregon (Returnal) appeared on SteamDB back in May, and now has received a new update: Steam Deck support. This means that the PC version of Returnal will be playable on Valve’s fancy “gaming console-like” laptop.

Prior to that SteamDB update, Oregon received some notes on PC graphics options and control scheme customization. Who knows? Maybe the PC port will be out later this year.
Then again, Sony has to prioritize both Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered PC port and God of War: Ragnarok for PS4 and PS5 for 2022. Still, this is great news: Returnal was one of 2021’s best third-person shooter roguelike titles, and we’re glad it’s making its way outside the PS5.
Read our review of Returnal to find out why it’s awesome.


The Few Times Malaysia Was Featured As Game Levels

Malaysia’s been featured in films and pop culture, most recently in the upcoming Valiant Comics series film adaptation Bloodshot. But has video games ever give props and nods to Kuala Lumpur and its iconic vistas and buildings?
Yes, it has. And we have a video to prove it.

We probably missed a few others; do let us know what should we include in the sequel.


Riot Games To Focus On Asia For Wild Rift Esports In 2023

Riot Games has announced that they will centralize the operation and focus of Wild Rift Esports in Asia, the biggest and most active mobile esports market in the world, in 2023. They originally launched the inaugural season of Wild Rift Esports in 2021.
The reason for this is because Riot Games wants to put their focus on where mobile esports and gaming are flourishing, and wind down their competitive operations in the rest of the world. As part of the new plan, outside of Asia, Riot Games will no longer directly operate Wild Rift esports leagues and instead unlock the opportunity for third parties to host events – so that they will have our priority and focus on the upcoming Wild Rift Asia League.
The new Wild Rift league in Asia will be the first Riot cross-regional professional mobile esports league and will replace the original Wild Rift Esports (WRE) in April of 2023. This new league ecosystem will consist of twelve teams from China’s WRL and eight teams from the other 2022 Asian regions. The season will be structured as two splits each year and will focus on showcasing the best talent from the most competitive regions in our sport.
More details will be shared about the new league in early 2023.


Full Harley Quinn Trailer Gives A Taste Of Its R-Rated Goodness

Warner Bros. and DC Universe have unveiled the full trailer for the upcoming R-rated animated series, Harley Quinn. Running at just over two minutes long, it showcases no-holds-barred swearing (lots and lots of F-words) and full-on gratuitous violence that’s rarely seen in comic book animated properties.
It features everything from STD (sexually-transmitted disease) jokes to Poison Ivy actually saying the word, “dildos”. This new animated version of Harley Quinn looks very much inspired by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiottiâ€™s run on the character, which itself was pretty risque and meta (sort of like Marvelâ€™s Deadpool).
It follows her adventures after she breaks up with the Joker, including forming a crew of her own consisting of Poison Ivy and others, in her efforts to become a member of the Legion of Doom.
It stars:

Kaley Cuoco as Harley Quinn
Alan Tudyk as the Joker and Basil Karlo / Clayface
Lake Bell as Dr. Pamela Isley / Poison Ivy
Diedrich Bader as Bruce Wayne / Batman
Jim Rash as Edward Nigma / Riddler
Ron Funches as Nanaue / King Shark
Christopher Meloni as Commissioner James Gordon
Tony Hale as Dr. Edgar Cizko / Doctor Psycho
J. B. Smoove as Frank the Plant
Jason Alexander as Sy Borgman
Giancarlo Esposito as Lex Luthor
Wanda Sykes as Tsaritsa / Queen of Fables
Rahul Kohli as Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow
Sanaa Lathan as Selina Kyle / Catwoman
Tom Kenny as Clayfaceâ€™s Hand
Vanessa Marshall as Princess Diana / Wonder Woman
Jacob Tremblay as Damian Wayne / Robin

It is slated to premiere onÂ 29 November 2019. In the meantime, check out the full trailer below. (Disclaimer and warning: This content really isn’t for kids.)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSD6Jvq3M7Q&w=560&h=315]


Monster Hunter Stories 2 Endgame Guide

This guide will be updated periodically.
Congratulations! You’ve beaten Monster Hunter Stories 2 over the weekend. Just like any Monster Hunter game, there’s a ton of post-game content to go through, so let’s break it down in this handy guide.
Note: there won’t be story spoilers, but we will detail what options and quests are available post-game. If you want to find out the best Monsties in the early game, head here.
High Rank Monster Dens & Eggs

The whole point of Monster Hunter Stories 2 is the “gotta catch ’em all” element; find eggs in dens, hatch them, create your uber party of Monsties ranging from Tigrexes to Zinogres. But did you know that there are High Rank monsters that are better than the Royal Monsties you can find? They’re only available once you beat the game.

You can find them in High Rank Monster Dens and Rare High Rank Monster Dens. High Rank monsters will always have its name in red when you’re fighting it; they’re a lot tougher than their normal counterparts but they drop the best monster parts.
New Monster variants will be available, with rare eggs available at these High Rank Monster Dens. Examples of post-game Monsties you can hatch include Pink Rathians, Azure Rathalos, Deviljho, Gammoth, and Bazelgeuse.
Elder’s Lair & Subquests
The Elder’s Lair is a new location that can be accessed by speaking to the Mahana Village elder. It’s at the Forbidden Grounds Altar catavan fast travel point. The lair offers a series of trial areas where you have to fight High Rank Monsters and their new variants. Completing them will net you post-game rewards like rare items and Elder Dragon Eggs.
The post-game also opens up new subquests that offer greater challenges. Again, these involve the besting of High Rank Monsters and High Rank subquest dens to explore and clear out.
High Rank Armour & Weapons
With High Rank monster parts, you can craft improved armour and weapons at the smithy. You’ll need to search in High Rank Monster Dens, complete Elder’s Lair challenges, and complete new subquests to get the materials and rare items you need to create the best new armour and weapons. It goes without saying that you won’t stand a chance against the post-game Monsters without these.
Fortunately, new rare items will appear throughout the world in the post-game. The market NPCs will also have a larger range of items to sell in each village hub, so you don’t have to travel to later locations just to get high-level healing items and such.
Battle Buddies Swapping
In the post-game section, you can pick and choose who you want to accompany you as a Battle Buddy. This makes your fights slightly bearable since you have an A.I co-op partner with their own Monstie.


Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak Drops On Consoles Next Month

During the Capcom Spotlight March 2023, Capcom announced that the Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak expansion will launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on 28 April 2023. These will include up to content from Title Update 3 at launch.
Pre-orders are now available.
They also revealed that a new Monster Hunter Rise Digital Event is planned to be held sometime in April 2023 to share the latest information on the upcoming Title Update 5.
Here’s what the bonus add-on content are:

“Loyal Dog Costume” Palamute Layered Armour Set – A fun outfit for your Canyne companion.
“Striped Cat Costume” Palico Layered Armour Set – A gorgeous new look for your Felyne friend.

The Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak expansion is already available now for the Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
Check out the trailer below:


Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales PC Drops Next Month

Insomniac Games and Nixx Software have announced that Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales will launch on 18 November 2022 via Steam and Epic Games Store.
Check out the PC features and specs below:

PC Optimized Graphics
Enjoy a variety of graphics quality options to tailor to a wide range of devices, unlocked framerates, and support for other technologies including performance boosting NVIDIA DLSS 3 and NVIDIA DLSS 2, image quality enhancing NVIDIA DLAA, and latency-reducing NVIDIA Reflex. Upscaling technologies AMD FSR 2.1, Intel XeSS and IGTI are also supported.
Ray-traced reflections and shadows*
See the city come to life with stunning ray-traced reflection and ray-traced shadow options with a variety of quality modes to choose from.
Ultra-wide Monitor support**
Take in the cinematic sights of Marvel’s New York with support for a range of screen setups, including 16:9, 16:10, 21:9, 32:9, and 48:9 resolutions. 48:9 resolutions with triple monitor setups are compatible with NVIDIA Surround or AMD Eyefinity.
Controls and Customization
Feel what it’s like to play as Spider-Man through immersive haptic feedback and dynamic trigger effects using a PlayStation DualSense™ controller on a wired USB connection. Enjoy full mouse and keyboard support with various customizable control options.

MINIMUM:

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 64-bit 1909
Processor: Intel Core i3-4160, 3.6 GHz or AMD equivalent
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 950 or AMD Radeon RX 470
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 75 GB available space

RECOMMENDED:

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 64-bit 1909
Processor: Intel Core i5-4670, 3.4 Ghz or AMD Ryzen 5 1600, 3.2 Ghz
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 75 GB available space
Additional Notes: 75 GB SSD space Recommended

You can head on over here to check out our full review of Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales. In the meantime, check out our review of Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on PC by heading over here.


The Outer Worlds Beginner Guide: How To Kick Butt In Space

The Outer Worlds is out now; it’s a pretty awesome sci-fi RPG if you’re into the genre. It can also be a bit tough if you’re planning on tackling it with no prior knowledge ofÂ  Obsidian’s RPGs.
Fortunately,Â  we’re here to help. Here’s a quick guide to sort out what you need to maximize your Outer Worlds experience.
Some Starter Tips To Make Your Space Trip Enjoyable
Spend Time In The Character Creation Screen
Your attributes and skills will determine your playstyle. It’s best to min/max some bits. If you don’t mind being a lunkhead who can bash things good up-close, just buff up your strength, dexterity, and temperament. If you want to talk your way out of trouble, then buff up your charm, perception, and intelligence.
Bring The Right Companion(s)
You might as well turn one of your not-so-important attributes to below average and let one of your companions pick up that slack. So if you’re not into being a tank or melee kinda person, have Parvati fill that void.

It’sÂ  Better To Dismantle Guns & Armor Than SellÂ  Them
You’ll be out in the wilderness for quite aÂ  bit, so it’s best to have some backup engineering skills so that you can repair weapons while on the road. You can only do so with weapon and armour parts. While money is good, having well-maintained armour and weaponry that are at full capacity can make you survive longer.
Oh, and if you have a weapon with a diamond icon next to it,Â  sell that instead. Most diamond weapons are about the same; they just have a higher selling value.
Mod The Living Daylights Out Of Your Favourite Weapon(s)
By Level 10 or so, you should have figured out your favourite tool of destruction. Stick to it,Â  then mod it as much as you can with whatever tools you acquire through your adventure.Â  You probably won’t need to use another weapon until you start receiving level 20Â  weaponry.
A note on Science weapons (the ones with yellow backgrounds in their icons): you can’t mod those, but these guns can still be tinkered with,Â  meaning you can buff up their damage as long as you have the cash.
Fallout: New Vegas Veterans – Bump Up The Difficulty…
…but don’t go straight to Supernova yet. Finish the game first on Hard; Normal is fine and all, but most enemies will die to your modded gear and weapon combos after Level 13 or so. Putting it on Hard at least makes the Primal giants and Manticore Queens much more formidable threats.
Take A Flaw In Once In A While….
When you’re at level 12 or higher, chances are you can figure out how not to get too much into combat situations. So around this period when you get prompted to receive a phobia (which debuffs you when fighting certain enemy types or get hit by certain elements) in exchange for an extra Perk point, take it.
You can always use an extra TierÂ  1 orÂ  Tier 2 perk to even the odds a bit.Â  Speaking of which…
Perks Guide

Which Perks Are Right For You?
It really depends on your playstyle.Â  Perks like Lone Wolf and Soliloquy give you nice bonuses in combat and non-combat situations if you’re not bringing companions. Conversely, Tier 3 skills like Don’t GoÂ  Dyin’ On Me! can resurrect downed companions nearby if you use the Inhaler (the game’s Stimpacks/Health Potion).
Here are our general suggestions:
-Go for the Tactical Time Dilation buffs. Tier 1 and 2 have good ones like Slow The World, Quick and the Dead,Â  and The Reaper; use them to gain longer TTDÂ  when killing foes and prolonging the effect, making for a smooth and stylish use of this nice replacement to V.A.T.S.
-Move faster with Strider and Cheetah. Sure, you can use the game’s Fast Travel to warp around, but most of the time, you’ll be discovering places to warp to. Might as well speed it up with these Tier 1 Perks.
-Get the Traveler perk. Overburdened with stuff to sell and mod? Get this perk so that you can Fast Travel even when encumbered.Â  Very useful if you hoard like mad.
Perks List
FYI, you get a new perk every even level. You can unlock a new tier with every five unlocked perks.
Tier 1

Toughness: 50%Â  base health.
Slow The World: 25% Tactical Time Dilation (TTD) meter max.
Lone Wolf: 25% Damage when alone in party.
Strider: 25% walk speed.
Cheetah: 20% sprint speed.
High Maintenance: 25% decrease to weapon/armor durability loss.
Precision: 15% companion crit chance.
The Negotiator:Â  20% decrease vendor prices
Deadly Demonstrations:Â  50% XP from companion kills.
Traveler: Unlock the ability to Fast Travel when encumbered.
Quick and the Dead: 50% TTD recharge rate.
Pack Mule: 50kg carrying capacity
AÂ  Few Bits More:Â  100% additional ammo stock on vendors, 100% additional consumable and general stock on vendors.
Resilient: 5 base armor rating

Tier 2

Run and Gun: 65% decrease to movement penalty to accuracy.
The Reaper:Â  25% TTD restored per kill.
Weird Science: 50% science weapon damage.
Speed Demon: 25% movement speed during TTD.
Scanner:Â  20% bonus to extra headshot/weakspot damage.
The Collector:Â  5m interactable highlight range.
Snake Oil Salesman:Â  20% vendor buying price.
We Band of Brothers: 25% chance to reset aÂ  companion ability cooldown on each critical hit.
Tag Team: 25% chance to reset a companion ability cooldown when using the other companion’s ability.
Rolling Thunder: 20% decrease companion ability cooldowns for each of your kills.
Harvester: 15% health restored per kill.
Hoarder: 50% decrease in consumable weight.
Pack of Pack Mules: 40kg carrying capacity bonus from companions.
Soliloquy: 10 Dialog skills if you have no companions in your party.

Tier 3

Wild Science: 50% science weapon damage.
Steady Hand: after killing an enemy, you get 100%Â  reduction in ranged weapon sway and movement penalty to accuracy.
Confidence: Your next attack after killing an enemy is aÂ  guaranteed critical hit.
Armor Master: Increase the armor rating and skill bonuses from any armor you wear.Â  10% armor rating bonus, 100% skill bonus.
Super Pack Mule: 100kg carrying capacity.
Tactical Master: When you activate TTD, you continue to move at normal speed for a short time. This only occurs when your TTD meter is full at time of activation. 70% movement speed during TTD for 5 seconds.
Revenge: When you are affected by a harmful combat effect, you deal 20% damage.
Last Stand: When your health is under 25%, you deal 30% more damage.
Boom,Â  Headshot!Â  Headshot kills deal 25%Â  of their damage to enemies withinÂ  2.5m.
Don’t Go Dyin’ On Me! When you use the inhaler, any downed companions are revived with 25% health. Cooldown for this perk: 15 minutes.
Penetrating Shots: Ranged attacks inflict -1Â  armor rating for 10 seconds, and can stack up to -10.
Thick Skin: You takeÂ  15% less AoE damage. You also take 15% less Plasma damage.
Tit for Tat: 15% melee damage you deal will be returned as health.
Solo Sneaker: 33% reduction in detection radius of enemies if you have no companions.


[Rumour] Counter-Strike 2 To Be Announced This March

The next Counter-Strike could be made official this week.
The incredibly popular PvP terrorist vs. counter-terrorist first-person shooter that started out as a Half-Life mod will be getting a part two, according to esports journalist Richard Lewis. He is renowned for breaking Counter-Strike news, so there’s a ton of legitimacy regarding the leak.
Counter-Strike 2 might even enter beta as soon as this month according to sources close to Lewis. The game is more or less ready to go and is in a limited testing phase. Furthermore, new NVidia drivers just introduced support for apps such as “csgos2.exe” and “cs2.exe”. These are most likely related to Counter-Strike 2 based on the file names, most likely to prep for the launch of the beta this month.

Something weird just happened. Latest NVIDIA drivers introduced support for unknown app executables called "csgos2.exe" and "cs2.exe". Why project is called Counter-Strike 2 and what are you cooking @csgo? https://t.co/U9YKlAjwgy pic.twitter.com/PU8Op9uGLq
— ?Gabe Follower 2 (@gabefollower) March 1, 2023

Counter-Strike 2 is the reason Valve has yet to work on recent CS:GO issues. Lewis said the big priority for the company is to get the sequel out and polishing it. The game will run on the Source 2 engine, which isn’t surprising as all Valve-made games run on the engine.
CS:GO is still Steam’s most popular game with more than 1.3 million players on the game every day.