Yakuza 7 Will Feature Final Fantasy-Like Summons & Minigames

Sega shocked veteran fans of the Yakuza franchise when they revealed last month that the next entry will feature turn-based JRPG-inspired combat rather than the series’ now-iconic fluid and fast-paced brawler action.
In the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu (via Gematsu), Yakuza 7 (whose title could be translated as either Yakuza: Like a Dragon or Yakuza: Whereabouts of Light and Darkness) will feature Final Fantasy-like summoning mechanic in combat.
How summons will work in Yakuza 7 is that players can summon a variety of characters into battle by paying money via the in-game smartphone, including Gary Buster Holmes, Gonda Wara, a crayfish, and more. These summons will then support players during battle by attacking offensively, providing health recovery, and more.
Besides that, Yakuza 7 will also feature crazy minigames like the following:

Dragon Kart â€“ A racing game set on a course in the streets of Yokosuka. Pick up boxes to obtain weapons like a rocket launcher or Gatling gun.
Traditional Movie Theater â€“ Ichiban Kasuga always falls asleep in the middle of a movie. This is a button-pressing (rhythm game?) where Kasuga battles the temptation of a sheepman in order to overcome that sleepiness.
PachiSlot â€“ PachiSlot games Million God: Kamigami no Gaisen Another God Hades: Ubowareta ZEUS Ver., PachiSlot Fist of the Blue Sky: Houyuu, and PachiSlot Moujuuou: Ouja no HoukouÂ will be playable. These are currently the only PachiSlot simulators running on the PS4.

Yakuza 7 is slated to release for the PS4 on 16 January 2020 in Japan, while those living in the rest of the world will have to wait longer for a localized version of the game sometime later in 2020.
In the meantime, check out the Yakuza 7 trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QSWCeQ587M&w=560&h=315]


Geek Fam Are The First Malaysian Team To Reach PUBG Mobile Global Championship Finals

Following the end of the League Stage for Group Yellow in the PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC) 2022, Geek Fam emerged at the top of the scoreboard, making them the first Malaysian team to make it to the Grand Finals.
Competing with 15 other teams over a span of four days and 24 matches, Geek Fam made their mark and dominated the competition, never dropping below the third spot and ending the stage with a total score of 292 points and 148 eliminations, securing the top spot on the roster.
The squad, consisting of Irzam Aman “DamRUDE” Zaini, Nabil “Snipes” Nazaruddin, Daim “Mica” Rosli, Nadzrul “SONIX7Days” Abdul Sagal, and Dhiya “uHigh” Ulhaq, qualify to the Grand Finals, joined by team Four Angry Men and Trained To Kill from China and Nepal respectively.

Mica showed particular prowess, emerging as the MVP for Group Yellow and accumulating impressive stats to his name; 48 total eliminations, dealing a total of 9,450 damage, and a whopping survival time of 7:51:07.
Following this, the championship heads into its Survival Stage where the remaining teams placing 4th to 11th from Group Green, Group Yellow and Group Red, which features Malaysian team 4Rivals, will go head-to-head. The top 16 teams at the end of the Survival Stage then move on to the Last Chance, where they will vie for a spot in the top 5 to secure their place in the grand finals.
PUBG Mobile Global Championship is an annual international PUBG MOBILE tournament where teams from all over the world compete for the highest honour of any esports team or player involved in the game. This year, a total of 51 teams from across the globe compete for a chance to win a prize pool of US$4,000,000.


Stranger Things Season 5 Cast Adds Terminator Star Linda Hamilton

During Netflix TUDUM 2023, it was announced that veteran actress Linda Hamilton is joining the cast of Stranger Things Season 5. She is best known for starring in the Terminator franchise as Sarah Connor.

?Breaking News From #TUDUM?
Linda Hamilton is joining the cast of Stranger Things 5! pic.twitter.com/qYJMeGS700
— Netflix (@netflix) June 17, 2023

Work on Stranger Things Season 5 officially began in August 2022. However, it has officially been delayed due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.
Back in May 2023, Stranger Things showrunners the Duffer brothers said:
“Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then — over and out. #wgastrong.”
The first four seasons of Stranger Things are now available to stream on Netflix. There is no release date or release window for Stranger Things Season 5.


Here’s What You Need To Run Watch Dogs Legion

Ubisoft, a company still rife with systemic abuse issues internally despite an apology from its clueless CEO, is going to release Watch Dogs Legion at the end of October. Is your PC up for running a game that’s all about beating the system & corruption of said system, which is pretty damn ironic given its publisher’s recent kerfuffle?
Welp, here’s what you need if you own a PC, from low settings to the pure Watch Dogs Legion settings.
1080p / Low Settings

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 / AMD Ryzen 5 1400
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 or AMD Radeon R9 290X
VRAM: 4 GB
RAM: 8 GB
Storage Space: 45 GB
Operating System: Windows 10 (x64)

1080p / High Settings

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 / AMD Ryzen 5 1600
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 480
VRAM: 6 GB
RAM: 8 GB (Dual-channel setup)
Storage Space: 45 GB
Operating System: Windows 10 (x64)

1440p / High Settings

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K / AMD Ryzen 5 2600
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060S or AMD Radeon RX 5700
VRAM: 8GB
RAM: 16 GB (Dual-channel setup)
Storage Space: 45 GB
Operating System: Windows 10 (x64)

4K / Ultra Settings

CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K / AMD Ryzen 7 3700K
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti or AMD Radeon VII
VRAM: 11 GB
RAM: 16 GB (Dual-channel setup)
Storage Space: 45 GB (+ 20 GB HD Textures Pack)
Operating System: Windows 10 (x64)

Ray Tracing On – 1080p / High Settings

CPU: Intel Core i5-9600K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070
VRAM: 8 GB
RAM: 16 GB (Dual-channel setup)
Storage Space: 45 GB
Operating System: Windows 10 (x64)

Ray Tracing On – 4K / Ultra Settings

CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K / AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
VRAM: 11 GB
RAM: 16 GB (Dual-channel setup)
Storage Space: 45GB (+20 GB HD Textures Pack)
Operating System: Windows 10 (x64)

Kudos to Ubisoft for covering all the bases from 1080p to 4K Ultra. Give credit where credit’s due. Watch Dogs Legion will be out 28th October for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.


Jade Raymond & Haven Reveal More Details About Their New Game

Last year in March 2021, games industry veteran Jade Raymond formed a new games developing company called Haven Entertainment Studios. Almost a year later, she has revealed more details about her first game with the new studio, as well as what to expect from them.
In an interview with Canadian French-language publication Le Devoir, Raymond said that the company has tripled in size since they were originally announced last year. She also confirmed that their first game will be released on both the PS5 and PC. The game is described as a “persistent and evolving online environment”, which sounds a lot like it will be a live service title.
It was also revealed that Raymond and Haven will be working with the legendary Mark Cerny, who was the lead system architect during the development of PS4 and PS5, in order to push the technical capabilities of the PS5 even further. Raymond previously worked in high positions at EA, Ubisoft and Google Stadia. Most notably, she helped create the Assassinâ€™s CreedÂ andÂ Watch Dogs franchises at Ubisoft. Her last job before Haven was as the lead at Google Stadia Games & Entertainment, which ultimately closed downÂ in February 2021.


These Are The Best Overwatch Workshop Creations So Far

In a bold move, Blizzard has released modding and scripting tools for Overwatch in the form of Workshop mode. Selecting this mode in your game browser opens up some light scripting options and modding tools so you can make new game modes.
But if you’re too damn lazy or uncreative to do so, why not just check out other people’s creations? Workshop mode is only available on PC via the PTR, but that isn’t stopping the community from creating these funky new modes and improvements.
Anti-Teabag (3ZAXM)
Here’s a code that kills players for crouching too much or too often.
Helicopter Watch (E5NGZ)
Want to control every character like a helicopter? Wish granted!
Overwatch Racing (Q8KT7)

Control either as Lucio, Widowmaker, and Hammond to race across the ring. Think Mario Kart meets Blizzard.
DVA Bumperkart (6ZBX5)
Play as one of the many D.Vas equipped with unlimited boosters. The objective? Boop every other D.Va on the tiny map until you’re the last Korean sensation standing.
Frozone Mei (JBWH8)
Shoot Mei’s Endothermic Blaster on the floor and run over it to travel fast.
Katamari Hammacy (TQ1V4)
 [Workshop] Katamari Hammacy from      Overwatch

Play as Hammond and roll up as many heroes as possible to appease the King of The Cosmos. In this case, it’s Jeff Kaplan…
Apex Legends’ Ping System

This should be a real feature. Ping enemies to let your team know their location; easy.


Marvel’s Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur Drops In February 2023

At D23, it was announced that Marvel’s Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur will premiere on Disney Channel on 10 February 2023, and later on Disney+.
Marvel’s Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur follows 13-year-old super-genius Lunella Lafayette (aka Moon Girl) and her 10-ton T-Rex, Devil Dinosaur, as they protect New York City’s Lower East Side from danger. Based on Marvel’s hit comic books, the highly-anticipated Disney Branded Television animated series is slated to premiere in 2023 on Disney Channel and Disney+
The cast members are as follows:

Diamond White – Lunella Lafayette AKA Moon Girl.
Fred Tatasciore – Devil Dinosaur.
Alfre Woodard – Mimi, Lunella’s grandmother.
Libe Barer – Casey, Lunella’s best friend and manager.
Sasheer Zamata – Adria, Lunella’s mom.
Jermaine Fowler – James Jr., Lunella’s dad.
Gary Anthony Williams – Pops, Lunella’s grandfather.
Laurence Fishburne – The Beyonder, who is described as “a curious and mischievous trickster”.

The series will also feature a bunch of guest stars, including Alison Brie, Andy Cohen, Daveed Diggs, Maya Hawke, Jennifer Hudson, Method Man, Cobi Smulders, Wesley Snipes, Omid Abtahi, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Michael Cimino, Indya Moore, Craig Robinson, Gideon Adlon, Pamela Adlon, Anna Akana, Ian Alexander, May Calamawy, Wilson Cruz, Asia Kate Dillon, Luis Guzman, astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison, Josh Keaton, June Diane Raphael, Paul Scheer and Tajinae Turner.
Check out the trailer below:


Level-5 Has Shut Down Its North America Branches

Ni no Kuni and Yo-Kai Watch developer Level-5 has shut down its North American operations. This may mean the future of Level-5 English localization titles is uncertain, with its future titles not releasing outside of Japan.
According to Gamesindustry.biz reports, the North American branch and its Level-5 Abby spin-off office have been winding down operations in the middle of 2019. The branch was running on a skeleton crew of up to two employees this year to carry out essential functions.
At the same time, it was consolidating its business between the Japan office and international advertising company Dentsu. The branch’s CEO Yukari Hayakawa departed the company earlier this year.


Grab This Free New The Last Of Us Part 2 PS4 Theme

Every year since the release of 2013’s The Last Of Us, developer Naughty Dog and fans of the game have celebrated Outbreak Day on 26 September. This year’s occasion is particularly special and eventful, especially with the release date for the upcoming game already confirmed.
In commemoration of Outbreak Day 2019, Naughty Dog is giving all PS4 owners a free new The Last Of Us Part 2 theme, officially dubbed The Last of Us Part 2 Grunge Theme. It features animated effects, new art, and music from the highly-anticipated sequel.

As an added bonus, all existing The Last of Us Part 2 PS4 themes and avatars are available for purchase at 50 percent off from now until next Tuesday on 1 October 2019. In addition, the developer has also published a new The Last Of Us Part 2‘s Ellie cosplay guide on its official website here, as well as new The Last Of Us Part 2 merchandise for sale.

Head on to this link to download the free new The Last of Us Part II Grunge Theme on the Asian PlayStation Store now. Stay tuned for more details and information on The Last Of Us Part 2 on Kakuchopurei!


The Best 2D Shmup Fighting Game Gets Its Due In The Latest Neo Geo World Tour

Hell has frozen over; SNK and ADK’s shmup cute-em-up fighting game-esque creation Twinkle Star Sprites had an esports moment. Sort of.
During the Neo Geo World Tour Season 2 tournament at Super MAGFest last weekend in the US, the SNK reps decided to host a fan favourite title alongside the usual suspects like Garou: Mark of the Wolves, The King of Fighters ’98 and XIV, and Metal Slug. And it turns to be Twinkle Star Sprites, one of the most underrated 1v1 gems out there that relies on you filling up your opponent’s screen with so many bullets he/she will have to eventually succumb to elimination.
True, it was the first game and it wasn’t viewed as much when compared to the KOF titles, but it’s the first time since, well, god knows when, a competitive 2D shmup game gets its day in the sun.
Check out these highlight plays from the region’s top TSS players: Midreal (sporting fancy mutton chops), Shin0r0chi who was killin’ it from start to finish, and The Opponent.
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/624989424587747/
They clearly went for the top tier folks: Tinker & Linker, Nanja Monja, and Yan-Yan, whose tracking pig projectiles are a bit too much for most high-level players to handle. It was a gamble for The Opponent since he stuck with the latter character. The flying pig-riding child’s movement and shots aren’t all that spectacular when compared to Tinker/Linker, Nanja Monja, and even Load Ran, the “Ryu” of the game.
However, it was one that paid off since he won the entire tournament 3-1 against Shin0r0chi. His opponent had a lot of trouble handling the sine wave tracking movements of the pig projectiles among other fireballs and enemies on-screen.
Shoutouts to the commentators The_Jerk and Rock for giving this retro game a chance and doing it justice by legitimizing its status as a de facto competitive shmup title. I do hope other tournament organizers can give this game a chance.
You can hear me sing praises to Twinkle Star Sprites on my SNK feature last year.


APAC Teamfight Tactics Asian Cup Kicks Off Later This Week

If you are not familiar with TFT, it is an auto-battler by Riot Games featuring iconic champions from League of Legends. It is a round-based PVP game, in which players draft up a team that battles automatically on your behalf.
So here’s how it generally works: Players will individually face off in 1-on-1 matches until only one player remains. You win by of course drafting up the best team of champions which are from a shared pool. You equip powerful items to your champions and manage your gold income to buy out your competition. As a strategy game, there are unlimited ways to win, so players will have to adapt to different situations in every game.
ASIAN CUP 2023
The Asian Cup 2023 is officially kicking off! The tournament features well known top payers from all across Asia, and is sure to be competitive. Now the tournament boasts a huge prize pool of US$40,000, in which the winner will take home a whopping US$20,000, and of course not forgetting the brag rights to be crowned as the best TFT player in Asia. The Asian Cup kicks off on 3 March 2023, and matches will start at 6pm GMT+9.
THE FORMAT
The tournament will be divided into 3 days. The top 16 players will progress to the second day, and the top 8 will advance to the big finals. On the first day, the players will be split into groups of 3 and will play 6 rounds each. The groups will be shuffled every 2 games to ensure fair competition. On the second day, the same format will be followed, and then the top 8 will advance to the final day.
On the final day, the Checkmate format will be implemented. Players will compete until the first player to earn 18 points and win a round will be crowned the Asian TFT Champion.
Top players including former Asian Cup and Championship winner “Huanmie” and “XunGe’ hailing from China will be back this Asian Cup to compete alongside, Southeast Asia’s “Khar1ch” and South Korea’s “Vayne”. These players have been consistent in their performances in previous tournaments and will definitely be among the top contenders for the title.
BROADCASTING CHANNELS
If you are a fan, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! There are multiple streams for you to catch all the action to root for your favourite players.

KOREA : AfreecaTV  / Twitch / Youtube
JAPANESE : Twitch
VIETNAMESE : Youtube
CANTONESE : AfreecaTV
MANDARIN : AfreecaTV
ENGLISH : Twitch

PARTICIPATING PLAYERS
Here is the list of participating players for the Asian Cup 2023

CHN : Flancy, ZhanWenYu, 60second, Chuqi, Huanmie, XunGe
KOR : Vayne, Kangsunjong, Invention, Incheon Fist, Good Day, Cosmo
JPN : Coach Me, shikamemadoka, m1zono
OCE : Choonga, oubo, Kahdei
SEA : Khar1ch, VN Ozinx, Kbaobao, VN YGNamBom, SVM DVQ, ARaye

PRIZE POOL
Total Prize Pool : US$40,000

1st Place : US$20,000
2nd Place : US$10,000
3rd Place : US$6,000
4th Place : US$4,000

We can’t wait to see the thrilling action from all the players competing this Asian Cup.


Major League of Legends and Dota 2 Events Affected by Covid-19

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic continues to affect video game events, with a few League of Legends and Dota 2 tournaments now taking hits.
As PC Gamer reported, tTLegends European Championship (LEC) Spring Splits will be broadcast from studios and will not have any audience or press (via PC Gamer). Meanwhile, the ESL One Dota 2 Major has been postponed; it was originally due to be held from March 20 to March 22 in Los Angeles.
Last week, it was announced that the Spring Split Finals would move to Berlin’s LEC Studios from Budapest, so the decision to cancel audience and press attendance is but the latest response to the Covid-19 situation.
“This is not a decision we made lightly, however the health and safety of our pro players, fans, press, and staff is and will always be our top priority,” wrote Riot Game’s Head of Esports Europe Alberto Guerrero in a post. “We will continue to monitor the situation and listen closely to the advice of health and governmental authorities.”
In the post, Guerrero also mentioned that Copenhagen-based esports team Origen will be playing online instead of travelling to Berlin due to announcements from the Denmark government. The team also tweeted about it.

?? As we are based in Copenhagen, recent announcements coming from the government in Denmark will have us play online this weekend and not travel to Berlin. We are happy that we can still compete! Let's give it our all online, #OGFamily.
?? https://t.co/4g6V16MEBU
— Astralis (@Astralisgg) March 12, 2020

In the ESL Dota 2 Major’s case, the postponement was due not just to Covid-19 itself, but the US travel ban that was announced recently. In a statement on Twitter, the official ESL page said that they are working with Valve to figure out a new date and venue for the event.
“We are deeply disappointed but believe this outcome is in the best interest of all the people who make these incredible events possible,” they added.

Update on #ESLOne Los Angeles: pic.twitter.com/Nilxseh0Zq
— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) March 12, 2020

Whether it’s a postponement or a shift to online broadcasts with empty venues, I think these sort of announcements aren’t surprising anymore, and won’t be until the Covid-19 situation passes.
While esports fans will understandably be saddened by these turn of events, safety always comes first, and it’s good that we at least have some online broadcasts to watch. At any rate, it looks like this will be the new normal for now.


Dragon Age 4 Will Be Single-Player Only, No Multiplayer

According to a Bloomberg report, EA has allowed BioWare to remove all multiplayer components from the upcoming new Dragon Age game, making it a single-player-only game like Respawn Entertainment’s Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order.
Based on the claims of sources as reported by Jason Schreier, it seems that Dragon Age 4 was previously designed with planned multiplayer components (just like Mass Effect Andromeda and Anthem before it).
However, it has recently transformed into a single-player-only game in the past few months thanks to both the success of Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order (a single-player-only game that has sold more than 10 million units so far) and the failure of Anthem (a multiplayer-heavy game, the massive rework of which was recently cancelled).
Development for Dragon Age 4 actually began in 2015 but was rebooted in 2017 for “long-term monetization” (read: insert microtransactions in multiplayer). However, it was only officially announced during The Game Awards in 2018.
During development, several members of the BioWare leadership team reportedly tried to fight to make Dragon Age 4 a single-player-only game. As of now, no release date or window has been announced for the next Dragon Age game. In the meantime, check out the teaser trailer below:


New The Last Of Us Part 2 Gameplay Video Highlights A More “Open” World

Sony PlayStation has revealed a new The Last Of Us Part 2 breakdown video, detailing more of the gameplay and what new content to expect. According to Naughty Dog, the highly-anticipated game will feature open-ended levels, which means that player might actually miss certain story sequences or even entire parts of the game.
The Last Of Us Part 2 co-director Anthony Newman said:

“That pushed us to make our level design even more open than it was in the first game, which for us at the time, was pretty open.
In this game we’ve gone so far in making the level design open that there are actually entire story moments, entire combat encounters, like full scripted sequences, that you might completely miss.”

The reason for this is because the developers want players to “feel like you discovered them”, lending a certain “magic and charm” to these missable parts of the game. In comparison, the original The Last Of Us featured more linear levels, where all players had to do most of the time was simply move forward or to the next area in order to advance the story.
Besides that, to give Ellie an advantage over bigger and stronger enemies, the developers gave her a dedicated jump button, making combat more vertical and allowing players to take advantage of elevated places. Ellie can now also go into a chest-down prone position to avoid the enemies’ detection, but fortunately, players will have access to all weapons, items, and crafting while in that position.
Players will have to make more calculated choices in The Last Of Us Part 2, as there won’t be enough resources in a single playthrough to fully upgrade Ellie. Newman said:

“We put a much stronger emphasis on the importance of the choices you make in the longterm for your character.
Through the weapon upgrade system, through the player upgrade system, there aren’t enough resources in a single playthrough to fully upgrade your character.
The choices that you make, you’re going to have to live with.
And we wanted to make sure that all the choices that you made had a really noticeable and tangible impact on the way that you play.”

The Last Of Us Part 2 is slated to release on 19 June 2020. In the meantime, check out the new gameplay video below, or head on over hereÂ for the different editions of the game with Malaysian prices.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NdGeJNB5eY&w=560&h=315]


Malaysia Wins Gold Medal In Women’s Dota 2 & eFootball Commonwealth Esports Championships

Here’s another one for the Malaysia esports history books. Malaysia’s Women Dota 2 team won a gold medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Esports Championships.
Malaysia’s team defeated England in the grand finals of the tournament 2–0 in a Best-of-3 matchup. The Malaysian team consisted of Stephanie “Auroraa” Lim, Nadrah “Nada” Saufi, Wong “HG” Wei Sian, Bette “iStarx” Chia and Tan “Shizuma” Lyn Xhin, coach Joe and manager and substitute Tiffani “Babyoling” Lim.

Malaysia used Medusa, Alchemist, and Timbersaw as their point Dota 2 characters for damage, though England did try their best to slow them down with persistent attacks from Zeus, Tiny, and Shadow Shaman.
In the same tournament, England won the Silver medal while Singapore won the Bronze medal.
It’s safe to say it’s a historic day for Malaysia and female Dota 2 players; the Commonwealth Esports Championships stage even had Malaysia’s anthem Negaraku playing as they were up.
“Most of the team members have been competing for a long time now, some longer than a decade. Often I feel sad at how little attention and opportunities that the female players have gotten, for how much they’ve achieved in terms of rank or gameplay. I’m incredibly grateful for this platform to showcase their skills and I hope there will be more tournaments like this.
The girls are undefeated yet in this tournament and I’m fiercely proud of that. I love these girls to death and truly hope that with this achievement, they can finally get the recognition and support they deserve.”
– Tiffani “Babyoling” Lim, Manager and Substitute for Team Malaysia

In light of Team Malaysia winning a gold medal in the Dota 2 Women’s category, we also celebrate another gold medal for Malaysia in eFootball.
We saw Team Malaysia’s representative, professional eFootball player for Johor Darul Ta’zim, Mohamad Nor Haikal “Haikal” bin Mohamad Nor and coach Shaharil Ochibi Kun take down Scotland in the grand finals with a clean 2–0 sweep.


HBO GO May 2022: Our Picks & Highlights

I’m sure you won’t want to waste time sifting through HBO GO’s extensive catalogue of shows and movies just to decide on what to watch. The streaming site updates its site every day, week, and month with new content, so I’m here to save your precious time.
Here are my personal recommendations and highlights for HBO GO May 2022 lineup and how to fill up your free time with worthwhile content at home:
Made For Love Season 2 (28 April 2022)

Season One followed Hazel Green (Cristin Milioti), a woman on the run after ten years in a suffocating marriage to tech billionaire Byron Gogol (Billy Magnussen). After discovering that her husband implanted a monitoring device to track her, Hazel fled to her desert hometown to take refuge with her father Herbert (Ray Romano) and his synthetic partner, Diane. In the second season, to save her father’s life, Hazel returns to the Hub, Byron’s high-tech palace. But once inside, she and Byron both become ensnared by Gogol’s newest revolutionary (and dangerous) technology. Catch up on Season 1 and stream the latest Season 2 episodes on HBO GO. Stars Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen and Ray Romano.
It premieres on 28 April 2022, Thursday on HBO GO (Season 1 is also available on HBO GO).

Redraw Your Summer (2 May 2022)

Redraw Your Summer with the best of Cartoon Network, featuring four hours of entertainment every day. Enjoy beloved characters and favourite franchises in weekly collections, beginning with brand-new episodes of Teen Titans Go! and their many escapades, and the adventures of Amato and Mechabot in Mechamato as they battle evil robots.
This is followed by the best of Looney Tunes Cartoons to celebrate Tweety Bird’s 80th anniversary, and Krypto The Superdog, which chronicles the comedic canine adventures of a superdog from Planet Krypton. The month draws to a close with We Bare Bears and the adorable antics of siblings Grizzly, Panda and Ice Bear, and The Tom And Jerry Show, the most iconic cat and mouse duo of all time.
Taking place from Monday, 2 May 2022, daily from 9am to 1pm on Cartoon Network (Astro Channel 615).
The Staircase (5 May 2022)

Based on a true story, the eight-episode MAX Original series explores the life of Michael Peterson, his sprawling North Carolina family, and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson. However, her death from falling down the staircase in their home raises disturbing questions. Before long, suspicions grow to become accusations. Stars an ensemble cast with Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Michael Stuhlbarg, Juliette Binoche, Olivia DeJonge, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sophie Turner and more.
It premieres on 5 May 2022, Thursday on HBO GO.

The Time Traveller’s Wife (16 May 2022)

Adapted by Steven Moffat from the bestselling novel of the same name, this HBO Original Series tells the story of Clare and Henry, whose beautiful and magical relationship is plagued by a unique problem – time travel. Can their love overcome this challenging obstacle? Tune in to find out in this six-episode series, directed by Emmy® Award winner David Nutter. Stars Rose Leslie and Theo James.
It premieres Monday, 16 May 2022 at 9am on HBO (Astro Channel 411) and HBO GO.

Needle In A Timestack (19 May 2022)

In this gripping love story, Nick and Janine live in marital bliss, until Janine’s ex-husband warps time in an attempt to tear them apart. As Nick’s memories and reality disappear, he must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice in order to hold onto – or let go of – everything he loves. Stars Oscar® nominee Leslie Odom, Jr., with Cynthia Erivo, Orlando Bloom and Frieda Pinto.
It premieres Saturday, 14 May 2022 on HBO GO and Thursday, 19 May 2022 at 9pm on HBO (Astro Channel 411).

A Quiet Place Part II (28 May 2022)
L-r, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe and Emily Blunt star in Paramount Pictures’ “A Quiet Place 2.”
Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Now forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path. Stars Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe and Cillian Murphy.

Those are just several selected highlights from next monthâ€™s offerings of new TV series and movies on HBO GO next month. Now you can plan your HBO GO watchlist for May 2022.


Returnal PC Port Launches Next Month; Specs Revealed

The hardcore roguelike third-person shooter Returnal, exclusive to PS5, will be out on PC next month.
Housemarque’s latest action title will be on PC this 15th February for Steam and Epic Games Store, and will cost US$59.99. If you pre-order the game early, you’ll get early access to the following in-game items:

Electropylon Driver weapon
Hollowseeker weapon
One Reflex Stimulant
One Pulsating Mass artefact
One Adrenaline Booster

The PC specs are below; it seems reasonable enough.

If you link your Steam account with your PlayStation Network account, you will unlock the in-game outfits ASTRA Model 9 Prototype Suit and ASTRA Model 14 Tactical Suit. Here’s the overview of the PC version:

The Complete PC Experience
Includes support for achievements, complete with an in-game progress tracker.
Five graphical pre-sets have also been included, alongside in-game performance metrics, including an frames per second counter, a gauge for GPU and CPU usage, and a latency tracker.
Savor a Dazzling Visual Experience
16:10, Ultrawide (21:9) and Super Ultrawide (32:9) aspect ratios offer an expanded field of view throughout Atropos – with wider aspects adding additional options for cinematics and the user interface. All this in stunning 4K. (1)
On high-specification PCs, experience deeper immersion with ray-traced reflections and shadows, adding a whole new layer of lighting options—all customizable through various sliders.
Performance-enhancing technologies such as NVIDIA’s DLSS and NVIDIA NIS, as well as AMD’s FSR (2), are also available.
Feel Sensory Overload, First Hand
Play with the DualSense controller to experience haptic feedback and dynamic trigger effects. (3) Alternatively, choose mouse and keyboard or other controller inputs—all with fully customizable button prompts.
Expanded accessibility options have also been added, including an alt-fire crosshair charging notification, alongside a Co-op ping system.
Added support for Dolby Atmos, as well as the option to select type of 3D Audio support. (4) Hear sound all around you with pinpoint accuracy, bringing environments to life and helping improve your reactions.
Co-op Mode
In Co-op Mode, share your journey through the shifting labyrinth of Atropos with another PC player. (5)
The hostile nature of Atropos will remain unwavering, but the possibility of teamwork adds a whole new dimension and means of survival.
Each player controls a different version of Selene, from different cycles. Using the Chronosis device located in each biome, the host player summons a friend or is matched with another random online player. The progress of the host determines the available item pool for the duration of the multiplayer session.
Tower of Sisyphus
Next time you wake at the crash site, look up. You should be able to see a gate towards the Tower of Sisyphus, accessible as long as you’ve unlocked the Icarian Grapnel. (5)
In this Tower, prepare for a new kind of challenge. It’s a nearly endless ascending gauntlet with a pure focus on combat, how high you build up your score and progress, exclusive items, Scout logs and as-yet unseen fragments from Selene’s story.
Notes
(1) Compatible PC and display device required.
(2) Compatible PC and graphics card required for enhanced graphics.
(3) Wired connection required to experience the full range of in-game controller features.
(4) 3D Audio modes require stereo headphones or compatible speakers.
(5) The Tower of Sisyphus, House sequences and Challenge Mode are not available in Co-op Mode. Cross-play with players on PlayStation 5 consoles is not supported.


Three Key Takeaways From Overwatch League Pre-Season Day 2

We are at it again as six more teams squared off against each other for the second day of the Overwatch League pre-season exhibition matches. A somewhat shock win for Los Angeles Gladiators, Dallas Fuel winning the first ever Overwatch League Texas Derby and Boston Uprising surprising everyone despite losing to the New York Excelsior.
Galant GladiatorsÂ Â
In the first ‘upset’ of the pre-season (well, in terms of results, that didn’t play to the script), Los Angeles Gladiators defeated the highly favored BÌ¶uÌ¶sÌ¶aÌ¶nÌ¶ London Spitfire 3-2 as DPS expert Surefour made sure his team isn’t overlooked as ‘the other’ Los Angeles team. Setting the tone early on Junkertown, Surefour & Co’s unconventional yet effective strategies worked like a charm to catch the Koreans off-guard, paving the way for the upset. Spitfire hit back to win maps 2 & 3; Assault and Control maps but were unable to maintain the momentum to lose the fourth map on Numbani. By now it is apparent that the Koreans don’t fare well on maps that involve escorting the payload and were tipped to win the tie-breaker map on Lijiang tower. But the Gladiators defied the form books to win 2-0 on Lijiang and to ensure everyone take notice.
Dallas Need More Fuel
In spite of them ultimately outgunning the Outlaws, the early season fan favorites, Dallas Fuel appeared rusty in their matches, losing more team fights early on and losing the first map, Dorado; scraping for a win on Anubis before finding their groove on Oasis. Being one of the few teams with preset lineups heading into the Overwatch League, they oddly appear to be still searching for the right balance to the team following the additions of Custa, xQc and Seagull. All three new players got some playtime but an interesting point was that xQc only getting one outing, with Fuel opting for Seagull to replace main tank Cocco on the deciding map, Lijiang Tower. We saw some sloppy plays and off-timed ultimates from both teams as well but that can be attributed to early season blues. But as it stands, Dallas need to find their groove soon while Outlaws look promising.

Boston Are Better Than On Paper
The boys from Boston are performing better than expected as they gave NYXL a good fight despite losing 1-3 to the early season frontrunners. DreamKazper, STRIKER and Gamsu all performed very well for Uprising – a team which no one gave any chance at the Overwatch League forcing the likes of Saebyeolbe and Mano to dig deeper than expected. Dubbed ‘The Moneyball’ squad, Boston Uprising shows promise and while they may not be amongst the leading teams this season, should be a force to be reckoned with in a couple seasons. Also, keep a lookout for STRIKER who outplayed Saebyeolbe on Oasis and is being touted as the next big thing.

The Overwatch League pre-season action continues tomorrow as more juicy matchups take place as San Francisco Shock take on London Spitfire, Seoul go against Houston and the Shanghai Dragons search for their first win in the pre-season as they square off against Boston Uprising.

Timings listed above are correct as of Malaysia/ Singapore/ Hong Kong time.


Animangaki 2020 Is Cancelled; Online Event To Take Its Place

Last year’s Animangaki was a treasure of an anime event held in Malaysia. Which is why it’s sad to hear that this year’s Animangaki is cancelled due to recent Malaysia MOC extension news to contain & combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government advised many event organizers that any form of mass gathering in the next six months or longer will be postponed or cancelled to prevent further outbreaks.
https://www.facebook.com/animangaki/posts/2827556223979368?__cft__[0]=AZWywm8Ox7TX1N-NxW4fp0PE0FDctYhVafhM2R1Ug2poOeLV0gqvqMpfslilSCKqG0bjskB_dMnYxQ0IQXYNDmEwu7svuJ0PaJNem_Y42RfQSH94nyDyAznEuUpDzHZnMJFhyEFH-Uyhx-L8XnVfHLo2JINCRQfLj8GKWmeYPs8O_Q&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
However, the Animangaki committee will instead host a brand-new online event called, surprise surprise, Animangaki Online this August. More details on this will be shared next month.
COVID-19 has been putting a damper on game and anime expo plans, but it can’t be helped if everyone’s working together to fight it. We look forward to the online event the next few months.


Meet the nuiMOs, Your Unbearably Adorable Dress-Up Pocket Plush Buddies By ShopDisney

Disney nuiMOs are all the rave in Japan, and recently, have made their way around the world for Disney fans, collectors, or those who simply want to add cute aesthetics to their personality.
The name “nuiMO” is a combination of two words; “nuigurumi” which means plush or stuffed toy in Japanese and “moderu” (model). Their compact and pocketable size makes them practical travel buddies or little companions to your cafe visits.

But wait, there’s more you can do with nuiMOs. You can also dress up your nuiMOs with a collection of wardrobe ranges and styles purchasable from shopDisney. NuiMOs wardrobe of fashionable clothing also includes accessories like hats, bags, shoes, and many more to be added on shopDisney in the future.
Yes, you can dress your Minnie to your style, your own unique taste, run a little fashion show, or pair it up with your partner for some cute couple-theme fashion. Get creative and you can have Judy and Nick from Zootopia for cute or hilarious video skits too! Because these nuiMOs are flexible and poseable with magnetic hands, the creative possibilities are immeasurable.

Style them, love them, and live your life with them.

You can have your very own nuiMO from shopDisney here! The toys are also available for Malaysian residents.


Loki Episode 5 Had A Hidden Chris Hemsworth Cameo

Last week’s Loki Episode 5 was the biggest episode yet in terms of featuring the most number of easter eggs yet, probably even in any of the Marvel Disney+ Hotstar shows to date. However, there was one easter egg that might have had an extra layer of easter egginess to it.

If you’ve read my breakdown of Loki Episode 5, you’ll probably know that the episode featured an unexpected cameo from Throg or Frog Thor. In the comics, Throg was originally a human named Simon Walterson who was cursed and turned into a frog named Puddlegulp. He later found himself worthy of lifting Mjolnir and the rest is history.

However, what we didn’t know is that Thor actor Chris Hemsworth himself voiced the grunting of the Throg in the episode. According to Loki series director Kate Herron (via an interview with For All Nerds), Hemsworth even actually recorded fresh audio for the cameo. That’s amazing, considering that it’s just a bunch of grunts and groans.
Herron said:
“Throg, obviously, getting him in. We recorded Chris Hemsworth for that by the wayâ€¦ thatâ€™s like a whole new recording, not recycled. He recorded that.”

EXCLUSIVE?? @ViewsFrom616 interviewed @iamkateherron and she revealed that @chrishemsworth is the voice of #Throg the Frog Thorin Episode Five of #Loki   #ReleaseTheThrogCut ?#PrayersForPuddleGulp ? pic.twitter.com/2TIyvf1Mk8
— Twitch.tv/ForAllNerds (@ForAllNerds) July 10, 2021

Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia, I was also lucky enough to be the only Malaysian media to participate in a roundtable interview with LokiÂ Costume Designer Christine Wada andÂ LokiÂ Production Designer Kasra Farahani. These interviews haveÂ been edited for clarity.
For previous breakdowns ofÂ LokiÂ episodes, check outÂ Episode 1 here,Â Episode 2 here,Â Episode 3 here, and Episode 4 here.


World Of Warships Celebrates Seven Years On The Seven Seas

World Of Warships, is celebrating its seventh anniversary this September. To mark the occasion, it is releasing a number of in-game festivities including new rewards for battle performance, a themed collection, and the Warship Strike mini-game. This update also sees the continuation of the Puerto Rico build in the Dockyard, new updated Operations, British battleships sailing into the tech tree, and more.
Leading the update is a boatload of in-game celebrations to commemorate seven years of World Of Warships. Players using ships of Tier V and above will receive a number of festive rewards, with “Special Bonus”, “Rare Bonus” and “Supercontainer” containers up for grabs depending on the ship used. In seven years, many veteran players have hundreds of ships in port now, and they’ll be able to collect multiple rewards from several of their craft in one battle.
World Of Warships will also welcome a new “Seven Seas” collection as part of the festivities, which takes players through the history of 16 of the game’s famous ports.
Wrapping up all these birthday festivities with a tidy bow is the relaxing Warship Strike mini-game, inspired by a classic naval combat entertainment, available in the Armory. Players will be able to take on an AI opponent in a strategy-based game with the goal of winning festive tokens.
Operations have received thorough changes, with a wider set of ships available to participate. Rewards attained through Operations have also changed, with the opportunity to take home the new rewards more than once by completing special daily and weekly combat missions. Alongside these changes comes the return of three Operations, with “The Ultimate Frontier”, “Hermes” and the night operation “Cherry Blossom” back in 0.11.8.
Arriving from Early Access, eight British battleships introduced in the last two updates are now available for research in the Tech Tree. Amongst them are the iconic Renown and Indefatigable. Those swift ships feature accurate guns and torpedoes on board, as well as different consumables across the range of Tier V-X ships, including “Engine Boost”, “Defensive AA fire” and ” Specialized Repair Teams”.
The fast Tier X Spanish destroyer Álvaro de Bazán, accompanied by eight 135-mm main battery guns and two four-tube torpedo tubes, also makes its way into the Armory with its alternative firing mode.
Update 0.11.8 sees the continuation of the construction of American cruiser Puerto Rico, which will be available to players until the beginning of the update 0.11.10. The building process also rewards players who reach stage 25 out of 40 with Canadian destroyer Huron.


[Report] Is From Software Teaming Up With George R.R. Martin For A New Game?

From Software is still riding high on its latest hit title, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, but the rumor mill is already churning fast as speculations suggest that the developer is currently working on a new game with Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin.
According to games journalist Liam Robertson and YouTube channel Spawn Wave (via ResetEra), the game will be a fully open-world title where players will be able to visit a variety of different kingdoms and obtain abilities by killing the leaders of those aforementioned kingdoms.
The rumor also claims that the game will be published by Bandai Namco, just like previous From Software titles including the Dark Souls trilogy and Bloodborne. The only exception is Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which was recently published by Activision instead.
To top it all off, it is speculated that the game will be officially announced at E3 2019 later this year. In my opinion, all of this sounds a bit too farfetched and it’s not like old George doesn’t already have his hands full with other projects like the gazillion Game of Thrones TV spinoffs and a certain highly-anticipated book (*cough* Winds of Winter *cough*).
Let’s take this rumor with a grain of salt, at least until more information comes to light. Then again, Sekiro was definitely one of the biggest unexpected surprises during E3 2018 so I wouldn’t dismiss From Software from doing the same thing at the year’s event.
If the rumor does turn out to be true, then it should be a perfect job for George R.R. Martin. Imagine it, From Software and old George. The last time we had this awesome a pairing in gaming was for the ultimately-canceled P.T. horror title by Konami, Hideo Kojima, and Guillermo Del Toro.
In the meantime, check out my ‘review’ of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice here, or watch the video below for the source of the rumor.
(Image Credit: Rolling Stone /Â  Nick Briggs)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xloXES9PA5U&w=560&h=315]


What The Hell Is A Ys? A Quick FAQ

With Ys IX finally out in English and for the masses willing to fork over a bit of extra money for a niche RPG game, it’s high time we made a quick feature about the long-running Falcom series a sliver of people know about.
So let’s break it down into a buttload of questions people would ask about this seemingly alien series. We won’t go into full detail about its lore (go to YouTube for that sort of deep-diving) but we can tell you what makes this series tick and which entry you should start with.
Let’s begin the FAQing!
How do you pronounce “Ys”?
It’s pronounced “is-su”. It sounds more like “ease” if you want to pronounce the title out loud. Not “Wai-ess” or “Waiss; just “eease”.
The series’ full title is Ancient Ys Vanished Omens, so shortening it to Ys is a wise move on the creator’s part.
OK, got it. What the hell is an “Is-su”?

Ys is a series of old PC-88 fantasy sword-and-sorcery RPGs that was created by developer/publisher Falcom. You may remember Falcom as the guys who made legacy JRPGs alongside Enix (the Dragon Quest folks) and Square (the Final Fantasy guys). Apart from Ys, they’re renowned for the Dragon Slayer series, and The Legend of Heroes titles.
The Ys series is the brainchild of director/programmer/designer Masaya Hashimoto and scenario writer Tomoyoshi Miyazaki. You may remember those guys as the founders of ’89 JRPG game-changing company Quintet, which deserves a separate & in-depth FAQ of its own.
Wait, why is it called Ys?

Because the first few games – Ys Book I & II– has a plot that revolves around a fantasy floating island called Ys that can seal ancient evils. The name stuck among 80s RPGs fans, which is why it just used the name Ys for future sequels and Falcom marketing purposes.
So the rest of the games do not take place on the island of Ys? If not, where?

Nope. The giant continent the Ys series takes place in is called Eresia. All Ys titles take place in countries and areas in Eresia.
Interesting enough, Eresia is Falcom’s fantasy version of ancient Europe and its neighbouring countries. For example, Ys Book I & II, and Ys III takes place in ancient France, while Ys IV/Ys: Memories of Celceta takes place in an alternate ancient area between Spain and France.
Ys V takes place in Afroca, which is clearly modelled after ancient Africa along with Alexandria. Ys VI takes place in the Great Vortex of Canaan, which is a hybrid of the Bermuda Triangle and Atlantis. Ys VIII takes place on a lost island similar to the ones in Greek mythology. The latest in the series, Ys IX, takes place in a prime city of Gllia, which is Falcom’s version of Gaul.
Wait, there are NINE of these?! Holy crap, is this going to be a slog to follow?
Actually, there are 15 if you count the remakes, the defunct online RPG, and Ys Origin. But to answer the other question: it isn’t.
Unlike a certain Legend(ary) Falcom series, an entry of Ys is usually self-contained and does not have an overarching plot. Yes, the game will include some easter eggs, callbacks, and quips that refer to old games in the Ys series, but it’s not required to enjoy the entry’s main storyline. You don’t need to play through Ys III to understand what’s going on in Ys VI or Ys VII.

Each entry in Ys has a key similarity: they feature the same hero – a red-haired adventurer named Adol Christin. He is usually accompanied by his blue-haired big lug of a pal called Dogi. Most of the time, they will be together on an adventure-slash-predicament.
Do note that because colours are incredibly limited on a PC-88 at the time, having your hero’s head stark-red is a sure-fire way to spot him amidst the bright-coloured pixel RPG world he’s thrust upon. Talk about thinking forward game design-wise!
Apart from the red-haired hero and make-believe Europe, what are the common tropes & recurring themes of a Ys game that tie them all together?
These are the major ones.
(i) Action-heavy and fast-paced real-time combat that’s different with each iteration. The earlier Ys titles require you to, and we’re not making this up, run into an enemy off-angle. Thankfully, Falcom reiterated their next few titles and give players an attack button to have more control in the fighting. This all comes full circle with the two most recent Ys titles.
(ii) Adol getting shipwrecked or tossed into prison. All Ys have our red-haired hero starting off in these typical methods, followed up with a grand adventure where Adol gets through adversity by fighting, causing inadverted trouble, and lockpicking.

(iii) A rotating cast of women. Much like Bond girls, every iteration of Ys has a new female cast member who is usually forgotten after that entry. To be fair, the later entries made them awesome playable characters to help Adol.
(iv) Amazing RPG music. Falcom really takes pride in the series’ music, and it really shows! RPG fans who keep check of Falcom from the 80s onward will swear fealty to pulse-pounding adventurer-worthy tunes like “The Boy’s Got Wings”, “Genesis Beyond The Beginning”, “Crossing Rage!”, “Iclucian Dance”, and “Sunshine Coast”.
There are a few more that ties together some of the earlier entries as a “package” of sorts, but this covers the gist of what makes a Ys title what it is.

Wow, then this series must be as popular as Final Fantasy. Why haven’t I heard of it?
The same reason why no one outside of Japan has heard of Legend of Heroes until the late 2000s onward; it’s a hard series to market outside of Japan.
While Ys has its followers in Japan, the rest of the world had to resort to paying import cartridges and disks through their noses. Some avid collectors even resort to piracy just to have a glimpse at a niche game like Ys.
Put it this way: if a Japanese national holiday-inciting series like Dragon Quest had trouble penetrating Western markets at least until late 2005, imagine how tough it must have been to market a game with an ambiguous pronunciation like Ys. Though it’s not for lack of trying; see the Sega Genesis box artÂ below for proof of third-party publishers who did their best with a strangely-titled game.

Yikes…Thank god we’re in an age where we can buy these out-there JRPGs in English with no fuss.
That’s not a question, but true.
So I want to get into the Ys series. Where should I start? Which ones should I play?
Unless you have a PC-88 lying around, it’s going to be tough playing Ys I, II, and III in their original forms. So let’s be realistic since you should be playing a definitive game from the series that isn’t going to waste your time. You should just play the best game in the series right now that’s self-contained, and playable on consoles and platforms you own and can gain access to in this current gaming generation.
We’re talking about Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana.

If you want to see a Ys action RPG game in its final and evolved form, you cannot go wrong with Ys VIII. It features all the tropes we’ve mentioned, tells a compelling narrative with dual protagonists & timelines (which also breaks gender tradition for the series), has a gorgeous location for you to explore, and showcases the best kind of action that’s part and parcel of a Ys game: fast, challenging, and action-packed.
Plus, no other RPG starts off with an epic first-level banger of a tune like “Sunshine Coast”. Seriously, it’s that f***ing good.

Alternatively, you could also jump into Ys IX since it too is a self-contained game. But Ys VIII is most likely on discount right now, so if you rather not pay full price for a triple-A/import game , go for Ys VIII instead. The game is available now on PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. Believe us when we say it’s worth the 40+ hours of your time.
Just mind the English localization. It’s a tad spotty; we hope they fixed it.

You should also jump into the following Ys titles after you’re done with Ys VIII.Â

Ys: Memories of Celceta – Out on PS4 and PC. It’s a remake of Ys IV since that particular entry was made by other developers back in the 90s (with multiple iterations to boot from Hudson/Alfa Systems to Tonkin House). This is basically Falcom making the definitive Ys IV game to set things right. It’s a ton of fun to play and is part of the backbone that helped Falcom perfect their craft with Ys VIII.
Ys: The Oath In Felghana – Out on PC. If you want a Ys action RPG with lone wolf Adol, this is the best one available. It’s a retelling of Ys III but with a top-down exploration/combat system instead of the Legend of Zelda II 2D platforming gameplay. It’s also pretty challenging.

If you’re diligent enough and want to see what the old-school Ys games are about, you have a few options:

Ys I & II Chronicles+ – Out for PC. A remake of Ys Book I & II with better pixel graphics and reworked gameplay. Yes, this version of the game still has the buttonless “bump” combat from the PC-88 classic.
Ys Origin – Out for PC. If you want to find out more about the island of Ys and how it started, play this one. It doesn’t star Adol, but it does go into detail as to how this whole shindig started.

Bottom line, you’ll have a helluva time digging through & experiencing what could arguably be one of the JRPG genre’s most underrated series. Well, next to the Legend of Heroes games, but that’s a feature for another time.


TNC Predator Is Your ESL One Hamburg 2019 Champions!

DOTA 2 fans have been enjoying one hell of a weekend with the recent ESL One Hamburg 2019 championship that ended yesterday at the Barclaycard Arena and we now have our champions:Â TNC Predator!

The Philippines-based team nabbed the US$125,000 grand prize after beating Gambit Esports 3-2 at the grand finals. It was definitely one hell of a suspenseful match as both teams fought tooth and nail to beat each other but TNC outplayed Gambit in the last round with some crazy plays.
Check out this game-winning clip:

THEY'VE DONE IT! @TNCPredator HAVE WON #ESLOne HAMBURG 2019! pic.twitter.com/qiLPFB3Kzl
— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) October 27, 2019

Before qualifying to the grand finals, Gambit was placed into the lower bracket after losing 0-2 to TNC at the upper bracket finals. They won against Alliance 2-1 and got themselves into the grand finals where they put up a respectable fight against TNC.

Gambit walks home with the second prize worth US$65,000 while Alliance and beastcoast get US$35,000 and US$25,000 for coming in at third and fourth place respectively.

TNC support player Park “March” Tae-won was named MVP of the tournament and won himself a brand new Mercedes-Benz.
On the right: TNC player and tournament MVP Park “March” Tae-won.
All photos were taken from the ESL DOTA 2 Twitter page.


Is Street Fighter 6 Evolving In The Right Direction? Here’s What We Know About The Sequel

Street Fighter 6 was one of the highlighted titles showcased during this morning’s PlayStation State of Play showcase this June. There’s a ton of gameplay and also some explanation of the game’s new Drive Gauge system and new characters in a separate PlayStation Blog post.
Here’s a video from myself, KKP’s resident fighting game fan and expert, as well as loremaster of all things Street Fighter, talking about the trailer’s easter eggs, references, and gameplay bits. Enjoy!

If you love videos like these, do subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that notification icon to support us!
What We Know About Street Fighter 6 So Far
Confirmed Roster

Here’s the roster so far:

Ryu. Shoto OG character with the Hadokens, Shoryuken, and all-rounder moveset. Has a Hashogeki follow-up after block strings and combos, and a Denjin charge for his fireballs; adds juggle properties.
Chun-Li. Ex-ICPO agent who is now taking care of Li-Fen and teaches kung fu to the local Chinese community. Has her Tensho Kicks from the previous games and a Serenity Stream stance where her normal attack buttons are different.
Luke. Back from SFV, he teaches mixed martial arts to anyone interested. Has his Sand Blast, Flash Knuckles, and uppercuts from the previous game. Can use a DDT follow-up from an OD Flash Knuckle or a Fatal Shot follow-up from his OD Sand Blast.
Jamie. He’s a peacekeeper in Chinatown who knows drunken boxing kung fu style. Can take a swig from his drink to open up new moves for each new Drink level.
Ken, who looks like he’s fallen on hard times. His wife and kid left him, and he’s struggling to get his Shoryuken fire out.
Cammy
Dee Jay
Guile
Zangief
Dhalsim
E.Honda
Blanka
Juri
Ed
Rashid
Akuma
Lily (New)
Kimberly (New)
Marisa (New); she’s the fighter on the billboard at the start of the new trailer on June 2022.
JP (New)
Mimi (New)
A.K.I (New)

Other characters teased include Li-Fen and Damnd from the Final Fight series, as well as the guy on the billboard at the start of the trailer. So far, that makes it 24 characters on the main roster so far; they might be more characters planned for launch.
World Tour Mode
There’s going to be a single-player campaign in SF6 called World Tour, where you play one nameless custom character(?) to explore an open-world Metro City (and other locales hopefully), uncovering secrets, breaking stuff, and picking fights.
The Game’s HUD

It’s basically the same but a tad more futuristic. Health bar is at the top (left is Red, right is Blue) while the green Drive meter is just below the Health bar. Your Super meter is at the bottom of the screen.
Drive Gauge System
Street Fighter 6 has a new fighting system involving the Drive Gauge, where you can use a part of it to either absorb opponent attacks and counter it with your own wall splat attack, or parry oncoming moves, or just do an Overdrive Art special move which is basically an EX move from past SF titles.

Takayuki Nakayama Is Returning As The Game’s Director
The man who made Street Fighter 5 great over time, Takayuki Nakayama, has earned himself a spot in being SF6’s game director. Other developers involved with the sequel include Yusuke Hashimoto (Bayonetta 2 director) and Kazuhiro Tsuchiya (Mega Man 11 producer).

"Luke has had quite the experience after the events of SFV. He's someone who would rather fight others than focus on becoming stronger. Let's see how his mischievous personality has changed over time. His offensive fighting style remains intact."
-Game Director, @takaNakayama pic.twitter.com/04dneoDYKc
— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) June 5, 2022

Street Fighter 6 Might Feature A 2v2 Mode
The game’s new trailer showcased a Luke and Jamie VS Ryu and Chun-Li tag team match, signalling a 2v2 mode for the game. That hasn’t been seen since Street Fighter X Tekken, though the trailer probably just rolling pre-fight intro sequences. In any case, a 2v2 mode with the game’s 24+ character roster might do the series some much-needed fresh air in the esports scene.
New Control Types For Old And New Players
Players can switch between classic control mode (for veteran SF folks) or even a new Modern control mode. Here’s a look at Ryu’s controls in Modern Control Type, which involves a simple directional input and up to two face button inputs.

Real Time Commentary Feature

Street Fighter 6 will have a new real time commentary feature where well-known FGC commentators are incorporating their voices directly into the game. So far the confirmed commentators are Jeremy “Vicious” Lopez and Aru.
Rollback Netcode & Crossplay
Yes, Street Fighter 6 will have rollback netcode and will also feature crossplay among all platforms. This was confirmed during a Summer Games Festival 2022 SF6 event in Los Angeles on 10th June.
Release Date & PLatforms
Street Fighter 6 will be out in 2023 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC. No specific date has been announced as of yet.


PS Plus June 2022 Adds God Of War & Nickelodeon Super Smash Bros.

The rollout of the all-new PlayStation Plus is well underway, with Asia’s launch last week and Japan launching starting today,
Gamers will have two new games to look forward to in theÂ PlayStation Plus Asia April 2022 lineup. From 7 June 2022 to 4 July 2022, PS Plus subscribers will be able to redeem God Of War (2018), Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl and Can’t Drive to their game library.
Let’s take a closer look at the titles.

God of War | PS4
Living as a man outside the shadow of the gods, Kratos must adapt to unfamiliar lands, unexpected threats, and a second chance at being a father. Together with his son Atreus, the pair will venture into the brutal Norse wilds and fight to fulfill a deeply personal quest. This staggering reimagining of God of War combines all the hallmarks of the iconic series – epic boss fights, fluid combat, and breathtaking scale – and fuses them with a powerful and moving narrative that re-establishes Kratos’ world.

Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker | PS4
The Naruto franchise goes 4 vs. 4, featuring team-based gameplay with 8 ninjas fighting simultaneously. Players cooperate as a team of four to compete against other teams online. Graphically, Shinobi Striker is also built from the ground up in a completely new graphic style. Lead your team and fight online to see who the best ninjas are.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl | PS4/PS5
Brawl it out as your favorite Nickelodeon characters in bombastic platform battles. With a power-packed cast of heroes from the Nickelodeon universe, face-off with all-stars from SpongeBob Squarepants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Loud House, Danny Phantom, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, The Wild Thornberrys, Hey Arnold!, Rugrats, and more to determine ultimate animation dominance. With unique move sets and attacks inspired by their personalities, each character has an individual style of play enabling endless action for Nickelodeon’s legion of fans.
Can’t Drive

Can’t Drive This is a competitive co-op (it’s a thing) multiplayer party racing game. Drive your monster truck WHILE your friend builds the road in front of you! Oh, and don’t go too slow, OR YOU’LL EXPLODE!


Keiji Inafune’s Back With A New Game About Dragons & Colonies

The legendary Keiji Inafune, best known for designing Capcom’s Mega Man and working on every game in the franchise up to Mega Man 10, has returned with a new game after the disastrous failure of his last major game, Mighty No. 9. Now he’s working on a mobile game.
Developed by Level-5 Comcept, Inafune’s new game is titled Dragons & Colonies, which has been described as a â€˜gatcha colonies battle RPGâ€™. Its unique concept is that players will be able to manage their own kingdom on a â€˜Hacolonyâ€™, which is what the game calls its signature digital cubes (the five sides on which the kingdom is built on).
The gatcha element comes in when players want to obtain new characters, creatures, and items to use in Dragons & Colonies. As with many RPGs, the game will somehow also include cooking mechanics of some sort.
In an interview with 4Gamer (as translated by Siliconera), Inafune said that his team was able to accomplish every element contained in the original design plan thanks to support by Level-5 president Akihiro Hino and a lengthy delay.
According to Inafune, the main concept for the game didn’t even come from him. It was only when a staff member suggested cube-shaped worlds that the game came together. The battles and Box Colony customization are key elements of the gameplay, so much so that Inafune claims that proper positioning of the facilities in the player’s kingdom will allow even gardeners to defeat heavily-armored enemies.
Unlike other mobile games, Inafune and his team settled on making the game playable vertically on mobile devices instead of horizontally. This is because the staff believes that more players could enjoy the game in more situations that way and that its RTS elements are better-suited for vertical play anyways.
Last but not least, Inafune and his team already have the first three months of content planned for Dragons & Colonies, so players don’t have to worry about getting bored with the game.
Dragons & Colonies is set to release in Japan sometime in June 2019 for Android and iOS devices. No release date has been revealed for an international release as of yet. In the meantime, check out the trailer for the game below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVnYLpojFRU&w=560&h=315]


Doom Eternal Now Available On Xbox Game Pass; Also Updated With New Challenges

The id Software megahit first-person shooter Doom Eternal is now available for free for Xbox Game Pass owners starting 3rd December. So if you have a subscription for it, huzzah! Even better if you have an Xbox Series X | S to run it in the best resolution & framerate possible.
In addition, Bethesda and id Software also announced the new Master Level “Super Gore Nest”, available now. Basically it’s a remixed version of the same stage from the Doom Eternal campaign, with more demon types and some tweaks to make it more challenging than the original.
The update also features:

New unlockable cosmetics if you complete special challenges in the Master Level “Super Gore Nest”
A Classic Mode for the same level where you start the level with just the regular Combat Shotgun and have to earn back every gun and mod on-site. You will get the Classic Green Slayer skin if you complete this.

Doom Eternal is out now for most major platforms except the Nintendo Switch. That version is coming out next week.


New Tekken 8 Trailer Features Return Of Xiaoyu

Bandai Namco has unveiled a new Tekken 8 gameplay trailer showcasing the return of Ling Xiaoyu.
This is the eighth trailer after Nina Williams, Kazuya Mishima, Jin Kazama, Paul Phoenix, Lars Alexandersson, Jack-8, and Jun Kazama.
Tekken 8 is slated to launch for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. However, there is no release date or release window as of yet.
Check out the trailer below:


I’ve Had The PS5 For A Month; Here’s What I Think

I’ll be frank with you. Like a lot of other people, I wanted a PS5 at launch. I’ve never purchased a gaming console at launch in my life due to financial reasons, but now that I could finally afford to get one at launch, I was excited at the prospect of getting my own PS5 when it officially launched on 11 December 2020 in Malaysia.
Alas, I ultimately didn’t manage to get one due to extremely limited stock and scalpers gobbling every console they could get their grubby hands on. It wouldn’t be until a month or so later that I was able to grab a pre-order for the second batch of PS5 consoles in Malaysia. On 21 January 2021, I received what I have clamoured for since last year.
After being with my PS5 for about a month, I can somewhat answer the question: Should you buy a PS5 now, or should you wait? I’m definitely gravitating towards the latter as of now, but I’ve listed my personal pros and cons so far in this article. However, if you’re looking for a more straightforward review, you should head on over here instead.
PS5 User Interface Pros & Cons

While I try to be as impartial and unbiased as I can as a writer, my friends would often call me a PlayStation shill. I won’t lie; I’ve been primarily a PlayStation fan all my life. I grew up with PlayStation, and that makes me very fond of the company as a whole. However, to encapsulate my experience with the PS5, I have this to say:

My first month with the PS4 was definitely a better experience than my first month with the PS5.

I’m still trying to get used to the PS5 UI and it takes some getting used to. Compared with the PS4 UI, it feels confusing and it takes about a few more button presses to even do anything. Sure, the PS5 UI is definitely a lot faster than the sometimes laggy PS4 UI and I love that the PlayStation Store is now integrated into the PS5 UI, which means that it’s both easier and faster to check out games there.
One thing I hate the most about the PS5 UI is that it’s now actually more of a hassle to check out your trophies. Fellow trophy hunters out there will find this to be an annoying problem. On the PS4 UI, all the trophy lists for all your games were easily accessible on the top navigation bar at the click of a button. The PS5 no longer has that. Instead, I have to return to the home screen and find the individual trophy lists under each respective game.
What about the PS5’s new feature; Activity Cards? They offer something the PS4 didn’t, which trophy hunters will certainly appreciate. Clicking the PlayStation logo home button on your DualSense controller will lead to the Activity Cards popping up, and you’ll be able to see your progress on any given trophy you’re currently working towards.
For example, I had to kill 100 enemies using the Shield Surge ability for a trophy in Control Ultimate Edition. On the PS4, there’s no way of knowing how much progress you’ve made or how many enemies you’ve successfully killed with the aforementioned ability. All you can do was just keep doing the same thing over and over again until the trophy pops up.
On the PS5, the Activity Cards will now keep track of your progress on these trophies. This means that I can find out exactly how many enemies I’ve killed with the Shield Surge ability at any given time, allowing me to better keep track of the trophies I’m trying to obtain.
Another PS5 improvement over the PS4 is how much better it is to record gameplay now. You can change this in the settings but I made it so that I could start recording gameplay footage simply by pressing the Create button (what was previously the PS4’s Share button) twice. What makes the experience so much better is that now there’s a timer. Recording press single button and hold to record the last how many minutes at the top of the screen, showing you how long you’ve been recording.

This may not seem like much, but recording on the PS4 made me anxious at times because I didn’t know how long I was recording at any given time (there was only a single red dot at the top of the screen to indicate that you were recording gameplay). Plus, even if you don’t start recording gameplay manually, you can just as easily save the last 60, 45, 30, or 15 minutes of your gameplay session at any time simply by holding the PlayStation logo home button on the DualSense controller.

Oh, and here’s a piece of advice for anyone who’s planning to get a PS5: before you start playing any games, just go to the settings and turn off the trophy video recording setting. On the PS5, the default setting is that the console will record 15 seconds of gameplay footage for every trophy that you obtain. These videos will accumulate as you obtain more trophies and take too much space out of your already starved-for-space PS5 storage. Do you really need all that 15-second trophy gameplay footage? I don’t think so.
There’s also the matter of the things I used to take for granted on the PS4. For example, when I was on my PS4, I liked to check which of my friends were playing the same game. That was easily done on the PS4 by simply scrolling down any of my downloaded games. In comparison, on the PS5 UI, I still can’t figure out how exactly to do that.
That’s essentially the problem. I’ve had to relearn some actions while transitioning from the PS4 to the PS5 UI. That could be considered normal for any OS/UI upgrade (like if you switched from Windows XP to Windows 7/8/10), but why is it that I can’t do certain actions on my PS5? In theory, I should be able to perform any action on the PS4 UI faster and in an improved manner. One month later, I’m still not comfortable with the PS5 UI and I don’t know when it will finally “click” for me, if ever.
Last but not least, remember all those cool PS4 themes that you downloaded or even purchased over the years? Oh, yeah, sorry, folks, but they’re all rendered useless on a shiny new PS5. The PS5 UI has a dynamic background that changes depending on which game you’re on. You can no longer customize your home UI with a personalized theme, and that sucks.
I could probably rant more and more about the million things that the PS5 UI is better or worse than the PS4’s, but the ones I’ve mentioned above are probably the biggest ones. In other words, the PS5 UI is more than a little divisive. Maybe you’ll prefer to stick with the PS4 for a little bit longer while Sony keeps improving and tweaking the PS5 UI in the future.
667GB Of Usable Storage Is Too Little

Yes, this is a bigger problem than expected. Look, even my PS4 Pro had usable storage of about 800+ GB, which is almost 200GB more than the PS5’s paltry 667GB available space. It may not seem like such a big problem at first, but you have to consider several things in mind. PS5 games take up more space than PS4 games ever did, and that’s not even mentioning the 4K or 1080p 60FPS gameplay footage recorded on the PS5, which takes away even bigger chunks of space.
I never really had to worry much about storage space on my PS4 Pro. In general, I just downloaded any games I wanted to play and delete the ones I no longer do. However, at the end of it all, I still had enough space to keep any games I wanted without deleting them (even though I rarely played them), and I could still keep most of my screenshots and gameplay footage.
On the PS5, I was getting worried about storage space from the very beginning. The first thing I did was turn off that dumb default trophy video recording setting and I also had to think twice about what games I wanted to download. Even with the privilege of fast Internet speeds, it’s still frustrating. Oh, and did I mention that you could only download stuff one at a time on the PS5? Yeah, and it’s a hassle that I now have to micro-manage my PS5 media (screenshots and gameplay footage) a lot more since they take up so much space when accumulated.
I never had to use any additional external storage on my PS4 Pro, but I’ll soon have to on my PS5, at this rate. That means churning out even more money for extra hardware that I shouldn’t really need in the first place. If you’re worried about storage space, then you should know that 667GB is nowhere near satisfactory.
No New Exclusives, Just Replaying My PS4 Games

Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration but my point still stands. Yes, there are new game releases on a weekly basis, so there will always be new games to play on the PS5. However, I’m referring more specifically to console exclusives. You know, the games that make you want to actually buy a PS5 in the first place?
Unfortunately, the “lack of games” problem I predicted in my Hereâ€™s Why You Should Or Should Not Buy The PS5 At Launch piece from last year came true. Three months after the initial launch of the PS5 in November 2020, what does the PS5 have to show for itself in terms of exclusives?

If you disregard games that are also available on the PS4 (like Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man Miles MoralesÂ and Sackboy A Big Adventure), we’re left with Demon’s Souls, Bugsnax, and… Destruction All-Stars. Not exactly console sellers, yeah?

What about future games like Horizon Forbidden West, also coming to the PS4? If these so-called PS5 exclusives are coming to the PS4, that lessens the incentive and purpose of buying a PS5 in the first place, especially when gamers could save a lot of money and just play these games on their existing PS4.
It’s sad that my point from last year still holds true several months after the PS5 has launched. After my one month with the PS5, all I’ve been playing on my PS5 are games I already previously played on the PS4 like Control Ultimate Edition, Nioh 2, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, 2018’s God Of War and more. Sure, these games run, perform and look better than their PS4 counterparts, but I could still get relatively the same experience on my old PS4 Pro.
What’s been the highlight of my one-month experience with the PS5 so far? The answer is the Resident Evil Village demo released last month, which was a PS5 exclusive. For about the 20 minutes that it took me to finish the visual demo for the first time, it made me feel justified getting a PS5.

After those 20 minutes ended, I’m back to playing my old PS4 games on my shiny new PS5. That’s the reality and honest truth. It’s February 2021 now, and the next true PS5 exclusive is a whopping two months away; Housemarque’s Returnal is coming on 30 April 2021. After that, we’re getting Arkane Studios’ Deathloop (which is only a one-year timed exclusive) in May 2021 and Insomniac Games’ Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart in June 2021.
We recently learned that one of the biggest and most anticipated PS5 games, Gran Turismo 7, has been delayed to 2022. This makes the PS5’s 2021 exclusive lineup even more sparse than it already is. In the same interview that Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan revealed the racing game’s delay, he only mentioned several games to be coming in 2021 by name. These include Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart (which already has an 11 June 2021 release date) and Horizon Forbidden West (which doesn’t have a release date or window as of yet).
He neglected to even mention what is probably the biggest potential console-seller that the PS5 has; the upcoming sequel to 2018’s God Of War. Apparently titled God Of War Ragnarok, this game has only had a few-seconds-long teaser last year and that was it. Gran Turismo 7 had gameplay footage and even that has been delayed to 2021. It seems less and less likely every day that Sony Santa Monica’s follow-up is possibly releasing in 2021.

Ask yourself: would you be willing to just keep playing improved and updated versions of PS4 games? Sure, games like the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (releasing on 10 June 2021) might be worth it because the Yuffie episode is exclusive to the PS5 (recently announced in the PlayStation State Of Play February 2021 live stream).

However, most other games just get updates that make them run and look better without any new content to speak of.
Before you buy a PS5, you’ll have to take all that into consideration. Are you willing to just play multiplatform games in between sparse monthly exclusives? Are those exclusives even enough to make a PS5 purchase worth it for you? I’m a massive fan of the Ratchet & Clank franchise and I already feel justified with the anticipation of that one game, for now. However, that won’t necessarily be the case for other gamers, who might find the lack of PS5 exclusives to be a deterrent to buying a PS5.
To Buy Or Not To Buy?

As time goes by, I seem to be spending less and less time on my PS5. Part of that is just because I’m too busy with work and other stuff, but there’s nothing much pulling me towards playing the PS5 even during my free time. I find myself drifting away from the PS5, and there’s really nothing that can cure that except for the release of some exciting new games.

Just a month ago, I would’ve told everyone to get a PS5. I myself wanted to get a PS5. A month later, and I do have a tinge of regret. Perhaps I could have waited, and wouldn’t have lost out on much. I could play most of everything else on my PS4, so what’s the point of a PS5? Having your PS4 games run better and a UI that’s both arguably better and worse?

If that’s all there is to the PS5 right now, it’s really not worth the hassle to buy one, and I say that as a lifelong PlayStation fan. The odds are that by the end of 2021, things could be very, very different. My advice is probably is to wait at least until the holiday season in 2021. By then, the PS5 UI could be more stable, there’ll be more games, and fingers crossed that PS5 stock will be more readily available.


HBO Renews His Dark Materials For Third & Final Season

HBO and BBC One have announced that His Dark Materials will return for Season 3, which will also be its final season. It will be eight episodes long and will begin production in Cardiff, Wales, sometime in 2021.
The third season will be based on the third and final book of Phillip Pullmanâ€™s His Dark Materials trilogy; The Amber Spyglass (2000).
Speaking with Deadline, His Dark Materials producer Bad Wolf co-founder Jane Tranter said:
â€œHis Dark Materials has been a truly global TV experience and a personal career highlight. The creative team at Bad Wolf in Cardiff made the impossible possible and brought Philip Pullmanâ€™s worlds into vivid life. To see that hard work and dedication applauded and embraced by fans around the world has made all the hard work worthwhile. None of this would have been possible without the wonderful commitment and conviction of the BBC and HBO. I am excited, thrilled and honoured to be making the third part of Philip Pullmanâ€™s trilogy with their support and encouragement. Diolch.â€
His Dark Materials Season 2 will end its run with seven episodes on 28 December 2020. Check out our spoiler-free review of the second season here.


Space Punks Is A New Action RPG From Shadow Warrior Developers

Publisher Jagex and developer Flying Wild Hog have announced Space Punks, a new isometric action RPG set in a bonkers sci-fi world. Flying Wild Hog is best known for making the Shadow Warrior games published by Devolver Digital.
According to IGN (who exclusively debuted the trailer for the game), the game features four playable characters. These include a Star Lord-like dude named Duke, an anthropomorphic hog named The Crazy One, an alien insectoid named The Smart One, and a woman with stabby tentacles named The Scary One.
Obviously, those aren’t their real names, but they will probably be announced as more details arrive in the future. All we know about Space Punks so far is that it’s an isometric action RPG in the style of Diablo, albeit with more guns and robots instead of swords, magic and demons.
Platforms for the game has yet to be confirmed, but a PC version is most likely confirmed at this point since Jagex also publishes the game, Runescape. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


We’re Getting A PokÃ©mon MOBA Game From Arena Of Valor Devs & Tencent

The PokÃ©mon Presents live stream earlier today revealed a brand new game to the franchise. PokÃ©mon Unite is a MOBA game by Tencent’s TiMi Studios, the same developer behind popular mobile MOBA Arena Of Valor and Call Of Duty Mobile.

PokÃ©mon Unite will feature 5v5 team battles, where players score points by conquering the opponent’s goalposts. As they rack up experience, the PokÃ©mon can level up, evolve them and unlock new moves, including unique Unite Moves which are essentially the game’s equivalent of Ultimate moves like the ones seen in other MOBAs like Dota 2 and League Of Legends.

This is what the map looks like.
It will be free-to-start (basically free-to-play with microtransactions) when it launches for Nintendo Switch and mobile platforms (Android and iOS) with support for cross-platform play. However, no release date was announced during the presentation.

As seen in the presentation, the list of playable PokÃ©mon in PokÃ©mon Unite so far includes Pikachu, Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Machop, Snorlax, Haunter, Talonflame, Clefairy and more.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgWeEGBbJDQ&w=560&h=315]


Stuber Relies On Toxic Violence & Swearing To Mask A Generic Buddy Cop Movie

What makes a good buddy cop movie? It’s the chemistry and dynamic between the two leads, and the hilarity that ensues. Movies like Rush Hour and The Nice Guys oozed charisma and comedy, with fun action and good writing.
Stuber is nothing like those beloved buddy cop movies. It’s generic and problematic, with none of the elements that make a good buddy cop movie.
The Two Leads Tried Their Best But It’s Not Enough

The chemistry and dynamic between the two leads in buddy cop movies usually make or break them. Unfortunately, neither Dave Bautista’s Vic and Kumail Nanjiani’s Stu had little to none with each other.
They both try their absolute best, but even the greatest effort by both actors can’t salvage an unfunny script and bland plot.
Stu is a part-time Uber driver, who basically gets kidnapped by Vic, a policeman who wants to get his revenge on a drug lord named Tedjo (portrayed by Iko Uwais of The Raid fame) for killing his partner, Sara Morris (played by Karen Gillan of Guardians Of The Galaxy fame).
Uwais and Gillan could have helped Bautista and Najiani carry the movie, but they were severely underused, especially Gillan (who dies in the first ten minutes). We only see Uwais utilize his silat chops in one measly scene, which should be considered a crime on the director’s part.
Both Bautista and Nanjiani get to flex a little of their emotional muscles in this movie, but those moments are too few and far in between. The entire movie is basically Bautista overwhelming everyone with his macho masculinity and Nanjiani whining about his predicament.
The Premise Is Problematic

The entire premise of the plot for Stuber is problematic, to begin with. The only reason that Vic needs an Uber in the first place is that he just had a Lasik surgery earlier that day. As an effect of that, he’s effectively blind until he properly regains his eyesight.
In spite of this, he still goes out of his way to force poor Stu to become his de facto driver in order to chase some leads and capture Tedjo. Not only is Vic intentionally endangering himself and the people around him, but he also seems like he doesn’t care about what happens to Stu in his pursuit for vengeance.
Stu gets dragged from place to place, an unwilling participant in the violent quest of Vic. Throughout the duration of the movie, Stu gets mocked, insulted and physically assaulted by Vic. That’s not even mentioning being forced to take part in shootouts and actually shooting a person in the leg.
At one point in the movie when it seems like Stu can’t take all the abuse anymore, he screams in Vic’s face that he will probably need therapy for the rest of his life. Any normal person would, after being on the receiving end of Vic’s toxic masculinity.

I don’t like to use the invoke the toxic masculinity card since most of the times the situations are often exaggerated to prove a point. Not so in Stuber, as I personally felt uncomfortable watching the relationship between Stu and Vic unfold, despite being a male myself.
Surely there are other ways for the movie to explore the dynamic between Stu and Vic, but it feels like they went overboard with it all. Stuber insinuates that all the abuse and stuff that Vic forces Stu to experience helps him stand up for himself and ‘be a man’, but in this day and age, it’s an outdated notion.
While the recently-released Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw also featured all this overly-masculine macho crap, it didn’t feel toxic, at least to me. When there’s someone directly suffering from a person’s masculinity, that’s when it becomes toxic, which is what happens in Stuber.
There Are Better Buddy Cop Movies Out There

If you come into Stuber expecting a hip-breaking laugh session, perhaps it’s better to temper your expectations. A lot of the humor depends on making fun of Vic’s aforementioned toxic masculinity or Stu’s suffering.
Most of the jokes in Stuber made me chuckle at most, as they made me feel like it’d be inappropriate to laugh at. It tries to be meta at times (by referencing popular buddy cop tropes, other movies), etc), but the script is less smart than it thinks it is.
There’s nothing new in Stuber that hasn’t been done better in other buddy cop movies in the past. If you’re interested in seeing Bautista and Najiani trying their best to be funny in an unfunny movie, then (and only then) should you go and watch Stuber.
FINAL RATING: 30/100
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5l6a5RiR1E&w=560&h=315]
We received a special preview screening courtesy of Walt Disney Malaysia. Stuber premieres in Malaysian cinemas on 15 August 2019.


These Mega Man 11 T-Shirts Are A Must-Buy For Blue Bomber Fans

The latest instalment in Capcom’s legendary and long-running Mega Man franchise was 2018’s Mega Man 11, which wasn’t quite as well-received as its classic predecessors. Nonetheless, it is still the only current-gen game in the franchise, and that still means something.
Fans of Mega Man 11 (and the franchise in general) will appreciate these awesome shirts featuring Blue Bomber. Priced between US$15 to US$24 apiece, they are each intricately-detailed with great designs and would make a nice addition to any fans’ wall.
Check them out below:

Head on over to the official website here to order your very own Mega Man 11 t-shirt in any of the designs above.


Black Widow Is Available On Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia Starting Today

Marvel’s Black Widow will premiere Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia at an unspecified time starting from today on 6 October 2021.
In the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), when a perilous conspiracy with ties to her past emerges, Natasha Romanoff akaÂ Black Widow must confront the darker parts of her ledger. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must face her past and deal with unfinished businesses and the damaged relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Watch Scarlett Johansson reprise her role as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, alongside Florence Pugh as Yelena, David Harbour as Alexei/The Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz as Melina.
Marvel Studiosâ€™ Black Widow is directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige. Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha/Black Widow, Florence Pugh stars as Yelena, David Harbour portrays Alexei/The Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz is Melina.
Malaysians can stream their favourite shows and films now by subscribing to the service directly atÂ DisneyPlusHotstar.my or via the Disney+ Hotstar app on Android and iOS devices, for RM54.90 for three months. Astro Movies Pack customers (CH411 â€“ CH416) can activate via astro.com.my/DisneyÂ to immediately start streaming Disney+ Hotstar.
In the meantime, check out our full review ofÂ Black WidowÂ byÂ heading over here.


Razer Is Finally Going Into The Fightpad Business

Finally, a controller from Razer I’m actually going to buy.
The company has announced the Raion, a brand new peripheral for fighting game players. The controller sports:

six larger-than-usual face buttons that uses Yellow Mechanical Switches,
PS4 and PC support,
a mecha-tactile 8-way D-pad,
button lock-on option so that you don’t accidentally pause the game and get DQ’ed,
and a 3.5mm analog audio port for headset usage.

Here’s a demo vid for the controller featuring former MadCatz arcade stick lead and current Tekken 7 commentator guy Markman. He made sure those MadCatz fightsticks last up to today, so having him here is a good indicator that the Raion means business.

Bred to fight—the new Razer Raion is the fusion of arcade stick and controller. Featuring a 6-button arcade pad layout, 8-way D-pad, and Razer Yellow Mechanical Switches for quick actuation.
Take over the competition today: https://t.co/Fk5TgDW4cR
*Coming soon to US & Canada pic.twitter.com/DyGNztyeR6
— R ? Z ? R (@Razer) October 10, 2019

The Razer Raion is available right now for US$99.99 in Asia-Pacific, China, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. It’ll be out in the USA, parts of Southeast Asia, and Canada soon.
While Razer’s Raiju feels good to use and control for first-person shooters on consoles, it will cost you an arm and a leg. The Raion might be close to that price point once the conversions are done, but considering the build and heft of the thing, it may be worth it.
I play a lot of fighting games and 2D platformers old and new, so the Raion may be an obvious fit for my playstyle. Your move, Hori.


Nope Trailer Teases Jordan Peele’s Mysterious New Horror Movie

Universal Pictures and Jordan Peele have unveiled the first trailer for the director’s new movie since 2019’s Us. Simply titled Nope, the mysterious new horror movie is slated to release on 22 July 2022 in the United States.
However, Peele has chosen not to reveal any plot points about the upcoming movie, just like his previous two movies. Both 2017’s Get Out and 2019’s Us relied on unexpected and surprising third-act plot twists viewers won’t see coming, which is similar to the style of M. Night Shyamalan’s movies.
Nope stars Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Judas And The Black Messiah), Keke Palmer (Hustlers, Alice), and Steven Yeun (Minari, Okja) as residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bears witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.
We know nothing about what it is, besides Kaluuya’s character asking, “What’s a bad miracle? They got a word for that”, which might hint about the mystery at the heart of the movie. From the looks of the trailer, it might be aliens, as we see a glimpse of some kind of giant eye.

The movie also co-stars Michael Wincott (Hitchcock, Westworld) and Brandon Perea (The OA, American Insurrection). Nope is written and directed by Jordan Peele and is produced by Ian Cooper (Us, Candyman) and Jordan Peele for Monkeypaw Productions. It will be released by Universal Pictures worldwide.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Evil Geniuses Releases S4 And Sumail, Introduces New DOTA 2 Roster

Just about a week ago, DOTA 2 fans around the world were shocked to receive news that Team Liquid was letting go of their entire DOTA 2 roster. Yesterday, Evil Geniuses announced that they’re shuffling out two of their players: Syed “SumaiL” Hassan and Gustav “s4” Magnusson.
To make things clear, only Gustav is being released into free agency while Syed will remain under contract with EG and be open to transfer talks.
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Syed has been in the team for almost five years and was instrumental in EG’s victory at TI5. Gustav joined last year and is usually considered one of best Magnus players in the world, earning him the appropriate nickname of “Son of Magnus”.
The two players will be replaced by Abed “Abed” Azel L. Yusop and Roman “RAMZES666” Kushnarev. Abed previously played for Fnatic, Digital Chaos, and Execration, and will fill Syed’s role in the team as the mid-laner. Former Virtuous.pro player Roman will be replacing Gustav as the off-laner.
The new roster.
The current roster and their respective social media accounts:
1. Artour â€œArteezyâ€ Babaev â€” Twitter | Twitch | Instagram
2. Abed â€œAbedâ€ Azel L. Yusop â€” Twitter | TwitchÂ
3. Roman â€œRAMZES666â€ Kushnarev â€” Twitter | Twitch | Instagram
4. Andreas â€œCr1t-â€ Nielsen â€” Twitter | Twitch | Instagram
5. Tal â€œFlyâ€ Aizik â€” Twitter | Twitch | Instagram
C. Sam â€œBuLbaâ€ Sosale â€” Twitter | Twitch | Instagram
M. Wilson â€œFronzâ€ Teng â€” Twitter | Twitch | Instagram
The loss of both SumaiL and s4 will definitely be felt as both are extremely skilled players. However, the new members of EG are no pushovers themselves. It will be exciting to see where the two former EG players will go after this.


Chernobyl Director To Helm HBO’s The Last Of Us’ Pilot

HBO’s The Last Of Us TV series adaptation was initially announced earlier this year. We already know that Naughty Dog vice president and the writer/creative director of both The Last Of Us and The Last Of Us Part II, Neil Druckmann, and Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin, will be involved, but now another creative talent joins the fray.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Emmy Award-winning director Johan Renck behind Chernobyl will once again work together with Craig Mazin to direct the pilot episode of HBO’s The Last Of Us.
Besides Chernobyl, Renck is best known for having directed episodes for Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Halt And Catch Fire and Bates Motel, among others.
HBO’s The Last Of Us will cover the events of the original 2013 game, but there will also be a possibility of including additional content from the upcoming sequel, The Last Of Us Part 2, which is slated to release on 19 June 2020. As a co-production with Sony Pictures Television, it will also be the first TV series from PlayStation Productions.
In the meantime, check out my preview and first impressions of The Last Of Us Part 2 here.