Grab Black Friday Discounts in World of Tanks and World of Warships This Weekend

Wargaming is serving up some hot (turkey?) discounts for you folks this weekend for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. These cover popular titles like World of Tanks, World of Warships, and more, with discounts up to a whopping 60%.
World of Tanks
All Tier VIII Premium tech tree tanks will be 30% off. Each tank will have a â€œBest Buyâ€ bundle that will also be 30% off, which includes everything you need to start out right with the vehicle.
There will also be special packages featuring rare and unique Black Tanks (T34 B, IS-6 B and Schwarzpanzer 58). Check them out below:

360 days of Premium Account with a free Black Tank on top
Fort Knox: 12,500 Gold and 12,500,000 Credits with a free Black Tank on top (30% off)
Black Friday Stash: 180 days of Premium Account and 7,250 Gold with a free Black Tank on top
Black Friday Extravaganza: 360 days of Premium Account, 12,500 Gold and 12,500,000 Credits with all three Black Tanks as a free bonus (10% off)

World of Warships

Not only will World of Warships players be rewarded with extra containers for their regular daily logins this Black Friday weekend; they can also gain specialÂ Black Friday containers as rewards for completing combat missions with new and attractive black editions of popular ships (Tirpitz, Massachusetts, Asashio, Atago).
Besides that, players can enjoy the deals below:

60% discount for Consumables and Camouflages bought with Credits and Doubloons
50% discounts on signal flags and Port Slots bought with doubloons and modernizations bought with credits
40% discount on elite XP to Free XP conversion
15â€“50% discount on researchable and Premium US Navy ships bought with Credits and Doubloons
Large Armada Bundle featuring 67 Premium warships and 67 Port Slots

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5s_nn60rFo&w=560&h=315]
World of Tanks: Mercenaries

Wargaming hasn’t forgotten console players who play World of Tanks: Mercenaries on the PS4 and Xbox One. This Black Friday, they can take advantage of the deals below:

Deals on Premium Account: 50% off 360 days and 25% off 180 days
Savings on Premium Tanks: 30% off non-Hero Premium tanks and all Hero tanks available for purchase
Awesome tank bundles: 75% off packages featuring the Dark Horse, Heavy Metal Heroes, and national Hero tanks
Huge XP boosts: x5 XP for your first victories on each vehicle on 24 and 25 November for Tanksgiving
And great discounts on boost bundles for XP and Crew XP

Additionally, players can look forward to a 20% discount on Gold to Silver exchange and 50% off Camouflage, Emblems, Inscriptions, and all Crew Customization, as well as extra bonus points to put towards obtaining the Absolution Merc tank on Cyber Monday.
World of Tanks: Blitz

Android and iOS players who play World of Tanks: Blitz can enjoy x4 XP on your first victories and bundles with discounts up to 80%. Purchasing these bundles will net you Stickers, which acts a bonus currency for additional gifts or asÂ an extra boost to your Premium Account.
Besides that, Premium and researchable vehicles in the Tech Tree will be 50% off while a year of Premium Account can be purchased at 25% off.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbPQ1Z9_t9w&w=560&h=315]
World of Warships: Blitz

Grab these deals for World of Warships: Blitz on Cyber Monday:

Up to 50% off Premium warships
20% off all Tier VIII Premium warships
Heavily discounted bundles including Free XP, Silver, days of Premium Account and more!
Gold to Silver exchange rate improvement to 600 Silver: 1 Gold (a 50% saving)
Gold to Free XP rate improvement to 30 Free XP: 1 Gold (a 20% saving)


Metal Gear Solid Director Wants To Make An Animated Series With David Hayter

Metal Gear Solid movie director Jordan Vogt-Roberts has revealed that not only is he interested in making a Metal Gear Solid animated series, but he also wants to bring original Metal Gear Solid franchise protagonist Snake voice actor David Hayter.
Speaking with Gary Whitta on his Animal Talking show (via GamesRadar), Vogt-Roberts said:

â€œ… trying to get an animated series going that brings back David Hayter, that brings back the original voice cast, and doing that in tandem [with the MGS movie].â€

David Hayter is the definitive voice of Snake, and he was last seen voicing the character in 2018’s Nintendo Switch exclusive Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.Â However, he was replaced by Kiefer Sutherland in 2015’s Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

The Metal Gear Solid movie has been stuck in development hell for the past decade or so, as Vogt-Roberts said on the matter:

â€œIâ€™ve been on that movie for six years and Iâ€™ve been fighting every single day to make sure that we translate that movie properly.
This is my baby.
I’ve been working on this thing for six years, trying to make it so it is the disruptive, punk-rock, true to Metal Gear, true to Kojima-san spirit version of what this is and I will continue to fight for it every day.
It’s a difficult thing.
Getting any movie made in Hollywood is hard.
Getting something like Metal Gear made where it is so complex is even harder.
That’s why I’m trying to make it for a budget where you can do crazy shit, where you can do the Metal Gear version of it, where it isn’t neutered.”

The director is best known for directing 2017’s Kong: Skull Island and he added that Kojima himself once gave him advice on how to approach the Metal Gear Solid movie:

â€œBetray your audience.”

Yes, that’s what Kojima told him, and it’s clear that Vogt-Roberts is a huge fan of the franchise, from the sound of it. Despite that, if studio interference and less-than-ideal circumstances continue, it remains unclear when, or even if, we’ll ever see the Metal Gear Solid movie and animated series come to life.


Four Console Esports Games Entered Twitch’s Top Ten Games Last Month

The most popular (most-watched) esports games on Twitch have always been dominated by PC games like Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. However, things have begun to change. In December 2018, statistics show that four console esports games have managed to break into Twitch’s top ten.
These games include FIFA 19 at number 5, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 at number 6, Street Fighter V at number 7, and Super Smash Bros Ultimate at number 8. Other thanÂ Street Fighter V, these are all first-timers in Twitch’s top ten ranking. Overall, these four games accumulated a whopping 7.2 million hours of live Twitch viewership last month alone.
While there are technically PC versions of FIFA 19, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and Street Fighter V, they are primarily and dominantly played on consoles. These games’ viewership numbers were bolstered thanks to several major tournaments being held in December 2018, including the likes of Street Fighter V‘s Capcom Cup 2018, PGL FIFA 19 Cup Bucharest and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4‘s CWL Las Vegas.
Still, the most surprising addition must be Super Smash Bros Ultimate, which is not only a Nintendo Switch exclusive but also only recently released in December 2018. The fact that it managed to break into Twitch’s top ten games is a remarkable feat and just goes to show how passionate (and dedicated) the game’s player base is.
Meanwhile, only two of these four games managed to enter YouTube’s top ten games, in comparison. YouTube Gaming remains dominated by PC games and even a mobile game, Clash Royale. However, it should be noted that the total number of hours watched on YouTube Gaming is considerably lower than that on Twitch.
Here are the statistics, as provided by Newzoo:


Kojima Pays Homage To 1917 In Potential Death Stranding DLC Teaser

Earlier today, Hideo Kojima posted a mysterious new teaser video on his official Twitter account. The brief video is less than a minute long, but it shows protagonist Sam Porter Bridges in a battlefield, trenches and running towards the camera in what is unabashedly a homage to Sam Mendes’ award-winning war movie, 1917.
Kojima’s post only comes with the caption; “Coming 2020”. It could mean one of two things. It probably refers to the upcoming PC version of Death Stranding, which is already slated to release sometime in summer 2020. However, it might also be teasing a potential new DLC content for Death Stranding instead.

Coming 2020. pic.twitter.com/MYrushsrqC
â€” HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) February 20, 2020
Rumours are speculating that Death Stranding DLC will be announced, alongside the eventual reveal of the Death Stranding PC release date. A late 2019 tweet from Nicolas Winding Refn, the actor who played Heartman, also lends further credence to the idea of Death Stranding DLC.

Dear Friends â¤ï¸ pic.twitter.com/iE6JfPdCJA
â€” Nicolas Winding Refn (@NicolasWR) December 7, 2019
Nothing has been confirmed as of yet, but stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for all the latest news and updates. In the meantime,Â head on over here to check out all ourÂ Death Stranding-related content.


The Gears Of War Movie Won’t Be Canon

Remember the Gears Of War movie? Anyone? It was originally announced to be in development at the launch ceremony for Gears Of War 4 in 2016. It’s been three years since then with scarcely any details but now we know something new about the upcoming adaptation.
In an interview with IGN, The Coalition studio head Rod Fergusson confirmed that the Gears Of War movie will take place in an alternate reality, hence it will not be part of the game franchise’s story canon.
Fergusson said:

â€œIn order for the movie to be successful, it has to be a great movie first and a Gears movie second.
Basically, the way that we sort of reconciled that was, we said, â€˜oh the movie should be an alternate reality. It should not be dependent on the game story, nor should it influence the game story.â€

Fergusson further justified the decision by saying that there will now be more room and potential possibilities with what the Gears Of War movie could be, instead of being limited to the games. This will allow the writers to adapt the franchise in a unique way.
He also revealed that all of the non-gaming media related with the Gears Of War franchise, including books and comics, are not canon as well.

â€œI’ve heard of other franchises who come with this really large story Bible and this really sort of, here are all the rules now go and deal with 700 pages of how you live in our world.
When we did it, we were two pages. I was like, â€˜Here’s two pages of thou shall nots and recommendations.â€™ We want people to have the freedom to have new ideas and to take things differently.â€

However, Fergusson reassures fans of the franchise that the Gears Of War movie will still stay true to the games. For example, it will be set on the planet Sera and star certain characters (Marcus Fenix must be one of them, right?).
As of now, we still have no release date, director, or actors attached to the Gears Of War movie. With movies like Detective Pikachu slowly convincing everyone that video game movie adaptations can be better, let’s hope the eventual Gears Of War movie continues that trend.


Dragon Quest Builders 2 Is Coming To PC Later This Year

Dragon Quest Builders 2 was first released in Japan a year ago and it debuted worldwide in July 2019 on the PS4 and Nintendo Switch. For those of you who have been waiting for a PC version, I’ve got some good news.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEXGgplu8Ns&w=560&h=315]
Square Enix has just announced that Dragon Quest Builders 2 is coming to PC via Steam on 10 December 2019. The PC version will be a “definitive edition” of sorts since it will include all the content in the PS4 season pass which are the Hotto Stuff Pack, the Aquarium Pack, and the Modernist Pack. However, it will be sold for the full price of US$60 or if you’re a Malaysian, RM249.
For those of you who never played the first game, don’t worry too much about it. The game is intended to be a standalone sequel that improves upon the first game while having a storyline that won’t alienate new players. If you want to know more about the game, check out our review.
You can pre-order the game through the Steam store page here.


LEGO Introduces New LEGO Friends Characters Over Friendship Playdates

The LEGO Group celebrates diverse friendships in the modern world with eight new LEGO Friends characters from different backgrounds to enable more children to feel represented during play. From 15 to 26 February 2023, children can forge fresh friendships, inspired by these new LEGO Friends characters at Sunway Pyramid and take part in an exciting lineup of activities from video screenings and quizzes, to building activities with the new LEGO Friends sets. But the fun doesn’t stop there, from 2 to 12 March 2023, children can also look forward to a series of exciting LEGO Friends activities at Sunway Velocity Mall.
Shoppers can expect new characters with multiple skin tones, cultures, physical and non-visible disabilities, and neurodiversity, including limb differences, Down Syndrome, anxiety, vitiligo, and a dog with a wheelchair. In addition, the re-imagined LEGO Friends Universe aims to help children become better friends with themselves and others by providing emotional and social development through play.
As part of its storyline, the characters will work to overcome modern challenges that they face, passions, obstacles, and differences, all while trying to create friendships.

Kickstart the school holidays with a fun LEGO Friends playdate at the LEGO Friends Block Party at Sunway Pyramid from 15 to 26 February 2023 and Sunway Velocity Mall from 2 to 12 March 2023. Experience a day in the lives of the various new LEGO Friends characters and make new friends by stepping into bedrooms inspired by their passion points and the new LEGO Friends sets. Organised in partnership with Sunway Malls, children will get to enjoy arts and craft activities in Liann’s bedroom, channel their inner chef in Leo’s bedroom, take part in fun games in Nova’s bedroom, and even catch an episode of the new LEGO Friends Video Series while forming new friendships along the way.
Find out which LEGO Friends character will be your best buddy by taking part in the fun LEGO Friends Characters Quiz and top off the LEGO Friends Block Party by capturing cool snaps with your favourite characters at the LEGO Friends photo booth. Upon completion of all activities, a LEGO polybag can be redeemed on-site while stocks last. If you are eager to find out your LEGO Friends match beforehand or would like to dress up as your LEGO Friends match during the LEGO Friends Block Party, an online LEGO Friends Characters Quiz will be available at www.discover-friendsen.com/quiz-qr from 10 February 2023 onwards.

Rohan Mathur, Marketing Director of LEGO Southeast Asia, said:
“Through the new additions into the LEGO Friends universe, we aim to not only inspire children to form diverse and deep friendships but also feel seen and heard through play. We are excited to see children interact and build long-lasting relationships with the new LEGO Friends characters, and hope this empowers them to form meaningful relationships in their daily lives too.”
Loo Hoey Theen, General Manager of Marketing, Business Innovation & eMall at Sunway Malls said:
“Sunway Malls cater for the family with its many family-friendly infrastructure, services and offerings. The LEGO Group has been a supportive partner as a brand that can be found in our Sunway Malls all-year round as well as special events like this one. In today’s high pace lifestyle, malls play an integral part to become a one-stop centre to get daily necessities, spend quality time together and bond as a family. Through this partnership, we are able to create this experience for our customers, and will be anticipating more this year and the years ahead.”
The new LEGO Friends sets will be available across LEGO Certified Stores, LEGO Official Store on Lazada, Shopee, LEGOLAND, as well as major retailers and department stores in Malaysia, while a LEGO Friends Video Series was recently released.  Visitors can also redeem exclusive LEGO Stationery sets when they visit either mall during the campaign period.
From 15 to 26 February 2023, Sunway Pyramid shoppers who spend RM200 in a single receipt* are entitled to redeem the exclusive LEGO Stationery set. All they need to do is complete the activities at the LEGO Block Party to collect all 4 stamps and spend a minimum of RM200 in a single receipt. They will then need to download the Sunway Pyramid Mobile App and register, before heading over to Marrakesh Concierge at LG2 Blue Concourse to redeem the LEGO Stationery set by showing the completed activity card and receipt.
The promotions continue at Sunway Velocity Mall from 2 to 12 March 2023, or while stocks last. Shoppers who spend RM500 (RM400 for Sunway Velocity mobile app users) in a maximum of 2 receipts* are entitled to redeem the exclusive LEGO Stationery set at 1F, Concierge Counter.


So Monster Rancher Is Making A Comeback…

Talk about strip-mining your vestiges of long-forgotten IPs. Koei Tecmo, the publisher of such high-brow fares like the Dynasty Warrior series and the next Dead or Alive game, is going back to the well with Monster Rancher.
At least, that’s what everyone is guessing based on the newly-opened Twitter account from the publisher. This is to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Monster Rancher 2.
Tweets by MonsterFarm_KT
One of the tweets seem to be teasing a new Monster Rancher entry; whether it’ll be for mobile phones like the iOS or Android, or for current-gen consoles remains to be seen.
Way before PokÃƒÂ©mon got ginormous, people in Southeast Asia were playing Monster Rancher, a monster-raising simulation made in 1997.Ã‚Â To date, there have been 17 games and an anime. The last title from the series was My Monster Rancher, a mobile phone game in 2011.


Cobra Kai Will Never Die, Even If Season 2 Feels Like A Step Back

Cobra Kai took the online video-watching world by storm. Not because someone had the gall to create a TV series-style sequel out of The Karate Kid trilogy, but to make it actually great and plausible while making some warranted callbacks to the series. The first season took concepts like “love triangles” and “80s nostalgia”, then added more substance beyond these two core pillars with story arcs of redemption and middle age blues.
How does the second season fare? For the most parts, pretty well! It amps up the teen drama, adds more dimension to its middle-aged leads (William Zabka and Ralph Macchio as Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso respectively), and creates a decent “dojo vs dojo” arc that blows up in a gratifying fashion in its season finale (“No Mercy”).
And yes, that blowup is way, WAY better than that Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 3 battle. Fight us on this, we dare you.
It brings in some much-needed story bits from the past that becomes compelling drama in the present (“Take A Right”), fleshes out past season minor characters into potential frontliners (Demetri in “All In” and beyond), and even some much-needed in-fighting and philosophy battles between mentors (“Lull” and the episodes that lead up to it).
We even get a surprise character development arc for nostalgia-pandering more-than-a-cameo appearance by Martin Kove who plays the trilogy’s antagonist John Kreese. This all gets thrown out since his involvement in this season is just an iteration of leopards not changing their spots. Despite this, new star Peyton List (Tory) is shaping up to be the Yang to Mary Mouser’s Yin in the best and most natural way possible.
Kick, Punch, Turn, & Chop The Door

It’s compelling stuff as a whole, but one can’t help but feel that with what transpired and built up is demolished in the last few episodes because everything needs to be resolved in the eventual third season. Showrunners Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg are confident that it’ll have its story capped off the following year.
Which turns out to be true, since it’s renewed for a third season in 2020. But what a gamble, eh? We’d all be pissed if the show didn’t do well and ended up being cancelled.
Cobra Kai‘s second season, while still a worthy watch, suffers for being the typical “mid-movie” bridge with the dark turns for the story and Johnny’s story arc ending as such to make his eventual rise (along with Xolo MaridueÃ±a’s Diaz who balances his jerk/anti-hero/dork persona well here) all the more gratifying. We know it’s coming, and we know our show’s hero needs to make a comeback, but as a whole, it feels like it’s rushing there too fast instead of pacing itself properly.
It’s still a must-see & a fun ride, but keep your expectations low if you’re expecting anything more than a cliffhanger and a conclusive season.

FINAL RATING: 70/100
(for context, Cobra Kai Season 1 would be a 90/100)


Marvel’s Avengers’ Kate Bishop Takes Aim In December

After being announced in September 2020, Kate Bishop AKA Hawkeye is finally joining Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Marvel’s Avengers in a free update on 8 December 2020.

The synopsis for Marvel’s Avengers Kate Bishop Taking Aim reads:
Kate is searching for her former mentor, Hawkeye, but along the way she discovers a conspiracy involving Nick Fury, time travel, and a frightening new enemy.
It will introduce the robotic Marvel supervillain known as the Super Adaptoid, who can copy and use the abilities of anyone it encounters.
The Super Adaptoid.
Kate Bishop is voiced by Ashly Burch of Borderlands 3‘s Tina and Life Is Strange‘s Chloe Price fame.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below to witness Kate Bishop’s special combat abilities first-hand.

Oh, and the developer has also revealed the name of the next Operation featuring Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye:

Oh, and a tease of a certain iconic Marvel supervillain named Maestro:

Marvelâ€™s Avengers is available now for PS4, Xbox One, PC via Steam, and Stadia. The PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions are due out in early 2021.


Dragalia Lost’s Next Update Will Let You Equip Two Wyrmprints, Speed Up Grinding, & More

Dragalia Lost players and fans will be happy with the next update this March; they’ll get to equip two Wyrmprints and gain more perimeters when creating custom rooms for co-op multiplayer.
Previously, you could only equip one. But now with the Void Battles and possibly tougher high-level endgame group fights on the horizon, having more means to buff your characters via Wrymprints is a sound notion. I seem to be getting a lot of 4 and 5 star Wrymprints from Dragalia Lost’s multitude of events but I’m only using a fraction of them; this is a welcome option indeed. The catch? You need to be past Chapter 4 in the main story, but you’ve probably done this eons ago.

The “Create A Room With Conditions” options in multiplayer include the ability to set three different requirements when making a room, request people to meet a particular Might/overall strength requirement (ie less involuntary carrying), and looking for other players using heroes with specific elements.
Other noteworthy inclusions include:

A “Speed Up” option when questing alone. You get a choice from 1.0x, 1.2x, 1.5x, and 2.0x speed so that you can grind faster than usual if you don’t want to spend your Skip Tickets.
A Treasure Trade option that let you get missing parts for upgrading characters without leaving the screen or area.
A new High Midgardsormr’s Trial Prelude difficulty. It will also be adjusted to remove the Glorious Tempest Wrymprint requirement. You’ll still need to use this specific equipment to get its title though.

At this point in time, Dragalia Lost (which happens to be our Best Surprise of 2018) has the highest player revenue among Nintendo mobile titles with US$75 million+. In comparison, Super Mario Run earned US$68.6 million while Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp earned US$70.8 million. Must be the Cygames touch.


Saudi Arabia Buys Minor Stake In Capcom & Nexon

Not one to be left out of the big software companies buying other big game-making companies spiel, the country of Saudi Arabia wants in on the action.
First with SNK (via Mohammed bin Salman) and ESL, and now with Capcom and Nexon. The country has invested US$1 billion and own 5% of Capcom and Nexon. Basically, about US$332 million went to Capcom based on its current market value. According to a report from Bloomberg, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund spearheaded the minority acquisition, with the sole intent to diversify the country’s economic venture beyond gas and oil. Hence, software company acquisitions be it major or minor.
Let’s not forget that this may be a controversial piece news due to Saudi Arabia’s government and royalty having a lot of skeletons in their closet. Still, it looks like the country isn’t letting up with these electronics company purchases; I’m sure there’s more to follow up from here.


Major Shakeup for Esports Titles at 2019 SEA Games

Six game titles including DotA 2 and Tekken 7 will be featured in next year’s SEA Games, following this week’s round of meetings chaired by the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) in Manila.
This new list brings several major changes from what was shown at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. Apparently, football (PES 2018) which was a contested game at the 2018 Asian Games Exhibition Games is set to lose out to basketball (NBA2K19) as the sixth game selected while fighting games make its debut with Tekken 7 being selected, much to the delight of the fighting game community.
Considering the popularity of basketball in the Philippines, the potential selection of NBA2K19 is expected as host countries would opt for sportsÂ  (or in this case, titles) which are most popular with the home crowd, while at the same time, allowing them the best chance of winning medals.
DotA 2 will replace League of Legends as the MOBA title of choice on PC, a move which will excite most Southeast Asian gamers considering the title’s huge popularity around these shores. Hosting country Philippines would surely fancy their chances for the gold, having seen a huge contingent of Filipino players featured at this yearâ€™s The Internationals.
Expect to see a star-studded battle royale as regional heavyweights from Malaysia (Mushi, MidOne & xNova) and Philippines (DJ, Kuku & Jabz) set to dominate the scene vying for the bragging rights as ‘The Best in SEA’.
Pic Source: Liquipedia
Attuned to the growing popularity of MOBA titles, both Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Arena of Valor (AoV) have been selected as the mobile games of choice. This choice means that HearthStone and Supercell’s Clash Royale will not be played in the SEA Games.
This decision may also be a conscious effort to cater to a wider local audience as Mobile Legends and AoV are two of the most popular mobile titles played in SEA. Of the six games selected, only AoV and StarCraft II return as contested titles while the FGC would be excited to see Tekken 7 being selected as one of the contested titles.
With game peripheral makers Razer being part of the organizing committee, mobile games titles at the 2019 SEA Games will be played on Razer 2 gaming phones while console titles will be played on the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One.
â€œWe are thrilled to see the momentum that our partnership with Razer has achieved in such a short period of time,â€ said PHISGOC Executive Director Ramon Suzara. â€œWe are working with all involved publishers and partners to lock down the titles within the next few weeks, and look forward to watching the regionâ€™s best esports athletes face off in the arena next year.â€
Echoing the sentiment, Sebastian Lau, Director-General of Asian Esports Federation (AESF) commended PHISGOC for their efforts of including esports into their Sports Program. â€œEsports is the sport of the future. We are glad to partner with PHISGOC in bringing esports to South East Asia.â€
To recap, here is the final list of esports titles that will be played competitively for the 2019 SEA Games:
PC: DotA 2, StarCraft II
Mobile: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Arena of Valor
PS4: Tekken 7, NBA 2K19*Â
* To be finalized


We Might Get A New Edition of Persona 5 Soon

Last year, Atlus had bought and registered a couple of domain names related to the Persona franchise. Recently on Christmas day 2018, the developer updated one of the domain names, P5R.jp, and moved it to one of their own name servers.
This move suggests that a possible announcement of a Persona 5 R edition could be coming soon. According to Gematsu, previous Atlus game announcements adhered to the same pattern, with an official announcement often following the act of domain names being moved to the company’s name servers.
Past examples of this include Persona Q2: New Shadow Labyrinth, Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight, Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, and Catherine: Full Body.
What Could Persona 5 R Edition Be?
Until Atlus officially announces Persona 5 R, we can only speculate what it might be. It could be an expanded version of Persona 5 with additional stories or gameplay features in the vein of Persona 4 Golden. Another possibility is that Persona 5 R could be coming out for the Nintendo Switch, similar to how Persona 4 Golden launched on the PS Vita or how the upcoming Dragon Quest XI S will be coming out on the Switch.
A Persona 5 the Animation: Dark Sun special is slated to air on December 30, 2018, alongside new details about the Persona Super Live 2019 concert. It’s the earliest probable time for a Persona 5 R announcement.


Xbox Accuses Sony Of Paying Developers Game Pass “Block Fees”

Microsoft has recently claimed that Sony and PlayStation have been paying developers big and small for “blocking rights” in return for them not putting their games on the Xbox Game Pass subscription service.
This is part of a document sent to Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense(CADE) to justify its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, as well as a response to Sony claiming that Xbox buying Activision Blizzard and Call of Duty would be “anti-competitive”. Xbox stated that Sony is attempting to “inhibit growth” of its Game Pass service by preventing content from appearing on it. Here is part of the statement from CADE:
“Considering that exclusivity strategies have been at the core of Sony’s strategy to strengthen its presence in the games industry, and that Sony is a leader in the distribution of digital games, Sony’s concern with possible exclusivity of Activision‘s content is incoherent, to say the least. It only reveals, once again, a fear about an innovative business model that offers high-quality content at low costs to gamers, threatening a leadership that has been forged from a device-centric and exclusivity-focused strategy over the years.
Indeed, Microsoft’s ability to continue expanding Game Pass has been obstructed by Sony’s desire to inhibit such growth. Sony pays for ‘blocking rights’ to prevent developers from adding content to Game Pass and other competing subscription services.”
Microsoft also claimed that Sony does not want any sort of attractive subscription services to “threaten its dominance” in the online distribution market for console games via its PlayStation Plus.
“In other words, Sony rails against the introduction of new monetization models capable of challenging its business model.”
Microsoft head of gaming Phil Spencer said earlier this January that he plans to keep the Call of Duty games on PlayStation platforms if the acquisition is done. Then again, the next three Call of Duty games will be out on PlayStation as part of a previous contract.


Major Villain Returning to Daredevil Season 3

According to Deadline,Â Vincent D’Onofrio will reprise his role as Wilson Fisk a.k.a the Kingpin in Daredevil Season 3 which is expected to go into production in 2018. The main villain in Season 1, we saw glimpses of him in Season 2, mainly in prison as he faced the imprisoned Frank Castle. His fate at the end of Season 2 was pretty sketchy but following this news, we hope the New York crimelord gets more screentime this time around.
â€œVincent is an exceptional actor who returns with the incredible gravitas he brings to Fisk,â€ EP and Marvel TV Chief Jeph Loeb told Deadline.Â â€œWeâ€™re veryÂ excited howÂ Marvelâ€™s DaredevilÂ develops through the creative lens and guidance of our new showrunner, Erik Oleson.â€ he added.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06VjLaoD5js&w=560&h=315]
Daredevil Season 3 should pick up right after the happenings of Netflix’s The Defenders. With The Hand pretty much wiped out at the end of the series, expect Wilson Fisk to resume the top spot amongst the many crime organizations plaguing Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs. As for the Daredevil, we suspect a twist on who dons the red suit following Matt Murdock’s fate at the end of The Defenders.


Kakuchopurei Best 30 Games Of 2022: #17

Head here for the full list.
#17: Live A Live (Nintendo Switch)

Remasters and remakes are a dime a dozen this year: see the lauded Crisis Core FFVII Reunion, the legendary Tactics Ogre Reborn, and the incredibly unneccessary The Last Of Us Part 1.
However, one of these attempts at cash-grab remakes is, in reality, an earnest way of paying respects to Square Enix longtime employee and JRPG creator/director Takashi Tokita. That remake is called Live A Live, which stars eight heroes with quests and stories in their respective timelines, from feudal Japan to even the far reaches of space.
Through all of it, a malevolent dark force ties all their fates together. And that is all we have to say because this remake’s era-spanning needs to be experienced for yourself. The battle system and varying gameplay mechanics do entertain and get the job done, but the game’s plot stands out. Newer JRPGs like Octopath Traveler owe their existence to the ahead-of-its-time ideas of the old Live-A-Live, and it’s a long time coming that a remake is now available legally.
If you call yourself a true JRPG fan and a connoisseur of multi-spanning stories, you owe it to yourself to get this Nintendo Switch exclusive.


Can Your PC Run Skull And Bones?

Ubisoft has revealed the full potential of Skull And Bones on PC. Inspired by the Indian Ocean during the Golden Age of piracy, players explore the vast open-sea world with one goal in mind: climb their way to the top. Through their pirate journey, PC players will be able to tailor their experience to their needs and enjoy a wide range of settings and features including:

4K HDR: to be fully immersed in the gameplay experience.
Uncapped FPS: to give players a higher potential for reducing input lag during naval battles
Image upscaling: to offer premium quality images and detailed gameplay through ray tracing, DLSS and FSR.
Complete customization: to change options in the advanced input settings to create a close-to-perfect experience.

Although players can sail through the dangerous seas of Skull And Bones alone, it is best experienced with up to two other friends or players encountered. To ensure an entertaining online experience, Skull And Bones provides:

Player tooling: a balanced matchmaking system to hop into Skull And Bones world. Players will be placed into servers based on their Infamy level and PvP preference. Players can also report or block others for disruptive behaviour in the game.

Game servers: powerful physical servers with modular redundancy and cloud servers complement one another during spikes of high activity to limit wait times. Ubisoft dedicated server sites in North and South America, Europe, Asia, South Africa, and Oceania.
Anti-cheat solutions: battlEye monitors the game in real time. It permanently bans players on the first offence if any cheats have been deployed and detected to gain an unfair advantage.

Overall, Skull And Bones aims to offer high-quality visuals and settings for the PC community. Check out the PC specs below:

Skull And Bones is slated to release on 8 November 2022 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC via the Ubisoft Store and the Epic Games Store.


Postknight 2 Private Alpha Testing Begins Next Month

Malaysian developer Kurechii has announced the release date for the Postknight 2 Private Alpha Testing.
The Testing period starts from 11am GMT+8 on 22 October 2020 and ends at 11am GMT+8 on 22 November 2020.
Postknight 2 is the sequel set a few years after the first game for Android and iOS platforms. Players can now customize their Postknights, charge through new locales, collect more equipment sets, and meet different people, both returning and new.
Players can register for Private Alpha Testing here.Â Selected lucky fans to test Postknight 2 earlier than others.
Check out the trailers below:


This Castlevania Doom Mod Is Anything But A Miserable Pile Of Secrets

The 1993 Doom is the gift that keeps on giving, even in 2021 when the world is still not yet sane. So it’s good to know that there’s a noteworthy Doom mod worth playing, featuring Konami’s Castlevania series.
The Doom mod is called Castlevania: Simon’s Destiny, and it’s a 2D first-person game using the Doom engine. Except that you’re Simon Belmont and you use whips, axes, and magic pocketwatches instead of guns. You still fight hell’s army, but of the Universal Monsters variant and with the covers of Castlevania music playing in the background. It’s made in the GZDoom engine by Andrea Gori, who clearly knows Castlevania.
It looks pretty awesome so far! Check out the climactic battle between Simon Belmont and Dracula in 3D glory here:

https://www.freegameplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/simons-destiny-doom-game-download.webm
If this sounds like your nostalgic cup of tea, download it here: https://www.freegameplanet.com/castlevania-simons-destiny-download-game/. You’ll need GZDoom to play it though. If you rather watch, check out the hour-plus playthrough below, featuring classic Castlevania sound bites and hot whipping action.


WoW Wrath Of The Lich King Classic Launches In Asia Pacific This September

Blizzard Entertainment has announced that the forces of the Horde and the Alliance will have another chance to bring a fitting end to one of World of Warcraft’s most iconic villains starting from 27 September 2022 (GMT+8), when the company releases Wrath Of The Lich King Classic, the authentic re-creation of WoW’s acclaimed second expansion, at no additional cost to all players with an active subscription.
This expansion will launch globally at 6am GMT+8 and will be available on all World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Classic realms.
From atop the frozen throne of Icecrown Citadel, the Lich King Arthas Menethil, once a fierce paladin prince consumed and corrupted by a misguided zeal to save his people at any cost, marshals his undead army into war against the inhabitants of Azeroth. To confront the Lich King, players will embark on a treacherous journey through the wintry forests and snowy peaks of the continent of Northrend, the single largest land mass Blizzard ever added to the game with an expansion (until the upcoming release of World of Warcraft: Dragonflight). There they’ll experience some of the most breathtaking vistas and beloved storylines in all of Warcraft as they make hard-fought progress in their effort to breach Icecrown and defeat one of the direst of threats Azeroth has ever known.
“The epic moments in Wrath of the Lich King Classic feature vast icy environments, unique dungeons and raids, and a gripping conclusion to the story of Prince Arthas,” said World of Warcraft executive producer Holly Longdale. “All of this and more made it a favourite of many of our players and us at Blizzard as well. We’re looking forward to providing an authentic experience for returning veterans and an awesome adventure for newcomers exploring Azeroth for the first time.”
Rising with this expansion is the fearsome Death Knight hero class, available to all players and starting at level 55. As former champions of the Lich King, Death Knights conquer their foes using dark magic and runic power. Also featured is the original iteration of the World of Warcraft achievement system, celebrating a wide range of player accomplishments in the game, and the introduction of the Inscription profession, which enables players to scribe ability-enhancing glyphs that alter the appearance and modify the properties of spells and abilities.
Players will be able to put their skills and new abilities to the test in the 13 memorable dungeons from Wrath of the Lich King, such as Ahn’Kahet: The Old Kingdom, where they’ll face the minions of the Old God Yogg-Saron, and the plague-infested Culling of Stratholme, which recreates the tragic event from Warcraft history that led to the downfall of Prince Arthas. Those seeking the ultimate challenge can take on the 9 raids introduced in the expansion, such as the updated versions of Naxxramas and Onyxia’s Lair from pre-expansion World of Warcraft, and of course, Icecrown Citadel, where the story of the Lich King reaches its cinematic conclusion.
In the lead-up to launch, players can experience Joyous Journeys, a 50 percent bonus XP event that will run until Wrath of the Lich King Classic’s launch. Prior to release, all WoW subscribers will be granted the ability to create one Death Knight per Classic realm, which they can bring to level 70 through Burning Crusade Classic content until 27 September 2022. In addition, players will also be able to purchase optional upgrades, including new cosmetic items and a level-70 character boost for those who might not yet have a fully levelled character.
In the meantime, check out the epic trailer below:


Sasha Calle Is Our New Movie Supergirl

During the weekend, The Flash movie director Andy Muschietti announced the latest addition to his upcoming movie, which is slated to premiere on 2 June 2022.
The Young and the RestlessÂ star Sasha Calle will play the role of Kara Zor-El AKA Supergirl in the upcoming The Flash movie, which makes her the new movie version of the iconic character (and the first Latina Supergirl in history). According to Muschietti, she was chosen from more than 425 actresses who auditioned.
In a video shared by the official DC Comics Twitter account, the director said:
â€œI saw more than four hundred auditions.
The talent pool was truly amazing and it was very hard to make a decision, but we finally found an actress who was destined to play this role.”
The actresses werenâ€™t informed what part they were reading for; until very late in the process. Calle also did a chemistry read with The Flash lead star Ezra Miller, who will be reprising his role as Barry Allen AKA The Flash.
Calle is best known for the role of Lola Rosales on The Young and the Restless and the YouTube miniseries Socially Awkward. She was even nominated last year in the Outstanding Young Performer in a Drama Series category at the Daytime Emmys.
In pop culture and media history, Supergirl was first played in live-action by Helen Slater in the 1984 Supergirl movie, Laura Vandervoort in the Smallville TV series and later by Melissa Benoist on CW’s Supergirl TV series.
During 2020’s DC FanDome event, Muschietti revealed that his The Flash movie will apparently “restart” everything in the DCEU (DC Extended Universe) and serve as a soft reboot of sorts.

Breaking news from Director Andy Muschietti on Instagram:
Re-post: Andy Muschietti | Been doing a lot of flashbacks lately but today is about a Flash forward. #TheFlashMovie @SashaCalle pic.twitter.com/3vD3XP2rbd
— DC (@DCComics) February 19, 2021


Xbox Game Pass Adds Soul Hackers 2 & Wo Long Fallen Dynasty Next Week

Microsoft has announced new titles coming to Xbox Game Pass next week, including Wo Long Fallen Dynasty, Soul Hackers 2 and more.
Atomic Heart (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 21
Available on day one with Game Pass: In a mad and sublime utopian world, take part in explosive encounters. Adapt your fighting style to each opponent, use your environment, and upgrade your equipment to fulfill your mission.
Merge & Blade (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 28
Experience an addictive fantasy puzzler and a massive auto-battler in the world’s first puzzle auto-battler game! Engage in large-scale battles with monsters with your own squad using merge mechanics. Only your brain can save the world!

Soul Hackers 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 28
Explore a supernatural RPG with stylish summoners and dark dangers lurking under cyberpunk Japan. Join Ringo and her companions to solve the mystery behind an imminent apocalypse in Soul Hackers 2. Strengthen the bonds with your teammates and dive deeper into their soul, reliving their last adventures and discovering the truth of their stories and yours.
Check out our review here.

F1 22 (Console and PC) EA Play – March 2
PC Game Pass & Ultimate members can get behind the wheel on March 2 as F1 22 joins The Play List with EA Play. Get to grips with the fastest motorsport around. Take your seat in the 2022 season cars, test your skills around Miami International Autodrome, and get a taste of the glitz and glamour in F1 Life.
The 2023 Formula 1 season is about to begin soon, and there’s also Season 5 of Netflix’s Formula One Drive To Survive, which will premiere on 24 February 2023.
The 2022 Formula One World Championship ended with Max Verstappen as the Drivers’ Champion and Red Bull Racing achieving their fifth World Constructor Championship.
It was also notable for being the final season for four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel, while seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton endured a difficult season with Mercedes, failing to secure either a pole position or Grand Prix win during the season, which was the first time this ever happened in his Formula One career since it began in 2007.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 3
Available on day one with Game Pass: Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a dramatic, action-packed story of a nameless militia soldier fighting for survival in a dark fantasy version of the Later Han Dynasty where demons plague the Three Kingdoms. Players fight off deadly creatures and enemy soldiers using swordplay based on the Chinese martial arts, attempting to overcome the odds by awakening the true power from within.

Microsoft Flight Simulator World Update XII: New Zealand – February 23
Microsoft Flight Simulator World Update XII: New Zealand beckons all to experience the expansive beauty that the country has to offer, reproduced in stunning photo-realistic quality including 62 handcrafted points of interest and 10 new missions to bask in the majesty of New Zealand’s diverse landscapes from above. Available for free to all owners and Game Pass members. The sky is calling!
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Apex Legends: Supercharge Revelry Pack – Available now
Join the Apex Games ready for battle with the Supercharge Revelry Pack, available with your EA Play membership until March 14, 2023.
MultiVersus: MVP Pack – Drop 3 – Available now
The MultiVersus MVP Pack is a free in-game bundle only available for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members. Enjoy a new variant, ringout effect, and a banner on us with each pack to further up your game!
Leaving On 28 February 2023
There’s still time to pick up where you left off or earn some extra Achievements in the following games leaving soon. Remember to use your membership discount to save up to 20% on games available in the Game Pass library before they go!

Alien: Isolation (Console and PC)
Crown Trick (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Dragon Ball FighterZ (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Far: Changing Tides (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (Console and PC)
Madden NFL 21 (Console and PC) EA Play
Octopath Traveler (Cloud, Console, and PC)


CoD Warzone & Black Ops Cold War Season 2 Kicks Off Next Week

Treyarch has announced that Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold WarÂ andÂ Call Of Duty: Warzone Season 2 is launching next week on 25 February 2021. Treyarch hasnâ€™t revealed much about the new season yet, but the new trailer does reveal several clues about the Operators and new weapons.
The trailer depicts a team of soldiers in the jungle of Laos in pursuit of someone named Naga. It turns out Naga is a magnum-toting, sunglasses-wearing, probable villain who is working to secure a shipment of Nova 6, which heâ€™s sending toÂ Verdansk. At the end of the trailer, Naga escapes and the team of soldiers arrives.
The synopsis reads:
After the attack on The Pines, Adler has been taken hostage.
Intel leads to Southeast Asia, where Naga, a Perseus operative, has been distributing deadly Nova 6 gas through a vast cartel network.
In Season Two, head to a stronghold in the jungles of Laos to strike back, rescue Adler from captivity, and even the fight.

The first new weapon that shows up in the trailer is a Crossbow, and what seems to be a Galil. However, these will only be confirmed by the developers soon enough. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


God of War, Return of the Obra Dinn, & Rieko Kodama Won Big At GDC & IGF 2019

This week, the Game Developers Choice (GDC) awards and the Independent Games Festival (IGF) awards gave out the best in show of 2018 during the week of GDC 2019. To the surprise of no one, PlayStation and Santa Monica Studio’s God of War won this year’s GDC Game of the Year award.
But what’s cool is that last year’s awesome indie whodunnit mystery game, The Return of the Obra Dinn by Lucas Pope, won a lot of awards from both shows. The game won Best Narrative at the GDC awards and the IGF Grand Prize, as well as the IGF Excellence in Narrative. If you haven’t played the game, you should: it’ll test your cognitive and detective skills.

Here are my other takeaways regarding the awards:

It kinda sucks Octopath Traveler got snubbed in the audio department, but Celeste‘s OST and audio work is pretty ace.
It’s about goddamn time Sega’s Rieko Kodama got a Pioneer award for her long-standing contribution to JRPGs. She gave us the epic Phantasy Star IV, Skies of Arcadia, and the 7th Dragon series.

Check out the full list of winners below:
GDC Winners
Best Audio
CelesteÂ (Matt Makes Games)
Best Debut
Mountains (Florence)
Best Design
Into the BreachÂ (Subset Games)
Best Mobile Game
FlorenceÂ (Mountains)
Innovation Award
Nintendo LaboÂ (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
Best Narrative
Return of the Obra DinnÂ (Lucas Pope)
Best Technology
Red Dead Redemption 2Â (Rockstar Games)

Best Visual Art
GrisÂ (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital)
Best VR/AR Game
Beat SaberÂ (Beat Games)
Audience Award
Beat SaberÂ (Beat Games)
Game of the Year
God of WarÂ (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Pioneer Award
Rieko Kodama
Lifetime Achievement Award
Amy Hennig
IGF Winners
Seamus McNally Grand Prize
Return of the Obra DinnÂ (Lucas Pope)
Excellence in Visual Art
Mirror DropÂ (Ian Lilley)
Excellence in Audio
ParatopicÂ (Arbitrary Metric)
Excellence in Design
Opus MagnumÂ (Zacktronics)

Excellence in Narrative
Return of the Obra DinnÂ (Lucas Pope)
Nuovo AwardÂ (given to unusual, experimental games)
Black RoomÂ (Cassie McQuarter)
Best Student Game
After HOURSÂ (Bahiyya Khan, Claire Meekel, Tim Flusk, Abi Meekel)


E3 2018: What’s Missing So Far?

With E3 2018 done and gone a few weeks ago, we can all be assured that the rest of 2018 and the earlier parts of 2019, especially 22 February of next year, will be chock-filled with gaming titles aplenty. But what about the games that are MIA?
Not to say that we aren’t impressed with the diverse lineup of games we have, but we are curious about some titles we were expecting during the epic showcase.
Let’s dive right into that.
Metroid Prime 4 (Nintendo Switch)
What Is It? The long-awaited sequel to the Metroid Prime trilogy, the game pits you as bounty hunter Samus as you explore the planet or base you’re on in first-person action adventure view.
Status Update: Nintendo mentioned that it would rather announce titles that are close to done and wishes not to push out unnecessary teases.Â
Bayonetta 3 (Nintendo Switch)

What Is It? The next sequel in the awesome high-octane hack-and-slash action game from PlatinumGames. The first game was directed by Hideki Kamiya who is known for Resident Evil 2 and the very first Devil May Cry.
Status Update: Nintendo mentioned that it would rather announce titles that are close to done. Guess we’ll have to wait until the next Nintendo Direct then.
PokÃ©mon 2019 (Nintendo Switch)

What Is It? The next Pokemon game from Nintendo to follow in the JRPG veins of Pokemon Sun and Moon for 3DS.
Status Update: The next mothership Pokemon game will be out next year. As such, teasing it wouldn’t be ideal. Nintendo mentioned that it would rather announce titles that are close to done.
Shin Megami Tensei V (Nintendo Switch)

What Is It? The next sequel in the mothership Shin Megami Tensei titles where you fight demons with other demons you recruit via fusion or negotiation. The last SMT game was SMT IV and SMT IV: Apocalypse for the Nintendo 3DS, and it’s usually set in good ol’ post-apocalyptic Tokyo with awesome battle music.
Status Update: Since Atlus wants to release their goshdarn funky Persona 3 and Persona 5 dancing games, Shin Megami Tensei V news is still in the backburner.
Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4)
What Is It? The much-lauded remake of the original Final Fantasy VII JRPG from Square Enix (then called Squaresoft). Announced at E3 2015’s PlayStation press conference and co-developed by Cyber2Connect, the game is slated to be episodic.
Status Update: Tetsuya Nomura did state that the game is still in development; it’s just taking a backseat in favour of Kingdom Hearts III’s release. He told fans to hold their horses and hinted that they may be an announcement after KHIII’s release.
Splinter Cell (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

What Is It? We have no idea, but a new Splinter Cell was rumoured to pop up or at least be mentioned. This rumoured game could be a follow-up to Splinter Cell: Conviction and Splinter Cell: Blacklist.
Status Update: The Walmart Canada leak was right about a number of games like Rage 2 and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. However, there were a few other games on the list that made a no-show. But seeing as Ubisoft already has its hands full with the new AC and a couple of others like Division 2, perhaps a comeback from gaming’s other stealth expert isn’t the best idea yet. Maybe Gamescom?
Borderlands 3 (PC, Xbox One, PS4)
What Is It? The latest sequel to the loot-em-and-shoot-em FPS action RPG series Borderlands. Features humour, colourful wasteland aesthetics, and a bazillion guns.
Status Update: Same deal as Splinter Cell on that Walmart Canada leak. Perhaps a Gamescom tease is inevitable.
That Square Enix Avengers Game (PS4, Xbox One)

What Is It? A new action game based on Marvel’s Avengers. Square Enix announced this a while back, with developers Crystal Dynamics at the helm.
Status Update: Since Crystal Dynamics is busy with Shadow of the Tomb Raider, this new Avengers game will have to wait. For now, rumours have stated that this is a reboot of Marvel Ultimate Alliance where you control up to four players and beat up bad guys as Marvel superheroes.
That New Retro Studios Game For Nintendo
What Is It? Rumours are swirling about Retro Studios’ newest project since Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. We heard it’s a new Star Fox game or a new F-Zero game.
Status Update: This one’s more of an anomaly than anything. Like we said about the other Switch games, we’ll have to wait for a few more Nintendo Direct videos.
That Rocksteady Superman Game
What Is It? After doing all three Batman Arkham games, it’s high time Rocksteady started focusing on the Man of Steel. While it may be tough to make an open-world action adventure game on an invincible person, lord knows these developers are talented enough to work something around.
Status Update: No official word from Warner Bros Interactive though. We’ll have to wait until later this year, maybe even Gamescom.


YouTuber Detained By Police On Live Stream

Daniel Desmond Amofah, better known as former popular YouTuber and streamer Etika, was detained by police yesterday in Brooklyn during a live stream on Instagram with over 19,000 viewers.
The stream in question only lasted 45 minutes, which began with Etika talking with the police and ending with him being escorted out of his apartment. During the stream, Etika switched from moments of pointing his phone’s camera on his face and the police cars gathered underneath his apartment.
A team of what seems to be a SWAT team equipped with riot shields entered his apartment to detain Etika after they received calls that he was threatening to harm himself and contemplating suicide (via Kotaku).
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time that Etika has experienced mental health problems. In October 2018, he uploaded pornography on his YouTube channel, resulting in it getting shut down. As recently as earlier this month in April 2019, he posting suicidal remarks online, saying “And now, itâ€™s my turn to die. I love you all.”
Fellow YouTuber and friend Sky Williams also discovered yesterday that he was blocked by Etika on Twitter, prompting him to tweet this response.

people keep waking me up because etika continues to exhibit frightening behavior but i canâ€™t do anything at all now and iâ€™m sorry i couldnâ€™t get through to him.
just let me sleep, please.
I have nothing else to say about this.
I will not discuss this further than this tweet.
â€” â™¡â™ª!? (@SkyWilliams) April 29, 2019
Mental health issues are not something to be taken lightly and they’re a serious problem, especially so for YouTubers and game streamers who are expected to churn out constant quality content or stream games for hours at a time. Fans sometimes make it worse by putting more pressure on these folks, or even harassing them online.
Etika is now free and back home, freely tweeting about what happened to him. Here’s one of his many tweets, in which he wants to press charges against the individual who called the police in the first place.

I would like to press charges against the individual that claimed I was suicidal to Swat my home. You destroyed my property, wasted the New York City Police Department’s time, and my own personal time. You cost this city tens of thousands of dollars.
I will be pressing charges.
â€” *^!Etika (@Etika) April 30, 2019


Ghost Recon Breakpoint Gets New Teammates Update, Free Weekend Starts Tomorrow

Ubisoft has announced that Tom Clancyâ€™s Ghost Recon Breakpoint is introducing its new A.I. Teammates experience as part of Title Update 4.0.0. Free for all players, the update expands the A.I. teammates and adds an all-new progression loop, as well as extensive customization options for teammates.
The company also announced that Tom Clancyâ€™s Ghost Recon Breakpoint will be free to play from 27 to 31 May 2021 on PS5, PS4, and PC. All players will have full access to the base gameâ€™s content for the duration of the free weekend and will be able to play co-op with anyone who owns the game. Any progression made during the free weekend will carry over when the player upgrades to the full game on the same platform.
However, keep in mind that players on PS5 and PS4 will require an active PS Plus account to access the free weekend. Check out the exact times below:

New players can pre-load Tom Clancyâ€™s Ghost Recon Breakpoint on PC starting today. All information about the free weekend can be found here on the official website.
In conjunction with the free weekend, standard, Gold and Ultimate Edition versions of the game will be discounted on all platforms, as well as the Season Pass, for a limited time. Thanks to the Friend Pass, Tom Clancyâ€™s Ghost Recon Breakpoint players are able to invite up to three friends who do not own the game to join their co-op session.


RazerCon 2020: All The Highlights & Announcements

The inaugural RazerCon 2020 featured several announcements for PC gamers, including a new laptop, desktop mic, gaming chassis, Razer’s first gaming chair, and more.
Check them out below:
Razer Viper Ultimate Cyberpunk 2077 Edition

The Razer Viper Ultimate Cyberpunk 2077 Edition should last around 70 hours of battery life in a single. It also boasts a 20,000 DPI resolution, a maximum IPS (inches per second) of 650 and maximum acceleration up to 50G.
It will be available sometime in November 2020 for the price of US$159.99 (or roughly RM662.17). Meanwhile, Cyberpunk 2077 is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC on 19 November 2020.

Razer Blade Stealth 13 Gaming Laptop

Equipped with an 11th-gen Intel processor and GTX 1650 Ti, the Razer Blade Stealth 13 gaming laptop is a powerful machine. This year, Razer is introducing two different models for its 13-inch laptop.
The first features a 120Hz 1080p matte display, and the second boasts a 1080p OLED touchscreen display made entirely of Gorilla Glass. The Blade Stealth 13 also boasts 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM and a 512GB SSD, the latter of which can be upgraded.
It is slated to release in October 2020 for the price of US$1,799.99 (or roughly RM7,449.80).
Razer Seiren Mini Microphone

The all-new Razer Seiren Mini is a sleek and compact desktop microphone that is the company’s smallest USB powered microphone to date.
 It will be available in three colours; Razer Black, Quartz Pink, and Mercury White. It also features a super-cardioid pickup pattern that reduces unwanted ambient noise and heavy-duty shock-absorbent design for stability.
The Razer Seiren Mini weighs less than a pound and stands at only 6.42 inches tall. It will be available on 10 October 2020 for the price of US$49.99 (or roughly RM206.90).

Razer Iskur Gaming Chair

The Razer Iskur is the company’s first-ever gaming chair. It features a new type of lumbar system that allows you to customize your support and an adjustable padded foam cushion that can be moved in and out.
It’s made of synthetic leather that’s stitched to resemble snake scales (which fits the brand’s reptilian theme) and comes with a memory foam head cushion. It also sports a 4D armrest system and a memory foam neck pillow for added comfort and support.
It will be available on 10 October 10, 2020, for US$499.99 (or roughly RM2,069.36).

Razer Kraken BT Kitty Edition Headphone

Razer’s new Razer Kraken BT Kitty Edition headphone is the first time that this product is going wireless. It features Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, a built-in microphone, and an impressive 50 hours of battery life.
It also features Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, 40mm drivers, Razer Chroma RGB, and up to 50 hours of battery life, as well as a built-in microphone with beamforming technology to block out ambient noise capture the wearer’s voice as clear as possible.
The Razer Kraken BT Kitty Edition will be available on 10 October 2020 for US$99.99 (or roughly RM413.84).
Razer Tomahawk Gaming Chassis

The Razer Tomahawk Gaming Chassis is available in two distinct sizes; The Tomahawk ATX, a standard mid-tower case, and the smaller Tomahawk Mini-ITX.
Both feature tempered-glass side panels that show off your components, RGB lighting, and cable management, and both of them open up for easy access to the entire inside of your gaming PC. The Tomahawk’s unique RGB lighting can also be controlled and customized inside of the Razer Synapse 3 desktop app.
The Razer Tomahawk M1 Gaming Chassis ITX will be available on 10 October 2020, for US$179.99 (or roughly RM744.94) while the Razer Tomahawk A1 Gaming Chassis ATX will be available sometime in Fall 2020 for US$199.99 (or roughly RM827.72).

Razer Sneki Snek Mascot Plushie

Razer now has a new chief gaming mascot named Sneki Snek. The plushie will be available on 23 October for US$29.99 (or roughly RM124.12).
For every plushie sold (on the official website), Razer will make a contribution to Conservation International to save 10 trees. Every purchase will also include exclusive freebies, while stocks last.
In addition, Sneki Snek WhatsApp stickers are now available for download on Google Play.


Witch Farming Sim Homestead Arcana Drops April 2023

Developer Serenity Forge and publisher Skybound Games have finally announced the worldwide release date of Homestead Arcana later this month.
The game was originally teased back in September 2022, showing a mix of fantasy adventure and cosy farming sim in a mysterious corrupted land called the Miasma. You will assume the role of Billie, a witch farmer that is tasked to discover the secret of the Miasma appearance, craft spells from your very own farm ingredients, and use nature’s magic to heal the corrupted land.

Not to forget, your adventure will not be lonely as you will be accompanied by an adorable black feline sidekick called Huckleberry. Billie and Huckleberry are set to rescue the land, making it habitable for future generations and magical species to reside.

Alongside the main mission, the game offers stylish outfit customization, ranging from hats, hair, and even shoes to get you ready in style. The journey to the Miasma will let you discover hidden treasures, magical seeds, valuable gears, long-forgotten recipes, and so much more. Learn new spells and recipes along the way as you explore the mysterious land. If you’re feeling like taking ample time at your homestead, decorating the place, cultivating your plants, and just relaxing with a delicious beverage.

Homestead Arcana will launch on 21 April 2023 for Xbox Game Pass on Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store. In the meantime, check out this new fantasy RPG farming sim now available to play.


E3 2018: Square Enix Kept Things Short, Mercifully

You know what would make a great third-party video presentation for a big video game expo? The voice-over of legendary actor Keith David.
Other than that, Square Enix kept things short and sweet.
Some Familiar Faces
For those who missed it or didn’t get flown out to Los Angeles a few months ago for press junkets, we get to see more of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Just Cause 4, and Kingdom Hearts III. We get to see a lot more of the former, as they showed off Lara stealth-killing mercenaries in the dark reaches of the Amazon. We’re seeing shades of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Splinter Cell: Conviction here.
We see a lot more Just Cause 4; Rico can now attach floatation devices using his grapple hook to make things float and fly upwards. He also has to deal with extreme weather conditions -giant tornados in this instance. In a game already known for its grapple hook antics and high-flying theatrics, this is a normal progression.
And there’s not much to say about KHIII; there are a few new scenes in the trailer not seen at the Xbox press conference, but that’s it. The release date is still the same, unfortunately.

Dragon Quest XI Is Still A Thing
We see a bit more story and a bit more action in the latest Dragon Quest XI trailer. You can now pre-order the Edition of Lost Time which features a bunch of things on the picture below.

Dragon Quest XI releases for PS4 and PC on 4th September.
Square Enix & Capcom, Working Together For Special FFXIV Event

Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood will be getting a Monster Hunter World event. Your band of heroes will most likely fight the iconic beast Rathalos as a boss in a limited event soon. Also, FFXIV patch 4.3 Under The Moonlight will be out soon and features a new story, a new Return to Ivalice raid dungeon, a new Swallow’s Compass dungeon, and the Castrum Fluminis trials.

New Square Enix Titles Afoot
We’ve also been shown new trailers for two games: Babylon’s Fall and The Quiet Man. The former features a knight fighting another giant knight with a sword tethered to him using some red energy, while the other is a quiet guy beating up Latino thugs. Both games will be for PS4 and PC, though more news on the Quiet Man will surface this August.

Babylon’s Fall is due for 2019. Interesting to note: Platinum Games will be working on this game, so expect some 60fps hyper fighting to go with your epic knight’s crusade storyline.

All in all, this is a decent showcase that will keep players wanting more while also not wasting everyone’s time since it’s just under 30 minutes.
Score: 5/10


Call Of Duty Modern Warfare & Warzone Gets Season 3 PS4 Exclusive Content

Call Of Duty Modern Warfare and Warzone Season 3 is arriving today on 8 April 2020, and now we know that PS4 players will be receiving some platform exclusive content, which will remain exclusive to the PS4 until 1 October 2020 (via PlayStation Blog).
Call Of Duty Modern Warfare

PS4 players can look forward to the exclusive New Survival Mode Map: Shoot House, where they can either barricade the entryways with traps and explosives to set up an ambush or claim the Alpha and Bravo gates for an advantage.
Call Of Duty Warzone

Players of the battle royale game can look forward to the new Call of Duty: Warzone Combat Pack for Season Three, which is free for all PS Plus subscribers. The Combat Pack will give Call of Duty Warzone players the following in-game items and cosmetics:

Epic Operator skin for Wyatt
Epic sniper rifle blueprint
Epic handgun blueprint
Epic tactical knife
Epic weapon charm
Animated Calling Card
Spray
60-minute Double Weapon XP Token

Last but not least, PS4 players can head to the Barracks tab in Multiplayer and scroll down to find the newest PlayStation mission in Season Three. All they have to do is visit the Barracks tab in Call Of Duty Modern Warfare to activate this mission and complete the steps to get the final reward; an exclusive assault rifle weapon blueprint.
Keep in mind that all of the content mentioned above will be exclusive to PS4 players until 1 October 2020, so don’t expect to see them when playing on the PC or Xbox One until after that date.


A Darkstalkers Game Made By The Skullgirls Team Would Be Nice…

With the way Capcom has been using Darkstalkers/Vampire characters like Morrigan and Felicia in other Capcom titles (ie Teppen, MvC) because of their….er…..hand-drawn features, it’s rather strange that they’re not thinking of doing an all-newÂ  Â Darkstalkers game.
During the EGXÂ  games expo in the UK a week ago or so, Capcom’s Yoshinori Ono responded to a “when’s Darkstalkers?” question with the line: “If everyone here throwsÂ  10 bucks into a bucket, we can get started on that.”
Lab Zero Games’ Mike Zaimont -a company responsible for Skullgirls and Indivisible– said the following (via Eventhubs):

Right. So, who wants that new 2D Darkstalkers? 1,000Â  likes will…probably have no significant influence on Capcom’s decision to let us do it or not, butÂ  WOULDN’T THAT BE AWESOME?Â  So Capcom USA, how about it? Wanna make a newÂ  VSav with us?

So, @CapcomUSA_, how about it?  Wanna make a new VSav with us?  :^) https://t.co/4tFyETbctE
— Mike Zaimont (@MikeZSez) October 26, 2019

In case you need a reminder ofÂ how good-looking Lab Zero Games’ works are, just take a gander below. Oh, and also check out thisÂ  Indivisible review we did.

Now imagine Morrigan, Felicia, and the rest of the Vampire cast looking as animated and lovely-looking with that tinge of Western influence. That would be grand.
Granted, it’ll take them at least 5 years or so just to get the animations and fighting system done up to near-perfection, but it’ll be worth the wait. We haven’t received a new Darkstalkers game since 1998; what’s another few years?


The ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition Is Now Available On Maxis Zerolution’s Instalment Plan

The ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition came out in Malaysia last month.
It featuresÂ a 6.59-inch OLED HDR colour-calibrated screen with a fast 144Hz refresh rateÂ and 1ms response time. Itâ€™s powered byÂ the Snapdragon 865 chipset with 5G support, with anÂ 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 ROM storage.
It also hasÂ a side-mounted USB-C port, so gamers can still play in landscape mode comfortably even while charging. Besides that, it features a 24MP front camera and 64MP back camera, as well as a massive 6,000mAh battery.
Now, Maxis Zerolution is offering the RPG Phone 3 Strix Edition from as low as RM109 per month. That instalment plan makes this gaming phone a lot more affordable, considering that it costs a whopping RM2999.
You can head on over to the official website here to learn more.


Kizuna A.I Plays No Straight Roads; Didn’t Experience Existential Crisis Thankfully

In No Straight Roads, players control Bunk Bed Junction duo Mayday and Zouk to fight against EDM practitioners. One of them is a virtual idol named Sayu.

One wonders what would happen if a renowned video-gaming virtual idol were to play this segment of the game? Well, wonder no more as Kizuna A.I experiences the second major stage of No Straight Roads with unexpected results.
Here is how Kizuna A.I reacts to the bit where Mayday tells Zuke that Sayu isn’t real.

She is conflicted, to say the least.
Kizuna A.I experiences the rest of the Sayu segment; she’s taking it incredibly well given that she’s literally shown how the process goes in making virtual idols. Like herself.

Most normal virtual YouTubers would freak out, but Kizuna A.I. was professional and calm about it. I wouldn’t know; I’m not virtual. I think.
Too bad she didn’t make it through the final Sayu section; her reaction to Sayu’s final form would have been priceless. You can watch the full segment below.


Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio Documentary Showcases Mo-Cap Work For Like A Dragon 8

SEGA has released the first episode of a Ryu Ga Gotoku docu-series titled “Behind the Scenes of Like a Dragon!”. It showcases the behind-the-scenes development of the upcoming Like A Dragon 8, or Yakuza 8.
This episode shows the staff of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio taking on the challenge of developing Like A Dragon 8 shortly after the company’s transition to a new structure. This includes the work of motion capture filming and recording sessions overseen by Like A Dragon 8 Director Yokoyama himself.
One of the new pieces of information revealed in the first episode of the docuseries is that Like A Dragon 8 actually started development back in December 2021. The developer only officially teased the game back in July 2022 and officially announced it in September 2022.
They also reveal that the reason why the mo-cap for characters in the franchise looks more realistic is because the actors are told to act normally instead of exaggerating their movements.
We’re sure fans of the franchise will love delving into how the developers at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio are working on Like A Dragon 8. In the meantime, check out our review-in-progress of Like A Dragon Ishin by heading over here.
Check out the first episode of the docuseries below:


The Top 5 Best Star Wars Games You Should Play On May The Fourth Week

Happy May The Fourth, Star Wars fans. It’s really been eons since the series started from the grand idea from filmmaker George Lucas back in 1979. With it came a slew of toys, mouthbreathers enthusiastic fans, and video game merchandise up the wazoo. The latter is pretty much our focus.
Yes, we do have a video or two talking about Star Wars games, but the games there feel more like legacy additions than games you can pick up and play right now on your PC and/or consoles. So here’s a more updated and refined games list of what Star Wars games to buy.
To celebrate this occasion, here are the top current games you can play that are Star Wars related, are affordable and less than RM100/US$20 (save for one virtual entry), are easily available, and are stable out of the box (sorry, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor). Most of the titles here are getting a 4th May discount which will end on 6th May GMT+8, so you better hurry!

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (RM68 On Steam)

Platform: PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch
Genre: Action-Adventure Game
Who knew a LEGO game would make it on this list to recommend fun all-ages Star Wars games? In all seriousness, both hardcore gamers and casual players will have a blast with the latest Traveller’s Tale Games’ action-adventure game, now with a ton of voice-acting, comedy bits, and loads of bricks to collect. And even orphans to air juggle with your Lightsaber. Fun for everyone!

Star Wars: Squadrons (RM23.85 on Steam)

Platform: PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One
Genre: Space Flight Sim
If you yearn for the days of X-Wings and TIE Fighters, but don’t want to cloud your eyes with old-school PC graphics, you should play the recent space flight sim entry Star Wars: Squadron. If you love space dogfighting and want a ton of variety when it comes to spaceships from the Star Wars universe, you’ll definitely find a lot to love here.
It’s going for a steal right now, costing way, way less than its RM159 asking price.

Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic (RM8.22 On Steam)

Platform: PC, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch
Genre: RPG
One of the most legendary and iconic Star Wars video games of all time, Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic may look outdated with similarly outdated mechanics but its story narrative, world and characters are timeless and fondly remembered for good reason. It’s set in an era that is thousands of years before the current era of Star Wars media.
Also, you’ll be able to experience why Darth Revan is one of the most revered characters in the franchise. Now is the time to jump into this classic, considering that an official remake is already currently in development for current-gen consoles.

Star Wars Republic Commando (RM8.22 On Steam)

Platform: PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4
Genre: FPS
Even if you hate the Star Wars Prequel Era, there’s one thing that most people would find cool regardless of that; the Clone Troopers. There’s a reason why the Star Wars Battlefront games are popular, and The Clone Wars animated series could last up to seven seasons. Part of that is because Clone Troopers are awesome, and Star Wars Republic Commando manages to make a decent FPS out of the fantasy of playing as one. Recently re-released for the PS4 and Nintendo Switch, there are multiple platforms to choose from.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Free On Xbox Game Pass)

Platform: Xbox Series, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Soulslike action adventure in a galaxy far, far away
If you can’t afford Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, you can play the pretty awesome prequel on Xbox Game Pass for free. Jedi: Fallen Order has you playing as Cal Kestis as he learns how to be a Jedi and rebuild the titular fallen order while being hunted by the Empire and its inquisitors. Lots of places to visit, sights to see, and alien monsters to murder while you’re learning the ways of the Force.

Bonus Entry – Star Wars: Tales From The Galaxy’s Edge

Platform: PS5 (requires PSVR 2)
Genre: VR Star Wars game
Feel the Force (feedback)! This Star Wars game is the “everyman” journey through the universe as a person of action, taking parts of the Galaxy’s Edge Disney theme parks and putting a more action-like spin on things. You’ll get to unleash your Star Wars fantasy with blasters, shotguns, and lightsabers galore, albeit in a linear-but-really-pretty-and-immersive fashion.
Galaxy’s Edge is the best VR Star Wars game you should get right now. In fact, if you already have a PS5, you should get a PSVR 2 just to play this ultimate retrofitted version of this pretty nifty and underrated Star Wars first-person virtual adventure game. Yes, it’s pretty pricey when compared to everything on this list, but if you have to get one VR Star Wars experience, it might as well be the best one in the market.


This Nintendo Switch Owner Can Play The Advance Wars Reboot

Nintendo previously mentioned that its upcoming strategy reboot Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp will be delayed indefinitely from its 9th April release date due to the Russia-Ukraine war going on. However, it turns out that some folks who preloaded a copy of the game before its April release date can access the full game right now.
A Twitter user named @killetheth shared some screenshots and gameplay footage of the game’s first tutorial section featuring Nell and Olaf. There’s a good chance Nintendo has caught wind of this and are probably going to do something about this.
https://twitter.com/killetheth/status/1512817317465391105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1512817317465391105%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nintendolife.com%2Fnews%2F2022%2F04%2Fthis-switch-owner-is-apparently-already-playing-advance-wars-1plus2-re-boot-camp
https://twitter.com/killetheth/status/1512870820523167745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1512870820523167745%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nintendolife.com%2Fnews%2F2022%2F04%2Fthis-switch-owner-is-apparently-already-playing-advance-wars-1plus2-re-boot-camp
https://twitter.com/killetheth/status/1512893938465656833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1512893938465656833%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nintendolife.com%2Fnews%2F2022%2F04%2Fthis-switch-owner-is-apparently-already-playing-advance-wars-1plus2-re-boot-camp
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp was initially going to come out for Nintendo Switch on 8th April before its indefinite delay to an unknown date due to current events. Personally, if a handful of people already have a preloaded full copy of the game they paid for, Nintendo might as well release the game. Otherwise, some folks will be taking a trip to the high seas.


Russia Is Banning Death Note, Tokyo Ghoul, & A Bunch Of Other “Violent” Animes

Better late than never? At least, that’s according to the moral police in Russia.
A district court in the country has banned the anime likes of Death Note, Tokyo Ghoul, and Inuyashiki on certain streaming websites. The reason? This is due to the worry that Russian teens will recreate violent acts from them. The St. Petersburg court system alleged that “every episode contains cruelty, murder, violence” (via Moscow Times).
As a result, 49 streaming websites in the country has received five lawsuits back in December. The same prosecutors in court also ask that shows like Naruto, Elfen Lied, and Interspecies Reviewers be banned as well. So far, the bans are dished out on a case-by-case basis.
Parents in Russia have been calling for a ban on Death Note since 2013 due to a teen suicide who just so happens to have a collection of the manga.


The Third Day Is An Overdrawn & All-Too-Familiar Folk Horror Tale

There’s been a resurgence of the folk horror genre in the past several years. One of the most iconic movies in the genre remains 1973’s The Wicker Man, and other subsequent movies have roughly followed the same template. including Netflix’s The Ritual (2017) and 2019’s Midsommar by Ari Aster.
The less spoken about 2006’s The Wicker Man starring Nicholas Cage, the better. However, what about HBO and Sky Atlantic’s latest effort in the genre? I was given the opportunity to watch five out of the six total episodes of the miniseries, and it may be a tad too drawn out if you’re into the usual 2-hour-or-less horror stories.
DÃ©jÃ  Vu

The story in The Third Day is split over several (literal) seasons, featuring a different cast of characters. Told over the first three episodes, the ‘Summer’ arc stars Jude Law as Sam, a man who is drawn to a mysterious island off the British coast where he encounters a group of islanders set on preserving their traditions at any cost (read: a pagan cult).
Isolated from the mainland, Sam is unable to leave the idyllic and dangerously enchanting world he has discovered, where the secretive rituals of its inhabitants bring him to grapple with experiences of loss and trauma hidden in his past through the distorted lens of the present.

The following ‘Winter’ arc unfolds over the latter three episodes and stars Naomie Harris as Helen, a strong-willed outsider who comes to the island with her two daughters Ellie (Nico Parker) and Tallulah (Charlotte Gairdner-Mihell), but whose arrival precipitates a fractious battle to decide its fate as the lines between fantasy and fact are distorted.
The first half of The Third Day, namely the Summer arc with Jude Law’s Sam, is extremely dull. While it’s not as ridiculous, these three episodes remind me of 2006’s The Wicker Man. Some parts are more unintentionally funny than they are creepy or scary.

There’s even one scene where a character ominously says to Jude Law’s character: “The darkness. The darkness is coming.” I truly can’t believe that the writers inserted such a cheesy and corny line into a show that takes itself too seriously most of the time.
The worse part of it all is the feeling that we’ve seen it all before. If you’ve watched other folk horror movies like The Wicker Man and Midsommar, The Third Day will be all too familiar. There’s nothing new here; expect the same protagonist entering a strange rural town with people that exhibit suspiciously bizarre behaviour, with the same sprinkly of cultish imagery and symbols to add to the creepy atmosphere.

Things start escalating, and when the protagonists realize it, it’ll be too late, and they get swept up by all the craziness. Oh, and don’t forget some inane twists along the way. That’s the gist of most horror folk stories, and so applies to The Third Day as well.
Fortunately, the second half of the miniseries, namely the ‘Winter’ arc featuring Naomie Harris’ Helen and her daughters. The family dynamic, combined with the incredible performances of Harris and the two younger actresses, make for a much more compelling watch, even though it essentially follows the same basic template.

That’s probably because the plot pacing in the Winter arc is so much superior and faster than the frustrating and crawling pace of the earlier Summer arc. While they both take place on the same island, the second arc is better in almost every way, which is unfortunate for viewers since they will be starting with the first one when it debuts.
And it’s not like you can just watch one arc independently, as all the arcs and stories are interconnected with each other. It was only during the Winter arc that I started becoming engrossed in how everything is connected, but that will probably be a little too late for some viewers.
Oh So British

The plot notwithstanding, The Third Day doesn’t lack in things to like. The picturesque and lovely rural setting is beautiful, especially the causeway linking the island to the mainland. The causeway isn’t just there to simply be scenery, as it even plays into the plot, and provides a solid reason why these people can’t exactly just leave the island at simply any time.
Another notably great aspect was the music, which sounds ominous and creepy as it should. It’s not something groundbreaking or instantly memorable, but it accomplishes its job of creeping viewers out. The music is composed by Cristobal Tapia de Veer, previously best known for the music in the original Utopia TV series and Amazon Prime’s Hunters.
A Better Film Perhaps?

There’s a reason why most horror folk content is movies and not TV series. It’s to avoid stretching the narrative and risk losing the delicious mystery that is the reason why viewers watch these in the first place. The Third Day suffers from this problem, as a story that could have been a concise two hours, has instead been overdrawn into over six hours of TV.
FINAL SCORE: 50/100
The Third Day is slated to premiere on 15 September 2020 exclusively on HBO GO and HBO (Astro Channel 411 HD), with a same-day encore at 10pm on HBO. New episodes premiere weekly.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.


You Can Now Buy That Fallout 76 “Country Roads” Cover Right Here

In case you haven’t heard, the Fallout 76 teaser and trailer featured a pretty neat John Denver cover. Here’s a listen:

If you want to buy it for your musical devices, you can do that on iTunes now for US$1. Best of all, you’ll be doing it for a good cause. The proceeds for the song will be donated to Habitat for Humanity;Â Bethesda committed to a minimum donation of US$100,000. Habitat for Humanity is a group dedicated to making “decent affordable housing” all across the world; sounds like a good cause to support, right?
The track is credited to Copilot Music and Sound. If they sound familiar, that’s because they’re responsible for some awesome game trailer music. Case in point the Dishonored trailers:

Fallout 76 will be out on 14 November. We covered the game on our Bethesda E3 2018 report.Â So far the game looks like a private multiplayer affair with private servers, nukes that can be activated, giant mutants, and survival house-building elements to go along with that kickass John Denver cover.Â


Fall Guys Was The Top Game On Twitch, Beating LoL & Dota 2 During The Weekend

Ladies and gentlemen, we may have a new party game hit on our hands.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, a 60-player battle royale 3D platformer with various stages & game modes, enjoyed its 48-hour beta period since the 25th July 0:00 GMT+8. And apparently, a lot of people are falling in love with its jelly people-starring antics; the game is on the top spots of the Twitch charts and Steam.
Fall Guys was briefly sitting above every other game on Twitch before dropping down to #25. Impressive, considering the game isn’t even out yet.

You guys literally hyped up the beta so much that @Steam has featured it on the home page…
It's not even out yet and Fall Guys is #6 Top-Selling
?? pic.twitter.com/zkKHAR5zFv
— Fall Guys… FREE FOR ALL! ? (@FallGuysGame) July 26, 2020

We enjoyed our time too; while the servers needed work in terms of matchmaking, the beta holds a lot of promise of being 2020’s de facto party game when it officially launches 4th August. Just when you think the battle royale genre is getting stale, along comes this saccharine casual and silly game (with purposefully wonky physics) to set things right. Expect a video of our goofy antics this week.


Wanted: Dead Is A New Hyper Action Game From Ex-Team Ninja Folks

During Tokyo Game Show 2021, a new publisher by the name of 110 Industries made its presence known by announcing a slew of sleek new titles. One of them is a 3D action game that piqued my interest; one that’s made by ex-Team Ninja folks.
The game is called Wanted: Dead and it puts you in the shoes of a cyborg police officer who slashes her way out of her forced imprisonment. The setting is in sci-fi Hong Kong where synthetic workforces are being sidelined, hence the female cyborg doing what she’s doing in the trailer: dismembering the living heck out of anything threatening her.

This hack and slash title is being developed by Soleil, who are made up of developers who worked on the Ninja Gaiden reboot in the Xbox days, Dead or Alive, and Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. That’s a helluva resume, if I must say so myself.
Wanted: Dead is slated for a 2022 release.


Pedro Pascal Reveals The Mandalorian’s Real Name

Since The Mandalorian was originally announced and even after the debut of its first episode earlier this week, we still don’t know who the titular Mandalorian is underneath the helmet. Thanks to the guy playing the Mandalorian himself, now we know, and it’s…
…nobody we’ve ever heard of in Star Wars canon.
In an interview with ScreenSlam on YouTube, Pascal finally drops the real name of the character he’s playing on the Disney Plus exclusive series. He said (around the 2:30 minute mark), quite nonchalantly at that:

â€œThe Mandalorian, whose name is Dyn Jarrin, is your iconically cool, flawed, mysterious, loner gunslinger that harkens to the best of the samurai movies and westerns.”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11wor2uDnkA&w=560&h=315]
However, the official spelling for The Mandalorian’s real name has yet to be confirmed by Disney or Lucasfilm, so it could be anything from Dyn Jarrin to Dyn Jarryn or Din Jarren. We’ll probably learn more about the character in future episodes, which will begin releasing every Friday starting from 15 November 2019.
I personally found the first episode of The Mandalorian to be a great start and worthy of the Star Wars branding so far (check out my review here). In the meantime, check out the exclusive clip from the first episode below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3CUM-iFEFk&w=560&h=315]


Here’s When You Can Play The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV

The conclusion toÂ The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel saga is heading its way westward and to Malaysia in English form. As for when, that depends on the platform you plan to play it on.
PS4 owners can expect to get The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV in Fall 2020, while Switch and PC users have to wait till 2021 to get their copies. The limited Switch edition of the game can now be pre-ordered for $99.99 (RM437.55).Â

The JRPG has quite the interesting history, as it’s just part of a larger overall series. Aside from Trails of Cold Steel, there are also the Trails in the Sky and Crossbell games. There were other Legend of Heroes games before these, but these three form their own inter-connected series.
Trails of Cold Steel IVÂ is both a conclusion to the Cold Steel games and a big crossover event, with the Steam page boasting that it has the largest roster seen in the series yet. Aside from the Cold Steel games’ Class VII characters, there will also be appearances from Crossbell‘s Special Support Section and the heroes from Trails in the Sky. I can see why fans would be excited about this game.
As for the premise, here’s the gist:

“With the nation on the brink of war and their greatest light now missing, heroes from far and wide must stand together in the face of emerging threats,” reads the YouTube description. “The fight for a brighter future will be decided here!”

We may not have a review of the series on the site, but our resident RPG guru Mr Toffee praises the series for its deep and detailed narrative that focuses on the students of Class VII and their plights, as well as how they overcome it. He also said that newcomers can start with the first game, but also be wary of cliffhangers, particularly in parts 1 and 3.


Square Enix To Release Chrono Trigger Jazz Album For Next Year

Square Enix has opened up pre-orders for a Chrono Trigger jazz arrangement album in Japan. It was bound to happen, given the love everyone has for Chrono Trigger.
The new album is the fifth in the Square Enix Jazz album series, which so far have been top-notch stuff featuring great arrangements for SaGa and Final Fantasy’s music. The album costs US$30 or so, with the pre-orders lasting until 26th January 2022. Here’s the link.

SQUARE ENIX JAZZ??????5?????????????????????????????????????????????????e-STORE?????????????????????????????? Jazz Arrangement?Another Edition???MP3?????????https://t.co/1bTo2OWcDZ pic.twitter.com/3I6QozW1Bg
— ??????????? e-STORE (@SQEX_eSTORE) November 22, 2021

Ex-composer Eijiro Nakagawa, who worked alongside Yasunori Mitsuda and Nobuo Uematsu for the classic JRPG, will be on trombones, while Xenoblade Chronicles 2 musician Ryu Kawamura will be on bass. Here’s the arrangement tracklist:

â€œPeaceful Daysâ€
â€œFrogâ€™s Themeâ€
â€œLavosâ€™ Themeâ€
â€œRoboâ€™s Themeâ€
â€œThe Brink of Timeâ€
â€œBattle with Magusâ€
â€œSchalaâ€™s Themeâ€
â€œChrono and Marle ~Far Off Promise~â€
â€œWorld Revolutionâ€
â€œOutskirts of Timeâ€
â€œChrono Triggerâ€

If you pre-ordered before the deadline, you’ll also get a bonus alternative arrangement of Frog’s Theme. While pre-orders are only available in Japan, the Western portal should have it on offer eventually. In the meantime, why not check out the original and sequel Chrono Cross’ music on Spotify?


New Elden Ring Patch Fixes Malenia & Elden Beast Boss Bugs

The patching of Elden Ring continues.
Bandai Namco has announced and released a new Elden Ring patch, possibly the only RPG everyone’s playing for the whole of 2022. Update 1.04.1 has fixed an HP bug with Malenia and an issue that caused some bosses to die at unintended times like the final boss The Elden Beast. The update also targets a bug that affects the duration of the Cerulean Hidden Tear.
Here are the full notes of Elden Ring patch 1.04.1:

Fixed a bug in which the effect duration of the Cerulean Hidden Tear was revised downward.
Fixed a bug with Malenia, Blade of Miquella in which her HP was not healed correctly in the online multiplayer environment.
Fixed a bug that caused some bosses to die at unintended times.

Fixed a bug that prevented the boss “Elden Beast” from working properly under certain circumstances.

Fixed some texts.

Elden Ring is available now for PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS4, and PS5. The game has sold 12 million copies by 14 March. It’s already the top-selling game of 2022 so far, so well done, From Software!


Japan’s First Esports Hotel To Open With Three Dedicated Gaming Floors

Japan will be getting its first esports hotel in April 2020, which will be opening in the Osaka’s famous geek-oriented district Nipponbashi. The hotel is named e-ZONe Denno Kukan (directly translated as electric mind space e-zone), or officially Esports Hotel E-Zone Cyberspace in English.
The Japanese esports hotel will be nine stories tall (including the basement), with the first three floors entirely dedicated to gaming, featuring over 70 high-spec gaming PCs and live-streaming equipment.
Only the fourth to eighth floors will actually be sleeping accommodations for visitors, but one of the floors will have special rooms with in-room gaming PCs. The prices for these rooms have yet to be announced.
However, since the buildingâ€™s basement is going to house shared shower facilities and considering the relatively young median age of esports enthusiasts and gamers alike, the room prices will likely still be affordable and not too expensive, fingers crossed.
It’s not a coincidence that the esports hotel resides in the same district as the headquarters of both gaming giants Capcom and SNK. In the meantime, check out the pics from inside the esports hotel, courtesy of soranews24.


New Resident Evil 4 Remake Footage To Be Shown At Arab Game Awards On Saturday

The Arab Game Awards have announced that they have partnered with Capcom to feature Resident Evil 4 Remake producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi to reveal new gameplay footage at the upcoming Arab Game Awards.
The Arab Game Awards will be live-streamed on YouTube at 2 am GMT+8 on Saturday, 21 January 2023.

???? ???????? ?? ?????? ??????? Capcom ???????? Yoshiaki Hirabayashi ?????? ?????? ??????? ???????? Resident Evil 4? ?????? ???? ???????? ????? ?? ????? ????? ??
?????? ?? ???? ???????? ??? ??? ??????? ?????? 9:00 ????? ?????? ???????? ??#???_??????? pic.twitter.com/5at8UDy7Eu
— ??? ????? ??????? 2022 (@ArabGameAwards) January 18, 2023

We still haven’t most of what the game looks like, especially the later sections. Previous footage has mostly focused on the beginning of the game. With only two months to go until launch, let’s hope we see more of the game.
The Resident Evil 4 Remake is slated to launch for the PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 24 March 2023.
For now, you check out previously-revealed gameplay footage below: